“Learn to give and you shall receive; dare to seek and you shall find.”
I really believe that everything happens for a reason. With just two suitcases in hand, I moved out to sunny San Diego, California, from Cincinnati, Ohio, in January 2000. The future was ahead of me, but I really did not know what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I got a job at a golf course in Rancho Santa Fe, and shortly after starting my job, God sent an angel into my life. Her name was Joanne Lavin. She took me under her wing, as a mom would do, knowing my parents were over 3,000 miles away. I respected and trusted her judgment so much that she eventually became a positive influence in many of my life-changing decisions.
When Joanne invited me to an Arbonne pajama party at her home in Solana Beach for her sister’s birthday, I really did not know what to expect. Being an athlete my entire life and enjoying an active lifestyle filled with swimming, biking and marathon racing, I always had challenges with my skin and constantly battled cystic acne. I had tried everything on the market and nothing had worked for me in the past, so I was skeptical of the Arbonne products. That night I met ENVP Sandra Tillinghast and discovered the most amazing skin care products I had ever tried. However, at that time in my life, I did not see this as the right opportunity for me. As we say in Arbonne, “Timing is everything!”
Joanne kept “dripping” the opportunity on me little by little until I finally decided to take another look at the business. I sat in on an “Opportunity” Presentation with my dad and he was amazed by what he heard. He told me, “Go for it! You have nothing to lose!” So, in December 2004, I bought some products, moved back home to Cincinnati and started doing Arbonne Presentations. I promoted to District Manager and got stuck in that gear for a little over a year. I really did not know where my business was going because I was just “playing” Arbonne. It was then that I realized I had to commit, jump in with both feet and just do it!
In Arbonne, you learn that you can do this business part time, but not some times!
The turning point in my Arbonne business came at NTC 2006 St. Louis. I had watched some other team members promote to RVP and told myself, “If they can do this, why on earth can’t I?” I shared with some people in our NVP’s suite that I was going to go home, quit my full-time job and promote to RVP in four to six months! Until that moment, I really did not have a Why for doing the business. My Why became to help Joanne reach RVP. She had given me so much and I wanted, in some small way, to give back to her. I went back to Cincinnati and with one week left in April, doubled my volume. I got married in May, promoted to AM, doubled my volume again, and ended up promoting to RVP in exactly six months to the day! This experience has shown me that the power of the mind is amazing! If you believe you can, you can do anything.
My entire Arbonne journey has been about personal growth. Growing up as an only child, I always believed that it was about me. Since signing on with Arbonne, I am constantly reminded that life’s journey is about helping other people, not just about me. “Learn to give and you shall receive; dare to seek and you shall find,” is my affirmation each day.
Being a type A personality and always on the go, I have finally learned to stop and enjoy life. I discovered that you have to take time for yourself once in a while to recharge your batteries, and trust your team to hold down the fort. This is not a business you can do all by yourself, in isolation. The heart of this business is about reaching out to as many people as possible. And although I love motivating people, and get excited whenever I talk about the Arbonne opportunity, there have been many challenges along the way. Sometimes we find that we want it more for other people than they do for themselves. I had to learn how to accept people where they were in their lives, just like Joanne did for me. I never doubted my motivation for a second, but becoming a leader people would want to follow was something I had to learn.
I am so grateful for all the people who have come into my life. I would not be where I am today if it were not for all of you! First, I want to thank God for reminding me that His plans are bigger and better than mine and that through Him all things are possible.
To President Rita Davenport: I was hooked the moment I saw you. Your inspiration is incredible!
To my parents, Ron and Chris Fay: You taught me to believe in myself, and that is the most powerful tool you can go through life with. You are the best parents a girl could ever dream of!
To AM Janice D’Allessandro: What can I say except that you are simply the best! Thank you for giving me advice and listening when I needed you.
To my husband, AM Mike Tauber: Thank you for believing in me and supporting me when I wanted to quit my job to pursue Arbonne. You are the most amazing person I know. I love you!
To all my DMs: Have a positive attitude, believe in yourself and you can do anything!
To Ellen Ferrone: Thank you for always being there for me. I love you!
To EAM Brooke Torres: Your spirit is absolutely amazing and you are truly beautiful inside and out!
To my upline, Jana and Jerry: Thank you so much for your continued support. I would not be where I am today without you.
Last, but certainly not least, to my sponsor, ERVP Joanne Lavin: You are truly the wind beneath my wings! You have taught me to always look at the positive, let go of the past and continue to go forward with my head held high. You have shown me I can do anything I want to in life if I believe in myself. You mean the world to me and I am truly a better person for knowing you. I love you!
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.
