Leadership Magazines Leadership Magazine Issue 4 | Page 27

new diamonds heath practitioner, massage therapist, or natural healer to learn about essential oils and to change your lifestyle.” As a matter of fact, John and Paula had always been involved in more conventional businesses. John’s history was in placements, finance, and sales. Paula had worked in retail, sales, and later as a part-time office administrator. John said, “When we were introduced to dōTERRA I thought essential oils were a little hokey. I wondered if they were a viable product for network marketing.” However, with some encouragement from Paula, Mark Ewen and Christian Overton’s recommendation, and the credibility of what they found in dōTERRA’s marketing materials, they agreed to join. John’s perception began to change as he experienced the quality of the products. John and Paula knew that for a network marketing company to be successful it needed a quality product, a good compensation plan, and corporate integrity. A few months after joining, Paula had an opportunity to attend a dōTERRA training in the United States. She showed up with a list of things John wanted her to look into. After hearing from leaders and corporate management, the questions on her list had all been answered. Paula returned home to John excited to move forward. dōTERRA has been a learning experience for John and Paula. Paula said, “We were familiar with network mar- keting, but with dōTERRA we realized that you must be passionate about and lead with the products.” John said, “This is different from what we were used to. It is rare that a company can stand alone without its compensation plan.” They realized that with dōTERRA, the product isn’t secondary. That was a big shift in the way they had been taught to view direct sales. With their new understanding, John and Paula set a goal to reach Diamond. They wanted to prove to people that all you needed was to set a goal, have a vision, and remove all excuses. Living in Australia, they could have chosen a different course. With little upline support due to distance, no local office, and few market specific tools, it would have been easy to make excuses for not succeeding. However, John and Paula were determined to reach their goal and to set a positive example for their team. Shifting Perspective The Overbeek-Eckert family in Victoria, Australia Now, John and Paula use these same tools to inspire others. They help new IPCs understand the importance of becoming a product of the product. They share with them the significance behind setting goals and having a vision. For those hoping to obtain their same success, John shares this advice, “Leadership is a learned skill. You must become an effective communicator. You must improve from a perso