“The secret is ... there is no secret. Rita says it best: "Our ‘know-how’ is ahead of our ‘do-how;’ persist through every challenge that comes your way and you will succeed."”
Living each day with an attitude of gratitude is the life lesson I have learned on my Arbonne journey. When you are truly grateful for everything that comes into your life, you begin to appreciate the good as well as the challenging circumstances. My Arbonne business was carved out of such challenges. Although at the time, I may not have recognized them as opportunities to grow and evolve, I now find it rewarding to look back and identify what I have learned along the way and what I need to work on as I continue to build toward future success.
The Arbonne opportunity came at the right time, whether I was aware of it or not at the time. A year before Arbonne became a part of my life, I was attending school at the Reporting Academy of Virginia. Graduating was based on speed. But after passing academics, I felt I had hit a plateau and was going nowhere fast. Feeling extremely frustrated at the amount of time and money I had invested only to have this to happen, I began to question if this was really where I wanted to be. But the fact was, I had already invested so much that I could not even consider quitting. I was caught in a vicious circle. This dilemma weighed heavily on my mind and I needed to get it resolved. One day on my drive to school, I prayed for an answer. Little did I know at that time that He had a plan for me.
Several weeks later, my youngest daughter, Raquel, became very ill. No diagnosis was made at the time, but she was in and out of the hospital for months afterward. Being a stubborn person and not paying attention to this sign, I continued to struggle at school when all I really wanted was to be at home with my family. Then, one day the school director called me into her office. With little discussion, she informed me that my financial aid had been cancelled and that unless I could pay cash on the spot for my tuition, there was no need to return to class even that day. In a way, it was a relief to finally have an answer to my dilemma. Calmly and quietly, I packed my bags and left school, knowing in my heart that this was not where I was meant to be. That year was spent at several part-time jobs, trying to make myself available to Raquel, as well as my two other daughters, Erica and Jackie, who were dealing with the stress of it all. At this time, I discovered there was nothing more important than to find a way to make a living that would allow me to spend more time at home where my children needed me.
It just so happened that in the midst of all this, a dear friend who I had attended middle and high school with called from Nashville to discuss an opportunity. She told me about this wonderful company and about these wonderful people she was working with and how they were making all this wonderful money. Everything was wonderful … wonderful … wonderful! In retrospect, I would like to say that I jumped at the opportunity, but that was not the case. In reality, I was skeptical and unwilling to believe. How could something that sounded too good to be true actually be true? When I think back on that night, I can imagine how discouraging I must have been to her. But she was not deterred. After all, she had planted a seed that would begin to nurture ever so slowly over the next few months. Eventually my friend and sponsor, Dese Hayes, visited Virginia and explained the opportunity through a group Presentation, and the rest is history.
When I started my Arbonne business, my sole intention was to make a good living while remaining at home. What it has given me is so much more than I bargained for. Arbonne success is not about the income or the car, those things are merely icing on the cake. Arbonne is about friendships, relationships and personal development that you cannot measure in dollars and cents. Once I understood this concept, my focus shifted from what Arbonne could do for me to what Arbonne could do for others if I simply just shared it. After this, my business began to grow.
There are so many people to thank who have been instrumental in my success. Dese Hayes: Thank you for that 11 p.m. phone call which came at the 11th hour of my crisis. I am grateful to you for sponsoring me into a business that has changed my life. Area Manager Tina Higginbotham, another lifelong friend: You have been a tremendous asset to my business. Thank you for your strong commitment and creative thinking. Area Managers Katherine Ramirez and Lisa Stevenson: Thank you for being two of the hardest working women I know. District Managers Debra Banks, Deb Jones, Lori Smith, Stacy Abbot, Robin Goodman, Vicky Rudolph, Lori Schecter, Theresa Ferrell and the rest of the team: I could not be more proud to share this business with all of you! Your love and encouragement is so inspiring … I am very grateful for each and every one of you.
NVP Cheryl Kemp: Thank you for your friendship, your leadership and your wisdom in instructing us to always put the other person first. I knew you were a stand-up person the day you referred me to scripture when I had a little whining spell. Your guidance and direction are greatly appreciated. President Rita Davenport: I have always remembered the words you shared on the first phone call to me during my promotion to District. You told me, “No matter what you do, if you have to crawl, scrape or climb your way there, do not ever quit.” Thank you and God bless you for your tireless effort in making us all better people. Founder Petter Mørck: Thank you for your amazing vision that has continued to give to so many of us. Stian, Candee and everyone at the Home Office: Thank you for your commitment to excellence and integrity.
I owe an enormous debt of gratitude to my family. Mom: Thank you for being the prayer warrior that you are. I know your prayers have gotten me through many dark days. To my husband, Ricky, and my children Jackie, Erika and Raquel: You have been my source of tremendous support. Thank you for your patience and love while I have worked out my kinks. All of this would have been meaningless without you. I love and appreciate you all so much.
In the long run, all things come full circle. My youngest daughter, Raquel, was eventually diagnosed with pediatric MS. I am happy to say that she leads a very full and active life now. However challenging this situation became, ultimately it was her illness that led me to realize I needed an opportunity like Arbonne in order to be available to her and the rest of my family whenever they needed me. I now know that for every challenge we face there is equal opportunity on the other end for something wonderful to take place. I thank God for teaching me that there is great liberation in relying on His strong hands.
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.
