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Bernice Bechtold had been quietly thinking about starting her own business for quite a while, when a chance meeting in 2005 gave her the opportunity to realize her dream.
“I had thought about starting my own business, not really saying it out loud,” says Bernice, a district manager and independent consultant for Arbonne International, a line of natural skin care products.
“But I had strict criteria. It had to be something that was going to work around the rest of our busy lives, and something that would help people, but also help us,” says this wife and mother, living in Petersburg, Ont.
She didn’t know it at first, but the opportunity to help herself and others came knocking at the Total Woman Show at Bingemans in Kitchener. At the time, Bernice had been looking for a new skin care line to soothe problems she had suffered (from) for most of her life.
“I have a lot of allergies, and I have had eczema throughout my life, and a number of other issues, so I have to be careful with what I use.”
That’s when she came across Arbonne, a line of herbally and botanically-based beauty products. Bernice was so impressed with how well they worked that when Barbara Armstrong, a U.S. representative, called a couple weeks after the show and suggested she sell them as a consultant, Bernice didn’t hesitate.
“I ordered them from her, and she said ‘Well, you know Bernice, have you thought about doing this as a business?’ At that point it hadn’t occurred to me,” says Bernice.
“She said, ‘Bernice, you know, there really is no one in your area that is selling these products.’ That was huge in my decision making.”
What Bernice likes best about Arbonne is the fact that the products are (natural) herbal and botanically based, and are formulated without mineral oil, animal products, dyes or chemical fragrances. In fact, her daughter, who has a lot of chemical allergies, is also now a devout Arbonne user and representative.
“This is the first line that both of us can use without any issues at all.”
Aside from her daughter, she has several other satisfied customers. One woman who suffered from rosacea on her face said that after two weeks of using Arbonne products, she noticed a big difference. For another woman, the change in her skin came about more quickly, in about three days.
“You don’t realize how many people have skin issues until you start talking to people about it. Then it’s like ‘Oh, I’ve had to be really careful’ and I say ‘Yes, I’ve been there,” says Bernice.
“It makes you feel wonderful because you are helping someone to look better, to feel better about themselves.”
Bernice continues to work full-time to support her growing business, and sees the benefits it will reap in the future, when her husband will have to slow down on his very labour intensive job.
“This gives us another alternative for income throughout the rest of our lifetime. Plus it’s something I can help people with,” says Bernice.
“I can help people look good, be healthy and feel their very best using product that are proven to be pure, safe, and beneficial.”
For now, she is hoping to spread the word about these products, and giving others an opportunity to realize their dreams by starting their own business. “It’s coming along greatly,” she says. “People are trying it and loving it and sharing it with others.”
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