Writing this Eye on Arbonne story has been the hardest thing I have ever done — even harder than getting to Nation. It brings me back to where I was a little over a year ago, the lowest point in my life. My life now is so wonderful; I never would have dreamed it was possible. I am eternally grateful to Arbonne, ERVP Melanie Camargo and my entire Nation
On June 9, 2005, I was in a severe car accident just a mile from my home. As I waited for an oncoming car before turning up my road home, a woman slammed into me while driving at a high rate of speed. It spun me out of control and flipped my car over. As I was careening and flipping, I thought, “I hope this does not hurt my car.” I loved that car — it had leather seats, and it was big enough for my kids, their friends and their snowboards. But with that car came a secret: I had a loan against it that my husband was not aware of. My husband is very careful with money. I struggled with it, or more like without it, and I did not like to talk about money issues at all. I kept my problems to myself. For my 40th birthday, he surprised me by paying off what was owed on my car. Wow, that was great, and since I had a lot of credit card debt that he did not know about, I used it as collateral and paid off those cards. I had been an assistant teller supervisor at a local credit union for over 11 years, and they love to do loans. I also have three kids from a previous marriage. I share custody, and rather than having their father pay child support, we share their expenses. I get more help from their father that way, and he struggles as much as I do trying to afford life. Raising kids is expensive, especially teenagers, and then when you have divorce guilt, it costs even more. I would never ask my husband for help with their expenses, because they are my children.
My husband, who was driving home behind me, came upon the horrific accident (one car was on fire) and his immediate thought was, “Thank God, Kim made it through this.” He was being diverted, when he saw my vehicle smashed in the ditch off to the far side of the road. He was the first to my car and was yelling at me when he could not open the door, because it was crunched. I was dazed and thinking, “Uh oh, he is already mad and I have not even told him the bad news yet!” Someone I met later from a performing arts center said, “You should have told him at the scene of the accident, dramatically, ‘Honey, I took a loan out on the car.’” Instead, I kept it in. The ambulance took me to the hospital. I cried and the nurse was kind and said that my reaction was normal. She did not know that I was crying because I was scared of his reaction. No one would tell me what had happened to the woman who hit me, probably because I was so upset. Days later, when my husband thought I was sleeping, I heard him on the phone telling what had happened to her… She did not make it. I had mixed feelings of sorrow and anger towards her.
Finally, I had to tell him that the insurance money to pay for another car had to go to the credit union. Since he had also found out that the credit cards were right back up, he was angry with me and I was disgusted with myself. I was 41-years-old and more in debt than ever. I could not afford to miss any work, so after a week, when they called to say they were shorthanded and needed me, I had to go back, before I was physically or emotionally ready.
When I came back to work, on the back counter was a Product Catalogue from a company called Arbonne. I glanced through it and was very interested. I have always been proactive about my health, and the fact that there were herbs in the products got my attention. ERVP Melanie Camargo, who worked upstairs in human relations, did not know me very well, but she brought me a sample bag and said I could take it home and use the products for three days. I loved them. I used them exclusively (I did not have anything this good). Then I gave the bag back and said, “No, not now.” I was on a very strict budget, and my husband was not going to understand that it was going to make me look good and was good for me. For five months Melanie stopped by, checked in and showed me some products. There was always something more important for me to pay for than my skin care. So I always said, “Not now,” even though I really felt that my skin care was very important. I even wished she would stop asking. Then, in November, she invited me to a Mercedes-Benz car presentation. She always said Arbonne was different and that you did not have to do “parties.” I assumed she was going to have all the products in the car and I was going to, on my break or lunch, run out to her car and smell the aromatherapy products (I love essential oils!). It was November in Alaska and the products would be frozen, but I thought, “Oh well, I am sure they will still smell.” She said, “No, silly, my sister and another woman are getting a car, and not just any car, but a Mercedes-Benz!” That got me, that and the fact that they were going to give away free products. I bribed my 18-year-old daughter, Kenni into going with me. We sat in the back so no one would make me feel like I had to buy anything. Kenni is very beautiful, intelligent and logical. She proceeded to tell me that they were just trying to recruit me, and that it was a good thing she came to protect me.
ENVP Dr. Deanna Osborn was there with ENVP Jennifer Taylor to present car keys, Mercedes-Benz watches, and Tiffany jewelry to these women who were laughing and crying and talking about how that little sample bag had changed their lives! The women were ENVP Lisa Dickerson and ERVP Jennifer Fairchild, Melanie’s sister. They, in turn, acknowledged all of their AMs and DMs with gifts. I sat, watched, and knew I was going to do this. Unlike in the corporate world, none of those people already being honored stood in the way of my becoming an NVP, and even more amazing is that all those dynamic women I just mentioned in some way inspired and coached me to become an NVP. Thank you, Deanna, Jennifer T., Lisa, Jennifer F. and Melanie. What an incredible upline to have. To any of you reading this, I am telling you that the only person in the way of your going all the way and becoming an NVP is yourself.
