People ask me all the time, what I do for a living. First and foremost, I tell them, I am a mom and I homeschool my kids. That in itself is a full-time job. I love that job and feel very blessed that I can do it. Being a stay-at-home mom can become all-consuming at times. So much so, I sometimes find that I feel like I have no other identity other than that of "Mommy".Fortunately, I have another job that has given me so much over the last almost 11 years. I sell candles and decor for a company called Partylite. I started back in 1998 just to make a little money on the side. And the money has been nice for sure! But over the years, it has become so much more than the money.
I knew from the beginning this was going to be different than anything I had done before. A big clue for me was the fact that Partylite starts its consultants off for free. I had sold other things before - Pampered Chef, Mary Kay, Avon - but they all required consultants to pay money for a kit in order to become a consultant. Partylite gives new consultants the opportunity to earn a kit that is worth over $350 for free. This was their investment in me. That said alot to me that a company would have enough faith and trust in me as well in their product and programs to start me off by giving me so much. Now that is getting off on the right foot!And they keep on giving! Always wanting us to make money and not spend money, each month they provide ways to earn upcoming specials or more candles to burn and give as prizes. To give you an idea of their generosity, when gas was over $4.00 per gallon, Partylite gave us an opportunity to receive an extra $100 Bonus if we turned in 2 extra shows than we had the month before. This was on top of our already generous commissions. It really helped and more than paid for my gasoline that month.
Enough of the money, the intrinsic rewards are even better! Some of my best friends, I have met through Partylite either as hostesses, customers, or fellow consultants. My best friend, Peggy, was a hostess until I mentioned she would be great at doing Partylite, and she is. My friend, Helen, who was my very first hostess, still hosts shows for me once or twice per year. Joyce F., Amy K., Cheryl S., Connie and Danny (yes guys too!), and the list goes on and on...all friends through Partylite.
My Partylite friends have really been there for me. I have a child with autism. I teach him at home and his programs are very intense. Many times we are still at it at 9 o'clock at night trying to finish everything up. My friend, Connie, who also sold Partylite with me comes over weekly for a couple of hours just so I can get a break even to just sit at Starbucks and drink a cup of coffee by myself. She has done this for over 3 years faithfully. That is a true friend.
I have seen more of the world in the last 11 years due to Partylite than I had in the previous 30 
years B.P. (before partylite) - Now I am telling my age! LOL With Partylite I have gone to St. Louis, Washington DC, Atlanta, Las Vegas, Aruba, and Atlantis in the Bahamas. I didn't even know where Aruba was until Partylite came into my life! Each year we have a National Conference for 4 days in a major city in the US. We have had it in St Louis several times since it is centrally located. This year, we are back in Atlanta. We pile 4 or 5 girls into a hotel room and its like sorority life all over again...plus its a tax deductible business expense! :) I look forward to this "vacation" every year - no kids, no husband, no dishes, no laundry, no cooking!
I try to do candle parties 2 nights each week. I love my shows! I love the reason to get dressed nice and put on makeup. I love the drive to the hostess' house. It is totally quiet. I love meeting and talking to new people - adult conversation! I love helping people find just that right candle and/or holder to make a room really WOW! I love all the good food that I didn't have to cook :) I love giving the hostess so much free stuff! Most of my hostesses get to go on a free $100-150 shopping spree! Most of all, I love that for 2 hours, I don't have to think about autism - I can just be a normal person like every body else.
Another one of my favorite parts of my job is sharing my job with other people. Especially in this economy, everyone can use a little extra cash. I love giving someone looking at losing their job, a little security. ( You can't be fired from Partylite - it is your own business) I love showing someone that they can change their family's life by affording a better house, or car, that trip to Disney, or even get rid of those pesky credit cards. I love watching someone who used to be shy and lack confidence really blossom and become a successful business person. Hey, I started out reading from index cards :)
And finally, I love the way Partylite has helped me develop my talents. I am a teacher and with Partylite I get to teach adults. I teach my customers and hostesses how to spruce up and create a relaxing ambiance in their homes. I also love to train my fellow consultants. We have 2 workshops each month where I get to show Partylite consultants ways to increase their incomes. One is held in my home for my immediate team members. The other is for the entire central Virginia area. My goal is to one day, train at our National Conference in front of a packed arena of over 10,000 consultants.
Want to join me?? Check it out here!
Don't forget to light a candle tonight. Everything is better by candle light!
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