Hello, my name is Network Marketer

About six months ago during one of my house flip projects I actually read the newsletter attached to the city utility bill.  The two sided paper full of city happenings appeared dedicated to a new company building their massive headquarters in the city limits.  Their logo and name was all over the place!  Surprised and intrigued by this company's growth and ability to get such fantastic exposure to their public, I decided it would be very fiscally fit of me to buy some of their stock.

DoTerra was a company I had first heard of about five years before.  While sitting in church one Sunday my son's eczema was especially bad on his flaky head. I embarrassingly  tried to shield him from the onlookers behind us as he scratched and scratched the dry patches of skin but evidently failed.  After the meeting a kind woman offered me a small, dark, thick glass bottle with purple writing that said Lavender on it.  She explained it was an essential oil taken from lavender plants and has properties that will help with eczema and dry skin.  She told me she sells them, with a company called DoTerra.

I thanked her, dabbed some on my son's dry spots, smelled the fantastic aroma, and hurried away.  At home the lavender bottle sat in the cupboard, not to be used until 5 years later. 

In my endeavor to purchase stock of an up and coming thriving company, I contacted my friend, who had moved into the area about a year earlier.  She sold DoTerra essential oils- that was her main source of income.  She never talked to me too much about the company or pushed me to buy any of the products she sold.  In fact, she attended a few FFC meetings and was always happy to contribute, never breaking into a long-winded sales pitch or pressure sale, ever.  It was not until I came to her and asked if her company was publicly traded that she gave me some more information about all of it. 

DoTerra is privately owned. It is growing exponentially all over the world.  Their huge headquarters were built, with more expansion happening, debt free.  My friend lives in a great home, sends her kids to private school, vacations to great places, just remodeled her kitchen, all on the money she earns selling DoTerra.

So I couldn't buy their stock.  I could see their growth, the financial freedom it allowed my friend to have, and the fantastic products the company offered.  The other thing I saw, was that if I wanted a piece of this thriving pie, I would have to become a NETWORK MARKETER. 

A black mark.  A bad reputation.  A person to avoid. 

In addition, essential oils were getting so popular in my little corner of the world that I was not happy about "jumping on the bandwagon".  Being one of those people who lived and breathed oils, never taking their children to the doctor, not believing in modern medicine, avoiding processed food and shunning all who did.  That was not me.  

My friend provided oils, face wash, vitamins, toothpaste, an air diffuser, and many reading materials for me to use.  I took my time.  I just wanted to see how I felt about this stuff without the influence of anyone else.  I used the lavender on my kids at night to help calm down, I put some yummy smelling citrus bliss in frosting and ate cupcakes that tasted like dreamsilces, we put some lemon in the water with apple slices to keep them from going brown, we put some breathe in a diffuser at night to help my congested, coughing kids sleep better, I liked the products. 

I realized my obnoxious stereotypical view of people who used or sold essential oils. I knew how incredibly unfair it was of me to lump every person who enjoyed these products into one group.  I'm sure there are extremes in every industry, hobby, sport or life, but that does not matter to me.  I do not have to be an extreme, I can enjoy essential oils, or alternative health on the level that I want to.

Facing the stereotype of being involved in a network marketing company became easier as I thought of the many finance books I have read over the years.  Over and over leaders in the financial world talk about residual income and multiple streams of income.  Many suggest network marketing as being a fantastic way to grow your wealth and encourage it.

So I did it.

I hope to dispel stereotypes of both network marketing and bandwagon jumping essential oil users.  I plan to share a product and business that is good.  I hope to share it with those who are interested and hope those who aren't know that I still love, enjoy, and respect them. (and hopefully vice versa) 

And now it seems my next step on my Fiscally Fit Chicks path is this:
I am going energetically embrace the name tag, "Hello, my name is Network Marketer."