I never thought I’d say this, but I’m actually having fun with my new business. 

Work isn’t generally something we associate with “fun,” and I didn’t choose to do this because I thought it would be “fun.”  I’m sure there are people who choose this for that reason alone.  People decide to go into this type of business for all sorts of reasons.  Some do it for the money.  Some want to dream big.  Some are lonely and are just looking for social interaction.  Some even do it for the personal development.  I have a friend who did it because she wanted to push herself out of her comfort zone.  She felt she wasted too much of her life worrying about what others thought, and she wanted to break free of that.

So why did I do it?

Believe it or not, I didn’t do it for the money.  I mean… don’t get me wrong.  I want to make money.  But that is not why I did this.  I did this because I was open for an adventure, something completely out of my comfort zone.  I wasn’t stuck anymore.  I didn’t have to do this.  The irony is that when I was stuck, I would have never taken this leap.  Not only would I have doubted my ability to be successful, but I would have preferred to stay stuck because it was (depressingly) comfortable.  I would have preferred to stay in the miserable known over taking a risk and leaping into any type of unknown.  But that’s not why I did this either.  I did it because the right person approached me, someone I trusted who had never been in this industry before and believed in this product.  Again, that’s not the reason either.  The main reason I did it was because, sadly, I knew too many people who were unhappy with their careers and wanted a way out.  I’ll never forget what it was like to be there, and if I could offer some hope, encouragement, or even a tangible option, then I knew I would truly feel fulfilled.

Have I gotten what I came for?

Yes.

So far I have gained a lot from this experience, but I’m consistently reminded of the best part: when a friend says yes.  It’s not about making a sale.  It’s about what the yes represents.  They say yes to the adventure, yes to the dream, yes to change, yes to growth, yes to a better future.  And we get to do that together.  It’s exhilarating to make that connection and know that it’s not just about you anymore.  Have you ever noticed that when you find a restaurant you love or the new salon down the street, that you want to share it with your friends?  Why is that?  I do that all the time.  I want my friends to try a great recipe I made or a skin cream that I can’t live without.  I want to spread the joy simply for that, but also because it’s more fun to share things you love with people you love.

It brings you together and creates a common bond.

When I started this, I had no idea what the social impact would be.  I already had a lot of friends, and I thought I didn’t really need more social interaction.  Looking back, I’m not sure why I felt that there was no room in my life for more.  I couldn’t have been more wrong.  As the years have gone on, I see my friends less.  I don’t have kids, and most of my friends do.  I never realized how isolating that one, small difference can be.  While we are still great friends, and that difference between us hasn’t ruined our friendships, it has just changed them.  We don’t get to see each other as often, and that sometimes feels lonely.  As more friends joined me in this business, I saw how this could bridge that gap with all different types of people: old friends, new friends, acquaintances, friends with kids, single friends, old co-worker friends, and even old patient friends.  In a world where business is all business, it’s nice to know I’ve found a job where there is a place for friendship.

And that is the best part.