Today’s interview is with an amazing girl-boss. This girl knows how to hustle and keep pushing forward. She is a great team leader and inspires me. Today, we chat with Lenieshia Mayberry.
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Let me tell you about Lenieshia Mayberry. Lenieshia is a San Antonio Texas girl and she’s been with Paparazzi for two and a half years. She works for the Social Security Administration and at home she has three dogs that welcome her home every night. Lenieshia is an Executive Producer with Paparazzi, she has hit Life of the Party Bronze and Crown Club Ten. Lenieshia, did I leave anything out?
Lenieshia: I’m the team leader or Team Hustlin Hunnies and Homies.
Awnya: Well let’s jump into today’s questions.
How did you get started with Paparazzi?
Lenieshia: My sponsors is Tyronica Carter. She originally asked me to join when she first started March 2015. And at that time I was not ready to take on a second business because I had just started a different direct sales business two months prior.
So I told her I’m not ready right now to have two businesses and she understood. And I just kind of watched her blow up in the business. Rank after rank after rank and then I guess about October or so, she messaged me again.
She said, “Hey Cous. There’s a whole lot of growth in this business doin that same business that you’re doing and are rocking it out with Paparazzi. How’d you like to try a business with a an easier price base?”.
And so I thought about it and she and I talked about it and I prayed about it. And at after I prayed about I just dreamed about it every night for three nights. I just kept dreaming different things about the business. I was really excited. And I started talking to people about the business and they said, “What’s your Website?” I don’t want to give them Tyronica’s website so I hurried up and signed up and the rest is history.
Awnya: One thing that stands out to me in your story is that when she first talked to you you were like, “No it’s not a good time.” And then she circled back and it was a better time for it when you were ready. It’s just a testimony of following up with everybody on your list and those people that you talked to – maybe it’s not the right time. Maybe it will be later.
Lenieshia: Absolutely. I’m so glad she asked me again because I had been watching her and she had grown so much in the ranks that I felt like it was too late. I wasn’t going to say anything to her about joining. So I’m so glad that she came and asked me a second time.
Awnya: Now,
What is your Paparazzi why? Why do you do Paparazzi?
Lenieshia: So at this point I’m doing Paparazzi to replace my full time job. I’m not happy there. I would much rather deal with the jewelry and my customers and party. So much more fun than, you know, having things mandated by supervisors and management and things of that nature. I would rather, you know, be able to go to lunch when I want to. Go on break when I want to and not have to worry about, you know, coverage. And who’s off and who’s not off.
I just I don’t want those types of restrictions on my life and I feel like Paparazzi can can give me that freedom that I’m seeking.
Awnya: Absolutely being your own boss is the best, right?!
Lenieshia: Absolutely.
Awnya: Now,
I’m sure your why has changed from when you first started until now. How do you feel like that’s changed?
Lenieshia: Well, my original WHY was just to see if I could make an extra 200 dollars a month. Yeah. My first commission check was more than 200 dollars. I just ran with it. So my original why was to see if I could just earn an extra 200 dollars a month, the money that I was no longer making with my other direct business. I wanted to recoup those funds and try to make more money for myself. So yeah, that 200 dollars a month, which was low balling- basically lowballing myself.
Awnya: And now it’s changed from just a little extra money on the side to replacing your full time income which is amazing. Now we’re going to take a little bit of a shift for the people that have not listened to the podcast before. This question is about the nation’s worst paparazzi moment is the moment that she knew was do or die. One of those moments where she’s sitting there like oh could this day get any worse. And then, we’re going to talk about a lesson that she learned out of that.
So Lenieshia, take us to your worst Paparazzi moment.
Lenieshia: So my worst Paparazzi moment actually kind of happened twice. Two years in a row in March. You know how big the month of Marche is – so many rank advancements. There’s so many people being added to the business. It’s a good time. It’s a busy time. It’s kind of a stressful time but you can make it a good stress. So, two years in a row in March it got down to the wire down to like the last five minutes of the month and I missed advancing in rank by like a little over 100 pieces.
And that was devastating to me because it is just a matter of you know four or five people becoming active. Making their PV for the month would made that difference. So those were hard times for me to deal with, especially two years in a row. Watching so many other people advance in rank and, you know, achieve the goals that they set out to do that month. And to get that close and miss it two years in a row was horrible for me. But this past March I was glad that I had experienced that the prior two years because not only was I able to advance in rank because of my amazing team but we did it early. There are still five whole days left in the month.
