“When you focus on helping others achieve their dreams and make their dreams a reality, you automatically become successful.”
First and foremost, thank you ENVP Carol Bowdell, for being my dear friend and introducing me to Arbonne four short years ago. Some days I wake up wondering why I was so blessed to have been given this fabulous opportunity. I know that God has a plan for everything. Without a doubt, He brought this business to me so that I would have the ability to stay at home with my daughter and husband, while literally helping people transform their lives into a lifestyle they never dreamed of having. This has been my mission from day one. We have so many great products that sell themselves; however, the business opportunity I can offer others has helped so many people reach their potential and achieve a level of success beyond their imagination. The personal growth that I have seen in people who have joined Arbonne is so amazing. I often ask myself, how can one company change so many people? It does, it has for me and it is my inspiration for sharing this opportunity with you!
While working a medical convention in November of 1999, I discovered Arbonne products. For eight years, I had suffered with a chronic skin disorder which left me with dry itchy legs; and, to make matters worse, my entire body was suffering from dryness during this time. After using Arbonne's skin care products for three days, I had found some relief for the first time in years.
I was inspired by Carol's follow-up note stating that I would be a perfect fit for this business. Doug, my boyfriend at the time, recognized the benefits of building an Arbonne business because he had always been self-employed. As a single mother with my daughter in daycare more than she was with me, I was determined to be very successful at whatever I attempted. I truly loved what I did - working a corporate job, raising a child on my own, and staying ahead financially. Then I realized that my effort and commitment to my company and its owners worked more toward making them successful rather than focusing on my future. Is that not typical of women in corporate America today? I needed to make a change. I wanted my hard work to count more for me and my family so I decided to launch my Arbonne career.
Being employed in corporate America, I found Arbonne's philosophy so refreshing. Corporate America's biggest downfall is its competitive attitude. Some corporations are not interested in helping individuals achieve their goals; they are only interested in feeding individual egos. Walk into some boardrooms in the country and you will find that ego usually presents itself first. Contrast that with Arbonne's meetings where people walk into a room filled with smiles where people greet each other on a first name basis and willingly share their ideas just to help others get ahead. These basic differences should be enough to inspire anyone who has ever sat in a corporate meeting to recognize the empowering nature of Arbonne. It is here that I began to flourish and recognize that my ideas and enthusiasm could be honored and celebrated. I truly believe that businesses would be thriving in America today if they just caught onto Arbonne's philosophy of cheering each other on, sharing ideas and having integrity.
With my background in sales and marketing, it might appear as if I had an easy go of it. However, anyone who defends their weaknesses rather than admitting to them and working to overcome them, not only gets to keep those weaknesses but ends up drowning in them. My approach has never been to offer excuses for my limitations. This enabled me to confront my fears and overcome any challenges that came my way. I remember having to wear turtlenecks to do presentations to cover the red blotches on my neck that I would immediately get when I started talking. I was only capable of giving short talks because within minutes I would completely lose my breath out of a fear of not knowing the answer to something I was asked. The more I presented in front of people, the more I realized I was a gifted speaker. I learned that the only way to overcome the fear of public speaking is to confront it daily! I also struggled with being away from my daughter, Taryn, three nights a week. However, I knew the sacrifice was only temporary and would result in having more time to spend with her later.
I would often hear people say, “Becoming a VP was easy for you because you have a supportive husband, you are tall, pretty, and you had a sales career.” They just don't know that what may appear to have been easy actually took a lot of hard work and effort to achieve. One of the most difficult periods I lived through while building my business was the time I lost my sister, Jessica, and her five month old baby, Tyler, in a car accident two years ago. My sisters and I decided to attend NTC one week after their funeral. We wanted to be there for our team. Jessie was a District Manager and my very best friend. She was an amazing woman! She was an awesome sister, wife and mother. It was when we lost Jessie that I realized how short life was. You could lose someone so precious to you just like that without warning. I look at people differently now. I want to help everyone find a way to have gratitude, a great attitude, happiness and how to live each day to the fullest.
My five siblings and I were raised by parents who taught us about integrity, hard work and the value of the team concept. Teamwork is a powerful tool for building a strong business. No matter where we were working, in the garden or on the farm, my mom would remind us, “If you work as a team, you will get there faster.” This has always proven to be true. I thank my parents for instilling in me the belief that if you are determined enough you can achieve anything. To my parents, Max and Betty King as well as my in-laws Roger and Marion Talbot: Thank you for instilling a great work ethic and teaching us all about integrity. To my second mother and Taryn's Grandma, Barb Groom: Thank you for all the support you've given me throughout my life and for all of the babysitting you do to help out.
In conjunction with what my parents have taught me and what I have learned from Arbonne, I have built my business on dreams, integrity and inspiration. My dream is to empower people; integrity is the only way I conduct my business; and my inspiration is to have a better life for myself, my family and my team. I began by consistently and persistently telling people “you need to work this business with me.” This was true of my sisters, as none of them were extremely happy about attending my first presentation, even though they did not have a choice. My sisters were with me from the beginning. I asked them to join me in this journey and they all had a part in building my team. DM Cindy VanPelt: Thank you for your guidance and hard work. Bonnie Bennett: Thank you for offering to baby-sit so graciously. ERVP Debbie Brewer: Thank you for the team you have built. DM Jessica Hose: This business is being built in memory of you and Tyler who will never be forgotten. During business hours and in the midst of Arbonne-oriented activities, I treated my sisters as part of my SuccessLine; but outside of Arbonne, they were family. Our goal was to all have a Mercedes sitting in our driveway. Two Mercedes down, one to go!
My team and I share a basic belief that this business opportunity is an awesome gift that we are determined to share and pass on. I personally take every “no” and turn it around to spell “on,” meaning on to the next person I can bless. My conviction is that if I have a gift and the giving of it can change someone's life, how can I not offer it to everyone I run into? I know if I continue to give to others and put good things into the universe, somehow, some day it will all come back to me.
In the spirit of good things coming back to me, I would like to thank my team for their hard work and dedication. I am grateful they share my belief that they too could make a difference in other people's lives. To my Regional Vice Presidents, Area Managers, District Managers and Consultants: I send out a special thank you for being coachable and building your teams. We are all blessed to have teams consisting of Independent Consultants not co-dependent Consultants. And to my assistant Jennifer Klann, a special thank you for all that you do.
Petter Mørck, Stian M?rck, Rita Davenport, Candace Keefe, VP support, customer service, ENVP Carol Bowdell and ENVP Cecilia Stoll: Thank you for this business opportunity, for your integrity, leadership and vision! It is because of all of you that I have been successful in achieving my dreams. Your support is reflected in my success and, to all of you, I owe a debt of gratitude.
Finally, I want to thank my wonderful husband of one year, my lifelong friend, Doug: Thank you for believing in me and knowing that I would succeed in this business. Thank you for being my business partner! To my wonderful daughter, Taryn: Thank you for always being mommy's helper. I love you both so much. You are an awesome inspiration!
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.
