Many of you know that I have been a Lia Sophia advisor for the last 9 months. I originally signed up because I had just left my part time job and needed some additional income and I also loved the jewelry, so it would be a win/win. Also, because I came from a sales background, I thought it would be a breeze and I wouldn't have to work that hard at it.
Well, things started off ok, but like with anything, if you don't put any effort into it, you won't get anything out of it. Needless to say, I had some parties here and there, but nothing like I should have been doing. I was officially in a rut. Thankfully, my Unit Manager, Dee Hill, the person who originally signed me up, encouraged me to attend the annual Lia Sophia Conference.
Last week I had the opportunity to fly to Milwaukee and attend the annual conference. I don't know what I was expecting, but it far surpassed anything I could have ever imagined. After attending the first general session, I was a ball of emotions. Seeing that many women together in one space encouraging each other, had me on the brink of tears my entire trip. I am so glad that I took her advice and attended. I learned Lia Sophia is so much more than just beautiful jewelry; it's literally a lifesaver for thousands of women.
Our motto, is "Sharing the love of jewelry." I really didn't get the true meaning of that until I heard the stories of why women started selling Lia Sophia. Whether it was because they wanted to stay home with their families or because they had been recently laid off from their job, the "why" may be different, but the effects were the same; renewed confidence, higher self esteem and a desire to share this love with other women.
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| Lovely Lia Sophia Ladies #FF2012 |
The most impactful part of the conference for me was the story that Joi Gordon, CEO of Dress For Success Worldwide shared. To give you a little 411, Dress For Success is Lia Sophia's only charitable donation. They donate hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of jewelry annually in addition to designing a jewelry piece each year with a portion of the proceeds going to Dress For Success. During her talk, Joi shared with us a story about a young woman who had recently gotten her life together after an unfortunate series of events. After cashing her check from work, she was robbed at gun point.
She had plans to attend a Dress For Success event and didn't let getting robbed deter her. She borrowed money and left home at 5:30 am and took 2 buses to make it to the event. As she's telling Joi her story, she said although they took her money, they didn't take her lucky necklace. She had worn the necklace when she went to court to seek visitation rights for her kids, and she had worn the necklace when she went on the interview for her current job. Joi was thinking the necklace was a family heirloom, but when she looked down, she noticed it was the Lia Sophia Swish Necklace. The Swish was the piece of jewelry designed for DFS last year. This story resonated with me so much, because something so basic meant more to her than money.
It really made me realize that my "why" was so selfish and that my mind and heart really weren't in the right place when I started my business. It's not all about making money, it's about truly using my platform to inspire and encourage women like I do here on Everyday Runway. So, with renewed faith and a better mindset, I am excited to restart my business with the introduction of the new Fall & Winter 2012 Lia Sophia Style Guide. The collection will be available beginning in August. In the mean time, take a sneak peak at some of my FAVE pieces below.
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| Fall/Winter 2012 Jewelry Preview |
Remember, Be Strong, Be Beautiful, Be Confident, and "Make the world your personal runway"!
See you on the front row-
Parker S. <3
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| On the Red Carpet at the Gala Noir #FF2012 |
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