My Story

There’s a famous unknown quote that says, “sometimes the things we can’t change end up changing us.”

DJ knows this to be true because it happened to her.

Do you WANT to know how she got started in this business?

She will tell you but buckle up! The whole story is a bit of a tearjerker; however, it is the most honest story I will ever know.

Here is her story

I am a retired professional CPA, and I use to own a very successful practice for over 35 years. I loved it for about 25 years, but I kept feeling more and more unfulfilled over the last decade. One problem though – I was making really good money! 🙂 Who walks away from BIG MONEY just because they feel burnt out or unfulfilled? I owned and operated an international CPA practice with clients all over the U.S., Canada, Costa Rica, and Panama. It gave me a very good lifestyle. My practice focused on small business owners, professionals, and wealthy individuals. I thought I already had it all. My clients were generally great to work with, but I kept feeling unfulfilled. I knew I needed a change; however, I was too afraid to start over again. Honestly… Who would ever want to start over?

How it Started

In 2015 & 2016, my life got completely flipped upside-down. My significant other started to feel ill, and we began going in and out of doctor’s offices and hospitals. It was initially so unclear what was happening. He was getting older (like we all do) and most doctors wrote off his discomfort as part of the “aging process”; however, I knew that couldn’t be the sole cause. He had been very active working on our farm and caring for our exotic animals. We would travel during the winter and throughout other times of the year. He wasn’t a feeble old man. We started seeing specialists (one or another) every 1 or 2 days each week. In the meantime, my accounting practice began to suffer because I wasn’t taking on new projects. In fact, I had to cut back on the time I spent networking and marketing. That’s how I had been growing my business, but I didn’t have the time now.

After more than a year of doctor visits, the love of my life was diagnosed with breast cancer that had metastasized to his bones. It was in every bone in his body. Six years prior, he had a mastectomy done, but apparently, it hadn’t been treated properly. The lymph nodes were completely clean then, and he had opted out of the recommended radiation. He was fighting an impossible fight now. We were in and out of doctors’ offices, treatment centers, surgeries, testing facilities, and hospitals for more than 8 months (at least 2 – 3 days/week). Imagine having to choose between caring for a terminally-ill partner or having to go to work as if everything was normal.

A Tough Decision

I made the tough decision, and my CPA practice suffered. Luckily, my side business was growing because it fit so nicely into the cracks of my life. My side business was just a small piece of my retirement plan because it provided a fun outlet to balance my time with friends and family. It was a duplicable system, and that made it so easy to start in my spare time. I’m so happy I did it… Believe me, that was basically all I had left. I outsourced most of my accounting practice and terminated many relationships that wouldn’t fit into my new schedule. Somehow, I was still managing to live, even with the reduced income, but then the unthinkable happened again.

That very same year, my 25-year-old son was diagnosed with a life-threatening illness on Veterans Day at 1:00 a.m. Along with his wife and family, I stayed by my son’s side throughout the entire process. Thankfully, my son got better and even returned to work eventually though on daily medication.

My significant other seemed to be improving too. His medications were taking their toll, but the treatments were working. Things began to balance out, and I felt as if we had finally found a calm stretch. It was just before Christmas, as things were beginning to resemble a new kind of normal, and the love of my life started to feel ill again. This time his nausea kept getting worse and worse. He was miserable. We tried everything we could think of, and the day after Christmas, we went to see the doctor as his breathing was becoming very labored. That brought on the next round of tests, and the results were even worse than before. The cancer was growing again and there was nothing more that could be done.

He wanted to spend his final days in our house on Block Island before traveling back to our home in Costa Rica. I made the decision to stay by his side to make him as comfortable and carefree as possible. We had many good days. We laughed and danced and cried and planned. Not for the future (like we use to) but for the funeral we knew was coming. He “Did it My Way” all the way and I did it mine. He passed away on March 9th, 2016.

How Neora Helped Me

That tax season, my CPA practice did WORSE than it did during my very first year of business. Zero billable income brings in… Well, you get the picture. Thankfully, my side business continued to pay RESIDUAL INCOME as we spent time as a family. Beyond that it fed my passion to Make People Better.

There’s no way I would have financially survived without my flexible Neora side business – which turned out to be my BEST business. It’s just so easy to share and run. In fact, my business continued to grow no matter what was going on in my life. Every nurse, doctor, and technician heard about my NEW business because I could drop off or email information so easily. Yes, I even told patients and their family members about Neora. The company allowed me to live the advantages of being in business for myself without the problems of having to do it all alone. I could easily follow up with a 3-way call, which my Neora family could also do for me, as I listened to the conversation in the waiting room. My significant other made sure every visitor knew about my NEW business too. He even forced many guests to leave with magazines, catalogs, or trial bottles. 🙂 It filled our lives with positive attitudes and positive thinking when we needed it the most.

I am grateful for my family and friends, the CPA clients who remained with me until I sold the practice, for my son being close to remission, and for my Neora family (whom without I don’t think I would have survived). They reached out to me (people I had never even met) and lifted me up. They pulled me out of my grief and depression. They offered me help and support, but they also gave me a chance to rebuild and start over. Thank you to everyone. There are advantages to aging even when they don’t seem like advantages. We have the choice to lean in and embrace the changes that shape us and lean on the people who love and support us.

Let me tell you something… I feel more fulfilled helping people with Neora than I EVER did with my CPA practice. I know some people aren’t financially prepared for a family emergency. I know there are people who can’t find a good work-life balance. And most of all, I know there are people who need extra money but don’t have enough extra time. I LIVE to be able to help those types of people. Call it ‘pay it forward’ or ‘karma’ or whatever…but after Neora showed me their support, I ALWAYS do the same for each and every member of our NEORA FAMILY (distributor and customer alike). Make People Better – a motto I live each day by.