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THE ARBONNE DREAM



Sonya Shields personifies the Arbonne dream. This young wife and mother had no idea how her life was about to change when she agreed to try a new skin line introduced to her by her sister in Okalahoma. She tried the products and was genuinely astounded by the improvement of her skin; it was softer and more radiant than ever before. She immediately went to work on learning more about Arbonne and the opportunity.



Sonya had been a "stay-at-home-mother” looking for some extra spending money, unbeknownst to her, just a few short years later her earnings would rank high among those of corporate executives. As one of the first consultants in Canada, Sonya was a pioneer, but she believed in Arbonne and its’ amazing products and it was that enthusiasm that propelled her promotion to Executive National Vice President.



For her, it has been a life-altering experience in many ways. She is proud to be the kind of role model to her two young children that instils the values of believing in yourself and working hard to achieve success. "I am now more driven than ever to bring Arbonne products and the opportunity to everyone I meet, because I know first hand that Arbonne is a gift that continues to give and grow, enriching people’s lives, one day at a time, one person at time… turning their dreams into reality.”





DESIGNING HER OWN LIFE IS HER BEST WORK!



Tina Overbury’s life needed a makeover. And Arbonne arrived just in time. Now she’s a shining star headed straight for the top. But it’s been a long road for the young artist and filmmaker.



Only three years ago, Tina’s young family was in a less than desirable financial situation. Naturally the stress was putting pressure on her marriage and her husband, Todd, who was working two jobs just to keep their simple lifestyle afloat. She loved her job in a non-profit organization but knew the low salary could never compensate for hours spent away from her two boys. The family was exhausted and, sadly, there was no room for art in her life, which had always been a personal passion.



In and around this turmoil in her life, she reluctantly accepted an invitation from her neighbour to attend an Arbonne gathering. "I told her I only had 15 minutes. Luckily that is all it took.” Tina immediately realized that she had found the solution. She knew that "this business was do-able”. The product line was impressive, the company’s history strong and there was tremendous opportunity for consultants in the emerging Canadian market. She soon found that the products sold themselves and that team building fit her personality perfectly.



Three years later, Tina is a National Vice President. Her family recently celebrated Todd’s early retirement with a "freedom 35” party and Tina is working on several film and theatre projects. She is ecstatic about her ability to produce the art that she "WANTS to make” without worrying about the commercial payoff. Tina’s family is happy to be designing a life that works for them, while helping other families find the same financial freedom. "It is an incredible opportunity, no doubt about it”!





GREATNESS AND ENTHUSIASM



Heather Smith-Dacey had a wonderful life. She and her husband were blessed with a beautiful son and a second child was on the way. They were successful owners of a business franchise in the Maritimes and Heather was also a championship curler and an active member of a community that she loved. How could life get any better? But one day her persuasive sister, Krista Bernard, insisted that she accompany her to an Arbonne conference in Seattle. And suddenly, a new door opened in Heather’s life.



What impressed Heather most at the event was how happy everyone was. She realized that these people were getting out of their experience with Arbonne something that was worth pursuing. So she went home to Nova Scotia and began her own Arbonne business.



Of course, having a master’s degree in business didn’t hurt. Heather could see the financial potential. She was confident that the business would thrive in the east and she realized being on the "ground floor" was an enormous opportunity. Best of all, Heather could follow the Arbonne dream, without sacrificing any of her other interests. She continues to help her husband with their franchise and she is still competing in the national curling championships. She wears many other "hats”, but she says it all works because everything she does is on a flexible schedule, "so things fit in around each other.” That’s just one of the things that make Arbonne so great.







MORE THAN JUST A HONEYMOON!



Becky Young’s dreams were coming true. She had left Alberta to join her fiancée, Blade, on his ranch outside of Regina. Becky worked as a teacher’s aid and enjoyed her work with children, although the salary was less than ideal. She and Blade would have a wonderful wedding, likely no honeymoon, but a wedding she had always dreamed of. Becky felt comfortable with putting a honeymoon on hold for a few years until they could comfortably afford to go somewhere spectacular.



Those feelings soon changed, when she received a call from Sonya Shields, who was in Cancun with her husband on an Arbonne rewards trip. It didn’t take long for Becky to change her mind. She was going to join Arbonne, so she too would earn a fabulous trip. She would earn her honeymoon!



Eight months later Becky became Canada’s second Regional Vice President. And the successful journey has continued. Since then she and Blade have taken Arbonne trips to Australia, Hawaii, Mexico and they expect to be in Greece and Italy in May. Becky is proud to be Arbonne Canada’s youngest Executive National Vice President!



She says that her success with Arbonne has also inspired her husband to expand his ranching business. Becky, Blade and three-year-old Grady are living a life that "is a dream”. "I owe it all to Arbonne and the fantastic people who are a part of this amazing company”.





