Tasha: Alright, so I have Holli Peel here. Holli thank you so much for being on the podcast today.
Holli: Thank you for having me, I’m excited to be here.
T: Okay so let’s start off just, give everyone a before and after look into how has your business changed in the past, I think it’s been, maybe, six to eight months
H: I started off frustrated, angry, ready to throw in the towel, probably making $500 a month, pretty much spending everything I was making, working 40 hours a week really only seeing the profit of maybe two hours of that work. Enrollments were really low, I had builders who said they wanted to help who weren’t really doing anything. Then now I work maybe 10 hours a week, we have consistent enrollments, 18 plus per month, and I’m making about 1,500 or more every month.
T: That’s awesome! So first I want to say congratulations!
H: Thank you
T: That is very cool. How has this change impacted you and your family?
H: It just makes things a lot easier. So the majority of the things we use in our home we get from doTERRA, and so I, one, am able to provide for our family more natural solutions without going to Target or wherever and spending that extra money outside of what I know is beneficial for us, and it’s just helped with extra bills burden stuff like that. Then I get to stay home with my son, which is the most important thing and most valuable thing to us as a family and so those are two of the most important things.
T: How old is your son, Holli?
H: He will be five next month.
T: Awesome! Now, when you you mentioned that you were working like 40 hours a week with the profit of two hours a week, can you express a little bit more about what you mean by that?
H: I was just constantly spinning my wheels out of frustration, and I was living in non-money-making zone, so I was constantly preparing and trying to educate myself and educate my team. But really it was just coming from a culture of frustration in my own life of not feeling adequate, or not adequate enough, or like I had anything to offer, or give them, and so I felt less than as a leader and it showed in my work. So I was constantly just banging my head against the wall, trying to come up with new things, I’m trying to reinvent the wheel, if you would, with spreadsheets and different classes rather than just sticking to the basics hitting the grindstone and doing what I can do well.
T: Okay and you mentioned when we were chatting before that your phone was on you all the time?
H: Oh my gosh! So my husband and I had many conversations about having my phone with me all the time: we’d be watching a family movie and I would be on my phone. And so it was just a bad example to our son, and then it was a relationship-killer for my family. Now, I can literally just release it and not even have to worry about who’s calling or texting, because I’ve set healthier boundaries.
T: Sure, so your dream business you were working 40 hours a week, making no money, and fighting with your husband.
H: Nailed it!
T: Okay, okay. What’s changed? Now, you said you work 10 hours a week, you’ve tripled your income.
H: Yeah.
T: So now do you spend all $1,500?
H: No, no! Not on my business. No, not even remotely close, and actually cut back on certain expenses that I was spending that were unnecessary. I really combed through what I was spending money on, and realized that it wasn’t benefiting me. For example, sample vials: we kind of stopped sampling, occasionally I will, but I don’t spend the same amount of money on that, so that was a huge change for sure. Most of it now is more going towards our family activities, and stuff to help with our family; rather than a business that wasn’t really a business.
T: Now, you spend about ten hours a week working. I’m sure the people listening are like, “Okay, hold on – you work one fourth of the time, and you’ve tripled.” So what are you doing during that 10 hours that’s leading to those kinds of results?
H: Intentionality. So, I’m not just like sitting at my computer searching. When I’m on Facebook, it’s with intention. I’m not just scrolling a newsfeed. When I’m going to Instagram, or whatever social media site it is, that it has intention. It’s not just scrolling. I’m there for a purpose, I’m there to find someone who needs what I have to offer them, and I go in with that intention and purpose and come out with my goal accomplished. And the other thing is when I am working in my office, I’m working on money-making activities, like inviting people, educating people, following up on their LRP order, how did they like their lavender, do they me a refill. Rather than just randomly throwing out information to my Facebook team without knowing that it’s gonna make an impact and being intentional is the main thing.
T: Sure. You said one of our favorite words, “Impact.” So impacting people and – wait let me make sure I understand this new scenario. You just spend all your time impacting people and then you make three times the amount of money?
H: Correct, that is correct.
