Vinyl is good in theory and other seemingly good ideas

When I ordered the door decals my husband said get a magnet.... But I didn't want some jerk to steal it just for fun... So I ordered vinyl... Well it stretches when you put it on and doesn't look as awesome as I saw it in my mind. The important part I suppose is that people can read it

This is the view from the other side that turned out slightly better but also not as well as I had hoped. I'm a little concerned about washing my car as well....it needs it but it was not the cheapest thing to put on my car so hoping I can wash it without these falling off. Also....need to remind myself to listen to my husband more often. 

In other news, I ordered some pens to give out when I go talk to Financial Aid officers so hopefully they are reminded or a student is reminded of Lily's List every time they pick it up. We will see if this pays off or not.

The pens are the same as the vinyl logos on the car.

Well you may be asking yourself....what else? Here is the thing, I've been pretty busy lately and have been hoping against hope that someone would respond to my business letters I sent out. So far I haven't heard a peep since the Dave Ramsey letter. I have also been attempting to spread the word via craigslist/backpage but have just received spam instead of any genuine replies. I also have been attempting to rally the troops at Lily's List itself with little to no enthusiasm. I guess I'm not sure why this idea is not catching on....I wonder if it's with the economy, people less willing to give, more people with a more acute need than I ? I'm not quite sure. I'm still doing my part however I just don't know what will come of it. I remain hopeful as always and will continue to fight the good fight! 

They never said this would be easy.....

What a disappointing week! I went to visit our favorite sports card store here in Dallas and she told me that they don't really need to advertise because they are a "niche" market and people just "Google" them.  That was a TOTAL bummer. I thought for sure I had an "in" with these guys.

Then I found in my mailbox a letter from Dave Ramsey and I was PUMPED! Surely the guy who talks about paying off debt so you can "Give Like No One Else" would want to give like no one else. .. well as you can see that didn't happen either. I can't say anything bad about Dave Ramsey though. I think he is doing the world a great service in his own right. He is helping a lot of people get out of debt! If you've never heard of him check him out!

 Hey at least he personalized it right?!?

So here's the thing that gets me.... In all my student/business partnership letters I explicitly explain that this is an ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITY. I'm NOT asking for a "hand out" but a "hand up."  Even the Cooper Institute for Aerobics that gave me a call a couple of weeks ago...they said "we aren't able to DONATE at this time. Where oh where in my letter am I begging people for a donation? I'm simply giving them the opportunity to advertise THEIR business and in the process help some people struggling to pay down their student loan debt. Another thing I have discovered is that a lot of bigger businesses only want to donate to a 501(c) tax exempt organization so they can "write off" the money on their taxes. I get that. I mean who doesn't want a tax exemption at the end of the year to pay less taxes.

Discussing all this with the president of Lily's List she encouraged me to go to "Mom and Pop Shops" around my area. So that's going to be the next plan of attack. No one said this was going to be easy. You can't just put up a profile page and ask for help.....you actually have to start DOING something to raise the funds yourself. No one is going to do it for you. Not only that but YOU have to convince them why they should advertise with you and Lily's List instead of somewhere else. My advice to you dear reader is to come prepared! Come dressed well and have something simple to give to the business in question and be ready to ask for the manager. If the manager isn't there, give them the S/B partnership letter to give to the manager. Attach your phone number and call back or visit back. Even better you can set up a meeting with the owner/manager to discuss with them.

Here's what people don't really know about me....when I want something....I go after it. People may say "no"  a million times but you know what!?! It only takes a couple of  people to say "yes" and before you know it...you've reached your goal! So my advice for this week is don't give up! There are going to be a lot of people saying no before they ever say yes. Did you know that Abraham Lincoln tried approx 50 times before becoming president? He was REALLY used to the word "no" but that didn't deter him. Neither should we let our disappointments define our goals and dreams! Like Joel Osteen says " I DECLARE I will see my biggest dreams come to pass!" Stay around people who are positive! It's too easy to get stuck in the negativity cycle! Do your best and eventually your hard work will pay off!