So you know the bright side of that for me was to keep pushing, you know. Even though you miss it. Dust yourself off. You try again. You just go for it. Keep going for until you hit it and then aim for then that the next goal.
Awnya: I can totally imagine you sitting there. I mean, I’ve done this too. You sit there at your computer, you refresh those numbers. You’re like, “oh! We’re so close. We’re so close. We’re going to do this.” And then the time comes and goes and the numbers just aren’t there. And you’re just heartbroken, for lack of a better word.
Like you said, just keep pushing, keep going because it can turn around the next month or like you said the next, the next March was another where you could feel that and then you crushed it.
Just to clarify,
What was the lesson that you want everybody to take from your worst moment?
Leniesha: Take a moment. You need to take a moment and evaluate what has happened and feel bad about happening or have your little pity party right there do that and then move on. Every month. My thing is you know at 10:59, because it’s central time. The month ends at 10:59 Central Time for us. At 10:59 if I haven’t hit is, I take 10:59 and 11:00 to, you know, feel whatever feelings I have right there. But at 11:01, I’m welcoming my team to the new month with new goals, with new optimism. And I always tell them, “Let’s get it.” That’s how I feel. OK. Everything that happened last month happened, it happened. Now let’s go with the next month.
Awnya: I love how you said to take a minute and feel those emotions don’t just be like “Uhg.” OK or take three days off because we don’t have that kind of time. You take two minutes. You feel those emotions and then you’re like, “OK. Let’s do this. Get back on that horse let’s just get it done.”.
Lenieshia: Yes ma’am.
Awnya: Lenieshia,
What is a habit you feel contributes to your success?
Lenieshia: Consistency with my team. Every Tuesday I have what’s called Team Tuesday with my team. I give them whatever observations that I’ve made recently. Any announcements that need to be made any projections forward like I try to tell them aboutt things months in advance. Like, we’re already talking about Passport Vacation because I want them ready. I don’t want that to sneak up on them. And they’re like, “Oh I didn’t have my money I couldn’t register.” No! Because we’ve been talking about this since January. And I make sure that I’m there on time every week and at the end of the meeting, I pray for them.
I think that’s hopeful for my success for them to succeed. My dad always says. “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care,” and I hope that my team knows that I care a great deal for them. I love each and every one of them. I may not know all the names and faces but I love every last one of them and their success means the world to me. Because of that consistency and because of me just being there with them every week I think it helps them to keep going and have the success that they need in their business, which helped me succeed also.
Awnya: I think it’s really easy to tell how much you care about your team. Just in how you’re talking, I can feel your love for them and I’m sure that they feel that. And that is one of the things that has driven you all to success is your passion and your big heart and how much you love them.
Lenieshia: I do. I look at all of them like they’re my kids, you know.
Awnya: Yeah.
Lenieshia: I mean there’s some people as parents that only have a high school education and then their kids have grown up and surpassed them education wise. Passed them. Have gotten degrees in college and so forth. And it’s the same thing in this business, you know. You have your children, your personally sponsored – what people call their downline. Tyrica Hendricks taught me a very good lesson – she calls her downline her success line.
And I like that because your success is determined by the success of your team. And so, I tell them all the time my success is your success and your success is mine. So even when people on your team pass you, you know as a parent you’re happy for people who pass to you. You’re happy for your child when they pass you. You’re happy that they learn from what you did and surpass where you are.
So that the same way I feel about my team. I them all the time, “I want you guys to pass me. I want you guys to excel in this business. I want you to see what this can do for you. How this can change your life.”
If you were going to give some advice to a brand new Paparazzi Consultant, what would you tell them?
Lenieshia: I would tell them to be a sponge and absorb as much as they possibly can at all times. No matter what level you get to. No matter all the things that you achieve or how long you’ve been in the business. Always keep an open mind and be willing to learn different methods and different ways to work the business. Because this business is evolving as time evolves. So the things that we are doing now, who’s to say that we’ll be able to have the same success even a year from now.
When I first joined Paparazzi there was no Facebook Live. Everybody was doing home parties and Facebook parties where you just post the picture of an item and, you know, say a little caption on there. Those are almost obsolete now. Nobody hardly participates in those type of parties anymore. So, if you’re a sponge, if you’re constantly like Johnny 5 -Johnny 5, he want to input input input. If you’re that type consultant then you will continue to succeed because you have different files, if you will, to pull from to help your business continue to grow.
I’m probably aging myself mentioning Johnny 5. I’m sure all the young people are like, “What in the world? Who is Johnny5?” Awnya: It’s so true though because the business is constantly changing. Be that sponge. Be willing to try new things so that you don’t get left in the dust.
