“Having a dream for your life will guide you toward the life of your dreams.”
As I reflect back on my life five years ago, I remember the life I used to have in pharmaceutical sales. I remember how that was such a fulfilling career for me at that time in my life. Then something changed. I had found myself almost 40-years-old with a beautiful family, a husband and two small boys. That place of contentment changed because my life became about trying to find ways to stay home with them each day. My career of pleasing my current boss and company to determine my success turned into a yearning to please my family by raising these boys into men who would benefit our society and community. I remember ENVP Jennifer Simon saying to me that we have 18 summers with our children, and I had lost eight of them already. I reflected on how my life would look if I had the career of my dreams.
This is where my real lifestyle vision began. I joined Arbonne a few years later, after ENVP Jennifer Simon "dripped" on me for two years. I jumped in with both feet in January of 2004 after my boss at the time slid a piece of paper across the table announcing my big raise for the year. It equaled about $20 per week. I tried to figure it out per hour, considering the huge number of extra hours I spent in this job that robbed my family of their time with me, and it amounted to only cents on the hour. I felt as if corporate America determined my worth with a raise, versus me determining how much I was worth myself. Corporate America told me what amount of money was in the pool this year, but I took those evaluations and allowed that money to determine my self-worth. Working Arbonne alongside my career showed me I deserved more out of life, such as time with my children, the home I always dreamed of, the ability to help my family and friends whenever they needed our help, and the ability to give my husband and children the life they deserve. Attending my first NTC in Grapevine, Texas proved to me I had made the right choice in this company with the amazing leadership Arbonne had. I knew we were headed in the right direction and this was the life I deserved.
My journey continued with people coming into my business and sometimes leaving before payday. I quickly learned to offer this business to everyone when I mentioned Arbonne’s opportunity to my dear friend for many years, ENVP Yvette Walts. She was a dance teacher who worked an average of 70-hours a week. I thought there would be no way she could fit another thing in her life. I made the decision that Arbonne was not for her, which was my mistake. When I got myself out of the way and opened the door, she walked in. One of my first lessons early in my Arbonne career was to offer this business to everyone. You do not know anyone’s personal reason Why they may need this business or who they can offer this business to. For everyone you know, they know 100 people you do not. Think of the lives you can change. Later a book was released that changed my life! I knew Arbonne was a gift to me and my family. I made a paradigm shift mentally, and started offering this business to everyone.
There were two significant times within my career where I was faced with the possibility of letting go of my dreams. ENVP Janet Elliott was a woman I met at a training seminar, and she was not in my SuccessLine. I often wondered why she would offer me advice and help when she did not benefit by the outcome. That was my first experience of people helping other people within Arbonne. She gave of herself unconditionally without any expectation of reward in return. I remember her asking me, if I was someday in the same position, to offer help to someone else, as a way of thanking her. Since that time, this has been a key philosophy I live by.
Another pivotal event was meeting ERVP Debra Banks. We roomed together at a VP leadership trip to California. This woman was so amazing because she had vision like I had never seen before! She helped me realize what was blocking my success was not having a very clear vision of where I was going. I took this concept very seriously by reflecting on what my life would actually look like once I was an NVP. How did I want to wake up each day, what time of day, who would I want to be with me on my ideal NVP day and what activities would I do? This was yet another introspective look at my business. I vividly remember the plane ride home from that trip where four other Area Managers, Charlene Laib, Lynn Underwood, Stacey Kahre and Joy Timmons, and I each wrote down our own lifestyle vision. As we listened to each one, we began to cry because we realized we all desired and deserved the kind of life Arbonne’s business could offer.
After returning home, I charged forward. We came together as a team examining each weakness and focusing on our incredible strength, to reach the next level. I examined the cracks in my core belief system. These cracks can be belief in Arbonne as a company, the products, network marketing or in oneself. I searched for ways of supporting those cracks that were evident in many team members, but soon realized the biggest crack in my own foundation was belief in myself. I used my newly-developed lifestyle vision to help other people on our team create their own and examined the basic infrastructure within my business. What was I duplicating? What kind of leaders was I creating? We found support from each other by regularly sharing time together and voicing concerns, or offering suggestions on the direction of our ship. We joined forces by opening up all local and distant events, creating calendars to share. This was a way to create buzz about Arbonne. Who would not want to be a part of this group? This was a way to keep the focus on our businesses, support each other on our journeys, and use the core belief system as our structure for moving each team member toward reaching their dreams.
