About Me

I Was Forced to Walk Away From a 13 Year
Real Estate Career When the Economy
Crashed in 2006.  Knowing Nothing About
Internet Marketing at the Time, I’ve Since been able to
Create Abundance with Multiple Streams of Income.

Hi and welcome to my blog! Thanks so much for taking time out learn more about me and how I may be able to help you.

I’m Debbie Turner from a small beach town called Mt. Pleasant, SC, in the Charleston area. I spend half my time there and the other half in the beautiful bluegrass state of Kentucky.

I put this page up for you to be able to get to know me a little better.  I’m so grateful for my past failures in business as I have become the person I am today because of it.  I’m able to share with others what to do and what not to do and can relate to and appreciate the journey to success.

I’ve learned to become strong through my weaknesses and I’m grateful for my family and friends that have always supported me in my dreams.

I created abundance in my life because of my commitment, perseverance, positive attitude, personal development, coaching, implementing, failing forward and what I love the most, by being myself.  I used to think I had to be somebody I wasn’t to be successful in a home based business, but I learned that if I’m just myself, I will attract others like me to me.

There is so much power within us all if we just knew how to discover it. We were created for greatness, each of us in our own right, to touch and impact the lives of others. We were created with all the parts we needed to succeed but somewhere along the way, we adopted belief systems that have kept us from reaching our full potential in life.

My “Why” for desiring success so strongly was pretty simple

1)  I’m NOT the “punch a time card” 9-5 type.   It doesn’t work for me.
2)  I desire to be able to control my own schedule.
3)  I desire to have unlimited income potential.
4)  I desire to be available for my family, anytime, anywhere.|
5)  I desire to role model for my daughter how to be a strong & independent entrepreneur
6)  I desire to spend as much time on my hobby (scrapbooking) as I wish
7)  I desire to contribute to charities and causes I believe in without consulting my checkbook

MEET MY FAMILY

We’re just ordinary family who loves good BBQ,
camping and friends

Our favorite place on earth is the Grand Canyon.
Here we are after a week of camping and hiking like there’s no tomorrow.
We just arrived at the North Rim lodge for our first hot shower and bed in a week.
We’ve been coming here since the boys were little, it feels like home.

Steve, Andrew, Ashley, Scott & Debbie
Disney Downtown in December of 2007

Our kids are “best friends”. Ashley’s brothers will take her on dates so she
knows what to look for in a guy to treat her right and with respect.

Andrew and Scott are in their twenties, single and are entrepreneurs and
Ashley is in high school where she’s studying zoology and psychology.

FOSTER AND ADOPTIVE PARENTS

During a span of 15 years, we’ve served as foster parents and look back often on the joys and blessing that each child brought into our lives. The kids thought they were lucky, but really . . . we were the lucky ones to be the recipient of those hugs.  Ashley was born in our hearts and we adopted her when she was 1.  She arrived to us at 3 months old as a foster baby.

My parents were foster and adoptive parents also and I’ve had 401 foster brothers and sisters!

TYPICAL FAMILY WITH KIDS

When the boys were growing up, they played Little League for years and Steve was always the coach for one or the other of their teams. When Scott made the All-Stars, Steve coached the All-Star team. They also played soccer for a few years.

Cub Scouts was also big in the happenings of our life back then. I was Den Mother for years and one of the Pack Leaders. Steve and the boys would spend hours perfecting their cars for the Pine Wood Derby and doing other projects. I was also a Girl Scout leader for Ashley’s troop when she was in Scouts.

MY CHRISTIAN FAITH

I’m a born again Christian. I can’t imagine my life without Jesus.  I’m so imperfect and He’s go forgiving.  He’s my help and guide.  I strive to live my life and run my business on Christian principals.  I enjoy meeting people from all faiths and believe everyone has the right to their beliefs in peace.

JUST FAMILY STUFF

When we get together, we enjoy playing Cashflow 101 and always speculate who will get stuck with the boat! It’s total drama when the card is chosen, very funny!

For every day kind of fun, we love to walk downtown Charleston with double scoops of Pralines and Cream ice cream from Kulwin’s on Historic Market Street, seeing people have fun on vacation (we live in a vacation destination and cruise ships are often in the harbor), watching ships go by in the harbor and smelling the sea and delicious smells of all the restaurants.

Our favorite place to go is the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and Zion National Park. When we can’t get across country, we camp at Davidson River in the Pisquah National Forest, a few hours away from here.

There’s nothing like the beauty of the deep forest and the expectation of discovering something new on every hike. We love roasting marshmallows, getting dirty, making trail mix, tubing down rivers, cooking hot dogs and chili over an open fire and sleeping in tents or under the stars.

Ashley and I have fun piling pillows on the bed and watching a good movie. Debbie and Ashley love to watch “I Love Lucy” re-runs with a bunch of junk food and laugh until  we can’t breathe. The best things in life are FREE!

