Andrea DeMille
Christina Stanford
Paige Bickar
Brandi Wilkinson
Kristie Glascock ~ Executive Supervisor
My Usborne Story
When my son (who is now 12) was in preschool I ordered a set of four Usborne books out of the Scholastic flyer that was sent home. The set included First Encyclopedia of Space, First Encyclopedia of Seas and Oceans, First Encyclopedia of Our World, and First Encyclopedia of Animals. At the age of three, these non-fiction books were what my son loved to be read to before bed. When he first learned to read, it was these books that he started reading on his own.
So...when we decided to homeschool him after kindergarten, I decided I had to get him more of those Usborne Books that he loved! I found the publisher, Usborne, and called to have a catalog sent. When I got the catalog, there was information in it about how you could start your own business selling Usborne books and part of the business included doing book fairs.
I was intrigued and thougt it'd be fun to do some book fairs. Certainly a few book fairs may bring in a little extra income, I thought. I called the # I found on the catalog and it wasn't too long til Amy Coquillard called me. She explained everything I needed to know about the business. We chatted a couple of times over a couple of months and in September of 2005 Usborne had a monthly kit special that I couldn't pass up. So I jumped in. I received great guidence from Amy, my sponsor and superivosr, and was on my way to a successful incentive period by doing some Montessori book fairs. I kept looking at the One Step at a Time program that Usborne offers durng your incentive period. I was bound and determined to get thruogh as many levels as I could. I ended up reaching the Platinum level that Usborne had at the time.
In the spring I worked a library conference with my supervisor Amy. Amy was #2 in the Nation in School & Library sales so I was trained by one of the best! That is when my business took off. I learned so much at that conference and got some great contacts at schools that have lead to some great business relationships over the years. Everything clicked and I got my fall booked with LOTS of book fairs.
Amy, my supervisor, kept mentioning what a great supervisor I would be someday. I had no interest in building a team. I was having too much fun with my book fairs! In August a friend of mine was asking me some funny questions about my Usborne business. I had no idaa why she was asking me these questions so Iasked Amy what I should do. She said, "I think she wants to be an Usborne conultant too.". I was so clueless! Sure enough, that is what she wanted. So Lynn became my first team member.
A week later I got an email from someone who was interested in the business! That gal, Brandi Wilkinson, would become my first bronze recruit, and she is still on my team today as a supervisor. In just a couple weeks I had nine, yes nine!, new team members! It was nuts! I now have over 200 team members, and I was someone who didn't want to build an Usborne team. Go figure.
Promoting to supervisor December of 2006 was not something I ever would have anticipated. It has been just a great and fun ride with Usborne ever since. Since then, I have branched out from doing just book fairs to doing home shows, large booth events like the State Fair, and Reach for the Stars reading incentve programs - all while managing a very successful Usborne team. This summer my team, the Usborne Success Builders, rolls out our big Usborne Summer Reading program to benefit Happy Wheels at MUSC Children's Hospital.
In 2008 I promoted out my first supervisors, Andrea DeMille and Christina Stanford. At that time I had no idea the team we would build a year later! When Usborne came out with the Power of Three, everyone on the team was so excited! We added 42 new team members in Aug. of 09 and between Nov and Jan promoted six supervisors and I went from Supervisor to Sr. Supervior to Executive Supervsor in one month! In Januaray our sales were 900% more than the January before. This was the season my Usborne busiess really took off! And it has been flying every since.
A great thing about being a supevisor with Usborne is that you can help change the lives of so many people in a positive way. Be it in spreading literacy or offering a great business opporunity. So many people are looking for something to do = whether it's to make extra money, a reason to get out of the house at night to actually talk to adults or just for self esteem. I love to help others be successful in this buisness too!
Something I am very proud of is that a main focus of my business is on promoting literacy in our area here in South Carolina. The literacy rate is so low here, and in some areas it is almost non-existant. The "Corrior of Shame" is just 35 mile away from me and I am bound and determined to make a difference in that area of South Caroloina I have been invited to be on a literacy board and we work together to help spread literacy to the children who really need it in our citiy. I bring book baskets to drs. offices with info on why it's so important to read to your children. I have been blessed with such a wonderful company to work with, fantastic people to work with, and all for such an important cause - literacy. And this all started because I ordered some books from a flyer at my son's preschool.
