The Birth Of A Saleswoman

TheStar.com:

Bay Street lawyer Jennifer Maron worried how her colleagues might react to the news she was abandoning the rough-and-tumble world of the courtroom to sell skin-care products.

The 43-year-old mother of three was turning her back on a successful career to become an independent consultant for Arbonne International Inc. – a little-known line of beauty and nutrition products sold through a direct marketing program similar to Tupperware.

She took the plunge into direct sales in March, but the decision was a struggle.

“I’m a litigator, a trained professional and a health law specialist,” she recalls thinking at the time.

Maron had trouble shaking the cliché of the annoying aunt who pressures beleaguered relatives and friends into purchasing things they don’t particularly want or need.

“As a lawyer, I always felt I was in a prestige occupation. But there’s a stigma associated with direct sales.”

The transition began a year-and-a-half ago. While on maternity leave with her third child, someone introduced her to Arbonne. Until then, she used expensive, designer brands. “I thought I’d get better results if I spent more money,” Maron says.

She was impressed with the product’s natural and botanical properties as well as its environmentally conscious packaging.

When the recession hit and news of budget cuts and layoffs dominated headlines, Maron wanted to help her family by going back to work. The same friend who got her using Arbonne suggested she come on board as a consultant.

“I was very critical in the beginning. I wasn’t going to do parties.”

Maron organized her first party in March, then a second and a third. Turns out, she’s a natural.

Logo from Arbonne

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *