“Dream big, cast hope, work hard and have faith in the outcome.”
If you want to live an extraordinary life, you must decide to do it. We all at sometime in our lives make critical choices that determine the way our futures will become. As you read this Eye on Arbonne story ask yourself, would you like your life to look differently than it does right now? If the answer is yes, then let me share good news with you: Your life can be different, but you must decide, take action and believe with all your heart that change is possible and that you can live the extraordinary life that you were designed to live. When was the last time you really thought to yourself, “What are my goals and dreams?” “How do I really want my life to look 5 to 10 years from now?” So many of us put our dreams and goals on the shelf because somehow the busyness of life seems to take over.
That is where I found myself when I was introduced to Arbonne. I was a stay-at-home mom, and had left my professional life as a master’s level social worker. I chose to stay home and raise our children, Sarita, 5 and Hunter, 2. I loved being home with our kids. My husband, Larry, owns and operates his own irrigation company and has provided a great living for us for over 15 years. Then, following the horrible events of 9/11, the economy weakened and Larry’s business went through three years of losses. Our income was cut in half, in order to allow the business to keep going. We cut back on our expenses but it was not enough. We were unable to make ends meet, and our debts began to creep up on us.
At the time, we were at a critical juncture in our lives. Larry already worked 80 to 100 hours per week and could not do anymore to supplement our income. So, I either had to go back to work full time and put our kids in daycare, or figure out another way to supplement our income and still be able to stay home with our kids. I dreaded the thought of going back to work for someone else. My husband’s entrepreneurial spirit had definitely rubbed off on me over the past 15 years and the thought of someone else dictating the hours I would work, when I could take time off for vacation and sick time, and what I deserved to be paid for my efforts, literally made me sick to my stomach. I also realized we were in a predicament. If something happened to Larry, we had no plan B for our family’s future financial security. Our family’s entire financial burden fell on my husband and I wanted to ease that burden. Even though my husband’s business has been very successful, to some extent his business owns him and along with his success comes very long work weeks, a lot of stress and time away from our family. We wanted to spend more time together as a family; having me go back to work full time certainly was not going to accomplish that goal.
So in April of 2004 — after being introduced to the incredible Arbonne products, loving the results, and then finding out there was a business attached to Arbonne that I could work part time from my home and still be home with my children — I decided to launch my Arbonne business. I remember thinking to myself, “What do I have to lose?” “Why would I not take action to build an Arbonne business?” I believed that Arbonne was going to be our answer to potentially supplementing our family income, getting out of debt and keeping our kids at home. I started to dream again of all the possibilities in life, and of where an Arbonne business could take not only us, but others as well. Now, two years later, Arbonne has more than fulfilled all of our expectations and continues to be one of the biggest blessings in our lives, to date. Just 13 months after launching my business, I became an RVP, and then 11 months later I became an ENVP. This journey toward Nation has been such a thrilling ride! I have such an amazing team who are filled with hope, determination and excellence, and none of this would have been possible without them. Of course, there have been ups and downs and sacrifices, along the way, but once the decision was made that this was our plan B, there was no turning back. I believed with all my heart that this business would work, if I worked the business. And, my stubborn, “I will not quit” mentality has helped me persevere through the tough times any business owner experiences as they grow a business.
Even though I believed that this could work, I will admit that when I first started, I often acted like an undercover Arbonne agent. I only let others who were close to me know I was doing Arbonne and I would only tell them if I thought they would be supportive. I was often fearful of what others would think of me; after all, I had a master’s degree and in recent years had been accepted into a Ph.D. program. I worried that others would think, why does she need to sell lipstick when she can go get a professional job? I, too, at one time in my life had bought into the belief that you had to be educated to be successful, and that the more education you had, the more successful you would be. I very quickly found out that Arbonne entails so much more than just selling lipstick, and that it is an avenue, to allow you the chance to make a difference in your life and in the lives of others.
When I first started my business, I described it to others as my “little side business,” not giving it the full value it deserved because I was initially afraid of getting a negative response. It was not until I stopped referring to it that way that it took off. It stayed small as long as I viewed it that way. I was also afraid to offer this incredible opportunity to others out of fear of rejection, or that others would think I was crazy.
