I'm Proud of my Morals

As I'd feared, I couldn't stay with the "marketing" company for long. The job required too many lies and sneaking around. During most of the day, I was extremely uncomfortable and had a difficult time completing my job. The company is also very deceitful to their own employees and I learned that on my first day.

When I was hired by LOA Marketing, they told me there were only three open positions and one had already been filled. On my first day, I realized they had lied to me to create the desire and urgency within me to want the position. I followed the girl who was training me and she gave the exact same speech to the person she was interviewing. It was very well rehearsed. On my last day, I learned they need about 15 employees and their office only had six because they had just opened. She also let slip the name of the parent company: Smart Circle. I was able to do some research and my worst fears were realized.

I used Glass Door, an amazing website that tells you about companies and pay for positions across the country. Many former employees described Smart Circle as a "cult" and "deceitful." All of their businesses interview large numbers of people daily to keep up with the number of people that quit. They claim you can be in the top level of management, owning your own business, in 8 - 10 months. They also told me that in about six months, I'd be a manager and learning HR, accounting, etc. I learned that wasn't exactly true. Yes, you may learn those things, but you're still out selling for 9+ hours a day and they throw in quick little lessons on other things. People have degrees in these fields and it's hard for me to comprehend how you can learn the intricacies of these in just a few minutes a day. One person on Glass Door pointed out that each business comes up with their own name so it's impossible to research them and find out their scheme. This was exactly the problem that Brandt and I ran into when I was considering taking the position.

A Snapshot of a Normal Day
Every day starts at 8 a.m. (management comes in even early to prep boxes for each employee). We'd count our merchandise and load the cars then practice pitch for about 30 minutes. I found that part helpful because I could ask others how they approach a situation or how they sell X product I was having trouble with. Then the owner came in and gave a pump-up speech or lesson. Somewhere in there, the new people are required to "teach back" the selling rules. I tried it once and I was completely rushed and even interrupted for the meeting. Everything is so rushed, there is no concentration on learning; just sell, sell, SELL! However, they're not a sales company, mind you. One reason I bit the bullet and tried working there was because of the opportunity to train people and learn about management. I realized the chances of actually learning enough to be helpful one day were slim.

Then, we'd pair up and the leaders would take a person who'd made it to 2nd round interview and show them a typical day in the field. This is when I learned my trainer's well rehearsed speech and my first insight into the lies woven throughout the company. Finally, it's off to sell. There are no real breaks and I had to quickly snarf down my lunch in a hot car so we could go sell even more.

Here's where my morals clashed with the company. My trainer would make me sneak in with her to businesses and try to sell as much as possible before getting kicked out. She'd often say, "I'd rather ask forgiveness than permission." This was at odds with everything I stood for. I knew we should go to the secretary or whoever was at the front and ask if we could interrupt their employees. She said she enjoyed sneaking past the "gate keeper." I had horrible pangs of guilt the whole time and was very uncomfortable. We'd get yelled at to leave and she'd play dumb. I would just look down and wish the day was over. I knew better and it was hard to fight the voice in my head saying what we were doing was wrong, which is the main reason I quit.

We'd also go to regular businesses, and this part I liked better. I was able to talk to business owners and employees about the makeup without fear I was breaking any rules/regulations. I know the product wasn't terrible so I could honestly sell it. It was very hard work, mostly in the sun, and the workday was 10 - 12 hours long. I ended up making half of minimum wage. I'm sure if I'd stuck with it I could have made a lot but it was too hard for me to push past what I saw was wrong.

They say they're not in sales, but that's all we did. We'd use special techniques to make people want the items and to upsell them. Though, it's not called upselling, it's a "rehash." I learned a lot about subversive and subliminal ways that people sell things. Unfortunately, it often works. I'd walk away from a sale and feel terrible. Had I just tricked that person into buying that makeup or did s/he actually want it? It's a great deal, honestly, but it didn't sit right with me.

I am very proud of my small town upbringing and the honesty and morality my parents instilled in me and my siblings. I want a job I'm not ashamed of and I want to help, not trick people. In all honesty, I'd rather go back to work at Wal-Mart (which, was the worst two years of my life). They treat employees terribly and I was constantly yelled at my customers, but at least I could live with myself. The few days I worked at LOA Marketing, I woke up in complete dread. I'm upset that I'm not earning money any more but I couldn't sacrifice my integrity any longer.

Why I'm Not Participating in the Ice Bucket Challenge

If you use social media or watch the news, you may have heard of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. The idea is that a person has ice water dumped on him/her and then challenges others to do the same. If they don't want to be doused, they have to donate $100 to an ALS foundation. At first, I wondered how ALS could be benefiting with so many people opting to have water thrown on them instead of donating. However, it has morphed into people suggesting that you donate $5 if you choose the bucket or $100 (I've also seen $25) if you opt out.

