Katherine McCaskey is an amazing mom, team leaders and jewelry seller. Let’s take a few minutes to learn her biggest advise and tips.
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Today, I am super excited to welcome Katherine McCaskey. Let me tell you a little bit about Katherine before we jump into all these juicy details. She is from Minnesota, up there in the cold. She started Paparazzi back in November 2011, so coming up on 6 years. She and her team just hit A-Lister in March which is Amazing!
She started Paparazzi Part time and now they do it full time. And she’s the mother of 4 beautiful children. Katherine has hit Crown Club 25 and is officially Life of the Party-Silver but unofficially this month, they hit Life of the Party- Gold.
Katherine, did I leave anything out.
Katherine: No, I think you got it all. I’m so excited.
Awnya: Thanks for joining us! Let’s jump into the first question!
How did you get started with Paparazzi?
Katherine: I was actually at an event for another company and next to my table of the products I was selling was a bunch of jewelry. And I didn’t want to look cuz I get sucked into all sorts of Direct Sales stuff.
At the event, tons of people were leaving with these bags and I’m like, “I’ve got to check this out.” So then a long story short, I talked with my sponsor. And it took her a few weeks of getting a hold of me and she kinda talked me into it cuz I had just started something else. The more I thought about it and the price point and everything I was like, “I’m just gonna go for it. $5 accessories?! How can you go wrong?!”
People were just eating it up. Here I was at my stand with my product and there was not much movement going on, so I basically just started by going to an event and my sponsor just stayed on me and bless her heart for staying on me otherwise I don’t know where I would be right now.
Awnya: I love that. The follow up is SOOOO so important. Just keep checking in with people and just make sure that you’re helping them out with any questions. And its’ amazing the things that come from that.
What is your why? Why do you do Paparazzi?
Katherine: I love this questions because my why, and I feel like so many other people’s why’s, changes. As you grow, it changes. But my why going into this was to make money. I’d say that 99% of people who join Paparazzi want some side cash. Then there’s that small percentage that just want to have fun and meet people. But as we’ve grown and as we’ve built relationships with our team, their why has become my why.
They want to grow and they want to make money, so my why is – I’m in it to help my team grow and succeed because I know the potential and I see what can happen and the success. So now, my why is my team. I get up in the morning, I do it for them. I cheer them on. Every single day.
That is my current why, right now. I love it. I do Paparazzi because I love it. And how could you go wrong. This stuff is awesome!
Awnya: I love that you kind of encompassed all of that. How it was when you started and what it is now. And I’m sure some of it still is the money because, like you said, you guys do this full time now. But, it has changed to include you team which is amazing. Let’s kind of take a little bit of a shift. We’re going to switch to your worst Paparazzi moment.
Now if you are a new listener, let me just explain this questions for just a second. Because we aren’t bashing, we aren’t being negative. But a lot of people, we see these Elite consultants and how amazing they are and their rock star teams and it’s really easy to think that they’ve never had a bad day. They’ve never had a bad show.
So this questions is designed to show you guys, to show everybody, that the Elite consultants have had bad days. They’ve had the worst moments. Some of their moments are even worse than what we’ve had and yet they’ve pushed through.
So Katherine, what is your worst Paparazzi moment?
Katherine: You know, I love how you explained it because in the 6 years, we’ve had a lot of worst moments. We’ve had really bad parties. I mean, parties – you have your good parties and your bad parties and not every party is going to be good.
But you know, the first couple of years until you really figure out what to do to make those parties great, we had a lot of slow parties. And we were like, “Is this really worth it? We can’t get people to join our parties.” But then I just realized the more consistent I was, the better they get. The better our show does. So no matter if you are a star consultant or if you are at the top of the company, you are going to have bad parties, but you’re also going to have so many good ones.
And also events. Oh my gosh. For those of you that don’t know, we have a trailer – like a bling trailer – and we do a lot of outdoor events in the summer. And also when we do our booths, we have a tent and so we have out pegboards also displayed. We have come across 40 mph winds, we’ve had rain. We’ve had boards knock over on people multiple times.
