Who is Sherry Watson?

"Courage is being scared to death, and saddling up anyway." John Wayne (1907-1979) American Actor.

March 2008 is marching on and we made our way to Albuquerque, New Mexico to attend a training where Sherry Watson, a leading grant expert would show us how grants work and who would benefit.

We noticed New Mexico has much nicer March weather then Nebraska.

As soon as we arrived, Sherry started educating us:

Did you know this?

• There are $350 Billion or more available in Grants?
• 95% of Grant Money is distributed through 501 (c) (3) Corporations ?
• Grant Money is probably far easier to get than you might think?
• Grant Money never has to be paid back?

Those facts are just a small portion of what we learned during the 4-day training. We also learn how to write grants. We learned the process to understand where to look for grants.

The Power of Grant Money is building their business so they will have many areas covered to help people receive grants and have an organization up and running.

• They have grant writers
• A real estate company to help with knowing how to accept real estate donations for your 501 (c)3 organization.
• They have coaches as I have been talking about, who help to educate grant seekers to meet your needs, giving you amazing ideas and direction.
• They provide the "heavy lifting" of getting all the paper work done, helping with the budget, IRS filing, State documents, etc.
• They have trainings every 3 - 4 months for you to attend.

Sherry Watson is considered the The Leading Grant Expert , because she has been on both sides of the grants. She has been a recipient as well as the person deciding where the grant money should go.

She worked in Washington D.C. for 15+ years. "Sherry has designed and launched 6 successful business...and has generated over $20 million in grant money."

Sherry had a severe accident that moved her into the realm of grants and through that she was elected to go to Washington D.C. to speak for the disability community. She was one of visionaries that brought about the handicap facilities that we have today. She laid down on the street in front of buses to help make a statement that the bus lines needed to improve their buses to make them more handicap accessible.

Here is what Sherry told me she said to Retired Senator Chambers of Nebraska, who happens to be a black man: "Even though you once had to sit at the back of the bus, you could at least get onto the bus, but we disabled people can't even board the bus." That woke him up and he started helping the disabled community.

She has had Jim Brady, who was shot while protecting President Reagan, help to educate her in the workings of Washington D.C. She has worked with Bill and Melinda Gates and knows what you need to do to talk to these people to get them on board with your projects. She is one person you want in your corner if you are going to have a successful organization to implement grants and fundraising.

"Although I had a tragic accident, I found my purpose in life. I learned how to design programs using Grant Money that changed people's lives in a powerful way. The success stories and testimonials can not be measured in dollars alone. I will teach you how to get Grant Money so that you can experience this same success, whether it's financially, or finding your purpose in life and turning your dream into a reality."

--Sherry Watson

Did I mention that Sherry is a remarkable woman? She is remarkable not for what she has been through but for what she has done in spite of her disabilities. It makes me feel ashamed to think, "I could never do this."

Sherry Watson has been a real inspiration for me.

Thank you Sherry, from the bottom of my heart!

I am not finished recounting this remarkable weekend, folks, so I'm inviting you to come back tomorrow to hear more about the training with Sherry Watson.

Renita Farrall

Are you living your legacy?

Will You Be My Valentine

February 2008. What an exciting month!

Valentines Day is always a fun time. This year I had more fun then ever before. I was privileged to deliver some Valentine greeting cards to some very special people. You would have thought I was the one on the receiving end. Let me tell you a little bit about how it all happened.

I discovered that our local Christian Radio Station was not going to sponsor their usual Valentine Card drive for the year. I called the radio station about it and they agreed that "That's It, I'm Going to Grandma's!" could conduct drive for our area. In only 2 short weeks we collected 244 beautiful homemade Valentine cards for 6 area nursing homes and 2 assisted living facilities!

The exhilaration was running high. It was such a rewarding feeling to do something like that. I couldn't stop smiling and talking on Feb. 14th the day of delivery. You would have thought I was the one receiving the cards.

It was very rewarding to know that we were touching the lives of others who may not be getting any mail at all. At least not "feel-good" mail.

The rest of the month was spent getting the website up and running for "That's It, I'm Going to Grandma's!" This was also an exciting time for me. I had never had a website that I could say was my own and to see how it turned out I was very pleased.

