My Rodan + Fields Story
As with many direct sales companies, you will typically find consultants sharing about their Rodan + Fields journeys via social media. And, probably, because of that, you may already know a little bit (or a lot bit) about the skincare company and their products. And, sure, I do post a about R+F on my own social media from time to time as well … but there’s always a story behind the post. There’s always a person doing the posting. There’s always more than meets the eye. Direct sales companies (MLMs) get a bad rap. But, the truth lies behind the scenes. In the individual. Their reasons, their hearts. Honestly, I’ve met so many genuinely wonderful, authentic women through R+F (and those involved in other direct sales companies as well) – it’s hard to stay a hater when you listen to the stories. For that reason, I wanted to write out my own. It’s always in the writing, where I find my voice and my clarity. Where I allow myself to go a tad deeper; to be a tad more vulnerable; to let the truth show in a more authentic way. So here we go – My ever-evolving Rodan + Fields “story” –
I’m a Stay-At-Home-Mom. I’ve been “at home” with my kids for nearly 7 years now. Before that I worked in marketing and customer service in the wedding industry and before that, the music industry and the broadcast news industry. But, I have always felt so odd describing myself by what I did or didn’t do for a living, because I never related to my job/s in that way. It never became an identity to me. Honestly, neither did wearing the title of SAHM. It’s not my identity. It tells you a little, but not much, about me. It would be better to tell you that I’m a momma and a wife and a child of God and a friend and a daughter and a writer and a lover of books and of dogs and of coffee and of decorating and painting furniture and of wine and of things that make me feel cozy …
I can check the boxes, when I need to. But, you probably already know – people are always so much more than the boxes they check; than the labels they wear.
And, sometimes, companies are more too.
When I was first approached about Rodan + Fields, I was curious and somewhat interested, but the timing wasn’t right. I had a 1 year old and a 4 year old and I was in a season of motherhood that was happy, but consuming. It simply wasn’t the right time. But, a seed was planted. An interest formed. And, I watched. Two years later, things had changed. Things always change, don’t they? My oldest was in school and my youngest was 3 and I finally felt like I had a little more breathing room. I felt ready for something more … something of my own … and I wanted to contribute financially, in some way, to our household. I wanted to bring in some extra income that would allow us to feel a little more free … to save more or play more … and to hopefully dream more. I wasn’t, however, willing to go “back to work” at that point in time (or at this point in time) or to change the lifestyle that we (and most importantly, our kids) had grown accustomed to while I was at home. Certainly these decisions are so personal, so fluid, so dependent on your own family. No right. No wrong. Just the path we had chosen to be ours.
Back to R+F. A good friend had continued to reach out to me off and on about her business and the possibility of what a skincare business of my own might look like slowly took shape. It sat there in the back of my mind. Honestly, it was the only opportunity that I had come across that I felt like could even come close to giving me exactly what I wanted – time and financial freedom. Once I finally decided that the time was right to to consider it … I saw what I could accomplish; what I could offer my family; what I could offer other families. Once I really listened, I heard 3 things that really got me …
- The Doctors – Dr. Katie Rodan and Dr. Kathy Fields are the same two Stanford educated doctors that created Proactiv – and almost everyone has either used or know someone who has used Proactiv at some point in their lives …
- Residual income
- And… probably the most important to me – flexibility. I would not have considered this venture if I had been required to be away from my family on nights and weekends to host parties or pop-up shops. But, with R+F, there are no parties (unless you want them and that’s your thing), no inventory to stock, no deliveries to make. I truly can, and do, work this business around my family. I truly do work it into the “nooks and crannies” of my day. I work it around my life – not the other way around.
Now. A direct sales business isn’t easy. Being your own boss isn’t easy. It’s simple. It’s not difficult, but it’s not easy. It takes work. It takes consistency. It takes drive and desire and discipline. And, it ebbs and flows. There are ups and downs. Just like anything else really. At nearly 3 years in, my business doesn’t look like I thought it would at this point. But, that’s not a bad thing. What I want from it has changed and evolved. It’s successful. I’m proud of it. And, it’s allowed me to do just what I hoped it would – work part time around my family life. It’s funded projects and trips and my writing. It’s allowed me to re-imagine this blog and what life as a writer might look like. The thing is … the beauty of it … it can truly be whatever you want it to be … whatever you need it to be.
I’ve never been afraid to dream big, because I’ve always felt that it’s not about the “did your dream come true” part, but rather about the journey … about the process … about the evolution of ideas and dreams … about what happens along the way. Part of what drives me … part of what fuels so many of my ideas is this wild prayer in my heart that somehow, someway I might manage to help retire my husband from his current career and get him into a role that will truly inspire his soul. I know how idealistic and pretty that all sounds. I know. And, I’m not placing all of that on the shoulders of R+F. Although to be fair, I’ve watched several (several, several) women that I’ve met personally in R+F do just that – retire their husbands. So. If they can do it, right? But, no … it’s not just on R+F for me. R+F is just a part of it. Because for me, I’m not trying to make it to the tippy top of this company. I’m just trying to build a life that I want … and offer other women the chance to do the same. And, if it’s the tippy top – hey, I’m happy to show them how to get there!
Okay, enough of the sappy stuff! Let’s talk about the perks. The perks … for me … are actually what STARTED it all for a lot of other consultants that I know. The PRODUCTS! I fell for the business opportunity first. But, the products!! Gracious, y’all. These products are referred to as “life-changing skincare” for a reason. It’s more than just a tag-line. The confidence boost that I see happening all around. It’s a truth. You can find our products HERE.
And, so, to come full circle – the best part of all of this is most definitely that I get to “go to work” without leaving my people … All while gaining great skin, contributing financially to our family, making new friends and reconnecting with people from all different seasons of my life! It’s been a win for me. I’d love to help make that happen for you too.
To find our more, visit my site!