Reflections on the Chairman’s Retreat with my Shaklee team and time in Palm Springs

I had the privilege a couple weeks ago to travel to Palm Springs to attend a Chairman’s Retreat with a select number of Shaklee Distributors who had earned the trip along whttp://www.gorskiwellness.net/wp-admin/edit.phpith me. Many say that some trips or experiences are life changing and I know this one was that way for me and my business and life.

I remember when Shaklee announced this new incentive in August of 2015 when we were at the Global convention in Cleveland. My sister Karen has a second home in the Palm Springs area of La Quinta . I have visited a few times and know how beautiful the area is, the flowers, the sun and all that. I knew I had to earn this trip although I knew it would require quite a bit of work and focus. When I returned home, I got to work. This isn’t a story about how I earned the trip. It’s a reflection of what I learned and how this trip changed me. Suffice it to say I figured out what I needed to do to accomplish this incentive. I began by setting monthly goals, then I put a picture of those goals around my house, car and more and decided that I would be successful in earning this trip. And I let my sister know that I was working toward a trip to Palm Springs in March of 2016 and hoped to see her and my brother in law when I traveled there in March.

At Ohare heading to California with my teammates

Traveled to California with 3 of my teammates and met 3 others when we arrived there. The simple change in temperature and the beautiful sunshine that appeared when we arrived was enough to fill my soul with joy. I love that the Palm Springs airport is open air and basically outside.

We were shuttled to the resort just a few minutes away and checked into a pretty cool retro-type hotel called the Riviera Palm Springs Resort and Spa. We each got our own room which is different than when we normally travel with Shaklee. Usually we room with others on our team or Shaklee sisters we have met along our journey in Shaklee. We love this as a time to connect, have fun and share the costs. This trip was different. I loved the fact that in the midst of being with 220 some others distributors, we had our own space to relax, reflect and regroup. The bathtub itself was awesome and I wish I had taken the time to enjoy a bath.

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The 3 ½ short days were filled with meetings, meals, walks, laughing, talking, listening and celebrating the success of others. I noticed a tone of success and accomplishment amongst this group of Shaklee folks. We had all worked hard for this reward trip as we shared with others what we love about Shaklee, grew our businesses and helped to increase the health and financial freedom of others. I have had the privilege to go on 5 incentive trips with Shaklee before but this one was different. It was in a warm location but it was truly a working trip. We were encouraged to meet those we did not know and learn from them and I did. We were encouraged to get up early and walk with others, being lead by our Vp of Sales, Kevin and I did. We were encouraged to listen more and write less when we heard speakers from the field. We also heard from Roger Barnett, the CEO and owner of Shaklee, Heather Chastain, the President of Shaklee North America and Canada and much to our surprise, Dr Dean Ornish, world renowned physician, author and researcher of the world of better health and prevention.

Lunch with some of my teammate upon arrival

Tidbits of wisdom

Excited to hear Dr. Dean Ornish speak. His work aligns so strongly with our work at Shaklee.

What I came away with was things I had already known and new revelations about where I am at and the work that I do. It’s hard to put it all into words but this is my humble attempt.

Shaklee is unique. The company has a commitment to quality, R and D, purity and performance for over 6o years that is unlike any other health and wellness company. We are a relationship business though and outside of the products, it is the people of this company that make it rich, strong and great. In my 16 years of being involved, I have met many people. Some are the Master Coordinators who have been with Shaklee for a lifetime, 20, 30, 40+ years as they continue on with the heritage and company they have grown to love. I am seeing a new leadership emerging from this trip and I feel privileged to get a glimpse into what that looks like. And I saw that I can and will be a part of that as I stay involved and growing in Shaklee. There is a new group of leaders, younger, excited, and full of new ideas and energy that is contagious and more importantly impressive and motivating.

