“First, you must believe that you can do this; then decide that no matter how long it takes to succeed, you will not quit.”
Wow! If you had told me 13 months ago … when I started my Arbonne business … that I would be an NVP this quickly, I would have said that you were crazy! I once told my husband that I would never “do Arbonne.” My husband said, “Never say never!” Well, I am eating my words.
I have known about this great opportunity for a long time, probably longer than most. You see, my aunts are President Rita Davenport and ENVP Euphiazene Linder. Now, I am sure that many of you are wondering how I could have said “no” to these awesome leaders. Well, the words “stubborn” and “hard-headed” come to mind, but they cannot begin to describe my attitude. The bottom line was that I did not believe … in me, that is. I knew that Arbonne offered an awesome opportunity, combined with awesome products. It just was not for me. I did not want to “sell.” I did not want my friends or neighbors whispering and saying, “Shhhh ... here she comes! Run!”
It was a real tug-of-war. On one end of the rope there was Rita, Euphiazene and my husband, (he believed in me, long before I did), and on the other end, me, with my heels dug in, all alone. I would not give in no matter how much it hurt, and no matter how long I had to hang on. I remember Rita’s phone calls, each one more compelling than the last. I always had an excuse. Here are just a few: Baseball, carpooling, cheerleading, sick children, church duties … and many more. Many times I just would not answer the calls! In fact, Rita was the reason we purchased caller ID. I remember the Christmas when I opened a package from Rita. It was a Mercedes-Benz key ring. That was all! I called her to see what she was up to. Her response? “You could earn a key and a car to go with that, you know?” My response? “I do not want a Mercedes-Benz. I am comfortable, and I am busy.” I was not giving in. “No” was my final answer, or so I thought.
Then something happened in 2001. I met ENVP Sharon Metzgar. She had met my husband and when she found out who I was related to, she questioned my sanity and then thought that she would see why I was not in the business. She called me, and, just to get her off my back, I signed up as a Consultant to purchase product at a discount. I “played” Arbonne for a few months, especially after I found out that NTC was in Long Beach, California. It was our 10th wedding anniversary and I knew that if I told Kevin I wanted to go to learn more about Arbonne, he would agree to go with me. Well, off we went to California. I heard great stories at NTC, but deep down I felt that I could never do what those ladies did. All of the reasons why I said “no” in the beginning all started to come back to me. Once again, I dug my heels in … deeper than ever … and I would not let go of that rope. We came home, built a new house, got pregnant with child number four and Arbonne was forgotten.
That is, until one life-changing phone call from Rita. She asked me what I would do if something happened to Kevin? I told her that we had great life insurance. She laughed (and I was being serious!) and then Rita asked me how long I thought that money would last, with four kids to raise all by myself. I did not want to think about that. Still, Rita continued, she asked me what I would do if Kevin did not die, but became disabled? (My husband really appreciates this story, by the way.) I had no answer, no plan B, and she knew it.
Fast forward to August of 2004. We took a family trip to Gulf Shores, Alabama. We had just arrived home, after driving for eight hours with four kids in the car and we were exhausted. We had not even unloaded the car, when I began opening my mail. The first thing I opened was our mortgage. Now, let me tell you that in 14 years of marriage I have never once been late with a bill, so when I discovered that our mortgage payment had increased by almost $500 dollars, I panicked.
After a couple of desperate phone calls, I learned that when we had refinanced, our mortgage company figured our taxes and insurance incorrectly, therefore our escrow account was short by about $6,000 and they wanted the money as soon as possible. My first thought was that we did not have $6,000. We did not have an additional $500 dollars laying around, either. We did have four kids; a beautiful home, two cars, medical bills and … we had a problem. I started talking about getting a job at the mall. All this time, my husband was unloading our sleepy kids from the car and he was begging me not to panic. He said that he would take care of things and not to worry.
Kevin came home a few days later, with what seemed like a great opportunity. We are blessed to be friends with one of the best realtors in our town, David Alcorn. He and Kevin were going to purchase some land and develop it. I thought this sounded risky. We would have to borrow a large sum of money and, at best, it would be a short-term fix. What would we do in five years, when our daughter started college?
