NEVERGIVE UP

It is hard to put into words life-changing moments and life-changing decisions. I made one in September 2006. Three years later, I am an ERVP. My husband, Bob and I live and work on a third-generation family farm in southeast Saskatchewan, Canada. Our village of Fillmore has a population of approximately 260, and the surrounding rural area boasts a population of 800. To have two white Mercedes-Benzes — driven by my sponsor, ERVP Nichola Treble, and myself — in such a sparsely populated part of the country feels like quite an accomplishment. Most people my age are thinking of retiring or are already retired. But the reality is that many people will be working well past the age of 65 because they cannot afford to retire.

To provide a second income, I worked in health care. My days were overfull working at my job and on the farm, bookkeeping and volunteer-ing, besides enjoying our children and grandchildren. I was not looking for something extra to do. As a tomboy growing up, I never dreamed of a career in sales, much less skin care. Bob and I worked hard and when our crop didn’t yield what we forecast, we lived by the motto,

“next year will be better.” We were getting by, but we were not getting ahead. Looking back, I see we were doing the same thing over and over and expecting a better outcome.

Everything changed on September 23, 2006, when I reluctantly attend-ed an Arbonne spa party. I loved Arbonne products. What they did for my skin was truly amazing, but I didn’t “do” parties. I thought they were for women who had little to do and those who were in the busi-ness should likely get a “real” job. Like many people, I had a common misconception about network marketing. Today, I like to tell everyone

about the brilliance of network marketing and how the industry fi ts the lifestyle of the 21st Century.

Nichola captured my attention that momentous afternoon when she asked some thought-provoking questions. I realized that while Bob and I were fortunate in many ways, raising three beautiful daughters in wide open spaces, we accepted what life handed us. In essence, we lost sight of our dreams in the repetitiveness of everyday living. Although making a living got us through every month, what we really wanted in

Sharon with President Rita Davenport at NTC 2010 Las Vegas.Sharon with her biggest fan: husband, Bob. ERVP Nichola Treble presenting Sharon with the keys to her new Mercedes-Benz.

s h a r o n c l a yArbonne Independent Consultant, Regional Vice President

Sharon Clay Region; Fillmore, Saskatchewan

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The greatest barrier to success is fear of failure.

success strategy:

life seemed out of reach. To add to my intrigue, Nichola named three young women living just a few kilometres away who earned their white Mercedes-Benzes through Arbonne and she was about to earn hers! My decision to become an Independent Consultant that day surprised me and a lot of others, too. I knew these were the best products on the market, but I did not have a clue about network marketing, leveraging my time, compensation plans ... nothing. What was I getting into?

I was defi nitely scared, but what if this was a chance to change the course of our lives? I wanted more out of life for us. I wanted to travel and the time and money to do that. I wanted the freedom to schedule my work around my beautiful daughters and their families, instead of the other way around. I wanted to add to our retirement fund so that we could do what we wanted, when we wanted. I was nervous, I was excited, I was determined.

I promoted quickly to District Manager, earned the ASAP trip to the Bahamas for Bob and me, and promoted to Area Manager in December 2007. And that is where I stayed for over two years. The biggest obstacle was my reluctance to give up the security of my biweekly paycheque. My business was stagnant. I thought about quitting Arbonne. I knew something had to change. I needed to take ownership of my business if I was to succeed. In February 2010, I quit my job and focused entirely on Arbonne, resulting in my promotion to RVP on March 29, 2010!

My cautious nature and lack of confi dence held me back from promot-ing sooner. I needed to kick that little gremlin, fear, right out of my head and grab hold of this opportunity and run with it. I nearly quit before payday and I am so thankful I had key people to support and inspire me. This business has allowed me to look at my life in a whole new way, because I am fi nally dreaming again.

To my wonderful husband, Bob: You are the reason I could make this hap-pen. You believe in me like no other person. You give me the courage and confi dence to build a new life for us and you support me unconditionally.

To my daughters, DM Kelly Schneider, Dana Clay and Lori Fahlman, and their families: Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support and encouragement. To my parents, for believing I could accomplish anything I wanted to, and to all my family for your belief in me: Thank you for your inspiration.

Sharon with members of the team.

Thank you, ENVP Becky Young, for your strong leadership and passion for Arbonne, and ERVP Nichola Treble, for your amazing spirit, your unwavering support and belief in me, and for leading with a servant heart.

To my awesome team: Thank you for everything. To EAM Dana Knihnitski: Thank you for your courage and perseverance. And to AM Cari Priddle MacNab: Thank you for your loving spirit and your “no matter what” attitude.

To DMs, Brenda Brown, Randi Wiggins, Judy Elias Hart, Kelly Schneider, Katrina Ignatescu, Tom Yanko and Keyla Siemens: You see the vision and continue to gain strength, courage and confi dence with every experience. I am so proud of you.

To the Independent Consultants and new business builders: Please remember that your Arbonne business is a journey. Make the decision to work your business, give it time and never quit. I know Arbonne will change your life forever.

Sharon with Sr. VP Product Development, Peter Matravers at NTC 2010 Las Vegas.

E Y E O N A R B O N N E | SEPTEMBER 2010

Sharon with members of the team at her Mercedes-Benz Car Presentation.

The Arbonne Independent Consultant featured in this EOA has achieved the rank of Regional Vice President. The average number of active Arbonne Independent Consultants who achieved this rank and average compensation is described further in the Independent Consultant Compensation Summary (ICCS) available at arbonne.com > The Company > Corporate Information > 2009 Independent Consultant Compensation Summary.

The testimonial in this EOA is for illustrative purposes only and does not represent income projections. The results discussed in this EOA by the featured Arbonne Independent Consultant are not typical and should not be relied upon by prospective or current Arbonne Independent Consultants as an indication of what they should expect to earn. Actual results for each Arbonne Independent Consultant will vary depending upon individual effort, time, skills and resources. Arbonne makes no guarantees regarding income. Arbonne is a product-driven company that strongly encourages the use of its products before becoming an Arbonne Independent Consultant.