Interviews with Becky and Kent Wallace!!

Becky and I were planning to interview on a Friday, then on Thursday, I had went to Allegan for a meeting. She was there, I was there, so we decided to do the interview right there in Joni Brummels living room! I was so excited to interview her, she is always so much fun!

Mary: What is your secret to husband involvement both in your first level and who you do not personally sponsor?

Becky: Well, from the first level, it starts straight from the beginning at the Opportunity Presentation. It is crucial to make that connection right away. and once any jeweler is in Premier, we have the "For Men only" training at our meeting. Kent saw the need at our meetings and had the ability to pull it all together. It is so important to involve them and make them actively involved in their Premier business success. They learn to encourage and support their wives, therefore strengthening their marriage.

Mary: How does it feel to involve so many men in Premier, therefore growing couples relationships?

Becky: It feels just awesome! Strong marriages produce healthy families and that is what this business is all about. We really try to respect the husband. Think of this, you would never think about switching a job without your husband being involved, and that is how important it is to have the husband involved at the Opportunity Presentation. It causes them to take the business seriously - which results with respecting their wives more, and has led a lot of woman to success.

Mary: You and Kent serve your team so much. How do you find the time for "you" time?

Becky: Its actually easier to find time than before Premier. He also has an at home business, so we are able to have breakfast and lunch together and weekends for fun. We make sure to make time, he is so much better at it than me. I will work work work, he is like, "Lets go, get out of here". And it is us time, not Premier time. We try to get our "love tanks" filled everyday through quality time together.

Mary: How do you recognize which jewelers to work with harder to take them to the next level?

Becky: See the potential. When we see it, we give them assignments like, setting up a certain number of OP's, to see if they either do them, or give us excuses. If they take the challenge and run, then they are ready. Serious ones will do what they say. And when the non serious ones decide to take the business seriously, we are here ready for them.

Mary: How do you recommend a jeweler display the fact that she is a jewelery lady in situations where she is not allowed to wear jewelery? Like their other job?

Becky: Well, they would defiantly have to use non-company time to promote their business. Like their break room or lounge. Bring in the jewelry, let them play with it. Promote it and make sure you are always laying seeds with everyone. Be pro actively verbal.

Mary: Sometimes we feel drained and frustrated. Does a six diamond have these feelings too?

Becky: Yes, but you will never see us down. Because we complain up and encourage down. And we know ANYTHING worth pursuing, like a marriage, or being a mom, takes hard work. Its OK to feel frustrated and take a break. When I would get frustrated I would go to the library and read a Peoples magazine. And realize there WILL be times of frustration. And people are the reason we are in this business, but people are a cause of frustration at times.

Mary: How do you inspire your jewelers when they feel like they have hit rock bottom?

Becky: I would tell them to go back to their purpose. This is so important. That is how you ignite their flame. Other things can get in the way, but when they go back to their purpose, they can catch that 2nd wind.

Mary: You were the Premier Princess of the year 2000. That must have been very fun for you!

Becky: Oh yes! When I got called up there, all I could think of is all the other people who are much more worthy of it than me. It is so humbling!

Mary: What are some of the "insider" notes on being a Premier Princess?

Becky: Well, they always have a wonderfully catered meal for all of us, the missionaries, and the Mr. Premier Men. Joan sends us a gift on our birthdays, Christmas, Thanksgiving, and "just because." And another funny fact, Elizabeth and I are always "on probation" with Joan! HAHA, she says she has to always watch us. We were so glad when Gayle became a princess, it helped take the focus off of us! Also, the crown hurts!

Mary: Silly question, we know you like shows like "Dancing with the Stars" and "So you think you can Dance", what is your favorite show?

Becky: I also love American Idol. Any show that has real people given a chance in a life time to achieve their dreams is just awesome. Just like Premier!

Mary: Is there anything else that you would like to add?

