When my wife showed me her new “little home business”, I stood way back, figuring that this was a “girl” thing what would probably fizzle out in a year or so. I did respect the couple that placed it before us, so I remained quiet and "supported " my spouse during presentations and customer interaction, but because I had never been a "tree hugger" or a "candle buff", I stood back and even called it "minor league" when showing it with my "manly" communications business.

Well, my "manly" business went belly-up because of regulatory legislation and the corporation left me and my team without an income and only a week’s notice that they were going to do it to me!

I received a call from some business associates who knew of my plight and wanted to introduce me to a well established wellness networking company. With “decisions” at the heart of the matter, I began taking a harder look at my wife’s little candle business. To my surprise, here is what I came up with:

• We have a product that is deeply embedded in society and, until recently, has never been challenged or modified.

• Presently, with only a tiny market share, the words "NATURAL" and "SOY/VEG" define this product as new, exclusive and revolutionary!

• Mia Bella's Soy/Veg scented candles are standardized, quality controlled, and manufactured to meet the impending massive demand.

• The product is self-marketing -- open it up and answer the questions!

• The marketing vehicle (MLM) is the most powerful method of creating a loyal faithful customer base known to man!

• Demographically, candles cover all ages and both sexes, and are universally affordable.

Make note that with these few bullet points I have not really said anything that would classify me as a candle lover. I AM a network marketer who got slapped in the back of the head and shown that rules and prototypes are for politicians and corporations. Mia Bella’s candles was a new market that I had failed to consider or investigate because I was stuck in the political mire of the communications company I was with.

Fortunately my wife was open minded and educated enough to see the massive potential and gather her like minded partners and show this to them. Few of these partners know or care about the general overall picture of the economic changes taking place today moving the individual business owner to the center and corporations out to the prehistoric mist. They just love interacting with people and showing them the Mia Bella candles. They are the true breed of network marketers.

I have been the wanna-be expert market analyst, seeking the approval of the political corporate mindset. I don't know of any networking business that pays you for this. But when I uncork a Mia Bella candle and say to someone "Hey! Check this out!" and they sniff it, and smile, and say "That's really nice! What is that?" I am a network marketing “genius”, supporting my spouse, even though I don't know lilac from bayberry or it's effect on the Gross National Product...

Scent-Sations Inc sent us another check the other day folks... Bigger than we've ever gotten from them before. Bigger than any single check we've gotten in 15 years of networking. We have only been working this program for six months!

But, the BIGGEST thing I see is the distributors in this company are all out there, making money, meeting new people, and hardly even talking about money. So this "support partner" is back in the front desk in the first grade. I'm going to learn from the pros!

-John Handrahan, MO

(Note from Charlie Umphred: Bobby and I recently drove up to Niagara Falls, Canada to speak at a 1st grand opening meeting of Scent-Sations Inc in Canada. We arrived in the early afternoon and went walking thru many of the stores in search of a Niagara Falls Christmas ornament for our souvenir.)

Bobby is a “walker-talker” and proceeded to engage everyone in the area in conversation about our candles. This same thing happened at the hotel, in the restaurant, and later that evening while “out on the town” with John and Lise MacFadden.

When we drove our car out of town the next morning we looked around for a coffee shop that was open and found a Denny’s. We pulled up to the curb, got out and went inside. There was only one couple sitting at the tables that early in the morning (around 6 am) and someone came out from the kitchen. We ordered coffee and when he brought it out to us , Bobby asked him if he “burned candles.”

Here is the “end result” of that meeting at 6 A.M.:

“Hello Charlie. I have recently joined the team of great smelling people. I have received my start-up package this afternoon. I could not wait to burn one, well, I lit a hot apple pie votive, to my surprise, my next door neighbor knock on my door, thought I have just baked an apple pie. This just made my day. It's confirmed my choice to join the team. Thanks for getting me involved, you will not be disappointed, you got me by the hook.“

-Carl V Au, ON, CAN

Following is a summary of my year with Scent-Sations: And it has been a wonderful year! Have a Happy and Safe New Year!

The pictures are of Zach. During the holidays we waxed bears. I can't even begin to tell you how many waxed bears I had to make and sachets. Well Zach learned that he just loved to crush those votives for me. I think he now thinks he needs to do it all the time. Just pulls those wicks out and grabs a fork, LOL! Anyway, he now takes initiative all on his own to work the business, so one morning while I was replying to my emails he made himself comfortable at the kitchen table, grabbed some votives, a bowl, a fork and I guess he felt the need to use a truck as well and started crushing the votives for me. So you see I have a chemist of my own here. I do believe those sachets turned into Charlie's Texas Cedarwood:-).