A WINNING COMBINATION



The first time she was invited to an Arbonne party Odessa Straughan declined and asked to have a catalogue instead. To her surprise, she was turned down. She was told that she needed to experience the product firsthand and only then would she be given a catalogue. That answer left her intrigued, and she agreed to attend the party, to see these elusive products for herself. She was impressed, especially when her acne prone skin cleared up in record time. But Odessa had recently resigned after nine years as a middle school teacher and, pregnant with her second child, she had no budget for “luxury” items. So she agreed to host a party in order to receive the hostess gifts. At this party she and her husband Michael recognized the real opportunity, so with his support Odessa signed on.



Odessa became a District Manager in one month and an Area Manager three months later. Odessa and her husband, who is also an Area Manager, have a unique sales approach. They go together to meet with a potential consultant and they encourage that person’s spouse to become involved as well. That way the whole family appreciates the opportunity and the commitment.



Life, for the Straughans, is better with Arbonne. It means they can always be there for their children. They are also able to give back to the community. Odessa says that Arbonne is a unique opportunity because "it can fit into everything you do and be part of who you are”.





DOING ONE THING VERY WELL



A "chance encounter” changed Aislinn Rattai’s life forever. She had a thriving business as an esthetician in rural Saskatchewan, about 40 minutes north of Regina, and she had no interest in changing her life. But then a former colleague called with an amazing story. Aislinn was intrigued when the woman raved about a new line of "healthy living" products. Of course, the woman was talking about Arbonne.



Aislinn was an aesthetician, she had tried everything to improve her skin without great success yet after using the NutriminC RE9 line just once, she fell in love with the results and immediately took the product to work. She encouraged her clients to try it. The magic was contagious. Yet her immersion into Arbonne through the business opportunity didn’t occur right away.



It was during Arbonne Canada’s National Conference in Edmonton, Alberta, in the fall of 2007 that she was moved by the words of the company’s President Rita Davenport: "It is impossible to do two things very well at once”. This notion resonated within Aislinn and she decided then and there to make a full-time commitment to her Arbonne business. She couldn’t resist the lure of having more time, more freedom, and she certainly couldn’t pass up the opportunity to put her family first. She has never looked back.





LIFE WITH A PURPOSE



On the surface, it seemed that Milva Perri-Kennedy’s life was perfect. She was a new mother, with a good job as a government adjudicator, and a happy marriage. Still, she was restless, and wanted more control. The thought of one day having to leave her daughter with a babysitter did not fit well into her plans for the future. What did she really want for the future? Her question was answered on November 11, 2006. That’s the day she was invited to an Arbonne Spa Party.



There she found what she had unconsciously been seeking; a business she could operate from home. She bought the RE9 set and, in 24 hours, she knew that she had not only found a great business opportunity, she had also discovered an impressive product for herself. The timing was perfect. She felt she was being handed a winning lottery ticket.



Today, Milva is running her own successful home-based business. She feels that she finally has control over her life. She recalls how, as a teenager, she nearly died from a ruptured spleen. She was rushed to a hospital with no pulse and was not expected to survive. Twenty years later Milva humbly believes that her purpose in life is to help people achieve self-sufficiency and balance through Arbonne. She is elated to be able to share the positive experience. She tells her team that "It is not your setbacks but your comebacks that define you, no matter what!”





THE SECRET TO SUCCESS



Erin Van Imschoot was home on maternity leave, with a new baby, and a dilemma. She enjoyed teaching, but after ten years of it she knew that the demands would limit her time with her son, Jacob.



During this time, a friend told her about a neighbour, who had just earned a Mercedes Benz from her home-based business. It was a remarkable story. Erin talked to her and was persuaded to try the products. When time came to decide whether to sign up with Arbonne, Erin thought, “Why not?” It seemed like a good company, with good products and the timing was right.



Erin began with a rather casual attitude and it wasn’t until she attended the national conference in St. Louis and saw the amazing success of other women, women just like her, that her perspective changed. Ordinary women were doing extraordinary things. She started to focus on the business-building side of the opportunity and she quickly realized the secret. All she had to do was duplicate what she had already done, "like opening a franchise”. It was all about transferring skills.



The transformation was immediate. With her new goal and path established, her business blossomed. Two years later she is a National Vice President.



Erin enjoys watching families change direction through the Arbonne experience and loves that there is a community linking women together as they help and encourage each other. What started as just a business opportunity soon became a personal opportunity to be part of a "heart-warming industry that is in tune with all its members”.





EMPOWERING WOMEN



Kelly Greening-Thoburn traded her school bus keys for a white Mercedes and her life as a stay-at-home mom for one as a stay-at-home business woman. When her two little boys, Cole and Lucas, started Pre-school and Kindergarten, Kelly realized that it was time for a change. Her husband Graham’s career as a pilot had him away a great deal of time, making it increasingly difficult to work more without putting her boys in full-time child care program. And so she began her search.



Raised with a sound work ethic and with the full support of her husband, Kelly had set her sights on Arbonne and knew she had found what she needed for herself and her family. She says her business and team growth reflect her dedication and belief in Arbonne. She loves the products and the company’s culture, which she says, nurtures, instructs and rewards. Like many other members of the Arbonne team, she feels that few companies can match Arbonne’s way to care for its consultants.



