It's a New Year and My Vision is Clear!

There is something cleansing about a new year and today, I sit here and write my first blog post this year, I realize that my vision is so clear.  I'm clear about what I'm doing, why I'm doing it, what I want to do and when I want to do it.

With an overwhelmingly busy (and good) holiday season for Gourmet Gifts and Gift Marketing Alliance, I can finally breath.  December was more stressful than it should have been primarily because we had a lot of customers come back that had taken a few years off of giving gifts.  Their budgets returned and to be honest, I wasn't ready for that much business.  We did it but not without the price of really missing out on some holiday fun.

But 2013 will be my most challenging year ever.  I made the decision last year not to go back to corporate, to launch another new company and to make it successful within a year.  That "measurement of success" must be financial as I'm replacing the corporate salary I had.  But with all successes I've had, it all comes down to the people.  And that, while not new, is my major turning point for 2013.

I will be putting people on my team that are responsive, professional and knowledgeable.  I'm looking for people who are smart, have a good understanding of business and how to make the internet work properly to grow one's business.  As QTC grows, we're going to be adding contractors to take on projects relative to helping our customers grow.  If you're that person, I want to hear from you!

I wish you all a very Happy New Year and hope you'll consider using the services of QT Concepts.  We'll help 2013 be your best year ever!

2013 Faculty Announced & My Thoughts

There is a certain feeling I get when I talk to people who have the same level of desire to educate and inspire others.  It's almost indescribable but nevertheless, it is a wonderful feeling when you connect with someone who cares about giving back.  Today, as we announce that 100% of our 2012 Faculty is returning and the addition of three faculty members, I am even more proud than I was this year.  I'm proud because our faculty were all given high marks in your surveys.  I'm proud that the faculty felt that our convention was good enough for them to be a part of and most important, I'm proud that they are so willing, ready and able to continue to educate.

In addition to the stated faculty, I should mention that many of us don't go at this alone.  Supporters such as Wally August, Terry's husband, was right there to support the convention and Terry.  He helped at the Rockin' Design Challenge, talked with a variety of attendees and worked with Terry in her classes and lectures.  My husband, Alex Quintana, gave up his title of "President of Gift Marketing Alliance" to work the convention.  He cared more about the convention going smoothly and supporting our efforts than his own company.  John "Stedman" Wasylko was not only instrumental in assisting Deborah but he also was the first smiling face I saw every morning at 5am and was wiling to give us ideas, suggestions and feedback on everything we did.  I mention these individuals (and there are many others) because we work hard to create a family environment with a level of appropriate professionalism.  It's these types of people who care and take initiative that I appreciate so very much.  It's these supporters and our faculty that pull together to make events go above and beyond what they should.  And yes, I couldn't be any more proud.

I thank you for your continued support of the convention.  I'm humbled by your comments, feedback and continuous energy that seems to be exploding on Facebook.  We all have worked very hard to create a convention that is the best in the industry for the best of the industry.  I know we're successful because of you.

Blow Your Roadblocks Away!

It's great to reflect on our success and challenges but have you ever thought about what is holding you back?  What's your roadblock and how can I help you blow it away? 

My #1 roadblock was my fear of failure and about 4 years ago, I said, "what's the worst that can happen?"  My turning point was to realize that if I make a mistake, its not the end of the world and sometimes, learning from mistakes is healthy.  Now, I conquer my fears and work twice as hard to make sure my ideas work and my roadblocks are cleared.  It's all up to me!

First, identify what is holding you back.  Is it a technology?  Is it a fear?  What do you need help with?

Second, who can help you?   Where can you get the education you need to move forward?  Whether its taking a class or getting coaching; asking a quick question in a discussion forum, you can get help.

Lastly, celebrate your results and share it with others!  Pay it forward by helping others with what you know!

Tell me how I can help you by commenting on my blog!

Technology Demonstrated at the 2012 NGBC

As I sat, reflected and prepared our marketing strategy for the National Gift Basket Convention, I really wanted to "deliver" something that will set me apart from previous conventions and my competitors.  Aside from all of the obvious differences, there is one thing I know a little bit about - technology.  While I'm far from any expert, I have learned a lot in my corporate world about video.  I worked for Cisco for 12 years and we were a technology company - encouraged to develop relationships with our peers around the world through the use of video and virtualization.  So how can I share that knowledge with the gift basket industry? Demonstrate it!  My turning point this month is that I can talk, lecture and write about technology all I want - demonstrating it is a whole other story!

