When I first joined Forever, I thought I would be able to operate it through a beauty blog I had and almost be ‘faceless’ to it. The first few weeks I read and watched as many of the trainings as I could. This quickly gave me a realisation that I wouldn’t have a successful business being faceless. By the end of that first month I majorly stepped out of my comfort zone to become the face of my business.
As a manager within an HR department I was a little fearful over how people might react to my new business. I was SO relieved to actually experience positivity and excitement - so many work friends came to my launch! I hadn’t needed to be scared at all. The negative comments I did get made no impact as I was just so engrossed in getting into a rhythm with business, that I had no time to care about negativity.
After a series of launches and a huge burst of energy, I hit the supervisor position and truly felt like I was capable of reaching further promotions. I remember a training event focusing us on Eagle Manager and seeing the reward was a 5* trip to Cancun at the Moon Palace, I was determined to achieve it. Working towards that was fast, tough, exciting and rewarding. I will never forget that Christmas Eve when I hit the incentive. The best Christmas present ever.
Behind the fast pace of my business at the beginning was a vision to create space in my life to have children. I knew that I would need IVF but what I didn’t want was to have to talk to anyone about it, least of all my boss. I didn’t want to be putting in time off requests and I wanted to limit the impact stress would have on me. On my one-year anniversary with Forever I left my job and hit the Senior Manager position.
Success kept coming, I felt unstoppable at one point and was so happy to be coaching and leading teams of amazing women and men who wanted to achieve for themselves. I haven’t been a perfect leader, I have been a learning leader, learning from my mistakes, growing and adapting and also letting go when I have needed to.
By the time I had my daughter Ivy, I was a two-time Global Rally qualifier, a two-time Chairman’s Bonus achiever and two-time Eagle Manager. I was insanely proud of that, but most of all I was proud of my team for being self-starters, self-motivated and determined to enable me to be fulfilled as a new mother. I was able take time off and, on my return, dramatically reduce my working hours with my team. This did mean a drop in income, like anyone reducing their hours would expect. At first this was uncomfortable until I reached a new level of stability in my business.
My desire to achieve goals didn’t disappear and when I realised my volume was close to achieving Global Rally, I increased my working hours so that I didn’t miss out. I also kept focus on my New Zealand team to see them make history as the first Manager business over there. I feel so grateful for my experiences and I know that my connection with Forever will be lifelong. This is the only business I know of where you adapt your work around your needs, ramping up and quieting down when you need it. What I have massively appreciated in the last two years is the global scope of my business and what it has taught me in terms of being more efficient and focused. The way I run my overseas business is different to how I have run my UK one, and I am excited about the change in my UK business to align these. It’s going to take time, but I am in no rush!

Network marketing was not a new concept to Annie as her parents had started their network marketing business alongside another company when she was six years old…
A few years in, my parents were both able to leave their jobs and work their business really flexibly from home around myself and my two sisters. This gave us an amazing upbringing with unlimited time and lots of memories as a family, so I have a lot to thank the industry for!
It never crossed my mind that it could be something that I could do also, as my experience of network marketing stopped at their company and that just wasn’t for me.
After studying fashion design at university, I landed what I thought was my dream job as a designer in London. At first this was a whirlwind of excitement, however, as the time went on, I started to feel less and less enthusiastic. I didn’t feel fulfilled, I worked really long hours, had a long commute, and I hated that I was constantly wishing time away until home time or the weekend. From this job I realised a few things - I didn’t want to have a boss, I didn’t want someone to be in control of my time, and I wanted the freedom to not be tied down to one place.
It was finally a phone call with my mum and me voicing this when she said, ‘Annie, why don’t you take a proper look into network marketing and find a company that’s right for you that you can get really passionate about…’ So that night I did some real research and it finally clicked! I realised that network marketing was exactly the answer. I researched companies and when I found Forever I knew it was right for me. I searched on the Forever events Facebook page for an upline and got started the next day in October 2016.
When I started, although I had full belief in the industry and the company, my belief in myself took a while to build. However, the incredible training and support I received helped me grow and develop. I attended every event, read every book I was recommended, and my business started to grow. Early in 2018, I hit the position of Manager giving me so many more choices. I was able to leave my full-time job and also move to and explore a new city altogether!
It’s creating that time freedom I’ve witnessed first-hand that drives me. Building my business has been an absolute rollercoaster ride and really hard work, but I wouldn’t change any of it! I’m completely obsessed with what I do now, I have met the most incredible people, love working with my team, and I am so excited for my future with Forever.

