“Act like the CEO of a multi-million dollar business and you will become one.”
It is hard to put into words life-changing moments and life-changing decisions. I made one on November 1, 2004; sixteen months later, I am an NVP and my family and I are living a life by design. For those of you who do not know my story, I had been employed in my early twenties and quickly recognized that I was trading time for money. I knew I was working on someone else’s dreams and not my own. I was self-employed and sold real estate for several years. I worked nights and weekends and was only as good as my last sale. Then, in 1997, I opened up my own business… the American dream. The business was an international relocation firm, moving thousands of families a year into the United States for two to three year assignments with their corporations. I loved what I did! But I also had employees, rent, liability, overhead and stress. I had to continually bring in new business to keep everything going. I love the saying that if you own a business that requires you to be there, then you do not own a business; instead, you have a job. It is so true.
On January 21, 2000, I got the job of a lifetime. Katherine Hayes Braswell entered the world, and my life has never been the same! All of a sudden, things that had seemed important were no longer in the forefront of my mind. The business meetings that used to give me so much pleasure now were nothing more than hours away from my child. I knew I had to find a better way. At the beginning of 2001, we were approached by a national company that wanted to buy us out. We sold our business on August 31, 2001. Two weeks later, the world changed.
Staying home was such a blessing, but I tell people now that I became a woman who did not feel like she fit in anywhere. Can anyone relate? Corporate America seemed a million miles away, yet the sandbox on the playground left something to be desired. I met so many women during this time in my life that felt the same way. Yes, some missed and even needed the income, but most missed the interaction with others, the challenges and the setting of goals. They, and I, wanted to be able to use our talents, but we did not want to give up our first priority… our families. Yes, many people, just like me, wanted to have their cake and eat it, too.
I developed a burning passion to find a way to have and eat that proverbial cake. I wanted a smart business. I wanted a business with no employees, no liability and no overhead or space I needed to rent. I wanted a business where I could determine the hours I worked, where I worked, and with whom I worked. I wanted a business where I could develop a long term residual income. And most importantly, I wanted a business that I could teach to others so they could have the same thing. Sound impossible? Well, it actually exists, and it is called Network Marketing! I didn’t know much about Network Marketing at the time, but I knew enough to know it was probably the only business model that would fit all of the criteria I had.
When I was introduced to Arbonne in November of 2004, I knew immediately it was the company I had been looking for. I tried the products and they were awesome, but what impressed me the most was how special this company was: A 27-year-old company that the majority of the world still has not heard of, much less is able to pronounce the name of; 164 percent growth in 2005 over 2004 (unheard of); a compensation plan that is fair, attainable and generous; a corporate leadership team that reads like a “who’s who” list; a company poised for international expansion; and a pure, safe, beneficial product line that taps into the growing health and wellness industry. I jumped in with both feet and no hesitation.
Because of Arbonne, we have created a life not among the masses of mediocrity, but a life filled with dreams and hope and joy. I hear people say that they think network marketing is hard. If hearing “no” is hard, then yes, it is. If being self-motivated is hard, then yes, it is. If sharing a gift is hard, then, yes, it is. However, I do not think network marketing is hard. Let us talk about “hard” for a moment. Hard is getting up at 5:30 a.m. in the dark to get ready for your day; hard is bundling your children up on a cold morning to take them to day care; hard is working 50-60 hours per week with quotas, budgets, managers or employees; hard is having a never-at-home dad working two jobs so mom can stay home with the children; hard is going to work and praying that the corporate buy-out does not affect your job, and hard is sitting on the beltline for two hours in five o’clock traffic only to be late, yet again, to your child’s game. No, network marketing is not hard. It is a business that takes time to build, just like any other business out there. It is not get-rich-quick, and it is not a panacea. It is a business. I have seen no better business model.
