How this “anti-network marketing” nurse pivoted to earn 5x her salary

Josee Nadeau and I met several years ago, as our husbands are best friends. I was immediately struck by how down-to-earth, ambitious and adventurous she was. Jo is a registered nurse who has spent much of her career providing care into remote northern communities.

Then Jo had children and everything changed. In between her kids, she worked at a local hospital, but it just wasn’t for her. She dreaded going back to work while on mat leave. So she explored other options to work for herself.

Fast forward 19 months and Jo is earning 5 times what she used to earn as a nurse. How? Through an activewear company, using the principle of network marketing.

There are a couple of things that I love about Jo’s story. First, Jo calls herself “anti-network marketing” and yet she has built a very successful business in network marketing! And secondly, her story shows the importance of being open to new opportunities that appear. Even when you don’t expect it.

Here is my conversation with Jo.

How did you get into your business?

After having my first child I remember dreading the return to work countdown. If you’re in a job where requesting permission for time off during peak seasons pains you, what you put in doesn’t equal your paycheck, or if most of the opportunities for “growth” are lateral moves, my story might resonate with you. My background is nursing. I’ve worked in multiple specialties, and although I loved many aspects of my profession, none of them offered me the freedom I craved. I couldn’t stomach spending another 30+ years being told when I could and couldn’t travel the world, or spend time with my family, and I didn’t like that no matter how hard I worked, my income was 100% dependent on the time I physically spent at work! I wasn’t getting what I put in. 

What was the hardest part of getting started?

Becoming a mother made me realize many things. First, how quickly our lives were moving, and second, that I craved a project just for me.  I took a deep dive into learning about online sources of income, but everything seemed so complicated and techy to my tired mom brain. My desire was there, but starting a business from top to bottom was just too big of a bite for me to take, financially, and I didn’t feel I had the mental capacity or energy to build something from the ground up. I didn’t even know WHAT I wanted to do with it!  

I started sharing my postpartum fitness journey on social media and in late January 2019 was approached by an activewear company launching in Canada looking for representatives to share the brand. I wanted to be flattered that they’d come across my profile and took the time to message me, but it seemed like another spammy Instagram message. Its not until my 3rd or 4th message from different reps in this company (one that actually called me by name and spoke TO me like a human) that I responded.  I’m a natural skeptic but the big picture of this promising young company and product intrigued me. 

You’ve described yourself as “anti-network marketing” and yet you’ve built a successful business in this space. How have you done this?

The idea of network marketing at that time never even crossed my mind as an option for me. I wasn’t a salesperson…we’ve all received those annoying and very obviously desperate sales messages. I had too much respect for my friends and for myself to be that woman at the grocery store that people duck to avoid.

But let’s be real, from a business perspective - if I could get a commission every time my girlfriends bought something we all use daily, and I could have a good time with girlfriends in the process, AND help other women build businesses in the process…it was an offer I couldn’t ignore.  I started my business right where I was comfortable - on social media- and realized how much more reach we could get and how much more efficient we could be using automated systems.  

Being true to myself, I also took a very person-based approach with my customers, and quickly attracted professional moms who wanted more, women just like me wanting to join my team;  we quickly grew a reputation for our “organic” style focusing more on service than sales.  Being a new company, I had some free reign to develop online systems based around this value.

With a team of open-minded women, also new to this business model, we were building strong community and friendships. Despite not feeling like I’d have time or mental energy to build a business at first, I quickly felt like this project and group of strong women was lighting my fire and I woke up excited about it every day. 

Tell us about the success you’ve had.

Now 19 months into the business, I lead a small team of 265 women across Canada and we’re on track to hit half a million dollars in team sales by the fall. To put it in perspective, some have teams much larger than that and don’t come close to those numbers, which is evidence that our “work smarter, not harder” methods are very effective.  

As for my salary, results will vary of course and my income increases month after month by leveraging the replicable systems I created once and implementing them week after week for hundreds of business builders. I’d never call this passive income, because systems require maintenance, but it is simple and actually quite fun to work closely and virtually with other high-achieving women. If you’re considering doing what I do, the key to your success will be remembering your values, having patience, believing in yourself and the being coachable in the systems already in place. 

What would you say to someone else who is interested in pursuing a similar path?

My advice for anyone wanting to grow a business like I did, is to jump right in and learn through mentorship and experience. Network marketing has shown the greatest financial and lifestyle return on investment imaginable, but if you’re like me and your perception of a network marketer as the old school “salesy mom cliché” terrifies you, you will need to choose your mentor very wisely. Just because your girlfriend up the street sells a product you like doesn’t make her a business mentor.

If you want to grow a business (and even if you don’t now, you might later), inquire about the team culture and the growth projections. What systems do they have in place to save you time? To track and help you achieve your goals? How many hours per month do the upline leaders dedicate on refining their time saving systems for the entire team?

Never be afraid to interview your sponsor to see if their values fit in with yours. You have much more power in this than you realize and that decision could change the course of your life like it did mine. 

Josee can be reached at www.joseenadeau.ca.