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Ever wish you had a mentor to help you become who you were meant to be? Crystal Ware is redefining what it means to become your best self, in business, life, and love and sharing everything she she knows to get YOU there faster.
Are you stuck? Feel like you are meant for more but not sure how to breakthrough? Every week, we will explore all of your questions on building a path to true happiness, achieving success and creating our dream life. Brick by brick, we will work through the issues and mindsets that keep us stuck, dive into finding our passion and how to take ACTION. Clarity (vision) + Confidence (Owning your worth) + Courage (to live life on your own terms and become your own CEO) propels you to your destiny. And the good news it: its all within you!
Each week, host, Crystal Ware, will bring you all of the practical wisdom to grow every aspect of your career and life including mindset, vision, goal planning, social media management, financial acumen and so much more. You'll also meet top business leaders, entrepreneurs, mompreneurers and innovative thinkers who invested in themselves and found their way success and happiness by leading on their own terms.
You were made for more, so start living like it today. Join us as we take action, grow together, and get inspired to reach for your dreams.
[00:00:00] Welcome to the Get Clear with Crystal Ware podcast, the place where we get clear on our goals, own our worth, and learn to be the CEOs of our own lives. I'm your host, Crystal Ware, lawyer and former Fortune 500 corporate leader. Who found the confidence to say goodbye to a lucrative career and start my own business.
Now I'm opening up the playbook and sharing everything I've learned to get you there faster. It may not be easy, but it will always be worth it because you are made for more. So put on your big girl pants, jump on board and let's reach for the stars. Are you ready to get clear?
Crystal Ware: Everybody, this is amazing. We are back another episode of get clear with crystal where today we're doing a more of what I call an interview style with Andrea Olson, who has been a guest on the show several times. But today I really wanted to dive in instead of having like a friend conversation about relevant [00:01:00] topics that we hear in the news or are prevalent.
In our day to day lives, really dive into her background, what she's been up to and talk about some interesting things that we found relevant in the news. So welcome back, Andrea. Thanks for having me. Yeah. I'm excited to talk about this. Yeah. So, you know, I know both of us are so passionate about building careers that we love that are aligned with our heart, which is our families.
And I know you help a lot of women do the same thing. Right? Yeah. I love to talk to women who maybe want to transition or change. And so I think it's really helpful if you just kind of give us a really quick background about where you started in your career and then kind of how you pivoted to what has been, you know, the bigger bulk of your career.
Andrea Olson: Yeah, well, I'd be happy to. So at the very start of my career, I was in human resources and I did a combination of things. I did training and [00:02:00] development. I did employee relations, organizational design, development, you know, all the things that go into it. And then as I progressed in that career path, I, you know, was really successful in doing so.
I loved the work. I love the people and I most love the coaching. I love the coaching of leaders on how to be. Their most effective, you know, version of themselves while also playing a really big role in the organization success. And so I worked for a fashion retail company based here in Dallas. I had a great experience working there.
And ultimately, it led to a relationship that I met someone who then became my mentor in My first step into entrepreneurship was with Rodan and Fields, which is a network marketing business or was, I should say, and we can talk about that. but that was the start of me realizing, Oh my gosh, like entrepreneurship really taps into so many aspects that I love in this work that I do.
And over time it started to become really obvious [00:03:00] to me that it It created a path that offered more flexibility, more benefits for what my family life was going to look like and what I wanted it to look like. And it felt like an opportunity to stretch in a new and different way in my own leadership where I was coaching a lot of leaders before this forced me to figure out what my goals version of that look like and then also be able to help others do it too.
So that was something that 11 and a half years ago I discovered and I learned very quickly that there was stuff I did not know, but I was always willing to learn. And I always talk about that. Like the ability to jump from the unknown to learning is a really big catalyst and success in entrepreneurship.
And so I did that and I. Was very successful over those 11 and a half years. And I had the amazing honor of leading an amazing team. And, you know, that led to where I am today, which is a little bit different than where I was even a couple of months ago. But [00:04:00] I think the thing that I would say most is that I had some of the.
Interest in entrepreneurship right away, but there was a lot that I didn't know about that industry as a whole. And we can talk about the industry, but the network marketing direct sales industry, and it's evolved so much, even in that amount of time from where it began when I was in it. I'm sure even before I started, it had evolved quite a bit.
So I think it's relevant to say that everyone's experience with. You're jumping into entrepreneurship is going to be uniquely theirs. Mine was incredibly positive. And I think a large part of that had to do with the mentors that I had surrounding me had amazing women who had kind of gone before and laid a path of high integrity and doing things in an honorable way and not making it about, any sort of, you know, convincing or forcing just truly, genuinely.
You know, trying to help people live their best life. And so I'm super grateful that that was my [00:05:00] experience because I think had that not been my experience, I don't think I would have had that roadmap in front of me to pursue and be successful in.
Crystal Ware: Yeah. And so when you were kind of starting out with Rodan and Fields, I wanted to have, you know, ask a few questions around that.
Was that pre kids? After you had kids, like what stage in life were you when you were kind of embarking on that journey? Yeah,
Andrea Olson: that's an interesting question because most people I found in this channel start when they have kids. I was full time working 50 plus hours a week, single, not married, no kids, and that was an unusual story in the sense that I think it typically attracts someone who already is looking for flexibility, Whereas I was in a place where I could see ahead, and I've always been able to see ahead, but I, I wanted to create a life, you know, early enough that I would have that option later.
