Wow, I haven't posted in a long time!  The last few months I have had a lot of people ask me how I was doing? The answer: I have never felt better!

I am so thankful and truly blessed for how far I have made it in the past 3 years. I have no reason to complain. I have an AMAZING family, the BEST husband a girl could ask for, a fun and adventurous 2 year old, and we can't forget our bipolar chihuahua, Beethoven, also known as B-man.

It is not every day that you follow your heart and I can say that I am finally doing just that! While the last 3 years of my life where not easy, they were certainly worth the journey. In the last 3 years, we adopted a son, I completed 2 different rounds of chemo, and I had 2 hospitalizations. The first hospital stay was from a lupus flare and infection, and the second I had a blood clot in my left and had pneumonia. At the time, I knew I had to take a step back from some areas of my life. I had to focus on what was most important, my son, my husband, and my health! I look back and know now that without my family, friends, and my faith, I would not be here today! I want to say THANK YOU! Thank you for taking the time to make me laugh again, for giving me strength, for listening to me complain, and for your prayers. You all know who you are:).

Prior to all of this, I was very active in triathlons. I trained 7 days a week and sometimes 4 hours out of the day.  I also had recently started a private nutrition practice, Back to Balance, Inc.  I attempted to continue this after we adopted our son. It was not healthy. My lack of sleepless nights, along with training 3-4 hours a day did not provide me the energy for a new baby. I took a step back. I told myself that once my health was restored, I could once again dive head first into my private nutrition practice and do much more. I did just that!

As most of you know, from facebook, email, by phone, or in person, I am also an independent consultant for Rodan and Fields. I am not the sales person type and I have always felt like some direct sales industries were fake or a scam. I was judgmental. I was introduced to Rodan and Fields by my good friend, Kristen. I have known Kristen since college and we have stayed close since then. I knew she would tell me the facts!  She did. She is now able to stay home with her baby, help with groceries, bills, and much more! I saw this as an opportunity to try something new. Truth is, I love it! Only one month in and I am actually making money and meeting some amazing men and women. Everyone in the business is extremely friendly and we are all out to reach the same goal, earn a living! When the market was down and many men and women lost their jobs, Rodan and Fields Dermatology made the choice to create jobs for men and women who were struggling by moving the product from Nordstrom and into direct sales.  It is now making more money in 1 month than it made in 1 year! Truth is, it is a real business and if you work at it, then you will succeed! When I say working hard, the hardest part is sharing the award winning products with others and developing great relationships along the way!

You ask, why would I want to own 2 business? Well, Rodan and Fields has already helped me network my private nutrition practice. It has instilled confidence in me, helped me overcome barriers, and not be afraid to share with others. We are not on earth to argue, create conflict, prove we are better, but to help each other grow, to work together, and to share!

I also wanted to share about this past weekend. We had the opportunity spend the day at the beach with Liam's birth mom and birth grandparents. It was the perfect day! I cannot even begin to describe our relationship!  As I jumped the waves with Liam's birth mom and birth grandmother, it was as if we were the best of friends. I am not sure how we got their, but I know that my son has given us both the opportunity no one could have imagined! In what some people would consider a tragedy, a 15 year old having a baby, blossomed into one of greatest gifts!! Liam's birth mom shared with us about the arguments that led up up to his birth. What she should do "with the baby" and to this day, she feels she made the RIGHT decision and best decision. I wish more people would see adoption as a gift, rather than a tragedy.  There are so many women who have suffered the loss of a child through abortion, and it is sad that their are so many women that are suffering because they are unable to have children. There should not be a waiting list for adoption!!

I write all of this in hopes that I may be able to help others who may be facing life changes such as new career path, adoption, or unwanted pregnancy! Don't lose hope and continue on your journey. You are NOT done!

I used to think “direct sales” was not for me, but then I realized it was a blessing. I would say to myself “never in a million years”, but then I really thought that I would never know if I did not try!  Here I am "trying" and I am very happy I joined! I enjoy learning, the networking, positive skill building, and the business itself! It is already helping me with my personal business, Back to Balance, Inc. No one even had to send me an email, call me on the phone, or text me.  I saw how great my friend and now business partner, Kristen was doing and asked her myself.  She just had a baby 3 months ago, and is now able to stay home with him because of this business! For the first time, I wanted to see what the fuss was all about! It was no fuss at all. I did my research and I realized it was a successful product that decided to branch out into direct sales for a product that is now providing families that were once struggling with financial freedom!  Don't get me wrong I have a wonderful life, a perfect little boy, an AMAZING husband, food on the table, and a beautiful house, but I would not have these things without my husbands hard work and my hours spend as at the hospital as a clinical dietitian. I also own my own nutrition consulting business, Back to Balance, Inc.  

To get me started my friend Kristen invited me over for a play date and I realized that my opportunity to a stress free life was knocking on the door!  The short training sessions ask you to develop a “why” and consistently say that your “why” should make you cry.  I have shed enough tears in the past few years dealing with my health than I can count and with a traveling husband I realized that I never sat down to “play” with Liam after work. He was my pride and joy and he needed his mommy! I think we all want to spend more time with our families! 

As I mentioned before I have health problems. I suffer from Systemic Lupus Erythamatosis (SLE).  SLE is an autoimmune disease that causes the body's immune system to fights against itself.  The disease can affect any part of the body, particularly the organs.  Certain environmental conditions can cause the disease to flare, such as sun exposure and stress on the body. My form of SLE affects my kidneys, therefore it is imperative that I protect my skin from the sun in order to protect my kidneys.  Rodan and Fields products contain sunscreen in the regimen and still do a wonderful job with your skin. I can continue to look good without harming my skin with harsh chemical sunscreens.

If you are interested in joining my team, please feel free to contact me at Laura@backtobalancejax.com for more information!