Other leisures I enjoy, and are looking forward to doing more of, is scuba diving, snorkeling, deep sea fishing and travel.

TIME FREEDOM TO PURSUE MY HOBBY -
SCRAPBOOKING

I’m  a big scrapbooking fan. My passion is preserving family memories in archival albums. I’m a published scrapbook designer for various manufacturers and am often invited to conventions, stores and retreats to teach classes and techniques.  Pursuing my hobby has led to TV guest appearances, my work published on in-store billboards, on product packaging, the cover of QVC schedule and several idea booklets.  what fun!

I always made sure that each foster child coming through my home had their own book about them. After seeing what an impact these books made in the lives of my foster children, my mother and I began advocating for them to each have one.

I went on and authored a book and hands-on training called “Loving Through Lifebooks” for foster parents and social workers on how to make scrapbooks for children in care.  Today, it’s required in the state of KY for all foster children to have an up to date scrapbook (lifebook).

I LOVE BEING A MOM

With Ashley still at home and in high school, I love that I can be there for her and her activities. She danced for 3 years with the Charleston Ballet Theater while at the same time began karate lessons. She was very good at both and at some point, both had to make a decision which to pursue.

After taking a summer and thinking about it before classes began again, she decided on karate.  Today she is a Second Degree Blackbelt and an assistant instructor.  She loves it.

All Girls Are Princesses!
What fun I’ve had with Ashley!

~ MY STORY ~

I grew up in Palmdale, CA. I have an older brother, a younger brother and 2 sisters. As a little girl, I rode my bike until dark, played hide and seek for hours, played jacks, jump rope, tetherball and hoola hoop. I enjoyed dressing up, lemonade stands and being in Girl Scouts. Sounds typical of a girl in the 60’s huh?

In Junior High School I ran track and was about the fastest runner in school. I would compete with the boys during recess off the track field and beat “Tim”, the fastest boy in the school. He and I were pretty much neck and neck. My mom told me it wasn’t nice to beat the boys. (Crack me up . . . I did anyway!)

In high school I was in all the choir classes and made state. I wasn’t allowed to really participate in extracurricular activities that required transportation so I pretty much had my fun in choir and made State. I was very active in my church youth group. I also was in Job’s Daughters, bethel #258, Palmdale, CA and served as Queen in 1976-77.

I only remember going out to dinner a couple of times during my childhood. Once we flew to Michigan to see my Dad’s side of the family over Christmas. Dad didn’t like traveling and going places so . . . we didn’t. We did however, go camping which is where I get my love for it today. Camping back then meant tossing a sleeping bag on the ground and that’s it. Dad would always make what we still today as a tradition called, “Daddy Eggs”. That’s scrambled eggs, bacon, fried potatoes and onions all mixed together. Here’s Dad cooking up some now. —>

My Mom was always very present in my life. Going back to my earliest years, I remember her being home. Dinner was on the table every night, the home was kept clean, she participated in all my school activities as the Room Mother (remember those?) She was the Scout Leader, Job’s Daughter leader, and volunteered for anything involving my activities. I remember loving that.

<—- Here’s Mom & I ready to take a swim in the lake.

Growing up, there was never a conversation about me going to college or having a career. I was brought up in old school thinking where I was to be a homemaker. Mom taught me to cook, keep house, sew, and take care of children. It’s actually a wonderful privilege for Moms to be able to do that, but I was not prepared for “real life” of being able to earn a living should I need to.

Then, . . . I graduated from high school. My folks bought a farm in Kentucky which was their dream. I had no husband in the wings, and Boy Oh Boy . . . did I need a job! I worked as a secretary at the business my Dad had owned until I met Steve, my husband. We married and then I thought, “AH-HAH! Now I can be a homemaker!

I started a home daycare business. Being around babies all day, I was loosing myself and my identity. I needed to have adult conversations!

I went to school and became a legal secretary. I loved my career in the legal field. I was very good at it and I did that for several years in Las Vegas, NV. It was during this time however, being around the more affluent, I learned that people took vacations (that wasn’t something I grew up with – we went camping). I discovered that people went out to eat and did the whole fine dining thing. I learned that there was a world out there of places to go and things to do.

BOY DID I EVER LEAD A SHELTERED LIFE!

I wanted to do what these people were doing and enjoy life like they were! I went to the top of my pay scale and realized that if I wanted a different lifestyle, something would have to change. I gave long thought to what I could do to earn 6-figures + per year without going to college.

I chose real estate. I began my real estate career in 1994 and earned that 6-figure income within the first year. Over the years, I got “comfortable and secure” in what I did. My real estate practice had been good UNTIL the end of 2005, the market drastically turned. I went from having properties selling in hours to just sitting for weeks, months and NO end of sitting in sight. 2006: I found myself basically out of work, yet all the marketing I put in place for the year still had to be paid. So bills were coming in without the 6-figure income I was accustomed to.

Again, I had to adjust what I did to earn money to match a lifestyle that I wanted. I turned to the internet to search for home based businesses. What I was looking for, I really didn’t think existed because I didn’t think one would pay what I would want.