So I [00:06:00] started in my late twenties before I was married, before I had kids. And it then became a part of my life through all of those major life stages, getting engaged, getting married, having my son. Then, you know, a couple of years later, having my daughter and just. When I think about the amount of growth that happened in my personal life during that, that time of building a business, it's no wonder like that community started to feel like an extended family, because of course, you know, you walk through.
Big things in life alongside people. And it, it cements memories and emotions and all that stuff. But yeah, my life looked so different then. And I think it's a part of the story though, that's relevant to say this, these businesses like can take so many shapes. You know, we have these stereotypes of who typically joins something, but.
You know, what's typical is just that it tends to attract somebody who's looking for flexibility, right? And that oftentimes is a mom who has kids who doesn't have a set schedule. And we [00:07:00] know that that's the case. You know, I've interviewed lots of guests on my podcast where that's like a reoccurring theme for women and increasingly demanding need for women.
And so, you know, for me, it just wasn't my story. I started before then, but it was always with that in mind. And so, you know, You'd be amazed how many women are already thinking ahead now. I think the generations that are younger than us are already so aware that the way that the world works is so connected.
And if they can get ahead of that and create another stream of income or another way of monetizing their time, so to speak, that they're smart to do so. And I think they're right. And I actually love that about Gen Z and, and generations that are a little bit more in tune with the way people work now. It was a little bit early for me to see that, like, that was kind of not the norm at the time, but it's become much more the norm.
Crystal Ware: Yeah. And I would have to agree with you. I mean, I don't, I'm a person that does not live with regrets, really. I mean, I always say [00:08:00] one of the few regrets I have is, you know, It's not taking more time off with my first child, but going back in time, and I think about all that I'm doing now and what I've.
Always love to do reading, writing, educating people. I had started a blog back in like 2010 and you're like, see, you know, talking about, I kind of had, I saw the path, I saw something different. Interestingly, I did not see any path of how that would become a business or how that could be shaped, but I've seen six or eight other women who I was in regular communication, my blog friends, basically commenting, sharing, liking, you know, just in tune with each other in our lives and what was going on and they have all gone on to make a Super big, you know, six figure businesses out of it.
I did not see that I was in a totally different place. It was like, I'm a [00:09:00] lawyer, I'm in corporate, I'm going to be a VP. And it's so interesting that you had that in mind because it really wasn't, it did not kick in gear for me. It did not really get triggered, not even when my kids were born, but probably a few years later when they really started, you know, having more needs for me, wanting me being able to kind of like share that.
so kudos to you. That's amazing. cause I do think that can be tricky and, it's like, how can we educate young women on like how you feel now? As a single lady, as a ambitious person may not look and feel the same way when you have kids, but I think it's sometimes one of those things is like somebody could have told me that you could have come to me and say, Crystal, do you want to have a billion, a million dollar business?
Like, here is what I can hand for you. And I probably would not have been able to like. I just wouldn't have been able to buy into that because my headspace was so different. It really was something that triggered, I think, especially over COVID is what it [00:10:00] triggered for me. but I love that because I do think that if you can move in that way and that shape and that space and feeling like, I know that I want to be a mom and I know that I want to have a life that looks kind of like this.
And I know that. That's difficult in a corporate role or a traditional job. And you can kind of start building why you don't have the pressures of kids in a house and all these other things. That is. Like extra special, like you don't have the pressure to do it. You're doing it for fun. I think it does change kind of the way it is.
So that's awesome.
Andrea Olson: Well, and interestingly enough, I mean, I got plenty of naysayers, right? So early on, it was a lot of like, why are you doing that? I think you don't need to, what are you doing? Like, that's what single moms do, So it's not as though there wasn't pushback. And I think it's important to call that out because as smart as it looks now that I did that then.
At the time I was hitting obstacles. I was hitting what felt like friction and tension. And it [00:11:00] was also inner tension of figuring out like, how am I going to make this work? I, I worked this very full time career during the day. And so it meant getting up early, staying up late to work or just making that my priority.
When other people were doing other things. And so in retrospect, it was so worth that. But in the moment, sometimes you're like, gosh, I mean, am I crazy for having this vision, right? It's just so easy in the moment to get distracted. And listen, what I would also say is that while it is great, if you're seeing this ahead of time, when you're 18 or in your twenties or even early thirties, and you can get ahead of it.
But ultimately there's also women who catch this vision, like while their kids are in school. And. They're already thinking about what happens when my kids don't need me the same way they have been. And there's a huge part of redefining identity at that stage of life too.
And so while I don't think it's reserved only for those who are younger to catch it ahead of time, there's also these stages of [00:12:00] life as a parent that you go through as a mother, you go through where the needs start to shift and change. And then you start to realize, Oh. What if there's something that I could be doing for my future that looks like and fill in the blank.
In this case, it was entrepreneurship for me with a brand that, you know, I thought would be around forever in this capacity and that we can talk about, but you know, I have no regrets. It has been the most beautiful journey of finding out a lot about myself and also capability. It has stretched me in ways that I think everyone really needs to, to be stretched at some point in their life, although it's challenging to put yourself in that position to do it.