Sapphire Manager Natalie Heeley continues to take the Forever world by storm as she secures the number one spot in the UK for the third year running.

As a leader admired by many across the world, a devoted mother to two wonderful children (plus one on the way), and a business-builder whose success continues to surpass expectations, Natalie carries with her an air of professionalism, power and self-confidence that many would envy. Forever’s Editor, Kate Hodge, caught up with Natalie at her beautiful country home to talk business, mindset, and why she’s Forever Proud…

KH: WHAT DID LIFE LOOK LIKE WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED FOREVER?
NH: I’ve been in Forever about ten years now but my background is in marketing. I was made redundant twice and the second time I was pregnant with my son Will. I therefore became a mum at home, which was great because it was what I always wanted anyway, and Rosie came along pretty quickly after, but money was a struggle. For ten years prior to this, my mum Jan Whittaker had been asking me to look at Forever, but I’d never been interested before. However, things changed when I had both children and I found myself wanting something that was going to be flexible, something that was going to be challenging, and something that was going to give me loads of support because I didn’t have much confidence or belief in myself at the time. Will was two and Rosie was five months old when I started my Forever business.

KH: WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE YOURSELF IF YOU COULD GO BACK TO THOSE EARLY DAYS?
NH: If I were to start the business again, I would tell myself to never compare myself to other people. It’s so easy to do, but we need to remember that we are all on our own journey and we all come into it with different challenges, different goals and different skills. Every Forever Business Owner needs to realise that they are individuals who are able to make it happen. In fact, the only way you can fail is by quitting, so you need to make sure you are getting up each day with that positive mindset, getting out of your comfort zone, and working on challenges to ensure you overcome them. Self-belief also plays a crucial role. It took me two years to get to Manager because I didn’t believe that I could do it, and it took me a long time to learn that you have to work on your mindset daily.

KH: HOW DOES IT FEEL TO SECURE THE TOP SPOT AGAIN?
NH: It’s pretty amazing to be recognised as the number one FBO for the third year running, but it’s not just down to me – my team is just incredible and I want to say a big thank you to them all. This achievement is also a testament to hard work. When I started my Forever business I worked literally every moment I could around the children, and it just shows that if you put that hard work in, it will pay off in the long term.

KH: WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO FBOS WHO ASPIRE TO BE LEADERS IN THE FIELD?
NH: Firstly, it’s important that you do your research and make sure you are clear on what tools, events and trainings are available to you. You should then access these tools and trainings yourself before sharing them with your team. I think the company trainings and events that I’ve benefited from the most are the Success Express events. They are so important as they keep you motivated, they help to build team spirit, and the trainings are absolutely incredible. The Advisory Board product trainings are also essential as they will help to build your confidence when it comes to retailing the products and they will also help you to coach your team. Using the tools on foreverknowledge.info has also been beneficial to my business because everything is at your fingertips and you can access it from home in those little spaces throughout your day.

As well as promoting the company trainings and events, being a leader requires teaching others the basics of the business. It’s teaching people how to retail the products, how to do a great product launch, how to make a phone call, how to do a one-to-one and how to run a Business Presentation, whether that’s a home BP or over a coffee. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel as it’s worked for forty years; you just have to be persistent and teach others. For me, a massive part has been teaching others about mindset. I believe that 80% of our success is down to what we are telling ourselves so I constantly remind my team to work on their mindset daily.

