Congratulations
Zelia Malherbe
Our newest Executive Vice President Sales Leader
Tell us a little about your background. Where were you prior to Norwex?
We moved to Australia( from South Africa) in 2008. In South Africa I had my own accounting practice, with my main clients being lodges in the Kruger National Park( loved the site visits!). When we moved to Australia, the kids were very young( Jozua was 9 months old and Gizel just over 2 years old). I couldn’ t go back into accounting( I’ d have to do conversion courses, and childcare would cost us $ 80 per child per day back then!). So I saw Norwex, and decided to“ have a play” until the kids started school. They’ re in year 4 and 5 now. Back to accounting? No way!
Tell us about your family and what is important to you as a family unit.
My husband and I have been married for 12 years. We spent some time in the UK when we first met and got married, and we absolutely love travelling. Gideon currently works in Sydney – he’ s away Sunday night to Friday night, but home every weekend. Our daughter, Gizel, is 10 years old, and our son, Jozua, is 9. It’ s not always easy with Gideon being away during the week, but we have a fixed routine and we manage to make it work. It is important to us to know that, as a family, we are there for each other, we support each other, and we love each other, no matter what.
Why Norwex? What is it about Norwex that attracted you in the first place?
The fact that it cuts down on cleaning time by up to 75 %, because I really hate cleaning! Seriously though, it’ s a product everyone needs, and it’ s a product that changes lives. I’ m passionate about teaching people how to reduce toxic chemicals in their homes and helping them to understand the danger of using those harmful chemicals, especially when they have children.
How has Norwex changed your life and the lives of your family?
I love that Norwex enables me to be at their sport events, that I can drop them off at school, and pick them up again, and drive them to all their activities. I love that Norwex provides me with the income to be able to work my own hours, and still afford to contribute my share to the family budget. But I love even more how much my kids are learning from seeing the Norwex business example. They’ ve learnt that sometimes we need to sacrifice for each other. They’ ve learnt that one night per month when I have training at home, they put themselves to bed. They’ ve learnt that we work this business together, so that we can reap the benefits together. They’ ve learnt that sometimes Mum is going to work really, really hard( like in a Black Jacket promotion month!), but then they also get spoilt when it is finally done and we get to go out to dinner as a family to celebrate. Other times we work really hard and sacrifice time together to qualify for an incentive trip, but then they get to enjoy the trip with us and have fun with their Norwex friends! Norwex is teaching them goal setting, commitment and hard work, dealing with disappointment and failure when things don’ t quite work out, but also the joy and happiness when we celebrate success.
What do you most love about Norwex and running your own business?
The flexibility and freedom, and most importantly empowering women so that they can have that financial independence on their own terms too. I love nothing more than working with my Team, learning together and making an impact together. Norwex is so much more than a business, it’ s a lifestyle. Norwex is not just sales, bookings, recruiting to me. Norwex is income,
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