And so I recognize that that's, that is the obstacle, right? It's, there's the discomfort in stepping into a new identity and also stepping into something so unknown, which it was for me too. So. Yeah. I get it.
Crystal Ware: and you hit on [00:13:00] two really great points. One that there's going to be naysayers. Like I can look around at everybody and, and the amount of people that I know, I would say in like my bigger world is not that many entrepreneurs.
Like we see people on the news. We see people on social media. In reality, entrepreneurs are not making up that big sphere. And every single one that I have seen. I had detractors, naysayers, people looking around saying, why are you doing this? This doesn't make sense. And it always, I'm not sure I shared Andrea, this story with you, but I know I talk about a lot about a girl that I went to college with who had what I thought was like a cushy job out of college making, like 60 grand working 32 hours a week.
Like working for a small family office, which family office people is like for really rich people Really like 100 million dollar people that need like their own business office basically and she was running the office She told me she was gonna quit her job [00:14:00] And I was like, this seems like the perfect job for a murky mom, right?
And start her own business, a party events, rental company. She smashed it, then sold it, then started another business with her husband. And like, I literally tried to talk her out of it. So I know, and in retrospect, I was like way to go for her that she had the vision that she went through it. Cause I wasn't the only person saying that.
And so I think this is a common area. So. If you're an early adopter of something, if you're going into a new area that other people are not familiar with, or kind of doing something different that people aren't used to you doing, you do have to be prepared for that, and you have to own that like, You know what you're doing, you know what your needs are and just go with it.
So I think that's a great highlight, Andrea. And the other thing is on the other end of that spectrum, like you said, it's not just a young person's, business or any time we can involve and pivot and change. And I always like to mention that Vera [00:15:00] Wang, everybody knows beautiful, amazing Vera Wang. I think she was in her late fifties or sixties when she really started designing and started her own business.
fashion label. you know, the guy that founded Home Depot was like 59 when he founded Home Depot, which is like a multi billion dollar business. So God's time is always right. Whatever is on your heart or whatever you're wanting to do, the time is right. So I just like highlighting that, you know, because it's common that we see people, you know, in the mom stage, but you were in a different stage.
And then sometimes we see people And even, you know, different stage of
Andrea Olson: life. So, well, I always say too, with that, I mean, when somebody joins, let's say someone joins me at a business and they are at that stage of life, usually what I find really quickly is they have so much experience, from doing other things that when you can tap into whatever that experience is and that superpower is, it's like a next level unlock that happens.
And I say that not with any hyperbole, but truth, like when you're Most of the [00:16:00] time it's been kind of locked down for a while where they don't even recognize what their gifts are. But as soon as you can pull that out, it's almost like a new person emerges and it's the most exciting process. It's probably one of the things I love the most.
I mean, I have coaching calls back to back today after we hop off this and I look forward to those the most because it's, it's where somebody can say, Hey, I'm I know this about myself. I know that this is kind of under the surface for me. And I know if I just get over it, I will be able to be unstoppable.
And so it's really then like my role as their coach to help them figure out how to unearth that and get it out in the world. And so to me, that's like the most exciting work of all. And it's why I will always love this industry and this channel, even with all of the, the possible misconceptions that are out there about it, I think Places where the most good can occur.
You also have a lot of myths and misconceptions because you have people who maybe haven't always done [00:17:00] it in that way. And I recognize, you know, I had a great experience with Rhode Island fields. I had an amazing team around me. I had leaders that had gone before me doing it the right way. So I did step into what I would consider an almost perfect environment for my own, you know, maturing and experience.
And then now I get to bring that into what I'm doing next. But. Ultimately, you get the chance to write the story you want it to be. And so, I tell anyone who's stepping into this space, maybe for the first time or again, for another round, is to realize what was it that you loved or that you would love to be a part of and create more of that.
Because it all starts with us. with you. Like you might be a part of a bigger community. Sure. But you may also need to start the community. And that is a very vital role. And I think a lot of times women downplay how, how well we can do this and how well we do this naturally. I think A lot of women don't realize [00:18:00] their giftedness in this, but it exists.
And, you know, men too, I have more men on my team now than I ever have in my previous life. And it's exciting to watch how that, that community can be close knit both ways. And it also breaks down some stereotypes, you know, which is pretty cool. It's, it's really been interesting to watch, but Yeah. I mean, my experience led me to this current experience and everybody's experiences will do that.
Even a corporate experience, right? Like you were talking your own or your friend's experience running that, that small office to then going and launching her own. All of those experiences led her to be in perfect, perfect position to put her passions towards something else. And a lot of times we don't realize how It's not just, it's not just a hobby, it can be more than that.
and there's nothing wrong with a great hobby too. I, I have plenty of them, but you know, there's another way to look at that too, if you need it to be more. And I also say like a lot of times when money is involved, you and I have talked about money before, [00:19:00] you know, greater impact can drive greater results financially.
And a lot of times there is a direct correlation there. So when you help more people help themselves, That's that's when you win in this industry. And to me, that's like the perfect reason to lean heavily into helping more people when you're doing it really for that reason. And then, oh yeah, the result can be yes, it's financially potentially very lucrative for you too.
But. Only if other people win, and so it's, to me, that's very different even than in a corporate role. I didn't, I didn't get paid based on how successful I made my leaders necessarily. I had a salary, I had some bonus potential, but in my role, I was kind of influencing it. I wasn't directly involved with, you know, their outcomes.
