#7: Dana Miller, Direct Sales Coach

Right, because we do, first of all, we want to look a little perfect because if we're perfect, then people want what we have, right? But really people connect with us when we're the most vulnerable.

So thank you for coming on, Dana. I'm so excited.

I'm excited too. Thanks for having me.

Yeah, yeah, you're so welcome. So we literally just talked about this. We had some technical difficulties in the background, but we're here now. So we're just going to dive into your journey. We met each other. We really haven't even formally met, I guess, but we know each other through a similar crowd, through Paths to Freedom. We were both graduates of the program. And I am so curious about your journey because your coaching journey has been different from most of the others that I, the other coaches that I know. So I'm super excited to dive into that. So yeah, thank you for coming on.

Yeah, thanks for having me. Yes, my, oh, it's been, I'll tell you what, I saw something the other day on social media and it was basically saying that 2020 has been such like an uncertain, crazy, unexpected year. But yet they haven't been more clear as to what it is they're doing. And I love that analogy of like 20/20 vision, having 20/20 vision. And that's exactly what happened for me this year was that yes, this year has been crazy and this year has been so uncertain and so scary at the same time. But yet I haven't been more clear on what I'm meant to do.

Oh my God.

And where I, where I'm going. And I'm excited about the future. And so I'm kind of like grateful for 2020. Like I am, I'm grateful.

Yeah, that is awesome. I love— it's so funny, before even the whole COVID thing happened, before the pandemic, like the world went crazy, I had a conversation with my aunt. And if she watches this, she'll know who she is. But it was like whenever the new year first rolled around, she was like, 2020 is the year of perfect vision. Like just watch and see. And holy crap, like, has it been, you know, not just in the sense of like our career or our businesses, but just like all over. I think that a lot, like, collectively a lot of people have just like woken up to, to what they want, what's important, what they don't want, just, just all over. So yeah, definitely perfect, perfect vision this year.

Perfect vision. Yeah, so Oh my goodness. I don't even know like where really to begin except for I have been in health and wellness for the last 7 and a half years and I have been working in direct sales network marketing for those 7 and a half years with, with a health and wellness company. And I got into that. Well, number one, I've been in direct sales since for over 13 years. I love, love direct sales. I just think it is such It's such a great way for you to be able to give back to your family on a financial level. And I think it's amazing to help educate other people on whatever that lifestyle is and on products that align with who you are. But I got into, into the health and wellness field because my older son was diagnosed with a really, really rare colon disorder. And he had been in and out of the hospital since he was, well, it started around, he was diagnosed when he was 5, and I got introduced to some essential oils and I was like, I don't want anything to do with them. I want, they don't work, you know, it's like a scam, and we were desperate, and so I tried them, and I was like, we have nothing to lose, let's try them, and so they worked. They worked for what we needed them for, And so I, I said to my family, I said to myself, I said, I've got to educate on health and wellness and on a more of a holistic approach. Like, yes, I believe in Western medicine, but there's also a time and a place for Eastern medicine. And so I did that for 7 and a half years. And throughout the last couple of years, I was getting like I had my moments, 'cause in direct sales you have your moments of being really, really at a good place and you have your really, really lows of like being frustrated and stuck and—

Oh, any business.

Any business. Yeah. And I started coaching some peers and I, what I realized was that I was taking all this time to coach other people because I loved coaching so much and I loved providing value and helping them in their business that I decided, well, first and foremost, you know, I was kind of getting some, I don't want to say backlash, but I was definitely getting some backlash from my family like, hey, you're spending all this time with all these people and you're not really showing up for us, right? And so I thought, okay, I'm going to find a good coaching program because I want to become a coach. I want to be able to make it a business as well because I love people so much and all I want to do is give, give, give, but it was taking away from my family. And so I found Path to Freedom. And it was probably the best experience at the time. Like reflecting now, I'm like, that was the best experience of my life because like you said in the very beginning, my eyes have been, are open. My eyes were so open and I met so many incredible, including you, like so many incredible women who were on this journey on coaching and being able to provide and give back to a community of like-minded like-minded women by also being able to help their family on a financial level. And so there's that two pieces to it, right? And so when I left, when I was graduating Path to Freedom, one of the things that, one of the things that we were dealing with as a family with my son and all of his medical stuff, not just physically, was the mental piece, the anxiety, the depression, the PTSD from hospital stays and whatnot. And so I was like, I am going to go in and I am going to coach moms of kids with anxiety, depression, PTSD, because that's where I felt called at the time. And about a month in, I was like, it just was not feeling aligned. And so I knew that there was this big piece of me that was so business-oriented, so strategic. I live a lot in the masculine energy, so it's like strategy and goal setting, checking the boxes, doing the things, following the path. Yes, 100%. And I, I felt like that piece was missing a little bit. Oh, are you there? Okay, there you are. Um, I felt like that piece was missing a little bit, and So I think you're frozen.

