"It's so hard when I have to, and so easy when I want to." ~Annie Gottlier
It's funny how things just seem to happen at the right time. I feel like I've been on a good path, but it's still kinda felt like one of those "desert" periods. You know, when everything just seems to be at a lull...but not now. I have my wonderful husband & now my beautiful son. This lifestyle change took a little adjusting to get used to, but I am SO HAPPY!
One of the hardest, biggest changes has been adjusting to life after college. I spent 8 years of my life as a college student & before that pretty much my whole life revolved around school (call me a nerd I LOVED school since I began at age 4). When I entered the workforce after graduating in 2005 I was so miserable. I hated sitting at a desk Monday-Friday dealing with people & their problems & the shortcomings of someone else's business. I was tired of my ideas not being heard & my solutions to problems being ignored.
I have had so much energy & ideas pent up inside of me trying to burst out, but I just couldn't find the right outlet. I was so demoralized by the selection of jobs out there. I just couldn't get into the job search. I could care less if someone wanted to hire me or not because I really didn't want any of the jobs I was applying for. I knew I didn't want to work for someone else. I didn't want to get paid an hourly wage. I wanted to work when I wanted to work. I wanted to benefit financially from the amount of effort that I put in. Now that I'm a mom, I want to stay home rather than putting Isaac in daycare, but I don't want to just be a housewife. You can take the lady out of the career, but you can't take the career out of the lady! I don't want to pursue something that will require me to go back to school before I can get started...I've spend enough time sitting on my behind all day everyday at a desk. Someday is here now. I want to be my own boss Now. Not when I have enough money to buy a traditional business. Not when I have the "right" education to get the "good" job. I really prefer being the one running the show, but I don't want to reinvent the wheel.
Last week the answer seemed to fall down from heavan. Somehow something just clicked! It's an idea I've had in the past, but it was never the right time & the circumstances were never right. For instance, I had registered as an Arbonne International representative last year after quitting the Princeton Review, but never placed a single order...I just couldn't afford the stuff...especially being jobless! Well, my renewal came up last week...it was $15. I was thinking that it would be a complete waste since I never did anything with it for a year. I just wasn't interested enough in it. Plus I had a lot on my plate. My grandmother was very ill & passed away last April. I was so depressed. I was pregnant & dealing with all of those hormones. I was looking for a house for a while, although it ended up having to wait another year (soon we will begin again though), I had a wedding to plan & a honeymoon to attend & finally the birth of my beautiful baby. I also sold Mary Kay while in college, but I was so overextended I could barely squeeze enough time in to sleep at night. I sold Avon when I was 18, but really just wasn't ready. I didn't have a lot of job experience & noone really mentored me. They just signed you up & basically threw you in & said "sink or swim". I mainly just bought stuff for myself so it defeated the whole "making money" thing. I tried it again when I moved back to Louisiana from Ohio, but I was so depressed & miserable that I couldn't get my mind right. I was way too easily discouraged at that time. One thing you definitely need in that kind of business is a positive attitude & I just didn't have it.
Now it's a new year & a new beginning. My family is adjusting to our new life together. We've been financially squeezed with our huge wedding debt, paying for the tremendous amount of medical bills (despite having INSURANCE), and STILL trying to save $ to buy a house this summer. We basically afford the necessities, pay the bills & everything else goes to savings. I'm a FEMALE, though, & there are just things beyond food & shelter that a girl needs! I haven't been able to get my hair done because it's so expensive. I hate going to cheap places because it seems like they always manage to destroy my hair & I always leave regretting that I had gone there. I love shopping & really need clothes, especially because my body has completely changed after the birth of my son. I have an entire wardrobe of clothes that don't fit me. I'd love to join a gym, but it's just a luxuary I can't afford right now. I also really need a new car, I'm afraid mine will not last much longer.
I had been racking my brain trying to figure out a way that I could start contributing financially while not sacrificing what it was I was looking for in a career. I knew direct-selling was the path for me. It would use all of the skills I have been building upon all of these years as a student & working. I knew it would give me the freedom to pursue my ambitions while providing a structure & support system to help me be successful. I remembered that it was only $10 to sign up for Avon. It occurred to me that rather than renewing Arbonne for $15 when I didn't even use it in the first place, why not try Avon out again in these new circumstances. It was like a lightbulb went off. I immediately called the Avon office & told them I want to sign up. An hour later I was at the office picking up my new representative kit. I've been working on something for Avon everyday since.
It's like my passion has been renewed!!! I love the training & support they offer. I love that the name "Avon" speaks for itself. I love that I can actually AFFORD their stuff & I love that I'm selling a brand that I've loved since childhood! Finally, I've found something I can get excited about. I remember as a child going door-to-door with my stepmom delivering catalogs. I remember the excitement of getting the orders in, bagging them up & distributing them. It made me feel kinda like Santa Claus. I remember as a teenager my mom & Grandma being involved in Avon. I knew every Christmas I'd be getting my favorites. I haven't actually been a customer for years & actually miss my favorite products so much. There's just something different about shopping at Wal-Mart or a department store...kinda impersonal & with noone to help me decide what's best for me to use.
Now I'm taking the Avon training courses online & learning so much. It's going to give me the confidence I need to represent the product to potenial customers. Now I have so much more job experience & I know what it takes to run a business. I'm without a doubt in the right frame of mind. I'm bursting with positivity. I KNOW I will be successful. I plan on making the bulk of my money from doing fundraisers once I'm confident enough in my knowledge to approach different groups who could benefit. Of course I'll do the individual stuff as well, but that part usually builds slowly as you begin to gain loyal, repeat customers. I know that takes a while. My goal is to do one fundraiser by this summer to contribute to our down payment.
This is my personal story, but I know that so many people experience this type of struggle. If you have a dream, but lack confidence or experience, don't let that stop you. Find a mentor, join a support group, read everything about your dream that you can find. Like the Nike slogan says..."Just Do It"! Do something to work towards that dream everyday. Every journey starts with a single step, just remember that.
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