My Arbonne "Why" has changed dramatically....

When you start an Arbonne business, one of the first things you do is define your "Why" for doing Arbonne. You have to answer the question "What is my dream?" and other questions such as "How much money do I want to make?", "Would I like to be in control of my financial future" and "What will I do with more time?"

For my "dream" I wrote the dream that I've harboured for so many years - to have my own family living in a lovely home full of love, laughter and happiness. I wanted to secure our financial future, the thought of being old and poor just didn't bear thinking about. It's recommended that your "Why" is big, really big, big enough to get you motivated and excited and give you the drive to set up and run a successful (Arbonne) business. I talked about my desire to live between London and Ibiza and the need to find something that offered the freedom, finances and flexibility to make that dream a possibility. At times I questioned having material goals as I'd never done that before, I've never been materialistic although I love beautiful things. The physical things I'd achieved like buying a flat had been the by-product of something much bigger going on inside of me, they had never been the be-all and end-all.

Apart from the family bit (forever elusive), my other goals were all about lifestyle and although yes, I do want a particular lifestyle (who doesn't?), what I found was that instead of being all fired up, I felt like I'd completely lost my drive and direction. A tad frustrating for someone like myself, used to achieving and being successful at whatever I turned my hand to. I could see that Arbonne is an amazing opportunity and I'm lucky enough to be part of the most successful team in the UK with the most fantastic products, training and support - but I just couldn't seem to make it work. Something was missing and that something had to be within me as it certainly wasn't lacking in the products, the network marketing business model and the team.

I kept hunting for whatever it was, kept talking about my desire to live between London and Ibiza and that's why I was doing Arbonne, kept not getting very far. But I've always believed in this opportunity, believed in Arbonne and now that I've got my head around network marketing, am completely committed to that too. But deep down inside I thought my Why was just about me, what I wanted and it all felt a little selfish.

Then a couple of weeks ago I went to a talk by Donna Johnson, an Executive National Vice President with Arbonne and the most successful woman in network marketing - in the world! I listened to her talking, sharing her Arbonne journey with us, the impact it had made on the lives of her family and the people around her. I came away feeling joyful and inspired - here was this incredibly successful businesswoman and yet she was so warm and friendly and approachable. She'd built a multi-million dollar business working part-time in hours that fitted around family life, not the other way around.

As I drove home I chatted excitedly with my friend about how brilliant it was to come across such an inspiring woman, someone who made you feel that anything was possible. It made me think back to the first proper (part-time) job I had and how the management team of Barbara and Graham made me believe I would achieve anything I set my mind to, eventhough I had miserably failed my A levels the previous year and didn't think my life would amount to much. Their words ignited a belief in myself so strong that I pelted through the next two decades achieving lots, doing lots, living life to the fullest - all because they believed in me. Graham passed away earlier this year and to see a full write-up as to how these two people changed my life forever click here

They weren't the only ones to believe in me though. When I worked at Bell Pottinger Consultants, I affectionately referred to Stephen and Graham as my two wise men. When I was made redundant along with 7 other Consultants, they both asked to speak to me before I left. I had no idea what they were going to say and I was slightly stunned when they both said pretty much the same thing - "I have no idea what you're going to do now but I know you will do very well. You can spot someone who has that quality and you have it. You're one of life's winners" - to hear these words from two highly accomplished, successful gentlemen meant more than the redundancy package. Their words gave me hope at an otherwise distressing, traumatic time and maybe it was their words ringing in my ears that helped to make the crazy decision to set up an interiors business even though I had no training, experience or client base. I didn't have just one person saying I would do well, I had two - so why not do something bonkers and risky because you'd do well anyway. If you'd like to see how the interiors business turned out, click here

Ironically once I moved into interiors, I was approached to work on a couple of high-level international relations projects - the Global Leadership Foundation and the British-Ukrainian Society (both times my name had been recommended by Graham) and it was with these two projects that I finally felt a sense of real achievement and fulfilment in my proper "career" job. It was at the British-Ukrainian Society that I had the pleasure of working with Richard Spring and I learnt so much from him, not only the joy of a team working in unison but also about not giving up, never giving up, going forwards, always going forwards and achieving results far greater than you'd ever imagined!

