The Rewards of Building a Small Business of My Own

In recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month in the United States, we asked one of our independent distributors, Carmen, to share her story of building a small business that she is proud of and how she is giving back to her community through good nutrition. 

I was the first in my family to get a college degree. My first job out of college was for the US-Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and then I went to work for a major corporation, where I moved up the ladder—human resources, marketing, diversity, event planning.

But when the economy started to take a turn for the worse, I found myself having to make the difficult decision to lay off people in my department. That made me start thinking about what was next for me. I wondered if I needed to go back to school and get another degree, or chase down another job.

That’s when I decided to pursue the business opportunity available through Herbalife Nutrition. I grew up watching my mom build her own small business from our living room – selling products to her friends and neighbors while my dad worked construction full time.  Over the years, my mom was able to help support our family because of the hard work she put into her Herbalife Nutrition business.* This is what inspired me to make a change from the corporate world and focus my energies toward building something for myself.

Community Is Everything

My particular neighborhood is lower on the economic scale. People work really hard, take care of their children and don’t have a lot of opportunities through events of programs to get out and be active as a family. There are also limited options to shop for nutritious foods. That’s why Herbalife Nutrition is such a good solution for parents without much time to think about a healthy breakfast as they rush to get their kids to school and to work on time. It’s convenient for them to have a shake or eat a bar already packed with essential nutrients, and they’re feeling energized for the day. It absolutely beats going through a fast-food drive-through window for breakfast.

I’m also seeing entire families come through to the nutrition club to exercise in the evenings. Instead of watching TV or playing video games, they’re happy and collaborating in their health transformations. That, to me, is really powerful.

Culture Club

The environment—or culture—I’ve created here in the nutrition club is one in which people feel welcomed. It’s upbeat, high energy and very positive. Helping people do the work—whether it’s clients or my team members—is one of the biggest challenges but it’s also one of the greatest opportunities where I get to see them flourish and bloom and reach their potential.

The difference we provide as Herbalife Nutrition independent distributors is that we’re not just selling a product. We really provide value to people: community, personal power, accountability, coaching, and that one-on-one relationship.

The Hard Work Is Worth It

Being an Herbalife Nutrition distributor is a lot of work, and it hasn’t been easy. There have been a lot of long days and nights. But owning and operating my own small business has been so rewarding in so many ways because my nutrition club is making a positive impact in my community.

* Income depicted is unique to individual and is not typical. Achievements require skill & consistent work. For typical earnings, see Statement of Average Gross Compensation at Herbalife.com.