Becky: Yes, I would like to take a focus on moms in the business. I have a couple of ways to help moms be successful in Premier and to value their time.
#1 I hired a home school girl to watch my kids. I would feed the kids breakfast, then she would come over and feed them lunch and take them out.
#2 Switch children with another mom. I would switch with Betsy. I would take her kids for a couple hours on one day, and she would take mine on another day. It gave me time to work my business.
#3 When we go to Rally, I never called home. Home would call me if there was an emergency. I needed to focus on Rally, and usually if I called home, there would be a crises and I would end up thinking about it during all of my meetings, while at home it was resolved 5 minutes later. I also made sure that us leaving for Rally was a time of excitement for the kids, and put a lot of effort into making it a happy time for them.
#4 Time apart from them when I would go to Home Shows is great "daddy time". Most times my kids couldn't wait for me to leave! I have no idea what they would do while I was gone, and the house would be a total disaster, but they had wonderful dad time. Other mothers and I, can take 2 nights out of our week to be away from them, so they can be sure to be with their kids, because of Premier, during the best of times.

While we were at the meeting, Chris got the opportunity to interview Kent, something he has wanted to do!

Chris: Thank you, Kent for taking a few minutes to sit with me and sharing some information. We are speaking to Senior Leadership in Premier Designs to share ideas that you have in a platform that is accessible to a broad range of jewelers who want to grow their business. If one jeweler can put the foot on the gas pedal due to this then it is a success. Sometimes it takes years to see the fruit from your labor. How do you keep the faith in what you are doing when you do not see immediate results?

Kent: Well first, you are very welcome. I saw the potential of Premier before Becky did. We had been in other direct selling organizations, but Premier has a sound business model. It sells a real product and has real profit. The fact is it is based on selling that real product and serving people, not just signing them up. Making 50% of what you sell is real money. The additional money from sponsoring is on top of that. If 50% of what you sell and 10% three levels deep does not motivate you then nothing will.

Chris: That is true. The potential is there if want to work for it. At Monday's training in Plainwell, MI you said at the mens session, "That which gets rewarded gets done." Is that a Kent quote?

Kent: Oh no, that is from "The Greatest Management Principle". It really is true though, human nature. We respond positively to positive reinforcement. Winning teams have coaches who spend more time praising good behavior then punishing. We see the stern coach on TV but to be successful he praises much more often. Both are necessary, but praise brings upon the repetition of desired behavior. If you set the positive reinforcement as free earrings for buying the rest of an ensemble, guess what your retail goes up because ladies want the free earrings and buy a necklace and bracelet.
Sometimes as a leader, the worst thing we can do is nothing. You can absolutely destroy positive growth by not acknowledging it. Celebrate the victories of your team. They need you. Silence is also a powerful tool in correcting deviant behavior. If you are holding a meeting and someone comes in late, do not single them out. Keep talking as if nothing is occurring. When you stop and acknowledge the late comer you reinforce the idea that it is acceptable to be late and you inconvenience all of the people who were on time, the desired behavior.

Chris: Wow, I have never thought of it that way. I do understand praise and ignoring deviant behavior. That is exactly what we do with our children. Have you ever noticed that you seem to say what needs to be said at the exact right time?

Kent: There is absolutely no question in my mind that Joni (Brummel) has a true gift from God. He uses her as a teaching tool to get out his message at the appropriate time. I feel I have that too.
When I train or speak at a business meeting I generally have only four or five bullet points and a structure in my head. I know what I want to say but I feel the Holy Spirit filling in all the gaps. It is not Kent speaking for Kent's sake. God has given me this gift and I try hard to honor that and Him.
I knew at a young age that I had a talent to speak to a large group and hold their attention. I was not the class clown that was great at small groups. But it was not until I was saved, that I realized that it was His gift not mine. He allowed me to use it. Everything I teach is relevant in my life. I speak from where I am. That seems to be effective for me.
Kent and I spoke for a few minutes and then something special happened. Joni stopped by and the three of us just talked for a while. If you ever get the chance it is incredible to talk with both of them at the same time. I regret that I did not write any of it down but they are amazing individually and just a super team when together. I was too busy drinking from the fountain to take a picture. Both the male and female point of view with the same talent for relating to whomever they are speaking. They make you feel like you are the only person in the whole world at that moment. Thank you very much for your time and encouraging words...it is now time that we use some of the gas that you put in our tank.

