HHaving so much to be thankful for, my family stared a tradition called the “Gratitude Jar.” This jar was very special to us as it allowed us to share our gratitude, as a family. We would all write down one thing we were grateful for and place it in the jar, then someone would read it aloud and share it with everyone. This was one of my most fondest traditions, growing up. And to this day, it is a tradition that I cherish with my own family. I went on to have great success with my Pre-School and even had a waiting list. Needing extra help, I got the chance to include my best friend, my Granny. I was so grateful that my kids got to experience the “Love of a Granny”, the best love God ever put on this earth. At the time, you could say my life was pretty much perfect. I became pregnant with my second child in 1999 and shortly thereafter, my perfect life would be changed forever. I was now facing a divorce with a 4 year old and one on the way! I did not know how I was going to pay all of our bills, on my income alone.

Iam sharing all of this with you to prove that no matter where you are in your journey, you can over come where you are and move mountains to get to where you want to be. That same year, I was introduced to my very first Network Marketing Company. As I became more involved with Network Marketing, I sold my Pre-School and began the next leg of my journey. I excelled with the company and earned eight thousand dollars my very first two weeks. For the next few years, I made life changing income.

II had over fifty thousand members in my down line and everything was going great! I signed a five year non-compete contract and was even on the Advisory Board of the company. Big Mistake! Shortly thereafter, my residual income began to drop by what practically seemed to be overnight and because of the non-compete clause in my contract, I felt trapped. I knew I had to do something else. Remembering what my Papa and Granny taught me, I would not give up and instead I founded the "Gratitude Candle Company" on what I called, “A Dream and a Prayer.”

We became an instant success with our signature bows and my mom's favorite cookie jar turned into a fabulous 64 oz. candle and the rest is "Her-story!" We are a debt free company and here we are four years later and we are launching "The Power of 31" which is the marketing arm for the Gratitude Candle Company. We are a dynamic direct sales business that has revolutionized opportunities for customers to become their own boss, as Independent Sharing Gratitude Adviser's. We are firm believers of not putting all of your eggs in one basket and developing Multiple Streams of Income.

T he fear of failure – and the fear of success – stops a lot of people from taking action or committing fully to the goals they’ve set for themselves. It all starts with your story, your why? It’s hard to let go of what we know and step into "Out of the Box" thinking. I’ve become a HUGE believer in setting and writing down goals. The mind really does move toward its focus – so it’s crucial to stay focused on what you want! And finally, I know that no one becomes successful all by him or herself. Great things happen through teams, not individuals. Surround yourself with positive people who share your vision so you can support and lift each other up. If I can do it then anyone can. Your "WHY" just has to be HUGE!!! My why was my Children. What is yours?

I’ve had to learn to fall in love with change and to recognize that even the clearest vision may need tweaking from time to time. I’ve had several occasions when I felt very strongly that something was RIGHT – until someone else's fresh perspective gave me new insight. I thank God for my business partner Mr. Cornell Jones and his insight which helped me to see things differently. For example; I LOVED the simple sophistication of our original packaging; Pink, White, and Black bows and I resisted the suggestion to add a neutral color. When presented with our current motto, "We’re Wild About Giving, Caring, and Sharing" and it's more earth tone colors, I was resistant, at first. Then I begin to see things with a new set of eyes … and our packaging has never looked more beautiful and enticing with our upscale Safari Print Bows!

Our transition to no-inventory and selling just one luxury candle melt at a time to get your senses going, complemented by direct-to-client shipping, has taken us to a whole new level in customer service. Our ability to offer hosts and customers more of what they love, made it even simpler for our customers who become consultants to manage their businesses. This is a Win/Win and with the new addition of our College Scholarship program, I am more excited than ever. To know that our children will be able to attend college and have it paid for, one candle at a time, gives me great joy and hope for our future!