yet so much fun to go for Greatness! The rest of my weekend in San Francisco was about going for greatness – and having fun while doing it!

The most fun we had was on Saturday night, we had a”Gelebration” – yup, we didn’t really understand what that meant either. People were very creative with their costumes though – it probably helped that there was a contest with cash prizes. Here’s one of my favourites. I was thinking about it – what other product in network marketing could you not only dress up as, but take the actual product and packaging and make a beautiful costume? We really do have something quite beautiful and innovative.

As for me, I took advantage of the cast on my foot, and came up with a creative costume. Before and After FLX.  Even Randy appreciated the creativity.  I didn’t win the cash prize but certainly had a lot of fun! The party was full of great costumes, good music and lots of laughter.  Take a look at the full album at the end of the post for more costume photos.

Sunday morning we wrapped up the conference with two amazing sessions, first with Eric Worre and followed by Randy Gage.  The bottom line for me is that I truly realized that the journey to Greatness is not going to be easy, but that the reward is worth every challenge and sacrifice along the way.  The reason that most people never achieve Greatness is because the journey is hard.  And it is easier to stay comfortable and live in mediocrity.  Now that I know what Greatness looks like, it’s much harder to stay where I am.  It’s time to truly be free from the matrix. And it will take time and hard work, but I know that Dan and I will be free and we will have the chance to live a life we’ve dreamed of, all the while helping others to achieve Greatness themselves and working with incredible leaders from across the globe.

My San Francisco experience was wonderful.  One and a half days of being a tourist and 2 1/2 days of Rockstar training. I met so many incredible people and made so many new friends, not only in Agel, but by travelling alone I had the chance to make many connections.  I am grateful that I had the chance to take this trip, I have always wanted to go to San Francisco, but probably would not have gone for just a vacation.

Have a super day everyone and I’ve got a few more interesting posts planned for the rest of the week, so stay tuned! Here is the full album:

Agel Go Diamond

Cheers!

Friday was another great day here in San Francisco. The day started a bit gray, but soon the early morning fog burned off and it turned into a beautiful day. I still had the morning to be a tourist, so I spent some time in Union Square and then headed back down to the pier. There is so much to see down there, it was nice to just walk around a bit and enjoy the sun. I will admit that after a few days of walking with the cast, it was getting a bit more tiring.  The boot itself is comfortable, just fairly heavy (compared to a shoe).

This is such a cute statue of sea lions, right outside of the aquarium. For some reason, I chose not to visit the aquarium – I figured I would be spending the next few days inside so I might as well enjoy the sun. I wandered for a while and started to head towards Ghirardelli square.  As I got closer, I noticed an art gallery, The Martin Lawrence Galleries.  I snuck in to take a peek and was amazed. Shahala, the fine art consultant, told me all about the different artists they had on display – including Miro, Picasso, Dali and Erté.  I loved it! What an amazing gallery and such a great find.  After my visit, I was looking for a place for lunch, when I got a text from my business partner Julie, who invited me to join them back uptown.  San Francisco’s transportation system is so amazing, I found a bus stop and less than 1 min later a bus appeared. I paid $2 and believe it or not, this bus was going exactly where I needed to go.  I got across town in 22 min.  I am so impressed with the transportation here.  I could definitely live here.  It is such a wonderful city.  I may not leave my heart here, but certainly a part of it will stay.

Friday evening was the first night of our event, Go Diamond. For those of you who have read my about page, you’ll know that I have been in networking marketing for over 4 years, and with Agel Enterprises for almost a year. Over that period of time, I have attended close to a dozen large events and conventions all over Canada and the US.  Friday night was like nothing I have ever experienced before.  First, it was wonderful to connect with friends from all over the world including Australia, Ireland, Nigeria, Finland, Holland, Mexico, Panama and other parts of the US and Canada (among others).  I really love meeting and connecting with people globally.

What really touched me and changed my life were the stories that were shared by the most successful people in Agel. It is very difficult for me to put into words what went on that evening, but there were moments when I had tears in my eyes and other moments when I had chills. My business partners, Julie Mirr and Tim Berry, both told their stories – not just about business – but about their lives, where they came from, some of the challenges they faced and what their lives are now. It was so intimate and personal, I felt their emotion from the stage.  For me, the most powerful stories were shared by our two leaders, Eric Worre and Randy Gage.  I have heard them speak before, many times.  I have even heard Randy tell his story before (I have his generic audio program and his book, Why You’re Dumb, Sick and Broke).  Something was different about it tonight. Eric’s story, which was very heartbreaking at some moments, really shared with us what he went through in order to get where his is today – and why, after all of the setbacks and defeats, he chose to give it one more go with Agel. For both Eric and Randy, this is their last rodeo.  There are here to build a legacy. And Randy, as I said, I’ve heard him share his story before, yet this time we laughed more and even shared a few tears. My heart is full right now just thinking about it.

Many of you know about some of the ups and downs that I have been through this year. I realize it now (even more so) that this is just part of the journey.  And that it really is worth it.  That I have the chance to be truly free, that Dan and I can be parents to our children, and raise them ourselves (instead of paying others to do so).  I am proud to be a part of Agel and to work with such amazing people. There is a real sense of being a part of something amazing right now and I am so excited to see what 2010 has in store for us. Big things are happening this year, Agel’s 5th anniversary is around the corner and the electricity in the air is almost palpable.

San Francisco II

Here is the full album from Friday, just over a dozen photos. Tomorrow I will share my thoughts and ah-ha moments from the rest of the weekend.

Happy Family Day in Ontario!

I arrived in San Francisco early on Wednesday morning, 1:30 am local time (4:30 am EST).  Exhausted after two flights totaling almost 9 hours, I crawled into bed and tried to get some much needed rest. Jet lag got the best of me though and I woke up at 7 am local time. Which is perfect because I had a very full day ahead of me!

With my guidebook in hand and a smile on my face, I took off before 9 am for my day of exploring in San Francisco. First stop, the famous Trolley Car. I bought a day pass for the MUNI (transport system)for $13 dollars – absolutely worth it as it is valid on trolleys, streetcars and buses for the whole day. I headed directly to Fisherman’s Wharf.  I was blessed with perfect weather, it started off a bit cloudy, but the skies cleared and it was a sunny day. It ended with a bit of cloud rolling in and a light shower.  PERFECT!

I figured that a boat tour would be the best way to start the day. Red & White offers a deal that included the boat tour (1 hour) and the hop-on-hop-off bus for 48 hours so I decided that was my best option.  The boat tour followed the shoreline, out to Golden Gate Bridge and then back on the far side of Alcatraz.  We had an audio tour to listen to.  It was a bit chilly and windy, but nice and dry. I learned a lot on the boat tour and met some really interesting people, including a couple from LA – Wilson and Osmarys.  It was their first visit to San Fran as well. I convinced them to join me on the bus tour (they only had one day as well) and we ended up spending the whole day together. It was really amazing to meet such kind people, and we all got along really well, which made the day even more fun.

After the boat, we hopped on the bus for the first time.  We took the tour down to the Port of San Francisco and hopped off. We enjoyed the Farmer’s Market (end of Market Street), the port itself and the view of the Bay Bridge. It’s really neat how the traffic travels on two levels. After that we walked to then next bus stop about 30 min from where we were. Walking through the Financial District reminded me a bit of Toronto. One thing  we notice is how clean the city is.  It was busy, but people seemed to be smiling more that I’ve seen in Toronto. Perhaps because it’s been raining for a while and they were enjoying the sun.

We ended up right near the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art waiting for the bus.  We found out that Thursday night is half price from 6 – 9 pm.  Believe it or not, after my very full day, I made it to the museum for a short visit later that night.