Per se. And in this, you really are. And so, it adds to the accountability. It adds to the vitality of you being engaged in the community. And I think only good stuff can come from that when done with [00:20:00] integrity. And so, I always say, like, I know there's lots of ways to do it, but you can choose.
Crystal Ware: Yeah. So, I, you know, I want to get to definitely what initiated our conversation, what we were talking about.
Going to talk about when more news came down, but leading off on what you were just talking about I wanted to make sure we touched upon some of the misconceptions and myths that people have about direct sales Sales and these type of companies, some people known as multi level marketing, MLM, network marketing, direct sales.
and one of them is that it is preying upon lonely, stay at home women that don't feel like they have anything valuable to do or give or want to make some extra money. how would you address that? You've lived this life For almost 12 years, you've been super successful. So how do you respond to that?
Because, there are, sadly, people get a life, there are like [00:21:00] whole Reddit pages devoted to people like tearing this down. Yeah. So, you know, what would you say to them?
Andrea Olson: Well, I mean, first of all, I'm so sorry that at some point somebody had an experience that was the catalyst for that, that feeling, because I believe that everybody Tends to only speak from their own personal experiences.
Although I have seen where people start to assume other people's experiences as their own, and that's not necessarily true. And so that's unfortunate because you know, that can, that can spiral in any industry, right? You, you see it all the time where, you know, one person's opinion becomes group think. But I will say in terms of what you just said about preying on, I think.
There are a lot of ways to look at that. I think it certainly is true. If somebody has promised something that they can't deliver on, if they're promising something that is just not possible, I do think that's a problem. And I think that's a problem because in any industry or any job, if you are [00:22:00] marketing a job online, right.
And you are marketing it one way, but that was not actually a problem. The job or how you got paid or the potential, then that would be illegitimate. And so I think that's a really good place to start the conversation, which is, hey, if you're doing that, you need to call yourself out and say, that's not appropriate.
Now if you're speaking. Very fact based about what the opportunity looks like what it can be what it has become for others now reasonably speaking You know, you always link it to your income disclosure statement or the fact of the matter There's always facts behind it. But I think a lot of times we assume that The person on the receiving end isn't very bright and I, I think that's wrong because I think when you say that stay at home moms are so, not you, but when people say that stay at home moms are lonely and they're easy prey, I think the same is true for, you know, marketing on Instagram with ads, you know, you could say that that preys on them too, because they're lonely.
They're looking at Instagram all day and they, you know, [00:23:00] Again, I don't think moms look at Instagram all day, but my point is that's the misconception that floats around. And I think, I think that's true too, where you ultimately have to respect your, your audience enough to say, Hey, I don't believe that they're incapable of making decisions on their own.
I believe that the people we're talking to are bright. They ask great questions. They tend to be really skeptical. Honestly, the average person is not a pushover. And I think that's important to note because, I'm talking about women here, they ask really good questions. They legitimately want to know, okay, what has this experience been like for you?
What has it been like for others? And I think the more honest you can be, the better. I think. When you can be honest with somebody and you can say the good and the hard, not only does it build trust and credibility, but it also speaks to the fact that like anything in life, anything good is going to have some things that are hard about it.
And that's just truth. even if somebody said, this is the most amazing thing, [00:24:00] Ultimately, they're paying you to do it. So there must be something about it that still makes it work, right? And that's, I think that's a really natural conversation to have, but ultimately I would say the majority of the world doing this business, and again, this is not company specific by any means, is doing it from the place of, Hey, this has been good for me and I want to share it with you.
The way in which somebody presents that, I think it's up to them to be honest about, which is a little bit hard to navigate, you know, everyone's their own person, but I think people are much smarter than what Reddit threads give credit to, you know, I think that's the part that they're miscounting, which is a lot of people are asking really good questions and doing their own research and ultimately leading them to their own decisions.
Which it is. It's their own decision.
Crystal Ware: And I think with the right team, I mean, again, it could be spun incorrectly.
Andrea Olson: For sure.
Crystal Ware: But, you know, women do thrive on community. And so my take, [00:25:00] not having really lived in the world, is that, yeah, why wouldn't somebody want to be, you know, being at home with small kids especially can be isolating.
I have experienced that myself.
Andrea Olson: Yeah.
Crystal Ware: you don't, you know, It's not easy to get out all the time. You don't necessarily have people coming over all the time. You have to contend and, you know, fight around nap times. So having, you know, a new group of friends that you can connect with, that you can work with, I mean.
That's always what I've been looking for in my career is to work in a team environment with people I like first and foremost, and that we have aligned values. So, you know, I think there is merit to it, you know, yeah, they might be at lonely, they might be at home, you know, wanting to get out a little bit.
And, and, you know, in some ways with the right team and the right group, that can solve a lot of problems for everybody. I don't. Personally see that as a negative. I mean, yeah,
Andrea Olson: well, I think I think it gets spun negatively when they say things like, you know [00:26:00] They're they're they're preying upon those negative emotions to get something in return but i'll tell you just in full transparency about you know, 99 of direct sales companies and of course only those who are doing it the right way and you know Staying compliant.
You don't really get anything when somebody joins like the only time You that there is a benefit to somebody joining you in business is if they turn around and actually choose to do something with the business for themselves, for their family, and there's actual exchange of products sold. Right. And so there is a little bit of misconception there too, where people just assume, okay, if I can convince somebody quote unquote, to join me, I'll get a benefit.
