34 | Lessons from a Top Leader, Kristen Williams, Part 2: Back to Basics + Leveraging Tech Tools Outside of Social Media to Serve Your Network Marketing Team
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Hey guys. Welcome back to the scale without social podcast. I am so excited to continue the interview with Kristin Williams. So if you have not gone and listened to episode number 33, which is part one of Kristin Williams interview, which she is a top leader. Over at another network marketing company and she shares some really amazing wisdom and inspiration for how you can integrate.
A sales model, like direct sales or network marketing into your already busy life as a mama or maybe a working lady. And so today we're going to get more into some of the tangible tips of how she runs her team of thousands. Using tools, most of which almost all of which are outside of social media.
And we also talk about the importance of going back to basics and how this is even a trend she's seeing among the national vice presidents, the highest ranked group within her company, Arbonne And how they are focusing their energy on a lot of the things that we talk about in this podcast, which is essentially just going back to what we know has worked for generations even long before social media got started. So y'all will absolutely love this conversation and I cannot wait for you to hear it. And let's get into part two with kristin williams
Heather: So let's flash forward to. Now in your business with, you've shared with me that you have been super intentional about using and leveraging tools outside of social media to build your team.
So tell me more about that either, you know, tangibly or what made you wanna lean into that decision for using and leveraging some tools
Kristen: yeah. So I made a bullet point list because I feel so empowered by this. I actually, we were running all of our healthy living groups on Facebook.
And so twice a month, we'd start a new group. And I got put into Facebook jail. It was right as I was going regional vice president. And if you can imagine for six months not being able to post for share or like anything. And I think it, I only, I can't even figure out what it was cause I don't post like controversial stuff.
It was just something that it was flagging me and no one will tell you. And I was like, I cannot run a business like this. Like I just can't, I can't have someone telling me that I can't communicate with my team and my clients. Right. And so we really just pivoted back then. And so I would say the crux of our communication is through Voxer
it's like a walkie-talkie app. And actually I have a whole team I built in Pennsylvania through my sorority best friend and, you know, that's how we built. And when I traveled up there, gosh, this was probably three years ago. When we really started using it, you know, and I met them in real life. It was like we were already friends.
And so it was so incredible. And the, the beauty, the beauty thing about boxer is that you can listen to them. You can listen to messages when you have time. So for busy people, this is huge because you can. Message me all day long and don't feel like you're bothering me. And when I have a moment to sit down and do my desk work and answer messages, I can go through all the boxer messages, speed them up.
If I need to and answer, and people can talk back and forth all day. It's incredible. Zoom is huge. We've been using this for years and years and years, and it's how we run our team meetings and discover our bonds and healthy, happy hours. And I think they just continue to improve. The technology for sure.
So very grateful for zoom. We actually moved our team page to band and this app is amazing. I think it was started for probably like school groups to organize themselves. But we have found that it really has all of the functionality that Facebook has in groups. I can't think of a single thing you can't do in band that you can do in Facebook.
And they keep adding features to it all the time. So it's, I mean, you can do li live video. You can create different groups. So it's just incredible. And there's no distractions because what we found. You know, people would go on Facebook to our team page to answer, you know, to check their notifications, to answer, and then they'd get lost and they would never even end up doing the thing that they meant to do when they went on Facebook.
Because they just got so distracted. So I feel like band is so much more professional. You know, it's just, it's wonderful. We've had no service issues with it whatsoever. And then two years ago, A year and a half ago we implemented boards. And so all I can say about boards is imagine you have a keyboard right on your phone, and then you have an emoji keyboard on your phone.
Well, what if I, as your leader could add a business keyboard through boards and give you literally all the content you would ever want to text or email or send someone and I can update it all the time and you would have it right at your fingerprint. So you don't even have to copy and paste. Like if there, if someone asks you a question, What's in a istic.
You're not having to go and search through board or search through band or search through Facebook or go on our website. You can literally go to that folder in boards. Press the button and it sends like it's, it's so fantastic. It has revolutionized our efficiency and people feel so empowered because it's all in one place.
And it's just incredible. So if you're not using it, gotta get boards and you can share. And that's the best part. We, we really collaborate in our company and so I can create a board for August for everything going on and I can share it with other teams or other people. And so we're able to really leverage our time, that way telegram.
We started using, I think it's the same as almost boxer. Some people like it better. It's kind of your preference on that. Vimeo, that's where we store our team training videos so that they're not on YouTube, either getting flagged or people getting distracted by ads or all these things, you know, when you send someone a YouTube video and, and it's just like, I don't want them to see that.
Yeah, they do. Or there's just some really awkward next video that's suggested that is. Beneficial to our industry or whatever. You've probably all seen that. So so I love Vimeo and honestly, I would say a tool is just. Good old fashioned belly to belly business and networking. You know, I've built mostly through coffee dates, play dates, yoga.
We do glow bars, healthy, happy hours, basically relationships finding that trust, finding the need and filling it. And I think when you think about our company like ours, it's 42 years old. And so my upline national vice president is Donna Johnson. She's the legend in this industry. She is so humble and gracious and lovely, but she was our first national days president in the whole company.
And she's still working today. Like, I mean, I'm getting ready to go to a beach or retreat with her. Next month. She, and she's just, she's wonderful. And she's our culture keeper, but, you know, we love the stories. We always at all of our retreats or trainings, we're like, we need this one section on like back in the good old days, they would tell stories about having to fax orders in or being on like a phone with a cord.
So if you don't know what that is, Google it, but like there used to be phones attached to the wall with a cord and they would be on the phone with home. And have to pass the phone around to place orders that night. Cuz if they hung up, then you know, you get back in the queue and I have to call back in.
