sharon clay - Arbonne

E Y E O N A R B O N N E
NEVER
GIVE UP
It is hard to put into words life-changing moments and life-changing
decisions. I made one in September 2006. Three years later, I am an
ERVP. My husband, Bob and I live and work on a third-generation family
farm in southeast Saskatchewan, Canada. Our village of Fillmore has a
population of approximately 260, and the surrounding rural area boasts
a population of 800. To have two white Mercedes-Benzes — driven
by my sponsor, ERVP Nichola Treble, and myself — in such a sparsely
populated part of the country feels like quite an accomplishment. Most
people my age are thinking of retiring or are already retired. But the
reality is that many people will be working well past the age of 65
because they cannot afford to retire.
To provide a second income, I worked in health care. My days were
overfull working at my job and on the farm, bookkeeping and volunteering,
besides enjoying our children and grandchildren. I was not looking
for something extra to do. As a tomboy growing up, I never dreamed
of a career in sales, much less skin care. Bob and I worked hard and
when our crop didn’t yield what we forecast, we lived by the motto,
“next year will be better.” We were getting by, but we were not getting
ahead. Looking back, I see we were doing the same thing over and
over and expecting a better outcome.
Everything changed on September 23, 2006, when I reluctantly attended
an Arbonne spa party. I loved Arbonne products. What they did
for my skin was truly amazing, but I didn’t “do” parties. I thought they
were for women who had little to do and those who were in the business
should likely get a “real” job. Like many people, I had a common
misconception about network marketing. Today, I like to tell everyone
Sharon with her biggest fan: husband, Bob. ERVP Nichola Treble presenting Sharon with the
keys to her new Mercedes-Benz.
sharon clay
Arbonne Independent Consultant, Regional Vice President
Sharon Clay Region; Fillmore, Saskatchewan
about the brilliance of network marketing and how the industry fi ts the
lifestyle of the 21 st Century.
Nichola captured my attention that momentous afternoon when she
asked some thought-provoking questions. I realized that while Bob and
I were fortunate in many ways, raising three beautiful daughters in wide
open spaces, we accepted what life handed us. In essence, we lost
sight of our dreams in the repetitiveness of everyday living. Although
making a living got us through every month, what we really wanted in
continued...
Sharon with President Rita Davenport at NTC 2010 Las Vegas.

success strategy:
The greatest barrier to success
is fear of failure.
life seemed out of reach. To add to my intrigue, Nichola named three
young women living just a few kilometres away who earned their white
Mercedes-Benzes through Arbonne and she was about to earn hers!
My decision to become an Independent Consultant that day surprised
me and a lot of others, too. I knew these were the best products on the
market, but I did not have a clue about network marketing, leveraging
my time, compensation plans ... nothing. What was I getting into?
I was defi nitely scared, but what if this was a chance to change the
course of our lives? I wanted more out of life for us. I wanted to travel
and the time and money to do that. I wanted the freedom to schedule
my work around my beautiful daughters and their families, instead of
the other way around. I wanted to add to our retirement fund so that
we could do what we wanted, when we wanted. I was nervous, I was
excited, I was determined.
I promoted quickly to District Manager, earned the ASAP trip to the
Bahamas for Bob and me, and promoted to Area Manager in December
2007. And that is where I stayed for over two years. The biggest obstacle
was my reluctance to give up the security of my biweekly paycheque.
My business was stagnant. I thought about quitting Arbonne. I knew
something had to change. I needed to take ownership of my business if
I was to succeed. In February 2010, I quit my job and focused entirely
on Arbonne, resulting in my promotion to RVP on March 29, 2010!
My cautious nature and lack of confi dence held me back from promoting
sooner. I needed to kick that little gremlin, fear, right out of my head
and grab hold of this opportunity and run with it. I nearly quit before
payday and I am so thankful I had key people to support and inspire
me. This business has allowed me to look at my life in a whole new way,
because I am fi nally dreaming again.
To my wonderful husband, Bob: You are the reason I could make this happen.
You believe in me like no other person. You give me the courage and
confi dence to build a new life for us and you support me unconditionally.
To my daughters, DM Kelly Schneider, Dana Clay and Lori Fahlman, and
their families: Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support
and encouragement. To my parents, for believing I could accomplish
anything I wanted to, and to all my family for your belief in me: Thank
you for your inspiration.
Sharon with Sr. VP Product Development, Peter Matravers at NTC 2010 Las Vegas.
Sharon with members of the team.
Thank you, ENVP Becky Young, for your strong leadership and passion
for Arbonne, and ERVP Nichola Treble, for your amazing spirit, your
unwavering support and belief in me, and for leading with a servant heart.
To my awesome team: Thank you for everything. To EAM Dana
Knihnitski: Thank you for your courage and perseverance. And to AM
Cari Priddle MacNab: Thank you for your loving spirit and your “no
matter what” attitude.
To DMs, Brenda Brown, Randi Wiggins, Judy Elias Hart, Kelly Schneider,
Katrina Ignatescu, Tom Yanko and Keyla Siemens: You see the vision and
continue to gain strength, courage and confi dence with every experience.
I am so proud of you.
To the Independent Consultants and new business builders: Please
remember that your Arbonne business is a journey. Make the decision
to work your business, give it time and never quit. I know Arbonne will
change your life forever.
Sharon with members of the team at her Mercedes-Benz Car Presentation.
The Arbonne Independent Consultant featured in this EOA has achieved the rank of
Regional Vice President. The average number of active Arbonne Independent Consultants
who achieved this rank and average compensation is described further in the Independent
Consultant Compensation Summary (ICCS) available at arbonne.com > The Company
> Corporate Information > 2009 Independent Consultant Compensation Summary.
The testimonial in this EOA is for illustrative purposes only and does not represent income
projections. The results discussed in this EOA by the featured Arbonne Independent
Consultant are not typical and should not be relied upon by prospective or current
Arbonne Independent Consultants as an indication of what they should expect to earn.
Actual results for each Arbonne Independent Consultant will vary depending upon
individual effort, time, skills and resources. Arbonne makes no guarantees regarding
income. Arbonne is a product-driven company that strongly encourages the use of its
products before becoming an Arbonne Independent Consultant.
EYE ON ARBONNE | SEPTEMBER 2010
REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENT