The Direct Seller's Podcast
The Direct Seller's Podcast
The Power of Giving Yourself Permission
In this emotional and empowering episode, Rachel shares the behind-the-scenes story of creating her first digital product while still growing her direct sales business. From being told she couldn’t share her success to realizing she didn’t need anyone’s permission to grow, this episode is a must-listen for any direct seller who’s feeling the pull toward “something more.”
Key Points Covered:
- 🎓 Why her son’s graduation stirred up memories of starting her first digital product—and the emotions that came with it
- 💡 The real reason Rachel built her first product and how it unexpectedly turned into a business
- 🙅♀️ The resistance she faced from her company and upline—and how she kept going anyway
- 📉 Why so many network marketers stay stuck in the comfort of a box (and what happens when you finally step out)
- 🚫 Why you don’t need permission from your upline, your spouse, or anyone else to start something of your own
- 💬 How doing something different created more energy, confidence, and even boosted her direct sales business
- 🔥 A challenge to give yourself permission to grow—even if you don’t feel ready
- 💻 Want help creating your own digital product? Rachel shares how you can work with her in a VIP Day to bring your idea to life in just one day
Closing Reminder:
You don’t need to wait for a green light from someone else. This episode is your permission slip to start, grow, and build something that’s fully yours. Your “more” is waiting—you just have to say yes to it.
Hang out with me more!
Send me the message PODCAST over on Instagram at @rachelaperry and I’ll send you my "Parties-Optional Profit Plan!"
For Additional Resources for Direct Sellers:
www.rachelaperry.com
Welcome to the Direct Sellers Podcast, the podcast for direct sellers who are ready to get uncomfortable, build their business and grow a team while changing the face of the direct sales industry. I'm your host, rachel Perry. Join me as we get real and talk about all the things you need to kick some serious direct sales booty, from overcoming limiting beliefs to sharing the exact strategies you need to attract the right people who become customers and beg to join your team. I've got you covered, girl. I'm going to be your new BFF when it comes to balancing life and kids while building your direct sales business with poise, peace of mind and, of course, a good set of fake eyelashes. Let's get started. Hello, my friends. How are you? I hope you are well, you guys?
Speaker 1:At the time of this recording, I have a graduate, or almost graduate, but when you're listening to it, he will have already graduated. How is this happening? I don't understand. I was looking at pictures today of when he was, you know, in kindergarten and I'm devastated because he did a kindergarten graduation and I can't find any of those pictures. I think it's because I didn't have an iPhone back then. I don't even know if the iPhone existed back then and I had a Blackberry or something. So I know I didn't take pictures on that and I'm so sad because I feel like it would be so cute to find those pictures. And, of course, now this is my mission and I can't focus on anything else. He's my first who's graduated and this is all very new and emotional. It's so emotional and I just don't even know what to do. But anyway, that's not what we're talking about today. Today we are.
Speaker 1:I'm just going to tell you a story and it's not like, sit down and let's let me give you a story time, although it could be if we wanted it to be. But I don't think I've ever fully shared the story before and I kind of feel like I want to share this with you because it sort of came to the forefront this week when I was creating some kind of content and I remembered all the feelings that I felt when I first built and created my first digital product with Amanda. When I first built and created my first digital product with Amanda and I just all the feelings that came with it were so real. And you know, from talking to so many of you, I'm realizing, oh gosh, that many of you are new to this concept and new to this idea of creating your own digital product. And I was too, and I also had no knowledge of any of it, didn't know what I was doing, and there were a lot of feelings that came with that, and so I just kind of wanted to share that experience in because, who knows, like maybe if one of you hears it, it will spur you on to doing your own and creating your own, because I just feel like for so many of you, there's more out there for you In fact, all of you, there's more out there for you, and I just want to encourage you to not be afraid and to do things even when you're scared. Want to encourage you to not be afraid and to do things even when you're scared. So I have to say that when I and I've shared this before and I apologize if I've shared all of this before Hopefully, hopefully, I haven't, but I can't remember what I ate yesterday, so chances are I'm pretty sure last week's episode was not this, and the only reason I'm sure is because I literally just recorded it, so I can remember that.