1.  Gadgets & Gyzmos:  We have an entire that is going to demonstrate a large variety of technologies that one can use for their business.  Even Square, Inc. donated 200 of their credit card processing dongles.  When you see and understand what a "Square" is, you'll quickly realize that Square is a game changer.

2.  SKYPE:  Put a booth together with product samples, brochures and biz cards with a monitor, camera and microphone and boom! We have a SKYPE Vendor!  You'll be able to walk up to a vendor table and talk live with the company representative.  She can answer questions, take your order, show you samples, scan your badge - whatever you need. She just isn't physically "here".

3.  QR Codes are on every badge and at every booth.  The day of having to carry business cards or write down contact information are over.  Use your iPhone or similar to scan a QR code and you've got contact info and can have it automatically log into your PDA.

4.  Live Video Streaming & On Demand:   There are many gift basket company owners that can't come.  Whether its financials or medical situations with family, the simply can't make it but a) want to support us, b) want to be a part of the convention and c) are curious what its going what its going to be like.  So, while I can't give them the entire experience, I can engage them and allow them to be a part of our morning huddle and lunch and learns.  They can pull up a booth "On Demand" so they can see who is there, what their booth looks like and be able to shop with them.  Lastly, they can shop at our Onsite Store!  Simply click on the item and it will take you to a description and let you purchase it.

....more to come!

May is technology month from our marketing perspective and I hope you'll give in and be willing to learn all about it!

IMHO (In My Humble Opinion)

Those of you who know me, know that I'm never short of an opinion.  I'm a strong believer in solutions and vary rarely will cite a problem without suggesting a solution.  But sometimes, I just have opinions and for fear of being misunderstood, I'm going to share with you my thoughts on a few "hot convention topics" within the gift basket industry right now.  And as the title of my blog and forthcoming book, "Turning Points", I find myself going through a significant turning point that I'll share with you too.

"Attendees and vendors are deciding not to go to any convention because they don't want to have to choose or disappoint the other two conventions."

While I know of one attendee that made the decision not to attend for this reason, the majority of the attendees and vendors who are choosing not to go is because they can't afford to do so.  It's really that simple.  I've spoken to over 50 of both attendees and vendors and they'd love to participate but they're still struggling to bounce back from this economy.  If they could afford to be there, they would in a heartbeat. 

"Can't all three conventions become one?"

This is a tough one and if you're a business person, you know this isn't possible.  I'll tell you that its been my priority since I started GBA in 2009, to "uplift the industry in the spirit of support and collaboration.  Support and collaboration....not starting another convention to compete with an existing one.  Let's remember that I was asked to take over the National Gift Basket Convention and after pushes and shoves by a variety of people citing it "necessary", I accepted.  And now, am nervous as all heck to live up to the expectations of Tom & Pam Newell as well as the industry.  I didn't start GBA and then start a convention.  I respected the convention that was out there and jumped on board and asked how I could help.

But let 's get to the point...asking all conventions to become one means that two groups of people are no longer in a "convention owner" position.  And, as a businesswoman, I know better than to partner with others when it comes to large sums of money.  If I fail, its my business; if I succeed its mine to share with others.  I am smart enough, however, to collaborate with trusted advisers who are successful, care and do things for the right reasons.

That is worth repeating.

Trusted advisers are people who have demonstrated a level of success in their personal and professional lives that are to be commended.  They care about what they do, how they do it and foster relationships that are meaningful and long lasting.  Last and certainly not least, they make decisions for the right reasons; not out of spite. They're willing to step up, volunteer and be a part of something without any expectations in return.

Am I open to working with other convention owners?  Yes (some) but I will not share financial risk and I will choose how to share the reward.  Is everyone invited to participate and be a part of what we're doing?  Absolutely!

"No one can make money doing a convention anyway."

There is no way that I am going to take over a convention if I'm not going to be able to make money.  The amount of time, money, effort, sweat and tears that goes into an event of this size and importance is unbelievable.  Now, if I choose to give my profits or add more give-aways so our attendees are overjoyed, that's my business but I'll tell you that there is no way that I'm going to owe money at the end of a convention or not make any money.  I deserve to make some money, this is a ton of work!

Smart event planners have a budget and they stick to it to the penny leaving some room for the unexpected.  It's just like a small business - you have investments and all of the typical expenses.  Just to give you an idea - it costs $4000 to rent the projector screen and projector in the main room for three days.  So I went on eBay, bought the screen for $98, spent $499 on a project and I'm done - for years to come. 

