Laurie Delk - author, speaker, coach, trainer

Laurie's life journey is a testament to unwavering faith, entrepreneurial spirit, and the transformative power of resilience. Rooted in a lifelong foundation of Christian values, instilled from her upbringing and a pivotal move from Texas to Middle Tennessee in 1986, Laurie embarked on a path marked by both professional achievement and personal devotion.

In 1993, driven by a profound desire to nurture her growing family, Laurie made a courageous decision to transition from a decade-long, successful career as an accountant at a Fortune 500 company. This pivotal moment, coinciding with her husband's aspiration to pursue his calling in law enforcement, became a catalyst for a life dedicated to purpose and service. Through prayerful consideration, they embraced both paths, demonstrating a commitment to faith-led action.

God has uniquely privileged Laurie to serve Him in numerous capacities over the past few decades. Her entrepreneurial journey began with the inception of her web & graphics, branding, marketing, and design company. Recognizing her talents as gifts to be shared, she pledged to utilize her skills for divine purpose. This commitment manifested in the creation of over a thousand websites, marketing materials, training platforms, and courses for pastors, churches, evangelists, missionaries, colleges, and a diverse range of business clients. Her expertise extended to comprehensive rebranding initiatives, empowering organizations to articulate their vision with clarity and impact.

Beyond her business acumen, Laurie is a prolific author, having penned the best-selling books "Keep Those Clients" and "We All Have Choices," and co-founded the transformative "Gratitude Girls - 100 Day Gratitude Journal Challenge." She has also contributed her insights to three additional publications. As a sought-after motivational speaker and corporate sales trainer, Laurie inspires audiences with her authentic voice and empowering message, often called upon for special speaking engagements around the world. Her dedication to education is further evidenced by her five years of teaching at her children's Christian school and her subsequent decision to homeschool them, allowing her to balance her growing speaking career with her commitment to family.

Her mission to empower women to embrace their God-given potential has taken her across the globe, where she shares her wisdom and encouragement with diverse audiences. Laurie's life, however, has not been without profound challenges. In 2013, she experienced the devastating loss of her children's father in a tragic accident, navigating the complexities of grief while raising her four children, then aged 25, 18, 16, and 12.

Believing in God's guidance for her life, Laurie remarried in April 2020 to Kevin Radecki, following their meeting in December 2019. Laurie prayed for exactly what she wanted in a husband and God showed Himself strong in giving her more than she asked in a God-fearing and God-loving husband.

Laurie's unique experiences over the past few decades provide special insight and encouragement for those who take her courses. Her story is a powerful testament to the resilience of the human spirit, the transformative power of faith, and the profound impact of living a life dedicated to purpose and service. Her journey inspires others to embrace their own unique paths, to overcome adversity with grace, and to live with unwavering gratitude and purpose.

Guide to Staying Connected – And How Greeting Cards can help – 30 day challenge

Today’s busy schedules often leave little time for enriching people’s lives – our own included. But, carving out time to reach out to loved ones and strengthen our personal connections helps to boost our emotional well-being. Connecting with friends and family doesn’t have to take a lot of effort and it is often the simple, small gesture that has the most impact when it comes to showing someone how much you care.

Sending a greeting card is one of those simple gestures that reminds people someone is thinking about them. Making someone else feel special can also have the effect of making the sender feel good too. With all of the stress in people’s lives today, that small oasis of contentment is something we need now more than ever.

A recent survey by the Greeting Card Association found that almost 9 out of 10 Americans believe they are as close or closer to their friends and family than they were one year ago and 66% of Americans are regularly reaching out to their immediate family for love and support. Many times they are doing this, thru the simple process of sending out a greeting card in the mail.

Connecting with friends and family can occur because of a sense of obligation to recognize important life events, or it can simply result from an impulsive desire to reach out. Sometimes one person connecting with another will set off a boomerang effect of reaching out!

Imagine what an amazing thing can happen in the lives of others, if everyone decided to just *reach out* and send out cards every single day – just 1 card a day – to someone that you thought about. Just a nice, touchy/feely type card, to make someone smile.

62% of people feel inspired to send someone a card if they receive one from that person.

Follow these simple tips to stay connected with friends and family and boost your own sense of emotional well-being:

Set aside an allotted amount of time each day to reach out to others. Reaching out doesn’t take a lot of time, but it can be very meaningful to those we touch. A simple phone call, e-mail or greeting card reminds our loved ones how much we care. (Example: Just take 10 minutes every morning, not a big deal, not a huge time restraint, and easy to do, and enrich others lives – as well as yours – (contact me for details of a SIMPLE way to do this)).

Take time to reflect on what is important and of value in your life microsoft project alternative. You can start a gratitude journal and write down everything and everyone you are grateful for. Writing down things of importance help us to remember the most special personal connections. I decided to keep a journal once, and all it was, was ONCE a day, every day, I would write SOMETHING good about that day – or something good that happened in that day. It is amazing the difference it makes you feel overall.

