Collette Larsen Women in Business Interview

Collette Larsen Women in Business Interview

Collette Larsen is living proof that against all odds you can build a financially successful business empire from home. The 57 year old grandmother of 12 has faced the struggles of being a single mother of five with two of her children having severe health issues. She has also dealt with a costly divorce, faced the likelihood of bankruptcy and the possibility of losing her home. However, through hard work and determination, Collette is the top income earner of USANA Health Sciences worldwide, which has allowed her to achieve complete financial freedom and travel the world.

16 years ago, Collette turned to USANA to earn money simply to pay for her children's medical needs. She was working part time for eight dollars an hour as a secretary however experiencing a very difficult divorce and sky rocketing medical bills left her financially devastated. Collette was solely responsible for her family's financial future, and at the same time was coping with the needs of her two youngest daughters who were struggling with Cystic Fibrosis.

Collette's youngest daughter's health had deteriorated to the point that her only possible hope of survival was a double lung transplant. The timing for starting a business could not have been worse, but one of the many life lessons Collette has experienced is that most opportunities come at inopportune times, often being misinterpreted as distractions.

Collette started her home-based business with the goal of earning enough income to simply pay for the nutritional products her daughters needed. However, within a few months she realised her business might also provide a way to cover her family's basic needs. As her business expanded, Collette set a goal to prevent bankruptcy and to dig her out of debt. As the months and years passed, this became a reality.

When USANA announced the opening of the Australia and New Zealand markets, Collette and her children moved to Australia to expand their business. Collette and her family travelled around Australia and New Zealand for nine months in 1991 sharing her story and laying a strong foundation for her international business.

Today, her home based business has become an international family enterprise allowing her to expand her philanthropic vision and travel the world. She has earned the title of Distributor of the Year and top earning USANA distributorship for thirteen years.

Collette and her son Zachary Ross have partnered to form Larsen Global which is an independent distributor of USANA. She has helped thousands of people elevate their quality of life through improved health and additional streams of residual income.

Collette Larson is living life to the full and her message of turning the impossible into the inevitable will ring true for women everywhere.

USANA Health Sciences was founded in 1992 in the United States by microbiologist and immunologist, Dr Myron Wentz. It is now a global company operating in 14 countries and was established in Australia and New Zealand in 1998. There are now over 50,000 Independent Associates (distributors) in the region.

USANA was founded with a distinct vision of providing greater health and financial opportunities for its independent associates, shareholders and its employees. The products are backed by an accredited team of scientific experts and USANA has been awarded a 5-star rating for its nutritional products - the highest of any available in Australia in the Comparative Guide to Nutritional Supplements (2nd Ed) by Lyle McWilliam, an independent Canadian biochemist.

USANA is directly sold by men and women in Australia who choose to work from home on either a full time basis or for a few hours a week, providing an opportunity to achieve financial freedom and limitless growth. USANA prides itself of its integrity and ethical business practices.

For more information on USANA Health Sciences visit www.usana.com or call 1800 670 126

Collette Larson's Top Secrets for Success

Determine Your "Ultimate Why"
Declaring your intentions and attaching a value to what you are doing helps you stay focused. Also involving friends and loved ones will assist you to stay on track and remind you of why you have chosen to do what you set out to do.

Build Your Belief
It is imperative to have a strong belief in what you are doing. Having confidence and belief in the industry, company you are working with and most importantly in yourself will greatly assist you on your path to success.

Set Goals
From the realistic to outrageous, setting both short and long term goals will help you identify your success and need for improvement. Goals ensure you are continually striving for success.

Expand Your Warm Market
Networking is imperative in the making of a successful business. By initiating conversations, building new relationships and nurturing old ones you will find that exciting business opportunities will arise.

Invest
Investing in yourself, your business and your future will ensure you continue to grow as a business owner and person. It will also make sure your business is evolving and not being left behind in a world that is constantly changing.

Build Leaders
Identify those around you who have leadership qualities. Mentor them and assist in their growth, let them fly! They will develop into a confident leader and integral part of your business.

