Vidette Vanderweide

About Me

So, here it is…the path that led me to writing this ‘About Me’ section. I write this as honestly as I can so that you will know how life can throw you curveballs, but with every curveball comes life-changing decisions. The whole stairway isn’t always visible from the bottom, but with every step, a new step appears. That’s how my professional journey has evolved and with every new step, I’ve been extremely pleased with where I’ve ended up!

Dream Career

After graduating from West Virginia University with a B.A. in Textiles, Clothing & Fashion Merchandising, I sought a career in the fashion world. I worked in New York and busily lived the life I thought I wanted. I met an amazing business mentor who avidly talked me out of the fashion industry. The industry was cut-throat, more and more jobs were going overseas, retailers were wanting more and more, but spending less and less. He had developed an ulcer over the years from the stress of keeping up the lifestyle and salary/bonuses he had built his business to earn, however, every year, business got harder and harder. Finally one day, he told me I had outgrown my job with him and it was time for me to go. He helped me build an amazing resume and sent me on my way. To this day, he is still my business mentor and we still stay in touch….and he still has an ucler.

The Life-Changing J.O.B. (Just Over Broke)

Fast forward a couple of years and I finally landed the JOB that changed my life forever. I was hired by the world’s largest network marketing company to manage a district of over 550 representatives. I was to train, develop, motivate and inspire this group to build their home-based businesses, thus increasing the company sales and I would earn bonuses based on my district’s performance and growth. I THRIVED at this job. I loved every second of it until I started reading about network marketing in order to increase my knowledge to teach to my district. At that point, I started to REALLY understand the industry and see the great potential of building a business from the comfort of my home. I went from thinking a home-business was for stay-at-home moms doing parties in people’s living rooms, to realizing that a home based business could unequivocally change a person’s household income and build a legacy for generations. That’s when things started to change.

The corporate side of the business got more and more stressful as the economy started to dip. Responsibilities increased, the investment of time increased, bonuses weren’t there because of economic pressures and salaries remained the same. I was commuting to a new district that was well over an hour and ½ drive. I am a mother of 2 young children and time with my boys all but disappeared during the week. It wasn’t the quality of life I wanted and it was affecting every inch of my personal life. I was an impatient mother, then would feel so guilty, I’d go to bed and cry. My marriage was going down the tubes and I just blamed it on being a 'busy parent and that’s what happens to a husband and wife when they have kids'….’it was all natural.’ My chest is tight just writing this…I woke up in the morning and went to bed at night with an imaginary 20 pound weight on my chest. That was until….
The Ultimate Decision

One Friday, I opened up my emails and saw 12 emails from my boss with ‘requests’ for all District Managers. I had a list of 100’s of phone calls I had to make. I was overwhelmed with the pressure of life bearing down on me and I called my husband on the verge of a mental breakdown. As calmly as he could, he told me to call and give my notice and we’d ‘figure it out.’ That was the BEST Friday afternoon I’ve ever experienced. My husband and I made dinner that night, toasted to our unpredictable future and just put our faith in ourselves to make it work.

Self-Discovery

After working for a network marketing company, I in no way felt like I knew everything I needed to know to grow a business. Honestly speaking, training people to build a business is DRASTICALLY different then doing it yourself. I knew the fundamentals, but I had the same negative self-talk that every marketer has at one time or another. I hit the same stumbling blocks. I ran out of people to talk to. I partnered with companies, yes, I said companIES, that weren’t the right fit for me. I’ve spent money on things that didn’t get me anywhere. I’ve been there. I’ve done it!

That said, I didn’t QUIT like I’ve seen so many people do before. ‘Why’ you may ask? Because I will NOT go back to the corporate world. Never in a million years. I have met numerous millionaires and multi-millionaires because of this industry. I have NO doubts that I will be a millionaire within the next 10 years. If I get there sooner, well then, hot damn, I’ll be working from a beach sooner than I had planned. I have a passion for this industry and I will succeed and have a personal goal to take 20 people to the top of my company with me. For entrepreneurs who don’t choose to partner with me in my company, well, I still want to share my knowledge and my inspiration. I want to ‘Pay it Forward,’

If Only

Sometimes I think, ‘If only…’

‘If only I had known about attraction marketing as a district manager. I could have taught this to my district and earned bonuses when bonuses were hard to come by. ‘ ‘If only I had known this right from the beginning.’ That said, I don’t say that for long. I understand that every Eagle has it’s time to soar. There comes the right day, the right time and then, bam…it’s time to soar. If I had known about Attraction Marketing while I was still an employee, I’d probably still be an employee because I’d be at the top of the District Manager pack and I’d have a hard time leaving the top. I can now use Attraction Marketing in my favor, build an organization that will truly leave a financial legacy for my boys, and not for unknown stockholders who don’t know who I am.

I’ll leave you with a quote from a television show called ‘Friday Night Lights.’ Before each game, the coach tells his team:

Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can’t Lose!