I had just signed on Christy, who has a soon to be 2 year old who is very active as well, so when I returned to the kitchen and saw him I just had to take some photos to send to her. She got a kick out of it. And to think Christy and I started out with her replying to me, please take me off your mailing list, LOL! You really do never know. Do you?

2004 was an incredible year for Zach and I and our Scent-Sations business. A year filled with building relationships, establishing partnerships, personal growth, friendships that will last a lifetime and a year that has far exceeded my expectations and the goals I had set for myself as well as my business. A year full of obstacles, challenges, and at times even roadblocks but a year that ended with a great feeling of achievement. A year that proved to me that if you want something bad enough, you will find a way to get it.

I learned quickly that Zach was a ball of fire. He never napped, requires little sleep, is very hands on and wants to be a part of everything. The complete opposite of my first born. My criteria for my business became clear. I needed a home business that I could work side by side with my toddler. There were going to be no naps, constant interruptions, and he would be working with me, those were the facts, and that was not going to stop me or him, so there had to be a compromise. Going completely against the grain, I created a home office/playroom ignoring everyone telling me I had to create a separate place to work or I could not run my business.

I beg to differ with anyone who says that because if there is a will there is a way. It’s not a perfect world and things don’t always work out the way we plan. You just have to be creative and realistic in setting your goals and find the right company that can provide you with the vehicle you need to accomplish this. I knew what I wanted, I knew what I needed and I knew why.

When I was introduced to Scent-Sations, to sum it up quickly, I was just blown away. The integrity, the strong values, the sincerity, the innovative product and their vision for the future sealed the deal for me. I knew that this was a business I could work with my toddler as my partner and that’s exactly what I do. We are building this business together. My passion for this business grows stronger everyday and it's so incredible to see the passion for the business in the eyes of my three year old son.

Zach has been working this business by my side for almost a year now. He has taken an active roll in the business, has grown so much himself and has learned so much by working as my partner that there are aspects of the business that he works all on his own now. He knows when the COTM arrives that it is his job to open it up and if he’s not at home the box will be waiting for him. I won’t dare open it.

Actually, I don’t dare open any candle deliveries I get. That’s his job. The only problem came when the holidays hit, I learned that he actually believed the UPS truck only delivered candles and to our house only. So I did have a difficult time explaining when the UPS truck was delivering holiday items to our neighbors that it was not our candles on the truck to a crying toddler screaming to open the door because our candles are out there.

I have expanded my business plan for 2005, I expect to accomplish more this year. My business plan grows as my son grows. That was the intent from day 1, to build slow, steady and strong. To lay all the ground work around my WHY for working my business.

My passion is to share with others what I have learned and to encourage and support them in reaching their goals. I want people to know that you can succeed, you can overcome the obstacles and find ways around those roadblocks. I did and I do. This is truly a business you can start with little cash, take baby steps and put cash in your pocket right away. Grow the business step by step, you can do it with an active toddler, turn it into a wonderful learning experience and create a family business that everyone becomes a part of and make money. It’s not just business, it's FUN!

-Debbie Adrion-Molino, NJ

Lise first sent me a casual email back in April '04 telling me all about her new candle business. I remember thinking, "Well, that's great for her but I'm not interested." Then during the first week of September, my husband, Charlie, and I were in Dallas attending our company's annual event when we visited with John. When we learned how well Lise was doing in only 5 months with Scent-Sations, our interest was piqued. But, first, I had to be sold on the product. Of course, you know the rest of that story, right? As soon as John popped the lid off of the Hot Apple Pie, Charlie wanted to know where the vanilla ice cream was! We were in at that moment.

In Sept., we signed up two distributors. Our first one was a dear friend but the second one was a complete stranger. She was shopping in my friend's Christian book store when she smelled the candle I had given my friend as a birthday gift. She wanted to know where to buy one and was given my contact information. The very next day she signed up as a distributor! By the way, the scent she smelled was "Sex on the Beach!" (Have you got the whole picture? A "Sex on the Beach" candle in a Christian bookstore? Go figure!)

Since Oct. 20th, we've had 47 more distributors join our team! By now, I guess you could say I am a definite Candle Convert! This is so much fun and has really been refreshing. Charlie has been having a ball with this, too. In fact, in one work week, he sold almost $200 worth of product at his job.

Our other home-based business closed its doors on Nov. 1 shortly after our 10th anniversary with that company. Fortunately, the door to Scent-Sations had been slung open wide for us in September and we are forever grateful to Lise and John for that.

Our team is ready to ignite our flame in a big way for 2005... best wishes to all of you to do the same!

-Debbie & Charlie Trombley, TN