18 Years as One of the Other 99%

Episode 1 transcript

Intro:
Hey everyone, it’s me, Lisa. Thank you so much for joining us for this episode of the podcast. I’m so excited that you’re here, but I’m just gonna tell you, I am super nervous to be doing this. I never in a million years thought that I would ever try to be a podcaster, but yet here I am. And today what I wanna do is I wanna just share a little bit about my story, how I found direct sales, just so you can sort of get to know me.

How it all started:
So as you all know, or you heard in the intro, my name is Lisa Duck and I’ve been in direct sales going on 18 years now. I started my direct sales career, let’s call it a career because like 18 years in the business, I think it’s safe to say that it’s a career. I started it when my youngest was just four months old. And it was something that I never thought that I would do. I was and still am an introvert, like put me in a social setting and I just wanna melt into the background. I am very shy. I love people, but I just feel awkward and uncomfortable when I’m in public. So… going into the direct sales field was really odd to me because why would somebody who was so introverted, why would they wanna be a direct seller? And I thought, well, what’s the worst thing that can happen if I gave it a try?

Who offered me the opportunity:
So I remember almost 18 years ago, a lovely lady named Katie came to my house offering me a hand pampering session and she’s like, before she was leaving, she goes, Lisa, have you ever thought about doing what I do? And I’m like, no, never. I’m like, I can’t see myself doing this, Katie. She goes, what can I leave you with some business opportunity information? So I read over it and I was just amazed at what the possibilities could be in this business. I was amazed at the fact that I could make a decent income working the business by just selling products that I fell in love with because the products that I used while she was at my home I absolutely loved and I wanted to buy them all anyway. So she showed me the different starter kit options and it was just a no-brainer to me to give it a try when she presented the information because everything that I wanted was in the starter kit, I could get it at a great price and then I was able to share the products with my friends and family and possibly earn an income from those products. So I jumped in and I’m like, what do I do? So the one thing that I did find was that when I was in front of people that I didn’t really know, it was easier for me to be a little bit more extroverted. So I could go into a stranger’s home and I could be a bit louder. I could, you know, have a little bit more fun because they didn’t know the real Lisa. I guess I felt like I didn’t have to really worry about what their opinions were, let’s say. Like it’s like they either liked me or they didn’t like me. And I didn’t have to feel like I had to impress anyone, which is really odd that I say that now when it’s like, I shouldn’t feel like that in front of people that I know, but it’s like, I don’t want anybody to think bad of me. So I’m really weird that way.

Finding my passion:
So anyway, I mean, I started a business, I fell in love with the products and everything was going great. I started to try and build a team with this company. But I really wasn’t passionate about their business opportunity side. I thought that they had great products. But the one thing that really bothered me about the way they did their business was the fact that they always said you can’t run your business on an empty wagon. And as soon as somebody would join my team, I would have my upline leaders reaching out to them, asking them which inventory purchase they were going to make and that just didn’t sit well with me. So I decided at that point, I was just gonna stop trying to build a team and I was gonna focus on the products and the products were selling great and I was doing great. And then one day I was offered the opportunity to try out another company. And this company ironically was completely opposite. I enjoyed the products, I didn’t love them. However, I seen the opportunity, how easy it was to get this business started. The fact that you didn’t have to carry inventory, the fact that the product shipped right from the company. And I was able to build a team of 21 ladies within a month. And it just flopped because I didn’t have the love for the product. So I decided to go back to my original business and, you know, just go along happily selling the products.

The Epicure opportunity presented itself:
And then one day I was at an event and I noticed this lady selling Epicure. Now I’d been introduced to Epicure briefly one time in the past when I remember this lady running down an aisle at a vendor show asking me to taste this cheese dip. You just lady, you’re a little bit cuckoo. Like, what are you doing? Why do I have to try this cheese dip? Needless to say, the cheese dip was amazing, but I tasted it and I went on my merry way and I didn’t have any exposure to the Epicure business or products until probably a year or so later when I was at this vendor show. Now, this lady was selling Epicure, it was a home vendor show. So she was selling Epicure and she just had a tasting table out. I was in the corner selling my other product and I just have display items and product to sell. And I wasn’t doing great. I made a $30 sale all day. But meanwhile, I’m sitting there watching this lady just sell this product, sell Epicure because people are tasting it and they’re buying. And I was like roughly adding stuff up in my head. I’m like, oh my gosh, like if she could sell this without even really saying anything to anybody, she’s just basically giving them a plate and letting them try. I wonder what I could do with it.