This weekend was a different type of training. We were challenged to look at the type of leader we have been and then think about what type of leader we want to be. As we look at that gap, how can and will we fill it? We are to bring energy to our teams and guide our teammates along. We must learn from other leaders as they run ahead and show our teams the right path for them to follow and model the leadership skills that are necessary for success. Leaders figure things out and build a servant leadership and circles of safety for their teams. Much of one afternoon was spent discussing the book “Leaders Eat Last “ by Simon Sinek. Not a light read but one full of insight, wisdom and thought provoking words from Sinek. This circle of safety is intriguing as those circles lead to stable, adaptive and confident teams where all feel that they belong as they work towards a common cause and seize big opportunities.

Learning from Jim Burke, success in Shaklee for over 40 years.

Roger Barnett is bringing the entrepreneurial opportunity to everyone. Roger has lived his life always trying to find something or learn something for each experience. With each experience he did not know how it would turn out but he did it anyways. He learned about quality of life, doing good, helping others and the worth of community. We will experience adversity. But how will you come out on the other side of it? We need to continue to be looking out for the greater good.

I heard from Roger that he is crystal clear about what his life purpose is and how Shaklee is fulfilling that part of his life. I keep hearing that in my head as I have returned to my work. Crystal Clear. Become Crystal clear about our WHY of our work. Why we are doing this business and this work is what gets us out of bed in the morning, what helps us make a goal and work towards it, what does not get us down when someone says no to our suggestions of better health or no to our invitation to take a look at what the Shaklee business could offer them and their family for the future. When we are crystal clear about our purpose then the everyday variances are irrelevant. Brilliant and SO true !! Life brings us variances and things that pull us off track. There have been many times in my 16 years of involvement with Shaklee that I have been pulled off track. Perhaps it’s my family issues, my own thoughts and indecision or beliefs that this is where I should be or what I should be doing.

About 4 or 5 years ago I remember sharing with Barb, my mentor and upline in Shaklee that I was feeling at home with Shaklee and my business. I was seeing what this business could mean for my family now and in the future. I saw the lifestyle that many were enjoying as a result of their business and I saw that as something that I wanted. I love the idea of building a team, a business and a residual income that will continue to rewards us as my husband chooses to retire from his business sometime in the future. I love the idea of travel and traveling to places I have never been to before and discovering the beauty of this great land of ours that God created. I love the idea of developing a community of women who are looking for better health, yes, but better yet, a purpose, a sense of identity that they seem to have lost as their children have left home and moved onto to college and more, a sense of purpose as we work to give back to our community who may not have the privilege of a better life or health or financial future. My business has given me the opportunity to be at home with my 4 children, help to mentor and raise them into the young adults they are or are becoming today. While I did that I worked Shaklee into my life, reached out to others to share what I have learned about looking at things from a natural approach, building health instead of only treating disease. Women (and a few men) have found my team , found my leaders, joined me in a purpose of great good for everyone. In the meantime they have become my friends, colleagues, mentors, support system and so much more. We all have a deep seeded desire to help people.

Back to the retreat. When you already feel good about where you are at in your life and business and you have an experience as I had in Palm Springs, it just takes it to the next level. I knew when I met Roger Barnett over 10 years ago that I was seeing greatness in him and in his commitment and leadership with Shaklee. What I saw and what spoke to me at this retreat took that to a whole new level. My feeling of purpose and worth and reason for the work I am doing is stronger today than ever. The support I feel from the other leaders in this company and those in the field is overwhelming and humbling. We have a common shared set of beliefs and thus the interactions and relationship what we have in Shaklee are easy. The leaders in Shaklee who are at higher ranks or that have been around longer are no different than me. They just have more battle scars. They dared to dream and were prepared to do the work, sometimes hard, sometimes easy but work nonetheless. We all have the power inside of us. We can take advantage of that and tap into that power for something greater than we have ever imagined. We can let the circumstances of life destroy us or we can say “that’s’ Life” and move onwards and upwards. That’s what I choose. I choose to dream and dare to make a better today and tomorrow. The possibilities are exciting and my hope is for more to join me and us in that journey.

****And yes I did get a chance to meet up with my sister in Palm Springs. During our free time Saturday afternoon, Karen picked me up for a fun afternoon of talking, catching up and doing what the 2 of us love….shopping. If you get a chance to get to this area, check out El Paseo and the shopping there. It is divine.