It's March and I've been remiss in keeping up with my beloved blog here! It is something close to my heart -- like an old friend, a diary sorely in need of a dusting off, a pen yearning to be dipped in the ink well again -- and I've missed it.
2016 started off with a walk on the beach in Carmel, and a minor life change. I had just celebrated another birthday in December and had begun mulling over retirement in a few short years. Wanting to ensure I was well situated for retirement, able to always be there for my daughters, able to enjoy life freely, I had started mulling over various second income possibilities. I considered going back into real estate. Still have my license, though it has been inactive for over a decade and a half. No, too much dressing up, competition, and worry about lonely open houses. I have done private speech therapy for the last few years, but when my full time school district job required long after school meetings, I decided that was not fair to my clients this year. I didn't want to have to call and tell them I would be late again or worse -- need to reschedule. The more I contemplated, the more I decided it needed to be a home-based business I could fit into the nooks and crannies of my own life and existing schedule. I began praying, observing other people's options, googling.
Then serendipity happened. I ran out of eye cream.... Gotta have my eye cream. I looked at my counter full of products -- cheap drug store items, expensive department store name brands. None of it was doing me any good. The crows feet continued to march more aggressively around my eyes. My skin still looked dull. A good friend of mine from junior high school had started posting on FB that she was now a consultant with Rodan+Fields. I had no idea who they were, but I trusted this friend. She is a woman of integrity, active in her church, very health conscious, and had been one of the shyest and most introverted students in our class. I figured if she was willing to leave her comfort zone to share about these products, they must be good. So I called her and said, "Carmen, I want to try some of your eye cream!"
Long story short ~ not only did I fall in love with the products, I fell in love with the business, and am now a consultant myself! Turns out I HAD heard of Rodan+Fields. Dr. Katie Rodan and Dr. Kathy Fields are the same dermatologists that created ProActiv -- yes, that world famous product that became a household name and changed acne-sufferers' lives! It changed my daughters' lives! Turns out Drs. Rodan and Fields have gone on to create a line of anti-aging products with four main regimens designed to address the four things they most commonly see in their busy dermatology practices: skin sensitivities and redness, adult acne and scaring, sun damage and brown spots, and wrinkles, fine lines, and enlarged pores.My own skin was transformed in a couple of weeks and has continued to improve daily. The regimens involve using the right ingredients in the right amount and in the right order. Stunning results.
So now you know where I've been for the last two and a half months -- trying out products and launching my business. And of course I believe that even something as practical as sharing good skin care deserves an elegant touch:
While I have been having an absolute ball with this business, I have stopped to smell other roses in the garden! Carmel has beckoned me for walks on a regular basis. My girls and I have celebrated birthdays and career advancements. Lunches and get togethers with friends have been sweet. Reading, playing with my pets, and genealogy digging are still weekly passions.
I feel incredibly blessed. Life is a wonderful journey!
