PlanNet Marketing is pleased to welcome Kelly Paul to the 40/40 Club! Kelly and her husband, AJ, live in Oak Ridge, NC. Kelly tells us, "We have three adult children and three grandchildren. We have both always been driven, with strong work ethics and the drive to succeed. When we made the decision to move from Savannah to NC, I sold my businesses, The Marketing Department Advertising and Public Relations and Island Living Magazine, intending to be a stay-at-home mom. That was short lived as I saw a need and started a preschool in our new community. Ten years later, I was officially retired, party and all, with no plans of working again. We began traveling a lot and several people commented that I should start a travel business. I started selling travel at the end of 2018. With a strong background in marketing on my side, that business grew quickly.
"When I really began to understand PlanNet Marketing, I knew I had been blessed with an incredible opportunity to help empower others by sharing the business model, and then coaching new business owners towards success. In early 2019, I started slowly building a team, while still focusing on selling travel.
“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.
“In Aug of 2020, I hit 20/20 in PlanNet Marketing. At the time, I was having some medical issues, and was diagnosed with long term residual effects of COVID. I would sit at my desk, struggling to breathe. I ended up having a heart procedure for a 100% blocked right anterior in November of 2020. I continued to struggle medically for the next year, and then started cardiac rehab (it had been closed thanks to Covid).
"Meanwhile, I was slowly working on growing my team, but was also still booking a lot of travel and between the distraction of that and medical issues, I did not hit DIT until June of 2022. I attended my first PlanNet Marketing Convention, which was life-changing! I vowed that when I came back the next year, I’d walk across the stage as a Director. After that, I really started focusing more on my business. It was then that I started TRUSTING THE PROCESS. I became a huge believer in PS3, and made reading professional development books and plugging in to every possible training or meeting a part of my DMO. I made sure that everything I did was duplicatable by my growing team. I focused on developing leaders and making sure we had processes in place to onboard new business owners.
"Unfortunately a few months later, I found myself struggling again to take a deep breath and knew the heart issues were back and getting worse. I had another heart procedure in December of 2022 but at this point, I knew without a doubt that I WANTED TO LEAVE A LEGACY!
“That which doesn’t kill us makes us stronger. I made up my mind then that if and when I recovered, I would pour into myself and into my team and work diligently to hit Director. I wanted to sign those legacy papers for my husband and children!!
"I hit that goal of One-Star Director in March of 2023. At that point, my focus had shifted to helping leaders and anyone on my team who was interested in growth. I had to remind myself that it is also important to grow wide, opening up new legs of business along the way. My team was experiencing some momentum and it was an exciting time!
"In August of 2023, I was back in the hospital having my THIRD heart catheterization with stents since 11/20!
"BUT this time I was focused on leading from the front, and was back to work the next day, with an incredible team by my side. As my husband said when I decided I’d go to Convention a few days later, 'you don’t ever like to miss a party!' So just a few days later, I attended my second Convention, with a bigger group from my team. And I vowed to come back in 2024 as a Two-Star Director!
"Together, we hit Two-Star Director six months later in April of 2024. Seeing others on my team reaching goals that they set for themselves is one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever experienced! (I should have my first One-Star Director on my team very soon, and two others shortly thereafter!!)
"I am very competitive with myself and very goal-driven. But I also truly love helping others succeed and empowering others. I was a victim of domestic violence many moons ago, so I know what it feels like to be trapped in a life you desperately want out of. I love helping to empower single moms, hard working families, and anyone who is struggling or in search of financial gain and time freedom, and love watching them gain the confidence that comes with it.
"I feel blessed to have tremendous coaches who inspire me and give generously of their time. Cindy Bruggeman and JP Watkins have been very influential in my own quest to become a better coach, and in inspiring my entire team. I really admire Donald Bradley, and love it that the Bradleys don’t hide their faith, have philanthropic hearts, truly care about the people who join the business, and encourage people to make wise decisions in regard to any monetary gains. These are admirable qualities and align with my own desire to help empower others towards a better life.
"I truly feel that we are all so blessed to be a part of this amazing company, and am so excited to see what the future holds!"