Get Involved Locally
Being involved in your community will keep you connected and in touch with the evolving trends and needs of your local consumers who are often the most important people to your business.

Live Gratefully; Give Generously
Humility and generosity are important aspects of business. Nurturing your relationships and taking the time to show you care are small but essential components to not only a happy workplace, but a balanced life.

LOVE What You Do
Having passion for your work will show in everything you do. It provides you with the drive and confidence to succeed and makes going to work every day an exciting prospect.

Interview with Collette Larsen

Collette Larsen shares her inspiring story of how she managed to succeed in business, despite facing numerous challenges.

What challenges did you face when trying to return to the workforce?

Collette Larsen: Well, I didn't want to return to the workforce (laughing). I wanted to be a stay-at-home mum, I really did. I was in a situation where it didn't make financial sense for me to go out because I was a single mum with five children, two of which had been born with a chronic-degenerative disease called Cystic Fibrosis. My youngest daughter, at the time, needed a double lung transplant and I needed to be able to be at home, to care for her and their health. In addition to hire someone to take care of that and them, for childcare, was a problem.

I know a lot of mothers are in the same situation. You would need more for lunches, petrol, childcare and if you start putting a pencil to all the costs of working outside the home, I realised it was actually going to cost me money. I couldn't make enough to offset what I needed.


How did you overcome these challenges?

Collette Larsen: My business kind of found me. I really believe in the laws of the universe and attraction and I was desperate and I really didn't know what I was going to do. Then, my brother had been telling me about this home-based business USANA Health Sciences, but he just talked about the business. Frankly, I was going through so much emotionally, right then, with the health issues and my separation from my husband of 21 years, my life was in a shamble. My brother was telling me about all this money that I could make and I just didn't care, I was thinking I would have to take out bankruptcy, I didn't care though because I just wanted to be at home with my daughter.

Then, my brother changed his tactic he said "we need to get your daughters on these products" when he changed his approach to really caring more about their health, then I became interested. He sent me the products for six months and then I think his generosity started to wear a little thin and he said "Collette, there is a way you could pay for these products, if you were to share this with a few people". I didn't understand too much about the network marketing industry, but I was someone who when I was passionate about something, I loved to tell everyone else about it. If I found a movie, or a hairdresser, great restaurant or a salon that I loved I would tell people about it. I think it is a female trait, we are natural networkers.

So my brother said, "if you were to share this with a few people" and that's what I did, I started telling a few girlfriends about these products that were really making a difference in how I was feeling and in my daughters health, although my other daughter couldn't be on them as she was in a coma, at the time. Then my friends tried the products and when I started my business a month later I received a cheque for $100, I know that doesn't seem like a lot, but I knew it was working. I then got another cheque and the next week another, they just kept coming!

I have been talking to woman around Australia and telling them that they have to have a dream, a dream that is just the right size, really for me when I started, my dream was really small, I wanted to make enough money to pay for this product that my daughter needed to be on. Once that happened I thought 'I wonder if I can make $100 a week?' then when that happened I thought 'could I possibly make $1,000 a month? If I could then maybe I could start paying off my credit cards'. Eventually it started happening and I thought 'could I really avoid bankruptcy?' It took me years to get out of debt, I was almost a million dollars in debt, because my daughter was in a coma and medical costs are so expensive, especially because I didn't have insurance to cover it.

My dream kept getting bigger and bigger whilst more and more people started to get involved and then USANA opened Australia in 1998, by then my youngest daughter had actually passed away, but I brought four children to Australia and we travelled this beautiful country, living in the major cities and helped open this market for USANA. In Australia I have over 50,000 distributors in my organisation. It all started with two girlfriends who said 'sure, I'll try those products'- that is what happened for me, in a nutshell.


Can you explain what USANA is?

