Sometimes, all you need to take your business to the next level is a change in attitude. Courtney Bates shares her ongoing journey as a direct sales distributor for the skincare brand Neora. Courtney has had her share of funny looks thrown at her for being involved in direct sales, especially considering her career as a speech pathologist. However, what started out as a fondness for Neora’s products turned into a passion for empowering families with business ownership. Listen in as Courtney discusses how to nurture an attitude of gratitude. Such a seemingly simple shift in the way you think, in her experience, has led to a life-changing opportunity to leave an impact on countless lives. Major Topics in the Conversation The biggest and best opportunities tend to be the most unassuming at first glance. The importance of having a system in place around which to scale your business Finding the right business for you is also about finding the best way you can make a positive impact on those around you. How a gratitude journal can serve as your shield against negativity Setting goals for your business Reframing negative thoughts Tips for new direct sales distributors How to promote your product/s without being pushy Special Moments in the Episode [3:51] How a seemingly insignificant decision can turn into a business that touches many lives [7:57] Staying positive as you work towards your business goals [9:39] How to write a gratitude journal [12:09] Strategic goal-setting tips [17:07] Advice for those new to direct sales [22:00] How consistent, ethical promotion of your product pays off in the long-term [23:34] How your attitude toward your business affects every aspect of your life Links: Email: courtney.bates@neora.com Facebook: Courtney Bates Instagram: courtneybates11 Transcript below Intro: Welcome to Rich in Differences with your host Brooke, where we discover what works for you in life health and business. We are not Legos and one size does not fit all. So, grab a good drink and come listen to different perspectives as we see what sticks for you. Brooke: Alright welcome to Rich in Differences, and today, we will be talking with the beautiful Courtney Bates from Neora. Did I say that right? Courtney: You did. Brooke: Excellent. On topic of setting business goals and staying positive in your business. So, a little bit about Courtney. Courtney has always enjoyed helping other people succeed. She has worked as a speech-language pathologist for 16 years, helping people return to and enjoy their lives. Now, she is focused on her true passion, which is helping other women start their own businesses so they can make the gains they want in their lives. She's a wife and a mother of 4 children and 2 pugs, she enjoys traveling with her family. You can catch her on her morning run at 5:00 AM or in the afternoon on her new peloton. Alright, Courtney you have to tell us what you think about the peloton now. Courtney: Oh my goodness, I love it so much. I have never been a workout at home kind of person, but I am loving it. Brooke: Awesome, awesome. And how long have you been doing it? Courtney: Well, just like a week now, I just… it just came in the mail sparkly and new, but I am it. I've been using the app a little bit before I ordered the bike to use… see how I like the coaching with my runs and that kind of thing, and really like that and noticed it was pushing me harder than I pushed myself. And that's what I'm seeing on the bike and that saving me the time of like the drive time of driving to the gym and that kind of thing, so it’s saving me an hour a day, so I'm loving it. Brooke: Good, because I was seeing about anyone too, so I've been asking people. Courtney: Well, I can pass a code along to you if you decide you want one. Brooke: Awesome. Alright, Courtney, so we just heard a little bit about yourself, but how about you tell us a little bit about your business and what started you or your journey. Courtney: Okay. Probably about 5 years, ago a friend had given me a bottle to try and I basically just tried it, you know, to be nice and, you know, I was like, “Okay,” and used it for a week and really kind of liked it. You know, I feel like I always tried to have good skin, you know, since my first pimple, my mom was, you know, buying me good skincare., but I really never liked my skin until I tried this and noticed it was really addressing all of the things that I didn't like about my skin, you know, that I was still fighting adult acne and starting to get… I was at the time 35, so I started to get signs of aging, that kind of thing, and it was addressing all of those. So, ended up, you know, going ahead and buying the bottle and loving it and then kept using more and more of the products, and everything I tried, I loved. And then it got to the point where I was like, “Wow, I'm spending a lot of money on this.” So, I think, as most people in this business do, I started just to get my products for free. I saw a way to, you know, save myself a little bit of money and thought, “Okay, well, I'll get my products for free and share it with a few friends. And if I make, you know, an extra 100 bucks a month, that's awesome.” At the time, I was a single mom and so, you know, $100 sounded like, you know, a good deal for me, and plus, you know, saving on my skincare. So, when I first started, I kind of did it underground almost, you're in the closet. Like, I… you know, my day job is I'm a speech therapist, and I was like, “Well, what will people think if I'm, you know… you know peddling skincare and that kind of thing?” So, you know, I would share it with a few people, but I wasn't super open about it. And went on like that for a while, you know, did just enough to get my products free and that kind of thing. And then I would say about a year ago, I really started plugging into the system, because I was kind of drawn to the other women in the group. You know, they're all… they all have a lot of good energy, they're all very positive, uplifting people, and plus, I was kind of noticing that this business is kind of fun. So, last year… I would say last summer, I really started plugging in and doing the things they were telling me to do. I finally like kind of came out of the closet and started sharing with people the business aspect of it. You know, I never intended to build a team or anything like that. So, as I started doing those things, my paycheck started to grow and I, you know, obviously really liked that. But the thing that I liked really even better than that was that, so all these friends are kind of joining me on my team and I'm seeing them start to succeed with their goals, you know? I'm seeing people that maybe kind of had negative attitudes before turn into more positive vibrant versions of themselves, and I'm seeing friends that were maybe not able to afford, you know, soccer lessons or dance lessons or, you know, a special night out with their husband, you know, now have extra money in their pocket to do those things. So, even though I started this business because I really loved the products and just wanted a deal, it's turned into a whole nother thing for me. You know, it's kind of become my passion to like watch and help these other women and these other friends build something of their own, you know, that's going to contribute to their families and, you know, help them meet the goals they set for themselves and help them dream bigger and, you know, make bigger goals and think about what bigger goals they can have for themselves other than, you know, just the day-to-day thing. Brooke: Excellent. I love it because I feel like your story is very common. Like, we all kind of start… because I've been direct sales before, and usually started with a friend trying to get me to try something, because we all start with our first people that we know. Courtney: Right. Brooke: And then I went, “Oh, I love this too,” and then like spending… spending the extra money and then being like, “Okay, there’s got to be a better like a cheaper way to do this.” Courtney: Right, right. Brooke: You know, and then starting like a business part. And I have watched many of my friends go on to do like amazing things with their business and afford… be able to afford more and more, like you said like, you know, the date nights or paying off debt. Courtney: Right. Brooke: I had like one good friend who paid off a lot of debt with it, I mean, it's a beautiful way to make money, it's a business. Courtney: Right, right. And I think that's part of kind of when things starts switching in my head. Like, initially, it was just kind of this thing I did to get my free product, but then once it kind of switched in my head that, “Oh, this is… this is a business, this is a real thing. You know, this isn't just, you know, Courtney's little fun thing she does, you know, this is a business and it's bringing in income to my family and it's helping me meet these awesome women and helping me grow my circle,” and it's a real thing that deserves merit and doesn't need to be hid in a closet, you know? Brooke: Exactly, I completely agree. And I'm so glad you come on here to talk to us about it. Courtney: Yes, yeah. Brooke: (unclear) [07:55] feeling that stereotyped. So, I know you wanted to come on here today and talk about the importance of setting business goals and staying positive and moving towards them. So, let's hear them truth bonds, Courtney. Courtney: Alright. So, like I mentioned, I think around last year, this time last year, I really started seeing my business grow. And that was just kind of plugging into the system that Neora has set out. And then at the beginning of this year, you know, I was kind of stagnant, it had grown, but was kind of at where it seemed like it was going to be. So, I re