I then had to create my business cards, because my husband and I were going to travel to Albuquerque, New Mexico for The Power of Grant Money training. Coach Dixie was a tremendous resource in getting those cards printed.

This was a special time for me because organizers wanted me to sit on a panel in order to share with the audience what I have been doing. Sherry Watson was pleased with what had been accomplished because this project is so grassroots. None of the other people they have worked with had a grassroots organization and she was excited about it. I was terrified of speaking in public as a panelist. Remember, I was living in the "I am just a farm wife" zone. I didn't feel I had the know-how to do any of that.

I don't want to get ahead of myself and spoil the mystery. I'll sign off here so you have to come back tomorrow to see what happened in Albuquerque, NM... ...

Did I say it was an exciting month? Did I mention the excellence of The Power of Grant Money?

Renita Farrall

Are you living your legacy?

Am I Really Doing the Impossible?

"First do what is necessary. Then do what is possible. And all of a sudden you are doing the impossible." ~ St Francis of Assisi

In January of 2008 I felt as if I were doing the impossible! There we were, beginning a new year and I felt like I was full throttle ahead. After sharing with Coach Dixie it seemed like things started moving on the fast track.

Here's how events unfolded:

• By the middle of the month I was going to my first nonprofit meeting to see how they do things.
• Then it was working on the 1023.
• Getting my E.I.N. (Employers Identifation Number).
• Working on the budget, which I thought was another impossible task.
• On January 17th I found myself attending an Executive Luncheon.
• January 29th we had our first Board of Directors meeting with The Leading Grant Expert Sherry Watson and her team. We spent that time approving the Bylaws and getting all questions answered.
• On the 31st I typed up the board meetings and called Church Ministers in the area about our first project of "That's It, I'm Going to Grandma's!"

Renita Farrall

What are you doing to create your Legacy?

Moving Forward and Leaving Fear Behind

"One can choose to go back toward safety or forward toward growth. Growth must be chosen again and again; fear must be overcome again and again." -Abraham Maslow 1908-1970 Psychologist

This quote really spoke loudly to me as I was wanting to go back towards safety, but knowing that I would never grow, helped me to gradually move the fear aside. It has been a slow process, but I am much less fearful today then I was one year ago.

We started working on the mission statement. The following is what we came up with at this point in Nov. 2007: To provide programs and services that foster family and community interaction; while striving to preserve family life.

Accomplishments being made:

• The Articles of Incorporation was being worked on by Coach Brett and the concept page was starting to be build.
  
• Mailed in the application for Reservation of Corporate name.
  

• Got the Bios of the new directors to be sent to Coach Brett.

Most of the above was the "heavy lifting" that The Power of Grant Money did for me.

Nov. and Dec. was kind of quite for me with That's It, I'm Going to Grandma's! I still had not told anyone. Not even Jeff Wellman and Dixie Brown because I didn't know what their reaction would be. I was learning about affiliate marketing from them.

The end of Dec. around the 30th was when I got brave and shared with Dixie about That's It, I'm Going to Grandma's! She totally surprised me with saying "that is what I want to do!" I had shared with her my plans of what I wanted to do within That's It, I'm Going to Grandma's! and her response was so overwhelming I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Dixie shared with me that that follows right along with what she would like to do.

The following email tells you how I felt after talking to Dixie:

Hi Brett,

I just got off the phone from talking to my coach and she told me about a gentleman that she just talked to the other night after talking to me about the grant program and she found out that this man who is doing things on the Internet is totally blind and so she wanted to share with me how we need to do something to make it possible for the handicap to be able to function on the Internet. She is now working with him on how he can jazz up his website to make it more interesting for people.

this is so unbelievable what just telling one person can do. I am so pumped right now being able to believe that we can start to make a difference in peoples lives.
This is so huge.
I love it.
Renita Farrall

I think you can see on Dec. 31, 2007 was the point when my whole mood and feelings started changing. January is coming.!

The Fall of '07 and the Rise of Grandma?

Email entry for Oct. 15th: I sure feel better about all of this now. I at least feel like we are moving in the right direction and maybe I can do this.

