Small Business Spotlight :: Norwex with Kimberly Higdon

In October of 2013, Kimberly Higdon (33), received some product samples that changed everything about the way she cleans her house.

In an age of “green-living”, Kimberly believes chemicals are responsible for a large amount of bodily harm, and has a strong desire to educate others of those harmful effects and provide healthy alternatives. The discovery of Norwex has sub-sequentially launched her on a journey to begin her own business & share what she has learned with those around her.

“I believe our bodies are temples and what we do to them or put on them effects our health.”

Norwex is a brand of household products with a "chemical-free" mission.  Their products consist largely of a special kind of micro-fiber cloth that requires only water to clean!  Silver in some of the cloths has anti-bacterial properties to give users peace of mind on even the yuckiest of surfaces. 

As a Science teacher, teaching comes second-nature to Kim. “I am an educator to the soul, whether it’s my full time day job or my night and weekend job.”  She shares her information in person through in-home Norwex “parties” where hostesses can earn free products, and through her Facebook Group Higdon Norwex Fanatics where customers can ask questions, share experiences, and purchase products.

Kimberly with her mom- who sent her first Norwex samples!

Kimberly aspires to eventually move-up to the next level of being a leader and have other consultants under her.  This would mean more teaching opportunities, in addition to potentially providing the necessary income to pay for daycare as she and her husband expand their family some day in the future.

Her next step is to develop a stronger system for communicating with past customers & develop strong relationships that leaves them feeling confident to use their new products & explore new ways to reduce chemical-use in their day to day living.

A few months ago- Kimberly was given a challenge to call or message 100 people about her business & Norwex products.  “The point was for us to get used to hearing the word no. After a while, hearing no didn’t seem too bad.”  As a consultant in the world of direct-sales marketing, Kimberly has a genuine love for her business and Norwex products that sets her apart.

Kimberly with her husband Brandon

“I don’t have one particular person that inspires me, but strong-willed people tend to inspire me.  They make me push past any moments of weakness I may have and continue to push me.”

When Kimberly isn’t working on her business, she enjoys working out, playing with her dog, cooking great meals, being crafty, and basking at the beach.

Kimberly with her fur-baby Diamond

If you are interested in learning more about Norwex- you can join her Facebook group here!

Mention this blog post to receive FREE shipping on your next order! 

If you aren't ready to shop, but you're still feeling inspired to make a change- you can visit Norwex Movement to earn points and help charitable causes!

A Speed Cleaning Challenge!

Happy Thursday!


Got an over-stuffed junk drawer? A refrigerator with science experiments growing in it? A closet so crammed with stuff, you're afraid to walk in it? A counter so cluttered you can no longer tell what color it is?

Over the next little while, we want you to pick one thing in your home that you want to reorganize, big or small... and tackle it! For a chance to win a $10 gift card to Amazon.com (to use on those Spring cleaning supplies, of course!) we want to see your before AND after transformations! You can post them in our Facebook conversation lounge as a comment below the post for THIS blog post for an entry into a random drawing! Make sure you get your entry in before the deadline: 12am (EST) Sunday 3/26/17! - The winner will be announced via Facebook Live in the group tomorrow at 6 pm!


To give you some inspiration, we asked our (past, present, & future) blog authors to send in some of their own household transformations! Check them out:

Speed Cleaning: 

Author Household Transformations!

Closet:

Guest Author Debbie McDounough

Utensil Drawer:

Author Rosemary

Book shelf:

Original Author Mandi

Baby supplies cabinet:

Author Renee

Refrigerator:

Author Jessica

Some of our long-time readers may recognize this cute face belonging to one of our original authors Jenny!  She's working hard in nursing school right now- but didn't want to miss out on the fun & submitted her "before" & "after" shower selfies!  "transformation" in too! ;)

Original Author Jenny

Let's see what you've got, TETO readers! Happy Cleaning!

Today is the First Day of the Rest of Your Life...It's Time to Do Some Cleaning

This year, March 21 marks the 20th anniversary of my father's death. Knowing his time left on this Earth was short, before he died, he shared his wishes to have his funeral service held at dawn. He explained how he felt that holding it at the beginning of a new day would symbolize a new beginning. It seemed only appropriate that he died on the first day of spring, in the early morning hours...a new beginning.

