Life's situations are changing... rapidly. Where I thought I was heading is no longer the case. One trait that I am very happy to have in times like this is adaptability. I can see where I need to be, and I see why things need to change. The road will be rough, and I may have a moment or two of sadness, but it's all going to be worth it in the end. Here's to taking the first steps towards change.
I can make good of my situation, and I will.
Like I said in my first post: Peace, Passion, and Positivity will be in my life. I am determined to stay positive, smile daily, play often, and I will continue to love myself. This is important not only for me, but for Jacob. No matter what our situation, I will smile and make the best of it. My child will learn to see that life is a gift and there is always something to smile about.
I had an interview yesterday. My third interview for one company. (Still hoping I get that job!!! Wish me the best of luck!) It was your average interview filled with the expected questions, except for one.
She reached the end of the interview and said "I don't know if the owner asked you this question in your interview with him, but sell me this pen."
Then she placed your average blue ink BIC clicky pen on the desk in front of me.
I was thrown completely off guard! I was prepared for every question under the sun pertaining to the business. I studied and worked hard to be sure I was informed, but when it came to selling this pen, I was stumped! I had actually heard on one occasion of someone being asked that question in an interview, but I never thought that someone would ask me.
I wiped the suprised look off of my face and started rambling off random facts about the pen:
It has a clicky top, which is convenient.
BIC is a well known brand.
Blue ink is legal.
It has the company's name on it.
It has the convenient extra flap for pocket storage.
Nothing I said had anything to do with selling the pen, nor did it have anything to do with selling it to her.
On the spot, I was lacking in creativity to say the least.
Of course, as luck would have it, I started thinking of better ways to sell the pen on my way home.
I also looked up some ways to answer the question on the internet.
Hopefully when people read this, they won't sport the "deer in headlights" look if ever faced with this question.
Here is a video that I find humerous, yet it would be helpful in answering the question:
In this video the man shows sales talent and he advertises the product well. Even making up random facts, he shows that there are different benefits (even though he sounds like a silly infomercial) to owning a pen. With a little creativity and flair, you can sell the pen (and yourself) to the interviewer.
This next video answers a little as to why the prospective employer would ask you to sell them a pen:
This man explains a fundamental mistake that many people make in selling: They don't ask questions. Some people get so focused on the product that they forget their audience. Don't "Show up and throw up." What does the customer want? How can you meet their needs?
I also asked my mother in law. Being in retail management, she had a great perspective.
Think about the emotion behind what you're selling. The manager I was interviewing had just had a baby.
She said something along the lines of "When you see this pen, think about the moment you had your child, writing his/her name and signing the birth certificate. This pen is the pen you will use to write about the moments you captured in your scrapbook."
When you add sentimental value to an item, you are selling to meet the specific customer's needs. That is what she looks for in an interview.
Today is my birthday. I am officially a 24 year old. Not quite 1/4 of a century!
It almost makes me feel old!!!
Today started off awesome with an inspiring birthday text from one of my besties saying something that could have come from a Hallmark card. It made my day from the start. (Which is good because I have been having a rough couple of weeks)
You have to love having good friends to bring you out of a negative funk.
Then I checked my facebook.... soooo many people were showing me birthday love! Yay!
I loved reading/responding to every individual message.
I know they only take seconds to type up, but they made my day!
After all the happy messages, I went to my interview... which was fantastic!
Everyone please hope and pray that I get that job and send me your positive energy because it would be so awesome!! (I have been talking about how badly I want the job off and on all day!)
So because my interview went so well, and I felt a good energy coming from the man, I felt that much happier.
From there, my dad and mom met me at Olive Garden for my birthday lunch. Yay! We had soup, salad, an alfredo bowl for our breadsticks, and some good conversation.
Feelin' the love!
Then my mom took me shopping with her and bought me a purse, some Bare Minerals and Philosophy cleanser at Sephora (Who, come to find out, give away a cute birthday cake liquid soap if you come in on your birthday!) Not to mention we nearly made our tummys explode by drinking some Gloria Jeans Coffee after we were already full from lunch!
This birthday has been amazing so far... and it's only going to get better. It goes to show you that if you give off a positive energy, you will recieve it! I just hope to top it all off by getting that job!!! (I told you I can't stop talking about it!)
Now, to share the love, I'll leave you with a happy thought:
"As I go through all kinds of feelings and experiences in my journey through life -- delight, surprise, chagrin, dismay -- I hold this question as a guiding light: "What do I really need right now to be happy?" What I come to over and over again is that only qualities as vast and deep as love, connection and kindness will really make me happy in any sort of enduring way."
Find your inner peace, be inspired, seek out what you want, love yourself, love others, and be you! :o)
On a side note, tomorrow is my birthday! Yeeeeeah 24! Have a great Wednesday!
I am proud to announce that I, Kiersten, have officially had my first tattoo! It's exciting!!!!
A couple friends of mine paid for this tattoo as a birthday gift. I have some awesome friends. To share the love, here is a pic of us:
(From left to right: Kiersten(Me), Jackie, Whitney)
We started by checking out our local tattoo parlors. One, just plainly called "Tattoos" across from the Concord Mall in Elkhart, IN started off by dissing the artwork. It turned me off. Not to mention the building was very tiny and run-down. Not appealing.
So we went to another parlor called Divine Tattoo. (Elkhart, Indiana)
The front desk guy complimented the picture, he was very professional, and the environment was welcoming.
I set up an appointment to talk to the tattoo artist later that day!
This is the beautiful sketch of my owl (Drawn by my sister Brittany, who was offered to be a tattoo apprentice I hope she takes it!) Anyone who knows her should also know that she is a fantastic artist!
I came back later that day to speak to the tattoo artist. He said he could do the tattoo, asked about size, and we set a date! He only asked $140 for a hand-sized tattoo! HUGE!
Showing up for my appointment, I was nervous. I didn't know what to expect since it was my first tattoo. The tattoo artist explained what he was doing step by step and cracked some jokes to calm my nerves. He was very helpful. He separated the colors and his work station was very clean (In other words, I have no fear of infection or disease at this moment) The ink room was also big enough to house my audience of three, and it could have fit more! In the midst of our random babbles and conversation, he proudly announced that his entire staff is drug-free (Which isn't always the case in the tattoo world). I was in good hands!
At about this time, my girl Paige from PBandJ Apparel began recording. Yes, it was caught on video. When the video is edited and ready, I will link to her youtube for everyone to see.
For now, here's some pictures:
(The outline in progess)
(Left: the black shading in process. Right: the finished outline with black shading.)
(Adding colors!)
(Three hours later... FIN!)
At the end of my experience, I had not shed a tear or yelled a profane word. Yay for me!
I will post more updates on the experience and my healing process.
My husband and I had a very small backyard wedding. The weather was perfect, our families were there, there was cake, and one of our good friends was our minister. A swan even attended our wedding! It was fabulous.
I can proudly say that our wedding was planned in less than a day. We were able to attain a marriage license, a minister, some flowers, a delicious cake, and some fancy outfits that we found in our closets in a matter of 8 hours. Amazing? Why yes... yes we are. :o)
