So it begins...

God has created me with a strong ambition. My ambition for doing more for God, is stronger now more than ever. I have recently began trying more to improve myself. I am not perfect by any means and I have some things that I need to work on to better myself.

For example, I have joined a fitness group for moms and I have taken on the challenge of the group. It has been incredible what God has allowed me to experience through it! I am now driven to be healthier! Not only for myself and family, but ultimately for God. God has shown me that I am my best person when I have done my exercising and when I have eaten the “healthy” choice instead of the “unhealthy” choice.

God has shown me through this group that I am not the only one out there experiencing some of the things that I have been experiencing as a mom. These ladies have come together through that group and they support, encourage, and inspire each other. I am really thankful and grateful for that, because some women can be so hateful to each other! I fully believe that, as women, we should build each other up and not tear each other down. No matter how different we are from each other!

While scrolling through this group, commenting on some of the posts and just looking in on what’s going on with the other ladies, I came across something I could relate to. She was looking for a way to bring in income, but she wanted to stay at home. She wasn’t wanting to do anything that would take her away from her kids.

 As some of you know, I have been in that same boat! I’ve tried doing Avon a couple of times and that ended up taking more from my life than giving. It might be for some people, but it wasn’t for me and that period of my life. I tried babysitting, but after having two of my own, I don’t think I could handle another child around here for a while. I also tried surveys. I still do surveys and get paid cash for doing them, but it’s not enough to call it “bringing in money”. I have really been looking for something that would allow me to be a stay-at-home mom and be able to have the option to homeschool my boys in a year or two WHILE bringing in some money to help out with a few things financially.

So when I saw that she was going through the same thing, I made sure I added my comment to the post so I could follow what suggestions other people were making. I needed their suggestions too! There were so many work-at-home moms making all kinds of excellent suggestions! I was looking up things left and right. I did so much more research that day about everything.

There were two suggestions that really stuck out to me. The first one was Usborne Books. I’ve heard of them before and I’ve looked into them a few times, but I never really reached out to one of the consultants for inside information. So that’s exactly what I did this time. I reached out to the sweet lady that suggested it to me. She was so kind and set up an online party through facebook with me. I enjoyed it and I could see myself selling children’s books, since I’m very passionate about them. But something just didn’t feel completely right about it. I had to make sure it was completely right and try my other options before I made the decision.

The second suggestion that I found was for a program called Trades of Hope. When I first read the comment that was made about it, I was very interested. I felt like there had to be a catch. There had to be something that would make me turn away from it. I searched and searched. I joined as many online facebook Trades of Hope parties I could. I literally went to the search bar on facebook and searched “Online Trades of Hope Parties” and clicked on events. There were lots of them and I joined as many as I could. I learned so much through each party and enjoyed hearing what other people had to say about Trades of Hope. I even cried a few times, because I was so touched. I began to pray about this Trades of Hope thing.

I learned about the makers of TOH. Shelley’s story is so beautiful and selfless. I learned about the artisans, the people making the items being sold. They each have a story to tell. There’s ladies and men coming out of poverty, thanks to TOH. There’s ladies coming out of sex trafficking, because of the work of TOH. There’s people all around the world coming out of very bad situations and making something of themselves, because of the work that TOH is doing. I HAD to learn more!

Finally, the Compassionate Entrepreneur that commented with information about TOH on that post from the fitness group, reached out to me and asked if I wanted to do an online Facebook party for TOH. Of course I accepted, even though I had just had a party for the Usborne Books. I was excited to learn even more and have my family and friends learn about TOH.

The party was set for the following Monday and it was to last all that week. I felt so lead to do all that I could for this party, because this Trades of Hope thing really felt like it was meant for something more than just “earning money from home”. It was more than just following a passion.

I kept getting signs during the days leading up to the party. My family and I went to a Chinese restaurant for lunch after church the Sunday before the party. At church, the message went right along with what I was feeling in my heart about TOH. To top that, I got my fortune cookie after I was through eating my meal. I remember my dad telling me that the fortune won’t come true unless you eat the cookie first, then read the fortune. So I traditionally, broke my cookie open, removed the small piece of paper, and put the cookie in my mouth. As I was swallowing the last bit of cookie, I read the little piece of paper. It said, “You will attract cultured and artistic people to your home.”