Can you hear me? Okay, so we're having some technical difficulties. No worries, we're just gonna wait. Hmm, don't you just love the internet?

Okay, I, I'm— this is real life. This is totally real life. It doesn't matter where you are, or— I am moving closer to my router.

I love it.

So the lighting is gonna be off. What's that?

You see my beautiful backdrop, right? This big white wall. I know, I love it.

Okay, here we go. We're gonna do this. So sorry about that. That's okay. So yeah, like I said, I was missing that sales, that masculine energy of goal setting and all that. And what I realized was that I really, really was missing direct sales. I was missing that piece of business. And so I changed my niche completely and got into, decided that I was being really called in the direction of coaching women in direct sales to find customers, to find a way that they were no longer stuck, and also step into that leadership role. Yep. Um, so with that, I started coaching women, and I loved it. I loved every second of it. I love seeing them become so successful and stepping into that, you know, bigger role.

Yep.

And also able being able to provide for their family financially. Because when you are stuck and you don't know where to go and you're afraid or have fears around social media or going live or whatever the case may be, you're not gonna make a profit. You gotta get— yes, 100%. Um, and so as I was coaching some women, what I realized is, as much as I loved the products that I had been advocating for, for 7 and a half years, I was stuck. I was, I was frustrated. And I don't even know like what words to describe it, except for I was, I was stuck. I was frustrated. I was exhausted. I was a little burnt out. And I no longer— I loved my friends that I had cultivated. I love the community that I was so surrounded by, but I needed more. And, um, so with that being said, I, um, I decided to step away from that and just focus on coaching for some time. And unbeknownst, I found another company because I couldn't stay away. And, um, so now I'm building, you know, not only coaching women in direct sales, but I'm building that business and I am, I haven't been more clear. I haven't been more happy.

I love it. So yeah, like it's all like, it's really part of a process. Like, and it's not a linear process. It is no straight up, like no straight and narrow. There's, and you said, you mentioned, you know, I was, there's ups and downs and direct sales girls. They're like, there is ups and downs in any business, in any path, any career. But I like the way that, you know, you have just figured it out as you went. So was like, you didn't know whenever you made the switch, you're like, okay, I'm gonna coach moms of, um, you know, that have children with disabilities and how to get through that and how to navigate that. You didn't know if it was going to be a forever thing, but you jumped into it anyways, right? And you tried it and you did it, and then you're like, wait a minute, this isn't aligned, this doesn't match my personality style, it doesn't match my energy level. So then, so then you went to the next, right? And it's like, it's— there is no linear path. And I think that sometimes we as humans, we like to put a label on something and we like to be sure of something and we like to know like this is a definite yes and then this is a definite no. But I think that like whenever you step into this role of entrepreneurship, you realize that like, who knows where I'm gonna be in a year? Who knows what I'm gonna be doing? You know, but that is like the beauty of it, right? Because so then, you know, you changed paths, you started coaching women, then you came back into direct sales, you left that company that you were with And it was all a part of the process. So it's like one thing that I tell my clients, you don't, you don't ever start from scratch. You don't ever start from the bottom. You have that entire life's worth of tools, of experience, of like, you know, networks, connections, all of the things that you've cultivated along the way. So, so whenever you left that, like whenever you left the company that you had been with for 7 years and then you came to the new company, now you're coaching women. Did you feel like you were starting from scratch or—

Yeah, really, I, you know, here's the thing. Yes and no, actually. Yes and no.

Okay.