Yeah. In most compensation plans, there is no benefit when somebody joins you as a business partner, very little, if not at all. And so in some ways it's actually disincentivized because as they're a customer, you might actually make a higher percentage on those products sold. So what's interesting is that myth, when you really address it head on and say, [00:27:00] okay, let's say somebody does join and they are joining purely for the community, which may or may not be hyped up or whatever.
Right. The reality is you're not really benefiting at all with that interaction unless they choose to, to really grow it as a business. And so I think that disarms some of the myth too, because it's like, Hey, guess what? If somebody joins the community and all they really have ever wanted was the community and they really didn't even join to be a part of a business, guess what?
They are welcome there. And nobody's. nobody's kicking them out. You know, it's just stay for whatever portion of the ride you want to be on. And I think that's cool because let's just be honest in a corporate setting, you aren't going to just be allowed to show up and hang out with your friends all day.
There's going to be things that you're measured on. You're going to have performance reviews. You're going to have requirements and Yeah, that is not the culture I've ever seen within my teams of like you have to do this you have to do that That's not been the culture So it's [00:28:00] it's actually a really cool place to be when you don't want that pressure behind you But you want to be able to do with it what you want to do
Crystal Ware: Yeah Well, that is a good segue into kind of I think the next broad misconception is that it's some kind of pyramid scheme that it's You know, you're at the top and you're enrolling people to join the team and then they're enrolling people and then they're enrolling people.
Why do you think there is that kind of feeling? I mean, to some degree there is compensation based around that model, but why do you think that people see that as a negative? Because I mean, yeah, any manager at any company is going to have some connectivity and some sales driven impact right up to the top.
I mean, so what is the difference of the compensation mechanisms that make people view it as like. A negative pyramid scheme.
Andrea Olson: Well, I think a couple of things. I think number one, a little bit of education goes a long way on that because the majority of time when people [00:29:00] say that they think something, they link the two, right?
They link pyramid with another belief. So the pyramid shape to your point is like a CEO is at the top of a pyramid of a company. I mean, there's always a, there's always an organizational structure and design. I studied it for years in my HR career. Every organization has one. Yeah. One of the key differences is in that model, you would never have somebody who's making more than the CEO.
You would never have somebody who's making more than their manager in most cases, unless they're in some sort of like extreme bonus situation, and that's usually a short time situation, not a long term situation. So you never really have the ability to surpass what the person who hired you for the job.
Is doing. And a lot of times your upward mobility has all to do with what they're choosing to do with their career. And if they're not going anywhere and that's your next job, you might be stuck. Like, I mean, that's a very real thing. It's super common. And so I think when people think of the shape of a pyramid, what it is, is it's not [00:30:00] that so much, it's that they link the two together.
And what's so different in the direct sales channel is that whoever maybe, you know, was the first to join or whatever we're calling at the top of it, pyramid, so to speak the first to join person in most compensation plans. And I'm just speaking, honestly, I certainly haven't studied every single one that exists, but I've studied many in nearly everyone I've ever seen.
There is no incentive for that person to not let their team surpass them in growth. There is only incentive for that person to help their team grow even bigger than they personally are doing themselves. Like, they're doing their own, but their incentive is only to help their teams grow. even grow past them.
And that means their own compensation as well. Like there's no incentive to keep that team below quote unquote, what they're doing. And that's so interesting just in and of itself, because it makes you think so differently about, wow. [00:31:00] So no matter what the shape of it is, that is not linked to pay. And not linked to upward mobility.
Those two things are directly true in corporate America, not true in this channel. So you are incentivized to help people grow past you, essentially, and to like bolster them up for leadership and give them an opportunity to shine in the spotlight and give them an opportunity to grow. And I personally can tell you from my experience in HR, that was never an incentive.
Never. Of another leader, unless they were like trying to figure out a successor for their job. Right. And that is so seldom that you don't get a lot of that in the culture. So that's one thing. That's definitely a huge part of it. The other thing, and this is really a huge deal. You're not paid on getting people to join.
You're not paid on that. You're only paid on product. So the only time that that benefits you is if they come in and they join and they're also selling [00:32:00] product. Like it is not about the person being convinced to join. That actually has very little to do with somebody's success. Now there are definitely times where, you know, you might see people say, well, you're building a team, so your focus is on building a team.
Yes. Yes. But. That team is only going to, that the team only has a financial impact for the leader if they're actually selling real product. And so a lot of companies have really evolved. And this is also another thing I want to mention. A lot of companies have evolved in this space where there are no requirements to buy product for their reps.
There are no requirements, like definitely no stocking of inventory or having to ship their own inventory. That was like a thing of the past. And I think a lot of people have really. Forgotten how far we've come. I mean, ever since I've been in direct sales, almost 12 years. I never was, was told to stock inventory or do any of that.
It was always at my discretion to buy it if I wanted to. there were [00:33:00] benefits in that company to me buying it for my own compensation. I got like an increase, but it was not a requirement. So you could, you could do it without. And so I think that is one thing. Now the direction I'm heading now, the company I'm a part of now has zero requirement for their affiliates to buy product.