My wheels began to turn and my mind continued to turn back to Arbonne. I had placed an order, (I did this periodically because, in spite of the hard-headedness, I still loved the products!), and several Eye on Arbonne stories arrived with it. I read them all. I remember thinking, “What is the difference between those women and me?” The answer was clear: They believed that they could do it, and they did. They did not quit after hearing a few, “nos.” They did it for their families and on that October day, I decided that I would do it, too! The tug-of-war was over. I got over myself and into Arbonne, with both feet. I adopted a whatever-it-takes attitude. I started talking to everyone I knew about Arbonne. Was I afraid? Yes! Did I know it all? No! Was I going to quit? No way!
I pushed myself further than ever before, and I went from a Consultant who purchased product for personal use, to RVP, in four months. I knew that it would take a lot of hard work, but I was so excited about what this business could do for my friends and family! If you have read this Eye on Arbonne story and you still are not sure if you can do it, please hear this: The only difference between you and me is that I decided, and then I believed. I believe that there is more to life, and I am finding “more” each day.
I would like to thank all of those who have been a part of my Arbonne journey: To President Rita Davenport and ENVP Euphiazene Linder: Thank you will never be enough. You believed in me, long before I believed in myself. Thank you for your leadership and encouragement throughout this journey. What an example both of you have been! I know that dad would be so proud of all of us!
To ENVP Sharon Metzgar: I am proud to be in your SuccessLine. Thank you for calling me every six months, or so, just to see how the Anderson family was doing … even when I did not return your calls. Your patience paid off. You are the best!
To ERVP Paula Baker: I cannot imagine my life without you. I am so glad that you said, “yes” on that day in October, when I called. What if you had said, “no?” Our lives would not have been the same. Thank you for trusting me. What a joy it is to be in business with your best friend. You are an awesome leader and it is reflected in the eyes of your team! May you and Mike continue to experience the “more” in “more to life.”
To ERVP Leslee Nelius: I am so glad that you came to the Presentation at EDM Shannon Sledge’s home. My phone was ringing 15 minutes after I left, and it has not stopped since. You have become one of my dearest friends and you definitely bring excitement to our team. To RVPs Nola Monks and Linda Clark: I am honored to be a part of your lives. You are both awesome, servant leaders.
To my sweet, sister-in-law, AM Barbara Anderson: You will be an RVP soon! So, congratulations. I am so proud of you. You and Ronald make a great team! To all of my DMs and AMs: As President Rita Davenport says, “Do not quit before payday.” Have the kind of belief that will pull you through. Be passionate and nothing will stop you! To all of my crossline VPs: Thank you for your awesome leadership and for sharing your ideas with everyone. To all of the Consultants in our Nation: You are the heartbeat of our business and you are walking and talking testimonials.
To the Home Office staff: What can I say, “You are the best!”
To EDM Theresa Mangrum (mom) and Anthony: Thank you for all of your support. You have done so much for me. Thank you for all of my life lessons learned. You are the best nanny in the world!
Last, but not least, thank you to my beautiful family. Kevin: You are my soul mate. You are the reason I wanted this so badly. I love every minute that we have together and I want to make it last a lifetime. I cannot wait to explore the world together! During the first six months of my business you cooked, cleaned and took care of our four babies, without once complaining. You set the standard for all men everywhere. For the last seven months, you have become my “opportunity man.” You believed in me, long before I did. Thank you for 14 wonderful years of marriage. We have a lifetime waiting, so let us go and enjoy it!
To my awesome children — my gorgeous Taylor: You are the best babysitter in the world and so much more. I could not have done this without you. Caleb, your life is a story of perseverance. Stay confident and kind. You are a blessing to all of us. Connor: You are the coolest! Thank you for your childlike faith. If only everyone had your heart and belief! I look forward to many more “adventures” together. Natalie Gayle: You are my own Cinderella. You are the only 2 year old I know who can say, “Arbonne” and “Mercedes” perfectly. You all will never know the joy that you have brought to my life, but I will spend the rest of my life trying to tell you, anyway. I love you all so much!
Finally I would like to thank God for His provision and favor. Without Him, it would not be.
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.