So as I drove home from the talk my thoughts turned to the important people in my world of work, people who had inspired me, believed in me, made me feel that anything was possible. Their belief ignited a self-belief so strong that nothing was going to stand in the way of me finding out exactly what my potential was. I have never forgotten how these people have been a catalyst to the life I've gone on to lead - sometimes I look over my CV and think "you failed your A levels, missed out on university first time round and yet you achieved all of this..." - it has very much been the case of an ordinary person living an extraordinary life.

I believe this is possible for everyone, an amazing life is out there anyone, anyone who has a bit of drive and desire, takes responsiblity for how their life turns out and has a positive frame of mind. Anyone who met me after 1997 might think I'm this person who turns her hand to anything and makes it work out, each time going for bigger and better. But the catalyst for all of this goes back, way back to 1988 just before I turned 19. Barbara and Graham telling me that I would achieve anything I set my mind to was the turning point in my life - I'd fallen off the "traditional" path when I'd failed my A levels but now found myself on another path where anything was possible so long as you believed it was. Their belief in me led to an unconditional offer from another university later that year and that triggered off the whole "international" angle to my life. University was followed by a fantastic job in Japan teaching English and before I returned to the UK, I'd secured a place at the University of Leeds to do a Masters in International Relations. The MA led to a brilliant job in the Foreign Office and after 3 years in the public sector I decided I wanted to move into the private sector and work for a Consultancy.

At that time someone close in my life told me that it would be hard for me to get a job as I was female and 31 and as these were the prime child-bearing years, it would put prospective employers off (yes hard to believe that there are people out there who still hold this kind of view, even more scary to think that this particular person is involved in recruitment for the company he works for). I decided not to listen to his archaic views and went ahead and wrote speculative letters to the top three Consultancies in the country - and was delighted when Bell Pottinger Consultants hired me as a Consultant. I don't think they actually had a position they needed to fill, I think they may just have created something for me. So everything I'd achieved in my life from 18 to 31 could be traced back to Barbara and Graham telling me that I would achieve anything I set my mind to and me deciding to find out what that would mean exactly. My family obviously played a big part too as when you bring into the equation that I'm from a fairly traditional Pakistani muslim family, the life I've led can be seen as quite extraordinary from a normal perspective but from the Pakistani perspective it does go off the scale somewhat! But my dad had spoken some very wise words to me when I was at university. There was the chance to study in America as part of a student exchange, there was only one place available and I decided I wanted to go and I would be the best person for my university to send. When I spoke to my dad about this opportunity, he told me to go for it (or whatever his words would have been in Urdu) - you had to take opportunities whenever they came along as they may never come back again - so I listened to his wise words and just went for it, taking opportunities as they came and creating a few along the way!

So after a bit of thinking and pondering, I've realised that my main "Why" for doing Arbonne is to share with people that anyone can create a truly amazing life and sometimes it just takes another person to have a bit of belief in them and to say "You can do it!" I look back at the amazing things I've done, the wonderful friends I've made along the way and the unforgettable experiences I've had over the last two decades - and so much is because some people believed in me at key points in my life (usually when things had gone drastically wrong). I know that a few words of support, encouragement and belief can literally change a life - that change can be tiny or it can be massive and I really believe that should be for everyone, not just some "lucky" person like myself who happened to be around some life-changing people at various points in time. If I can do it, then anyone can do it - sometimes all it takes is a little nudge, a bit of belief or some positive support and words of encouragement. It's been given to me and it's time to give it back a hundred times over. Now my Arbonne "Why" makes a lot more sense!

As my sponsor Jo said to me "Your Why needs to make you cry"... My "Why" before literally did make me cry as it seemed so utterly elusive and out of reach (I've learnt that there's one thing that really is out of your hands and that's having your own family). My new "Why" also makes me feel very emotional but in a good way. This is my way of saying "thank you" to the people in my life so far who have believed in me, encouraged me, supported me - I'm always amazed that it was literally a few minutes of their time but it has led on to a life for me that many times has made me go "wow!" It's also my way of sharing with everyone that anyone can do anything, so long as they have the right mind set and attitude - I've learnt stacks along the way, from personal experience and also by watching and observing closely those around me who inspire and amaze me - it may be the way they raise their families, how they may be ordinary people who live extraordinary lives or a generosity of spirit that knows no bounds. If I can make a difference in one person's life, if I can instill in someone that sense of "you can achieve anything you set your mind to" then I know my "Why" for doing Arbonne gives me a sense of purpose that fills me with excitement and joy!