“Find a system to follow and stick with it, no matter what!”
In December of 2004, my husband and I found out we were expecting our third son. It was such an exciting moment, yet scary to think about how we were going to juggle our desire to raise our children with the responsibility of providing for our family financially. I had been working full time in a hospital as a secretary and did not make enough money to pay for daycare. I really wanted to stay home with our children. I did not want to miss one more Christmas morning, family gathering, field trip, ball game, or have to go to work when one of my children was home sick. These reasons made me think about what I could do to stay home. This is when the Arbonne opportunity came into my life.
ERVP Jill Ellis, who has been one of my best friends since the seventh grade, had been a consumer of Arbonne products for about four years. She loved the products and always talked about the success her friend, ENVP Jodi Whittemore, was having with her Arbonne business. Jill and I started looking into doing the business and we talked about how fun it would be to start it together. At this point, I had no idea what I was in for. The next nine months would completely change my life.
Instead of jumping in with both feet, I like to say I jumped in with my big toe. I found myself afraid to take a risk. The system is laid out for each and every one of us, however, I was not following it. I was picking out the easy parts and not doing the things that made me uncomfortable.
Needless to say, I found myself struggling and I saw little success. In April 2005, we attended NTC 2005 Las Vegas. There, I realized I needed to make some changes. Most importantly, I began to follow the system and decided to step out of my comfort zone and “go for it.” My business took off and I completed RVP just five months later.
This business is simple but not easy. At times, I found I wanted to quit, but then, I remembered my Why and reminded myself that quitting was not an option. I am competitive by nature and knew if others were successful at this, there was no reason I could not succeed as well. In the moment, when someone says “no,” it seems like such a big deal, but I can honestly say that it was worth every “no” I got. Those experiences just paved the way for all the people who said “yes!”
I truly believe that if I can do this, anyone can. I knew nothing about skin care or of pure, safe and beneficial products before Arbonne. I hated speaking in front of people, too. In fact, I used to sweat and get nervous before every Presentation I did. I occasionally mumble when I speak, and sometimes I forget what I am going to say, but that is okay. You do not have to be perfect or know everything in order to do this. You just have to believe in yourself and in Arbonne.
This opportunity has changed our lives and it has given us the chance to dream. The amazing part of it is that this is just the beginning!
To my best friend and husband, Mark: You are my biggest fan. Thank you for supporting me through this. I know I could not have done this without your words of encouragement, and your willingness to help in any way that you could.
To my Why, Cole, Cameron and Bryce: Thank you for all of your love. You make my most important job, being a mom, more rewarding than anything else I will ever do. You are the reason why I decided to do this, and are also the reason why I decided not to quit.
To my sponsor and dear friend, ERVP Jill Ellis: I truly would not be here without you. You brought Arbonne into my life and you have made all of this possible. You have been an inspiration to all of us. Thank you for not giving up on me. To ENVP Jodi Whittemore: Thank you for investing your time and your heart in this team.
To my childhood friend, AM Lori DiMonda: Who could have imagined us here, 20 years ago? I am so happy to have you back in my life, and because of Arbonne, we get to grow old and gray together. To AM Angela Wilson: You are so sincere. You care more about others than you do about yourself. To AM Kelly Perrault: I love your drive. You keep me on my toes. To AM Stephanie Nicholson: Your love for life is contagious. I know all of you will be getting your Mercedes-Benz soon!
I want to thank the rest of my family for supporting me. To my mom and friend, DM Joy Prigg: Thank you for joining me on this adventure, and for always being willing to listen. To my sister-in-law and friend, AM Marissa Prigg: You started as my first business builder and we have grown together in this business. I love having an excuse to talk to you every day. To my other sister-in-law, DM Rhonda Prigg: Thank you for finally saying “yes.” I know you are headed to the top.
To my whole team: I thank each and every one of you for all of your hard work. Do not give up. I want you all to have the same success that I have had. Just nine months ago, I was where you are now, and the road seemed to be all uphill. Remember, together we can get every one of you to the top. Thank you for all of your hard work and devotion to Arbonne. My success is a reflection of all of you.
Finally, I thank God for having His hand guide me every step of the way.
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.