On a side note, I am still working on the side door panel decals....as soon as those are installed I will post a picture! There will be more to come soon! Hope you all have a good week! 

The decal has arrived!!!

The decal got done around 330 last night and we were able to put it on! We will see if we get any new members with the help of this baby! I will be ordering the ones for my door panels on Friday. I was able to talk to the sign sales rep who informed me of the best choice! Yay! I love to see progress! ....Please feel free to add your ideas if you would like! Have a great week! Will post again soon!

My husband applying the decal!!!

The finished product!
More decals to come soon for the back doors!

The hardest part is waiting....

"CHANGE YOUR THOUGHTS AND YOU'LL CHANGE YOUR WORLD." Unknown

       I start with this quote because I have come across some "naysayers" and some people asking "why are you doing this?" I simply reply that I've been "LED" to do it. It's something God has put into my heart to do and something that I have become passionate about. When people wake up in the morning they want to have a purpose for their lives....As an Occupational Therapist I thought that helping people would be enough of a purpose, however it is my job! Yes I'm still passionate about it but it's something I get PAID to do. What about doing something for someone without asking..."What's in it for me?" What happened to helping your fellow man? What happened to loving your neighbor? I came across this quote today while I was at Barnes & Noble. It comes from Stormie Omartians book about changing your life through prayer. Many of you may recognize her name from her books such as "The power of a praying wife, husband, life etc. The quote struck me so strongly I had to write it down.

"Those who have a sense of purpose are better equipped to help others."

If you don't believe in God that's OK. You don't' have to believe in a deity to believe in helping other people. I think it's all a part of the human condition. So won't you help me help others by  spreading the word about this website that was started by four women (mothers) who were passionate about helping others? Not only does this help others but it helps our economy! If you go to www.lilyslist.com and read Beverly's blog she has posted some draw dropping statistics about student loan debt! As I have said before, some people need to take out loans to get their education. I understand that, but there is also the part of paying it back so that the people coming up next i.e. seniors in high school have that same opportunity to make this world a better place! Ok. That's all I will say on the matter...I'm stepping DOWN off my soapbox now and getting to the GOOD stuff!

What are you waiting for?

     In my last blog post I discussed what I'd be up to next. So here it is. Friday I ordered my car decal for the back window of my car! Excited doesn't even come close to my anticipation to pick it up tomorrow or Tuesday! I haven't gotten door decals yet because I want to actually ask the sign guy what would be best and get Lily's List the most exposure....is it the back passenger windows? Is it car panel decals? I don't' know and since they are in the business of marketing....they are the best people to ask....don't you agree? Hey come to think of it...they might even want to advertise on Lily's List? I guess we will see on Monday or Tuesday....:-)

So I'm waiting for that....in the meantime I have been busily sending out emails to colleges around DFW explaining what Lily's List is and how it can benefit their students. On some colleges I felt like I hit the gold because they had EVERY SINGLE financial aid counselors email address....it's the law of multiples....some people may get your message and dismiss it right away, however the person right next door may get the message and say..."yeah...that's cool....lets put out some information for these student!" Especially the graduate students who I guarantee already have student loan debt and are incurring more by getting a Masters, Doctorate, or other advanced degree. There were 'on the other hand' those colleges who like to keep those fun emails to themselves and just give a generalized 'admissions, financial aid' email and who knows how many people see that. That's why it pays to go to the school and actually talk to the financial aid people in person(s). I was able to get a majority of the colleges not only in DFW but also a couple in Houston and Austin areas. I'm still working on sending out those emails as well tonight and through out this week. Whats the worst that can happen? They just don't read it and delete it. Like I said...I'm relying on the law of multiples. (btw...that's MY law....not an actual law...that I know of....) You "correctinators" out there don't quote me and tell me that's not an actual law you've heard of...I'm aware of this! What' is a correctinator? It's someone who has to correct every wrong or inaccurate thing you say. My husband is the WORST correctinator I've met....I still love him however...what are you going to do?
Here is a copy of my email to college financial aid and admissions offices if you would like to join me if you live in another state! I don't want to get a harassment charge against me or anything!