I started, thinking “I did not have to do Presentations.” However, I did Presentations, One-on-Ones, business launches, Discover Arbonne meetings and whatever my team wanted. It was difficult being a shy person. But, I wanted that car. I gave up TV, laundry, skiing and snow-machining with my family. It is dark and cold in Alaska in the winter, so I committed my entire winter to getting to RVP. When I got there, ENVP Jennifer Taylor called, congratulated me, and asked, “What are your goals now?” I had not thought about it. I just wanted the Mercedes-Benz, which is awesome — even nicer than my previous one. I never thought NVP was possible for me — it was possible for other people, but not for me. So my goals were for Kenni, Claudia, Chelina, Rebekah, Ingrid and everyone else that was willing to work for it, to get the Mercedes-Benz! In making my team’s goals my goals, we became a Nation. Is this company amazing, or what?
Before Arbonne, I was a friendly person with no friends. Since Arbonne, I have made so many friends that I wish I could mention them all.
Thank you, mom and dad. To mom: Thank you more than anyone for believing in me and helping me out with this journey. A special thanks for my wonderful car presentation, complete with a tailgate product Presentation. I never would have been able to finish Nation when I did, if I had stopped to plan it. It is almost as time-consuming to plan as a wedding! You did a magnificent job.
To my husband and best friend, Tim: Thank you for your support and belief in me and in Arbonne, immediately when I started. You always warned me that retirement is not guaranteed, even when I did not want to hear you. There were a few times when the laundry and dishes piled up and you started to weaken, until I read to you the nice things other people wrote in their Eye on Arbonne stories about their supportive spouses, and told you that if you wanted me to write something nice … I came upstairs and you were folding laundry. I love and appreciate you. You are going to be able to hunt and fish whenever you want.
To my two gorgeous sons, David, 17 and Joseph, 15: Thank you for sharing the phone and the computer, and not being my dreamstealers. One of my highest points was taking both of you on the “All Decked Out” ASAP 2006 Mexican Riviera Cruise, watching you surf in California and having each of you lift me up, hug me and tell me you love Arbonne! I love you both tremendously!
To my ex-husband, Jim: Thank you for laughing uncontrollably and wholeheartedly when I told you I was going to build my own business and get a Mercedes-Benz.
I love my team. Thank you all. To my beautiful daughter, ERVP Kenni Psenak: Thank you for your love, support and belief in me. Thanks also to your superbly talented Tribal Reign belly dance family, your other mother, DM Joanna Lee and your handsome and spiritual twin, Malachi Tharp. To ERVP Claudia Dolfi: You got it the second you signed up and have not rested since. You have been absolutely invaluable to your team, your crossline and me. We all appreciate you! To ERVP Chelina Ahrens: Your enthusiasm is wonderfully contagious. To ERVP Ingrid and Shane Ling: Wow, you are incredible leaders. Ingrid, your faith in network marketing and Arbonne, and your intelligence and integrity continually inspire me. To RVP Sasha O’Malley and RVP Lynda Locke: You and your teams rock — wow!
To EAM Rebekah Lincecum: I love that I sponsored you and made an incredible friend for life. You are a fantastic leader and no doubt will train and lead your team to Nation this year. To AM Demetria McGrew, Rayyy: I get to work with you again! To EAM Ingrid Shaginoff: Thank you for this journey. You were the beginning of this Nation. Thank you for having and sponsoring your beautiful daughters, Chelina and Ingrid. To EAM Amy Lynch: You and your team are wonderful. You are hilarious, whether you mean to be or not. I smile just thinking of you. You have made this journey so much fun! To AM Cindy Ohearn: You needed this and deserve it. I am here for you always. To EAM Traci Boyle: Your calm, steady leadership is awesome. I am so grateful to have gotten to know you and I know you are going to be an excellent NVP someday.
To EDM Erica Anderson: Giving up is not in your vocabulary. I value you and your team tremendously. To EDM Celeste Moore and DM Laura Shones: A lot of Nations began from Consultants loving our products.
To President Rita Davenport, Chairman & CEO Bob Henry and the entire Home Office staff: All of you are absolutely amazing and I am so grateful for all that you do for all of us. If I started listing the incredible things this personal growth company does for all of us, it would blow your hair back (thanks, Lynn Hagedorn) in amazement!
To the rest of our amazing Nation that I have gotten to know and love: Thank you and start writing your Eye on Arbonne stories now!
The testimonials on this Web site reflect the actual experience of each individual, are anecdotal only, and may be atypical. The testimonials are not based upon any clinical study.
