to Nation either. I realized that it’s just not about that. I needed to be ok with where I was and who I was no matter what the circumstance. My needs will always be met by my loving God, and in turn I can fill others around me as I am supposed to. That is what makes me complete.

I am so incredibly thankful that Arbonne has become a part of my life. This journey has helped me become the person God intended me to be, and it has shown me to be a lifelong learner. Now I am able to share with others how to live better, and I can offer them their dreams. I am humbled and honored to have been called to this.

Many thanks go to Steve, Kelly, Madeline and Jack. It was painful sometimes for you to watch your mom grow up. Thank you for your love and support. You all mean more to me than anyone else. I have loved watching all of you grow and become better people also. Arbonne has given us amazing opportunities as a family and I will be forever grateful.

Thank you to my parents, especially my mom Flossie, who has always been there for me to talk to and just be with. I love it so much that you are my closest neighbor and best friend. Steve’s parents, Miles and Jill, thank you for being so supportive since day one and for being so excited for me as I grew and my team grew. Your encouragement is so appreciated.

ENVP Shelly Nelson, I have so much to be thankful for that a simple thank you is not enough. Without your vision and belief in me, I would not be who I am today. God has certainly blessed me with you as a sister-in-law, mentor and very good friend. Thank you so very much.

Crossline sisters, ENVP Heidi Kniss and NVP Emily Martin, I am about the luckiest aunt in the whole world to have you as my nieces and crossline. I have learned so much from both of you and have had some of the most exciting times in my life on trips with you gals. Thank you for your love and patience.

To my RVPs, Sandy Sorensen, Donna VandenBoom and Janet Bauer: Thank you so much for being such amazing women and leading teams of gals who are changing lives. You inspire me to be better and I am so thankful for each of you.

Area Managers and VPs at an Area Manager retreat.

To my Area Managers, Sarah Brygger, Lauri Brodeen, Karen Brodeen, Jessica Moylan, Virginia Peterson, Amber Schurman, Gail Frank and Karen Davis: I know each one of you will be an amazing RVP, as you are headed right in that direction. I have seen each of you grow and love on your teams. I can’t wait to hand you your Mercedes-Benz keys.

To my District Managers: You all are amazing people. You are the cream of the crop! You have decided to change your lives and will be able to change the lives of others as well. I am excited for each of you for what Arbonne will bring into your lives. You all mean so much to me and I am so thankful for you.

Thank you to ENVP Carleeta Nelson and ENVP LaGenna Betts for staying true to the process and never wavering in your belief in this company and in me. I am honored to be on your team.

Thank you, Arbonne!

E Y E O N A R B O N N E | oCToBER 2010

Melissa and team at the New Managers’ Celebration at NTC 2010 Las Vegas.

Melissa with RVP Donna VandenBoom’s new Region.

E Y E O N A R B O N N E

I N D E P E N D E N T C o N S u L T A N T ,N A T I o N A L V I C E P R E S I D E N T

MELISSA MERCER

NA

TIoN

AL V

ICE PRESID

ENT

Melissa with her RVPs, Donna VandenBoom, Janet Bauer and Sandy Sorensen. Melissa’s Nation at NTC 2010 Las Vegas.

The Arbonne Independent Consultant featured in this EOA has achieved the rank of National Vice President. The average number of active Arbonne Independent Consultants who achieved this rank and average compensation is described further in the Independent Consultant Compensation Summary (ICCS) available at arbonne.com > The Company > Corporate Information > 2009 Independent Consultant Compensation Summary.

The testimonial in this EOA is for illustrative purposes only and does not represent income projections. The results discussed in this EOA by the featured Arbonne Independent Consultant are not typical and should not be relied upon by prospective or current Arbonne Independent Consultants as an indication of what they should expect to earn. Actual results for each Arbonne Independent Consultant will vary depending upon individual effort, time, skills and resources. Arbonne makes no guarantees regarding income. Arbonne is a product-driven company that strongly encourages the use of its products before becoming an Arbonne Independent Consultant.

GET ouT oF YouRCoMFoRT ZoNE

Thank you for taking the time to read my story. I trust that you will be encour-aged to be confident, stay consistent and press on.

I was introduced to Arbonne in the summer of 2004 at a spa party. My sister-in-law, ENVP Shelly Nelson, was just getting started as an Independent Consultant and had asked her daughter, ENVP Heidi Kniss, to host a Presentation for her. I didn’t really want to go. We did not have any extra money to spend and I was not sure that I really wanted to attend a spa party. I went because Heidi told me that no one else was coming and I felt bad for Shelly. I ended up falling in love with the products that night and spent money we did not have.