Yes, because it was a little— the, the— when you're in direct sales, um, the compensation plans were vastly different, very, very different. But I had already had— I was, I was credible. I was still speaking about a holistic lifestyle, health and wellness. I was still in that field. I didn't go somewhere that was completely a 180 from all of my beliefs and morals, right? So that piece was very easy to slip right into because I already had, like I said, that credibility. And I don't want to say following because I feel like sometimes, although there's nothing wrong with having a following, but I had already built that those connections. So no, it wasn't hard because of that, but what was hard, and this is for any business, what was hard is that there was, when you're, when you're, and this is like something for women, especially in direct sales, to be aware of is that when you leave something, you're not leaving your friendships, you're not leaving your connections, you're not leaving the people that you worked with or beside. You are leaving that lifestyle for yourself. And that was the hardest part for me that I spent nights and nights crying over, was that I, I didn't want to disappoint anybody. I didn't want to hurt anybody's feelings. I didn't want to take anything away from any of them because I cared so much that I kind of went into this little shell of behind the scenes, undercover. I didn't want anyone to be hurt. And so that was the piece that was so hard. Yeah. Um, you know, when you decide to coach on one thing and then go to another, you're not really hurting anybody. You're not really. But when you're in a business with other people who essentially kind of depend on you a little bit, um, you have that— you have that situation where you could potentially hurt somebody else. And it's really not about them, it's about decision I made. It's about the decision that anybody makes, that it's not about other people, it's about what's best for you. Um, so yes, that answer is kind of twofold. It was hard because of that, um, but it wasn't hard to step into that next role because like I said, I've been in direct sales for over 13 years, so I know direct sales, I understand direct sales, I know what needs to be done. Um, but it was making that switch and who are going to hurt along the way.

Yeah. So I have clients that, that work for a direct— or that are a coach in a direct sales company, and then they decide that they want to step into, um, like the coaching industry without the product piece. So, right, just, um, health coaching or life coaching or whatever. And then they, they have that same concern that they are going to that they're going to hurt their downline, or that they're going to offend or hurt the feelings of their upline or make them mad. So, so like, like, literally, how did you handle that? How did you handle that piece? Because I know that it keeps a lot of women stuck because we are emotional, right? And if we're driven by the masculine, we're driven by the checkboxes, we are ultimately emotional creatures. And that's how we operate. So, so how did you navigate that part?

Well, first, a lot of tears. I'm like a big believer that no matter if your tears are happy tears or sad tears, you still have to get it out and release that. I did a lot of meditating. So I did a lot of just letting my mind visualize everybody being taken care of, kind of, and that it was all going to be okay. And the other big thing was communication, like communicating, because I think sometimes when we hide and we don't communicate with other people, even the ones that we may be hurting along the way, if we don't communicate with them and tell them how we feel and how we don't want them to feel, I think that's key. Hiding it in that passive mentality of like, well, if I don't say anything, no one needs to like be feeling, right?

Well, that's not true.

We all feel and we're going to continue to feel. But I also had a really, really big support system, and I found people who were going to push me forward, and they were going to be there for me to lean on and to cry on and to, um, help me through that. And it necessarily wasn't an upline or a downline on either side. It was my family, it was friends in my coaching program, it was you know, the women that I'm so blessed to have met because they were detached. So I really found people that were detached from my particular situation to lean on and get the support from.

Yeah.

So communicating support, releasing the emotions, and also a big one for me is I talk about my feelings publicly a lot. And sometimes people again hide behind a screen or don't want to talk about that stuff. But I found the more I talked about it, the more I released those, um, those feelings and fears because I was— I knew I wasn't alone, but if I kept it to myself, I was always going to be alone.

Yeah. And you always— you probably felt like you were operating from like this facade or from this, um, this visual of what you thought that you were supposed to be, right? Yeah. Like, I think that— I don't know why my nose is itching. Um, I think that like sometimes whenever we have, especially in the online business world, in the online industry, we think that like— I mean, because let's be honest, social media is like a highlight reel of our lives if we let it be. And sometimes we think that everyone else has it together and we're the only ones that don't. And if we show that piece of ourselves that doesn't have everything together, then, then we're going to lose the credibility that we have worked so hard to get. Like, then we're going to lose all this momentum. People aren't going to trust us. We're not going to be seen is the authority figure. So like, it's hard. It's hard to share the real life stuff that comes along the way.

Yeah.