Don’t wait for a reason to connect. Life is too short to hold back when it comes to connecting with friends and family. (And we are never promised tomorrow.) Sending a “thinking of you” or “just because” card can be one of the best ways to show someone you care.

Reflect your own personality when reaching out to loved ones. Whether it’s a romantic note on a pillow or a humorous card in the mail, connections with friends and family should showcase your own attitude and sentiment.

Hold on to your personal connections through tangible memories. One of the best ways to keep our connections top of mind is by holding on to a physical momento or keepsake. Reflecting on old letters and cards helps us to remember our most special connections.

Try it for 30 days – and let me know how this project has enriched your life – I guarantee you – you will never be the same, and you will never stop. Just take 10 min each day, for 30 days, and in that 10 min, make a phone call, write an email, or better yet, send out a card to someone. Just to tell them, thank you, you were thinking about them, you love them, they did a great job, etc. Anything, prompt yourself to think of ONE person a day to do this for. If you want an EASY way to do it with the greeting cards, contact me. But either way – please do it – and share your results with me after 30 days.

Do you want to be like everyone else?

If you want to be good, do your job – like they tell you – like everyone else….
If you want to SUCCEED – do your job BETTER than they told you – BETTER than everybody else…..
Eventually your INCOME will surpass EVERYBODY else……

So many people SAY they want more money – I mean – who doesn’t???

But the thing is, what are you doing to GET MORE than everybody else? Like the saying goes – “if you keep doing, what you have always been doing, then you will keep getting what you have always been getting.”

What are you doing to stand out from the crowd?

You do not have to be bold, daring, arrogant, proud…. team task management software.You can be successful – and still be truthful, honest, professional, humble….etc. Many people throughout life, I have heard think that people that “have it made” are very arrogant or rude…(and yes, I do beleive SOME are) but I beleive MOST are not. There IS a difference in being self-confident and egotistical.

You could own your own business, or you could work at a job somewhere – but in either case, you should go above and beyond all measures of what is expected of you. People who become millionaires, did not become millionaires because they sat around doing nothing – they became millionaires, because they wanted to live a different lifestyle, they did not want to “be like everybody else”

I am sure we have all mostly had a job where we knew someone at that job – that did what they were supposed to do, and even did it well. But that is ALL they did – JUST what they were asked. Which, in a way, is fine, I mean – they will keep their job, probably, and they will earn their salary. But – what about the ones that do that same exact job….but go ABOVE AND BEYOND what the boss asked them to – even though they would not get paid any different. Who do you think that boss is going to look towards, when they decide to promote someone?

Same thing in owning your own business:

If you are a carpet cleaner, and you clean carpets VERY well. That is great. But if say you are not available when I need it the next time, so I get someone else….and they do VERY well also – BUT they go ABOVE AND BEYOND what I asked and do a better cleaning, or a little extra spot – or extra time on a stain I did not even mention, or….who do you think I am going to call on next time?

If you are a car salesman, and you sell cars VERY well. That is great. But if say you are not available when I need to buy the next time, so I get someone else….and they do VERY well also – BUT they go ABOVE AND BEYOND what I asked and do a little extra, add a few perks, send out card to me after the sale to keep in touch with me, send out newsletters to me of neat ideas and events I might be interested in, call me every 6 months to just check in, or….who do you think I am going to call on next time?

If you are an insurance agent, and you sell your policy VERY well. That is great. But if you only send me a bill once every 6 months or a year, but I never hear from you any other time, or you might even send me a cheese *blanket* birthday card once a year….What do you think is going to happen when someone else starts approaching me to get my business…do you think I will take a look at what they are offering and compare it?
Do you think I would if you sent out a card every month or even every few months – just to keep in touch……or even had some sort of contact in between the yearly bills?

The thing is – anyone can do a JOB – it takes a GREAT person – to do a GREAT job – and stand out above the crowd. “People will do business, with people they know, like, and trust”. You might get a client once, on a “by chance” ad through the paper or something like that – but will they STAY with you?

The secret to KEEPING your clients – and getting your clients to give you ENDLESS REFERRALS without even asking – is to keep in touch with them, and be BETTER than everybody else – that is providing the same service that you do.

Keeping in Touch with Your Clients

Many people want business right – we all do! But we expect people to remember us 2 years after we have done business with them! Are they going to? Would you? If someone, for example, sold you a car…..They were a GREAT salesperson, did a GREAT job, you LOVED their service, and DEFINITELY would recommend them to anyone you knew. So, now 2 years down the road, your friend Sally mentions to you she is thinking about buying a new car. Do you remember the guys name that sold you the car to refer him business? Well, if he has NOT kept in touch with you AT ALL, you probably do not! But – if he sent you an email, called you, or sent you a greeting card in the mail, once a month, or even once every couple months, then he would be “TOP OF MIND” with you, and you would *probably* remember him, and you would be HAPPY to tell your friend Sally about your experience with him, and would tell her to call him. You would remember the name of the dealership as well as the saleman’s name!