Now, of course, You know, in my mind, should they be using the product if they're actually talking about it and educating customers? Yeah, that's that's probably a good thing, especially because of the types of products they are, but it's not a requirement to be paid. And so I think a lot of companies have also evolved rapidly.
Past the point where a lot of people in the outside of, you know, just observing this idea of pyramid, maybe don't realize, like, that is a thing of the past. Some of those notions are pretty far in the past. And, and, in a history that time was very different. This is like before internet, right? Like where people were, you know, stocking big piles of inventory that hasn't existed in a [00:34:00] while for most companies.
I realized there's probably exceptions, but the majority of companies, definitely any that are still around today do not do that and do not market that. So, you know, I think, I think it's a great, I love when that question comes up because I think it also speaks to the fact that most of us don't want.
Something where we don't have unlimited potential. And the reality for most people though, is in a corporate world we do have limited upward mobility. There is a limitation on it. And so asking that question is fair because it's usually what we know. But, and to
Crystal Ware: your point, I would highlight you are a hundred percent right.
And I have seen, and I know you have seen Andrea, that in fact sometimes you have a rock star who cannot get a sufficient enough raise. Because they would surpass their immediate manager. And that's a no, no, you know? And so you can be stifled and that's where you see people leaving companies in the corporate world is because, you [00:35:00] know, the rock stars cannot get justifiably compensated.
And they're, you know, they have a ceiling from their managers because you can't usually have somebody making more. so that's exactly on point and, and I love the, those examples, because I know that can be frustrating and it is something that, you know, a lot of people are skeptical about. But I want to make sure we have time to get to what you're doing.
But the, the real catalyst of what we were talking about, like having a conversation over that wasn't really going to be as much interview as a conversation was when the news came down about beauty counter. Yeah. and that was, I think after the saint, and then we were going to talk about that. And literally when I texted you about scheduling, I think the next day Also said they were doing largely away with, direct sales.
How do you, I mean, that, that's really like my initial thing was like, okay, you've been in this Andrea. Yeah. This seems [00:36:00] crazy to me. I'm like an outsider here. This seems crazy. This seems like I feel a little used, like you've just built up a business on my back. And my friend's backs and now you're taking away our ability to even be in the business working on the business You're cutting my legs out from under me Of course, we were going to talk about that and you had thoughts and opinions and then it happened to you Yeah, you know so I mean I don't even know where you want to start with that.
Yeah. Tell me what
Andrea Olson: you feel. It's true. So I think May is when the beauty counter thing, came out and we had been talking and then the same thing happened in June and then Rodan and Fields announced it July 15th. And so, yes, it has been a really interesting few months. I can honestly tell you it was a shock to everyone.
And even those who maybe felt like there was, you know, maybe stuff behind the scenes that they had questions about. Nobody anticipated the timing of that phone call. We had about 20 [00:37:00] minutes before, got an email, hop on a call with the CEO and We're told really quickly that the, the structure of the multi level marketing portion of rodent and fields was shifting to a fully affiliate model, which means you can benefit on your customer orders, but any team or downline that you had helped to coach and develop and lead for however many years was going away September 1st.
And so that did happen. And it was, a shock to the system for sure. I think many of us who had been building and really focusing on developing others felt like what you said, like, wait a minute, I did this in the company has received the benefit of that. And of course, over the years, I've received the benefit of that too.
But now it's just being. Take in and now the company benefits. I think that was a real emotion for for nearly any of us that had a team for sure. But what I had already [00:38:00] developed empathy for when seeing my friends at Beauty Counter and Saint go through this before I knew it would happen to me. Was there's just a level of compassion when you know how much more this is than a job?
it isn't really a job. I mean, you know as an entrepreneur you're putting your name against something you are you are representing it It's a part of your life. It's an extension of you And then the people are people you've done life with. I mean, I've sat next to a woman holding her hand while her husband was having emergency surgery for cancer.
I have been there for really tough moments when someone lost a child. I have been to weddings. I've been to funerals. These are just people I knew through my business. This is not people I even knew prior. And so it isn't, you know, it's hard to compare it to a layoff because, you know, It isn't something you can put on a resume and go shop for another job like that.
It doesn't really work that way. You're always going to be rebuilding if you go [00:39:00] do it again. and so, yeah, it was, it was really hard initially. And then there were some glimmers of, okay, there could be something that's good that comes from this, but it doesn't take away the sting. And I think a lot of companies are figuring out what the future looks like for them because they're competing with a truly affiliate world.
I mean. Every major brand, as you know, we've talked about this, every major brand has an affiliate program now. So, and that affiliate program typically doesn't pay organizational volume on teams, so they don't have to factor that in. Whereas direct sales businesses are kind of competing with that world, but they are paying downline commissions.
And so we're commissions on team, however you slice that. So. There is a lot to consider with that. And I think that's why people are a little bit like leery of that world right now, but there are some really amazing things emerging from it as a [00:40:00] result. And I think that's true. Anytime you have pressure on a situation or an industry.
Some really incredible things will emerge as a result of having to look at things differently because you you can't just continue to exist the way you've always existed. It requires innovation. It requires, being willing to look at things in a new way and do them differently to get a different result.
And so. The good that's come out of that has been that for me. I mean, I'm excited about the direction I'm heading. I'm excited about the new build. I don't even call it rebuild. I call it a new build because it is an entirely new group of people. It is a new build and It is really, I mean, it's palpable that people are looking for this.