Arbonne has given Kelly so much personally and it has allowed her to be more charitable in the process. Her team is now a proud sponsor of disadvantaged families at Christmas through a local women’s shelter. Kelly, who loves being able to "give back”, is on a mission to empower other women as well. She believes that putting money in the women’s hands will make the world a better place. Whenever she is able to tell someone new about Arbonne, she’s convinced she is ‘doing them a favour, giving them a gift only they can open’.





OTTAWA LOVES ARBONNE



After 21 years in a government job, it was getting harder and harder for Michel Brisson to drag himself out of bed for work on Monday mornings. "They say that ‘you don’t find Arbonne, Arbonne finds you”, says Michel. "I had been trying for years to find a new direction to replace my civil-service job, but nothing was ever the right fit”. Then he met Arbonne Area Manager Milva Kennedy, who impressed him with her enthusiasm for Arbonne. He tried the products and loved them, and more importantly, loved the company. With the full support of his partner, Roger, Michel took a one-year leave of absence to begin an Arbonne business. He became a District Manager in just six weeks.



Michel, now an Area Manager, confesses he is somewhat surprised at the success he has had in Ottawa. Because the Nation’s Capital is primarily a government town, he recognizes that one reason for the success is that people can make a gradual transition, working on Arbonne part-time, until the sales build.



Michel especially loves the way Arbonne respects their consultants. "There are trips and rewards and recognition. I certainly never experienced this in my previous job.” His Arbonne income has allowed him and his partner to build a new home and take advantage of travel opportunities. For Michel, Arbonne has been a life-changing experience and he says he is giving it everything he has. "No matter what, I am going to the top!”





A FAMILY BUSINESS



Tiffany Haugrud felt like her life was passing her by. She had worked through the first three years of her son’s life, and she was determined not to miss the first three years of her daughter’s as well. She needed to find an alternative to her demanding job. Her fantasy was a home-based business, something that would take Canada by storm. She shared her dream with her sister who, in another example of Arbonne serendipity, had just heard of the company. Together they agreed to attend an opportunity meeting that same week.



With Tiffany’s expertise in marketing and design, the packaging and print materials for all the Arbonne products impressed her. It looked right and it felt right, so she jumped in with both feet. Her passion for the business soon had her promoted to Area Manager and in only 18 months she was Regional Vice President accepting the keys to a white Mercedes Benz.



Now as a National Vice President, Tiffany says the best thing about the business is that Arbonne has brought her family closer together. And, her goal is to bring families together and continue to enhance the lives of others.



Tiffany tells her team that "it is never too late to add to your life. Open your mind to the endless possibilities Arbonne can bring to you. It is up to you to create your own success, and it is up to me to help you along the way.”





ARBONNE FROM COAST TO COAST



Arbonne is many things to many people. For Krista Bernard, it has been a job, a social group, a school and a family reunion. Krista had a stable and well-paying job in the pharmaceutical industry but she was looking for something else. Something that would allow her to realign her life; to put her family at the center, not her job. She found Arbonne at the right time and retired from her former job in just six months. She was surprised to find that the women she met through her business soon became close and dear friends. Arbonne has provided Krista with so much personal growth opportunity, as she has risen to the challenge of leadership and all that it entails.



And for Krista, Arbonne is truly a family business as both her mother and her sister are on her team, though she is from the west coast and they are from the east. Arbonne conferences are always a much-anticipated opportunity for them to reunite.



Now a new National Vice President, Krista has reached a point where everything is in balance: her work, her marriage, her family. With great joy, at the end of the school year she routinely takes her daughters to their summer home in New Brunswick and does not return until Labour Day. "How could I have done that before?” she asks.





TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE? ABSOLUTELY NOT!



Jaclyne Hoffner had an established career path. She had left her small rural town to pursue a university degree in business. When she graduated, she accepted a good, corporate job but quickly realized that eight hour days were becoming twelve hour days. This left her with little time for herself and she was finding it hard to indulge her passion for horses. Like so many others, she wanted more from life.



A close friend told her about Arbonne, and they investigated the opportunity together. Immediately Jaclyne recognized a good thing and committed herself to it. She inspired her friend, who soon joined as well. It seemed to be "too good to be true”, but since she could not find any reason to doubt the business model, she decided to do everything she could to succeed. Jaclyne, always a good student, carefully followed the instructions of her sponsor. In three months, she was able to quit her job having already matched her former salary. Definitely not "to good to be true”, and Jaclyne set her sights on the white Mercedes.



Working for herself appealed to Jaclyne’s business sense, but what began to astonish her was her own personal development. She believes she has finally figured out what life is all about and just in time for the upcoming birth of her first child. At 30 years old, she is already a National Vice President. And she has also realized other goals including enjoying success as a professional rodeo Barrel Racer. She says that her next goal is to share the lifestyle so that others can experience the same harmony. She personally believes that to be truly happy you need to help others along the way.



Jaclyne wholeheartedly believes that she has reached this place of fulfillment in her life from the honesty of her own experience, an experience that is forever growing and evolving through Arbonne.