Speaker 1:But when I was in direct sales, when I first started building my jewelry business, I felt this was it? I was going to retire, mark. We were going to do this together. It was going to be amazing. I was going to be a tippy top leader, and that's not how it worked out. That's not how it ended up being. It was such an incredible starting point for me, though, and for so many network marketers. That's what it is. It's a starting point. I wasn't looking to leave my company. I wasn't looking to leave my company. In fact, I stayed with.
Speaker 1:I continued building my jewelry business several years into this other business that I started building on accident, which was selling a digital product on how to Party on Facebook. I did not expect it to become as successful as it was, but I was feeling frustrated and trapped Almost. I was tired of the hustle. I was so tired of feeling like my team members were just kind of bumps on a log, like some of them were working really amazingly well, but a lot of them weren't. There was that stress like each month am I going to reach my goal? Am I going to be able to get that commission check? What is my commission check this month? Oh, look at that, it's $30. I was tired of the home parties. I was tired of driving so far just to set up all my jewelry and then realize, oh, there are two people coming and they're not buying anything. You know, stuff like that I just got. I just got. I reached a point where I was tired of it. I had just had I my kids were young at the time, so there was just a lot going on.
Speaker 1:But I felt this push to to start something. And when we started selling this digital product, I remember feeling this. I was, we were so nervous. I was so nervous that nobody would be interested in it and like who am I to create something? Like, who am I to be an expert on something? That was kind of what was going through my mind. But, honestly, it was awesome. It was awesome because we'd created something of our own and then we built it up into a business and it felt exciting. It felt so exciting but not everyone was excited for us and that was not something I expected. The company questioned what we were doing. They compliance reached out. They were questioning and not so much the fact that we were selling it, but that we were doing it, so the fact that we were doing Facebook parties. Our company was like I don't know if that's okay, we are just a home party company and so there was a lot of that happening.
Speaker 1:And then when we started selling my upline, I remember and I think I have told a little bit of this story before, but I was top in sales I was in like the top 10 in sales for the downline one summer and I went to the lunch that they were providing for the top 10 and they wanted everyone to share what they were doing on what worked. And I was going to say Facebook parties. But my upline was like you can't share that, we don't know if that's okay. Like you can't share that, we also don't want you to share that. You are selling this strategy. And I remember being like what. And I remember and I loved this upline. So it wasn't my direct upline, it was her upline and I remember, and you know, when they're at the tippy top, you're like, oh my gosh, like they're so amazing, right, I, oh just I get to go have lunch with them. This is amazing.
Speaker 1:Well, she told me that she felt that what I was doing in selling this digital product was a conflict of interest and that I shouldn't be doing it. And I remember feeling so let down, like so sad because I was so proud of myself for doing something that was not expected, that was different. People loved us Like we had helped other women find success in their businesses. I didn't understand why this upline was telling me that I felt embarrassed, I felt shame and the thing is it didn't matter because that was what I was being called to do and that was her own short-sightedness and I think so often in this industry that happens with our uplines. Oftentimes they don't like that you're not doing things that they're doing. They don't like that you are pushing boundaries. They don't like that. There's success elsewhere and some of that falls on them, right, because they want to keep their company or their business going. But also, I think there's just fear of change and there's fear that people will outgrow them because ultimately it does affect them. But I did it anyway. I did it anyway Because, again, I felt that I was meant to do this, I felt that I was meant to be helping other women, and so I did.
Speaker 1:I did and you guys, I didn't just create money or I didn't just make money, I made momentum. I created that momentum, right it it got so exciting because all these people were buying this product, this $19 product, okay, but I got so excited and pumped up and hopeful that it also affected my direct sales business in a positive way. Right, it opened up so much possibility for me. So much possibility because I realized that I was meant for more. And I think that when we have that realization, when we're like wait a second, my eyes are opened, I am meant for more. And I think that when we have that realization, when we're like wait a second, my eyes are opened, I am meant for bigger things. Bigger things happen, bigger things are exciting.
Speaker 1:Right, we don't keep ourselves stuck in this spot of non-growth, if you will, which so often we do. We put ourselves in our boxes, our comfort zones, and we're like I'm good here, it's all good here, but the reality is, when we start growing, we grow out of that box and people listen. There will be people that don't like that. There will be people that are like whoa, who gave you permission to climb out of that box? Right, but I was like I don't care what you people are thinking, this is my life and this is what I am meant to do. And you know what's so cool? I discovered so many things. I discovered that I could still build a team, I could still be loyal to my company and build something of my own. I figured out that you can start small and make it count, and you can start small and not necessarily have a clue of what you're doing. Seriously, you guys, I had more questions than I did. Answers I didn't know, I didn't know.
