My WHOLE story… the Mountains and Valleys

I think it’s safe to say that no one LIKES to talk about painful or humiliating situations from their past.  Even after we’ve risen above the hurt, received healing, and maybe even made a triumphant comeback, we’d rather leave out the painful parts, and just share the victories.

The valleys in our lives are usually dark and often filled with stinky swamps.  Not only do we believe that no one really wants to hear those messy stories, but we often mistakenly believe that by sharing them, we will be humiliated and people will think less of us or love us less.

One thing I’ve been a bit private about is my own, very personal “Norwex Story”.

I came to Norwex when I was facing some very difficult  & painful situations  in my life, and that wasn’t something I wanted to share with people. I love talking about where I am, but have struggled with feelings of shame and embarrassment when asked to share about where I’ve come from.

Thankfully, that’s changed.  I’m coming to more of an understanding that I can’t separate who I am now, from who I was before, and my “then” story is part of the beautiful tapestry of my life, and is woven into my NOW story.

I love this quote by Wayne Dyer:

As I look back at the entire tapestry of my life, I can see from the perspective of the present moment that every aspect of my life was necessary and perfect.  Each step eventually led to a higher place, even though these steps often felt like obstacles or painful experiences.”

With that in mind, I want to take a risk today, with my heart, and share my story with you… I want to be authentic and transparent, with the hope that it will encourage you to fully embrace the tapestry of your life story.

Here’s a video of me sharing my story at a team meeting five years ago:

If you took the time to watch that, you’ve now seen my initial “why;” what brought me to Norwex more than 11 years ago.

My “Why Norwex” has certainly changed over the years, but I think it’s very important to never lose sight of where we’ve come from.

If you’re a consultant or are exploring the Norwex business opportunity, I want to reiterate the points I made above:

• You can absolutely do great things with Norwex even if you have another full time job. I’ve done it, and so can you!
• Norwex can be an amazing financial blessing if you put the effort in. I’ve seen that first hand in my own life and in the lives of so many team members and friends.
• If you want to go fast, go alone. Focus on parties and sales. If you want to go far and high, you need to bring other people with you. Help people get somewhere they never thought was possible. That’s what will bring true success.
• Attend national conference. Regardless of what home party plan you’re with, it’s so important to attend your company’s national conference. It can be life changing; it was for me.

Since this video is five years old, here’s a couple of quick things that have changed since 2015:

• I have personally sponsored more than 750 consultants
• I currently have more than 650 leaders in my downline
• I am blessed to have more than 17,000 Norwex Independent Consultants on my team

One last update…

As difficult as it was for me, in January, 2018, I left the financial firm I’d worked with for the past 14 years, and for the first time in 23 years, I’m not actively working in the financial services industry. It was a heart wrenching decision and one that came only through the heartbreak of having a business relationship dissolve to the point I couldn’t continue in it.

Eleven years ago, I had to stay in a working environment most people would have left. (Would you stay at your job if you received a 35% pay cut???) The thing is…back then, I had to stay. I couldn’t afford to leave. My family needed that income. I won’t lie; that humiliation left scars that will always be a part of me. It was a humbling experience and one that had a big part of shaping who I am today.

In 2018, thanks to Norwex, I didn’t have to stay in a bad situation. I didn’t have to let myself be hurt any further. I absolutely love financial planning and believe God has given me a gift to help people in that arena. I love the clients I was working with. I loved the impact I was making in people’s lives, but I no longer had to stay in an environment that wasn’t healthy for me. Thanks to Norwex, I was able to say that I was ending that phase of my life.

In the past few months, many people have asked if I will go back to financial planning. I most likely will, in some capacity, whether volunteer or paid. When I do, however, it will be on my terms. Thanks to Norwex, I will never again have to stay in an unhealthy working relationship.

My story isn’t finished yet…it’s just beginning.

Tell me … what is the story of your life? Are there valleys that you’re going through right now? Stay strong; what you need may be just around the corner. It was for me, and it came in the form of Norwex. I’m so very thankful it did.

Thanks for taking the time to hear my story.

Suzanne R Holt, CFP^®, BFA^®, CLTC

aka

Suzanne Holt, Norwex Senior Vice President Sales Leader and Independent Sales Consultant