Some weeks ago, I wrote a letter to Betty Palm, President of Dove Chocolate Discoveries™, about my first 100 days. She totally shocked me by reading part of it at our National Conference in August, and it really does the best job of "summing up" why I do what I do. Here it is in its entirety:
Hi Betty,
I hope I'm not too late to send you my reflections on my first 100 days with Dove Chocolate Discoveries™ - I just realized that National Conference is NEXT WEEK...how it sneaks up on us! I may be a little late in getting this to you, but I wanted to share my story with you (and everyone else at Home Office) because I think it's important for you to know what this business has meant to me. It may not be a concise "list," but hopefully it serves its purpose!
My oldest daughter was diagnosed with Leukemia in January 2008. Her type of Leukemia is the more rare and aggressive of childhood Leukemias, and her treatment plan included 5 rounds of intense chemotherapy, one right after the other, each requiring a hospital stay of 4 - 6 weeks. When she was diagnosed, I was 8 months pregnant with our fourth child. When all was said and done, my daughter (along with the baby and me) had spent over 6 months in the hospital, undergone 3 surgeries, and survived a life-threatening fungal infection. I'm thrilled to report that she's doing beautifully, is about to start 6th grade, and has a head full of curls to show for her battle!
We went on her Make-A-Wish trip in early November of 2008, and I came home after that wondering, "Now what?" I had lost my job in September of 2007, and had always planned on going back to work after the baby was born. Since my oldest had finished treatment but is still considered a "cancer patient," working full time just wasn't feasible. I literally went through a depression in November because I honestly did not know what to do next. I was no longer needed as a full time caregiver in the hospital, but my children (four of them by now) needed me at home. I doubted I had any marketable skills anymore, except for changing diapers, replacing a central line dressing or pressing buttons on an IV pump! I felt professionally paralyzed, but knew I needed to contribute to our family's income, and more importantly, had to do something for ME.
I signed with DCD in late November 2008. I thought I'd enjoy it, and knew how to make a direct sales business work - but I had no idea what a difference it would make in my life. I booked my first parties and felt absolutely ALIVE when I stepped in front of the guests to share my passion for chocolate! My enthusiasm grew, and so did my parties. After spending most of a year in unpleasant circumstances, surrounded by illness and sadness, I suddenly had a new and positive direction in which to channel my energy. My first few parties gave me the "Yes, I CAN do this" confidence I so desperately needed. I remembered that I DO have leadership skills, I DO have business sense, and I CAN succeed doing something I enjoy.
I always knew I loved chocolate - but never dreamed it would become one of the biggest blessings in my life. I have a blog titled "Blessed by Chocolate," because that's truly how I feel. My business is a gift from God, and I do my best to focus on helping others experience the same joy I have found with this business - whether it's as a hostess, a new Chocolatier, or just a smiling face enjoying some really good chocolate! In my first 100 days, I made two of my Fast Start goals - but also achieved my own personal goal of connecting with part of myself that I had lost. I rediscovered my strengths and began to focus on helping others discover theirs. Of course I've faced challenges (I think we've all stared down the empty calendar a time or two), but in facing and overcoming those challenges, I've grown - both as a Chocolatier and as a person.