Lenieshia: Exactly.
Now what is one thing you would suggest to a consultant who’s feeling stuck in their business? What would you tell them to do?
Lenieshia: I would tell them to keep going.
You haven’t failed until you quit. So as long as you’re still trying as long as you’re trying new things, learning the business, talking to other consultants and learning from them. Your success will come. You just have to be consistent. You have to keep pushing keep trying. You can’t just have a bad day and fall completely apart because tomorrow is another day.
And just because things don’t work out today doesn’t mean tomorrow won’t be completely different for you. So just keep pushing until you find your niche and when you find it run with it until the wheels fall off then find another one and run with that.
Awnya: A couple things I wanted to highlight that you said there – talk to others. So like network, get to know others, get new ideas. Be consistent. Keep trying. Keep pushing. And tomorrow is a new day. Just like a minute ago, we talked about Lenieshia’s worst moment in Paparazzi. But look it’s turned around. She is Elite now and hitting all kinds of new things. And yeah, her worst moment could have turned into something different but she kept pushing and doing these exact things and that’s why she is where she is today. Lenieshia,
What is the quote that inspires you?
Lenieshia: A quote that inspires me is by Joyce Meyer. “Be happy where you are, on the way to where you’re going.”
Well, when she described it, she said, you know, too many times in life we’re just looking for the next best thing. You know when it’s summertime, “Oh it’s so hot. I can’t wait for the winter.” When the winter comes, “Oh it’s so cold I can’t wait till it gets hot.” When you have kids – oh, before you have kids, “Oh I can’t wait to have kids.” Then when you have kids, “Oh I can’t wait till they talk.” And when they start talking, “Oh I wish they would shut up.”
You know, you’re never really happy in this moment right here. We’re always looking so far down the road that we don’t enjoy where we’re at. And I think it’s important to not to stay too long in that moment but be happy where you’re at. Be content with where you’re at. Of course, continue to push forward for the next best thing but don’t be so upset with where you are right now that when you get to the next best thing, that that’s when you appreciate where you are right now.
When my team was smaller, we were stuck at 35 for a long time between 35 and 50. And I remember I just wanted a bigger team. I wanted a bigger team. But when I look back on that time when we were smaller we were more intimate, you know. We were closer. Everyone knew each other. We had more of an understanding. It was easier to get messages out that weren’t being confused. We were more close knit.
And then as that nucleus of 35 grew we had less time to talk to each other because now all of our teams where growing into this massive beautiful thing. But, you know, you lose things along the way when you start to gain those things that you’re seeking after so much. So it’s so important to take the time and smell the roses, basically. But keep going down the path.
Awnya: Like, savor the journey enjoy where you’re at, but definitely push forward, right?!
Lenieshia: Yes.
What is a book you’d say is a must read and why?
Lenieshia: This is also by Joyce Meyer it’s a book called Power Thoughts. It’s a great book because it teaches you how to take the thoughts that you have and turn them into more positive thoughts. A lot of the stress that we feel like we have or the anxiety that we feel like or our failures, it all starts in the mind. It’s those negative thoughts in the mind that repeat over and over again when we’re by ourselves, when other people in the room. And those things drive our actions.
But if we can have power in our thoughts, power and know who we are and who’s we are. And that we’re more than conquerors in Christ Jesus. Then those who help us achieve more than we ever could on our own. Everything that we do in this life starts with a thought. You can either have power thought or wimpy thoughts. So that book is so powerful in changing your thinking into a more positive energy.
Awnya: So, Power Thought by Joyce Meyer. OK. Last question but is it a doozy. Here on the Papa Rock Stars Podcast, we like to do a weekly call challenge.
So what is the one thing you would challenge our listeners to do in the next seven days to take action in their Paparazzi businesses?
Lenieshia: So I’m challenging everybody listening to not only go live Monday through Friday doing a flash party five minutes or less. You can show ten pieces in five minutes and get off, but take that same money that you earn and reinvest that back into your business. So that not only are you going live Monday through Friday, but you are also buying new inventory from the new release Monday through Friday.
Awnya: Perfect. So going live Monday through Friday with at least ten pieces each night and then reinvesting that money that they make from their lives back into new releases and new pieces. OK. Challenge accepted, right?! Let’s get this. Thanks again for tuning into today’s show and thanks Lenieshia for joining us.
Show Notes
Lenieshia Mayberry: Paparazzi Jewelry Elite Leader Interview – printable show notes