And especially like whenever we're— and I can relate to this to you because we both talk about business and we coach business and we coach other women, you know, on how to have time and financial freedom. But it's like a double-edged sword almost, because on one side it's like, that's great. But on the other side, we find ourselves in this place with like, how much of myself do I share?

Yeah, right. Because we do— first of all, we want to look a little perfect. Yeah. Because if we're perfect, then people want what we have, right? But really, people connect with us when we're the most vulnerable.

Oh my gosh. Yeah. And then huge, huge piece. Yeah.

Yeah. And I tell even the women that I work with, I'm like, it's okay to say like, I'm afraid, like, I'm scared, I don't have it all together. Because guess what? 90% of the women, maybe even 99.9% of them, we don't have it all together all the time. One day might be great for you, and the next— and I'm having a crappy day, and the next day I'm having a great day, and vice versa, you know. So, and people— I don't want to say people like when other people are up, you know, having a bad day, but they honestly— that's the most that they can relate to because 9 times— yes, yep. And I talked about that, like, I— one of my last posts, and I took a break from Instagram for a while because I just needed to kind of sit with my feelings, but my last post was like, I'm struggling and I know you're struggling too. You're in my shoes too, right? And that was probably one of the most connections I got because everyone— I had a lot of people going, I I'm with you, like, I'm ready to like jump ship, or I don't know what to do next, or thank you just for sharing that piece. And it was a picture, the ugliest picture of me like crying. And, you know, but of course we all want to like get dressed up and look good and like we have it together, and we do have it together, you know. It really comes down to that vulnerability piece and just putting yourself out there.

And you can be both. You can have it together and be, you know, and still be a mess some days, right? Like, you can be fully 100% yourself, you know, and, and that's, that's the human part of it. That's the real part of it. Yeah. So if someone— and I, I have a lot of friends on— we're right now, we're going live on my personal Facebook, and I have friends from all walks of life on here. I have friends from high school, from college. I have old teachers, I've got coworkers, tons of different people on here. And I have a lot of friends that are in network marketing and they're in direct sales. So, and a lot of them will start out with like this momentum and then it kind of like drifts off. So what advice could you give them if they're watching right now, knowing that you've been in it for 13 years? Like what would you tell them?

Well, first I guess the big thing for me, again, my eyes were open this year or so, was to really evaluate like where you're at and what you're doing. Is it truly what you want to be doing? Do you feel aligned with that? Because it's okay to leave, it's okay to stay, it's okay to tweak things. But the other thing that if they're stuck is to re— I really am a believer in reaching out for support because I always knew I was a leader, But sometimes I thought, I'm not going to ask for help because I'm the leader. Like, I know it all. I should know it all, right? But it's really to ask for other— for support, because that collaboration piece of it is huge. I don't know everything. And to really, again, get vulnerable. Like, that is probably the biggest advice is be as vulnerable as you possibly can. Share your story. That's another big one for me. Share your story. 'Cause you relate to so many people when you share your story. People take little bits and pieces away. Share the good, the bad, and the ugly. Don't just share one piece of it. And you know, and keep going. Keep going forward because one month you could have a fantastic month. That's the thing about direct sales and network marketing is you can have an amazing month, even coaching, like you can have an amazing month and the next month you flop, that does not mean that you failed at all. It means that you just are learning and, um, you know, you're becoming educated on what didn't work and what does work.

Yep.

And how to tweak it.

It doesn't determine anything about you personally too. Like, it doesn't determine your worth, your ability, your potential. Like, it's literally just a result of certain things. You know, sometimes it's just the economy, sometimes it's because you didn't show up that much. And, and it's like, can you sit back? Can you reflect? Can you say, okay, these things were in my control, I could have done this differently? And this is just— this is for any business or anything really in your life. Like, was this in my control? What could I have done differently? What could I have improved on? And then like, what things just weren't in your control? You know, like, hello, freaking coronavirus pandemic, like government shutdowns. Like, those things were not in our control. Um, but on that note, a lot— I've spoken with a lot of women, and even some of my clients really went in all like 100% in their business this year because of COVID because of the government stuff, right? Because their jobs, they were put out. So it's like also making the most of what you have, you know? So it's been like a driving force for a lot of people this year to, to go all in on their dreams. So did you see an influx in direct sales this year because of that? I'm just curious.