Collette Larsen: USANA Health Sciences is a global company that is considered a scientist leader distributing the finest nutritional products on the planet. USANA continually wins top of the state, they're excellent nutritional products. USANA also offers a business opportunity that I believe runs parallel, there is very little up front cost, we don't do any up-front loading and you can get started for very little. It is a binary compensation plan with a lot of very wonderful twists and turns, in other words you can re-enter your own down loading to support them. I believe it is the finest opportunity on the planet, particularly for people who don't have a lot of up front capital to buy a franchise. You can start with very little capital. USANA was founded in 1992 and established in Australia and New Zealand in 1998. Our founder is a world-renowned scientist.


Why would you suggest a home-based business to other mothers, fathers and grandparents?

Collette Larsen: I am a huge proponent of home-based business in general, I think ideally you need to line yourself with a business that has a track record, that you know is a member of the DSA (Direct Selling Association) so you know there is integrity involved. Ideally you should be with a company where the product is consumable; you want to be able to use the products, taking them every month, rather than jewerelly.


How does it feel to be the top income earner of USANA Health Sciences worldwide?

Collette Larsen: I pinch myself because here I was a single mum, with two children, two with a chronic-terminal disease. I went to high school, but never went beyond that, I don't have any formal University training or college training. When I got involved in USANA I was hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt and I didn't have any references or any experience. To be, the number one income earner, worldwide, with our company, there are times when I still just go 'Oh my gosh, how did this happen to me? How is this the life that I am living?'


Can you explain a couple of your top tips for success?

Collette Larsen: I will tell you two things that might help other woman who are getting involved in home-based-businesses and that is that I really have a passion for this product and this company. I know the people behind it and the closer I looked at USANA the better it looked, to me. I operate from my heart and I think people can sense that. I have brought so many of my friends and family into this company. Two weeks ago I had someone over for dinner and they are now a Diamond Director in USANA, they were already successful when they got involved, they have an acting studio in LA, but he said "Collette, I always liked you, but now I love you". So, when you bring people in and they are so appreciative that you have introduced them to this that feels so good.

The other thing is that I have stuck with it, I started in 1994 and I am still doing it. It's not about the money anymore, I've made millions and millions and millions of dollars, way more than I could have ever dreamed that I could make. It is more about a mission now. If people have that passion and persistence, they stick with it, and then they are almost guaranteed success, if they choose the right vehicle, in the beginning.


How do you fight challenges you may face by working at home?

Collette Larsen: My biggest challenge is that I am so passionate about it that I have to say to myself 'you need to go lay out on the hammock or go for a dip in the pool' because I get chatting with people around the world and I have so many dear girlfriends. It would be easy for me to be on email and Facebook all the time because I feel so connected to so many people. It is fun to watch my organisation grow, we have a wonderful online management program where you can see what is happening in you're your different business centres. I actually have to say 'Collette go pick up your little grandchild, which live close, and take them for yoghurt' I have to coach myself to make time and walk away. That is one thing about home-based business that is different compared to working in an office, in an office often when you go home you're at home, and the office is left behind. When the home-based business is actually in your home, you need to be able to walk out and shut the door.

My husband will come and say 'honey, its couple time' (laughing).


Is it sometimes difficult to work with your son?

Collette Larsen: It is wonderful, he is 36-years-old now and has four children of his own, he lives about an hour from me, so we are not together everyday, but we touch base on the phone everyday. He is much more of a strategic planner than me, more of a business analysis, I am more emotional and he is more logical. We really concentrate on our strengths, sometimes he'll say 'Mum, just go and talk to people, that is what you are best at and let me handle these numbers'. It really works well.

It's not something I would suggest for everyone; I think family partnerships can be changeling. I think the reason it works so well for us is that I was a single mum and he was very loving and we have a great bond because we had to pick ourselves up and work together, my children and I. Because my husband left us all, in a way, we became much closer and we knew we had to do this together.

All of my children have been so supportive and so helpful. As I said, I took them to Australia with me, I took them to Hong Kong with me, and we have travelled the world together. This business is willable, it is residual income, when I leave this earth, my business is still going to be here, I am willing it to my children, anyway, I might as well bring them in as partners so they know what they are doing. It has worked very, very well for us.


Do you have a website?

Collette Larsen: I do; www.larsenglobal.com.