“Every choice we make today will affect our life tomorrow.”
My husband shared a poem with me about butterflies that I have kept to this day, and it is the reason I themed my Nation “Iron Butterfly.” The poem pictures a butterfly struggling to force its body out of its cocoon. A man was watching and snipped the remaining part of the cocoon to help the butterfly. What the man did not realize is that the butterfly’s struggle was nature’s way of forcing the fluid from its wings so that it could take flight once it broke though the cocoon. Sadly, this butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling with shriveled wings.
Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life to become as strong as we are capable of becoming.
Three-and-a-half years ago, I was at a crossroads in my life, and I had a choice to make. Thank goodness I did not listen to some people in my life, who may have had good intentions, but encouraged me to go out and get a “real job” so that I could support my little boy as a single mom. More importantly, I am grateful that I did not give in to my internal doubt that I could not make it on my own and succeed in this business. Because the truth of the matter was, I had been with Arbonne for a substantial amount of time before my business took off. What was the shift?
I had enough of settling for less than my best ... I had enough of straddling the fence of life, being a spectator, just watching life go by, instead of playing the game of life. I knew that having a potentially lucrative Arbonne business was possible, because I had seen others succeed. However, at that time my belief in myself was shaky.
My journey to RVP was about building my foundation and my belief. The past two years, from RVP to NVP, have been about trusting myself, transferring my belief to others and “being” as much as “doing.”
I remember talking with my husband, Gary, one day when I was struggling to get past a stagnant place in my business. I was an RVP and I was at the same volume for several months. He said to me, “Natalie, here you are asking your team to ‘dream big’ and identify their Why, and I think you may need to look at your Why and your dreams again.” I needed a new Why, because the reason I had started Arbonne had changed. I was finally out of survival mode and I was ready to reach for the life of my dreams. Thank you, Gary, for the consistent reminders of what I am capable of.
Since then, my husband retired from a successful corporate job in high-tech sales and he is now my business partner in Arbonne. I am living the life of my dreams and I am so blessed. I have the best of both worlds; I am able to enjoy the perks of being a stay-at-home mom while earning an unbelievable income working at home. I have the freedom to be an active part in all of my son’s school activities, to travel, to truly look at my family’s life and create whatever we want with no limits of time or money.
Arbonne can be the vehicle that allows you to live the life of your dreams, express the true essence of who you are and become the best you can be. First, you must become the person you need to be in order to achieve your dreams. Trust me, if you could see what is possible for you in the Arbonne business — you would jump in with both feet. At the beginning of your experience you may not be able to see this, but continue to work from faith for awhile and trust that the life you dream of is within your reach. Sometimes we may question this, but our character and strength are built in the valleys of life, not in the peaks. I have been blessed with an incredible life, but I have had my share of struggles. We all do. As President Rita Davenport says, “It is not the setback. It is the comeback.”
If your business is not where you want it to be; make the decision and stop straddling the fence. Commit daily to the right activity. If you want to build your business fast, then just do more of the right activity. And “do the do” even when you do not feel like it. Commit to learning how to become the person you need to become to build a massive organization. I would advise you to ask yourself, what are the characteristics I see in the people who are leaders in Arbonne? Then, place a check next to those you feel you still need to work on. Then, make a plan with your upline to work on them. Keep getting better and better, one step at a time. Are these things possible? Yes, but they are not easy.
If this Eye on Arbonne story speaks to you, it is my hope that you will open your heart and your mind to the Arbonne opportunity. Whether you just picked this up for a casual read, or you are purchasing our incredible products for your personal use, perhaps Arbonne can do for you what it did for me. I am not the same person I was when I started in Arbonne; I have grown. The power of this business can change people.
There are so many people who have made a difference in my business. Thank you to the pioneering NVPs who paved the way for us. Thank you to all the RVPs and NVPs who have built their businesses with urgency and have shown people what is possible.
Thank you to my crossline VP family. To everyone I called while in-qualification and who spent time with me, thank you. To ENVPs Alicia Dewey and Cecilia Stoll: I especially want to thank you for your generous spirits and time with me. Thank you to my “Tame the Tornado” team of Vice Presidents. To Donna Weiser: Thank you. You and your team of VPs have been an example from the beginning.
Thank you Sonia Stringer, my business coach, who taught me to be more and do less. This concept has truly transformed my life. Thank you to my husband, Gary, for the gift of Sonia.
ENVP Sandra Tillinghast: Thank you for being an incredible leader, mentor and friend. You are just as beautiful on the inside as you are on the outside. Thank you for your love and friendship, and for always believing in me.
Thank you to everyone in VP Support. What would we do without you? To Shane and your team: Thank you for the trips that keep getting better. To Sr. VP Product Development & Marketing, Candace Keefe: Keep telling your story every chance you get. It speaks volumes to us in the Field about the heart of Arbonne. To Executive Vice President Stian Mørck: Thank you for your heart and the family you have built. To Founder Petter Mørck: I hope you know what you have given to families because of Arbonne. We are so grateful for this. To President Rita Davenport: You are the heart and soul of Arbonne; thank you for your giving spirit. You are a gift to this company and we love you.
Where do I begin to thank my team. I want to thank all our Consultants who purchase product and Clients.
Building a Nation is about releasing the outcome and trusting the process. Thank you to each one of you for allowing me to become a better leader, and for teaching me about trust, releasing and faith. Thank you to my first promoted, RVP Kirsten Berkhout and her amazing team. Kirsten, your energy and tenacity are an example to us all. Thank you for being who you are and accomplishing this goal at age 27 — wow!
To my AMs, Jodie Clapp, Cassie Johnson, Gillian Christie, Sara Grace Keenan, Alyson Stone, Julie Halfman, Trish Riggs, Shelley Asbury, Lisa Nagle, Sharon Williamson, Katherine Romanak, Cynthia Cline and Diana Sanderson: I wish I had the space to personally acknowledge each of you. I will never forget the willingness you put forth to build this Nation. You all are a gift to me, our organization and to everyone you touch. To all our DMs and Consultants: You are our foundation. Thank you.
To Debbie Johnson: Even though you are not here with us, you are with me daily. Thank you for the gift of your life and what you brought to Arbonne. You have left a legacy and your example of grace and kindness will be with us, and everyone you touched forever.
To my family: Thank you for all your love and support. To my little boy, Jake: You were my Why before you were born. Thank you for the daily reminder of what is truly important in life.
To my husband, Gary: Words cannot do justice to what you have brought to my life. Thank you for bringing out the best in me and giving me the room to be the person I was meant to be. I will work the rest of my life to give you the love and support you have given me. You are truly a gift from God for Jake and me.
Arbonne is a gift. If you are reading this, picture your life five years from now and if you do not like what you see — Arbonne could be your ticket. The choice is yours.
The testimonials on this Web site reflect the actual experience of each individual, are anecdotal only, and may be atypical. The testimonials are not based upon any clinical study.