Yeah, huge. But I also was able to transition from— I mean, when you're selling a product, typically most people want to be in front of other people, right? They want to be showing their products. They want to be talking about them. They want them to have an experience no matter what the product is. I mean, we're even talking about like clothing, you know, like put that piece of clothing on. How do you feel? Right. But we don't have that anymore. And so making that transition into getting comfortable, being uncomfortable with social media and other platforms. There are so many platforms out there that you can connect with people. Social media is huge right now. It's been, but I think this year more than ever, it is such a great way to really— I don't want to say target, but connect with the masses because you can like this, you know, I mean, people are watching. And also just that kind of popped into my mind is know that every time that you show up for people, whether on social media or even in person, whenever that happens again, is you're planting seeds, right? You're just planting seeds. And even though today may be a no, that doesn't mean tomorrow is going to be a no. And so yes, it really can be disheartening to get on and do something a live, lives are my favorite, but is to do a live and like nobody shows up, nobody likes, no many comments, like, oh my gosh, I failed.

And you're like, I'm talking to myself.

I mean, nothing's worse than that, but people are watching, people are watching, and it's just they may not feel comfortable hitting that like button or commenting and putting themselves out there, and that's okay. So yes, I have seen, because you can talk to so many more people in an hour than you can when you're meeting with people one-on-one in person. And yeah, like you said, I think more people are focused. They don't know what tomorrow's going to bring. So they're so focused on what they can control right now. And maybe that 9 to 5 might not be there tomorrow.

Oh, reality check. Uh-oh.

Yeah.

You're right. You're so right about that. And speaking about like putting yourself out there, getting uncomfortable, it's so funny, like looking back, I— so I actually very briefly, very briefly, and I was not successful in it, I was part of a direct sales company. Um, I think it was in 2018. I think I still use their products. It's oils. Um, still use them, still love them for my family and everything. I just was really terrible at it. But I also think that it wasn't the right time for me because I did not have this confidence. Like, if you go back and watch my lives from then— oh my God, it's so funny. One popped up on my timeline the other day, and I'm like talking like this, and I'm like, and then you put this in this bottle. I just felt so bad for my like younger self, you know? But I was also very proud of myself too for just showing up and for just doing it, right? And, and even though that wasn't the path for me, it kind of gave me a taste of what it was like to have control over my path and to have control over my income and to say, okay, well, if I put in the work, then, you know, people are attracted and then, and then they're going to come, you know. So it was like, oh, this is what it's like to run my own ship, you know. And like, at the time I was about— I was like working on my teaching degree And I think the next year I graduated. Yeah, so last year I graduated. So yeah, and it was like I had no idea, like this, us showing up right here for this wasn't even on my radar. Like, I, I didn't even know what I didn't know. It was so far away from me. I didn't even know it was in the stars at all. But it was like, like the seed, it was planted for myself, you know? It was like, okay, well, this is what it's like, you know? People show up on social media and people, you know, have businesses, and like, you, you you can do this too. And so I think that it's 100% true that like you never— you may not think that people are watching you, and you may not think that what you're doing right now is, um, you know, spectacular, or that it has any greater meaning. But really, like, your, your future self may thank you for showing up later, you know. And, and the other women that are watching you, and the other people that are out there taking notes from you, and like, oh well, look at her go, like she's still doing her thing, like if she can do it, I can do it, you know. And For me, that's a really big driving force behind what I do too.

Yeah. Well, and I— don't you feel like if you wouldn't have had that little blip in time with direct sales, talking, getting on live, you, you wouldn't have maybe had the courage. You would have been starting kind of fresh. Like that was like your practice.

Absolutely.

