bitsy girl designs :: your heritage makers consultant

Bitsy Girl Designs / Heritage Makers featured in The Tennessean!

2010-07-18T09:41:00.000-05:00

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20100714/DAVIDSON/100712031/Laid-off-moms-find-direct-sales

Angela Everett and Katie Palmissano have shared much since becoming friends at Belmont University.

Both landed coveted music industry jobs; both got laid off from those jobs. Both became first-time moms in recent years.

While losing a job isn’t quite as enjoyable as those other shared experiences, it did serve as a motivator for the women. Like many mothers, they wanted to work from home while contributing to the financial stability of the households, helping their working husbands.
They wanted a life separate from the titles of wife and mother, but with control over their working lives.

“I wanted to contribute, but I wanted to work on my terms so that I could still be with my son,” said Palmissano, 32. “You can’t do that with a 9-to-5 job, and even part-time doesn’t work that well, so I started looking into direct sales.”

Palmissano, who lives in the Music Valley area of Donelson, was laid off in January 2009 from her 10-year stint with Sony. She became pregnant that May with her son, Rome.

Everett, who lives in Bellevue, had her daughter in October 2008. During her three months of maternity leave, Everett was contemplating jobs she could do from home.

“In the midst of searching, I got the call,” Everett, 33, said. She was laid off from her artist management position with the Country Music Association, she said, a job she held happily for eight years.

'No pressure, no presentation'

Palmissano loved her job with Sony. “It was like kismet. I loved my job, and I feel like I lived the dream for 10 years. I got to meet celebrities, go to concerts … but all this happened at the right time,” she said.

What happened was a chance meeting with a company called Stella & Dot. Soon after hearing about the Burlingame, CA.- based jewelry company that launched in 2008, Palmissano went to a local show.

Palmissano fell in love with what she calls “heavy, good quality, very high-end jewelry” and became a Stella & Dot stylist a couple of months ago.

She now holds trunk shows and throws parties to sell the jewelry that has been featured as worn by celebrities and in national magazines such as InStyle.

“There is no pressure, no presentation. You can just have a party with the girls, wear the jewelry, and they’re going to love it when they see it. The jewelry speaks for itself,” she said.

As for Everett, she, too, stumbled into the next chapter of her life. She began volunteering to keep busy, and while working at a Creating Keepsakes convention in the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, she was positioned beside a booth for Heritage Makers, an online-based personal publishing company.

“Their mission really is to strengthen families through storybooking. It really touched me because I lost my grandmother to Alzheimer’s, and her memories died with her. We can’t pass those memories along,” Everett said.

Then Oprah's Dog Died

Everett called her husband while still at the convention to brag about the Utah-based Heritage Makers, and it wasn’t long before she became the first consultant in Nashville for the company, helping people create lasting memories.

Founded in 2005, Heritage Makers lets clients design their own hardbound books, cards, calendars and more with the goal of preserving their family heritages. For example, Everett has created a book featuring her 21-month-old daughter Abby.

“She takes it everywhere. When I want to use it, I have to sneak it out because she doesn’t want to let it go,” Everett said.

Heritage Makers has also received national acclaim, having been featured on Good Morning America and noticed by Oprah Winfrey.

In 2008, a Heritage Makers consultant in Iowa created a book to celebrate the life of Winfrey’s dog, Gracie that died in 2007. Winfrey actually called the consultant to personally thank her for the gift.

“The consultant didn’t answer the phone because it came in as a private call, so when she checked her voicemail it was Oprah, thanking her,” Everett said.

You Need To Be Outgoing

Everett and Palmissano agree that there is plenty of room in their businesses for people who are just looking for a hobby that pays some extra cash, but that if you want to make serious money, you better be serious about direct sales.

“If you treat it like a hobby, then it performs like a hobby, but if you treat it like a business, it performs like business,” Palmissano said, channeling Stella & Dot founder, Jessica Herrin. “She always says that.”

The friends are determined to be successful by making their respective businesses earn money. A Stella & Dot stylist and Heritage Makers consultant make money like most other people in direct sales, by receiving a percentage of the sale of their products. They can also build a team so that they get a percentage of the sales by the team members. Everett and Palmissano have two people who have signed up to work on their teams.

The women can take their businesses anywhere, which helps them build a customer base.

“I’ve got a party set up at a dentist’s office,” Palmissano said. “You can have a party at a wine bar, if that’s what you want.”

