G-day mate! Exciting news for CTMH and Australia

I am so grateful and thankful to be a Close To My Heart Consultant.  Some really exciting news was shared just yesterday regarding CTMH's expansion into Australia and New Zealand.  This won't affect me directly as a consultant, but is so exciting for the Company that I am so proud to be a part of.

Jeanette Lynton gave such an eloquent explanation on her blog that you can read here.

I hope that I am allowed to share this, but here is the press release that was shared with all CTMH Consultants yesterday.

(June 11, 2013 — PLEASANT GROVE, UT) Close To My Heart, Inc., a US-based leader in the direct sales scrapbooking and stamping industry, announced today its plans to expand in the Australia and New Zealand markets. The company expects to commence operations as soon as early July 2013.

The company is working with long-time in-country expert Brian O'Callaghan, former General Manager of Creative Memories Australasia, as well as Susan Wilmot and Diane Lampert, both successful former Senior Directors of Creative Memories Australia. Together, the US-based Close To My Heart team and Australia-based team have begun collaboration on product mix, pricing, compensation plans and anticipate offering a unique opportunity for former Creative Memories Consultants and their entire teams as well as others interested in a ground-floor business opportunity in scrapbooking and stamping.

"It's long been my vision to bring Close To My Heart to Australia and New Zealand," says Close To My Heart Founder and CEO Jeanette Lynton. "These are unusual circumstances, and we recognize the hardships many of the former Consultants of Creative Memories Australia have weathered. We honour their passion and enthusiasm and are thrilled to share our exclusive products and offer our business stability to this vibrant community."

O'Callaghan agrees, noting, "We had been searching for the right company—Close To My Heart had the exclusive line of products for real business potential. Plus they were already investigating expansion into the market and were agile enough to move quickly to support our needs. We're looking forward to an exceptional business and a strong launch effort."

Close To My Heart Australasia has legally acquired Creative Memories Australia’s databases of Consultant and customer names with contact information and distributor genealogy structure. Great care is being given to respect and comply with privacy rights.  As part of the new business, Close To My Heart has agreed to offer relief to former Consultants and customers of Creative Memories Australia for certain unfulfilled obligations. This relief, which will include a programme to redeem sold vouchers for digital products, free e-commerce websites for Consultants, and a discount programme, for a limited time, to provide value to members of Creative Memories’ VIP Club, will help support Consultants and customers of Creative Memories Australia at a time of transition and give them some return on the investment left unfulfilled by the former company.

"These goodwill gestures show the commitment and integrity of Close To My Heart to this new venture," says O'Callaghan. "We appreciate that Close To My Heart understands the importance of great customer service and is starting off by doing more than expected."

The new Close To My Heart subsidiary will be known as Close To My Heart Australasia and will benefit from the operational strength, marketing resources, diverse product ranges, and the stability of its debt-free and profitable parent company, Close To My Heart, Inc. The company is committed to its focus of memory keeping and related crafts and is known for providing exceptional customer service, top quality products, and competitive pricing. The company plans to announce a schedule of launch and opportunity events slated for July, with a planned creative kickoff in mid-August in Melbourne to supplant the cancelled Creative Memories annual Convention.