Women and Connection: With Network Marketing, the Sky’s the Limit!

Melissa O’Reilly: “When a new lady in a new area throws a shoe party and sends me photographs of guests in fabulous shoes, having fun shoe shopping with their girlfriends, my heart beats faster and I know that we are bringing fashion and joy into the lives of our reps and our customers.”

Denise Larrabee: “My family inspires me most. Their zest for life and my ability to contribute the extra income to help pay for those small and big expenses, such as my son’s new hockey skates, my mother’s monthly car lease, and my daughter’s near-future college tuition, motivate me daily.”

Brenda L. Tholin: “The idea of being in business for myself with unlimited support and training, flexible hours and the concept of helping other women feel good and helping women succeed in business enticed me.”

Beth Tooker: “Instead of corporate America cut-throat, network marketing is a nurturing and inspiring environment that encourages personal growth and brings out the greatness from within you! We take ordinary people and make them extraordinary.”

Michelle Sparks: “I am most inspired by Dr. Traci Lynn, the founder, who is an educator, motivator and born leader. Dr. Lynn encourages me and the TLFJ business partners to be the very best that we can be at all times. She challenges us to motivate, inspire and change the lives of others.

Maria Billis: “Find a company that offers products you believe in and give the process and the business time. When you discover something that benefits you, it’s easy to share it with others.”

According to the Direct Selling Association, 82 percent of network marketers are women. Experts in this field attribute that statistic to the fact that women are natural networkers and nurturers; they have an ability to make real personal connections that contribute to the success of their network marketing businesses.

The idea of Network Marketing was born from this innate connectional skill that women have. And enterprising women across the world have connected and dug deeper to create an economy that accepts this new way of doing business and making money. In short, it is a method of marketing, as the name indicates, that can be applied to the sale of almost any product.

The power of these marketing techniques is evidenced by the exciting success of the six women you are about to meet. Each woman has a product that is attractive to the market she has identified. Through a variety of techniques and creative ideas, they hold parties to sell, direct sell via internet and social media, and recruit team members who sell. The end result is a bevy of lucrative home businesses with women marketing a variety of products to a specific target, which improves the quality of life for women across the country.

Melissa O’Reilly, founder and CEO of Shush Shoes, also president of Femfessionals Albany Chapter, started her company four years ago. She now has 30 sales consultants based mostly in the Capital Region, with some women selling Shush Shoes throughout the country. Melissa had been involved with the growth of another startup company from 2006 to 2010; that’s when she became passionate about the shoe industry and decided to start her own network marketing business model.

“Shush Shoes is a direct selling company. We offer in-home shoe parties, and ladies can join our team by purchasing a sales kit to earn commissions on their sales. Hostesses of a shoe party are rewarded with shoe and handbag credit to use at their party,” Melissa explained. She is inspired by the excitement of the growth of her company. “When a new lady in a new area throws a shoe party and sends me photographs of guests in fabulous shoes, having fun shoe shopping with their girlfriends, my heart beats faster and I know that we are bringing fashion and joy into the lives of our reps and our customers.”

Since Melissa started her business with a good friend in 2011, her sales force has grown to 35 reps in seven states in the United States. “My advice is always to follow your dreams and never give up. No one else walks in your shoes, so they don’t understand your passion and your needs,” she smiled. “Stay strong and each day you wake up and motivate yourself to head toward your goals!”

Denise Larrabee is the first New York Independent Creative Director for Initials, Inc. She has been the Trip of a Lifetime earner for four years and has been the Go Getter award recipient since 2012. Initials, Inc. is a direct sales company and a member of the Direct Sales Association, and offers the on-the-go family and the professional woman on-trend totes, luggage, handbags and home organizational products that can be personalized for free.