Everett added: “Anywhere offering free WiFi can become an office or a showroom. We can take our products anywhere.”

The work they’ve chosen to do might not be difficult for Palmissano and Everett, who are outgoing, animated women, but the work could be a problem for some people.

“It does take a special person to succeed at direct sales,” Palmissano said. “If you’re really shy, then it’s going to be hard to get out there and do what you need to do. You can only ask your friends and family to host parties so many times. You have to network and talk to people.”

While both women work to build their businesses and make substantial incomes, it helps to have husbands who have been “amazingly supportive” of their new ventures, Everett said. Her husband, Bryan, is a multimedia producer with PK Pictures. Palmissano’s husband, Keven, is a human resources director with HCA.

“They understand that we need a life separate from being a mother and a wife,” Everett said.

Super Special Project!

2010-07-05T13:03:00.000-05:00

I'm in the middle, well near the end of working on a very special project. I cannot wait to share it with you all :) It is an original creation, so it's taking me longer than expected, but it has been so much fun and I've pretty much learned everything there is to learn about Studio.

Need help with your project? Perhaps your summer vacation book? Baby Announcements? Wedding Invitations? Tons of goodies on sale now - stock up and get started!

These are a few of my favorite things....

2010-07-01T13:09:00.001-05:00

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens.....AND

Monthly art release day for Heritage Makers :) Every month, a new collection of art is released and it is SO exciting to see the fun papers and embellishments that we get to start using....

Here the July releases, perfect for your summer vacation books!

Christmas in July....starts TODAY!

2010-06-24T11:17:00.000-05:00

It is so HOT outside right now that we thought we'd turn up the heat a bit more and kick off Christmas In July one week early! Traditionally, this is the BEST sale of the year on cards, calendars and now canvases! So why wait til December? Save now and spend the next few months creating beautiful projects for your family. And if you are a Club Premier member, you get a FREE gift...it's like an early Christmas present! :)

Order between now - June 30th and I will put your name in a drawing for Mystery Host. What does that mean? On June 30th, I will draw a name from everyone that places an order before then. If your name is drawn I will create a Workshop in your name, enter all the orders, and YOU get all the free host rewards! You could very easily win up to $100 in free credits...how cool is that?
Call me at 615.482.5621 or email bookyourlegacy@gmail.com to order ~ Angela

Heritage Makers Mother's Day Specials!

2010-04-01T13:32:00.000-05:00

Would you please check out those prices? AMAZING!

20x20 Canvas....here I come. I know these are our Mother's Day specials, but, think about Birthdays, Father's Day, Weddings, Nurserys, even CHRISTMAS! Yes, Christmas. You can buy these credits and you have a full year to use them! Contact me now to order or to set up your time to host a party and you can earn all these things for FREEEEE!

http://support.heritagemakers.com/comm/vo/files/POM-April10-150.pdf

~Angela~

Heritage Makers Publishing Special - 20% off!

2010-04-01T10:51:00.001-05:00

Heritage Makers is having a HUGE publishing special! All you have to do is publish any Heritage Makers project and you’ll instantly save 20% off shipping! From now until April 15th, you can publish your Mother’s Day gifts, graduation presents, or that special “just because” project you’ve been creating. You can save 20% off shipping on any Heritage Makers project*, including storybooks, greeting cards, gallery-wrapped canvases, wire-bound books, and posters. Don’t delay! Publish your Heritage Makers project today to save!

*Offer doesn’t apply to direct ship.

As always, contact me if you need help starting or just finishing up your project. A lot can be done in 2 weeks :)

~angela~

Why I am a Heritage Maker....

2010-03-09T14:57:00.001-06:00

I'm often asked why I decided to become a Heritage Makers consultant and honestly, that question is way to complex to answer without losing the interest of the other party. So, I typically say it was because I wanted to contribute money to my family, be able to stay at home with my daughter, set my own schedule and make a difference in other's lives. All of those things are so true, but there is so much more to the story.

I 100% feel that I was led by Jesus to volunteer at a convention where I met my now director, Kelly who introduced me to Heritage Makers. I prayed over and over that the desire to become a consultant be removed from my heart if this was not what I was supposed to do and instead it grew stronger. So here I am.

