with grief . “ Tragedy hit home as I lost my stepfather and biological father within a few months of each other ,” Karissa recalls sadly . “ My world stopped .”
One of Karissa ’ s team leaders , Stefanie , went above and beyond to lift Karissa up and sustain their team ’ s growth during this hard time . “ On top of holding down the team and managing her own two children , Stefanie organized a meal and prayer train for my family . When I look back , I don ’ t think about how painful that time was .
Instead , I think about how God , through Stefanie , brought so much love and support to our family and kept the momentum on our team going .”
Karissa has had to be patient and compassionate with herself while she ’ s eased back into her work routine . “ It hasn ’ t been easy to snap back into my routine workflow ,” she says . “ What a year of major ups and downs . My pace is a little slower at the moment as I process and grieve , but I find so much joy and comfort in planning the increased work we ’ ll be able to do now that we have become US Founders ."
In busy seasons , Karissa is thoughtful about communicating her goals to her family so she can rely on them for support . “ I try to make sure they know what we ’ re pushing for and what to expect . They ’ re always there for me when I feel depleted . One time specifically , my eight-year-old son came up to me with a Build guide . He circled ‘ Presidential Diamond ’ in a blue highlighter and reminded me why it was important to get there . That was a powerful moment ! We do this together as a family .” Karissa believes that involving family in your business helps them develop a sense of ownership and pride .
At the end of a challenging year , Karissa is filled with appreciation for the people in her life who have supported her . “ We have so much to learn from our teams and families . They lift and support us as much as we do them , if not more . We have so much to be grateful for .”
Images by Jillian Goulding doterra . com 13