Thank you SO MUCH Becky and Kent for taking the time to give us this great info! You twos are just so easy to listen too, and always find a way to touch our hearts!

Becky and Kent are 6 Diamond Designers and have been in Premier for 16 years and reside in Allegan, MI. They have 7 boys:
Rob-27 (officer in Marines) married to Andrea nad are expecting 1st grandbaby in October whom we lovingly refer to as Cletus the Fetus...Becky's dad's nickname for him :)
Topher-25 youth pastor in NY married to Sarah. Expecting grandbaby #2 in Dec
Zack-21 Asst director of Elementary program with Boys and Girls Clubs of America-just got engaged to Kristin.
Sam-19-Marine
Michael-16
Ben-14
Nathan-12

Interview with Executive Director Julie Miller!!

We were so excited when we asked Julie to do and interview with us that she said, "Absolutely!" She is always so humble and serving. It was so great to speak with her!

Mary: How do you lead jewelers to "get it"-the potential of Premier? Can you?

Julie: Yes, you can help them. I believe it starts at the one on one. You must help them to see the FULL potential that Premier can be. Including retail, booking, sponsoring, but the full potential is many things, its not just money. Its about enriching lives and providing hope to those who need it. When they see it early, they can commit to their career in Premier, and then making them more successful, and helping her self esteem. They also need to see the heart of Premier in us as their leaders. We must show them we are interested in their livelihood and their family.

Mary: We are all extremely busy these days. What do you say to the potential new jewelers who are afraid the won't have time to do this business?

Julie: Well, everyone is busy. And every person has to choose what to do with their own time. While they are considering Premier, they need to decide if it will meet a need and make a difference. If it does, then together we will find a way to make it happen. They will have to adapt to having Premier in their lives, and we all find time to do the things that we want to do. Also, the wonderful thing about Premier is that it fits around your life and family. I tell them my personal story. I had 2 children when we signed, and had Meredeth after. I also was still contracted with my old corporation and worked 3 days a week. Because of the flexibility of Premier, I was still able to build a business and continue doing shows and sponsoring. And as we promoted and our business grew, we learned to shift priorities around, and they will too.

Mary: What are the most important skills a new jeweler must achieve to be successful? How do you help them develop this?

Julie: Well, #1, the absolute most important skill they must have is how to book. Everything flows from Home Shows. I work diligently with my new jewelers by role playing with them and giving them the correct verbiage to say so they feel effective before they even have a show. It is also crucial to make sure a new jeweler has as many shows on the books as possible. They should have 6-9 shows scheduled in her quick start before her training show. I also book shows at her training show and try to have 12 shows minimum on the books, sometimes even more than that.

The second most important skill they should have is the ability to get her hostesses and customers to do what she wants them to do (haha). By booking home shows to getting one on ones on the books. New jewelers must learn to be assertive to do these things, and when they do, they will become successful and ultimately feel confident in their skills because of it!

Mary: So do role play things like objections with them?

Julie: Yes, and really work with them on the many different kinds of objections they will hear, and how to overcome them with a positive outlook. And that is the third skill they need, how to always have positive attitude during situations. They happen, and they need to be aware of it. I talk to her about them, and I also make sure she calls me after her first 10 shows. We can talk about things that happened, and I can help her learn how to look at things from a different (but realistic as well) perspective.

Mary: How do you inspire your jewelers to achieve for themselves what you see in them?