Obviously, this business has helped me grow personally and I needed some personal growth! I have learned to get over being so concerned with what others think of me, and have pressed forward with my own goals, dreams and aspirations, while helping others search for and seek out their own unique dreams and desires along the way. There have been times when others have doubted, laughed, ridiculed or rolled their eyes at me. I always reminded myself that if they really knew what I did about Arbonne, they would think differently. I am no longer afraid to offer this incredible opportunity to others. The fear of rejection is pretty much gone, and when others say no to this business, I do not take it personally. I realize for some people Arbonne can be the avenue to achieve their dreams and goals, and for others the timing might not be right, or they simply have other admirable aspirations and Arbonne does not fit into their plans. Nevertheless, I wish everyone I meet could experience the incredible friendships, personal growth, income opportunity and joys associated with Arbonne.
As far as my professional education, the reason I became a counselor was to help others by improving their quality of life. Through my Arbonne business, I have the potential to improve the quality of life for others in many ways, from offering premium products that get results, to empowering others to improve their own lives, and reach for their dreams. What could be better than that?
Over the past two years, I have missed an occasional ball game, swim meet or activity my kids have been in, but those times were few and I always reminded myself I needed to keep things in perspective. These sacrifices were temporary and only for a short season, not my entire life. I reminded myself short-term sacrifices lead to long-term gains. I hope my husband and I are setting good examples for our children, through our actions. Our children see us working together as a family to pursue what we believe in.
Since being involved with Arbonne, there have been many times I have had to face my own fears, by getting out of my comfort zone. At the end of many days, I often found that I had to be bold, strong, courageous and outspoken about Arbonne even when it felt uncomfortable. And, there have been other times at the end of the day where quiet courage has spoken and I have said to myself, “I will try again tomorrow.” I believe we all are granted God-given talents and gifts, and have the ability to use those gifts to improve ourselves and the world we live in. I thank God for blessing me and my family. So let me ask you, are you ready to live your extraordinary life? If so, decide, take action and believe!
I am truly blessed to have the following people in my life and on my Arbonne team.
To my first business partner and dear friend, ERVP Julie Evanson, and her incredible team: I cannot thank you enough for all you bring to the table. I value your insight, opinions and talents. You are an incredible leader and already an ENVP in my mind. I cannot wait to celebrate Nation with you. Larry and I treasure the friendship we have forged with you, Chip and the kids. We could not imagine our lives without you being a part of it. To NVP Monica Richards and her amazing team: Your passion and love for Arbonne have always inspired me. Thank you for leading so many incredible people into this business, and setting an example for others on how to work a full-time job and build a business at the same time. To RVPs, Chelle Smitson, Erin Huston, Sue Stetson, Julie Barrentine, Kristin Busha, Karen Stuffle, Emily Headley, Lindsey Osborn and Gina Kreissler: You will be the next wave of NVPs to grace Arbonne. I am so proud of each one of you. Thank you for being dedicated, strong and talented women. To AMs Amy Hankins and Lora Beighler: You both are on your way to a very bright future with Arbonne. RVP is so close. Thank you for being such an integral part of our team. To all our DMs and new team members: Thank you for being a valuable part of our Nation. Remember, it all starts with promoting to District; if you can become a District, you can build a Nation. I believe in each of you.
To my sponsor and friend, ENVP Sandy Poe: Thank you for your words of encouragement and support these last two years. Your belief in me made such a difference. Thanks! To my incredible upline, ENVP Deb Arnold, ENVP Jennifer Harbour, ENVP Stacy Thorn and ENVP Cindy Pipkin: Thank you for your vision, leadership, encouragement and support. If it was not for all of you stepping out in faith to reach for your dreams, I would not be in Arbonne.
To President Rita Davenport: From the first time I heard you speak, I knew this was the right company for me. You are priceless. I hope you take great satisfaction in knowing how many lives you have positively affected in this business. You embody the true spirit of Arbonne. Thank you.
To my husband, Larry, and our children, Sarita and Hunter: You each make up my huge Why. Larry, I have never known another individual who works as hard as you do. You are the love of my life and my best friend. Thank you for all the sacrifices you made while I was building this business. Sarita and Hunter, I love you both beyond words and am blessed to be your mom.
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.