T: I think I got, and so tell me about how you’ve grown as a leader as well, because I think that’s really cool.
H: Yeah, so that’s probably been the hardest journey. Ego had to get checked at the door. I realized I probably had a little bit more pride than I thought I did so that was kind of a big thing to realize and like have to work through that. And then one of the major things that I do is, in having conversation, I try to hear and see their perspective and where they’re coming from rather than just assuming my own life perspective and view onto them. So it gives me the ability to hear and, actually, like, hear. Listen to what they’re saying rather than just assume. It just makes a really big difference.
T: That’s cool. I love that. How has that impacted the results of your team members?
H: The people who were “builders” of mine they were able to kind of step back, because it wasn’t really a role that they were wanting to be in, with freedom and grace and know that I still loved them, totally unconditionally and it wasn’t a negative thing. We still have a great relationship because of it, and the people who wanted to step forward did. They know that they have that same freedom and grace to express what’s going on if they have problems, complications; it’s really opened up communication lines in a safe way.
T: Awesome. What do you think would be the three things that you’ve done to take you from that fairly bleak before picture, and this really cool – I could just see some people will be able to see this video, and some people listening the audio, but you can see the joy that you have for your business – and so like what would you say are the three things you would attribute?
H: So that’s actually one of the things I would: bring joy and laughter happiness back into your business. It’s not like such a serious thing, and I think that’s why one of the things I really got held up on in trying to be a “professional network marketer”. I felt like I had to be super business savvy, and always have make-up on, and, if you are watching, that you clearly see I don’t have makeup on, my hair is not done, I am in yoga pants. I gave myself the freedom to think, “That’s okay, that’s who I am,” and it gave me safety within myself in my own business, and it just opened up joy and happiness; and that is one of the most important things to me is when you can have that joy and what you’re doing. It comes through as you’re not desperate for a sale, like you’re, actually, really there to help someone, and it’s exciting. So I would say, number one, would be the bringing back joy and happiness. And then, number two, would be the conversations: having those crucial conversations with the people on my team, kind of knowing where they’re at, what track they want to be on, are they sharing, are they using, do they want to build, where are they; and then knowing that, the open line of communication goes both ways so that they have freedom to come to me, and I have freedom to go to them in a safe environment, in a safe way. So really communicating and understanding, because when you assume, if you spell it out, you know what that means! And then the third would be treating it like a business. I got started in network marketing just because I loved my product, and I wanted to use it and continue to get the discount on it. So that was how I got started, and I saw that when I was sharing with people and then get random checks in the mail. And I was like, “This is great. I could probably do this,” so what I loved as a hobby continued to be a hobby and it never was treated as a serious business. Then when I started investing in myself, investing in my business, and treating it like it was a real money-making thing – tracking my numbers, tracking my hours, tracking my time, where my energy and efforts were going- it was really eye-opening and super successful, as you mentioned tripled my income.
T: That’s super cool. And are you still married? Ha ha!
H: And the best part is, my relationships have never been better. So now I can actually hang out with my husband, and not be on the phone. We have a great time, and my son gets to interact with me and not constantly having to feel like he’s fighting for my attention over technology.
T: Oh, I love that. Now, you mentioned that you took your business seriously you – tracked your money, your time, your everything – but you also said have joy and happiness in the business. I think for most people listening or watching, they’ll say, “Those are opposites. There’s no way those two things could coexist.” So, can you tell us a little bit more about how you were able to track everything, and still have joy?
H: Yes, I’m actually really glad you asked me that, because I was that person. I took the StrengthsFinder test and I am anything like I’m all purples and blues. I’m a hundred percent emotional, communication, people-orientated, logic is not something I’m strong in. Another example, you have the squiggly people – I’m a squiggly person. I’m not a tracker. I married a CFO, he’s the numbers person, he’s about that going down for us, and I was like, “Tracking numbers was miserable. I do not want to do it.” But when I saw the peace of mind it gave me to know where I was in my business, I think the fear of not knowing where I actually was was what was keeping me down and burdening me. Then once I was able to get a grasp on where I was, identify my weaknesses and be okay with that, that’s where it changed and made all the difference in the world. That’s when I was able to have that joy come in.