You can’t fight Mother Nature. We’ve had our fair share of bad events – weather wise – but you’ve just got to keep going and use that momentum to find that next good one. And if you can keep that positive attitude and you just keep on going for the nos and going for the “no” sales, you are actually going to get more sales that way and more contacts and build your networking circle.
Awnya: One of the things I love that you said there is, “Use those bad moments as momentum to get to the next good ones.” That is like a gem right there!
Another thing I wanted to ask you a follow up question about is, you said that the “bad parties” helped you learn how to make your parties great. So do you have a couple tips on how to make your parties great?
Katherine: I look back and I tell my team to do this too. I kinda go over the party and see, “Okay, what did I do leading up to the party? How much did I post? How much did I prep my guests? Did I do a traditional FB event where I’m posting pictures? Did you excite people leading days up?”
Wording is huge! Think about – what would get you excited to attend a party? Just kind of reviewing what you’ve done and thinking, “What can I do to make it better? What can I do to make it better?”
Look at people around you? What are they doing?
It’s all about trial and error and adding things. You know, 6 year into this, we are still changing the way we do parties to this day to make them better and building more. So it’s all changing and like I said, trying new things and overlooking what you’re doing.
Awnya: That’s perfect. A word that I love is iteration. To me, it means that you’re taking whatever is working now but you’ve got to keep changing that and keep adapting no matter what. And I love that you said that because, I mean, you’re Elite. And to see that there’s not just 1 way to do it. There’s a hundred different ways.
It’s just whatever works best for you and your customers and you just have to keep trying to figure that out all the time and keep trying to do better. I love that.
Katherine: I will say, my sponsor quit a couple of months after we started and I really didn’t have another upline. And I’m not one to really ask for help. I figured everything out on my own. If you really want it, you’re going to do your research and figure out how to get it done.
Because I’ve done it and other people have done it and there are ways to make things better so you just have to really want to do it and if you do it, you’re going to see amazing things happen.
Awnya: Value bomb. Like, Mic drop. We could end right there and I would have learned so much already from you. Let’s go to the next question though.
What is a habit you have that contributes to your success?
Katherine: I love this question because in this business, the key, if there is a secret you guys, the secret would be consistency in everything you do. Facebook posting. If you have a team group- you’re posting in there every day. If you’re signing up new team members, you’re being consistent about following up with them. I feel like habit and consistency are kinda the same thing.
But for me not being a consistent person going into this, it was a little bit of a struggle and I can tell with my numbers when I’m not consistent. But I think the biggest habit I have that contributed to my success and will contribute yours as you grow a team, if you choose to, is building those relationships. Get your team groups going as soon as you get your first team member. Post daily motivational quotes. Post a challenge.
When you are going 3, 4, 5 days without posting you’re gonna loose that relationship and a lot of people need that drive from you. So I do feel like my habit of posting with my team has definitely helped keep things growing because you build a relationship that way.
And the same with your customers. So a lot of you guys probably have your VIP group on Facebook that you post your jewelry in when you order it. And if you don’t, you totally need to get one because Facebook is a gold mine. If you’re posting, let’s say you post one day 3 accessories and then you go 5 days without it. Those people in your group are going to forget that they are even in a jewelry group. So just be consistent in everything you do, even though sometimes it feels like forever and you aren’t seeing the results.
Those girls that I work with that are consistent and I stay on top of them are seeing BIG things happen so consistency is the key to success – if there was a secret.
Awnya: I love that you say that, because 95% of the Elite interviews we have done, that is the exact same answer, so you guys. Take note! Consistency is the key! It truly is! If most of the Elite are saying it- it must be true right!
So what is some advice you would give to a brand new consultant just getting started in their Paparazzi business?