Well, to get to build up that confidence. Yep. For sure. Yeah, I, you know, well, oh my gosh, this could, I could go on and on about a little bit more about my journey, but I'm not going to do that. But yeah, you know, my biggest advice is that it's, I never thought it would be okay to switch gears. I never thought that it would be okay to start with another company because like I said at the very beginning, like number one, who am I letting down? My upline, my downline, my customers. Number 2, am I going to be credible? Because if I switch gears and I'm no longer talking about what I used to be talking about, doesn't mean that I don't still use those products, doesn't mean that I don't believe in those products. But I, you know, I switched gears for lots of reasons. Um, but I, you know, I really do encourage people that like are to really think like, am I happy or am I doing this for somebody else? Am I doing this for my family, myself, or am I doing this to please other people? And that for me was the biggest, that was the biggest change for me is that I no longer, I'm a pleaser. I'm an, my number one strength is empath and I feel all the feels from everybody. So you tell me that you want me to do something, you better believe I'm going to do it for you and I'm not going to do it for me. So that was the huge growth that I had this year, was that I'm finally going to step into what I want and what is going to serve me and what's going to make me super duper happy. And it is no reflection of anybody else. Like, I'm not— it's not because I don't like somebody, it's because I'm doing what I want for me.

Yeah. Um, how do you feel, um, because I know that you have what, like 4 kids, 5 kids? 4. How many kids are there?

There's too many.

So you are a mom to 4, and, and yet you still have pursued your own business. You're, you know, making— you're making strides, making money, like doing your thing, building up this, this, you know, these connections in this business. What is that like? And I'm just curious, like, I'm a mom and I only have 2 kids, you know, and, and I find that like it's a balance, if it's a muscle, like holy crap, like it's like I have to to flex it. I've got to learn it. I've got to redo it. It's like it's learning every single day, every single week, trying to balance it.

Yes. Well, so I, I actually have a degree in education, so I went to college. I have a regular and special education degree, and I taught autism support for 5 years before I had my oldest son, who's now 14. Um, and the reason why I got into direct sales— I went to one of those parties, and everybody, if you're watching, you know you've been to that party, and they always give the business spiel, and you're like, I could totally do that. I can I could stay at home and be a stay-at-home mom and do it and help provide for my family. And I bought immediately. And anyways, that was back then, but I knew I wanted to stay home. And yes, it is a complete balancing act. And when they were little, it was much harder. It was so much harder because I was, you know, really doing them. Like, I was really taking care of them all the time. And in any of my spare time, I was playing. I was playing with the products that I was selling, basically. And I kind of came at it from that approach, was that I'm just playing with my products. I'm just sharing with my friends. Social media wasn't really that big back then. We were talking a long time ago. But as they've gotten older, what I've learned is that, yes, there are times when I say to my kids, like, hey, I'm jumping on this, or I'm, you know, I have an event today, I'm not going to be around, but I will be there for X, Y, and Z. And I'm a big time blocker, I'm a big scheduler, I got my list. So I really work around my family as much as I possibly can, but I also include my kids in my business. Yeah, I will get them to, you know, take the videos or be in the videos or help me with the products, you know, like I, I really try to incorporate them so they feel that value too. And I'm also very open and honest with them that this is my job, so they have respect for that. It's not just a hobby. Um, this is Mommy's job. And while they don't call me Mommy anymore, but you know, this is what I— I'm in my office, these are my work hours, and this is my time with you. And, um, so I don't—

not—

they're older now, and it's totally different. Once they get older, they like— I don't even know where they are half the time.

Oh my gosh, I couldn't even think about that.

It goes by so fast. And you know, there are days when I'm like, oh, I kind of just wish I could go back for a little bit. Uh, because you do, you kind of wish it away. Like, just take your nap, just go to sleep so I can work, right? Or have me time. That's a big one too, is also factoring that me time. Total side note, but really important to take care of yourself when you're when you're your own boss.

Yep. Like, to take that time— I'm not— I mean, I'm always a mom, all, obviously, and you're always a business owner, but like, there's business time, mom time, and then like you time, you know? And then if you, if you're in a relationship, time with your partner too, you know? So it's definitely, um, balancing and trying not to juggle, right? Trying to balance it rather than juggling it. Yeah. So I, I like what you said about boundaries and like these are my office hours and whenever I'm here, I'm working. And you know, so did you find that you were ever trying to like do all of it or that you were like, you know, did you feel like you were failing at any of it? Did you feel like, oh yeah, yeah, yeah.

And I still have, like, I have a 9-year-old, so I have 3 boys and then a little girl. And my little girl is, I would say, the most impressionable because she wants to be like me. She sees what I'm doing. And there are times that she'll say, you're always on your phone. And I'm like, you're right. I am. It's time to put it away. And so, yeah, I feel like I have failed a lot. Wow. But I've also grown a lot, and I've changed things because I want to see what they see from their eyes. What are they seeing?

