How many times a call comes through and you do not answer it because the number is not a recognized one? But your curiosity gets the best of you after several attempts by these different numbers calling you. You figure , "OK , what is going on that every half hour I'm getting a call from numbers I have never ever seen on my ID caller / screen of my phone. So you finally give in to get to the bottom of these insisting calls , you answer the call , and all hell brakes loose.

This scenario happened to me last week. Believe me I did not appreciate the scenario that unfolded and I wish to share it with you , so you can be weary of the types of calls that are scamming citizens all over the USA today.

For weeks my cell phone had been bombarded by calls from all areas of the USA , from area codes such as these : 786 , 352 , 302 , 345 and 702. Now I originally felt these were probably companies wanting to know about our chamber and so I answered one of these calls. It happened to be a 786 area code, which is the Miami area. So a woman with a  foreign accent (not American) answers and asks to verify my name and I did (first mistake). She tells me call this number and state the case number she will give me. I asked her what was this all about and she just tells me , you better call this number NOW/today. Well my stomach got crazy because I don't react to people telling me information like this very easily especially if I feel threatened. My curiosity got the best of me (second mistake) , after all this is why I  made the call in the first place.

I call the other number that was given to me which happened to be from the same area code 786. A male voice comes on with another heavy accent and he asks for the case number given to me at the previous call.Now if the area code was the same , why not put me on hold and transfer me to this gentleman (RED FLAG). This male gave the name of "Sam Wilson a Paralegal representing United Legal Collection Agency". I was , like what? So once again my curiosity took me farther into this scenario that was unfolding (third mistake). While trying to ask this individual what was this all about he spewed a plethora of information about my past addresses , my husbands name etc. he stated that they were hired to collect on a debt by the IRS! I was like ,wait , what the hell are you talking about? The IRS would have contacted me asap if there was a discrepancy on my filed taxes. Well he was like a on an eight wheeler with no brakes. He would not stop speaking. One piece of the information he was saying was that I had ONE hour to pay up my debt which originally was $200 now it had gone to $489.69 from my 2012 taxes , amount went up because of penalties etc. That if I did not pay up this debt within an hour he would send a warrant for my arrest because I was a tax evader and a criminal.That they will come to my place of employment , arrest me and then place a black dot on my Social Security number. My employer would fire me and I would never ever be allowed to work in the USA!Well I checked my tax returns and we were in compliance and these people were just outright thieves. Besides nuts in re-writing the laws of our democratic society.

I told him I need to speak to my husband and I will contact you within 10 minutes.I never returned his call. I called my husband and one of our member lawyers. I knew something was up when I could hear in the background the same script being told to another victim. After speaking with our member attorney, he told me stand your ground because they seem like con artists. If they call you back call me at once. Well I did stand my ground , I blocked all numbers and I went further , I filed a complaint with the office of Attorney General Pam Bondi and a complaint with the Florida Office of Financial Regulation , an office that overseas collection agencies in the state of Florida. 

This is one of the areas that this "Sam Wilson / Paralegal extraordinaire" , did not comply with. 
"A debt collector may not harass or abuse anyone. For instance, a collector may not use threats of violence against the person, property or reputation; use obscene or profane language; advertise the debt; or repeatedly or continuously make telephone calls with the intent to harass or abuse the person at the called number. In addition, debt collectors are required to accurately disclose their identities to the person at the called number.

A debt collector may not use false statements, such as falsely implying that they are attorneys, that you have committed a crime, or that they operate or work for a credit bureau or misrepresenting the amount of your debt, the involvement of an attorney in collecting a debt, or indicating that papers sent to you are legal forms when they are not. Debt collectors may not tell you that you will be arrested if you do not pay; that they will seize, garnish, attach, or sell your property or wages unless the collection agency or creditor intends to do so and has a legal right to do so; or that a lawsuit will be filed against you, when they have no legal right to file or do not intend to file such a suit."http://myfloridalegal.com/pages.nsf/main/7cd1ef6dd790c14685256cc900560bd6!OpenDocument

So how did this story end.... every time I get a call from an unrecognizable number I simply answer with this call is being recorded and my attorney is on the the other line , how may I help you and they immediately hangup. 