Speaker 1:All right, and here's the big one you don't need permission from someone else to grow. You don't need permission from someone else to take the next step. You don't need permission from someone else to do what's right for your future. You don't need permission from anybody else. You just need to give yourself permission. So I'm going to challenge you there. Are you giving yourself permission? Are you allowing yourself to grow, to dream, to think of your more, or are you just keeping yourself in that box?
Speaker 1:Because that box, y'all, it gets old, it gets boring. Okay, it might be really comfortable, but guess what? You're all scrunched up in this box. It's time for you to move, and I was gonna say it's time for you to get a bigger box, but no, actually I don't think you need another box.
Speaker 1:I think you just need to step out of the box. I think you just need to step out into what's next, and I think that's when the power, that's where the power comes from and that's when powerful things happen in your life. It's when you're willing to step out of that box because you're all scrunched up in there, y'all. You're all scrunched up in this comfort box. You think you're comfortable, but it's only because it's what you know. Let's take a step out, let's stretch like pop open the top. How long can I keep going with this example? I don't know. We'll see. But listen, friend, you have the power to change your life. You have the power to take the next step.
Speaker 1:You just need to give yourself permission and that is something that I discovered recently, probably within myself that I get so stuck on what is the right thing to do, and I know I've talked about this before what's right, what are the rules? I need to stay within the lines, right, but dare I say you do. I need to stay within the lines, right, but dare I say you do not need to stay within the lines. You do not need to stay within the rules. It's okay to make your own rules when it comes to your life, when it comes to your business, when it comes to what's next. You don't need someone else's permission. You certainly don't need your upline's permission. Okay, you may feel, and if you were a rule follower like me, this is hard.
Speaker 1:This is, this is very uncomfortable to sort of break away and do things on your own, because we question ourselves, we second guess ourselves, we're constantly thinking, well, is this the right thing? Like, is this how I do it? I remember when I was first out doing my own thing after the tag team and I was so concerned that I was like am I launching right? Am I creating this product right? Am I doing this right? Am I saying this right? And if I could just go back to that version of me, I would say Rachel, there is no right or wrong way. Do it your way, stay aligned to yourself, figure out what lights you up, try new things. Don't be afraid to try new things, don't be afraid to fail, don't be afraid to experience something different, because when we are and y'all we don't want to fail. Nobody wants to fail right. It's not a fun thing, but I think it's so important for us to be open and willing to fail right, because that's how we grow.
Speaker 1:And so I'm just really going to encourage you and I had not planned for this episode to go in this direction but I'm going to really encourage you to give yourself permission for I don't know what. I think I can't tell you what you need to give yourself permission for, but I'm going to just really encourage you to do so. Like, take some time to think about, like, what are you holding back from doing? What do you need to give yourself permission for? Your upline does not need to give you permission. Your partner does not need to give you permission. Your best friend does not need to give you permission. Your mom does not need to give you permission. Right, you need to give yourself permission because you are meant for more, and this, my friend, is your permission slip. If you do need someone else to give you permission, I give you permission, but the reality is you don't need it. You just need to give it to yourself.
Speaker 1:You guys, I'm excited for what's to come for you. If you want more information on this, or you're still curious about my VIP days that I offer, where I walk you through the steps of creating your digital product, getting all your tech done and figured out, I help you do that and then get it marketed in one day. Let me know, just email me or DM me the word VIP and I will give you all of that information and we'll see if you are a good fit for a VIP day. So, you guys, I hope you have an incredible rest of the day, rest of the week, and I'll see if you are a good fit for a VIP day. So, you guys, I hope you have an incredible rest of the day, rest of the week, and I'll be back here next week for another episode of the Direct Sellers Podcast. Until then, my beautiful friends, take care.
Speaker 1:That's it for this episode of the Direct Sellers Podcast, but our fun doesn't have to end now. You'll catch me hanging out over on Instagram between episodes and I'd love for you to join me. So hop into my DMs. I promise you're not getting any hey girl messages and I promise I'm not going to be asking you to weirdly buy anything. Send me the message podcast so I can send you my free 90-day action planner, because who doesn't love a good template?