Lily’s List: Student Loan Gift Network “Paying off student loans, one gift at a time.”

Hello,

I am sending you this letter to introduce you to a new website called Lily’s List at www.lilyslist.com  that can be used by students to pay down their student loans. This is a free service! How it works is that a student can use it as a gift registry for graduation, holidays, or any special occasion. They can also use this website as a way to fundraise to pay down their student loan debt. This website uses a unique donation plan that will benefit our nation’s students struggling with student loans and help our struggling economy right itself in this crucial time of unemployment. Lily’s List is a unique opportunity for students to use during or after college to free them of student loan debt.

Why help spread the word about Lily’s List?

·         The service is FREE and gives students all the tools they will need to get started!

·         Anyone with a student loan is eligible to sign up

·         It can be used as an important adjunct to “entrance/exit counseling”

·         Can be used as a gift registry or as a fundraising tool

·         Every member gets a profile page and financial thermometer

           It is an easy, secure way to receive gift donations directly into their student loan account

          It’s the only website of its kind…no other website offers what Lily’s list does.

          Has been given an A rating from the Better Business Bureau

Your help in getting the word out would be VERY much appreciated. I am attaching some pictures that you can post outside your office. I would love to come speak with you or students about this. I would also love to post flyers for students in general areas if I can get your permission to do that. I am a member of Lily’s List and am currently writing a blog about my efforts to spread the word about this service and attempt to fundraise through their Student/Business Partnership program. If you would like to read about my journey, please feel free to visit my blog at elliejnorris.blogspot.com

I may have also mentioned that I sent about 100-150 letters out recently. I got a particularly funny call to tell me they could not "donate" at this time....however I appreciate the call. Like my husband said "at least you know they read it and now they know about Lily's List!" God love him! He encourages me even in a negative situation. I've gotten a couple back also on just bad mailing addresses but there have only been about 6! That's not too bad I think. It's pretty common for that to happen. People are always moving around!  So here I am....waiting on people to sign up to Lily's List, waiting for positive or negative responses to my letters, and waiting for comments to a blog that I don't know if anyone reads! I was encouraged however by the movie Julie and Julia....she felt that way in the beginning as well. Granted she was writing about food and I'm writing about marketing/fundraising/being crazy....I see that draws a VERY different audience indeed but never the less....I'm not into the business of worrying about those things! 

On a VERY positive note I got an email from Lily's List stating that someone had signed up and wrote my name as a referral! How awesome is that!?!? Thank you to you if you are reading this! I sent you a friend referral on Lily's List....friend me back and lets talk girl! Hey also to my fellow Lily's List members please friend me! On Beverly's blog she has listed a couple of people who have been quite successful in their journey's with Lily's List to raise funds. It's on my 'To Do' list to attempt to talk to them! We need to talk to each other and help each other out! We cannot have all the wisdom in the world....we need to share it with our fellow man! That's why we get an education in the first place! To learn from people who have come before us and traveled the road! Won't you join me? Won't you pass along your wisdom? Please leave a comment on any of the subjects I'm discussing. Would love your feedback!

What's next?

I'm always asking this question....what's next....what's the next move, the next step? Well, after emailing these schools I'm hoping to actually go and speak with someone regarding Lily's List. I am also planning on going and posting more flyers at local colleges in my spare time. Today I felt like staying close to home and figured with temperatures still high it may behoove me to send out some emails that people will see first thing Monday morning. We will see if that decision pays off! If you have any suggestions on my next move please place a comment or feel free to email me! Also I'm trying to decide what to do with next paycheck tithe money which is 10% of my take home pay. This week was the car decal with $38.00 left over....I will be thinking of ideas through out the week! Hope all of you out there in cyberspace have an absolutely wonderful week! God Bless! I end this post with this awesome quote from Elizabeth Kubler Ros...now that's wisdom!

"The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen." Elizabeth Kubler Ros

Lily's List: The Student/Business Partnership

The what?

