Love & Leadership Book Club - "Get Over Your Damn Self"

 

In 2011, I was a former full-time musician working as a music teacher in a public school. I also worked part-time at several additional jobs in the district while performing on the weekends to make extra money. Busy was an understatement.  I felt pulled in so many directions. 

My two-year-old son was living at daycare nonstop. And it still wasn't enough to keep up with my student loans and bills and provide the feeling of stability my family needed.

 

On top of everything else, the school district I worked for was struggling.  We had no support in our classrooms. Most of our supplies came out of our own pockets. Morale was at an all-time low, and layoffs were inevitable.

 

When a friend introduced me to Arbonne's products and business model, I felt like she reached out and switched on the light at the end of the tunnel for me.   I am so grateful to her because she was brave enough to ask me some important questions that made me think, like: "What if you continue doing what you are doing now? Where will you be financially in five years?" And "What if something were to happen to your household's main source of income?  How long could you survive on what you have saved?".  My answers to those questions were both embarrassing and terrifying.  So I sat up straight and started taking notes.

 

When I heard the details of how Arbonne works and the earnings potential, my wheels started turning.  The woman standing in front of me was an Area Manager with Arbonne. The average earnings at that level were about $1500 per month.  She had just left her full-time job to be with her four kids.  She was reading from cue cards.

 

I can read from cue cards.

 

All I could think was that when you took daycare prices into account, she was not only doing better than me at the end of the month; she didn't have to leave her kids to be raised by strangers to earn a paycheck.  I believed that if she could do it, I could too. So I signed up, made some cue cards, and started my own Arbonne business.

 

When I started, I was happy earning extra money alongside my multiple jobs. However, a few months later, I was laid off from my teaching position, which meant I also lost part-time work in the district. I went from having four so-called stable jobs to having none. And I still had to pay my student loans every month!  So, I called my mentors in Arbonne immediately and asked them what I needed to do to turn my Arbonne Business into the backup plan I needed.

 

Before I go any further, you can check out what's typical when starting an Arbonne business by going to earnings.arbonne.com.  But for now, I am going to share my reality. Because, in my opinion, being typical is a choice.  I had a necessity that inspired me to go beyond the typical effort people might put into a side hustle.  You can do the same if you have the need or desire and are willing to back it with action.

 

My coaches and mentors rallied around me with a solid action plan and a ton of love and support.  I put my blinders on and followed their coaching step by step.  I stepped out of my comfort zone, stayed consistent in my efforts, and connected with new people daily. I shared this brilliant opportunity and these gorgeous products with everyone I could.  

 

Over time, the most amazing things happened.

 

I started having fun with it, seeing results, and I fell in love with helping others find those same results within themselves.

 

When I received my final paycheck from my school district, I knew I would never return to working a full-time job again.  Now, because of my relationship with Arbonne, I feel like I can accomplish anything I put my mind to. I have learned so much about discipline and taking pride in building my life.  I have learned to believe in myself.  I have learned that working hard to accomplish big goals has unique rewards.   Because of my Arbonne business, I feel empowered to create more choices for myself and my family. Because of Arbonne, I feel blessed to pay this empowerment-based lifestyle forward to others and feel a sense of fulfillment that I have never experienced before.

 

This is your chance to step outside of your comfort zone and into growth.  Know that you have everything you need within you to become successful if that is what you choose.  Take action, believe, learn, and connect with this fantastic team, and I believe you can do anything you put your mind to.  You deserve success.

 

XO Maria