I have been blessed with a beautiful family and I want to chronicle that. I want to write down every memory and capture it with a photo. I want my children to know who their heritage - what their grandparents went through in life - what my husband and I have gone through. I want them to know every tidbit about their childhood, so they can pass those things along to their children.

I simply want to savor every single second that we're given on this earth and I don't want to take any of it for granted.....as I know that things change, sometimes for better, other times for worse.

With the technology of the internet and sites like Twitter, I'm exposed to so many things that normally I would shelter myself from because they are painful. The main thing being the loss of children. I am in awe of those parents who have lost their children and still find the strength to keep going. The thought of losing a child just takes my breath away and brings me to tears (ok, I'll be honest, most of the time when I really think about it, I sob, not just cry, sob). Reading the stories of these beautiful angels who have been taken from their family too early, or to read about children who are going through things that no child should endure breaks my heart. It breaks my heart, but it also makes me hold on to my kids a little tighter and to let go of the little things that get to me and it teaches me to appreciate those 3 AM crying wake up calls.

All of those things are reasons why I am a Heritage Maker, I believe in my business and it's mission and I'm excited to see what the Lord has in store for the comings years. I know it will great.

Layers & Unlock Heritage Makers Tutorial

2010-03-07T21:04:00.002-06:00

Loved this tutorial - even I learned a few tricks!

Heritage Makers Spring 2010 Catalog

2010-03-04T13:50:00.000-06:00

The new Heritage Makers catalog is absolutely beautiful and showcases some of the best templates and most recent templates for each product. Excited for everyone to see what we're up to!

Premier Spring Art Collection::Heritage Makers

2010-03-03T10:45:00.001-06:00

If you missed out on Club Premier last time, contact me now because we have some great things in store for our Club Premier members, including additional savings on our March Pick of the Month - our 8x8 storybook! Who wouldn't want an entire scrapbook store at their fingertips? Check out our last Spring Premier releases - I'm so excited (especially because they won't take up any room in my house!).

March Heritage Makers Pick of the Month!

2010-03-01T19:39:00.002-06:00

I am so excited about our March Pick of the Month :::drumroll please:: our 8x8 Storybook! That's right, our most popular storybook size is on special for the month of March only. And, for those of you who signed up for Club Premier - you get an extra special deal. Check out the flyer below and then contact me ASAP to get started on your project - Mother's Day and Father's Day are just around the corner.

Video Tutorial: Setting Up Your FREE Heritage Makers Account!

2010-02-18T12:22:00.000-06:00

Be sure to visit my site: Book Your Legacy::Your Heritage Makers Consultant and then check out the video below about setting up your account. If you have any questions please email me HERE.

Your Heritage Makers Account - How To Set It Up!

Are you in the club?

2010-01-25T15:57:00.000-06:00

Are You in The Club?
Club Premier is BACK, but HURRY...
this SALE ENDS SUNDAY!

JOIN THE CLUB!

Are your photos unshared, unloved, or unappreciated? That means they are in a shoe box or stuck on the hard drive of your computer.
Do you want to spend your time making the memories, NOT making the scrapbook?

If you answered Yes to ANY of these questions, then YOU need to
JOIN THE CLUB!

CLICK HERE to learn about all of the PERKS for purchasing Club Premier!

Heritage Makers Club Premier is like owning your very own scrapbook store without all of the inventory. Imagine all of the paper and embellishments that you need for less than $10 a month......

Greeting Card Specials!

2009-11-14T15:37:00.000-06:00

Let's get your holiday cards checked off of your list! Contact me now to discuss your options! Remember, you have one year to use up your credits so you wouldn't have to use the entire bunch toward holiday - reserve a few for other occasions - birthdays, mother's day, father's day, valentine's day, graduation!

From Heritage Home Product Photos

November Specials!

2009-11-11T15:55:00.000-06:00

After a brief hiatus due to that horrible mononucleosis virus, I am back and blogging!

There is still time to order your holiday cards and gifts! In fact, we have some amazing specials that you don't want to miss out on!

Here is a list of our most current packages and specials! Go ahead and pick which package or special works best for you and let me know, so that we can get your projects started! OR, you can host an in home or online workshop with your friends and family. By introducing them to Heritage Makers, you can earn your projects for FREE! CLICK HERE to see all of the FREE product you can earn!

* November Pick of the Month (our calendars!)

* Our Getting Started Packages (save 30%)

I can't wait to help you get started on your projects! Call or email me today.

bookyourlegacy@gmail.com
www.bookyourlegacy.com

Ange

The last 5 days...