This is the part of Lily's List where you are not getting a "hand out" but rather a "hand up." This is where you go to the Fundraising Toolbox on the website and you download the generic letter to send out to businesses. I really like this letter and sent it out to about 38 people. That was only two weeks ago and have not heard back.....yet. I am hopeful however.

My mother who has been a business owner "of sorts" for the last 15-20 years of her life read the letter and made some suggestions, so I re-vamped mine. Not to discredit the Lily's List  letter but I wanted to make it "my own" I guess. Here is what it looks like: 

      Lily’s List Business/Student Partnerships 2012-13 

Student Loan Gift Network “Paying off student loans, one gift at a time.”

Dear business owner:

I am sending you this letter to introduce you to a new national advertisement opportunity, which is paired with a unique donation plan that will benefit our nation’s students struggling with student loans and help our struggling economy right itself in this crucial timeof unemployment.

You may already be aware of the burgeoning student debt as more young people enter the workforce with a reduced opportunity of employment and the burden of debt put upon them and society as the student default rate continues to rise. Lily’s List is a unique opportunity to secure affordable advertisement on a national web site and also benefit individual enterprising students interested in clearing their individual debt.

            If I have piqued your interest, the following website may be accessed in order to convince you of the authenticity of the program and the innovative ideas connected with Lily’sList: www.lilyslist.com

Why advertise with Lily’s List?

        National advertisement rates are very low.

·     Your advertisement will be seen nationally and will also help a current or former student pay down his/her student loans by donating a portion of the advertisement fee directly to their loan.

·        Your ad will be seen on the Business/Student Partnership page which links directly from thehome page.

·        A- rating from the Better Business Bureau   

It is our intent to start a website that will grow exponentially as fast as sites such as Angie’s List and Craig’s List. This would be an example of the actual advertisement:   

72 dpi. approx 250 x 160 pixels  (business card size)  (Here is the original pic from the Lily's List website)

You might be questioning yourself as to how this program helps individual current or former students pay down their individual loans and my involvement with Lily’s List.

My name is Ellie J. Norris, I’m a member of Lily’s List and I’m fundraising to help myself pay down my student loan debt.  For every ad I place, Lily’s List will deposit at least 50% of the ad fee into my student loan account.  So for example, if you place an ad for $40, Lily’s List will donate $20 directly into mystudent loan account!

If you do not wish to advertise you may also donate to me or other students.

Here’s my Lily’s Listpage if you’d like to read about me: http://lilyslist.com/members/elliejnorris/

————————————————————————————————————

Member Name: Ellie Syvrud-Norris (ID# 1188) 

Member Email: elliejnorris@gmail.com

Individual Fundraising Goal: $66,000

BusinessContact:___________________________________________________________________________
BusinessName:___________________________________________________________________________
Phone: ___________________________________Email:_________________________________________________

Emailyour artwork as a jpeg, tif, or pdf. 

Webaddress you want your Business AD linked to: http://www._____________________________________________

Check desired months: 

2012 __Sept _Oct _Nov _Dec

2013 _Jan_Feb _Mar _Apr _May _June _July _Aug _Sept _Oct _Nov _Dec

Total number of months __  x $40 = $____ + (if using Paypal add a transaction fee of$2.00) =$_______Total Due

PAYPAL: email address is info@lilyslist.com 

FAX:888-988-4122

FinalNote:  If you are unable to help financially, pleasehelp me spread the word about Lily’s List! Thank you for your time!

If you would like to reply to this message: Please write to ......(my personal address)

I sent out roughly 150 of these letters to businesses around the Dallas area! Dallas is known for many things, mostly the Dallas Cowboys, Dallas Mavericks, etc, however what you may not know about Dallas is that it is one of the TOP CITIES for philanthropy in the nation! So I'm hoping I will get at least a couple of good replies. I know that it will probably take more letters to send out but it doesn't cost much to print and send them out....but it DOES however cost much more to pay down my student loans myself! 
Recently I watched the Lorax with my two girls and I just love the quote "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot. Nothing is going to get better, it's not."  This quote is not just true for our global situation with pollution etc, but also for our economy! If we don't care about this or can't find a passion for it, we are in big trouble!