Julie: Well, many woman have not really had people pour into them the help they need to believe that they really can do great things. As Tom Barrett would say, they did not get filled with "Good Jelly". This is important, because what it takes to become a leader is the ability to see the amazing things in people and the ability to help they, themselves, see it. When I see the potential in jewelers, I will sit down with them and honestly talk to them about it. You must be willing to do that, and honest about how they are doing, by saying things like, "This is where you are at, this is where I see you". Then make a plan to get them there. It is not just about telling them, we must actively be involved to help them not only create dreams, but also achieve them.

Mary: How do you keep the wind in your sails and keep going?

Julie: Well Mary, it is absolutely vital that I keep my purpose in mind. I know that this is what God has called me too. I go to the Father and ask Him what He wants me to do each day. I then always know I am working His will and try not to question it. I also try to stay humble by sprinkling His word throughout my day. I get *emails throughout my day with devotions* that I read consistently. God's word always gives me strength when I feel like I can't go on. I then feel like I can continue taking on the waves of Premier with passion. I also read a lot of quick leadership quotes and books throughout the day. I will try to read at least one page. A great author is of course John Maxwell. They keep me in the right perspective - a positive one!

Mary: Tell me about the moment when you first walked on the stage as an Executive Director.

Julie: It was such a special moment. It was a realization that for whatever reason, God has chosen us to be blessed in that way. It is very very humbling. We continue to realize that the only way for us to have achieved it was through the awesome leadership of our people and the growth though that. More than ever before I knew I was a servant of the Lord, and this is the path He has chosen for me. It was not so much a "Wow look at us, we are Executive Leaders" moment, but more of a "Look, God has chosen us!". He chose us even with all of our faults and deficiencies!

Mary: What is a typical day for you as an Executive Director?

Julie: Haha! Well firstly, there are no "typical days"! Some days I am home most of the day and I am talking to our people. I am also planning and working on events. Many days jewelers come over and role play or train. We also do Opportunity Presentations with our team or for ourselves. I also am sure to have an active Home Show business. I have 1-2 Shows a week so I am preparing for those throughout the week. So I am sure to stay balanced and am working all parts of my business. Also, my children are older and they do go to school. I try to make the most out of my time during then. During my entire career we had a lot of sporting events for our kids as well. So, along with getting that time with them, I have to make sure to continue to make personal time for me. Things like Bible Study are very important.

Mary: Who is one speaker that you could listen to all day? Besides the wonderful Andy and Joan of course!

Julie: There are so many, but I love Joni Brummel. She has such an amazing gift and she really allows God to speak through her. There are others of course, but you asked for one!

Mary: Haha! Your great at following rules!

Julie: I try!

Mary: True or False, Did you like the S.S. Andy?

Julie: HAHAHAHA! Ummmmm.....It wasn't my favorite....

Mary: Good answer! Hahaa

Julie: Yes, well you have to remember, back then the "nautical" look was very in. So when it came out in the catalog, it was just a regular pin. But it was not my favorite, hahahaha.

Mary: Fun question, What do you like to do with your personal time?

Julie: Oh I love to spend it with my family. We go out to eat, go to a baseball or football game, and we love to travel.

Mary: Well, I want to tell you, you made me so comfortable! You are like a "normal" person! You give us such hope! Is there anything you would like to share?

Julie: Oh I am! I am so normal! I am just a person who is continually persistent and learned to give my business to the Lord. I also want to share that jewelers need to fully understand what we have in Premier. We have an amazing vehicle to not only provide outstanding income for our own families, but also to provide hope to so many woman who need it! When we really understand what we have and allow God to use us for His purposes, and when we work hard as unto the Lord, serving with a heart for others because we know this is where God wants us to be...He can bless us beyond our wildest imagination and provide purpose, friendship, financial stability, and so much more!

Thank you Julie for taking the time to talk with me and let me pick your brain! You are such a humble person, and TRULY an awesome leader!!

Julie and David Miller have been in Premier for 17 1/2 years. They have 3 children; Allison 22, Davis 19, and Meredeth 15 1/2.

Sites that Julie uses for encouragement:
www.gospelines.com
www.PurposeDriven.com
www.maximumimpact.com