Then I received an email response back from the Leading Grant Expert Sherry Watson saying "That's fantastic! And yes, you not only can do it, you ARE doing it!

Keep up the great work and thanks for keeping me in the loop!

Sherry Watson

“Granting Your Wishes Come True”

After pinning down the name of the organization the mission statement was next in line to work on to start filling out the 501(c)3.

I had sent Coach Brett an email:
Following is a quote that I received in one of my emails today that went along with what I was talking about today also.
"If you are never scared, embarrassed or hurt, it means you never take chances." -Julia Soul
That quote says it all for me since I have been scared through this and afraid that I would be embarrassed if it doesn't work out. And I feel I am definitely taking a chance with our finances.

I am sure you can see from the previous emails what a state of uncertainty I was in at this time.

I was desperately searching for something that would make me some income until I could get That's It, I'm Going to Grandma's! up and running. I came across a website that spoke to me. It was about Jeff Wellman who worked on a dairy farm and how he found a way on the Internet to make money. I decided to see if he could help me and with his guarantee I decided to buy his program. Then after a day or 2 I got buyers' remorse. I felt so guilty that I decided I shouldn't have done it. I called him and he said he would return my money to me but he would like for me to listen to the conference call he would be hosting the next night. I agreed.


I was very distraught by this time. I did get on the call and wasn't going to say anything. But Jeff wouldn't let me just sit and listen he made me talk. Jeff recommended that we join his Mastermind groups that he was putting together. I listened to that call and met a lady by the name of Dixie Brown.

Dixie called me the next day. She asked me some questions and we partnered from there. I have been working with Dixie and learning about the Internet from this phenomenal coach. ever since.

Dixie and Jeff have become some very special people in my life and I am very grateful for each of them, as you will learn with the ongoing posts. Their participation has been a big and positive influence in That's It, I'm Going to Grandma's!

Maybe it's a good thing I was so scared. It drove me to action.

Renita Farrall

Is It Passion or Encouragement that Helps?

Here we are, reporting about Oct. 2007.

On Oct. 1 I sent this email to Coach Brett from the Power of Grant Money: I received a call from the state and "That's It, I'm Going to Grandma's!" is open to use for a name and I have already purchased the .com and .org for that name.

On Oct. 2 Email was sent to me about what to do next: We will need to determine your board of directors so that we can file your Articles of Incorporation with the state.

You are required to have 3 individuals on you board at minimum.

Now my journey is REALLY started! I began searching for my Board of Directors. I was rejected by 2 and 2 more surprised me with "Yes, I think that is needed." I was in total shock and surprise. I thought WOW! This is better then any Multi Level Marketing enterprise. I never got anyone there to say 'yes.' I guess when you have that passion behind you it really does make a difference. My husband said he would be the 3rd member.

Oct 12 a great email from Coach Brett from the Power of Grant Money: From your message I sense that you are still apprehensive about what you are doing. You continue to feel the way that all individuals who are starting a new organization feel.....uncertainty. It is your passion that moves you forward! Hold on to your passion. You are creating a program that will support children and families as they strive to better themselves.

... Keep moving forward with passion, allow individuals to consider what you have asked...
You can have a list of individuals that may be resources for your project. Board possibilities, volunteers, group leaders, bakers (for cookies at Grandma's).....and develop your initial program to begin to establish structures.

Each time you share you project with others, you are "practicing". You are stiving to be more comfortable talking about you passion, you are sharing your passion with others in the community. You are practicing and you are making connections.
You are moving Forward!!

I have one last email I want to share with you to show you just how supportive my coaches were to me. This will be the last one for this post and then tomorrow's post will be to finish October's events.

Thanks for your emails. I have stayed quiet this week because I have felt the need for you to stay committed to your mission. It's never easy, and certainly there are periods of discomfort in pursuing your goal, but if you are truly committed the "universe" will provide the means for you to get there.

As the beautifully framed picture that I've had on my office wall for many years of a famous, extremely challenging golf hole tells me daily "If you think you can.....or you think you can't....you're right"

My advice is really pretty simple. Recognize that you are on the right path and commit to it. Once you commit the universe rallies to help you. And once you truly commit you don't have the demons confronting you of "I can't", "I'm not sure", "This isn't working today", and the like.....