Saw this sign on Pinterest....it speaks to why I'm on this journey!

No matter who you are it's important to have a dream for your future and something to HOPE for! My dream is to be free from debt completely! I don't care to have a bunch of material things or be wealthy. The bible says that when we are in debt, we are a slave to the lender. I feel like that much of the time...mostly on payday....I get SUPER excited to get my paycheck and think of everything I COULD be doing with it but then REALITY sets in and guess what...a majority of my paycheck is going AWAY! That's what debt does to us....it's a burden. I believe that greater things are yet to come!

To those of you reading this blog, let me first say "Thank You," and also feel free to contact me if you have any questions or suggestions. I hope that Lily's List will be a tool for you to help you get rid of your debt. I also hope that my version of the Student/Business Partnership letter will help you. It's not something you HAVE to use but you can if you feel it will help you. Don't forget that in the Fundraising Toolbox on the Lily's List page there is also another version of the letter if you like that one better. 

Well.....what's next? 

Next on my agenda of advertising Lily's List is to get some cool decals placed on the back of my car window. Every morning and every night I drive roads that are SUPER busy and seem to always be filled with traffic.....you don't think perhaps someone just driving down the road would like to know about Lily's List do you? I also am currently doing contract work for one of the biggest hospitals in Dallas as well and there is heavy foot traffic there. So my hope is that people will see the decals in my back window or on the side of my car and check out Lily's List....I will post a picture of it as soon as it's done! I'm super excited! 

You may be asking yourself....why not just use the money you would spend on those decals and put them toward your student loans....well good question! The answer however is that I am using my tithe money to pay for it.....like I said....this blog...this journey is not just about ME....it's about getting the word out about these four AWESOME women who came up with the idea and put it into motion! Hey that reminds me to tell you to check out the "About Us" section at the website! I found out that one of the original founders is also an Occupational Therapist!!! Whoop! Whoop! LOL! 

Truly this website is the only one of it's kind! America needs this! Students with student loan debt need this....the problem is that not a lot of people really KNOW about it yet....it's too new....So I'm adding to the "cause."

In the meantime......

I'm planning the next college I will visit to post flyers! The one closest to my house is Collin County Community College spanning from McKinney to Plano, Tx! They have several buildings so I've got to ramp up my supplies and then "hit em hard!" :-) 

I'm also putting together an email to those same colleges Financial Aid offices and directors of Student Affairs. I'm pretty sure they could benefit from knowing about what Lily's List has to offer! I'll actually be working on that tonight! Hopefully before my two wonderful, crazy, sweet rugrats get home from their day! Wish me luck and I will keep you all posted! 

Final Thought......

If you know of someone who could benefit from something like Lily's List....spread the word! Share it on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Yahoo....whatever! You get my point! Even if you are blessed enough not to have student loans, share with people who may have them....it doesn't hurt to ask! Right now there are a ton of student nurses training at my job and I ask each one if they have a lot of student loans now that they are finishing school...it's not offensive it's a conversation starter! So go on....be brave...go for it! 

I got this from Pat Smith "Treasure You" Facebook page.  Loved it so much had to re-post it! Thanks Pat!

The preparations have been made! Now we begin....

It's LABOR DAY 2012 and I'm out in the blazing heat to visit my first school University of Texas at Dallas. I realize that it was closed but I thought if NOTHING else I would at least get a good idea of the layout of the campus and then go back when they were open. According to my friend who is a physical therapist, they have done a lot of new construction and it shows! This campus is absolutely beautiful! As you come in from the south off of Campbell you are met by the athletic fields and then a mall of  fountains that lead you to the actual campus itself. 

Mall of fountains...pretty neat...very nice ambiance

A really cool thing they have by the bookstore is this outdoor fan and TRUST ME when I tell you it doesn't matter WHERE the breeze is coming from, as long as there is a breeze somewhere....anywhere....that's where I will be standing! 