“Our business opportunity is perfect for someone who enjoys fashion and flexibility and who wants to be the first in her social circle to be the Bag Boutique Gal,” Denise affirmed. “In February 2010, I was looking for an opportunity to earn extra income that was fun and flexible around my family’s busy lifestyle. Initials, Inc.’s free personalization and their variety of products that appeal to such a wide audience caught my attention right away because I could see my friends and family loving their purposefulness, reasonable price points and beautiful patterns and colors. So, I bought the starter kit and gave it a whirl! Here I am, almost five years later, with a very successful online and traveling bag boutique, still loving the product and the gift it gives to each person I share it with.” Her monthly income ranges from $3,000 to $5,000 as a team builder; the average starting consultant earns $500 to $1,000 per month.

What is Denise’s inspiration? “My family inspires me most,” she reflected. “Their zest for life and my ability to contribute the extra income to help pay for those small and big expenses, such as my son’s new hockey skates, my mother’s monthly car lease, and my daughter’s near-future college tuition, motivate me daily.”

Brenda L. Tholin, Independent Future Executive Senior Sales Director for Mary Kay Cosmetics, started her business 21 years ago while working as an accountant. She decided she was not fulfilled working in a large company, sitting at a desk all day. “The idea of being in business for myself with unlimited support and training, flexible hours and the concept of helping other women feel good and helping women succeed in business enticed me,” she explained. “What surprised me was the charitable work Mary Kay has done. For example, to date Mary Kay has donated $31 million in grant money to shelters for women and children and $21.7 million to research for cancers affecting women.”

Brenda is a successful Mary Kay consultant and mentor for other women in their Mary Kay businesses, and was able to exceed her former income as an accountant. She has been full time in her Mary Kay business the entire 21 years. “I have personally earned the use of 12 Mary Kay career cars, including three pink Cadillacs, and I have won other forms of recognition for reaching my sales achievements,” she smiled. “This has been truly exciting, but to have more than 30 career cars presented to women I’ve had the privilege to mentor has been even more rewarding.”

A Cadillac represents a unit that is generating approximately $100,000 in wholesale sales during a six-month time period, which is the equivalent of three women earning the use of a company car, and demonstrates the consultant’s success in her market. Brenda has personal advice for women wanting to find the financial freedom she has found. “First you have to define what true success means to you. Only take advice from people you would trade places with and work within your strengths to put your abilities into action.”

Beth Tooker is Executive Regional Vice President, Independent Consultant for Arbonne International, a 35-year-old vegan, botanically based health and wellness company. She has an expert handle on network marketing, which she agrees is one of the most misunderstood industries and yet is considered the business of the 21st century. “There is unlimited income potential; it can be worked alongside a family and another profession. We get to choose our work hours; incentive trips can be earned, and Arbonne’s businesses are willable. Arbonne consultants form close relationships with like-minded, driven people,” she expressed.

Beth points out that Arbonne is considered a hybrid of direct sales and network marketing. It could be seen as direct sales because they make commission on products sold directly, which gives them “right now” money. “The bigger income, however, is achieved by building a team and teaching team members to do what you do. I cannot be truly successful without helping others to be successful. It’s really brilliant, actually!” she affirmed. “Instead of corporate America cut-throat, network marketing is a nurturing and inspiring environment that encourages personal growth and brings out the greatness from within you! We take ordinary people and make them extraordinary.”

Beth was introduced to Arbonne eight years ago while working more than 50 hours a week as a social worker; at the time, her four children were ages four to eight. She started to see her priorities were in line with what society accepted as normal, but she was heartbroken that her family was getting only her leftovers at the end of the day. “I saw the opportunity to partner with a company that was well established, forward thinking and committed to my success. This type of business allowed me to build it part time alongside my other two jobs, husband and four children, until I replaced my income and resigned one year later.

“Regional Vice President is the level you need to reach to qualify for the Mercedes. It’s the third of the four levels in the company. Becoming an RVP is based on volume that’s produced each month, not on the specific number of consultants,” she explained. “You can have several consultants doing a little, or a few doing a lot. It’s usually several.” Her hard work paid off as she earned her first white Mercedes nine months after starting her Arbonne business. “I am actually on my third car at this point,” she exclaimed. “I replaced my full-time income seven years ago and my business grew 200 percent in September 2014 over September 2013! It ends up being about $500,000 a year in sales and up.”

