Like a Mother

Redefining Motherhood

Rocking Your Biz

Dear Washington Post: I Built a Business and Lasting Friendships with Multi-Level Marketing

A Washington Post article making the rounds right now claims that multi-level marketing (MLM, or network marketing) organizations are ruining female friendships. The author cited a few specific stories of bad examples, and those who don’t see the value in the MLM business model quickly shared it with glee while relating their own stories about that one time someone misled them with a sales pitch.

I’m not going to deny that some people in network marketing businesses operate without morals and use tactics that, quite frankly, suck. And when that happens, it makes everyone in the industry look bad.

But there are people in EVERY industry who do their jobs in a way that makes their field look bad. Ever heard a lawyer joke? Know any lawyers who aren’t ambulance-chasing snakes? Yes? Me too. In fact, most of the lawyers I know are honest and moral business men and women. Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever actually met an ambulance chaser. Ever.

Similarly, despite the Washington Post portrait of people in MLM, I have met many honest, hard-working, strong, wonderful women through my experiences with network marketing. I joined my first network marketing company after the birth of my third child. My family had relocated to the Philadelphia area a year before, and I worked from home prior to his birth. I knew very few people in the area, and I was lonely and looking for a way to get out of my house.

That first company opened a door for me. It got me to step out of my comfort zone. I signed up to be a vendor at community events, and I joined networking groups. Most importantly, I made friends — most of whom I’m still connected with now.

After a few years, I moved on, but my friendships remained because they were built on more than just a sales pitch. I had built real relationships with good people both inside and outside the industry. And when the time came, when one of those friends presented another network marketing opportunity that fit with my life and values, I jumped on it.

I can’t speak for all network marketers, only for myself and how I coach my team to succeed. My philosophy is pretty simple: don’t be a jerk. Treat people the way you want to be treated in business and in life, no matter what business you’re in. It’s a simple philosophy that has helped me simultaneously build my business and my friendships.

How Becoming an Independent Color Street Stylist Helped Me Get My Groove Back

Never Say Never

When I started this blog I talked about how Network Marketing brought me to Networking. While that initial business, and a second, had both gone by the wayside, I still loved the community I built through it, and I continued to support my friends in their network marketing businesses. I honestly never though I would return to it, but never say never!

Last spring I was having coffee with a good friend when she told me about being approached to join a soon-to-be-launched company called Color Street. She told me a little about it, and while the thought of being part of something from the beginning intrigued me, I didn’t think the opportunity was for me. But I was truly excited for her and promised to support her in any way that I could!

A few weeks later, after she had officially signed on as a Presidential Founder, she hosted an exclusive preview party of the new product. I kept my promise and went to show my support.

And then I actually tried the product, a strip made of real nail polish that went on dry, and I went from intrigued to sold!

A New Adventure Begins

In June of 2017, Color Street officially launched with me as one of their Independent Founding Stylists. I was so excited to get started because I truly loved the product and knew that it would appeal to busy moms like me, but also because I knew this business had potential. In my opinion, for a direct sales product to be successful, it has to meet three criteria:

1) Be Marketable

2) Be Consumable

3) Have Perceived Value

Color Street met all my criteria! The product appeals to anyone who likes to have their nails painted, which according to Statista.com is over 105 million women in the United States. The nail industry is an almost $9 billion industry. Is there a market for this product? YES!

Second, I wanted a product that was consumable. In my past experience I had partnered with a company that had a super-fun product that I loved selling, and for my first few months in the business, I was a top seller in the company. But the product was a one-and-done purchase. Unless you were buying for others, or wanted a slightly different style, repeat buyers were difficult to capture. While you should always be looking for new customers, repeat buyers are an important part of any business, and the constant prospecting for new customers can be daunting. Nail polish doesn’t last forever, and our nail polish strips are fun, fast, and easy, so repeat buyers are the bread and butter of my business!

My last criteria is value. I was only going back to direct sales if I could stand behind the value of the product. A one-time-use package of Color Street nail polish strips costs $11 – $14, but with the ongoing Buy 3 Get 1 Free special, you can get four sets for less than $40, averaging at less than $10 per manicure, which is about the same price as a bottle of nail polish. But it is way less than a traditional salon manicure, which averages around $20 in the United States. And many customers are able to do a complete manicure and pedicure from one package. Also, what’s your time worth? As a working mom of three, I don’t have time to wait for my nails to dry. With Color Street, I can do my nails in 10 minutes before I go to bed. And with no dry time, I can pull up the covers and go right to sleep without worry that the bedding will mess up my polish.

A Year Later

It’s officially been a year since I launched my Color Street business, and what a year it’s been. There were unexpected challenges in my personal life including the unexpected passing of my father, helping my mother navigate her new role as a widow, the hospitalization of my oldest son, and a diagnosis of dyslexia for my daughter. Despite these things and others, my business has thrived! I have grown a team of over 500 amazing Stylists and in July of 2018 our team’s lifetime sales volume surpassed $1 million! And we are just getting started!

Also in July 2018 Color Street held their annual conference in Las Vegas. I was invited to share my story of how Color Street has affected my life. In a nutshell, it gave me my groove back. I never intended to be a full-time stay-at-home-mom, but life had other plans when it gave me my son Bobby. Over the years, I’ve struggled with my identity and self-worth. My business has allowed me to see myself as more, to regain my prior confidence, to find purpose in helping other men and women succeed, and to be the women I know I’m meant to be while still being the mom I need to be. (To see my full speech, click here.)

