1. Where were you born and raised; current city; family; hobbies; past business highlights...
I was born in a small town in Connecticut and lived in Connecticut until I was 30. Then we decided to pack up in search of warmer weather and moved to the mountains of North Carolina! I live here with my husband and five-year-old daughter and two dogs and a cat. I enjoy reading, being outdoors and of course, traveling every chance I get. We're worldschooling our daughter so we learn about different destinations and cultures and then go visit them! I worked as a nurse for 15 years after graduating college before leaving nursing last spring to pursue network marketing full time and haven't looked back.
2. How have you grown or personally developed since joining PlanNet?
I was often put in quasi-leadership positions as a nurse – asked to mentor, train, or precept other new nurses coming on. I figured it was just because I was competent and they were short staffed! I've learned through PlanNet that I truly enjoy helping others learn and providing encouragement and education to them. Finding that line between doing things for other people and teaching them how to do it for themselves was a skill I had to learn. We have all the tools we need at our disposal in this business and seeing someone else learn how to go pick them up and use them is so much more satisfying than seeing them succeed because you did the heavy lifting. Duplication was a hard thing to learn but it makes a world of difference!
3. What drives you; what motivates you?
Life is short. That's my biggest motivator. I don't know how many days myself or my family members will have on this earth and I want to enjoy them to the fullest. I am not waiting until I'm 65 and retired to go see the world. I may not have that time. I want to travel with my daughter and see things through her eyes and experience new things together as often as possible. This business has allowed me to plan for the future while enjoying the present and that is something I didn't know was possible a couple years ago.
4. Who would you consider a role model and why?
I consider my mom my role model. She showed me the qualities I want to have as a mom and also was my biggest cheerleader to keep pushing to reach my full potential. Maybe she saw that I wasn't fulfilled with what I had going on and I'm so glad she could see me change gears and explore this business. Her passing one year after retirement also reinforced that you can do everything right and work hard and still get short changed on time – and that pushes me even harder to make the most of the time I have while I can.
5. The three words that describe you best are:
Goofy, Introverted, and Motivated.
6. If you had some sound advice to give to anyone what would it be?
If something doesn't feel right, believe that feeling. It can apply to so many different situations but trust your gut. If something challenges your integrity, don't do it, even if that's not the easy answer. If someone makes you feel uneasy, don't let them be in your life. If you feel like working in an office 9-5 for 40 years is not for you, go with that. If I hadn't followed my gut instinct to keep changing things up until I found what felt right for me, who knows where I'd be right now…but I know I wouldn't be as happy as I am that I get to do this every day!
7. What does your life look like five years from now?
Five years from now I'll be 41 years old. I'll be living my best life and will be helping other people do that as well. I will be able to travel whenever I want and not have to search for budget deals! I will hopefully be inspiring those around me to think differently. I will have a few more wrinkles from smiling and grey hairs from working hard. I will be a Ruby Ring wearer and talking on stage at PlanNet conventions. My goals and obstacles will continue to evolve so it's a tough question to answer but I know I'll still be on the State of the PlanNet phone calls and I'll still be loving spending time with my PlanNet friends who feel more like family every day!
Set your reminder for every Friday to take a few minutes to read the newest PlanNetNow! Don’t miss the latest announcements, recognitions, and the motivation this important communication provides. See you next Friday!
