Let me preface this by saying that ever since being a stay-at-home-mom (SAHM), I have been looking for things to do...both to give me an activity outside of momming, and also to make a little extra money. I have tried wood burning (still enjoy it as a hobby, but not making any money off of it), I've edited papers, babysat, driven kids for after-school activities...but none of it has really clicked the way I had hoped.
So it all started when one of my friends from my Tuesday Bible study sent a somewhat desperate text to the group saying that her sister-in-law was visiting from out of state and she had promised to host a party for her cleaning supplies business, and through some miscommunication needed people to come, and would we be interested in doing that instead of our usual gathering activities?
I'll be honest. I heard "party" and "cleaning supplies" and was feeling rather reluctant. I tend to be a sucker for things and buy stuff I don't need or won't use because I'm easily convinced and have a hard time saying no to pushy salespeople. Also, I just didn't have a ton of extra money to spend, and therefore didn't want any temptation to spend. But I also wanted to support my friend and so decided to go. Plus she was serving pizza...so...yeah.
Anyway, the whole presentation and demo time was so interesting! I immediately was drawn to the products (non-toxic, easy-to-use home and personal care stuff). The girl presenting it wasn't pushy in the least. And when it came time for the demos, the stuff actually worked and was amaaaaazing. I know I said I was a sucker...but seriously, it was awesome stuff!
I asked some questions about hosting a party and the business itself. Apparently there is no one here in MN that is a distributor, so it would be a great opportunity! My friend leaned over and whispered loudly, "YOU SHOULD DO IT!" And it really was tempting! I knew I needed to talk it over with Ben. I had looked at doing other multi-level-marketing businesses and none of them clicked. It was either a product that didn't jive with me or something I wasn't comfortable trying to convince people they needed/wanted, or it was a pricey buy-in. Ben had been patient with my research and testing of products, but I anticipated a bit of skepticism. He wanted me to try the products myself for a bit first, but ultimately was quite encouraging (especially when the stain stick took out some stubborn stains in his white dress shirts).
All of this to say, I ended up signing up, doing the buy in and launching my own business as an independent adviser for the company
H2O At Home.
Here are a few of my thoughts/feelings over this journey:
*Excitement: I seriously do love these things so much and they have made me excited to clean and best is that they are easy and safe for my kiddos and dog (and Ben & I too, of course). I'm excited for something to do that will have a social, financial and challenging aspect to it! It definitely stretches me in good ways to get out of my comfort zone!
*Apprehension: I'm one of those people who hosts parties, tries to get my friends and family to host parties. I never pictured myself doing this, and in fact have kind of been a little judgy of those who do (sorry, full confession here). I am realizing I'm not as bold as I have thought myself to be, and so it makes this kind of networking particularly difficult for me. I also get a little embarrassed when I tell my friends about it. Especially if I know their thoughts on people who do this kind of business.
*Stress/Confusion: Seriously, though, there is a stigma with doing this kind of work, and a lot of people either misunderstand or don't even offer you the time to explain why you do it. One of my parties I invited close to 30 people. Two attended, and I heard back from maybe 5 total. Everyone else ignored me. And I'll be honest, it was kind of hard for me. I totally understand if it isn't for you, or if you're not interested...but a reply is generally a good thing to give. It has made some in-person interactions a little uncomfortable too. I don't want to be pushy, and obviously some aren't interested or else they would have said they were interested. I would like to know if they got the invite, but don't want to guilt anyone into coming by inquiring.
Side note: If you are ever invited to a party and don't want to go, a simple "Thanks so much for thinking of me, but I won't be able to attend!" will suffice. No excuses or explanations needed. Just an acknowledgement that you received the invite and will or will not be attending! If you really don't want to receive any more invitations or information, it is good to be up front and say you aren't interested. It is better to be honest than to keep saying how neat it sounds and side-stepping. We assume if you think it sounds neat, eventually you will want to hear more!
All of that to say, it is a total learning curve for me. I am so grateful for Ben who reminds me why I am doing this, and that I am still me, even if people aren't totally understanding of it.
Also (and this is important, and you'll just have to trust me!), if I am with you and I tell you about this...don't take it as me just trying to sell you something. These products are changing my cleaning habits and like I would with any product that impacts me, I get excited about it and will share about it. Of course it is a business and it is always great if people want to host parties (and get free stuff!) or just want to get some things for themselves, or even become an adviser themselves. But ultimately I do this because it is a product I feel I can stand behind because it works, and cleaning is something everyone does...
Whew. Now that that is out of the way, it won't be awkward when I see you and we chat about this and you wonder how in the world I could do this. I love answering questions about the products, the business and really anything else about this process, even if you are just asking out of curiosity and aren't interested in buying anything =)
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