PlanNet Marketing is pleased to welcome Michelle Mason to the 20/20 Club! Michelle tells usk "I was raised and graduated high school in Arlington, TX. I married soon after graduation and we started our little family shortly after. I now have my three children, 11 grandchildren (with another on the way), and three bonus children with my husband, Jay. We now call Mineral Wells, TX 'home' but we are full time RV’ers so home is really 'where we park it.' We enjoy camping with family and friends at the river, lake, beach, and wherever else opportunity takes us. Our youngest graduated high school last year so we are now officially 'empty nesters.' We hope to take our RV and travel across the country soon to see all the amazing sites up close and personal here in the US.
My interests begin with traveling. I love to go to new places and experience new things. I love to take in all the beauty and culture that different destinations possess. I enjoy local cuisines and meeting people from all over the world. Outside of travel I enjoy camping, fishing, and hunting with my husband. We have three spoiled dogs that keep us laughing: a Chihuahua, English Springer Spaniel and a Catahoula Leopard. My husband and I take every opportunity to listen to live music. We camp out 2-3 times a year at Texas music festivals. I love spending time with my children, grandchildren and especially with my husband who is my biggest supporter.
I love to travel and getting to work through PlanNet Marketing and InteleTravel has allowed us to really expand our travel opportunities. Outside of traveling the United States extensively, I have been to Honduras, Mexico, the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas. We have a two-week trip planned for next year to see the Virgin Islands, Jamaica and Mexico. We discovered cruises through our friends just before I began working with PlanNet Marketing and InteleTravel. We absolutely love cruising and have been on seven cruises in the last three years. We see ourselves taking 2-3 cruises a year from now on. I love to travel, and this travel agency is just an extension of that desire and interest in seeing and experiencing all the great things that are out there for me.
I attribute my success at PlanNet Marketing with my persistence and desire to build and grow something that is mine. I thrive in the face of adversity and feel I can do anything if it's something I want to do. All the hard work I put into my travel business goes toward building something for myself for a change. I have been a nurse for 19 years, and prior to that I worked various jobs supporting myself and my children. My travel agency is mine and it is a huge motivation to be doing this for myself and my family; not for someone else.
My proven tips for success that I pass on to my team are similar to those I have been given by my mentors:
1. Get past the 'no’s;' the negative responses from prospects especially. There are just some people who are afraid, uneducated or are too busy to want to sign up for this business. It seems like I have already heard a million excuses. I do not let this discourage me from reaching my goals.
2. The fortune is in the follow up. I think I heard this one first from my Team Leader Stephanie Cloutier. Some people are too busy and forget to get back with you. Following up with them gives them that reminder and a little nudge that has proven effective for me.
3. Stay positive. I do not like to dwell on the negatives. I try to keep everything positive in my life, work, with my contacts, my team, my clients and my prospects. I don’t like negativity. Negative people bring me down and I like to be happy and full of life. Positivity exudes success, and people don’t want to sign up with someone who isn’t successful. I try to stay positive so I do not push away people I am trying to help.
4. Lastly, but most importantly, you must work your business every day even if it is just a few minutes. Again, I got this from Stephanie. If you want to be successful at this business, you cannot work for 30 minutes one day and then not touch it again for a several days. I am still working as a nurse full-time but I am working my travel business every chance I get. I work during my commutes, lunch breaks and sometimes even when I get home after a long, hard day. I love this business so it’s not that big a deal for me. It’s true, if you do something you love for work, you never have to work again. This job is fun. Finally, one little fun fact about me is that I have always wanted to learn to play guitar and write my own songs. I still plan to take guitar lessons one day.