KH: HAVE YOU ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR THOSE WHO FEEL THEIR BUSINESS HAS SLOWED?
NH: Remember not to compare yourself to other people – running a business is not a race and it is perfectly normal to go through stages where business remains at a steady pace. However, if you are keen to see growth, it may be worth looking back in your diary to remind yourself what activity you’ve been doing. Look at the past three months, how many one-to-ones have you had? How many guests have you taken to the Business Presentation? Ideally these are face-to-face activities but they could be online, and although you will probably find that you’ve done a bit, it’s likely you have room to do a lot more. Just try increasing your activity and you’ll soon see the results you crave. What I do, and what I tell my team to do, is to try and do a minimum of three to five one-to-ones per week, and attend a Business Presentation, with a guest, on a weekly basis.

By doing this amount of activity, you are likely to recruit one to three people each month. If you aren’t going to the BP, a big part of the jigsaw is missing – the BP will give you the motivation and encouragement you need to confidently talk about the business; make sure it plays a key role in the diary, but most importantly, don’t give up and know that you can do it.

KH: WHAT HAS THIS PAST YEAR (2016) LOOKED LIKE FOR YOU?
NH: This past year has been pretty magical: I turned forty when we were out in South Africa at Global Rally and this was followed by the most amazing family holiday. My kids, my mum, my brother and sister, we all went on safari and we really just spent loads of time together making memories. I had a big party with my team out in Johannesburg, and I also picked up a million dollar cheque which made it a pretty spectacular birthday. When we came home we had a few more parties, so it’s literally been a year of celebration and having fun. Amongst all this I also met my partner, we’ve renovated our beautiful farm house which has always been a dream come true, and then to finish the year off I found out that we are expecting a baby!

KH: WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR 2017?
NH: This year my focus is being a mummy again. Rosie is now eleven, Will is twelve, but this time it’s going to be so, so different. All those years ago I didn’t have much money or time, I was a single parent and there were lots of challenges that we had to face; this little girl is going to grow up in an entirely different environment. Our house is nearly finished so we are going to be living in our dream home and we can’t wait to introduce our baby girl into the family. It’s going to be pretty scary going back to babies but we are all so excited. I’m also looking forward to working with my team, watching them achieve Chairman’s Bonus and Eagle Manager, and obviously I am going to have the opportunity to meet lots of new mums which means conversations that could lead to them changing their future. All in all, 2017 is going to be a great year.

KH: WHY ARE YOU FOREVER PROUD?
NH: Forever has provided me with financial freedom and for me that means choices; choices to do whatever we want, when we want, without having to think about whether we can afford it. That’s been pretty life-changing for us. I’m also able to work closely with my mum and sister, and together we’ve been able to change our family’s lives. It’s humbling to know that by simply sharing the opportunity, we’ve changed hundreds of lives around the world as well. I love meeting so many different types of people and to work in such a positive and motivating environment is rare these days. That’s why I’m Forever Proud.

"Remember not to compare yourself to other people – running a business is not a race and it is perfectly normal to go through stages where business remains at a steady pace. However, if you are keen to see growth, it may be worth looking back in your diary to remind yourself what activity you’ve been doing."

PERSISTENCE PAYS OFF

I have been a multisport athlete for a number of years but in 2015 I suffered a serious injury that set me back by nearly eight months. During this time I had an operation that forced me into a sedentary lifestyle. I lost all fitness, put on over two stone in weight, and I was seriously unhealthy when Forever found me in June 2015…

