Over the years, I’ve been skeptical about various direct sales or mid-level marketing companies. We’ve all attended a “party” or found ourselves on the end of a sales pitch from an eager friend or neighbor who’s signed on with one of these companies. Many of these companies have gotten a bad rep because like anything else, a few negative experiences ruin it for the rest of the majority of the good ones, and the consultants who believe in their product.
Out of all the direct sales consultants I’ve met, what the great ones really have in common have nothing to do with the product they’re selling at all. There’s a passion that drives them, not to be “salesy” but just to serve others. Both owner and customer, a great consultant has done their homework, so they know what they represent is reputable and of the best quality. They work daily to create awareness and build community all while growing a thriving business they can be proud of.
Michele Kekac is one such individual who definitely stands out for me. While Michele may be a Director with Beautycounter, she is not a salesperson. She’s a mom on a mission to bring safer skin care products into her home and spread the word to yours.
I network with a lot of people and meeting for coffee can have a familiar script; swap info about each other’s business, get to know each other more personally and exchange business cards. But when Michele and I met recently, I found myself just hanging with another mom who wanted to chat. And as moms tend to do, our convo wandered around various topics, often settling on our kids, comparing the crazy things they do and say.
Enjoying our hot cocoa and warm cider, two hours flew by. Suddenly, I realized I hadn’t spent much time asking questions about her business. I quickly learned where her passion for it comes from; her desire for her children to grow up healthy. Michele showed me this app that another Beautycounter rep had shared with her from the Environmental Working Group; an activist group that researches the toxicity of various products. With their app, Michele discovered that a well-known body wash, which she believed to be a reputable brand, had ingredients in it that could cause infertility. With two children, Michele had to get these items out of her home immediately. The EWG app also revealed how harmful many sunscreens can be, especially to children, some of them actually causing more harm as opposed to protecting kids from the sun.
“I was completely unaware of the dangers and toxicity lurking in our personal care products and cosmetics and once I found out, I couldn't ignore the facts. Once you know, you know! I love that Beautycounter has banned over 1500 harmful ingredients and I don't have to question their products.”
Michele is also proud to be representing a brand that’s works towards affecting change in Washington. She hopes that one day, our laws will require every cosmetic company to abide by the same standards as Beautycounter making safer products an industry norm. For many health-conscious individuals, choosing better products is already a part of their regimen. Michele wants to seek out these individuals and help them take this lifestyle to the next level.
“I love what I do but most importantly, I love to educate and help people find the right fit for themselves. I never focus on the bottom line as I always want to help my clients along the way to find the best deal and solution with the highest quality of service I can provide. Ultimately, I want everyone to love what they purchase and to be thought of as a great resource, instead of the person they'd like to hide from.”
Choosing to squash my earlier skepticism, I have to be honest with myself. Perhaps the reasons why I never got involved with direct sales myself is because I never found a company or a product that I could be “all in” with or as passionate about as Michele has with Beautycounter.
So, consider me educated and humbly apologetic. It doesn’t matter where or how you find your business. Doing what you love is really all that ever matters. Bravo to you Michele! You’re a mom on a mission and you’ve discovered the keys to your success.
To learn more about Michele Kekac and Beautycounter, visit: Beautycounter.com/michelekekac or contact her by phone or email for a lovely chat: michelekekac@yahoo.com 201.401.1365