How introvert research business opportunities:
So I went home that night and I jumped on Google. Now keep in mind, this was like 13 years ago. I went on Google to try and find, everything and anything that I could about Epicure and the business opportunity. And there was nothing. 13 years ago, there was like nothing online and I’m like starving for information. But remember, being an introvert, I’m not gonna pick up the phone and call the company and say, can you send me the information? I’m not gonna search out another consultant. However, ironically, I’m sitting at the computer and my phone ringing. On the other line was that lady that was chasing me down at that vendor show with the cheese dip in her hand saying, you gotta try this. And she says to me, she goes, Lisa, have you ever thought about adding Epicure to your other business? And I’m like, no, never why don’t you give me a little bit of information! Because I didn’t want to commit to her saying that, yeah, I’m actually sitting here trying to look for information. I didn’t want her to know that I was excited and I wanted information about the business opportunity. So again, back 13 years ago, there really wasn’t anything that could be sent through email. So I had to wait for a little package that she sent me through snail mail. And I dug into the package once it arrived. And I’m like, I need to give this a try. So I joined and basically did very little. I mean, I used it to supplement things. Like I, at the time I was doing gift baskets and it was Christmas time. So I made a couple of gift baskets with the Epicure product in and my other product in and I sold them during the Christmas season. And I never really did anything. I was trying to consistently sell over the next few months, but I didn’t really give it my all.

Changing from a hobby business to a part time business:
And then the summer came and I said to myself, I’m like, you need to really decide because you’re not giving either business 100%. So at that point, I weighed the pros and cons and that I found that I loved both the product side and the opportunity side that Epicure had to offer. I absolutely love the fact that Epicure didn’t really promote having inventory because they prefer the products come direct from the company so that our customers get the best products and the freshest products because they’re coming right from the company. So I was happy with both sides of the company with Epicure. As with my other company, I was just loving the product side, not really the business building side. So I decided that Epicure was the fit for me. So I decided to let go of my first business and focus 100% on Epicure. Now keeping in mind, my goal with the business at that point was just to bring a couple hundred dollars in a month to help with the family income of buying some diapers and some formula I never had big goals to do six figure incomes. I never ever, and I still don’t wanna earn those trips, those lavish trips that you see, because again, my introverted side, that just makes me really nervous worrying about the travel and the this and the that. And it’s just a me problem. And you know what? Everybody else would be probably grateful to take those trips, but I honestly would rather just stay at home and not have to travel. So those things, those carrots don’t really excite me to this day. So they never were really a goal. And you know what? That’s okay. Because that’s what this whole podcast is about, is normalizing the fact that you can still have a successful direct sales business without hitting that top 1% of the company, without earning those six figures, without earning…those lavish trips. Your success lies in you reaching the goals that you set up for yourself. So am I a successful business owner without hitting the top 1% of the company? Absolutely, because I set goals and I achieved them. So push came to shove and then I decided I’m like, well, I really need to figure out what I’m doing with this business.

Going to Conference what a big turning point in my business:
So I decided to go to my first conference. I went to the conference and at conference I made, I set a goal to become leader by the end of the year. And I achieved that goal one month in advance. So instead of the end of December, I hit leadership at the end of November and I have successfully maintained the leader or above title since then. So, you know I set that goal and I achieved that goal again. To me, that is success. I am successful because I achieved the goals that I set out for myself. Would I like the six figures? Absolutely, don’t get me wrong. And do the six figures exist? Absolutely, they’re there for those who want it. And there are people who just strive to do that. Would I love it? Yes, is that my goal right now? No and that’s okay. And I just want to make sure that everybody realizes that you don’t have to be at the top to be successful in the business. And I’m just going to keep repeating that many times throughout this podcast, because as long as you are setting goals, you are successful when you achieve them.

You are successful as long as you never give up:
And the only thing I remember somebody saying this, and it always has stuck into my head and I want to make sure you guys know this. The only way that you fail in this business is by quitting. That is the only way you can fail. And it’s always, always, always, success is just one step away from where you’re quitting. And it’s like, if you stick to this business and you set your goals and you achieve your goals, no matter if it’s an extra $200, $500, $1,000, it could be your goal could be to achieve enough to or earn enough so that you’re not paying for your own product. If that’s the goal you set, then you are successful in this business. So I mean, I know I’ve been rambling guys, but it’s just an idea of where I’ve come from and why this podcast came about. And so my goal is to shed a different light on the direct sales industry to make the general public know that direct sales is really a business that is done by people who really care. And I also wanna make sure that direct sellers know that you don’t have to be making $100,000 a year to have a successful business. I have met many, many people over my almost 18 years in this business who run a very successful business and they’re not making six figures. So I hope you enjoyed this little sneak peek into my world and where, how I found Direct Sales and where I came from.

Outro:
And I hope it wasn’t too all over the place guys, I’ll get better at this, I promise. But if you wouldn’t mind, I would love for you to rate and review and be nice please, at least for the first, for the first few episodes and share this with others that you might know who could really use that boost and understanding that it’s okay, you are successful. You just need to keep going. You need to set your goals and reach your goals. So I look forward to coming back and sharing so many things. I look at my calendar and I have such amazing guests lined up for the next few episodes. So be sure to tune in and we’ll take a peek, deeper dive into other people’s businesses. I have some amazing, what should I call them? Like Direct Sales Celebrities coming on the show. So it’s gonna be kind of exciting. So be sure to tune in and join me for our next episodes. And again, everyone, thanks again for joining me on Direct Sales, the other 99% podcast. And we’ll talk to you soon.