Beth encourages other women to not settle for a mediocre life, and reminds us that the more we become, the more we have to give to others. “I am inspired by those who want more in life,” she mused. “My goal is to help as many ordinary people as possible achieve extraordinary things.”

Michelle Sparks manages her own Traci Lynn Fashion Jewelry (TLFJ) business, a direct selling business model, in addition to working at a law firm. “TLFJ empowers both women and men to be in business for themselves and to strive to be the best, not only in our business but in our personal lives too. The product line itself is affordable, fabulous, eye-catching jewelry that makes the whole room stop and stare,” Michelle discussed. “I was afforded the TLFJ business opportunity when I attended a three-day jazz festival in Baltimore, Maryland, almost four years ago. I saw this wonderful display of jewelry and felt instantaneously attracted to the jewelry. Getting into the business allowed me to do something for myself I enjoyed and to make extra money. Being involved with TLFJ takes me outside of the normal nine-to-five of a busy law firm arena and allows me to be linked to people with whom I might not otherwise have had the opportunity to connect during my normal course of business.”

Michelle asserts she can make as much money as she wants through this business, and that it is solely based on how she works her plan, which pays through home shows, events and catalog shows. “This is not a ‘get rich quick scheme’ type of business, and you must invest your time, energy and hard work to get the rewards of your labor,” she reiterated. “I am most inspired by Dr. Traci Lynn, the founder, who is an educator, motivator and born leader. Dr. Lynn encourages me and the TLFJ business partners to be the very best that we can be at all times. She challenges us to motivate, inspire and change the lives of others. TLFJ is at the top of Direct Selling Association’s list with more than 20,000 plus partners.”

Traci Lynn Fashion Jewelry was launched in 1989 with a modest $200 and has now grown into a multi-million-dollar enterprise with nearly 25,000 independent sales consultants in 46 states. “Dr. Lynn would never put a cap on our earnings,” Michelle confirmed. “Simply put, the sky is the limit when it comes to the growth potential of our business.”

Maria Billis is a Natural Lifestyle Enthusiast for Young Living Essential Oils, a health and wellness network marketing company that is world renowned for its essential oils and oil blends, oil-infused nutritional supplements, bath and body products, skincare solutions, natural preparations for the home and home diffusers. “In 2005 I was fortunate to sell my half interest of Chianti Restaurant in Saratoga Springs, New York, a very successful business I started in 1998 when I relocated from Newport Beach, California,” Maria revealed. “With that lucrative transaction behind me, it allowed me the time and luxury to strategize my next business venture.

“A blissful transformation started when a close friend gave me the Young Living products as a gift, and I fell in love with them. Health and wellness have always been an integral part of my life, and I have always been intrigued with the freedom and residual income that network marketing offers. The Young Living compensation plan is very generous, and after building a worldwide network of distributors I have achieved financial independence.”

Maria gives succinct advice to women desiring to enter the industry. “Network marketing is residual income for the rest of your life, not just a standard one-time sales commission. You are building a valuable asset for yourself that can be sold in the future because of its income stream. Find a company that offers products you believe in and give the process and the business time. When you discover something that benefits you, it’s easy to share it with others. Young Living offers two primary products; the physical product and the financial product, both of which are incredibly valuable in creating better choices in life. There are many benefits to network marketing, such as the person you become, the people you meet, the places you travel to and, of course, the money you make.”

Self-growth and personal development, financial education and continual learning are Maria’s motivators. “I am inspired by educating people on making healthy living choices with Young Living products and by teaching people how to build financial freedom with the business opportunity. It is rewarding to watch other people grow and succeed in this business. I am also very inspired by surrounding myself with like-minded, fun and ambitious people. I love to travel and meet new people from all over the world.”

Network marketing provides powerful tools for women to take charge of their lives and financial futures. The plethora of products available gives a woman with passion and determination the opportunity to develop her innate skills and become successful in this arena. Give it a try—the sky is literally the limit.

For information about the businesswomen in this article, visit their websites: shushshoes.com, femfessionals.com, myinitials-inc.com/denise, mariabillis.vibrantscents.com, bethtooker.myarbonne.com, tracilynnjewelry.com.