I am not participating for several reasons, but first, I'd like to give my readers some background information.

I studied non-profits in college, as well as fundraising. I've spent the first five years of my career in non-profits, the last four of which, I assisted with fundraising. I have a little insight into the world of raising money and it's not easy!

This challenge has had a wonderful impact on fundraising for ALS foundations. In fact, the Wall Street Journal reports that the ALS Association "raised $7.6 million in donations in two weeks. That compares with $1.4 million raised during the same two-week period last year." 

Image from www.alsa.org

The movement was actually started by golfers trying to raise funds for the various charities they support. It took off for ALS funding due to a golfer that had the debilitating disease.2 The ALS Association was caught off guard by the money raised but of course, they're on board with the movement (as shown in this image from their website). Any non-profit is going to be ecstatic about the increase in funding but it also takes a lot of work from their staff to keep up.

I am 100% in support of any grassroots campaign that helps raise awareness and funding for a great cause. My issue with the Ice Bucket Challenge is that people are gladly dumping freezing water on themselves but they aren't spreading the word about what the disease is or educating anyone in the videos. We're missing a great opportunity to inform the public about ALS. One issue I heard about fighting diseases is getting the word out about what it is. I view this campaign as a way to follow everyone else and dump water on your head while maybe donating some money and feeling good about it, not as informative in fighting the ill-informed.

Therefore, since I've been called out by a great friend to join in the challenge, instead of dumping a bucket of water on my head, I've written this blog post with the facts about ALS below. It is my hope that my not dumping ice water on myself, I can educate those around me about this horrible disease. 

What is ALS?
I have heard ALS described as slowly being entombed in your body. I can't imagine what that would be like and the pain each person and their families go through. ALSA.org defines the disease as:

"Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body. The progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS eventually leads to their death. When the motor neurons  die, the ability of the brain to initiate and control muscle movement is lost."

Many people have probably heard of it refered to as Lou Gehrig's Disease. He brought the disease to the public's attention in 1939 and it ended his career as a baseball player.

The disease is not fully understood and this huge increase in funding is bound to help researches learn more. Even worse, there is no cure for ALS. The Association's website sites one drug is helping and there are therapies that help slow down the progression of the disease. 

Quick Facts About ALS

• 5,600 people per year are diagnosed with ALS each year.1
• The life expectancy for a patient is an average of two to five years after they're diagnosed.1
• About 25% of patients live longer than five years.1
• About 5 - 10% of cases are passed through family lines There are many possible causes for the roughly 90% of people who have the disease where it doesn't occur in family history.3
• Anyone can get ALS. It doesn't discriminate based on race or ethnicity.1
• It can strike at any age but usually presents itself in middle-aged people.3
• There is significant cost for each person with ALS as the disease progresses. They require significant medical care, medical equipment, and usually in-home care toward the end of the disease.1
• A drug approved by the FDA in 1995 can increase the life of a patient by several months. It can also prolong the higher function states and slow the disease. There are other promising drugs in the works.1

I wanted to do more than just dump water on my head and give money. This challenge encouraged me to learn more about the disease and I hope my readers learned something as well. I'm hoping that in liue of the bucket, I have helped spread information to make a difference. It is a terrible disease and what's worse is that there is no cure. I am shocked at the speed it takes people's motor functions and, ultimately, their lives. Patients, their families, and researches must be excited about the prospects that this grass roots fundraiser has provided!

“Increased awareness about ALS is critical to help us learn more about the disease,” said MDA President and CEO Steven M. Derks. “But what we need more than ever is action. Together, our collective actions can translate into significant progress against ALS. We hope everyone will join us to fight back by making a donation at mda.org and participating with us at a local MDA event in your community.”3

If you haven't participated in the challenge, or at least donated, please consider taking action. We've found cures for numerous diseases and through research and perseverance, we can fight ALS. 

Facts and information seen in this post came from:
1 ALSA.org
2 wsj.com
3 mda.org

I'm employed!

I started a new job yesterday! I was offered an entry level position at a direct marketing business. I am excited about it because it offers me a great opportunity to learn about sales, office management, and how to train/manage a team. It is out of my comfort realm though. It is, essentially, a sales position even though I got a long speech about how it isn't when I asked. I'm taking this opportunity to expand my skill set, step out of my shell, and work on my persuasive speech.

A snapshot of what I'm doing:
My first day was yesterday and it was a long one! A work week is Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. We go out in teams and sell sets of makeup for commission. I got the sales pitch down very quickly and I'm comfortable with that part. We ended up going to a fair yesterday and I did fairly well talking with the vendors. However, I was very uncomfortable going up to people walking around or eating. That is my major goal next week.