So if you get a call stating : a debt collector (without a letter in the mail) , or you have been  approved a loan , student loan consolidation, help with monies with a grant for your small business or a free trip ... GET INFO RECORD IT A, REPORT IT ...HANGUP or just sign up for the DO NOT CALL REGISTRY. https://www.donotcall.gov/

The holidays are upon us and that last thing you need is someone or something disruption your celebrations. 

The other morning while having my cup of Joe and watching the morning news , the topic of Big Box retailers opening up on Thanksgiving Day at 6:00 PM came on. Now mind you with all due respect , I am old school and Thanksgiving Day I always look forward to it , not just because of giving thanks but to perform the whole tradition of just being with sometimes and not all , the family members that sometimes drive you nuts. But hey that's why they call it Thanksgiving!

Ask yourself's , "why should I interrupt my day by being all stressed out that I have to get ready to go and support a madman mentally to those who are coming to my place of work for a flat screen TV perhaps at a crazy price and all they have is 3 to sell. OR...Are you as a shopper really wanting to getting pushed , shoved , yell at and even accosted in the parking lot by some thug knowing I am foolish enough to leave my family just to do this insane ritual called "Retail SALE Brainwashing" and get robbed!

Well I have really only once attempted this in NYC . I lived across the street from the mall. I did this because of my son whom wanted a specific toy and only Kaybee Toys carried it. I was there at 6:00AM and by 9:00AM I had gotten the last one , I was happy it was over, but I made a promise to my self to get it earlier even if it will cost me more and not interrupt my day. I was so pissed that whole day it was not funny. But a little homemade Sangria made it better. Later on in years, internet shopping became popular and guess what I got hooked. 

My Thanksgiving day starts like this : early rise start prep work for the main event "the dinner"..breakfast or brunch for my boys ( all three of them..Dad , Son and Dog ..LOL) watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade / televised of course...get Christmas items out to start decorating while my boys calmly watch every friggin' football game that is out there. I will take a break have a little holiday sangria or coquito (Puerto Rican faux eggnog ..really made with coconut) .. call my mom and ask her what time is she coming over and di she make her famous potato salad , flan and tembleque. 

Get my counter ready with appetizers , the drinks and the table is set. a quick shower and make sure all the Christmas DVD's are out. Our favorite "It's A Wonderful Life" of course , but we have a new family tradition one called " Nothing Like The Holiday's"! After dinner and a quick rosary for those whom have passed everyone goes home. That is when I hit my laptop and start to search for the sales. Mark my favorites , click and buy. I even get gift wrapping! But I also make it my thing to visit later on Friday and Saturday the smaller establishments and my favorite place .. Beall's. In the following weeks I will hit some of our local small business retailers for little things the big box retailers wont give me..which is called a headache , but something they will give me which is a ... Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

So after this whole wording of how I feel about big box retailers .... you decide what is really important for you ... cutting your time in half with your family which unfortunately we do anyways because of our jobs , business etc. Or make do , and enjoy the reason for the season.... the birth of Christ and the laughter of family. after all it is only once a year and we wait for it with an open mind and heart.

How many times have you given birth to an awesome idea , in this case an event. You have everything lined up , your venue , your team , etc. Everyone is enjoying themselves and your guests as well , yet you still feel like jeez where did I need to be more like this and more like that. Especially if it's the first.If letting those down that supported you mortifies you, then don't.

Does it feel like when your 6th birthday your mom gave you and not too many of your friends came , yet you made the best of it and had fun. The following week you start getting the calls , "why didn't you invite me I heard you had an awesome party, I thought I was your friend?" 

That's exactly how sometimes these planned events happen to come along. You find many coming out to support you , physically and spiritually. This alone motivates you to strive towards to do your best in all facets. This is when you realize I/we did something that meant something to many and it is my/your duty to give them what they want and like. That alone is a blessing when they ultimately tell you ... " I look forward to more and/or another event."

This is the ultimate compliment and you will do the utmost to serve your client well.

A Rivera

 
After visiting 4 festivals this season I realized all had something "too  much" in common and so I decided to write this about what I felt perhaps can be a great help for some wanting to go into this type of event set up.

