The other day I was doing a direct sales training call and glanced out my window mid-sentence to see my sons precariously walking across the roof of our garage. It brought new meaning to the word "focus" as I did my best to continue the direct sales training while waving a fist at them and using sign language to tell them to GET DOWN! I'm not going to lie to you. This week, my kids have been driving me CRAZY! They're home for the summer and they've invaded my direct sales business workday (literally).

I always forget how challenging it is to transition from being home alone during the day and working my direct sales business to being home supervising other people and working my business. Especially when those people are teenage boys!

Still, as I've looked at the craziness of this week, I've thought more than once about how grateful I am that my boys get to experience a WAHM every day and have ever since they can remember. It got me thinking about all the benefits your kids enjoy because you have a direct sales business. Here are some benefits I came up with regarding having a direct sales business:

  • Your kids know what you do for a living because they see you do it every day. I think this gives them a greater appreciation for where the money you use to buy them things comes from.
  • They learn the meaning of commitment and see the payoffs for the time you invest in your direct sales business.
  • If you're earning company incentive trips, they get to go on some pretty cool vacations.
  • If you work your direct sales business exclusively (meaning you don't go to another job), they have the benefit of a full time mom (just a note, my kids see this as either a benefit or a curse, depending on the day). You're there for school activities during the school year and camps/swimming/play dates, etc. during the summer.
  • They learn to earn. When my kids were little and I was working my direct sales business, we always picked out an incentive for them to be working toward when I was working toward one from my company. We used a special container and added money to it based on their level of participation in my business (helping to put labels on catalogs, load and unload the car, being extra good while I made phone calls, etc.). That way, they earned something really cool right alongside me.

These are just a few that I came up with off the top of my head. I'd love to know your thoughts. What do you think your kids gain from having a mom that has a direct sales business?

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Julie Anne Jones is a direct sales corporate consultant, coach, and trainer, and the CEO of Julie Anne Jones, Inc. She is known for her authentic and easy-to-use scripting and specializes in specific language and tools for success in direct sales. To learn more about Julie Anne and her products and services, and to read more blog posts, visit her at www.julieannejones.com.