At the end of the day we wrote out my challenges from the day, where I did well, and my goals for next time. It's a great way to stay positive and look forward to the next day. We ended up working until 8 p.m. and almost 12 hours of walking really wiped me out. I didn't sell as much as I'd hoped, due to my high expectations of myself. They said I did great for my first day. Some of my coworkers make a lot of money and move a lot of product so there is the potential to do quite well.

I find it very interesting to implement the various persuasive techniques. It ties back to my marketing training and is helping me work on those skills. It will take a lot of work to make my way up the ladder but it has a lot of potential as well as learning opportunities.

Overall, I'm not sure if this is the job for me. I don't like the amount of walking and the low return. I was also yelled at yesterday by a very angry waitress. I'm not sure if I have what it takes to make it in the direct "marketing" field for an extended period. I had two great interviews this week and I'm hoping one pans out. I'm thankful and happy to have a job and I'm going to make the best of this position and take away all I can from the experience. In one day, I learned a lot and look forward to learning much more.

Multnomah Falls

Last weekend, Brandt and I ventured out to the Columbia River Gorge. It was about an hour-long drive across Portland and along the Columbia River. We attempted to park in the area designated for the Multnomah Falls but it was backed up onto the highway. People were parked in red zones and we saw a cop pull up and begin writing dozens of tickets as we passed.

We circled around and took the scenic route after that. It went up in the hills and was truly scenic. People were parked everywhere possible and walking along the narrow twisty road. We even passed a bicyclist riding almost as fast as we were driving. I was quite impressed. We were losing hope on ever finding a place to park when, suddenly, there was an opening in an actual marked spot! I pointed and exclaimed my discovery to Brandt. Normally when I point out spots that late, he keeps driving. Not this time! He whipped around and we got it. Apparently, he was tired of looking for a spot. We were half a mile from the falls we intended to visit and I didn't mind hiking through the ridges to get there. The path was slightly treacherous and very uneven. We did make it there without breaking our necks or falling 100 feet to the road.

Before we started on the path, we discovered we'd parked right next to a smaller waterfall. We stopped and gazed at the natural beauty before our short hike. I loved the way the water ran over the rocks after it made its way down from the peak. We ended up stopping again on our way back to cool down. It was even better than air conditioning! The cold breeze and rippling water was truly peaceful. I sat for as long as I thought Brandt wouldn't mind waiting and had a zen moment. Watching and listening to the water cascade across the stones was truly wonderful. I literally could have stayed there the rest of the day. That's when I took most of the following pictures. One is now the background on my phone!

We made the half mile trek to the waterfall we had come to visit. As I mentioned before, the path was treacherous and quite narrow. We passed several families on our way, some with small children. Whoever walked along the open edge precariously looked down and I was happy that none of the kids fell. When I was on the outer edge, on our way back to the car, I imagined the broken leg that would be imminent and whether or not Brandt could climb down after me or have to walk all the way around as I lay there with a bone sticking out of my shin. Fortunately, that didn't happen.

The water dripped through the foliage all across this rock face.

On our walk, we came across a few smaller waterfalls that were more like falling water, than falls. We ran into a photographer that reminded me of my brother with his nice camera and tripod at the ready. He also had a backpack, which I'm sure was full of other lenses and camera equipment. We shared a space taking pictures then Brandt and I moved on.

Multnomah Falls had a lodge full of souvenirs, food, and more. We didn't venture inside because it was a Sunday and it was packed! We stopped to gaze upon the lower falls for a moment then headed up to the bridge. We stood there and I enjoyed the cool spray. We weren't sure where the path went and decided to follow. I eventually had to ask Brandt to stop because I hadn't used my inhaler and left my water in the car.  I found that drinking water works almost as well as my inhaler for quick relief. Without either, my lungs felt like they were under the same pressure as newly formed diamonds. Brandt had asked me if I wanted to bring my water with us but I didn't think we'd be doing any real hiking. My mistake. We weren't really sure where the path went so we decided to go back down. After we reached the bottom, we saw a sign saying that it was 1 mile to the top of the falls. We'd probably made it half way when we turned back. I'm sure we'll visit again and I'll be prepared!

Full view of the upper and lower falls.

Upper falls, viewed from the bridge.

Lower falls, viewed from the bridge.

It was a great day trip and further reaffirmed my love for the natural beauty in Oregon. It reminds me of visiting my grandparents at their house on Beaver Lake (Arkansas). The trees, winding roads, and green everywhere brings back wonderful memories of sitting on the dock eating cheese puffs, fishing with my siblings and cousins, swimming down as far as my life jacket would let me to watch the fish swimming around our feet, and playing King of the Mountain. My favorite memory was running down the stairs my grandma had carved through the hill in the woods behind their house, down to the lake. Many of the paths we've taken remind me of those stairs and the excitement of another summer day at the lake. I can't wait to make Oregon memories as dear as those.

Don't Take Air Conditioning For Granted!