I'm sorry, the thing keeps going off.

Oh, no, that's fine. Is it time?

No, I'm on my husband's computer. When every time he gets a message, it comes through what you're hearing. I'm sorry.

No, that's totally fine. Um, so yeah, I feel like I have failed a lot. And, um, I don't know, I, I don't really regret anything from what has happened in the past because it's gotten to me where it's gotten me to where I am right now today. And, um, you know, it's okay to take time with your kids when they need you. It's okay to be on your phone. It's okay to show up on your computer on social media, and it's okay to tell your kids that they have to wait because, right, life is about, you know, you don't get everything you want. That's my philosophy. Like, I want to raise kids that they know that they have to work really hard, and if they see me working hard, that's I'm the role model for them. But I also want them to know that just every time they say, I need you, you know, it's okay to be patient and to learn that you're going to have to just wait 5 minutes. Well, and with 4 kids, my kids have had to learn that they can't get what they want when they want anyways.

Yeah. Life lesson for them, I'm sure.

Yeah. I don't know if that really answered your question or not, but it does.

It's hitting so close to home, Dana. Like, I'm just gonna be honest. First of all, thank you for sharing that. Thank you for sharing that. Like, yeah, you feel like you failed a lot. I have a 4-year-old and a 2-year-old, and like, excuse my language, this shit is hard sometimes, you know? Like, they're at daycare right now, so sometimes I'll be working, or even I'll finish up something and I'm like, oh, I could go get the kids early. And I'm like, but wait, like, it's okay. It's okay to have like time. Like, it's okay to not be the, the homeschooling mom with all the kids at home and like having the kitchen table business. Like, you know, so I— yeah, it's hitting really close to home right now, um, just to give myself permission to like not be perfect all the time, to not be the perfect mom, the perfect, you know, all of the things that we feel like we're supposed to be if we're not working a traditional 9 to 5. You know, I, I know there's so many women— I can't tell who's watching us, I hate that— but like, I know that there are women that are watching this that also work from home, quote unquote, that also, you know, run their businesses. And this— the, the guilt and the balancing and all of those things are so, so real, you know, like, especially as women. You know, there's totally different standards for men and women, um, that are business owners. So I know that like we're not the only ones that deal with it. And, oh, this thing's driving me nuts. But, um, yeah, so thank you for sharing that. It definitely, it definitely helps. Yeah.

Well, and really, what is the— what's the definition of perfect? What it should be is hot mess. It should be hot mess, because whatever is perfect for you is not perfect for me, and what's perfect for me is not perfect for you. And so I hate using that word perfect, you know. And it's funny because I always just say, like, I'm a perfectionist. Well, like, no, like, what does that mean? And stop saying— like, I need— I needed to stop saying that because then it almost gave me an out to be not— to, to not live up to my fullest potential as a hot mess mom. That's kind of twisted and weird, but I get it.

Yeah, it's like, this is me, this is all of me, hot mess and all. Yeah, running a little late. I got things. Yeah, the kitchen's a mess.

I mean, and just even letting go— the fact that like our internet, my internet just kind of freaked out, and you know, I'm running through my house like, okay, everyone's dizzy for a hot minute, but like here I am in like my sitting room, nothing's made, and that's okay because that is real life. That is real life. Yep.

Oh my gosh, it's real life. I love it. This is so good. This is so good, Dana. We could literally talk all day. We could— like, this is so good. And I know that so many women are going to take so much from this. So I would love for you to share with us what it is, what this— what the secret product is that I feel like I've been like anticipating through the whole call. Please tell us what the secret product is. Or even if someone in direct sales wanted to work with you, if they've started this thing and they're like, I just don't know how to get momentum, but I know I want this so bad, like someone someone just tell me what to do. Someone just tell me and I'll do it. How could they work with you? What would that look like?