If you have picked up this story with an image in your mind of “network marketers,” I encourage you to visit the Web site and read more of the stories like mine. You will see that people from all walks of life are now building businesses in a field that will become more understood and more mainstream in a few years. If you have a preconceived idea about what network marketing is and is not, educate yourself. Do your own due diligence. Do not allow lack of knowledge or someone else’s opinion to keep you from investigating something that could change your life.
I am including two pictures in my story that I hope will inspire you, as they have me. In January, my husband and I had the honor of being flown, housed, fed and entertained in Maui, courtesy of Arbonne. It was the 2007 NVP Leadership Retreat – my first one. The beauty of the island blew me away, but I was more blown away that I was there amongst the beauty of other NVPs (and I do mean inside and out!). Our conversations by the pool were never about the potential for income that we had created, but about the gift that we have been given and how dramatically all of our lives have been changed. How blessed we all feel. As we were standing in line for lunch one day, I looked to my right to see the sign, “No lifeguard on duty… Enter at your own risk… Dangerous shore break, high surf, strong current, jellyfish or man-o-war, sea urchins or sharp coral, sun exposure. Ocean conditions can change rapidly.” Ugh! Who would step beyond that sign? And then I looked beyond, at the beautiful, blue Pacific Ocean, the white sandy beaches, the exotic flowers, the catamaran, and the mountains in the horizon. Oh, how much we miss when we read the sign and do not move forward. What perceived risks are on your sign? What are you missing because of it? I encourage every one of you who are reading this story to look beyond the sign! Expand your vision and step out just enough to see what lies immediately beyond. There is a world of possibilities and beauty beyond your wildest imagination.
I am so thankful to the team of leaders who have looked beyond the sign – a team of individuals with their own dreams, reasons, and Whys, all coming together and creating a force that is unstoppable.
To my VP team, Julia Brokmeyer, Angela Bean, Amy Chandler, Marilou Braswell, Norma King and Allison Crissman: You are amazing leaders and I am so proud of the VP team we have. You are all women with amazing spirits. I am better because of you! You are my family and I love you. You will be on the NVP Leadership Retreat in 2008!
To the entire E. Braswell Nation: You are my Why. I want more for you than you can ever imagine. I know that each and every one of you has been brought to this place for a reason. Settle in to your business and remember that you are building a business that has the potential to pay you a residual income for many years to come. That, my friends, does not happen overnight!
To ENVP Kathy Lutz: Thank you for being my friend, my sounding board, and for being a servant leader. Your giving spirit has touched so many of us, and never goes unnoticed. Keith, Katherine and I love having you and Ed in our lives. You are so special to us.
To the amazing NVPs in Arbonne who have mentored me: Some of you I have met and now we are friends. I hope you each know how much you mean to me. Some of you have no idea the role you have played in my journey, for we have yet to meet. We will! And when we do, I will tell you how special you are with a big hug. Thank you!
To my amazing husband and best friend, Keith: You have made sacrifices and done so many tangible and intangible things to help us design this world we now live in. I would not want to be on this journey with anyone else but you! I promise, the best is yet to come! Thank you for believing in me every step of the way, and reminding me of my greatness when I need to hear it most.
To the light of my life, Kat Bird: I am reminded daily as I look at you how fast life happens. You are growing up so quickly, and I am so thankful that I am home to witness as much of the miracle as I can. You may not understand the nighttime calls right now, but I know that one day, you will realize how blessed we have been to not have to live in the 9-5 rat race the rest of the world is in.
To my parents: Thank you both for always being there, for always being my biggest cheerleaders and for being such awesome grandparents. There has not been a trip with Arbonne when I have felt worried about being away from Katherine, because I knew you were showering her in love! I love you both!
To you, the reader: Dream, take risks and design your life so that no one else can. Realize that in order to have an extraordinary life, you must become extraordinary. Educate yourself. Learn. Make a decision to live beyond mediocrity. Read that sign and still choose to go beyond. All it takes is one step!
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.
