Something Like a Phenomenon

I’m seeing something really new and insane on Facebook lately.  That is the fact that MANY people I know have decided they want to be happy, successful and in control.  What a crazy concept.  It’s admirable, it’s inspiring and flat out awesome.  BUT, these friends of mine – and myself, I might add – are taking a lot of heat for it.  Wait, what?  People are judging others on their life and career choices?  What a strange new concept, and on Facebook, no less – weird.

I would say that 95% (a statistic I just made up, but I think it’s pretty accurate) of my Facebook friends that have decided to take the bull by the horns are women in the 25-40 age range.  We are wives, we are mothers, we are educated and even have some pretty fantastic jobs outside of the house.  But, we want more.  And if we are willing to work for it, putting in the sweat and tears and enduring backlash – sometimes publicly, and by people we love and trust – who is anyone to say that it is wrong?

This phenomenon I am describing is the move towards direct sales, multi-level marketing, sharing the health, beauty, wellness, nourishment, self-help or sometimes just ‘fun’ products that are working for us through Challenge Groups and home-based and online parties.   I don’t want to lose you so I will immediately address the elephant in the room: Pyramid Scheme.  Nope, go back to your dictionary and look up “scheme” please.  Now, there are several definitions, but everyone who balks at my attempts to share my company and its benefits throws around ‘scheme’ as a negative, in particular “an underhanded plot.”  It is surprising to me that people question my sincerity.  I am an honest person, I am kind and I genuinely care about others.  I had trouble losing weight and, more importantly, finding time to keep myself healthy after I had two children.  I turned to Beachbody because I saw that several of my HS classmates had success with the “Challenge Group” model based on working out, eating healthy, taking supplemental shakes and – here’s the kicker – SUPPORTING EACH OTHER!!  What kind of no-good scheme is this?!?!  Seriously, anyone who doubts the sincerity of a group of people who will give their time, energy and advice to people they may or may not know loooooong past their commission is in the bank are underestimating us as humans.

I had heard of many other companies in the past, been approached about being a distributor or salesperson for several different categories of products, but the truth is, I’m just not a salesperson.   I’m the person that, in training, when you’re told “don’t take ‘no’ for an answer” replies: “Okay, but what if … (insert any feasible or ridiculous objection here)” and promptly gets told that maybe this isn’t my calling.   I don’t like to pressure people, I don’t like to be pushy and I’m certainly not terribly bold.  I can’t be dishonest and suggest a product to someone that I don’t truly believe is great for them just to make a buck.  It’s just not me.  And it’s not my coach, either, nor is it any of my teammates.  Also, of all of the ladies I know that work in home-based direct sales with different companies and offering different products – it’s not them, either.  So, why do we get told we’re ‘annoying’ when we post about a self-help opportunity, a business opportunity or when we try to share a new product?

Is it because we want you to buy something?  Perhaps … but we only want you to buy if you need it or want it.  I really don’t want you to buy something through me that you don’t want.  You know why?  Here, I’ll tell you:  once you do, we are linked financially, and people tend to get protective of their financial investments, with good reason.  I am a representative of the company that you purchased from.  If you make a purchase and you hate it, I’m going to hear about it.  I don’t like to hear about people being unhappy.  And the thing is, the way Beachbody works is that when you buy something from them and I get my portion in commission, that is just the beginning of our relationship.  I don’t just say: “Okay, thanks for your purchase and peace out …”  That is when the fun begins for us!  I want to help you get healthy, Beachbody provides the tools, but I provide the guidance and support.  This is the part I love … the part where the people I am helping see the numbers on the scale dropping, they feel healthier, have more energy and realize that healthy food doesn’t have to taste like cardboard and that the shakes we swear by actually taste good!  Sorry, I think I’m getting a little selly, here, but I really do love this job.

I want to give a short recap of how this all got started, for me, anyways.  Back in the day, I was born a female.  Then I started growing, I grew up, but not out too much.  I was skinny.  My aunt teased me by saying I had to run around in the shower to get wet.  I wore a size 0 through high school all the while eating fast food, cookies, chips, etc. and not gaining a pound.  I had the appetite of Augustus Gloop from Willy Wonka with a much more sleek waistline.  Pure dumb luck.  Oh, I played lots of sports, that probably helped.  But even so, I wasn’t very good at any of them, so it didn’t help me that much.  Skip forward roughly 15 years to my childbearing days.  Two kids over five years.  I never made the effort to lose all the weight after my first daughter was born.  Why bother?  I’m just gonna have another, so I’ll wait.  Well, that was stupid.

