On the one hand, I hope you were able to catch the Christmas Doll Challenge livestreams before they disappeared because it sure was a ton of work. On the other hand, using my laptop webcam had the effect of making me look 50 feet wide and about a thousand years old, so maybe it's just as well if you didn't see it.
I know I could get a bunch of fancy cameras and lights and videos and use filters to make myself look younger, but I can barely handle the Facebook live process so I know I would never figure out how to hook all that stuff up. I keep hearing about how you have to go live on video or have a podcast to get ahead nowadays ~ that's the blog of today I guess, but this week has really challenged me. My self esteem took a huge blow. I've actually lost about 30 pounds recently. Everyone was commenting on it when we were home for the funeral last weekend. And I've been doing this "glass skin" or "K Skin" Korean skincare regimen that takes a ton of time but gives your complexion a youthful, pearly, dewy glow. I felt really great, but then the webcam made me look like a pasty 2-ton troll, and I realized I still have a long way to go. I hit both Ulta and Sephora while we were back home and spent about a billion dollars on even more skincare products. Livestreams may just be too hard on my wallet! Maybe I will try podcasting. The past few weeks have been exhausting and heart-rending. My husband's boss is still out of work, mourning his wife, and besides that being hard because they're both lifelong friends, my husband is totally buried in work. We found out we won't be able to go to the cabin for Veterans' Day because Jerry will be taking on extra work. Then this morning I woke up to the news that, after surviving a near-death experience and having a pacemaker installed in Italy, my stepdad is in the hospital here with sepsis. On a side note ~ Dad was life-flighted from Capri to Naples, had a pacemaker installed, and was in the hospital for two weeks and it was completely FREE. Italians pay the same or less in taxes than we do, just sayin'. On top of all that, today we got a text from about a threat to shoot up our son's high school. He attends both regular school and a tech school and the tech school was locked down last week. On average, one or both of his schools are locked down for threats of violence at least once a month. It's terrifying and disheartening that we've decided our lives are worth less than the gun industry making money. The school, a beautiful building, was vandalized overnight as well. That's something else that happens constantly. We live in a deep-red county where Democrats don't even bother to run for office, so it mystifies me when people say the GOP is tougher on crime. We moved here from a deep-blue county where the only time the school was ever locked down was due to a bear in the playground! So, anyway, I'm beat and sad and just frustrated. I hope things go better next week. Do you do a lot of videos or Zoom meetings? What's your skincare routine? Do you have any special camera tricks to take off weight and age? Please, let me know!
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It's not too late to join the Christmas Doll Challenge! Day 1 went great; we learned to clean all types of dolls and doll hair as well as re-color faded vinyl and hard plastic dolls. Tomorrow we will learn to repair splits and cracks in hard plastic, composition, and vinyl dolls, and Thursday we will go over painting and re-stringing. Today's replay is posted in the Challenge and on my Facebook page until Friday, so you can go now and watch it. I do recommend you join the group for all the valuable insight from members as well as product links and discount codes. Can't make the replays, or aren't on Facebook? Get lifetime access to the videos with my VIP bundle. This includes Both front and side-view videos (6 hour-long videos total!) so you get all the angles to see the repairs. You also get my new Doll Doctor's Medical Record ebook for FREE! My business coach told me not to charge a penny less than $1000 for this bundle, but I really want to reach as many people as possible, so right now the VIP Bundle is only $47, on sale from the regular $97 price. (Don't tell Pedro, my coach!) You can get the bundle now from my shop. You will receive the ebook immediately and the videos after the challenge ends. I can't wait to see you in the challenge!
I'm so proud to present my newest e-book, The Doll Doctor's Medical Record! This printable document allows you to keep a record of the dolls you restore. Use the Doll Patient Chart pages to keep track of the money and time you spend restoring each doll so you have a better idea of how much you can spend on a doll to resell or what to charge your doll hospital clients. You get 30 of these pages in the book! The Case History pages allow you to chronicle the doll's provenance and make a note of its restoration. You can keep these for your own reference or send a copy along to your customers. Doll hospital clients will love filling out the Doll Chronicle to share with their relatives! You get 20 Doll Chronicle pages in the book. The best thing about the ebook is, once you fill it up you can just print out another! Have the pages bound at an office supply store or just put them in a binder to keep them organized. I really think The Doll Doctor's Medical Record will be a tool you'll reach for daily! I know once you start keeping track of your repairs you'll make far better-informed pricing decisions. Get your copy from the Shop page today: The Doll Doctor's Medical Record e-Book And as always, to make beautiful cover mockups for your books and opt-in reports like these please get MockUp Shots from Adazing. I am an Adazing affiliate so I get a commission when you order from my link.
Why would I invite you to steal my customers?
The fact is, I have more work than I can handle. My dining room is full of dolls. My office is full of dolls. My sewing room is full of dolls. My family room… you guessed it. Dolls. Everywhere. In the past week alone more than 20 dolls requiring repair have arrived at my house and more are on the way. I am completely swamped and it's only October! I need some help. I would love to have you join my certification program. You read that right: the Mandaline Certified Doll Doctor program. I'm still working on the logistics like lesson format and pricing but the end result will be (I hope) an army of doll doctors ready to take on clients. I really want to get you up and running as soon as possible because the holiday season is when doll repair requests really take off. I would love to promote your business to my followers. And just so you understand the magnitude of that, my blog averages over 45,000 views per month. My website has 86,000 likes. My Pinterest account averages 14,000 per month… I don't say this to brag (because those are actually pretty piddly numbers compared to many influencers) but to let you know just how many people see my posts ~ and how many would discover you? I've taught hundreds of thousands of people to repair dolls and I am confident you can learn to do it too. And I know you can make a business of it because that's what I've been doing for more than 20 years. The good news is, right now you can get three days of live doll repair coaching from me for FREE during the Christmas Doll Challenge. My business coach recommended I charge $1500 for 3 hours of one-on-one coaching, so that's the value of the challenge October 24-26th. Why don't you take my lessons for a test drive? Sign up for the Christmas Doll Challenge using the “Register” button. You will need approval to join the group where the live training will take place so make sure to request entry as soon as possible. I would hate for you to miss it! Can you believe it? The Christmas Doll Challenge is just around the corner, with less than two weeks to go! It's time to roll up your sleeves and start gathering the supplies you'll need for this enchanting restoration journey.
First Rule: No Heirlooms for Practice! Before we dive in, a word of advice: please resist the urge to use your precious heirloom dolls for practice. Instead, I recommend getting a cheap doll to hone your skills and techniques. Here's Your Supply Checklist:
Remember, to fully immerse yourself in the Christmas Doll Challenge, you must join the dedicated Facebook group. It's not only a fantastic community of doll enthusiasts but also the exclusive platform where I’ll be hosting the live broadcasts. Join now and await approval to get ready for the upcoming restorations! Stay Tuned for Restoration Reveals! Inside the group, you'll have the chance to see which dolls I'll be restoring during the challenge. It's an exciting journey of rediscovering the magic and memories within these beloved dolls. Mark your calendar, gather your supplies, and let's make this Christmas Doll Challenge a heartwarming success. I’m thrilled to have you join us in this restoration adventure. Happy Indigenous Peoples Day! I'm so happy that's finally a thing. In honor of the occasion, please accept this gift: take $10 off any order of $40 or more from my Etsy shop with coupon code: YES10, good through 10/11.
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AuthorMy name is Amanda, but my childhood nickname was "Mandaline". I am a mother of three turning my passion for creating into a full-time business. Archives
April 2024
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