Katherine: I love this one because it happens all the time. Every single day. There is always someone out there who just doesn’t know where to go. You ask for help. I know, I have my team page. People know they can come to me but not everybody does. You need to make sure that you are reaching out to your sponsor and if your sponsor is not active, your next upline or leader.
If you don’t know who they are, you need to call corporate and figure that out because there is someone who will, you know, help you. And if you are that uncomfortable with getting the help, then you need to challenge yourself. Say, “Okay, you know what, I’m going LIVE once this week.” or “I’m going to go hand out 20 business cards.” Challenge yourself.
Sometimes you feel like you are just out of your comfort zone and it gets uncomfortable when you think about these things but that truly what’s going to make it work. So, when you are feeling stuck, that’s your sign to reach out for new ideas.
Awnya: The thing that I loved right there that you just said was that you need to get outside of your comfort zone! Because when you are in your comfort zone, nothing is going to change and that fear that you feel when you are getting outside of your comfort zone it is saying that something is new. But it is also a sign that things are changing.
And if things don’t change then you are going to stay in the same place. If things are changing, then they can get better. So it’s a good thing to be outside of your comfort zone and to be challenging yourself and to be moving forward. Even though its new territory and it’s kinda scary, it’s a good thing.
Now, if you could suggest 1 thing to a consultant who is feeling totally stuck in their business, what would tell them to do?
Reach out for help. Find your upline. Figure out – write down and logging what you want to see out of this. When you kind of have a number goal and figure out what you want to make, it kind of gives you a better idea of how to go forward. And what you need to do. Do you want to make $500 profit? How much jewelry do you need to sell? Having that visual is a really good motivator, I think.
But also reaching out. There’s always someone up the line or in your team groups that will help challenge you or get that momentum built back up.
Awnya: And a lot times those people aren’t going to come looking for you. If you need help, sometimes the signs aren’t there. Whether it’s finding someone on YouTube that you can emulate or learn something from one of the Paparazzi leaders or, like you said, finding your upline or your across line or somebody to help inspire you and get you motivated, right?
Katherine: Yes, they are out there.
What is a quote that inspires you?
Katherine: So this one has stuck with me since I started team building
And what I love about this is, I know with my team, I watch my team build team members and customers. And, you know, team members go in to it really wanting to make it work and then they don’t want to do anything. They ask for help and you tell them everything you can do for them. You send them ideas and they don’t do anything with it.
You can’t force someone to order. You can’t force a team member to party. You can’t force somebody to sign up. But as long as you are being a good sponsor and you are giving them all the resources, you’re doing your job. It’s up to them to take it and run. And not everybody does.
Some people start this and you’ll never hear from them again. Sometimes I feel like they just feel bad and just don’t want to tell you that. It’s not for everybody but as long as you’re there, that’s all that matters. Just remember, don’t waste your time trying to force people work it because if they really want to, they will. Especially if you have all the information and you know that they have all the knowledge they need to have going forward.
Awnya: What I love right there that you said, is that you gave them resources, you gave them things to inspire them. But it’s not like you’re showing up at their doorstep saying, “Let’s go do a party.” “Let’s go do an event.” They still have to want it. They still have to do it themselves.
What is a book you’d say is a must read and why?
Katherine: I will admit, I am not a huge reader. However, I have started more, especially getting into the Elite because we do get a lot of books. I like magazines, like the gossip magazines and I don’t even read that much. But I will say, the books I have read – and there are so many leadership books out there. You can just google it. And I highly recommend it because you will learn a lot more. You think you know it all and you really don’t.
But the one that I really like is The 5 Love Languages.
Your customers, your team, your friends and your family, we all have different ways of living life and how we do things and how we love and how we like to be rewarded. In The 5 love Languages, it kinda teaches you about each language and you can really start to put it with your team and your customers.
So, for example, not every one of your team members wants a phone call. Some people like to be rewarded with a gift. Some people just like to be acknowledged with a shout out. So it really helps you kind of figure out the different people you are working with and how to cope with them and work with them. So I definitely recommend the 5 love Languages, it’s really awesome.