Whilst in recovery I began to slowly build my business, develop relationships and learn more about the opportunity, but I was still in no position to drive or do anything active. I found myself in a serious rut: I had been made redundant from my job as a teacher, I was unable to do any serious manual work, and I was slowly drifting into depression. I had to do something so in October I set myself the challenge to get back to peak fitness within five months – I wanted to be ready in time for the Great British European Duathlon Championships in Kalkar, Germany. I threw myself into a rigorous regime of training and daily supplementation. I started with the C9 and then built on my fitness and weight loss by integrating products such as Forever Aloe Vera Gel, Argi+, Forever Lite Ultra and Forever Therm into my exercise schedule. As each month passed my fitness, strength and speed improved, my resting heart rate dropped, and my threshold capabilities developed. By the time the Team GB European Championships were in sight, I had increased my power averages on my bike by 30% and my average run paces were at a point I had never
reached before – even pre-injury! I went into the competition with less than six months’ training and I managed to come out with a bronze medal. When I arrived back in the UK I decided to give the National Standard Distance Duathlon Championship a go. I didn’t have long to train but I had Argi+, Forever Freedom and Forever Lite Ultra on my side and I managed to leave with a silver medal!

This business has also benefited me as a sport and triathlon coach; it’s been helpful having a base of products that uphold the same values – ethical, natural, healthy – and Forever is now an intrinsic part of my life. My athletes, clients and community have seen first-hand the transformation in my own health and fitness, and many of them have had similar (and often better) results. Being able to discuss my experience of the C9 and F.I.T. programme has been essential in forming relationships and supporting clients on their own journeys, but this is all just the beginning! In July next year I plan to work with Global F.I.T. Ambassador Mike Butterworth and undertake seven ironman triathlons in seven days, and I'll be utilising a whole range of Forever products to ensure success.

"Forever is now an intrinsic part of my life."

Living the dream by Julianna Woods – Sapphire Manager

Julianna Woods has been involved in Forever since 2009, but in the beginning she had to overcome her self-doubt, and believe that her dreams really could become reality…

How has your life changed since becoming an FBO?
Before Forever I was working as a team leader for Lloyds TSB Insurance, but the role didn’t provide the security and flexibility I was looking for; ultimately I wanted to be my own boss. I honestly don’t know where I would be today if I was still working for Lloyds; my previous partner left me with £33,000 worth of debt and there is no way I would have been able to pay that off on my previous income. Plus the financial constraint would have meant I’d struggle to start a family. Now I’m about to get married, I’m completely debt-free, my monthly income is double what my annual salary used to be, and I am able to give my children everything, including being around for them at home.
Today my life is unrecognisable: I am living in my dream house, driving amazing cars, and I honestly don’t have a worry in the
world. Forever has given me complete peace of mind. Sometimes, when I think about my life, I think I’m dreaming; any minute I’ll wake up and be back in reality. So when I do actually digest that it is real, and it is happening to me – a little girl who now lives on the side of a mountain in Pontypool – I can’t help but burst into tears. It’s so overwhelming.

Was your progression to Sapphire an easy achievement?
It definitely took a lot of hard work and dedication. I had to work on myself – my mind-set and self-belief – but I think the activities surrounding recruitment are actually fairly simple. Working on my inner-self was certainly the hardest part for me to overcome since I grew up in a family that constantly struggled; I just couldn’t get used to the idea of having more than I’d always known. I learnt a lot from Dave O’Connor and Natalie Heeley; they helped me believe that it was within my grasp. I still have to work on my mind-set every day; I’m not the finished article (I doubt I ever will be), but I am more discerning about the way I think and the way I manage my time with people. I never ever thought that I’d have a life like I am living; I just didn’t think stuff like this would happen to people like me.How do you motivate your team?I don’t necessarily think you can motivate anyone; to be honest, to really succeed, I think they need to be willing and have that drive in them. But what I do think you can do is inspire someone. Encouraging others to find out what their goals and dreams are can really release someone into the business, and helping them to build up their mind-set, so that they believe in themselves, will enable them to realise that they can achieve anything if they put their mind to it.
What useful advice would you like to share?
My advice will always be to stay active:
continue to contact five brand new people a day, be persistent and consistent, and come from a place of contribution – I always try to take myself off the agenda so that others can reach their full potential. But most of all remember that your mind-set is the most important aspect; it is this thatcan have significant influence on you and your success.