I gained an appropriate 30 lbs with each pregnancy, lost most of it in between but just because I no longer had a person in me, not because I made an exerted effort to do it.  I was 35 years old carrying around 30-40 pounds more than my little 5’4″ frame would really like and I was miserable.  My six-year-old finds it really amusing that I had to buy a drug-store cane to help me walk because my hips kept giving out on me.  I had to leave work a month before I had planned because I flat out could not physically get out of bed some days, my legs didn’t work.  It was sorta crappy.  If you are wondering what that much extra weight feels like, imagine this:  you’re Baby – from Dirty Dancing, of course.  You’re trying to meet some new friends at the family “camp” your parents dragged you to because your older sister is a certified loony and you’re too cool to hang with her.  Of course, you’re going to gravitate towards the ‘bad boys,’ the ones wearing leather jackets & partying in the back room of the dining hall.  So, you think you’re in and what do they ask of you?  Anyone?  You get stuck carrying a watermelon.  A watermelon!  And a really big one, at that.  Do you remember how awkward she looked carrying that watermelon?  Do you remember how she struggled with it and how it looked really heavy?  Do you remember that, when she finally rid herself of that burden, she declared: “I carried a watermelon.”?  Well, I do!  And she should be proud, that shit looked heavy!  Now, I did some research (for real this time) and the average watermelon weighs 20-25 lbs.  Imagine if cool leather-jacket guy had loaded her up with TWO watermelons!  Would have quickly turned into a horror movie – slash – Gallagher live show.  What’s my point?  I was carrying TWO watermelons, Baby.  Now I know why they called her “Baby.”  She totally was.

Wow, I got really off topic – but it was fun, right?  So, back to me having two kids, needing to lose weight, blah blah blah.  A couple of lovely ladies from my high school career reached out to me shortly after #2 was born.  They suggested I join a Challenge Group to help me get back to a healthy body.  I respectfully declined, I was happy just spending time with the girls and not ready to work just yet.  I tried eating healthier, that worked for a short time.  I tried working out on my own, I lost some of the weight.  Then the holidays rolled around and I remembered how much I liked cookies.  I liked cookies so much that I sent about 200 of them down the hatch and straight to my thigh-butt-abdominal region.  They promptly got to work increasing that scale number by 15 over two months time.

I finally decided it was time for help – I reached out to one of the ladies that had approached me almost a year earlier and told her I needed to get me some of what she had.  I joined a Challenge Group right after Easter even though my birthday fell a few days into my challenge.  (Have no fear – I celebrated with a sweet cake before I started.)  I won’t go into specifics but I lost 20 lbs over a couple of months and have kept it off.  I loved the products so much, and the support, and friendship, and camaraderie, that I decided to become a coach and help others the same way.

I’ve joined an incredible group of people that want to be healthy and help others do the same.  I’ve not only lost the extra pounds that were keeping me from doing what I wanted with my kids, but I’ve also started getting stronger, noticing an increase in my energy, a more positive mood and my body just feels like it’s working right for the first time in a long time.  Since I’ve decided to become a coach, I’ve helped others achieve the same things I have and in doing this, I’ve been able to supplement my income to help my family.  I know there is a ton of potential with this company and I’m hopeful that I can help others reach their health & fitness as well as financial goals.

There is nothing shady about this.  It’s not for everyone, but the products I use and share with others DO work.  It requires a commitment, however.  Like anything that’s worth anything in this world, it won’t be handed to you, you have to work for it.  That also goes for many other direct sales businesses.  I know of several lovely ladies that are involved with skincare companies.  These products are incredible and just because you buy them from a consultant and not in a drugstore or department store does not make it a “scheme.”  I’ve also supported some friends that represent companies that sell fashion accessories.  I love the products and I love knowing that my friends are supporting their families with my purchases.  Kitchen utensils and cooking products is another fantastic category.  Essential oils are becoming very popular as well.  I personally know people that represent all of these types of companies.  We are doing the work, we are hosting parties, starting Challenge Groups and supporting our clients.

This is the way many of us are choosing to make a living.  The Facebook landscape is changing quickly to reveal that.  Before you judge our choice, or perhaps make it YOUR choice, remember this: we are honest, we are supportive of our products and we truly feel that the things we are sharing with our friends and potential clients are things that can improve your life, or just add some fun to it.

If you are interested in supporting a work-from-home entrepreneur by purchasing from a direct sales company or maybe joining this crazy movement to be your own boss, please leave a comment with your email or send a message via the “contact me” button.  I have several consultants with various companies that I would be happy to recommend.  Oh, yeah, and myself, too – if you’re looking to get back on track with your health & fitness or maybe try something new as far as workouts & nutrition goes, I’m your chick, send a note!