OLD SCHOOL MARKETING DISASTER

I found a home business opportunity and invested $35K into OLD SCHOOL METHODS.  I was taught to buy $10 leads and call them. That was the only way I was being taught to market and because I was gullible and ignorant to how marketing worked, I bought into it. I realized over time, going both broke and crazy, that buying leads and calling people wasn’t the answer.  I also discovered I was gullible in choosing the income vehicle (business opportunity) as there was no value in the product, no company to speak of and I needed to hang the whole thing up.

I had to immerse myself in personal development to pull myself back to the mindset I needed to be successful. Here I had come from a legal profession where I could do everything from run the office to drafting briefs and helping to prepare cases for trial with confidence to having a successful 13 year real estate career where I knew how to sell million dollar homes, negotiate with the top guns, fight for my clients, market the homes I listed, was held respect in the real estate community, served on real estate boards, work with buyers, and was very confident in who I was and what I did only to end up months later, a different person, suffering from low self esteem and lack of confidence. It was just crazy!

I didn’t like who I had become. I had to fight my way back to who I knew I was and find my strength in business and confidence again.

IN SEARCH FOR THE TRUTH ABOUT ONLINE MARKETING . . .

I decided to attend an internet marketing conference in Minnesota where respected online marketers would be sharing their strategies for success.  I learned so much at this conference. This is where I received light bulb moments including the blueprint for internet marketing.  I left feeling overwhelmed, but at least I had the truth now.  The blueprint was much bigger than I ever imagined but I also learned that one can just become good at one or two marketing ideas and they can achieve great results.

I did come away, knowing for sure I had made the right decision to keep moving forward on my path.

BACK ON MY FEET AND RUNNING THIS TIME

Now that I had something I could really work with in terms of marketing, I got back in the game and became an affiliate for a legitimate home business (making much better choices this time ) and within the first week, I was making sales. I was on my way. It felt good to finally be on the right path.   With a much clearer game plan this time, I continued to market and stay in both personal development and education.  Education continued to be key.  Knowledge is power.

I continued to study from other industry leaders like

ANN SIEG

MIKE DILLARD

MIKE KLINGLER

I learned valuable marketing concepts and strategies.

Things like:

ATTRACTION MARKETING

BECOMING A SOLUTIONS PROVIDER

UTILIZING MULTIPLE STREAMS OF INCOME

AFFILIATE MARKETING

I began to implement all that I was learning from my coaching and study courses.  I would “learn and implement”.  Marketing and building your business is “on the job training” and I understood that.

MY LIFE TODAY

Today I have multiple streams of income and they continue to grow. I’m able to spend time as much time with my family as I desire and have the freedom to make choices about my daily life.

I’m so glad I stayed true to my dreams of having a successful online business. It would have been easier to just quit, but anyone who knows me will tell you I’m not a quitter. I found my failures made me more determined to succeed. I look at those as stepping stones to success. Again, it’s a mindset. I’m grateful for my experiences and now desire to mentor others to have the same success I have found.

I LOOK BACK AND SEE THAT EVERYTHING I DESIRED
TO ACCOMPLISH AT ANY GIVEN TIME IN MY LIFE,
WAS BASED ON A “DECISION” AND “TAKING ACTION”

It takes a desire to venture into new grounds and BOTH a time and financial investment to get started. It’s about making a decision and taking action. It’s really that simple.

My DECISION MAKING started 25 years ago when I had a daycare.

I DECIDED I needed to do something different.
I TOOK ACTION and did what I needed to do to become a legal assistant.

I then DECIDED I needed to make a change to support a different lifestyle
I TOOK ACTION and did what I needed to do to become a Realtor.

When the real estate market turned and stayed down,

I DECIDED I wanted to maintain a lifestyle and in fact, have total financial freedom so I never had to feel the stress of ”lack” again so . . .
I TOOK ACTION, failed, regrouped, and TOOK ACTION again until I achieved the desired results. This is what 98% of people won’t do.

It’s been a series of decisions and deliberate action steps for me.
I continue to take action to continue the growth of my businesses.
I’m enjoying the journey tremendously.

I have finally found what I’m truly passionate about and am creating wealth with it.  I go to bed at night when I am tired and I get up in the morning when I am done sleeping. I don’t use an alarm clock to wake up.

Learning how to market is the greatest gift you can give yourself.

Someday soon, I will be working with my brother, Troy, getting him set up with his own business. He’s a diabetic, has suffered a stroke and is blind.  He has SO MUCH to offer people. You’d love him right away! He laughs, is happy, he’s an encourager, a leader, he’s strong and personable, the list goes on a mile long.  Can’t tell I think the world of him, huh?

I hope to someday make a difference in your life on your journey to success.

My cell phone is 843-270-5611 and yes, I answer my phone.

Thanks for taking the time to read my story.  I look forward to hearing yours.

Debbie