My husband's cousin sells Tupperware and Uppercase Living.  She's also one of my best friends.  But lately she's been super busy with her kids' sports that she's not doing much with Tupperware or Uppercase Living.  They are gone every weekend and travel all over the state for games and tournaments.  We don't even get to talk as much as we used to because she's so busy.  We live an hour and a half away which also makes it hard to just get together on a whim and with her hectic schedule it's hard to make plans.

 

Anyway, a couple months ago I was invited to an Uppercase Living party.  The consultant is a lady from my MOPS group who I've become friends with as was the host.  I LOVE Uppercase Living and had seriously thought about selling it if I didn't love PC so much!  I know I couldn't do both and devote the same amount of energy needed to be successful.  I can barely devote enough time and energy to be successful at PC!! 

 

The consultant asked me if I'd ever hosted a party and I had (before my cousin was a consultant).  She asked if I'd like to host another and I told her that my cousin sold it.  I also told her that I'd been wanting to host another in the fall but she's so busy that it's hard to make our schedules work.  And the driving factor has made a big difference with the price of gas now.  She told me she understood and didn't want to take me from my current consultant.  But, I told her that I'd host a party for her in the fall.  I also want to help her out since she's just starting.  It was 100% my decision. 

 

But now I'm feeling guility!  The thing is I like the way this lady does her shows better than my cousin!  I also like that she's here in town and her schedule isn't packed full so that it's not a major scheduling event just to do a party.  But as I'm filling out my invitations I have to leave out a MAJOR portion of my guest list because it's family.  They're all an hour and a half away too (in the same town as my cousin) so who knows if they'd be able to make it anyway.  The people I've invited are all from here and don't know her.  They only know me through MOPS and a few others outside of MOPS from preschool.  But I'm not sure if they'll come!  I know my family would at least place an order.  But I don't want to cause hurt feelings or make the family uncomfortable.  So despite all the GOOD reasons I'm doing this, I still feel guilty.  I even stepped back and thought about how I'd feel if my cousin chose to use another PC consultant to do a party.  And actually I know she's done an open house and a duel party with another consultant which is almost the same.  I'd be a little upset (not mad upset) knowing my family ordered from another consultant I think.  Which is why I decided to not invite the family.  But I wasn't upset with her for working with another PC lady before. 

 

I'm not cancelling the party I've already scheduled with the other lady.  I've made that committment to her.  I want to help her out!  And it opens up the opportunity that she'll book from me too which I REALLY NEED contacts in my area. 

 

I know I shouldn't feel guilty about wanting to help her out.  Maybe I'm feeling more guilty about not having as big a turn out too.  I also know my cousin isn't upset.  If I weren't in this business I know I wouldn't feel this guilty!  I just needed to get this all off my chest so it doesn't keep eating at me.

 

Michelle