So I think that's the one thing I do want to really emphasize is like, we live in a side gig economy. Like we live in a world where everybody has another stream of income some way. And I know you're passionate about this. Cause we've talked a lot about, you know, investments and, [00:41:00] and other revenue streams.
This is. So common and men and women fall into this category of looking for other ways to maximize The time that they have but also in a way that's not by the hour and That really affords them to do just that and so I don't think the economy of this This industry is going to go down whatsoever. I do think companies are being forced to evolve to catch up and some won't evolve fast enough.
That's just the reality of the situation. It's definitely what I just walked through where it was forced upon them because it was like, we've got to do this. and I still use a lot of the products and I only want the best for the company. I still have some loyal customers. It's just, it looks so different now because Yeah, the majority of my income was based on having built an organization of other people, you know, selling products.
So
Crystal Ware: on that, I want to make sure that, cause I, you know, I think this feeds into the narrative and [00:42:00] what we say with the internet trolls is like, Oh my gosh, they're changing the model But that's only going to affect really a few people at the top and it's going to democratize everybody else. But that's, you tell me if this is accurate.
That doesn't feel that true to me. What it feels like is that the company is able to make more money. They're just not paying out people as much, right? So it's not your, yes, some of the people at the top of the pyramid are losing a lot of income, but it's not like. Going to magically be placed in the pockets of people that were downline.
It's going into the pocket of the company.
Andrea Olson: Yeah, no, no, it's yeah. And that's exactly right. I mean, that was the initial take, was, oh, well, if all you do is sell product, this will be great. And, you know, I will say for people who only ever sold product, it wasn't really a big change. The big change though.
And this is what [00:43:00] people underestimate the big change, though, is that they're not really a part of a community now because there's no there's no team structure. There's no leadership structure, right? So, you know, you can help each other out. And that's fine. Like peer to peer. It's great. But nobody has any sort of.
leadership ability to say, Hey, I have a little bit more insight that might help you. Let me coach you. Let me train you. Let me develop you. because we're all just doing the exact same job and you can do that friend to friend, but it's totally different in terms of how you're set up to win. And so for some, it was not a big change.
Even the people that a lot of these conversations, even the people who were, you know, You know, making some money selling product, maybe had one or two people on their team, not really about the team structure, but even those people are like, this was a huge change that I did not anticipate how big of a change this would be because they're like, not so much about how much money they were making, having those people on their team.
but more [00:44:00] that they're not connected to anything bigger. They're like, Oh, wait, wait, wait, what? Now I have to figure out all this on my own. It's overwhelming for somebody who's part time to do that. And so what you don't account for is how much that really made your part time job so much easier. And yeah, so that, that part is kind of where a lot of people are.
Trying to figure that out. Now, I do think there'll be a lot of people who rise through this. I just don't know what the longterm looks like and no one ever does. Right. So that's fair. but yeah, I think the majority of people were more impacted than they thought they would be, no matter how big of a team or not you had.
And I should mention this and I want to mention this. I came into that business when the business was five years Like it had already been around for five years when I joined and by no means was I at the top of a pyramid. I mean, I was like, like, if you think of it from the per first person to do it and where I fell, I fell so far down, you know, like, So far down into that organization, I just [00:45:00] chose to do something with it.
Right? So I chose to build an organization from where I was, which was not the top of the pyramid. I just happened to say, I have a vision. I'm going to do this. So my encouragement to anyone, wherever you are within your company, if you're in direct sales is you decide right now. You want to be the fire starter.
You get to decide that and it has nothing to do with where you're placed or where you are. None of that matters. If you decide it's not going to matter to you, then it doesn't matter. And so, you know, that was the reality for me and it was a beautiful reality. And it ended up having a huge benefit. So don't let that stop you.
Crystal Ware: Yeah. So tell us now what you are helping launch and usher in now that it is a little bit public, still growing and figuring it all out. And in the last few minutes that we have, tell us about that. And then also about how the compensation is different, because I think that's going to, you know, have a lot of question marks for people.
Andrea Olson: Yeah, for sure. So [00:46:00] yeah, I mean, July 15th happened. That was really jarring. I was very committed to Rodan and fields. I never considered going anywhere else. And I, you know, over the last couple of years, there were people that had left to go to other businesses. And so I think the reality is, it's very fair to say, like, there was a lot of upheaval happening up to that point.
But I was like, No, I am Feet planted right here, right? But when that announcement came out, I, one of my, my very first phone call, actually, after telling my husband in person, my very first phone call was to someone who had been a mentor of mine for the last four years. his name is Justin Prince and we've known each other for many years, just in truly a mentorship role.
he was, you know, giving me good insights and leadership. He has been enormously successful in this channel. So. I gleaned a lot from just learning about things he's experienced. I'd ask him questions. And what I always loved and respected about that was that he never ever [00:47:00] tried to recruit me to what he was doing.
And I think that's also a little misconception that people have about the industry is that everyone's just trying to recruit each other. I think. You know, there probably are people that do that, of course, but I can honestly tell you that has not been my experience and wasn't my experience with him. And so over the years, I looked to him as somebody who had great insight in the industry.
And so when this happened, I knew it had been something he had experienced himself before. And so I called him and I was like, I have no idea what I'm going to do next. nothing that I see out in the landscape of what I can. picture is appealing to me, and that was true. I, and there was no other business or company I was drawn to, to going to and building again from.