I'm v-glad that you have had some success lately but...

Recognize Renita, that there will be severe, emotional ups and downs........it's part of everybody's life when they decide to move beyond their comfort zone. The trick is to not really pay any attention to the highs or the lows.......just stay focused on the objective.

Understand that the process is hard........for all of us......but the end result makes it all worthwhile.

You are on the correct path, make your vision a reality, and we are here to help you but realize there is only so much that we can do.....whether you accomplish this (or not)....it's really up to you.

All the best, Gary Nichols

Gary also said something very profound to me and that was that "he has worked with farmers in his area of expertise and the 2 toughest things that anyone can do, in his opinion, is farm and raise kids." I said, "Well I have done both, so if that is true why am I so worked up about doing a not-for-profit business?" That has helped me to keep pushing and moving forward in this.

I hope this post helps you to keep moving forward and know that we all have our ups and downs but there is light on the other side, I think! I am getting closer to it though.

My passion drives me. The encouragement is the fuel that keeps me going.

Renita Farrall

What is my Not-for-Profit going to be!

Good evening from the state of Nebraska. It has been rainy so was a great day for making 2 pumpkin pies. My son had used some pumpkins for target practice last fall. With all of the rain we had in the spring one of the seeds decided to sprout so now we have 2 pumpkins one of which I cut up and baked yesterday. Received a gallon of pulp from that pumpkin and of course hubby thought he needed a pie. So a pie he will get tonight.

Being a mom and grandma the above is part of my legacy, but as I have done in the first two posts, I would like to continue bringing you up to date with what I am working on for my not-for-profit legacy.

We will go back to Sept. 2007. If you haven't been able to tell the last half of the year, I was very distraught over what in the world I would be doing for a legacy. If "this farmwife" could even do anything! I was a total wreck. If that wasn't enough I was also on the mission board of our church.

September was the month for our Mission Conference. At the first of the year I had suggested that we invite some missionaries from California to come and speak. The missionaries were people that Eunice (a friend) and I had met in 1992 when we went to Russia on a mission trip with Josh McDowell's; "More Than a Carpenter." Dr. Jim and Laurel Carlson was 2 people on that trip. We were in the same group that went to Tallinn, Estonia.

In Tallinn was this beautiful church with a 40 foot steeple. The pastor of the church spoke to our group and mentioned that there was a need for christian radio. The steeple on the church could be used to put the antenna on in place of the KGB antenna that was already there. To make a long story short, Jim and another gentlemen in the group took on the challenge and from there The European Christian Radio Project was born.

Jim a Medical Doctor who had no previous knowledge about the workings of a radio station, and this other gentleman who own a radio station or 2 in the Pennsylvania area decided to make this project theirs. After a few months the gentleman from Penn. decided to bowed out of the project. Jim and Laurel have taken this project and have set up 5 radio stations in Estonia that broadcast across Russia and into many other countries. Now with a big transmitter that they just installed in one of the radio facilities they will be able to broadcast across most of Europe.

We invited Jim and Laurel to come to speak at our mission conference. They stayed in our home. I had the opportunity to question Jim about how he continued with the project without the other gentleman's participation. He shared with me that he just knew that it was the Lord's leading and it was God who would provide. In which he has. He just had a sense of knowing that it was right.

Boy did that ever mess me up. I thought, "I don't know what direction God wants me to go! What is wrong with me?"

The conference was over, the next day Eunice and I drove the Carlson's to Omaha to catch the plane. On the way to Omaha Eunice shared with them what she had been doing and all the time I thought "I do not want to do that. Been there done that, I don't want to do that!" (She was working with children who had severe family problems.)

We got them delivered to the airport and said our good byes and heading home I said to Eunice, " If I tell you something will you not laugh or tell me I can't do it?" She promised me she wouldn't do either. You see, up to this point I had not told anyone about what I was doing. Scared to death someone would say "you idiot what do you think you are doing? How are you going to accomplish that?" I proceeded to tell her my thoughts and asked her if she knew anyone I could talk to about it. She gave me the number of her CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) director.

