My Story

"What's your story?" It's our tagline at Origami Owl. It's what makes our Jewelry Bars so unique because they truly are a social experience. As you and your friends design your Living Lockets, you share, you reminisce, you laugh, and you learn. The time goes by so quickly as everyone finds themselves sharing and enjoying each other's company as they shop for their own unique pieces of jewelry.

What's MY story? Well, I will be honest. The home party business is not something I ever envisioned doing. I had been to Pampered Chef parties, Mary Kay parties, Thirty-One parties, Premier Jewelry parties, Arbonne parties... the list goes on, and at each one had always been asked to host or join, and I politely said, "No Thank You." I wasn't a hostess, and I certainly wasn't a salesperson. There was no way this business was for me.

My career path up until the point where I joined Origami Owl as an Independent Designer was more like a hike with many switchbacks up a mountain than a leisurely stroll along a set course. I started off in Broadcasting, took a left turn into Healthcare Consulting, then a slight right at Human Resources before ending up here. It's a longer story than I need to share here, but the point is, I really had no idea what I wanted to do when I grew up!

About two years ago, I was working from home doing recruiting for my former consulting firm in Washington, DC. I lived in a North Carolina, but I was able to work from home and set my own hours, and basically had a job I really liked that let me be a Mom first. I had two children at that time, both in preschool together. My oldest has special needs, but he was in an inclusive setting where his sister could attend as well. And when one of them got sick, I had my mother-in-law (who I actually adore!) about two miles away to swoop in and rescue me. It was pretty much perfect!

But then my husband got an offer for a better position with his company in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was a great opportunity for him, and as we looked at the options for our son, we realized this move could mean better education that would fit his needs in addition to the better job for my husband. And I worked from home, part-time, so it wouldn't be an issue to do that somewhere else, right? Wrong!

While the company kept me on, I was now in a new city with no friends, no family, kids at different schools... oh, and I was pregnant with our third child. I was overwhelmed. My work was suffering because when my kids got sick, I had to take off and take care of them. I had no back-up for childcare. I was lonely, and honestly, I was miserable. So I made the decision to leave my job a few months before the baby came, and I really had no idea what I would do after he arrived.

About a month after our third child's arrival, I heard about Origami Owl. At first, I didn't know it was a direct sales company. I just thought the lockets were adorable! Instantly I loved them and wanted to own one. As I learned more, I started to think that maybe I could do this. It would get me out of the house and force me to make more friends in the community. But I still did not want to do sales. I had never done sales (my consulting work was implementation only... no sales!) and I was pretty sure I would suck at sales.

There was a wait list at the time, and no commitment when you joined it, so I thought, "What do I have to lose?" I was going to have at least six weeks to think about it. I participated in some facebook groups, and was able to view some training webinars online. By the time I got my invitation to join, I was hooked. And now, a year later, here I am! Designer 5756 out of 50,000 and growing!

So that's my story. Are you ready to write the next chapter in yours?