Shelly shared with me a little about the business over the next several months. She shared that Arbonne could help our family budget and allow me the potential to make a little extra money. It would also be able to help us reach our dreams. I laughed at her and told her that there was no way I would do this business. I was paralyzed with fear. I had no confidence in myself at all. I could not speak in front of a group of ladies or sell product, and I was even afraid of the thought of driving myself to the Presentations. I was afraid of what my friends and family would think. In short, my fear list was very long and I had not let myself dream.

I have a wonderful husband who has been my right-hand man for as long as I can remember. Steve and I have been married for 20 years. We have three teenagers: Kelly, Madeline and Jack. After my last child was born, I had some health issues which caused me to have a great deal of anxiety. The consequences of those feelings lingered for many years. Needless to say, I had quite a bit to overcome when I first started Arbonne, because of the fears in my life. My comfort zone was to stay at home with my children. I was stuck in the same old routine and accepted that as the norm.

Steve was the one to push me out of that comfort zone. He said I had nothing to lose and everything to gain by starting an Arbonne business. He knew that I could be successful long before I knew it. He shared with me some of the reasons why we needed this — like our wish list. You know, the list of things we had no money for. I couldn’t bear to say no to the dream of achieving items on the list once there was a glimmer of hope.

At that point, I chose not to think about the fears and to really push the pride away. This was not easy in any way. However, the dream was greater than the fear.

I decided to do this no matter what. I chose to follow the leader and did everything Shelly told me to do. Shelly lived over three hours away from me, so I had to decide personally that I was going to do this business.

The more I did what Shelly said, the easier the business became. I followed the recipe — scheduling Presentations, selling product, sponsoring people, staying

connected and servicing Clients. I worked this recipe until I became an RVP in May of 2006, 18 months after I started.

This was amazing for me, considering the fears I had to overcome. When I found my first business builder, who lived three hours away from me, I couldn’t drive alone to train her. Steve had to come along with me to encourage me and I relied on him to push me out of my comfort zone. I overcame a few hurdles during those first training Presentations with ERVP Sandy Sorensen. Bless her! I just kept focusing on my dreams and not on my fears.

I started this business with a small, short-sighted goal and a small thought that maybe this just might work for me. Along the way I had doubts, but the need was always greater than the doubt. I had to focus on my dreams day-by-day, sometimes hour-by-hour. I did not want to live paycheck-to-paycheck anymore, live in debt, and never have anything extra to share with others.

Shelly was a good vision painter and I saw her stick with it. I figured as long as she was staying in, I was in, too. Without her and Steve, I would have quit.

When I focused on my dreams and not my fears, amazing things hap-pened. Goals were reached. We had months with money. I grew as a person and was becoming who I was really supposed to be. Steve worried less about his business. This journey grew him as well.

I had doubts for a while that I would ever make it to NVP. I was stuck as an RVP for several years, growing slowly but steadily. I had to learn and grow to be the best person and the best leader that I could be. I did question myself also. I wondered what I was doing wrong, and if I was missing out on the magic formula. I realized there was no magic formula except following the recipe for success. I persisted in listening to Shelly about following the entire recipe and not skipping over certain

Melissa’s children, Jack, Kelly and Madeline.

Melissa and her husband, Steve.

Be confident, stay consistent and press on.

Melissa’s family on the ASAP 2008 Cancún trip.Melissa with her nieces and sister-in law, ENVP Heidi Kniss,

NVP Emily Martin, ENVP Shelly Nelson and DM Katie Nelson.

continued...

Melissa with her family.

mel

issa

mer

cer

NVP

success strategy:

Arbonne Independent Consultant, National Vice PresidentMelissa Mercer Nation; Neenah, WI

parts or neglecting personal development reading. I also had to remind myself to give it enough time.

We must realize that time is not the issue. We need to tell ourselves that no matter what and no matter how long this takes, we will stick it out, and in the end we will be successful.

I did learn a few things that needed changing. First, I stopped asking myself, “What am I doing wrong?” I needed to focus on all of the right things, stay positive and look for a few areas that needed a little tweaking or changing. I knew there were things I needed to learn that only God saw.

I also started to focus more on duplication and sharing the business. My team did the same and our businesses grew and changed. My new motto became, “Help as many as possible in reaching their goals and dreams and I will reach mine.” We first hit Nation numbers in September of 2009. I didn’t have 20 personal Presentations every month or anything like that. I just kept following all the parts of the recipe and teaching my team to do the same. We became a new Nation on December 31, 2009!

It all started with the realization that I needed to duplicate more and follow the recipe completely. Keep the end in sight, help others and be thankful … and remember the three foundations for success — consistent effort, duplication and giving it enough time are all important keys.

Something that I had been learning in my personal development really struck me. I am a person who needs words of encouragement — that is my number-one love language. I realized, though, that I could not rely on anyone for those words of encouragement. It was wrong of me to expect my fulfillment to come from words of affirmation from Steve, Shelly or anyone else, for that matter. I could not expect to be filled by getting