The next day, at 10 in the morning I started calling the CASA director. She told me I needed to call so and so and that led to another call of someone else and this kept up until about 4 p.m. when I talked to a lady at a nearby hospital. By that time I knew what I did not want!

I finally said to the lady, "what is not out there that is needed." She thought a minute and said "there is nothing for the middle and upper class people." Then my brain was really going and I said "well what if we would have a place for whole families to come in times of stress?" She liked that. (At one time a social worker had said we need respite care for the children whose families are going through stressful times but were unqualified for the state programs.)

The lady also suggested that I call it something like Grandma's Place. 'I was off to the races!' I got busy trying to think of a name because Grandma's Place was all over the Internet and it was a day care. I didn't want to do day care!

So, "That's It, I'm Going to Grandma's!" was born.

Renita Farrall

How Can I Create?

Good evening! It was another beautiful day in Nebraskaland.

Aug. 2007, was my first call with the Queen of Grants, who always wears purple. She shared with my husband and me about her program and how we could get our Legacy started. My husband was very apprehensive about this whole thing.

We decided to do it! I was off to the races to get my legacy up and running.

I started out with 3 men coaches. Wow!

The first thing was for me to figure out what it was I wanted to develop, to visualize my dream and see it all the way through. I would take it from start to finish. Then I could add the extras.

As I said in the first post, I was mainly thinking about the unwed parents and children. At that point that was my focus.

My fear was starting to set in BIG TIME! I kept thinking and saying, "I can't do this. I am just a farmer's wife. I have never done anything like this before. How can I do this?" I kept beating myself up for getting myself in such a program, how did I ever think I could do something like this? I thought they were to do the "heavy lifting!" Sure didn't feel like it.

Fear was #1 here. It was my biggest obstacle.

I flew to New Mexico for a training and I was a real basket case by then, because I didn't think I could do this. In fact, I was convinced that there was no way and I would tell them to forget it and give me my money back. On the plane a fine gentleman who managed 8 manufacturing plants in the Midwest sat beside me. As we visited I shared with him what I was doing. He said "Renita, in 3 months you will not believe how far you have come, keep going and you will surprise yourself."

I was still upset. But the people at the training were marvelous. My head coach, Brett, gave me a hug and said "Renita how do we eat an elephant? One bite at a time." Ok got it!

On the 15th of Aug. I wrote in my journal "I am going to do this if it takes my whole being to make it work." I worked on my assignment for the next 2 weeks and got the doors slammed shut in my face. Okay, can't go that direction.

Now what do I do?

Renita Farrall

What is going to be your legacy?

What Will Your Legacy Be?

Have you ever thought about what you would leave as a legacy? Would the legacy be for your family or for all mankind?

What does legacy mean anyway:

Legacy means "1. money or other property left to a person by will; bequest. 2. Something that has been handed down from an ancestor or predecessor. Books are the legacies that a great genius leaves to mankind." By Thorndike/Barnhart

I have challenged myself with what mark or legacy I will leave behind.

The thought of a legacy prompted me to start a not-for-profit organization called That's It, I'm Going to Grandma's!." This organization was founded on the principle of giving to others. Reaching out of your comfort zone, extending a hand to others by sharing our individual talents and gifts for the greater good of all.

Ask yourself what difference you can make? What will be your legacy? Do you want to leave money, a book or perhaps challenge yourself to start changing the world around you?

I sat and pondered about it. My first thought was I would like to help both unwed mothers and fathers make a difference in their children's lives. The next step was to develop the strategies to which I could help. Actually, I am using the word I but it should be WE.

While attending a seminar, I shared my thoughts on the legacy I wanted to leave. The presenter recognized the passion in my heart and encouraged me to step up to the plate and be an action taker and make it happen. I visited with the presenter about my thoughts and she saw something in me. It wasn't what I was sharing with her but it was what was in my heart. So she encouraged me to go for it and she said she would work with me and help me make "whatever" happen. She told me "they would do the heavy lifting".

I went for it not knowing what I was getting myself into, so here I am making it happen.

Renita Farrall

What is going to be your legacy?