In middle school, I tried out for cheerleading. I’m not really sure why. A year earlier, I had moved from a huge school where there were always new friends to make and people to meet, to one that was awfully small and clicky. I wanted to fit in. I wanted to be cool.
We were each given a number. After a day of toe touches and shouting in the school gym, they hung a white piece of paper up on the door with the numbers who made it. With sweaty palms, I walked up to the paper.
There were lots of numbers on it, so I was sure mine would be one of them.
Nope.
I was one of two girls who didn’t make the cut. TWO. I felt a chip of my already deteriorating block of confidence fling off as I mortifyingly walked away.
I’d never thought to bring up that moment (or even think about it) until I started to get to know Meghan Myers and her story. “I have always been the person that just misses things, like they are always out of my reach or I would come in 2nd or just miss the cut off” she told me, “It seemed like this all throughout my life: childhood, sports, schooling, jobs, etc. So while it hasn’t been a lifetime of disappointment, it has been a struggle and I’ve always had to earn where I am whether it’s where I wanted to be or not.”
I instantly recalled those cheerleading tryouts and the toll missing the mark took on my confidence. Meghan had those kind of moments, too, and lots of them.
Meghan (pictured on the left) is a margarita loving, hyper organized, always on time mom who runs her own business and is an elementary reading specialist.
At first glance, the most impressive thing about Meghan might seem like it’s that she’s never late (in her book, if she’s on time she’s five minutes late – I can’t even arrive early, ever, and I don’t even have kids!), but it’s not. It is the strength she’s built from enduring averageness, and what she’s now doing with it.
She can still vividly picture one of those lists from middle school. All her friends were on it. She wasn’t. After that, she still tried out and made a decent effort, but didn’t give those things her all, because what’s the point when time after time giving your best isn’t enough?
After a duration of being a solid B instead of A student, a 2 or 3 hitter in softball instead of 4, and the friend you didn’t jump to call first but the next one on the list who would always go out with you, Meghan accepted being average.
The gut churning sensation – the one that engulfs you when all your friends are on the list and you aren’t, the one that eats away your self worth when you’re reminded you are not quite good enough – certainly stuck with her into adulthood.
At one point, she was contemplating leaving the teaching field, and an educational company she interviewed with had a sales position. “The interviewer asked me if I could be #1 on their team. Um hello do you know me, did you read any of this? My response was exactly what I was trained or taught to look at myself, “How about #2?” Needless to say I did not get that job.”
It’s a bit ironic that now, on top of teaching, Meghan is in sales with her Rodan and Fields business. She is one of those people who will go to the casino saying she’ll only gamble $20 and will stick to it no matter how long she’s there, so risks are not her typical course of action. But when her confidence in herself and her skin were dwindling after her second baby, she needed something that was for her. Her husband, who is amazingly supportive now, was far from being on board at the time, but she knew something had to change. So with a bit of courage and without his blessing, she jumped into the world of direct sales.
She started with thoughts of “who is going to buy this from me?” and with a quiet personality, it’s not always easy to meet people in person or share what she has to offer. But, in a noisy world of products and salesy people, it’s her reserved but approachable personality that steadily grows her business.
As important as sharing about ourselves is to building brand awareness, when it comes to sales conversations, Meghan’s approach is something we can all take a note from, “It isn’t all about what I love, it’s about them. I know they will love them once they use them and it’s nice to share my love for them but what’s more important is what THEY need and what THEY are looking for to make them feel better and more confident.”
Meghan sent me the REDEFINE Eye Cloths ($32) and REDEFINE Multi-Function Eye Cream ($62) to try, and I must say, they didn’t disappoint. I never get quite enough sleep and since starting my business; bags under my eyes seem to be an accessory I can’t leave home without, unfortunately. I know there are a thousand concealers on the market, but every one I try seems to sink into my wrinkles, making under eye circles even more noticeable. So, when the Rodan and Fields products that have been bombarding my newsfeed for years actually worked, I was beyond pleasantly surprised. I also learned the brand was started by two world respected dermatologists who established their credibility way before entering into the direct sales model of business.
I’ve been using the eye cream morning and night for about 3 months now, and the photos above are proof of more hydrated, brighter, less tired looking eyes (before on the left, after on the right). To be honest, I do feel like I need a few more swipes with the eye cloths than I did with the wipes I was using previously. However, it’s worth it because these ones don’t irritate my eyes like the other ones did, and I love that they are formulated to fight wrinkles. I cut them in half so they’ll last longer and it will still take off all my makeup.
Now, for a minute, let’s talk about the stigma around direct sales. Yes, direct sales people usually drive me crazy, too. How many people in direct sales do you know that listen to your actual needs rather than trying to push all of their favorite products on you all at once? Not very many, right? Most of the ones I’ve encountered approach sales with such a heightened sense of inauthenticity that I can’t give them the time of day. But, with Meghan’s approach, my mind can be changed. She has a story. She has experiences that relate to what and how she’s selling. Most importantly: she is real. The things she’s been through give her that extra edge to help her succeed in being a saleswoman (although she wouldn’t refer to herself as that) who looks out for the best interests of her customers, rather than herself.
The cold, hard truth is this: before I got to know Meghan, never in a million years did I imagine myself trying a direct sales product. I’ve had probably hundreds of consultants message me on social media (or even worse, add me to their Facebook Group when I barely know who they are) by this point, and it’s their odelentless desire to be extraordinary that pushes me away every single time. Sounds almost contradictory, right? Hear me out. The thing is, typical entrepreneurs do this, too; it’s not just a direct sales thing. The pressure to be the best, the obligation to always be shooting for #1, and the misconception that actively creating uniqueness to your brand is imperative, often blocks our human instincts. But here’s the thing: being exceptional only comes when you’re actually being yourself, because the only thing unique about the world of sales is that every single person in it is different. The only part of your life that is completely unlike anything else out there, is yourself.
And so, you can live a life with average circumstances and give an average effort, yet still be an extraordinary person simply by standing firm in who you are and having a little confidence in yourself.
What’s the best way to create a little confidence when you need it? For Meghan, it’s organization. She definitely doesn’t come runner up in this department! By organizing the chaos and making it work for her, she can keep herself and her family on track while still having time for her job and business. The organization doesn’t mean she’s always got it all together (because she doesn’t), but it’s how she keeps her focus on herself and her family in a world where it’s so easy to fall victim to comparison – whether among other moms or the rest of the Rodan and Fields consultants out there.
Meghan is proof that you don’t need to be the top sales consultant, the most outgoing person in the room, or the person shouting your story the loudest on social media. By using her lifelong struggle with confidence and her experiences as a mom, she’s helping people look better and feel better (inside and out) in beautifully ordinary ways. Whether it’s a Facebook post encouraging all moms that they’re doing an amazing job, bringing local businesses together with her Burgh Bosses community, opening up about the imperfect moments her family has in order to make others feel less alone, or considerately introducing her skincare products to others, I’m proud of the standard this Gem is setting for direct selling with heart and purpose!
**This post may contain affiliate and sponsored links because we all have to pay our bills, and I’d rather keep creating awesome content for you than get a real job. All opinions are my own.**