Each spring reminds me of his attitude. The anticipation of something new. The beginning. The old expression "Today is the first day of the rest of your life" reverberates with me in the spring more than any other time of year. I challenge you today to do a mental "spring cleaning." People make New Year's resolutions to lose weight, to save money, to quit bad habits...let the spring time be your time to clean out the brain clutter that prevents you from living the happiest, most fulfilled life you can.

Take some time over the next few weeks to ponder what really makes you happy. What keeps you from happiness? What can you do right now to gain more happiness and fulfillment?

This looks like different things for different people. For me, here are three things I have done to help me find my happiness. Get inspiration from these--or find your own. Pursue it with passion.

1. Find your mantra. For me, I needed to deal with anxiety. My mantra is simply, "Breathe." In the midst of a crushing crisis, a dear friend said, "Stop. Breathe." I took a deep breath and another and another. In that moment, calmness washed over me. When life overwhelms me, I turn to that simple word: Breathe.

2. Don't wait on your dreams. For years, I always thought, "One day when I win the lottery, I'm going to paint in a studio by the ocean." Thankfully, a friend of mine offered a painting class. With a little encouragement, I decided to try it out. To my surprise, it is something that I enjoy immensely. I may not paint in a studio by the ocean, but I paint. And it brings me joy. Go after that "some day" dream. It may not be exactly the way you envision it, but go after it anyway.

My first painting...see more at Deb McDonough Art.

3. Take care of yourself. So often, I find I focus on other people's needs and wants, pushing my own to the side. While this can work short-termed, in the long run, this can drain the happiness from you. Taking care of yourself can be committing to eating better, getting exercise through a walk in your neighborhood and noticing the sights and sounds around you. It can mean reaching out to a friend and making the time to spend with them for an hour or two. It can mean asking for help when you need it and not taking on everything yourself. It can be saying "no" when it's not helping you reach your goal of happiness. Take care of yourself, without apology. You are important.

Thinking back to my dad's final wishes to have a new beginning, I am grateful that I didn't wait until my life was over to start pursuing my happiness. Do some spring cleaning...pursue your happiness...now.

Debbie McDonough is a mom to two great kids, ages 10 and 13 and wife to her husband of 15 years, Matt. She works full time as a first grade teacher. In addition to writing, she loves painting, reading and finding the perfect cup of coffee.

A Brief Reflection on Lent and "Spring Cleaning"

For many of you, today will be just another Wednesday. If you are out and about, you may notice a number of people walking around with a black smudge on their foreheads and think, “That's odd.” Otherwise, the day will pass much as any other. However, for Catholics and many other Christians, today marks the beginning of the season of Lent and is anything but an ordinary Wednesday.

My purpose in writing this post is not to give you a long history of the practices associated with Ash Wednesday and the season of Lent. For those who are unfamiliar with Lent, or who would like a brief refresher, here is a two-minute video which does an excellent job summarizing Ash Wednesday and the observation of Lent:

My purpose today, is to briefly reflect on some of the aspects of Lent that are applicable to most of us, regardless of our personally held religious beliefs. 

I was raised Catholic and continue to practice my Catholic faith today. As a child, I used to dread the Lenten season. At the time, I thought it meant deprivation, solemn services, and extra church obligations. How greatly I anticipated the arrival of Easter and a return to a “normal” life. 

As a teenager, my view of the season was more superficial and jaded. That view can be summarized in the following way:

I find that meme hilarious now, though I steadfastly believed it for a time.

Today, as an adult and partner in an interfaith marriage, I take a much more nuanced view. I have come to deeply appreciate the season as a time to reflect on my faith life, act more charitably, humble myself, and commit to a personal “Spring Cleaning” of the soul. It is a time that my husband and I make an effort to focus on making changes that will strengthen our family unit and teach our children to love and be kind to others.

Many of the ideas associated with Lent transcend Catholicism. People of all faith backgrounds can benefit from the practices of humility, charity, sacrifice, and self-reflection. How appropriate, therefore, that the start of our month of discussions on topics related to the theme of “Spring Cleaning”, coincides with the start of Lent?