But let me make one more point.  It's not always about the money.  Sometimes people like me do things for the betterment of the cause.  And as my husband would say, "the money is the reward for the effort and emotion you put into what you do."

"How do I make the decision which convention to go to? I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings."

This is your personal preference and anyone who judges you on your decision doesn't care about your personal interest or future anyway.  My advice is to look at the faculty and their track record.  Visit their websites, read their biographies and education and see who is going to be giving you information about how to run your business - its important that you know you're going to be learning from people who know what they're talking about; not someone who thinks they'd make a good instructor.  Second, make a list of what you need to up-level your company and cross reference that with the classes being offered.  Lastly, pay attention to where the vendors are placing their support - that might be a good indicator that they have the confidence to spend thousands of dollars to be involved.  And know this....you won't hurt my feelings.  I respect your decision to go wherever you feel is the right place to be :).

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My turning point through this entire process is that I have to stay focused on the mission.  There is plenty of drama around me; people saying this people saying that - the bottom line is to stay focused.  Wayne Dyer said, "When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself." While its easy to get caught up in the gossip and negativity, I have to stay 110% focused on my mission.  Even writing this blog is steering me off my course but just for a few minutes :).

My #1 mission is that the attendees genuinely get the education and inspiration they need to work to their full potential.  We all created our companies to become successful; not to struggle and wonder what to do next.  My opening speech is called, "Reveal Your Potential" and it talks about having the confidence and a sincere desire to use your full potential - for real.  There are a lot of people that will tell you to chase your dreams, I say - choose your path, lay down some dynamite and blow it up!   Don't be the person that sits back and waits - go get it.  

And yes, that's what we have done for this years convention.  

Join us.

Debbie Quintana encourages your feedback, comments and questions; publicly or privately.  Privately to debbie@debbiequintana.com and publicly here on her blog.

Doing It All Is Possible

The first 4 years that I owned Gourmet Gifts, I was able to manage it myself.  Even though I worked a full time job, was raising kids and getting my degree, I was able to start Gourmet Gifts and become relatively successful with it after my second year.  It took two years to say that I was "successful".  But as GG got more busy and the phones were ringing more regularly, I realized the need to hire.  And so I did and I have to admit, I was scared to put someone on payroll primarily because I realized that her paycheck is important.  I wanted to grow GG big enough to be able to keep her very busy.  Then came an office manager, a personal assistant, a house manager and so on.  Up until August of last year, I had three virtual assistants, two program managers, a house manager and a manager for Gourmet Gifts.  But in August of last year, I was laid off from my corporate job and decided to hit the reset button.  I let my personal assistant go as well as one virtual assistants.  I wanted to see how much I could handle on my own, after all, I'm going to have at least a year off and can decide if I want to go back to corporate or not (and I do!).  (And, I was able to save some money - I was unemployed for the first time in my life and completely out of my comfort zone but that's a whole other story!)

My turning point through this process was so incredible.  I realized that so much more automation can be employed.  For six weeks, I studied everything that needed to get done for all of our seven companies.  I sat down at the end of the six weeks and made a whole new staffing plan, started using more apps and automation and most important, allowed more time in my schedule for good quality conversations.  I quadrupled my time speaking to those in the gift basket industry, took on more consulting clients and set time in my schedule each week to reflect.  I'm finding, now, that I am 110% focused, more confident and am able to spend more time helping others.

My turning point is that I can do it all but I don't want to do every little thing.  I want to have a solid staff that can take credit for our successes.  So, Angela, Oralia, Amy, Lisa, Twila and Ellen, hats off to you for helping me achieve my dreams of success.  It's because of you that I can say I'm truly living my dream.

Staying Caught Up

Wow, what a crazy week.  I try so hard to stay caught up and often times, its just plain exhausting.  But I have learned something in the last few months that I had to share.  Sometimes technology tools can save you time and sometimes, they don't.

I signed up with Zoho which is an amazing company with amazing tools.  In there I created a web based application to manage our open action items for the 2012 National Gift Basket Convention.  Right now, we have over 200 action items.  I'm able to classify them in all sort of ways, etc.  But I realized that I was spending more time managing that tool then I was getting the AI's done.  Back to Excel.  Its faster, more convenient and I'm an excel WHIZ.

My confession here is that sometimes, doing what you know is the right thing to do.  It's not that I'm afraid of technology, I'm just smart enough to realize that efficiency can mean using the basics.