T: Awesome and that’s your son? Hello!
H: Yeah! 🙂
T: Cool. Now what are some things specifically that you’ve done to bring joy and happiness in your business? So you mentioned that you’re kind of more like yourself…? You’re showing up as, kind of “Here’s who I am.” Then what are some other things?
H: So some of the other things are, I use my oils. I constantly am putting them on me. I’m using them for my emotional support, and I go for walks, I get outside, and I love nature. The sunshine is like a whole vitamin in of itself for me, so I really focus on taking care of myself in ways…self-care doesn’t always just look like going to a spa for a day right? It looks like taking care of your finances, and knowing your numbers so that you’re not stressed out and a basket case. And it looks like doing those hard things of getting up early – for me it’s doing my devotion, journaling, exercising – getting all of that stuff done and taken care of so that I know now I can give to my business the clear head.
T: I love that, and I think that’s such a great point about self-care. I think a lot of people think, “Oh you seem stressed. Go spend $200 on a massage.” I’m like, “That’s not gonna help my stress level right now!” But self-care, being the tracking in your case. Now, with the uncomfortable conversations you mentioned, what…we don’t want to leave people with, “Go have uncomfortable conversations.” What were the kinds of questions that you asked?
H: I was looking for it on my shelf, but there’s a book called Crucial Conversations, and it was really good. I would suggest it. I want to leave every conversation with people feeling like it’s a win-win. Normally the conversation in the past would have been about me and my needs, what I needed from them. And then I changed my perspective and my mindset, and I go into conversations now about them – what do they need, where they at in life, or do they want to go – and I focus on what they’re feeling and that changes the whole dynamic of the conversation. It opens them up to feel safe and more vulnerable and more open to share.
T: Cool, that’s awesome. So what’s next for you? The next goal? Or what do you look for you at your business?
H: So as a silver, my next goal would be gold; and that’s my goal by the end of the year. So I had some ups and downs with some leaders and now I have some pretty solid people who I get to work with everyday.
And that’s the other thing: I get to choose my co-workers, like you don’t get to do that many places, and that in itself brings joy. If someone doesn’t feel right for you, you do not have to work with them, you don’t have to take their enrollment. They can go to someone else’s team, and that’s ok. You’re not created for everyone, and I think just realizing that rather than just trying to be an enrolling machine and just have everyone. I want those quality people, who are the culture of my team. So now that I get to have these co-workers that are amazing and I love working with them, I just need to find one more person and I feel like that will be happening very soon. So I’m excited for that.
T: Awesome, good for you.
{blah! Crash! Blah} (Holli’s son playing in the background)
H: Sorry! So sorry! Real life, real life.
T: I was just thinking about it’s amazing how focused you are, and how good this content is, and your son is right there.
H: Ha, ha! And there’s dinosaur noises, so there’s that!
T: Well I think our listeners can hear the dinosaur noises! Ha ha! Alright, so I have one last question for you so we can wrap up and you can get back to your son. What advice would you give our listeners?
H: Be gentle with yourself. It is a journey, it is a brilliant process, and if you take it out on who you are as a person, you’re not gonna get there very fast. Because you have to cherish who you are. You are your greatest asset, and when you can care for who you are, and constantly be willing to make those changes, like I said, check your ego and pride at the door, it serves you no good. Be gentle, love on yourself, and like no that’s okay. It’s okay to love who you are, it’s okay to think that you’re pretty cool, and work that way. I think when you really get that understanding, that you’re worthy enough, it’s really, it’s exhilarating, and exciting, and it makes it so much fun.
T: Cool, I love that. Now, someone would wanted to reach out to you and ask you something, or shoot you a question, what’s the best way to reach you?
H: So my social media tags are Holli Peel, so it’s Holli Peel, and it’s Holli with an I. So it’s Holli Peel on Instagram, Holli Peel on Facebook, and, like I said, I’m there with intention, but I’m there.
T: Awesome, thank you so much, Holli, for taking them to share all this good stuff with us. And have a great rest of your day!
H: Thank you!