Before we moved out here, Brandt warned me that many places don't have air conditioning in Oregon because "it's not really needed." We were both a little worried and our fears came true this month. We had a two week streak with the weather constantly in the upper 90s. Now that's not terrible summer weather in Kansas but air conditioning exists. All of the apartments we looked at didn't have AC and the reps told us we wouldn't really need it. Wrong.

My parents' house is old and has two former sleeping porches. These always fascinated me because they're on the end of the house and have windows covering all the walls on three sides. My parents explained that people would sleep in there during the summer before air conditioning. I thought that would be terrible and was thankful for modern technology. I never thought I'd be wishing for a sleeping porch in 2014!

We have been sleeping at night with all of the windows open, the sliding porch door open, and even the porch door in the living room open. We bought two box fans and had all four of our fans going all night. We put up my blackout curtains and I closed those and the windows early in the morning to keep the cool night air trapped as long as possible. Afternoons were uncomfortable and evenings were unbearable.

We tried facing one box fan inside and another across the apartment facing outside a window, to create air flow. Brandt stopped cooking because of the heat it generated and switched to the crock pot and sandwiches. I bought Popsicles to keep us cool and froze treats in the dogs' Kongs. We even tried putting a bowl of frozen water in front of a fan to blow cool air. A few days we just had to leave the apartment. We used our gift cards and had dinner out. Another night, we loaded up the dogs and drove around in my car so we could all enjoy AC. I've also been taking the dogs to the park as the sun is setting so they can roll around in the cool grass.

We've been assured that this is "unusual" weather, even for the summer. Today it was in the 70s and absolutely wonderful. A little chilly for me, but much preferable to what we've been living through.

On a bright note, I have four interviews in the next week and a half! I have two more tentative interviews, one of which should be this week. I had a nanny interview this morning but since I'm looking for full time employment, I don't think they'll hire me. They were two cute little boys though! I'm hoping that these interviews coming up are more fruitful than the others I've had. I don't have my heart set on one in particular, they all have different perks. One pays better, one's closer, one has more writing that I'd like to do, one has better benefits, another I'd be able to take the TriMet into town and not worry about driving, etc. I'll learn more about them and hopefully one will be a perfect fit!

Cedric's Summer Haircut

Not much is happening with us, so I thought I'd share a post about Cedric. He's been hot and needed a shave. We decided to go short on his back and trim up his curls and beard, which we hadn't done before.

The boy did well most of the time and the girls sat and watched. I still need to go back and trim up his legs and belly but we were all hot and needed a break. Brandt did all the shaving and I cut his beard and ears with scissors.

He looks scrawny and you can see just how small his jaw is. He's a happy boy though!

Fourth of July

We decided to go to the dog park during the afternoon last Friday to celebrate Independence Day. We didn't stay for long because it was pretty warm. Even Cedric tired quickly. We have been visiting the Hondo Dog Park not too far from our place. It has a  small/timid dog side, a winter side, and the regular side with a walking path around a hill in the middle. There are trees, benches and, of course, a water fountain for fresh H20. Ellie has come out of her shell while at the park. She's been rolling around, running, and even approaching strangers! Oregon seems to have brought her out of her shell.

Conveniently located trashcans with nice art.

Brandt and the pups enjoying the shade
during the hot afternoon last Friday.

This picture is from this week,
but Sparrow's cuteness must be shared.

Ellie is also cute!

The girls are terrified of loud noises such as thunder and fireworks. July 4th and the weeks before and after are never fun at our house. People here were actually respectful and we didn't hear many fireworks before Friday. Then, there were just a few the few days after. However, Friday was as loud as we expected. We couldn't hide in the basement like last year so hunkered down and watched Netflix.

Guard dog Ellie on the lookout as fireworks began.

We'be been training them not to bark at sounds from the apartment complex and we took this as an opportunity for some intense training. We had tiny treats ready and rewarded the dogs as the stayed calm. A few fireworks even made me jump but I held onto Sparrow to keep her from running away. Overall, the evening was very successful as far as minimal barking. Sparrow was still terrified all night.

At one point, when most of the fireworks had died down, Ellie scratched at the door to go out. I warned her that she didn't want to do that but she stared me in the eyes and scratched again. I leashed up all three and took them out. Of course, there was an explosion and Sparrow insisted I hold her. She climbed as far up my chest as she could and neither Ellie nor Cedric were doing anything productive. I took them back in and it took Sparrow 30 minutes to calm down.

When she's upset, Sparrow pants and overheats herself. She already has a short snout so the panting does nothing to help her. By the end of the evening so was completely exhausted, as you can see in the last picture. Ellie barley reacted to the fireworks, which was an amazing surprise. The boy was a little jumpy but really enjoyed the treats.

Staying safe from fireworks in my lap.

Sparrow was DONE with the 4th of July.