I have to borrow ENVP Connie Howard’s line, “I love my life,” although my lifestyle vision is not complete yet. Even though I have met my personal goals, I am not yet complete until every person on my team who desires this level is here with me. I reflect on what my life looks like five years from now. I see myself living a more fulfilling life than I ever imagined, offering help as all my mentors unconditionally did for me. I aspire to be a role model for people who feel they may not have deserved this type of lifestyle. I aspire to raise two young boys to be compassionate, loving and caring men. People will look at them and say they are glad to know them and grateful for their contribution to society. I aspire to live my life and make a difference on this earth.
To my mentor, ENVP Jennifer Simon, who tells people what she loves most about them. Her positive insight, coupled with her own vision of raising her family, is what I love about Jennifer the most. I hooked my vision onto hers, and she so kindly showed me the way. I would not be writing this Eye on Arbonne story if not for the giving spirit of Jennifer. Thank you!
What I love about my husband, DM Farren Shanks, is his unwavering support. Even though it was questionable early on, he shares the very same vision for our family and future. Joining my business has allowed us to become business and life partners. He is now creating his very own lifestyle vision for his future!
What I love about my children, Riley and Reid, is their patience. We often speak of our life before Arbonne and our life now. They realize how this business has impacted our family for the better, and they do not understand why everyone does not join Arbonne. I recall Riley asking me at the end of each month what our WebStats look like. They realize this is a team effort and we work together even in our house. I aspire to be a role model for them, so they will always know to be grateful for this incredible life we have and dream big!
What I love about ENVP Yvette Walts is her contagious enthusiasm. She has a real gift of motivating and inspiring other people, including myself. Look at this amazing business we have built together. My life is better because you are in it. I send you so much love and gratitude.
What I love about my parents and friends is their support. My mother, Gloria, and father, Jerry, were my inspiration for always believing in myself. They are always there to lend a hand whenever it is needed. Thank you and I love you both so much. You mean the world to us!
What I love about my life is the supportive network of my dearest friends. These are people who share the same goal of making a difference in the world. Thank you to Chris Crews, Niki Traylor, Jennifer Alexander and Theresa Baggett. They support me in this journey called life. I do not know what I would be without each of them.
What I love about my downline is their constant effort in striving to be the best. Each one of them, including DMs, Bonnie Schnautz, Tammy Miller, Jill Steinmetz and Lisa Harris; AMs Mary Beth Owen, Charlene Laib, Karla Hatfield, Minda Gray, Erica Maurer, Stacia Stults, Dana Close, Lynn Underwood and Joy Timmons; RVPs, Stacey Kahre and Karla Wingo along with everyone else, from Consultants to Managers. Keep seeing your own lifestyle vision and let it be your guide when times get tough.
Arbonne’s products are botanically-based and pure, safe, beneficial. This is the quality of Arbonne. What I love even more about Arbonne are the people: It is the vision Founder Petter Mørck saw over 20 years ago; it is the Home Office Executive Team with President Rita Davenport, Chairman & CEO Bob Henry and Sr. VP Product Development & Field Events, Candace Keefe, who guide our journey internationally; it is the support of the Home Office staff, helping Clients and Consultants each day and always striving to be of better service; it is people like my upline, ENVP Cheryl Kemp, leading by example; it is our entire downline VP team, including ENVP Connie Howard, ERVP Staci Holweger, NVP Kerry Martin and all the other VPs who work together to make this journey to the top the best experience of a lifetime. And most of all, what I love is each Eye on Arbonne story I read! These are people who had struggles, life challenges, and dreams and goals, yet took a leap of faith and landed on something wonderful. Love and blessings to all of you reading my story. Please share this with someone whose life you can change today.
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.