2009-10-27T15:48:00.000-05:00

I've kind of missed doing the blog the last 5 days....oops.

Lots of stuff going on in my house still. Sick hubby, inlaws visiting, sick daughter = a very tired me....

Today - I'm not going to talk about a product of the day, but rather a few products. We are having an AMAZING sale that only lasts 2 more days! All of our storybooks are on sale - go here to look at our price list and then email me immediately to place your order. bookyourlegacy@gmail.com.

Order your credit by midnight on the 29th and complete your book by December 2nd to make sure you have it by Christmas!

Begin your holiday fun with a celebration. Celebrate the year. Celebrate life. Celebrate family. Celebrate getting your holiday shopping done early!

For six days only (Oct. 24 – 29) you can save big with our lowest price on three packs of storybooks. Storybooks make the best gifts to celebrate the loved ones in your life. Plus, with a huge selection of beautifully designed templates, they’re easy to create.

Celebrate with:
• A family cookbook
• A family yearbook
• A life story
• A vacation story
• A “How We Celebrate” book

Find a complete list of perfect storybook gifts by searching CELEBRATION in our online template gallery.

Wednesday - Product of the Day..

2009-10-21T15:48:00.000-05:00

This one is gonna be a short and sweet entry. H1N1 has invaded my home and it is NOT fun. Praying my kids and I don't get it from the hubby!

Now...on to the product :)

Our lovely 8x8 print is up today!

This print can be used in a similar way as our 12x12 prints - these are so great for decorating your house by mod podging them to tiles. You can have personalized home decor for a WHOLE lot less than you would pay elsewhere.

Here are a few of my faves!

Farm Clock - how fun is this idea?
Chore Chart!
Together Tile
B.I.N.G.O.
Faces Collage Pages

As always, I would love to help you with your projects, just send me an email and I'll get right back with you.

~Angela~
www.bookyourlegacy.com
bookyourlegacy@gmail.com

Heritage Makers Independent Publishing Consultant

The Product of the Day for Tuesday is....

2009-10-20T15:17:00.000-05:00

......drum roll.........

Our 11.5x8.5 calendar!

The perfect gift for, well, anyone! Everyone needs a calendar, so why not personalize one?

Don't feel like designing one from scratch? Go here to view some of our templates :)

~Ange~
bookyourlegacy@gmail.com
www.bookyourlegacy.com

Monday - Product of the Day

2009-10-19T16:32:00.000-05:00

Whew - this entry might be shorter than the rest. It has been an exhausting day full of a sick baby and a hubby who isn't feeling well either.

Today is the swatch book :) This is from our new product line and it is quickly becoming a favorite with my clients.

It is a fun little product with which you can do many different things.

1. Brag book for grandma?
2. Fun recipe book for friends? There is not a template for this one yet...let your imagination run wild...or let me help you! I have a ton of ideas for this.
3. Ice Breaker Questions.

As with everything this is 100% customizable and offers the Heritage Makers Heirloom Assurance.

Bigger bonus - if you host a party for me in the month of October...you'll get one for FREE. You can't beat free!

~Ange~
www.bookyourlegacy.com
bookyourlegacy@gmail.com

Sunday - Product of the Day!

2009-10-18T13:12:00.000-05:00

We're looking at our 12x12 print today! This one is incredible for many reasons - it's versatility though stands out above the rest to me.

You can create 12x12 digital pages, and then put them in a traditional scrapbook if you'd like. You can get those wonderful 12x12 frames and hang them in your home. You can also just get a 12x12 print and then mod podge it onto a 12x12 tile to create a beautiful display piece or you home. And this is just touching on the projects...check out our template gallery for more ideas :)

Here are a few of my faves...

1. Christmas Place Settings Cards
2. Fall Blessings
3. Thank Heaven for Little Girls
4. Let It Snow!
5. Heritage Home - (great on tile)

As always, I would love to help you out with your project. Contact me now - bookyourlegacy@gmail.com

www.bookyourlegacy.com

Saturday...Product of the Day!

2009-10-17T08:36:00.000-05:00

I am so excited about this one....our 16x20 gallery wrapped canvas!

I am looking forward to ordering one of these to grace our beautiful home. They come in 3 different sizes and I will showcase the other 2 sizes on different days. But for today...I will offer you some lovely examples of this great piece.

