“Success is built on the ability to overcome difficulty with spirit, courage and initiative.”
My greatest blessing from God was having the joy of identical twin girls. I am grateful that I was able to stay at home and have a lucrative business while raising my daughters. My first priority was to be with my girls from the moment they woke up in the morning to when they got on the bus for school, up until the time they returned home, in case they needed to share their day with me. Having my own business enabled me to become involved with their schools. Since I had the two girls and worked from home, my house was always the hangout of their friends. I felt fortunate to be part of their growing up, especially during the teenage years.
Throughout much of their childhood, I was a single mom so that made my income crucial to our lifestyle. Looking back, I have no regrets. In fact, I am happy to report that my daughter Melissa is earning her doctorate in physical therapy at the University of Michigan. She wants to work with children who are in the process of healing. My daughter Tessa graduated last year with her master’s degree from Wayne State. She is currently working as a clinical therapist for children who live in foster homes. I have raised loving and responsible daughters, an accomplishment that is more important than any I have achieved in business. To this day, I remain a very proud mom. Working from home has afforded me benefits that extend far beyond flexibility, freedom and money. For that alone, I will always be grateful for the career path I chose. However, I have considered myself extremely fortunate to have loved my career on top of all that.
From the first day in the skin care business I enjoyed it. Even as a teenager I have always believed that taking care of the skin was one of the most important parts of grooming. Wearing makeup was fun but only worked if the skin was soft and smooth. I worked in the skin care industry through direct sales in the late 1970s and found it was a perfect fit for me. I have always believed that as women, much of our self-esteem is wrapped up in how we look and feel about ourselves. Knowing for myself, when I take care of how I look, I feel better as well. Naturally, I enjoyed helping other women look and feel their best also. So, developing a business that encompassed grooming and being healthy fit right into the principles that I applied to my own daily life. Working and forming an organization from the ground floor up gave me a sense of accomplishment that fueled my ambition. It ignited a flame in me that I did not know existed and made me want to be the best that I could be. I was prompted to spend a lot of time at my local library reading books about skin care, health and business. This became an ongoing practice, for I believe that disciplining yourself to the process of learning will keep you fresh throughout your career. Following along these lines is my motto: The biggest room in the world is the room for self-improvement.
Before I joined Arbonne, I noticed a shift in the industry toward botanical products. Ingredients such as aloe vera, lavender and witch hazel started showing up in hair care and skin care products boasting the omission of animal testing. Then a friend introduced me to the Arbonne products and I knew immediately that they were different. I could not believe how my skin felt and looked. I was drawn to the fact that they used botanical ingredients because the truth is we are much more compatible with nature than with chemicals. Botanical is better than artificial any day of the week.
Shortly after trying the products, I joined Arbonne in 1988. Because of my collective experience in cosmetics and always keeping my eyes on what is new in the industry, I had faith that Arbonne would be a successful company. Eager to participate in that success, I looked for women who were business-minded and wanted to be among the first to launch the Arbonne products in Michigan. It was a wise choice for me.
By 1993, my daughters had left for college. I had never been alone and felt a void in my life. Some call it the empty nest syndrome; I call it the empty heart syndrome. But call it what you will, the fact is I needed something to light my fire again. Soon afterwards, Karen Premiere was sponsored into my Region. Karen had a deep affinity for the entire Arbonne business. Coupled with her tenacious desire for success, she became a shining example for me. This lit a new fire under me as I watched Karen head straight to the top! I love and admire her determined spirit. Thank you, Karen for keeping your eyes on the best Arbonne has to offer and reminding us all that the will to succeed exists within ourselves. There is no doubt in my mind that Karen, with her dynamic team of women, will be a National Vice President in the near future.
In 1999, tragedy struck close to home and I decided to move to Arizona. I have always been attracted to the stillness of the desert. The mountains are dependable, strong and consistent. In Arizona I found my spirit resonated with the peace that the desert brings. I needed a break from the past and found out that pain can be your best friend. God led me to a wonderful church. And in the meantime, I also became a member of an organization dedicated to the treatment, prevention and research of child abuse and neglect. Around this time it had occurred to me how fortunate I was to have built a business with residual income! At first, I worried that removing myself from my team in Michigan, Illinois and Arkansas might affect my Region and income. But I was wrong! To the contrary, my leaders grew more confident and strong. I let go and my team became stronger.
Debbi Gruber, who is always on top in sales and sponsoring in my Region, became an Area Manager and has since exploded onto the scene, expanding her territory rapidly and successfully. She developed a visionary team, promoting Rhea Rasdale, a beacon of professionalism and kindness, who soon became an Area Manager herself. Rhea sponsored Joyce Palmer, an energetic leader who eventually became an Area Manager as well. Jamie Kanner, Area Manager from Illinois and currently in qualification for Regional Vice President, has always been an asset to my team. Supportive, strong and independent, she loves this business with a passion and employs her unequaled energy to motivate her team toward their goals. Kay Butler, District Manager from Little Rock, Arkansas, and her team have given me continued support and friendship.
Without Arbonne I would have never met this fun group of women. This is one of the many pluses this business has to offer. I have really been touched by the heartfelt support of my entire Region. They sincerely wanted our team to be a Nation and proved it by their phone calls and their performance. I would not be where I am today without all of them. I would not be National Vice President today without my Clients who absolutely love our products and order regularly throughout the year or without my business builders who have the vision to keep the business fun while striving toward their own goals of NVP promotion. My leaders have developed a culture of discipline to enhance their entrepreneurial spirit. They have proven time and again that greatness is not a function of circumstance but a matter of conscious choice. Our Nation exemplifies the ability to face difficulty with spirit, courage and initiative.
I want to thank Judith Dempsey for sponsoring me and helping me see the vision Arbonne had to offer. I would also like to thank Donna Larson Johnson, ENVP, for promoting me to NVP and for her unwavering support. When I was unable to work she was always there for my team and still is. Thank you Thea O’Donoghue, ENVP, for your solid business ideas and for extending yourself to my team. Thank you Senior VP of Marketing and Product Development Candace Keefe for your ingenious talent in giving us a unique product line to work with and help build our businesses around! Thank you President Rita Davenport for teaching me how to see people more clearly and with compassion.
Thanks to Founder Peter Mørck: We have a company that encourages an atmosphere of independence and financial success, and provides this opportunity for all of us equally at any level we chose. If I have learned anything on my journey through life, it is this: One, you either need someone or someone needs you; and two, enjoy the process and remember it takes teamwork to turn your career into dream work!
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.