And he just listened and he was like, yeah, I totally get it. And ultimately what that led to is me saying, well, what do I need to consider then? Like, I mean, I I'm a builder. I'm somebody who loves teams and community and fostering that. And he said, well, I am launching a business that's going to [00:48:00] be in pre enrollment in a couple of weeks, and I'd love for you to take a look at it.
Now, if you would have told me that was going to happen, I would have said, you're totally joking because when I called him, I called him purely to say, Hey, how do I need to process this? And. Then the rest starts to unfold and I learned more and more about this business. And it's so interesting to me because one of the things that is a passion for him, he's the founder in the company is that this is the future model of direct sales.
This is the 2040 version of what is in now in 2024. And we need that because a lot of these bigger companies, I mean, Rnf being one of them, you know, part of the challenge was, was meeting the market where it is today, which is a truly much more affiliate model model where people can sell products. They can easily just sell products if that's all they want to do.
And you can have enormous success in an affiliate model with some of the benefits that come from the direct sales [00:49:00] model. And this is really why I was drawn to this, this brand. the products were my number one, like. These products, it's called make wellness and the products are bioactive precision peptides and formulations that are proprietary.
So this is not just ingesting a peptide, but actually a really delightful formulation of that product. There's six products that are launching and I was just so excited about. the product. And then when I learned about how the compensation worked, because that was a big question coming off of the experience I've had, as like, how can people win here?
How can I, how can I honestly tell somebody this is different? Right. And that was it. this is the best of what is happening in the industry with the affiliate model. with also the benefits of having a team in a direct sales community, which is the leadership development, personal development, being part of something beyond yourself and the ability to help others be successful.
All those things were also available here. But in an affiliate world, typically, you make a small percentage [00:50:00] on a product sold and then you don't get, you know, you don't get continued commissions on reorders. So like when a blogger posts, you know, typically they're going to get a percentage, it's a small percentage, and then they'll never get paid.
More on reorder. So I'll just have to keep posting and keep tagging things, right? So in this model, you have your own customers, and when they reorder, you still get the same commissions, which is a huge deal. The other thing is, it's less structure dependent than a lot of other compensation plans, which is a really big thing for me.
I want to be able to work with people wherever they are in my organization, whatever their goals are. I want to work with the people who want that and are looking for that coaching. And so that was the other thing that drew me to this particular model and this particular compensation plan. And then additionally that you do get the benefit of building a team.
If that's something you want, it's what I love. It's what I love helping to do. I think. A lot of times people don't see potential in themselves before someone else helps to call it forward for them and then they're like, Oh, you see that in me? [00:51:00] Wow. And that's something people kind of underestimate about this whole thing is a lot of times people don't understand what they're capable of until someone else points it out.
And that's what I love to do. So. It has all of those factors and it launches in October. So we're, we're just in this stage of pre enrollment. and that's cool too, is like, it's free to enroll as an affiliate. it's free to be a customer. There's customer perks, there's affiliate perks, right? The affiliate perks are the compensation, the customer perks, those are coming out pretty soon, but there's a lot of things that go into that.
So, you know, I think it's going to be a huge customer business. I think a lot of people are going to just want these products and then there'll be people who want to. You know, be a part of launching this brand too. And I'm excited about that.
Crystal Ware: And there is something always really, really, really excited about being at the ground floor at the initiation at like figuring it out together.
And there's a lot of excitement that goes around that. Not that excitement can't stay around for years and years and years, especially when there's [00:52:00] innovation and new products coming out, but there's something really. Interesting. And everything I've heard about it, you know, lends itself that it's, you know, it is an innovative model.
It is something that's trying to bridge the gap between where we are today and where we've been in the last 10 years and making things work for all the people. So I love that. I love everything that we've talked about. I think this has been really enlightening. if you want to know more, like definitely follow Andrea, where can they find you on Instagram?
Yeah, I'm always,
Andrea Olson: I'm always a on Instagram and Andrea Olson on Facebook. We can link it in the show notes for sure. Yep.
Crystal Ware: Great. And I am crystalware underscore get clear. I'm not on Facebook, but yes, you, we will link everything. We'll share the information. and I think it's great. I mean, building a business together with people you really love.
There is nothing, truly nothing better than that. women are made to work together. I think that's why we also see with great teams that people have success because women are [00:53:00] Thrive together. And I think a testament that Andrea is that most of your team has followed you to the new organization for make.
and I think that's a testament to how you build friends, you build a legacy, you build a business together. So I can't wait to see more. I can't wait to try the products.they will be doing, a very limited pre sell type engagement, right? So like, yeah, so that'll come out and then it'll be open for everybody in November in advance.
and then captivating people for the always busy December, January, like let's, you know, new year, new you. so it'll be exciting. I can't wait. I'm glad we were able to get this on and, check it out, everybody. Yes. Until then, keep getting clear and I'll also say it because you love it and it's so, so true.
More of what matters most. Yes. That's Andrea's tagline. Yes.
Andrea Olson: More of what matters. That is the podcast and I, I love that conversation. I'm glad we got to have it today [00:54:00] too.
Crystal Ware: All right. We'll look for it guys. And we can't wait to keep ushering in better business together and, you know, finding a way to align everything that you love.