First though, let me touch on some of the high points of this canvas: Our gallery wrapped canvas print offers a clean, elegant look that stands out against any wall. Ready to hang, there is no need to frame with this style of canvas.

~Portrait or landscape style
~Full-bleed images available
~Premium artist-quality canvas
~16" x 20" finished size
~Protective coating included

And of course as with all of our products The Heritage Makers Heirloom Assurance assures that your projects will last lifetimes. Torn pages, missed typos, daily wear and tear. Heritage Makers will print a replacement copy for you at only half price.

Now, here are a few of my faves:

1. Color-blocked
2. Wedding
3. Summer Colors

I hope to hear from you soon and I look forward to working with you on your projects.

~Angela~ bookyourlegacy@gmail.com

www.bookyourlegacy.com

Happy Friday - Product of the Day!

2009-10-16T16:05:00.000-05:00

As I've mentioned before our new board book, is among one of my favorite products we have to offer. In fact, I am in the middle of designing one to give to my sweet daughter for Christmas. She loves books and she loves to look at pictures of herself and family members, so I know she will enjoy this - plus she won't be able to tear the pages!

Being that the board book is a newer item, there aren't quite as many templates as there are for other items, but boy am I having fun creating this.

Anyone who knows me, knows that my favorite time of the year is the fall. So many celebrations for us during the fall season - it just makes me happy...and so does this template!

There are so many things you can do with this board book - the possibilities are limitless...let your imagination soar. You can create a series of books that feature your family - just for your children....how fun! Certainly timeless treasures that will be handed down throughout the generations.

Happy Fall :-)

Ange
bookyourlegacy@gmail.com

Thursday - Product of the Day!

2009-10-15T17:02:00.000-05:00

Today is our wire-bound storybook!

~ Create a personalized planner with birthdays and other major holidays already "penciled" in!

~ Give your children a cookbook of their very own!

~ Best friend get engaged? Give the gift of a personalized wedding planner :) What a great gift for her to pass down to her daughter someday!

~ Have a child going away from home for the 1st time. Create a vehicle maintenance book that has all the info they'll need to keep their car going.

~ Everyone needs a journal....why not create one for that special person in your life.

As with all of our products our wire bound book is 100% customizable. You can even tweak the templates to have them reflect your personality. Change the backgrounds, wording, art, etc.

I would love to help you with your projects...I'm only an email away. bookyourlegacy@gmail.com

Wednesday - Product of the Day!

2009-10-14T16:37:00.000-05:00

I know, I missed Tuesday - sorry. I went to a concert last night and didn't return home until really late and way past my bedtime.

In the spotlight today is......our 5x7 greeting card! What a perfect time to start thinking about your holiday cards - we have some really great templates that will make putting your card together a piece of cake. You can also start your card from scratch if you prefer. All of our products are 100% customizable to reflect your personality!

It is important to note that each card does not have to be the same. Let's say you purchase a 5 pack of 5x7 greeting cards - that will get you 50 cards as there are 10 in a pack. You can make 50 different cards if you wish..how fun is that :) Also, just want to point out that if you do purchase the 5 pack of 5x7 cards - they end up being less expensive than most of the greeting cards that you would purchase at your local store....and they are personalized! Once you purchase credits you have a full year to use them up....

Here are some of my favorite templates for the 5x7 greeting card...

1. Simple Holiday
2. Hope of Christmas
3. Thank You
4. Mother's Day
5. Sweet Life

I would love to help you out with your holiday cards this year :) Simply send me an email at bookyourlegacy@gmail.com and let's get started!

~Angela~

Monday - Product of the Day!

2009-10-12T16:38:00.000-05:00

OK folks - todays pick is one of my favorite products ever....our deck of playing cards!

There are so many things that you can do with these and I am in the middle of creating quite a few Christmas gifts right now. We have some really fun templates that would make a great addition to any family - they will make game night even more fun!

1. Seriously...who doesn't love Uno

2. What child doesn't enjoy a game of Go Fish!

3. Looking for some unique gift tags?

4. How about a very special ABC card game?

5. Every child should have their very own personalized lunch box notes :)

I would love to help you with your projects - I'm happy to assist with additional ideas or can even be available to help you create your unique gift. Contact me now to find out more about our company and products! www.bookyourlegacy.com or bookyourlegacy@gmail.com