Well, okay. So the company that I am advocating right now is called Crunchy. It is a brand new, more of us, it's at a founder's level, very, very small right now. We are a toxin-free, clean skincare and cosmetic line. And what I loved about this company is that we are advocating for women's health. All of the toxins that are in our cosmetics and our skincare that we put on our skin, our skin's our largest organ. So, what we put on our skin is going into our body and it's affecting the rest of us from head to toe. I mean, I'm talking mental health to our immune system to you name it, it's affecting our entire— hormones, huge. So anyways, I advocate, I educate on products that are going to be healthy for us. And I get to share amazing products. And everyone says, "Oh, I don't wear makeup anymore." But let's be honest. Everybody wants to put on a mascara. Everybody wants a pretty blush to put on just to like make themselves feel good. And it's also about feeling good in your body with minimal, you know, minimal cosmetics at the same time. Yep. But I also, let's say, you know, so of course I'm always, I'm massively building a team, which is huge. That actually is something that again, that confidence piece is like, oh, I am definitely bringing on ladies because not only do I think that this business is worth it. I also, um, the support is like top-notch right now. I have a fantastic team, um, of women and, uh, people that I work with. So that's that piece of it. So if you are stuck and you're no longer feeling aligned, um, I would be open to having a conversation with you and seeing if this particular company and my team is the best fit for you.

Oh, I love it.

Um, but if you are just stuck and you want to continue where you're at, where you are at, I have a 6-week program that we— it's honestly, it's tailored to that particular person. Um, there's not a whole lot of like cookie cutter stuff that I do, and not that I want to say cookie cutter because that's not really fair to say, but I don't have a laid out program that we go through. What I do is I find out what they're looking for, where they want to move forward and where they're stuck. And then all of our homework that we do is invested in their business. So they're not doing stuff and turning stuff into me for me to like, you know, cross off the boxes and say, oh yeah, you did your homework. It's okay, I want you to go live, or I want you to share your story, or we're going to create your story so you know how to put yourself out there and connect with other people, you Really, really tailored. It's probably like very different than most coaching programs, um, because it's not this particularly mapped out program. It's more of individualized.

Yeah, it's custom and very custom. It's action-oriented and it's moving the needle forward on their goals.

Yeah, 100%. Um, and that's— and I love it because I've seen so many women And all of a sudden I get these text messages like, oh my gosh, you're never going to believe this. Like, I just rank advanced. I just got this many customers. I just built a team that I never thought I was going to have because I never knew what being a leader was like. You know, I was afraid to be a leader because all I thought I was supposed to do is go get customer, customer, customer. And I'm like, you can build a team and it's fantastic. You know, so building in some of that confidence, but that comes with all of the weekly, and everything is done through Zoom, um, one-on-one for an hour once a week.

Wow. Oh, I love it. Okay, so how could someone contact you? Where, where, where should they go? And I'm gonna put it in the, like, show notes and stuff.

Yeah, so I am on Facebook, um, Dana Miller is who I am. This is my face. Um, and then I'm also on Instagram at It's Dana Miller.

It's Dana Miller. Awesome. So on Instagram, they should just message you, and on Facebook, just reach out, send me a friend request. Send you a message.

Yep, absolutely. And I do check my DMs, my others folder, so go ahead and send me a DM and I'll be, I'll be looking in that area for you. If you— or friend request me. Yeah, absolutely.

Okay, this is awesome. So y'all heard it, um, if you want support in your direct marketing business and your network marketing business, um, reach out to Dana. You have 13, right? 13+ years experience. Yeah. Um, so she is the go-to woman for that. So I know this is going to be so useful for a lot of my friends, um, on Facebook. So that's amazing. And yeah, if you're interested in Crunchy, reach out. That is awesome. I'm interested. I want to go check it out too, um, in the skincare and the makeup and stuff. So yeah, thank you so much for coming on. This has been an amazing conversation.

It's been so— I appreciate it. Yeah, I absolutely— I just, I, I'm so grateful that you offered to have me here and let me talk about my journey, because my journey is probably a lot like other people, but it's also very different than other people. And know that. And also one more thing, just to plug in there, direct sales isn't a bad thing. A lot of people have been told, oh my gosh, you work in direct sales, multi-level marketing. It's not a bad thing. Yeah. And it's not scary. It doesn't have to be. It's just what you make of it. Mindset. It's all about the mindset. So, and if you, if anyone's watching and they want to check out Crunchy, it's crunchy.com/ dynamiller.

Okay, thank you so much, Dana. I really appreciate this, and yeah, I will see you after.

Thank you. Bye, guys.