A Leap of Faith

This past January, I took a leap of faith- a big one!  I joined Rodan and Fields Dermatologists as an Independent Consultant without ever seeing a business presentation or trying the products!  But what I had done was my homework.  After Kate was born in August I spent countless hours researching work at home jobs.  We had always planned for me to stay at home with children (I told John that on our first date back in 2005), so we had structured our lives financially for just one income. However, our one-income plan was tight and didn't allow for many extras, splurges, a new car, or as much savings as we would like.  But more than the paychecks- I missed working.  Don't get me wrong, I love staying at home with my girls, but I miss the goals, challenges, and mostly adult interactions of working!

I set out to find the best of both worlds - I knew I had pockets of time throughout my day because I was wasting far too much time scrolling on Facebook!  I was about to decide the job I was looking for didn't exist - every option I explored was either a low paying hourly job, or required dedicated hours on a computer or on the phone - hours I just didn't have with two young children.  As a last ditch effort (and because I really wanted to try the Reverse for my pregnancy melasma), I reached out to a few friends I knew selling RF in other cities and states.  I found that they were all doing really well with it and most had been doing it close to 2 years! My friend Christy Jones from Sunday School in Birmingham had actually replaced her corporate salary while being a full time working mom!

After putting my Finance degree to work and researching the company further, I came to the conclusion that I was being presented with an amazing business opportunity!  A chance to be my own boss, set my own "hours", have unlimited earning potential, and grow my team anywhere in the world all while getting great skin!  The best part was no stocking of product, doing deliveries, or asking others to host parties for me!  Rodan and Fields was already ranked 4th in premium skincare in the US and most of the US hadn't even heard of it yet- I knew my small town hadn't! I also fully expected RF to become a global household name just like the dermatologists did with their former business ProActiv!

To begin with I set a goal to stick with it for at least 6 months and hopefully build my business to the point of bringing home an extra $500-$1000 a month to allow us to take on a car payment, help pay for preschool for Claire, dance lessons, etc!  I told John if that was all it ever became, and I could get rid of all of my crazy freckles from my pregnancy melasma I would be happy.  Boy did I set my sights too low!! In only 5 short months in the business I have been blessed to promote to Level V in the company and far surpass my initial goals plus I love my results for my skin!  For the first time in my life I don't wear concealer and liquid foundation every day and bye bye crazy freckles!


I am so thankful for my supportive customers and an amazing team of 16 consultants!  I have truly loved getting to know these ladies and am honored to get to lead them in building their businesses! College students, nurses, teachers, real estate agents, business owners, stay at home moms, working moms,empty nesters, and retired professionals, they all saw a chance to add value to their life with Rodan and Fields!   They say that this is a 3-5 year business plan so this is just the beginning for all of us!!  I can't wait to see what the future holds!

    

Kate: 9 months!

Yes! Sweet Kate gets her a blog post all to herself! Why?  Because I am the stereotypical second child mom.  Her poor baby book hasn't been touched since the first month or two while Claire's has every doctors visit and memory until she was 2.  I have not created custom photo books for Kate, sewed custom bedding, or recorded milestones and memories as much as I should.  With Claire I obsessed over schedules and bedtimes and every move she made.  I worried over every change in behavior and spent far too much time on Google and reading parenting books :-)!  I researched how to play and what activities she should be doing at every age and agonized if she didn't do something as early as other kids her age.  I was afraid she was "bored" and  that I needed to be stimulating her to learn and that I wasn't teaching her the right things.

So even though Kate may not have a perfectly documented first year, she does get a much more relaxed Mama.  A mama who doesn't worry about creating bad habits if she needs a little extra loving or rocking before bed one night.  Who knows "this too shall pass" and that most strange behaviors are just phases and do not require extensive analysis and research!  A mama who still can't stand to make her "cry it out" at night because as ready as I am to sleep all night, I know that once those middle of the night snuggles are gone I won't ever get them back!  A mama who doesn't spend every moment trying to teach her and entertain her- luckily big sister does that for me!

I was a first child and I always thought that, of course, being the first was the best!  Now that I have my two- I am not so sure!  Although I love both of my children equally I also love them differently.  I soak up every moment of time with Kate, every snuggle, every sloppy kiss, because I realize how fleeting time is!  I am not pushing her to grow up and learn and do and wishing the days away, instead I am savoring each day and realizing that each phase of their childhood has good parts and bad parts. I wish I had known to love that way when Claire was little!  Kate also has a built in playmate who she idolizes already.  She wants to be with Claire doing whatever Claire is doing all of the time.  Claire now runs through the house daily saying "Come on, Come Play, Sister Bug!" and Kate does her best to crawl and keep up!

So to my sweet Kate - you are so smart, loving, and adaptable! You are also headstrong, stubborn, and mischievous - but those things keep me on my toes and make life with you fun! At 9 months old you are crawling, climbing, and cruising and on the verge of un-assisted standing.  You babble but don't say any definite words yet and you still have NO teeth! At 6 months old you weighed 20 lbs and at 9 months you weighed 21 lbs.  You have the cutest,chunky baby rolls that people comment on every where we go!  And when you grin in lights up your whole face and makes everyone in the room smile!

No you may not have a baby book filled with dates and milestones, but know that you have days filled with love and laughter and we cherish you!