Awnya: So with your team do you have like a survey that you have them take or do you just get to know them and then figure out which love language they have or how do you apply that in your business?
Katherine: I kinda just figure it out. There is a questionnaire a long time ago that we got from corporate, but with our team size, it would be really hard to put it out there and then keep track of every single person. However I have some from my personally sponsored.
The more you build your relationships and get to know them and you know your love languages, you just kind of figure them out. Who they are, what they like and, yeah.
Awnya: It’s more about that building relationships and just knowing who you are working with. I love that.
Katherine: Yes! That is key!
Awnya: It totally is. Last question. So here on the PapaRockStars Podcast, we like to do a weekly call challenge.
So what is 1 thing you would challenge the listeners to do in the next 7 days to take action in their Paparazzi businesses?
Katherine: I’m going to challenge you to do this in 48 hours, but you can do it in 7 days, but I extra challenge you guys to do it in 48 hours.
A couple of years ago when I was feeling stuck, I had someone from corporate challenge me. She was like, “I want you to do a Facebook party. I want you to give it your all. I want you to make people excited. I want you to do everything you can think to make this your best Facebook party ever.” This was just a regular Facebook party. She wanted me to have it done in 48 hours.
I had so much other stuff. We had 4 kids. I was like, “Oh my gosh. What am I going to do?” I could not- I had to get it done. I wasn’t going to not do it and come up with all these excuses. I did it. I sacrificed sleep- which is one thing you will do if you really want to grow a team fast or grow your business fast.
Let me tell you, it was my BEST party – times 4 – that I have ever done in my life because I gave it my all. I sacrificed my time. You know, we have time. It’s just all how we fit it in. There’s plenty of time to do all this stuff. So I think back to how I did that in 48 hours, I’m challenging you guys.
You probably have heard from corporate and from your upline that Facebook LIVE is changing the way that Paparazzi is in the business. It is exploding like never before. It is multiplying sales. So, it took me 3 months to start doing them. And it took me probably a good 10 times before I actually could go into it and not have to go *deep breath* cuz I was so nervous.
But I promise you, you will get over being nervous once you start doing them, they are actually a lot of fun. And you make a lot of contacts and you make a lot more money than any other Facebook party out there. So I challenge you to do a live party within the next 48 hours, if Awnya’s okay with that – changing those rules. Putting the pressure on.
And if it really makes you uncomfortable doing it and you haven’t done one before. Just get on your phone on your camera and just, you know, do a video camcorder. Just to kinda get your feet in or whatever. But just do it. Don’t care about what other people think. You know. So, even if it’s just 10-15 pieces. Just getting your foot in the door. But I promise you, if you stay consistent and do them 2-3 times a week, you are going to build your network.
They key is to have your friends and family share. Give out a free accessory if someone shares your video. A lot of people be like, “I can’t afford to give out a free accessory.” but that one accessory can lead to so many customers.
I guess that’s my challenge. That’s what I recommend doing. Get on a schedule. Like my husband said, if you get on a schedule, like when people get home, they turn on the 6 o’clock news. So if you get on a schedule, your customers are going to get on that schedule too. And they’re going to know, “Kat’s on at 6 pm tonight, I’m going to get myself some new bling.” So get in a habit and use consistency and you could totally blow it up.
Yes, Facebook live is huge, but I also feel like it’s still really ground level. Like yes, people are doing it, but there are billions of people to still be touched. So if you get in on this now, while it’s starting, you are going to build a team like no tomorrow. And customers. And sales.
Awnya: That’s amazing. And you know, the Rock Stars who listen to this Podcast, they are always up for a challenge. So I believe that they will totally rock the 48 hours that you gave them and there is going to be all kinds of LIVEs popping up because they are always up for a challenge.
Thank you for joining us on the podcast today. I have pages of notes and I am so excited to implement what I have learned today.
Show Notes
Katherine McKaskey: Paparazzi Elite Leader Interview – printable show transcripts