Isn’t this how you want to run your business? Don’t you WANT your clients to remember you? Harvard’s Business School says we all know about 250 people in our *circle of influence*. Do you want to tap into those, or would you LIKE to tap into the 250 people that your 250 people know??? I like the latter idea much more! With that – same thing, if you KEEP IN TOUCH with the 250 people you know, by sending them emails, making phone calls, or even sending a greeting card once a month or once every few months – it would help you to stay “TOP OF MIND” with all your friends, family and clients….

And when you do this, people are going to remember you, and if they think you do a good job in your business, they are going to refer you to their friends and family – without you even asking!

Isn’t that the point we would ALL LOVE our business to be? 100% based on referrals without ANY advertising?

That IS how I run my business, and have for years…..and if you stay tuned, I will teach you tips and tricks I have learned and used over the years to help me, that can also help you in your business.

~Laurie Delk

Increase your Business Using Personal Greeting Cards

One piece of etiquette, that I’ve used in my business from the beginning…are unique cards. Just the power of sending a unique card…. They are sent so rarely, that when you do, you stand out. When people open your card and/or your gift, there’s a moment of surprise! and you’ve got their complete attention.

In today’s technology world, with email and texting and social media, that surprise is magnified 10-fold. I’ve been SO fortunate to receive THOUSANDS of thank you cards over the last 25 years in my business.

And….I have saved every single one, because they are special, they share thoughts and messages of love, gratitude and thanks share to me by friends, family, customers and clients.

It’s the POWER of APPRECIATION. The law of appreciation says – whoever you show appreciation to, will appreciate in value. In our personal and business relationships….it’s best to do the little things, consistently, to show that we appreciate others.

If we did a study on a group of married couples, or even in business/client relationships….
And asked, what is the biggest problem in your relationship….very FEW people would come back saying that they get TOO much appreciation…..they are shown TOO much kindness, bought too many gifts, given too many cards…..right? haha!

There has been studies that have shown the #1 reason “why customers leave”….is at 68% because of PERCEIVED INDIFFERENCE. That means that they were actually satisfied w the product or service, but they felt a LACK of emotional connection, or consistent appreciation – they just did not FEEL a reason to STAY!

Some ideas are – Send out a card – and customize it, so it is unique to THEIR business or situation, or even one of their interests (a tip for this is if you connect with them on social media as well, you can have a little insight into their personal life of their family, sports or other things they love and have a passion for.)

I have used an amazing system to help me do this, since 2004, called Send Out Cards, with GREAT success. With the Send Out Cards system, I have access to thousands of cards, in an instant, because it is ONLINE. with the card, I can also add a little gift, (or a big one!) like brownies, candies, herb teas, gourmet coffees, gifts for men, women, kids, or even pets! I can also even add a gift card if I choose.

With the system, I have the ability to send out the SAME card, customized with EACH person’s name, to 1 person at a time, 10 people, 100, 1000, or any amount of people I choose! This past Christmas I sent out over 3000 cards to friends, family, clients and customers.

Send Out Cards prints it, stuffs it, stamps it and puts it in the REAL mail for me – all for about a dollar including postage!

I can choose any number of fonts to write it in, just like when you choose an email, you can choose different looks for your letters, but I can also even fill out a form and mail it to the company and they will create a CUSTOM font of my PERSONAL handwriting, so the cards are actually sent in my REAL handwriting and/or signature! I LOVE this option!

I can import my contacts, or add them one by one, and I can put them into different groups, of how I want to categorize and organize them – that is unique to me.

If you would like to know more of how this system works, take a FREE trial on it, or have questions – please contact me at Iam@LaurieDelk.me

Now…..WHEN should you send a card to someone?
Whenever you think – someone went out of their way for you – send them a card
Whenever someone allows you to talk to them about your service or product, send them a thank you for their time.

When someone sends you a referral. When someone does business with you – after a sale.
These are times when it is really good to include a gift card, or a nice gift, to let them know you really appreciate them.

You can send cards to say “Great job!” “Well done!” “Congrats on the wedding” or the baby….
Happy Anniversary, Happy Birthday, Sympathy……and so much for for any reason or occasion to reach out and build on your relationship with your clients or customers.

I can tell you from personal and professional experience in my web and graphic design business as well as working with thousands of other clients in order to help them increase their bottom line in their traditional business….that the habit of sending out cards, and gifts – is definitely worth the habit of developing…..it says a lot about you – and your business, who you are, how you handle your business.

The key is, using a system, and sending them out on a regular basis. If you just try it for a few months, and then stop, because you don’t see immediate results, you will not see long term results. I have seen this many times….but if you are consistent, every month, building relationships with your clients by keeping in touch, every single month, I can guarantee you, seeing results in your business around 25% increase….or I’d be even willing to bet reimbursing you the cost that you spent on those cards, if you followed those exact rules — sending a card, once a month, with NO sales spiel in it, just keeping in touch every month for 5 months, and then maybe 1 card within a 6 month period, some sort of sales promotion….we call this Master Relationship Marketing – You build the relationship 80% of the time, and market only up to 20% of the time.

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