How would you describe your life before Isagenix?
Michael and I have been together since we were teenagers and, to be honest, in our 20s and 30s we partied hard. So many years were filled with late night benders and horrifying nutritional choices that started causing health issues we could no longer ignore when we became ‘grown ups’ and had children.
Once we got closer to our 40s, we became concerned about potential health issues we could expect to see if we didn’t start taking better care of ourselves. Especially once our boys came along, we knew our health was not just about us anymore, and that we also needed to show up and set an example for them! Having children was a massive wake up call.
We had both gained a lot of weight and we had become increasingly sloth-like. I was bloated and felt cramps after eating just about anything and wasn’t sleeping well. We felt like neither of us had much patience with each other or our two young boys as we were so tired and grumpy.
We took note and came to understand that everything we ate and drank directly impacted our mental and physical performance. Michael found some weight loss success via walking to work every day, eating ‘better’ and going to the gym. But I didn’t. I spent several years following different diets attempting to get my body and digestion back and to control my yo-yo weight, but nothing really seemed to work for me.
Until Isagenix landed.
In terms of our careers, we’ve always been quite entrepreneurial and wanting to live and work and make money on our own terms. Between us we’ve run online stores, dropshipped, played poker, sourced collectibles to sell on Ebay, designed baby clothing, created advertisements for trade publications. But our biggest and riskiest ‘passion project’ was utilising our knowledge and love of music to open our own independent music stores around the Gold Coast. We served customers by providing high quality handpicked music titles that we would import from second-hand music outlets in the US and sell for less than half the price the big retailers were selling them for. We travelled to the US regularly and risked our own money/borrowed a lot to make this dream a reality. We literally worked seven days per week at this passion project, but it didn’t pay us very well. The usual story when running your own a small business…we were the last to get paid. Eventually, when the download era hit, we were sadly out of business, but definitely not out of debt.
While Michael was operating the shop, I also worked as a graphic designer and copywriter for newspapers and print bureaus, as well as freelance, to bring in extra money. These were safe corporate positions that paid ‘ok’ but there was always more week left at the end of the money. This added up to A LOT of working hours every week and not much time with our boys.
As you can imagine, the stress levels were high, and the bank balance was non-existent. We were also $30,000 in credit card debt.
The stress of it all just made me fatter.
How did you come across Isagenix? What were your initial thoughts? Were you only focused on products or did the business appeal to you instantly?
We thought we’d try Crossfit to get fitter and healthier, and that’s where we met Kylie Donaldson. We were a similar age, but she was much fitter and healthier than I was. When I asked if she had any tips for me, she introduced me to the Isagenix® system. Even with me being SUPER skeptical at first (and fully convinced I would be getting my money back at the end of 30 days) I saw how this system of products had improved the performance of a few of the other girls at the Crossfit box and, thankfully, I dove in head first.
I had profound results. My energy was high, I woke up at 05:00am most mornings jumping out of bed like a little kid, my stress levels both physically and mentally decreased immensely (that one thing to me is something I will forever cherish and will be the number one reason why I will continue to maintain a life on this system), my athletic performance was better, I released a noticeable amount of weight. Most importantly, I gained the body and health that I had been searching for the last few years. I was stoked!
Michael was even more skeptical and stayed away from Isagenix for probably a year until I noticed him secretly stealing my stash. He quietly watched me learning and growing in this company, but at the time never took part saying ‘this is your thing’ until he could no longer deny this was a legitimate path and ‘the real deal’ as he now says. Now he is my greatest support, cheerleader and inspiration (having maintained a 35kg weight loss and becoming a super fit and dedicated cyclist). He now uses the products daily (perhaps even hourly) and probably talks more about Isagenix now than I do!
I initially joined purely for the products. I actually ignored the fact it was a network marketing company. Thinking back, I was pretty selfish and didn’t share with anyone the real reason I was getting my results for about six months, and then only to my best friends. They both joined IMMEDIATELY and also had profound results. We all looked at each other and said, ‘we really should tell people about this stuff’.
What did you know about the Network Marketing industry before Isagenix? Did you have any concerns before joining?
I knew nothing about network marketing. I knew I never wanted to be ‘that person’ that people would cross the road to avoid because they thought I was going to try to sell them something. So, it never occurred to me that I would actually do such a thing.
The only concern I had at the beginning was whether the products were going to work for me and that I hadn’t wasted my money.
At what point did you realise that Isagenix could become a sustainable long-term business?
I was and always have been a consistent and dedicated product user as I loved the results from the products and the way they made me feel. Because it took me a year to start sharing the products, quite a healthy number of people had already been added my downline from above.
