As children, we are taught that every story starts out with five critical questions—Who, What, When, Where & Why. Starting a business, much like writing your own story, is the same way. The first four questions were easy… My “who” was anyone with lips (kidding, sort of!), my “what” was amazing technologically-advanced skincare and cosmetics, my “when” was RIGHT STINKING THEN (I never let the grass grow under my feet long), but my “why” was way harder to nail down.

In the beginning, I didn’t have some big lofty “why.” I started my business because I had done a Facebook party that went really well and I didn’t want a stranger making money off of my friends and family. Making some extra money (and using it to buy all the skin care and cosmetics my little heart desired) was enough of a “why” in the beginning. But eventually it gets a little hard—the sales don’t come as easy and it starts to feel like work. That’s how it is with anything that generates money—you can absolutely be passionate and excited but sometimes it is still going to feel like work!

"I kept pushing on with my business through lots of up and downs, plateaus, stagnation, being tired, being overworked, until one day I finally sat down and tried to figure out “why?” Why did I keep going and why do I keep going still? And I finally I figured it out…

First of all, my “why” has changed and evolved over time. In the beginning, as best as I can figure, my “why” was that this business was a beautiful distraction from a tumultuous personal life.

I am a single mother, I work full time, my husband is in prison (for more on that visit www.freeraven23.com), and frankly, when I stop and think too much about the enormity of our personal struggle it leads me to anxiety. When I am focused on other things, I am better able to cope… The rush of the sale, getting a compliment on a selfie, booking a party, strategizing next steps… even minus the monetary outcome, having something positive and purposeful to distract me was enough to keep me going in the early days when I had no idea what I was doing or even what this business could do for me.

I started the business in April and by July, again I wanted a distraction so I went to our Princess in Training corporate event in Oklahoma City, OK. Honestly, I just wanted an excuse for a weekend away but it was pivotal in directing me towards my next why… Seeing “normal” everyday people accomplish HUGE personal, professional and financial goals got me motivated! So although my “why” started out just having a beautiful distraction it started to take on a much bigger purpose—I was going to build this business so big that I was going to wipe out the debt that our crippling legal situation had led us to. I felt like God was going to start restoring what the locusts had eaten.

It was bigger than just money or wiping out debt—it was about restoration. Restoration became my “why”.
In October, I was hooked and went off to our Leaders Conference in Tulsa, OK. On Sunday morning the company founder hosted an invitation-only private training in which she walked us through The Balance Wheel exercise (find out more about that here. During that exercise, I almost cried at how out of whack my life was. There just weren’t enough hours in the day to keep doing what I was doing so I set some pretty big goals… Build a $1MM team and leave my job as a Vice President with Bank of America. That was a HARD decision. My job was generously compensated, had great benefits, I worked from home and already had more flexibility than most people dream of. Leaving a cushy job seemed insane but the truth was that no matter how much time I invested in that job it would never pay me the exponential dividends my lipstick empire could. So my “why” had evolved from beautiful distraction to financial restoration to living in a way that was purposeful, allowing me to show up better for my family. That year—last year—I ended the year at $3.94MM and quit my job in February. Honestly, last year was all about me and now I am living a life I had never thought I could live. I own my own time… I work and I work hard but I do it on my terms. When I want to travel, I travel. When I want to stay home, I stay home. When I want to spend all day laying in bed watching cartoons with my daughter, I do just that. No excuses, no calling in sick, no guilt.

But again, something had to shift. Living for myself was ok for a season when I just needed to take care of myself and my family first. However, I have now reached a point where if I made the same exact amount of money I do today for the rest of my life I would be happy—thrilled even! I have paid off all of our revolving debt. I give generously. I treat myself and my family.

So my focus had to shift and now my “why” is you.
If you are reading this you are likely either a distributor or considering being one. When I see the posts of frustration and unfulfillment from women who are overworked, underpaid, under-recognized and under-appreciated, my heart aches. I know that there is so much more out there for you. I want to show you! I have dedicated most of my time over the last six months to training and leading, even to the detriment of my own personal sales and recruiting (I’m working on that), but I want SO BADLY for YOU to live a life of freedom from living under the constraints of someone else’s schedule and budget.

I would love to hear your “why” in the comments below, or if you want to know more about signing up on my first line to get personal mentoring, you can head over to the Wholesale Account page of my website!