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This is a Wonderful example of a Consultant finding her reason WHY she is doing Heritage Makers as a Business.
My WHY Story Several years ago, I was a senior manager of Information Technology in corporate America, enjoying a hefty six figure salary and a meteoric rise to the top of my company with my sights on being a CIO or CTO. I had a large team, a mission-critical responsibility to my company, autonomy, and respect; I loved what I did and I was good at it.
I tell you all this for the sake of simply painting a picture of where I have been, and how far I’ve come.
I had no children and had effectually decided that I would never have any. I babysat once or twice as a little girl, never changed a diaper, and had never held a newborn. It just wasn’t “me”. As I approached my late thirties, I feared I would regret that decision and ultimately my husband and I decided to have a child. I had no doubt I would resume my career in corporate America and put my baby in daycare.
I, like any other first time mom, will never forget the day my daughter was born. When the nurse laid her on my chest after those 31 long hours, and I looked into the eyes of the most beautiful creature ever to grace this earth, I decided right then and there that I would never let this tiny little angel be raised by anyone other than myself.
Although I knew this decision was right for me, it wasn’t something I could easily share with anyone. I happened to be the breadwinner in the household, and I knew our family could not sustain the lifestyle we enjoyed if I didn’t work. Truthfully, it was much more dire than that; I feared my decision would mean bankruptcy for our family.
I spent the next two months racking my brain on how I could possibly be a stay at home mom. I finally mustered enough courage to share my decision with my husband, to which he responded with only one word: sure. Then: we’ll figure out something.
I spent hours asking God to help me find a way. I prayed and cried and savored every minute with my daughter as the days of my paid maternity leave ticked away. My husband reminded me constantly that God would provide and to have faith. He sold his Lexus and his investment property; I cut our monthly expenses by nearly $3,000. I started shopping at Walmart clearance for clothes and food. We took out a second mortgage. With our extensive commitments, we were still in the red every month, even though my life was now a far cry from my pampered days of buying designer handbags at Nordstrom. But I praised God for every single second.
Two weeks before my maternity leave was over, shocking nearly everyone and with no prospects except certain bankruptcy, I quit my job.
At that point, I knew I would be closing the door on my career forever. There is no way to recover from a hiatus from the corporate America fast track. For a woman who dares to choose family over career in a male dominated field, it simply can’t be done. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
I shared my dream of permanently staying home with everyone I knew and then one day, the phone call came. My friend Wendy Sue called from Oregon to say she had “found something that would be perfect” for me because she knew how much I loved books and loved photographs. She had been a guest at a home party for beautiful hardbound books. She heard the consultant say they were looking for representatives around the nation. Would I be interested?
What a question! I took a look at the website and at once understood the beauty of what story booking had to offer. And what an opportunity! It was an answer to a prayer. A fledgling company, an incredible product, a visionary leader who says things like “do well by doing good”? Wow!
But a party-plan company? I had never even been to any kind of home show–ever. And there were terms like active legs and bonuses and generations…it was almost too overwhelming. I had zero experience and was starting at the bottom once again. But how could I ever sell enough books to replace my salary? It took me nearly a year to understand the power of overrides and residual income, and to truly believe in the business model. But when I finally understood the overwhelming potential this gift presents us, I wonder why more people don’t become independent consultants.
I will never do anything else.
The last year and a half of my life has perhaps been the hardest but at the same time, the most rewarding. I have only been to the movies three times but I have heard my daughter’s first word and seen her take her first step. I have only been out to dinner twice but my daughter didn’t have to have baby formula or go to daycare. We are not out of financial danger yet but I have never once regretted my decision.
I have spent the last 7 months concentrating on building my business and it has paid off with a solid, sustainable team which will only grow.
What is my WHY, you ask? I have so many. To stay home with my daughter. To share this opportunity with people that are looking for a way out of their current career. To retire my husband. To live the lifestyle I want. To pay off all those pesky debts that still linger. To be able to lead a team again. To inspire others to believe in themselves, to believe that nothing is too difficult if you commit yourself to it. To share the power of story, because it can truly change lives.
What does being a Heritage Maker mean to me? It means everything.
J. V.
Heritage Makers Independent Consultant
While looking through the great box of photos we have, I found some photos that bring back great memories and stories.
One of our many sojurns in this life was in Africa, our birth place. We used to take vacations to a wonderful hot springs in the remote part of northern South Africa. We would enjoy several days of camping and exploring the area. These were great times that we remeber with great fondness. Simple days camping, swimming, daytime naps in the shade and the companionship of our small children. What fun we had.
One such treat was to explore the Baobab trees in the area.
The Baobab tree will always bring back special memories for us. As you can see they are very unique trees that are found in the arid parts of Africa and India. They are often hard to describe to people and do justice to such a magnificent tree.
So here are some photos including photos of “the Baobab tree kids”.
August 31st each year is a tough date for me. It was this day many years ago when as a young couple we knelt in the darkness of an empty hospital waiting room and poured out our hearts to our Father in Heaven and pleaded for the life of our 23 month old son to be spared. This little boy, our oldest son who just a few hours before had been a normal little boy scampering around our feet, lay in a hospital bed on deaths door due to a fatal type of meningitis. The sun rose that Sunday morning bringing an end to a long night of agony and opening a day of pain as we said our final goodbye to our son and went home to gather around family and friends to prepare for a life without our precious little son.
Fortunately we had a little 11 month old baby boy at home so life was merciful to us and we didn’t have to confront a home of silence and the emptiness of not having a baby to hold and rock to sleep.
As the days and weeks moved forward and the ache in hearts felt unbearable we found our hearts were comforted in so many ways. Our prayers were heard and answered not by a reprieve from the loss of our son but rather our hearts were comforted in so many ways by so many people. Our son had been called back to heaven but we had not been left alone to overcome our pain, we were blessed in countless ways.
Now so many years later the memories have not dimmed, the tears still fill our eyes but our pain is healed by the peace that we will be together again when this life is over.
I Am a Child of God
And He has sent my here,
Has given me an earthly home with parents kind and dear,
Lead me, guide me, walk beside me, help me find the way.
Teach me all that I must do to live with Him someday.
We miss you but we know where you are. Love Mom and Dad
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