Leadership Spotlight - Melody Adams From Retail to R F
Before Rodan Fields came into her life, Melody Adams enjoyed being a wife, a mom, and a retail manager by trade. “I worked for a global retailer and I loved my job. I felt like I was living the American dream.”
I love reading other leaders stories which might resonate with people who are out there looking for a way to change course - This is Melody Story - I really hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did. If you dare to dream there is a brand a Legacy Brand to get you there.
In 2012, however, Melody was forced to reevaluate her priorities. “During a routine doctor’s appointment I received a nasty cancer diagnosis, and it really took its toll on me. A year after surgery and treatment I was told I was cancer-free. That was awesome. But the journey there was pretty difficult. I didn’t really feel like myself. I gained weight, disengaged from life, and didn’t have a lot of energy. I gave my all at work and came home to give my family the crumbs that were left over. I wanted a different life with a more regular schedule, but retail was all I knew. I felt like I didn’t have any other options.”
A birthday and a big decision
Birthdays had taken on new meaning for Melody at this point in her life, and in 2014 she decided to celebrate in a big way. “I threw a summer backyard pool party, and a neighbor who I barely knew at the time brought me a balloon and some R F products as a gift. I had never heard of the Company before, but I was really interested in trying the products.”
“At the same time, I also knew we had this big medical debt and spending money on products was probably not my first priority. So when I found out there was a business attached to the products and I could work it alongside what I was already doing, I was really interested. I could use any additional income, and I needed a group of amazing people to be around. So even though I had no extra time and not an entrepreneurial bone in my body, I just jumped in.”
Brave enough to trying something new - Business in a Box
Melody’s business kit soon arrived on her doorstep, and she launched her Rodan Fields business in September 2014. “I didn’t really know anything about skincare, but my husband had been saying I needed a hobby, so I thought maybe this could be my hobby job. Primarily I did R F work in my car during lunch breaks, with the air conditioner blasting in the summer and the heater going in the winter. I built my business there and on the sidelines of the soccer field and at the hockey rink, sharing it with other moms wherever I happened to be, putting in at least 15 hours per week. I was just really excited about my personal results and about what the business was doing for my family. In showing that excitement, my business continued to grow.”
Especially in the beginning, Melody valued and depended on plenty of encouragement from her Upline leaders. “My Sponsor Heather Moseley is just a ball of energy, and I always looked forward to our 7:30 a.m. phone calls while we both drove to our jobs. She was always very encouraging and had a great impact on me and my business. Cassie Stangler and Bridget Cavanaugh are also dynamic leaders in my Upline who’ve been incredible partners, cheerleaders, and mentors. They’ve guided me through all the decisions that I’ve made in my journey so far and my business would not be what it is without them.”
The benefit of entrepreneurship
When Melody achieved Level V in April 2016, Heather, Cassie, and Bridget were the first people she reached out to. “I was elated. It’s such a huge Milestone in our business and one that I’m proud to say I’ve maintained ever since I achieved it.” Melody started seeing big benefits along with her rising success. “With help from my R F business, we were able to ‘upgrade our life’. We started going to concerts again and going on vacation, and it was even more fun because we were able to get tickets in the front row instead of in the nosebleeds. We stayed at a Disney World resort instead of a chain hotel.”
Working her Retail Job - alongside her R F Gig
Melody also enjoyed balancing her two careers and letting herself ease into the entrepreneurial life. “It really resonated with me that I could dip my toe in the water with Rodan Fields, trying it out alongside what I was comfortable doing as a retail manager. I didn’t have to quit my day job to be good at Rodan Fields. I could do both. And because I wasn’t depending on any income, I thoroughly enjoyed what I was doing with R F. I didn’t feel pressure to make a quota or to hit a sales goal. I just had fun!”
Making big changes
By the time 2017 rolled around, Melody felt prepared to make the big change she had been cautious about. “I made the decision to step away from traditional employment, and June 15 was my last day. It was really challenging for me to make that leap and step into a new life, because I had always defined myself by my career. I worked hard to get to where I was, and I was proud of how far I’d come. But I knew now that being an employee was a choice. It wasn’t something that I had to do — it was something that I was choosing to do.”
Melody was also relieved that, in changing careers, she didn’t need to lose the deep camaraderie she enjoyed most. “What I loved most about retail was that my company was made up of really great people, and I miss the relationships I built there. But what I found was, there are awesome people everywhere — especially in Rodan Fields. What I was most scared to lose was really something I didn’t lose at all.
Inspired to move forward
Melody’s next goals include becoming a Lexus (Mercedes is the new Car Program in 2019) Achiever and helping her team members meet their own Milestones. Today she’s dreaming bigger than ever before. “When I first started as an Independent Consultant, it was kind of my side gig. Now it’s the career I’m most proud of. I’m proud to say I’m a Rodan Fields Consultant and that I own a business with this Company. I’m proud that I was smart enough to see the vision and grab hold of it.”
“I hope through my story other people see that you really can have a different life than what you currently have. You can step outside your comfort zone. You can challenge yourself. Rodan Fields can be a vehicle to that different life if you want it to be. This business has the power to make a serious impact in your life if you just open yourself up enough to try.”
To contact Me about joining my team or purchasing products, connect with me on LinkedIn.