In 2018, Norwex announced a special incentive trip to Norway in celebration of the company’s 25th anniversary.
My first thought was that it would be impossible for me to earn it.
The qualification required an exceptional level of sales—more than I had ever done in a year. I understood the amount of work it would take, and I did not immediately see how I could get there.
Then I talked to my sons, Jake and Andrew.
That conversation changed the goal.
“We’ve Got to Get Grandma to Norway”
My mom introduced me to Norwex in 2008. That decision changed the direction of my life and, in many ways, the direction of our family.
Her influence on me as a business owner began long before Norwex.
My dad was a farmer and owned a photography studio. My mom built a Mary Kay business that she worked for decades, and still does. In our family, work was simply part of life. If you were part of the family, you helped.
I learned about sales by watching my mom. I learned about generosity from her. I learned that people matter and that good business is built by serving them well.
When I started my Norwex business, Mom was there. She hosted one of my first parties. She helped me get my first bookings. She helped with orders and encouraged me through the early years. Later, when our team was working toward a major promotion, she even helped me call consultants and talk through ideas for gathering orders. She was and is always my biggest supporter.
She had given me far more than a business introduction. She had given me an example.
Once Jake, Andrew, and I began talking about the Norway trip, the qualification stopped feeling like a sales target on a piece of paper.
We had a reason.
“We’ve got to get Grandma to Norway” became our family mantra.
A Business Goal Can Become Something More
There is a difference between chasing a number and working toward something that matters to you.
The work itself does not necessarily change. You still have to make the calls, hold the parties, follow up with customers, invite people, serve your team, and keep going when a day does not unfold the way you hoped, bthe reason behind the work can change everything.
Jake and Andrew were not standing on the sidelines watching me pursue a business incentive. They were helping us create an experience for their grandma. We spent weekend after weekend working Norwex booths at craft shows, introducing Norwex to new people. The boys were very involved in helping with sales and helping me get new party hosts and consultants.
This is one of the things I value most about building a business within a family. Our sons did not grow up believing that work was something adults disappeared to do. They saw how work could solve a problem, serve another person, and create choices for people we loved.
They also learned that meaningful goals usually require ordinary work repeated many times.
The Norway trip was an extraordinary result. The work that led to it was not glamorous.
It was one party at a time. One customer at a time. One conversation at a time.
The Norwegian Idea of Working Together
The new Norwegian Way guide shares a Norwegian word that I think describes this experience especially well: dugnad.
Dugnad means people collectively coming together for the common good. It carries the ideas of cooperation, social connection, and shared responsibility.
That does not mean everyone does the same job. It means everyone understands what the group is trying to accomplish and finds a way to contribute.
That was familiar to me before I ever knew the word.
It was how I grew up. It was how my parents ran their businesses. It was how my mom helped me when I was new to Norwex. It was how Jake and Andrew became part of our family business. It was how we approached the goal of taking Grandma to Norway.
We worked together because the goal belonged to all of us.
Your Family May Not Immediately Understand Your Goal
I want to be careful not to make family business sound easier or more harmonious than it always is.
Your closest circle may not be your easiest audience.
When I first told my husband, Curt, that I wanted to become a Norwex consultant, he said no. He reminded me that I already had a career, a family, and a full life. He also reminded me that I did not clean very much.
He was not wrong.
I asked him to give me one year.
Not every family member will immediately understand why you want to try something new. Some may be skeptical. Some may worry about the time involved. Others may have seen you try something before and wonder whether this will be different.
You do not need to force them to share your enthusiasm.
You do need to be honest about what you are building, why it matters to you, and what it will require from your family. Then you need to follow through on what you said you would do.
Support often grows when people see consistency.
Big Dreams Still Require Honest Expectations
“Big dreams” is one of the principles within the Norwegian Way. I believe in having dreams, but I also believe in being honest about the work behind them.
The Norway trip was not a typical result.
It required an exceptional level of activity, consistency, customer service, and family effort. Only a small percentage of consultants earned the trip. It was not easy, and it is not a result anyone should expect simply because they become a Norwex consultant.
Norwex offers different incentives at different times, with specific qualifications that must be met. Some consultants pursue those incentives. Many do not.
People come to Norwex for different reasons.
Some want to purchase products at a savings. Some want a flexible way to bring in additional income. Some enjoy sharing products with friends. Some want to build a team or create a larger business. Some are simply curious and are not yet sure what they want.
Those are all legitimate places to begin.
Your meaningful goal does not have to look like mine.
It might be paying for groceries without worrying about the total. It might be helping with tuition, replacing an appliance, building an emergency fund, or having enough flexibility to be present when your family needs you.
A goal does not have to be impressive to someone else to matter deeply to your family.
The Part of Norway That Mattered Most
When Mom and I arrived in Norway, Norwex welcomed her with such kindness.
She had the opportunity to meet and spend time with Debbie Bolton, Norwex Co-Founder and then Global Chief Sales Officer, and Judy Letain. Mom was able to see the company, the friendships, and the community that had become such an important part of my life.
I was proud to show her that world.
More than anything, I was grateful for the time with her.
Mom had spent years encouraging me, teaching me, and helping me believe I could build something. Taking her to Norway was one way our family could honor what she had poured into all of us.
The destination was beautiful. The experience was unforgettable.
But the most meaningful part was knowing why we were there.
What Are You Working Toward?
If you are considering becoming a Norwex consultant, you do not need to begin with an enormous dream.
You do not need to know exactly how far you want to go. You do not need a family that immediately understands every part of the opportunity. You do not need sales experience, party experience, or a naturally outgoing personality.
You do need a reason to begin.
Then you need to decide whether you are willing to learn, work consistently, talk to people, follow up, accept coaching, and keep going when some of the answers are no.
What could a small, flexible business help you do?
Who might benefit if you created a little more income, flexibility, confidence, or choice?
What goal could help your family understand why the work matters to you?
For our family, it was: “We’ve got to get Grandma to Norway.”
Your goal will probably be different.
It only needs to be meaningful enough to help you take the next right step.
If you are wondering whether a Norwex business could fit your life and your family, I would be happy to have an honest conversation with you. My job is not to decide what you should want or to promise you a particular result. My job is to help you ask good questions, understand what the work involves, and decide whether it is right for you.
This article shares my personal experience qualifying for a limited Norwex incentive trip announced in 2018. The qualification required an exceptional level of sales and was achieved by only a small percentage of consultants. Incentive programs, requirements, availability, and trip inclusions vary. I also personally paid for portions of our travel and several additional experiences described in this story.
Results vary in any business. I share from my personal experience, but no specific income, outcome, promotion, or business result is guaranteed.
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