Curious? Ask Me About My Nails!

Half of you are reading this and thinking, “Oh, great, now all the content is just going to be about her business. Girl, bye!” Let me assure that won’t be the case. The blog started as a forum to share badassery and celebrate moms who get shit done, and this business is just one aspect of my badass life. I’ll still be talking special needs, sandwich generation, raising little humans, and all the things. But yes, there will be a few posts about this business too.

The other half of you are reading this and thinking, “What if?” And to you I say, “Why not?” If you want to learn about the business without actually talking to me, join my Facebook group, Ask Me About My Nails, and start stalking the business there. If you’re ready to learn more, let’s chat. I promise I’m not pushy or salesy. I’m real, and I’m honest, and I’m the first to understand if you say it’s not for you. I’d love you just as much as a customer or a hostess as I would as a Stylist on my team.

If you take nothing else from this post, don’t overlook an opportunity in front of you, no matter what it is. Don’t let your circumstances allow you to pass by something that could be amazing. Don’t let fear stand in your way. The most amazing things happen on the outside of our comfort zones. That thing you’ve been thinking about doing that you just haven’t pulled the trigger on yet could be the one that helps you get your groove back too!

Word to Your (Like A) Mother 2017

The year we will forever know as 2016 is coming to a close. I don’t know about you, but this year has been a bit rocky for me. It started out with a bang. I had big plans, but then life threw some unexpected curve balls, and I found myself joining the throngs screaming a big old “F-you!” to 2016.

In recent years, I haven’t been one for resolutions, and quite honestly, I have never been a huge fan of New Year’s Eve or Day – too many expectations, and far too many years of watching that silly ball drop alone have made me jaded. Lately I find myself focusing on MY new year, my birthday, which was in late November. It’s a day when the only expectations are my own.

But a new trend (or at least new-to-me trend) has sparked my interest in the new year, and especially after 2016 fell a bit flat for me, I am ready to give it a try. It’s choosing a word for the coming year.

I started hearing a little about picking a word for the year last new year’s, but didn’t pay much attention. I mean, it sounded cool – picking a word as your word of the year – but how was this going to help me? I just couldn’t see it… or maybe I didn’t want to.

But the idea appeared again this year, and this time I paid attention. It popped up a few times, which is typically a sign from the universe that I need to put on my listening ears and engage with the idea. Most recently, it came in the form of a book written and shared by Nicole Lewis-Keeber and her cousin Michelle Lewis. The book is called The Resolute Word.

In the book, a short Kindle read, they share their experiences with finding and choosing a word and how it led them to start an online community. The idea wasn’t theirs exclusively, but how they are encouraging others to find their word, and the community they have built, make this idea more tangible.

My first misconception about the word of the year was that I should just pick a word, which to me seemed overwhelming. There are so many words, and so many things I’d love to see this coming year bring. How do I choose just one word? This is where The Resolute Word was incredibly helpful. Nicole and Michelle provide exercises to get the word choosing juices flowing. These ideas are things I never would have thought of, but are simple and require little more than quieting your mind and listening to yourself and the world around you.

Had you asked me before I read the book, I would have probably chosen the word love. I’m all about love, and it would seem the obvious choice for me. But love is not my word for 2017. After reading the book and doing the exercises, my word appeared like a Broadway marquis… and it’s definitely not love. What is it? You have to wait January 1st to find out!

Is the word of the year the new resolution? Who’s to say, but for me it feels right!

And if it feels right to you, I encourage you to download The Resolute Word to help you find yours. The book is free if you have Kindle Unlimited, and just $0.99 if you don’t. Also, Nicole and Michelle are donating all proceeds from the book through the end of January to help Syrian refugees, so you can help yourself with this guide, and you’ll be helping others with your purchase!

Then, come back here on January 1, 2017 to learn my word for the year, and how I came to choose it, or how it chose me, and share yours! And get ready to take on 2017 like a mother!

Success and the Fear of Failing

Not too long ago my husband and I went to the driving range. I’m not a golfer, at all, but it’s something my husband enjoys, and it’s something I can tolerate, so we have found it to be a good day-date activity.

I had hit maybe 20 balls, and I was nearing the end of my golf ball hitting tolerance, but I decided to hit one more. I lined up my club and took the shot. It was perfect – well perfect for me at least – 175 yards straight down the middle – a beautiful shot!

I set my club down, looked at my husband and said, “That’s it. I’m done. I want to end on that note.” I walked over the bench and sat down while he finished hitting the rest of the bucket.

After we left, I thought back on that moment. How often do we do that in life? We have that one successful moment, and we think, “This is my one success. How could I ever repeat it? I don’t want to try again because I’m afraid I’ll fail.”

That fear of failure is what holds us back so often from the things we want to do, even if we have had success. Some people believe that success breeds more success, but sometimes success can actually be detrimental to our motivation and the way that we pursue things in the future.

What I have found over the years is that famous Wayne Gretzky quote is true, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” I missed every single one of those next golf shots because I didn’t take them. I didn’t try.

How many shots do you miss each day?

You need to honor your successes. You need to be grateful that they happened. You need to carry them with you, but you cannot be afraid to take that next shot!

Step up, take that next shot – and take it like a mother!