When I was paid actual money to help my two best friends get started, I rang Kylie and asked her ‘Is this MY money?? Do I get to keep it?’. It was so exciting to get that first $50, it was like a gift for someone struggling so much financially! Once I was shown by Kylie that my business was already underway without my knowledge, I became curious about how the compensation plan worked.
I researched what it would actually take for me to earn $500 per week. That was my goal. I was (still am) very introverted and never thought I was the kind of person that could or should even attempt such a thing, but I understood the awesome potential and generosity of the compensation plan, I knew I’d kick myself if I didn’t at least try. So, I faced my self-doubt head on and did a few scary things, like post a photo of myself in my undies on Facebook to show my transformation, something I NEVER would have done before. My transformation got attention and that started a chain reaction of people contacting me and wanting to get started, and then them doing the same thing. Everyone was so blown away with their results that they were happy to share their stories and help others get started as well. It was a very organic build and many of the amazing customers who came on board back then are still with Isagenix now, either as loyal long-time customers or as leaders working hard towards their own vision and goals with Isagenix. They all deserve so much credit towards our success and I am grateful to them every day.
What are some of the things you did to grow and build your business success?
Firstly, I feel that my background in marketing and owning/operating our own business in retail have been advantageous to our success. It is where I first learned about five-star service. It is EVERYTHING!
We consistently attended every event and training we could. I always wanted to share Isagenix with the integrity it deserved so I was a sponge for knowledge. I also listened to personal development podcasts on my 40-minute drive to and from work every day. I’d never really been exposed to personal development before, so it really lit something up inside me.
What I learned, through a combination of personal development, trial and error, formal study, work experience and dealing with so much social awkwardness, was that the only way I could overcome my chronic introversion and fear of talking to people and what they would think of me, was simply to start asking them questions. Let them do the talking! People love to talk about themselves and I learned so much from these conversations by saying much less than necessary.
I love to coach my customers individually with a good dose of humour and provide a ‘Dear Aunt Agony’ type mentorship. If you’re in my team I’m going to keep it light-hearted and gently persuade you into not taking yourself too seriously. Life is a curious adventure!
Has there been any challenges or setbacks that stand out to you? How did you overcome those?
Most setbacks are in my head. So many times I’ve questioned how I’ve continued with this business. I’m not ‘salesy’. I’m allergic to hype. I take too much ownership when people give up on their goals. I wonder how I can lead people to good health when I’m not perfect with my own health goals. I never wanted to message strangers or strike up shallow conversations in pursuit of a ‘sale’. I never wanted to tell people what to do or put pressure on them. I never saw myself as a leader or a person of influence. But what I do want is for people to say yes to their health, because optimal health is the ultimate freedom. With your health you have a thousand dreams, without it you only have one.
Being recognised does not come easy as I prefer to lead from the back and allow other individuals to innovate and shine.
To get past all this negative stuff in my head I had to understand that I can’t want something more for someone than they want it for themselves…that, although I’d love to, I can’t help everybody. And to remember it’s not about me and not to take anything personally.
What have been some of your biggest highlights or achievements with Isagenix? Why do those stand out to you?
A few things have changed in the last few years…we’ve paid off that $30,000 credit card debt, taken the boys overseas a few times, bought our dream home, met incredible people who are now some of our best friends, levelled up through personal development, lost some weight/got fitter/feel better than we ever have…and so much more. We are so grateful.
The true highlight is that we achieved this by helping and inspiring others create more freedom in their own lives as well, whether it be physical or financial (or both). Every time I receive a message that one of our customers has made an improvement in their lives in any way, that is a highlight!
You were part of the 750K income club last year. What are the future goals for your Isagenix journey?
We simply want to continue to help others feel better, whatever that looks like to them. A few good laughs, a few extra kgs off, a few extra cms on the muscles, a few extra hours sleep at night, a few extra friends, a few extra dollars in the bank…to keep sharing what’s truly possible with Isagenix and, in the meantime, create generational wealth and a legacy for our boys.
Based on your journey and experiences over the years, what key advice would you pass on to others?
I didn’t realise how much of our lived experiences could be used to run a simple home-based business like this. Making friends and talking about products I love was something I was doing anyway. When preparation, optimism, timing and consistency meet opportunity…wildest dreams can come true! Be yourself always, stay humble, use the products, truly listen to people with a caring heart, laugh a lot, be kind, don’t take yourself too seriously and never get emotionally attached to any decisions that are beyond your control.
It is not your perfection that inspires people, it is how you learn from your imperfections. If this introvert can get over herself and do it, you can too!
