Today you’ll hear from one of our team members, Stephanie Walczak. She has been a customer and team member since January 2012, when she made a decision to invest in both herself and her family. This decision led her on a path to confidence and fulfillment in her life.
I always dreamed of being a stay at home mom. I grew up with two parents who worked hard to provide for us. But unfortunately, they missed out on a lot because of their work schedules. They did the best they could, and I am grateful for their sacrifice; but I desired something different for my own children. I wanted something more for them. I wanted to be there for them when they got off the school bus and for all the firsts as they grew up.
Before kids, I worked at an insurance agency and had worked my way up to a supervisory role. I loved teaching and training others. But once kids came along, I followed my dream of being a stay at home mom. I threw myself fully into caring for my kids–sometimes to the point of neglecting myself.
Attempts at Home-Based Businesses
Over the years, I tried a few different Party Plan businesses. I wanted to help my family financially, but I quickly realized that this was more cumbersome than I first thought. I had to carry inventory and take products to and from shows. I am also a perfectionist, which meant that I spent more time and money preparing for shows so that they would be successful. But they weren’t. When I was 8 months pregnant with my son, I realized that this was not a sustainable business model for me.
In January 2012, my best friend Heather introduced me to this company and the Life On Your Own Terms Team. At first, I was very skeptical. I couldn’t imagine how this business would be any different than the others I had tried. Plus, money was tight so I didn’t want to do anything that would put my family at risk financially.
Then there was me.
I had put myself on the back burner for so long, and had lost a lot of confidence in myself over the years. I struggled to believe that I was worth it – that I deserved to have something that fulfilled ME. How could I possibly succeed at something when I did not have faith in myself?
Thank goodness for pizza!
Heather invited us over for pizza while we would be educated about this company, their success, their products, and how everyday people benefit from shopping at this online store. For the first time, I saw a company with real products, healthier and higher quality but at more affordable prices than the grocery store brands. For the first time, I saw a company with a business model that made sense.
And for the first time in a long time, I could see myself excelling again: teaching moms how to have a healthier household and training other moms how to work from home, if they so choose to.
I am very passionate about educating households about toxins in the home; how a simple shift in changing stores, in changing brands, can make a huge difference in a family’s health and budget. It speaks to me personally and I want others to benefit as much as we have.
Finding Confidence and Fulfillment Again
Over the past 5 years, this business and team have given me much more than safer products and an income. It has given me back my confidence in myself.
The team support has shown me that I have something to offer this world – even as a stay at home mom. I am more than just “good enough”. I can still fulfill my passion for teaching and training others, even from home.
Building this business doesn’t mean that everything is perfect. Life is messy – there are always ups and downs. But the fact is, I’ve earned a check every single month for the past 5 years.
And there’s no other job that I could have where I would be able to be as involved with my kids as I am. Even if I never earned another dime, I would still shop with this manufacturer and tell people about the products.
For any mom who might have lost herself along the way, don’t stop believing that things can be different. Don’t stop wanting to show your children that things can be better. You deserve to take care of yourself, and to do something that fulfills you.
With the right company and the right team, you CAN live Life On Your Own Terms.
Stephanie Walczak and her husband Dave are the parents of three beautiful children; Sydney 13, Natalie 9, and Daniel 8. When Stephanie is not building her business, she actively participates as the lead raffle chair for the Christian Youth Theater of Fredericksburg, where her girls are very involved with musical theater productions like Mary Poppins, Willy Wonka, or the upcoming 10 weeks of preparation for SHREK the Musical in which both girls will be performing together for the 1st time. Her free time is either at the ball field watching her son, and of course there is always the family fun at King’s Dominion.