Hive Member Spotlight - Kim Fischer - Tigard, OR

Hello! I overuse smiley faces… use them a lot. Overuse quote marks, too. Also tend to write too much.

I have been married for 7 years to my husband. We met 14 years ago while working together. We have a 5 year old son, Jordan, who is about to start kindergarten. I live in Tigard, Oregon, a suburb southwest of Portland – actually we are just about a mile from Portland’s SW city limit. I grew up in Newberg, which is about 30 minutes away from where I live now. My parents still live there, so I visit a lot. The town is part of Oregon’s “Wine Country.”

My birthday is March 29th and I’ll be 40 next year. Sigh! Don’t feel that old.

I work full-time in Human Resources for a national HVAC/R distributor headquartered in Portland. I’ve a long commute! :) I previously worked in the credit union industry for over 11 ½ years (teller/member services, phone rep, trainer, human resources), before a merger caused me to need to find another employer. Still love credit unions! My husband works for Nautilus, the makers of the Bowflex.

I want to share something with all of you as it may be something that could help you or someone in your life.I had brain surgery in November 2005 to help with a little-known condition called Chiari I Malformation. It is a condition that one is born with, but people do not usually show symptoms until their mid-30s. Looking back, I can see symptoms starting when I was young, but who knew? Symptoms can include earaches, numbness in neck and arms, sensitivity to light and sounds, and vision and swallowing difficulties. Chiari is a condition where the base of one’s skull is too small to hold one’s brain, so the tonsils of the brain descend into the spinal column. This blocks the flow of the cerebral spinal fluid and can cause other issues. For more info, visit http://www.wacma.com/ and http://www.asap.com/. Happy to say that my gorgeous Irish neurosurgeon (I can have a crush, can’t I?) did a great job.

I’ve been looking for a business to do off and on… I came across the name Urban Botanic by accident on the internet and clicked on it. It intrigued me as I’ve loved the idea of creating my own scented items since I was a little girl – I used to try to make my own rose and lavender perfumes by steeping petals in water (unfortunately, the water just turned moldy). I love scented candles, lotions – I even wear perfume or a scented lotion to bed. Husband doesn’t really like it, but it makes me happy.

I found myself directed to Shawna’s site. The ingredients of products sounded good, and the concept was interesting. I emailed Shawna, and she ended up creating a rose, lavender and cedarwood lotion for me. I loved it!! Next step was ordering one of the MyScents kits (leafy) and having fun with that. I’ve been in constant email contact with Shawna, asking questions about being a consultant, plus I’ve been having friends and co-workers making scents – I’ve been giving them little samples of the products that came with my MyScents kit – and giving me feedback as to whether this sounded like something they would like to do. Most answered positively. I was going to order my kit at the end of August (slowly saving up the money), but an opportunity to do a ‘tween spa party in 1 ½ weeks came up, so I ordered the kit. I’ve a total of 5 interested workshops, with 2 on the calendar. I know other workshops will follow. Just nervous about it all now! But I love the product, love playing “scientist” with the perfume oils, and LOVE seeing how tickled people are when they create their own scent and use it.

I want to use the business to help pay debt and begin to set aside money for future things (son’s education, a better home, vacation) and to make my husband a little more happy (money is very important to him…).

I haven’t told my husband yet… will have to soon. He doesn’t like any Direct Marketing businesses (thinks they are scams), so I’m a nervous. I’m going to ask that he give me a year to see how I do. My friends and co-workers, and parents, will be my main support. I see this type of business as being very doable if one finds the right company and the right fit. You are all my inspiration!

Fellow hive members will be useful in letting me know how their parties go, how they deal with an unsupportive spouse, and any other tips they have. I will be a cheerleader and share what I can.

I’ve taken the test a number of times. I usually come up with Leafy being the strongest (with Woodsy and Fruity following closely). It’s pretty true to me! I like to know the facts before I begin something (poor Shawna, answering all my questions!). I also like to “hide” if I’m sad or faced with confrontation. Big example is nervousness with telling my husband I’m doing this business. Some of the other families have traits of mine, too.

I would like to be a business builder, but I think it may be somewhere in between, depending on the month, my mood, my health, and my schedule. I’ve ideas for bringing this to the media’s attention here, but will need to get a boost to do it the right way. The fact that no one else in the Portland area is yet a part of this cool company is exciting as I get to introduce it and get more people on the team. I want to recruit one or two people by October so that they can might be able to do workshops that I’m not able to do.

What is one personality trait you have that you think will help you be successful at UB?

Only one? My friendliness. I’m a “nice” person. I’m kind and easy to get along with. People will not be afraid to speak to me and ask about the product at workshops. (My excitement about the product will help, too.)

Shawna's Fun Questions:

If I were a candy, I'd probably be a Baby Ruth bar or a Snickers. Definitely something nutty! I'm "sweet" and nice, but I also have that chewy, carmelly part that has some substance to it. I can be "nutty" and show my odd sense of humor at times and see the humor in everyday life. The chocolate encompassing it all just keeps me all together.

If I had 30 days to sign up 10 people... I'd send out mass emails to everyone I knew, plus approach the media. There are a couple of radio personalities I think would definitely like to know about the company and would help get the word out. I'd also mention the company and submit my card to everyone I came in contact with at the stores I frequent. Hmmm... perhaps small ads in the local community newspapers. I'd also try to find some "mom" groups in the area to let participants know about the company and the opportunity to have their own (fun) business that works with their lives.