We hopped back on the bus and had a really fun guide this time, Shannon from the UK.  She talked a lot but it was really interesting and funny.  We drove past Union Square (upscale shopping) and all the way to Chinatown.  We hopped off again and toured around. By now, the sun was shining and it was a stunning afternoon.  You can tell by the light in this photo. One of the things I love about this city is the architecture. It is full of variety and creativity, yet somehow, it all fits together. Not a moment went by when I didn’t notice a building with interesting architecture. It is very easy to fall in love with this city, I know I certainly did.

Once we travelled through Chinatown, we ended up on the Trolley car line, and hopped on.  We were fortunate to travel past Grace Church and decided to hop off and check it out.  What a fantastic decision.  It was absolutely stunning. I love Gothic churches and this has to be one of my absolute favourites. What a fantastic unexpected stop! This is what was most fun about our day, we didn’t have an concrete plans, so we just travelled around the city and explored what we wanted to.  San Francisco is small enough that you can do this.

After the church, we walked by a movie shoot – anyone seen the tv show Trauma? They were filming nearby. We hopped on the trolley again, and then on a bus to head down to Fisherman’s Wharf for dinner.  We ate at the restaurant above the wharf, with a beautiful view of the bay, as the light faded and the sun set. The food was amazing.  We shared a goat cheese appetizer and then I enjoyed a Dungeness crab cake sandwich with tomato and avocado.  Loved it!  After dinner, we were startled by the Bush Man – no details here but you have to experience it for a good laugh!  And we finally parted ways.  I had so much fun with Wilson and Osmarys – I certainly hope to have made new friends and I look forward to seeing them again on our next trip to California. I finished the evening by taking a streetcar (literally, a Street Car Named Desire, from Philly) to the SanFranMOMA.  By then, I was exhausted, and my foot was sore (the cast is actually very comfortable and supportive, it was my other foot), so I was only able to get through 3 floors.  I walked back to the hotel and within the hour, was back up to our room. I had such a wonderful day in the city.  I highly recommend it on places to see before you go. I would definitely return with Dan.  There is still so much to see and enjoy, especially all of the different food!

Here is a link to the full album if you’d like to see more photos.

San Francisco

Tonight is the first night of Go Diamond! and I really looking forward to connecting with my business partners and starting this intense weekend of training.

And hopefully, I’ll be able to catch some of the Olympics while I’m in the same time zone.

A bientot!

Not too long after our holiday travel fiasco (the story starts here), I am already getting back on a plane tomorrow! Using one of the vouchers we received from Delta, I’ll be flying to San Francisco from Buffalo tomorrow evening.

After my last experience I wasn’t really sure that I would even want to go on this trip at all.  Yet I have always been a fan of travel and it’s hard for me to resist when I have the opportunity to take a trip. I have never been to San Francisco and this time I decided to arrive early so that I would have at least one day to take in the city.  At one point in time, Dan & I were planning to take this trip as our honeymoon (with a few days of training at the end).  That just wasn’t in the cards though, mostly because we just came back from our trip to Mexico last month.

Ironically, the part I really enjoy is BEING in a new place. And spending time there.  Not so much the airport and airplane part of things. That’s why when I moved overseas to Switzerland, I tended to stay in one spot for a long period of time and explored what was nearby. I’m a lot like my parents in that way.  When they sold their home in Oakville to live in a 31 foot trailer and drive around North American, they tended to spend at least a week – if not a month or two in every destination.

Even though this trip is a short one, I still have my day to be a tourist.  Whatever I choose to do has to involve more watching and relaxing, as opposed to walking (due to the aircast) but I have a feeling that down at Fisherman’s Wharf there is a lot to see. I am excited to see the Golden Gate bridge for myself and to experience the incredible weather changes that San Fran has on a daily basis. I think I’m escaping just in time as we are expecting snow over the next few days.

My questions for you today: First, have you been to San Francisco? And if so, what not to be missed if I only have one day? Second, do you prefer to travel to lots of places or live in one place for a longer period of time?

Thanks for all of your comments and emails about the cast. I was offered some very encouraging stories.

See you in San Francisco!