Structure built around the fantastic fan outside of the UTD bookstore

actual fantastic fan outside of the UTD bookstore

So as I anticipated the bookstore was closed....boooo! Oh well, so I kept walking and found the Student Union! Yes!!!! Success! It WAS open and as I walked through the first floor I found where they have a radio station, television station etc as well as their Fraternity meeting rooms (I am assuming this). As you keep walking that hallway leads to a game room with pool tables, video games etc. It's pretty sweet! I posted some flyers for Lily's list on their boards and left some smaller advertisements on the tables. Upstairs however is where I REALLY hit the jackpot because that is where there is a place for students to study and eat! I put advertisements on every single table! I also was able to post on several boards as well! Yipee! Not only that but students were also studying...I was hoping that someone would say "What is this?" but unfortunately it didn't happen....darn!

Outside of the UTD student Union

This is a picture of the outside of the Student Union. I took it when I got locked out...DOH! Don't worry...I didn't need back in....I actually found some areas outside of the building where I could  post more flyers. They were general notification areas....I actually found somethings that I might like to try to do! They had different concerts, seminars etc....college campuses are NOT just for students! I think the public at large could benefit from some of the things they offer there. One kid posted a flyer to "fix my computer" for REALLY CHEAP! I'm thinking I'm visiting college campuses more often......I digress...."let us move forward...shall we...." LOL

UTD heavenly mister from God Almighty!

This is a picture of the most INCREDIBLE MISTER I HAVE EVER SEEN! Seriously....it's fantastic...especially when it's 99 degrees outside, the sun is bearing down on you like a Dallas driver in the rear view, and you feel like the wicked witch of the west "I'm melting, I'm melting." 

After attempting to cool off at the beautiful mister...I attempted to get into the library, however that was also closed....kind of made me sad ....so I started back toward my car. Just on a hunch though I walked over to the "School of Management." I was lucky enough to be let in by a very sweet student diligently studying (I'm assuming) out of hell's kitchen and into the air conditioning! YES!

Very cool welcoming balloons...Maybe I can try to  find a Pinterest DIY for this little structure....maybe not...moving on.

An official flyer...beckoning students in debt to help themselves out by signing up for Lily's List!

A close up of said flyer.... :-)

This school of management actually was pretty awesome! It kind of made me want to go back to school! ....only a little though.... I was also able to post up flyers on several boards they had there too!

After this I ventured over to the dormitories where I was met with a front desk at each place stating that I MUST leave my flyers at the desk and that they MUST be approved by "whomever." Which is understandable and kudos to all those diligent students for doing what they had been told to do. So I left flyers at the desks and prayed that they will make it onto their notification boards. 

About three hours later....yes three......I was out of places to put up flyers....here is my prayer....I pray that the people who NEED to see these the most WILL in fact see them and utilize this website to help themselves out of debt! An education is a BEAUTIFUL thing and we should never be afraid to INVEST in ourselves or our future....but on the other side of that we must also be diligent to pay back those who helped us along the way because it's the right thing to do, it helps our economy, and it helps others to get their education as well. 

Now I'm attempting to figure out where to go next....Did you know there are over 65 colleges, universities, and technical colleges in the DFW area alone? How many colleges are in your area? Do you think anyone could benefit from knowing about Lily's List.

Final Thought (NOT like Jerry Springer): You may be asking yourself...are you getting paid to do this? Absolutely not...the owners of Lily's List do NOT pay me to go out to these colleges and do this. I am doing this because it's something I feel LED to do....I think that when you help others, you not only feel good about yourself but I feel like the more people who know about this website, the more it will help the students trying to do the "Student/Business Partnerships." Meaning that the businesses will be more likely to want to advertise on a website where a lot of people go! That my friends will help EVERYONE connected to Lily's List! Will it also help me....I hope so....but if it doesn't I'm not going to be bitter or feel as if I wasted my time. I will actually feel really proud that I at least tried everything I could to not only help Lily's List, but to help other students/people who are in the same boat I am! You never know what is going to change your life....you never know when something will come along that you have a passion for....it's recognizing those opportunities and seizing them!