Wow! That really hit me! Because you know what came to mind and hit me in the heart as soon as I read that! I know that you know! Trades of Hope did.

During the party throughout the week, I learned even more than what I had already learned from everywhere else. There’s so much insight into the work that is being done all over the globe with TOH! I made sure that I was as involved as possible with the party. I felt like I couldn’t do enough with everything that I was doing for the party. The lady that was hosting with me encouraged me so much! Then people started responding and getting involved. That encouraged me even more!

I was still not sure if I was going to be a part of the team or not. Then I learned something new. Something that I never even would have guessed about TOH! Which is funny, because I should have known better!

I learned that Trades of Hope partners up with ARC. ARC is a company that helps intellectually disabled, autistic, and those young adults that people look down on because of their behavior, get a job. They help them build skills and make something of themselves. Y’all, this got to me big time. THIS HIT HOME! Literally.

My brother has Williamsyndrome. It is a form of disability that keeps him from being “able” according to our society. Which is so weird saying because he has such amazing abilities and he inspires me in a way that no one else ever would be able to! I get so emotional thinking about what I could do to help people as awesome as he is make their own means. I was in tears, praising God for that bit of information that made up my mind.

That solidified my decision. I was going to do whatever it took to become a part of this Trades of Hope thing.

All throughout that week of my party on facebook, I couldn’t get TOH off of my mind. I just couldn’t. Everything that I was involved in was related to TOH in my head and in my heart. God was working on me. I believe that He still is.

I hesitated about telling my husband about everything that I was experiencing with it, because I was afraid that he wouldn’t understand. I shared it with him and he understood. He said that me not being able to get it off of my mind and heart was definitely a sign that God was telling me something. He encouraged me to start my journey.

There was one small problem though, the starter kit cost. I had a few people purchase from my party, but not enough to get anything towards my starter kit. So I went ahead and started thinking of different ways to earn the money. Yard sales and selling stuff online through a Buy, Sale, & Trade group on Facebook, just anything that I could do that wouldn’t be asking other people for money.

Well, God did a thing.

I called my husband at work the Tuesday after my online party was over. It was just one of our normal calls and I was checking on how he was doing. For some reason I had the urge to mention to him that I was still planning on pursuing Trades of Hope. After I mentioned it, he immediately told me to go ahead and buy the starter kit. He said that we could move some of the bills around and it would work. He felt like God was calling me to do this too! I was overjoyed! Shocked, but overjoyed. I kept making sure that he was sure that he felt the same way and he kept saying that he did. So what did I do? I made sure I messaged the CE that hosted my party and I followed the steps to purchase my starter kit. I was becoming a Compassionate Entrepreneur with Trades of Hope.


I am a Compassionate Entrepreneur with Trades of Hope. God has called me to be a part of this and I plan on living it to its fullest.

 I appreciate all of the support that I am getting from my family and friends. I will keep everyone updated on my journey. Please keep me in your prayers as I move forward with this.

 I am going out of my “comfort zone”, because direct sales have NEVER been my strong suit. In high school when we had to sale chicken plates for our senior class to go on our senior trip, I barely sold one. It was terrible. BUT! I fully believe and rely on: God doesn’t call the equipped, he equips the called. I am called.

Feel free to join me!! Talk to me about this Trades of Hope thing. Let me host a party for you. Online or in your home. I promise you will learn about things that you have never heard about before and IT WILL TOUCH your heart. Even if you aren’t called to become a part of the Trades of Hope journey, maybe there’s someone in your family or friends that is and they haven’t heard about it yet. Wouldn’t you like to be the one that introduces it to them? Let me help you! And in return, it would share God’s love, help me fulfill my calling, AND it would help those artisans become what God needs them to be for their family.

www.mytradesofhope.com/kaylanickles