Sometimes when there is a season in your marketing calendar that coincides with many other events , you simply will have to make a choice in what worked in the past and what will work presently. The planning of events can be a daunting experience, especially if you are always looking for a certain catch or feel to what will bring in the expected audience and revenue.

Take for instance Hispanic Heritage Month. September 15 - October 15. Many of us (merchants , etc.) Festivals compete for your public's attendance. But what will really make that event stand out? This question is always being asked when we are looking for that right feel of an event when in the planning stages.  Is the cost of participating as a vendor , is it the media/marketing attracting the public's attendance , those helping as MC's or is it the actual entertainment slotted to perform and draw the crowds working? Is the graphics on my flier drawing them in or scarring them away?

So much to think about right? My suggestion when preparing to take on this huge task , is visit other communities and their events. Market research is the word. Attend with an open eye and mind. take pictures and hey even do your own on the spot survey. Ask yourselves what am I missing? Can I do this and better , is audience participation all that matters?
How should we stand out from all the events in the area? Some items to look at :

• Is the date the right date 
• Are we addressing the demographic / Age and Gender appropriately 
• Are we supplying a great mixture of vendors 
• Do we have top current headliners complimenting local talent
• Do you have a specific event within the event that has really paid off previously
• Are our pricing way out of the ball park for what we offer  
  
• Have we overlooked mistakes from the past
• What can we do to better this coming years event
• Do we have a team that has an open mind vs a closed mind mentality 
• Most importantly can we accept critiques from outsiders

Important events such as these entail much work and energy and the outcome should always be one or two steps better than the previous year. So remember Saturation of the Same thing can hinder your ideal event.

Good luck and keep on doing what you do best which is marketing your product and your customers!
See you at the food stands!

A Rivera / President of The PRHCCPC

GRACE VEGA ( SHORT BIO)

MARY KAY COSMETICS

TEAM LEADER & INDEPENDENT BEAUTY CONSULTANT

Grace Vega, born in Argentina from parents from Barcelona, Spain.

Studied to become a System Analyst, at the Universidad Catolica de San Francisco in Mendoza, Argentina. She has 17 years of experience in the Hospitality industry, worked for Hilton Hotels as a Sales Manager and for Radisson Hotels Latin America Corporate office in Miami as a Regional Director of Sales and Marketing. Traveled extensively throughout USA when she was with Hilton. She enjoyed traveling within Latin America training and supervising Sales Teams while working for the Radisson Hotels Regional office.

Actually Grace has her own business as an Independent Consultant with Mary Kay Cosmetics, conducting trainings on professional image that includes classes on skin care needs and color consultation.

Contact  info:

mobile: 305-778-2144

vegagrace@gmail.com

www.marykay.com/gracevega

My Dear Chamber Family 

Even though the Holidays are here , we still live in Florida. So these points are for both our female and male members.

Most days in Florida are filled with sunshine, but those UVA and UVB rays can speed up the aging process and severely damage your skin. Here are 3 ways to protect your skin in Florida: 


1. Use sunscreen or day cream with spf: If you're not wearing makeup with sunscreen already in it, or a day cream with spf, make sure you apply a thick layer of sunscreen to your face and neck area before you head outdoors. The hot Florida sun can start damaging your skin within minutes of exposure, so you'll need to cover up with sunscreen on both cloudy and sunny days. 

2. Deep Clean your Pores: There is specific products you can use to start deep cleaning treatments at home. They will help you with the exfoliation process and will nourish your skin from below bringing oxygen to the top of the skin to stimulate circulation, creating a healthy more radiant skin.

3. Use moisturizer day and night. Even during Florida's hot and tropical months, it's important to keep skin moisturized and protected from the elements. Dry skin is vulnerable to peeling, flaking and excessive burning. Keep your skin healthy by using a hyaluronic acid serum or high quality moisturizer immediately after you cleanse and tone.

From using the right cleanser to wearing waterproof sunscreen, it's important to protect your skin from the Florida sunshine throughout the year. Plan your skincare regimen today.

Thanks and contact me for your Mary Kay products!