And so if I think about the past 42 years, you know, our company has done business even more without social and without technology than with we actually have a huge Amish com community in a. Martha Yoder was our first RBP and she actually received, so at the RBP level you get a car bonus for a white Mercedes-Benz and she received a white horse carriage instead.
And you know, they placed orders at the library. And they have built a huge team because they create community. They have 30 days to help baby living dinners. They provide excellent customer service, including a hand mailed monthly newsletter. And so they're just like doing life the way that it's, I think it's meant to be done, which is one-on-one relationship.
And and so now there's this huge team of them and it's just incredible.
Heather: Whoa. Oh my gosh. I remember when you told me that story, I about fell over and I felt so empowered to continue to share that message and realize there's so many different ways to do it. Not that social media, isn't a blessing or a tool that even you and I could still use or probably do still use in, you know, in some facets for you.
But. There are so many other ways to do it. And that women, like when we look at the, the benefits of technology on our business now, but they didn't even exist and were able to hit these incredible inspirational you know areas in their business. And they're so passionate about it that they're still working.
Like that is so cool to me that yes, Donna Johnson is like having a retreat that's and what a blessing that you could go soak
Kristen: up that good. Yes. Oh
Heather: my gosh. Well, and I, oh gosh. Oh, I dunno. What I was gonna say is telegram. I love telegram and my, my listeners, I actually have a podcast community called the scale without social for female entrepreneurs telegram group on there, because that is where we use.
We used to be with Voxer and I agree. I think they're kind of similar. I do. I, I personally like telegram a little bit better, but I also still love Voxer and still use it for my podcast accountability group. I have made some incredible friends with those ladies. Actually I've shared at least one interview, a couple more to come with some of them.
And so you're exactly right. Like having a tech tool that integrates. Both the like old school, traditional methods of using your voice, getting to know, or like video even like, you know, body language, but then not having to do it on a like a corded telephone or thankfully, essentially during cuz I, gosh, I mean obviously the COVID craziness rocked all of our worlds in many ways.
than one. But just the fact that we can leverage virtual tools, like all of the incredible ones that you've mentioned, and then also boards my team, you were the very first person that I ever heard about boards from. So I have to say woo props to you, girl. Cause, and that was back in, it was earlier this year.
It was a while ago that you told me about it, but recently it has started to take off with, with my team. And actually, as you were speaking, I, I wanna we met some of my leaders and I met with the, one of the guys, like one of the head tech guys. And so I'll have to bring him on as an interview to share a little bit more about that.
It is one of the tools that I have seen get the highest adoption because of its simplicity. Like even the people who are terrified of tech stuff, like it's crazy. So kudos to you for being such a pioneer in all of these. Ooh, I love it. Okay. So is there any other advice or wisdom that you would share for that lady?
You know, cause how many people, how, how big is your
Kristen: team now? Oh gosh. I mean, thousand. Oh, wow. And would you, yeah, I mean, consumers and consultants, you know, combined, but
Heather: would you say that they like, there's a good blend of people who are building kind of in that like social media influencer sphere? Or would you say that still primarily your business is more like the traditional network marketing?
I did a whole episode on network marketing versus social selling. And I actually, yeah, as you know, cuz you've, you've heard me talking about this, like not super wild about like that term. An application to the business model that you and I are familiar with. So what would you say is like the makeup of your business right
Kristen: now?
My team, I would say I there's very few. I would consider social media influencers that are using it that way in Arban itself. There's a ton. Because you know, people have figured it out. They've made it work for them. We have a new affiliate program that we're rolling out. That's really gonna speak to that.
Just as a, you know, sales funnel to get that conversation started. But for. I feel like, cuz I was thinking about it, you know, I've been back and forth with wanting to jump off altogether, but then not and I, I feel that most of us are using it to you know, because my favorite way to meet people is traveling.
And I would say that's probably my, my greatest. Skill that I didn't know that I had cuz I am an introvert. But I think when you're doing things, you love, you meet people that ha are like-minded potentially. And so when I'm traveling, I'm always meeting people. I'm always you know, even before I get there, I'm looking on Instagram to, to see hikes I wanna do or food.
I love food. I'm like beauty places yoga. What have you. And so I'm connecting with people even before I arrive. And so then we meet in real life or afterwards, you know, someone will find each other through shared locations. So I feel like from that perspective, it's really helpful for me, but I feel like the way that I'm using it is when I do meet someone, you know, on a gondola on a ski, ski lift or in an airport, I can share my information on Instagram or Facebook and they can see like I'm a real person.
They can kind of vet me and see that. I'm just a mom, like we're just traveling and, and doing life. And you know, I really hope to share and inspire people to live outside their comfort zones and find true health, whatever that means to them. But I feel like they just almost used it more to just kind of watch and vet me if that makes sense and kind of vice versa versus me using it as a you know, prospecting sales funnel.
If that makes sense, it's more just doing life with people in extension, doing life with them in real life. And. That's I guess the easiest way I can explain it, but I'm still, you know, I, I'm still toying with the idea some days, I just wanna do a whole Instagram channel about like corporate Kristin and just make reals about the crazy stuff that happened that I didn't know was crazy back then.
And just for absolute humor and just as a creative outlet. But. Other than that. I don't really, I don't know. I don't know where my social future will be with. Because we do have a lot of programs that have introduced in our company that would support this social selling model. And so I certainly can teach it, I can do it, but it's not where I spend the majority of my time.
Heather: Yes, that makes perfect sense. And I obviously, throughout the gosh, how many, how many months, I guess, eight months of doing this podcast, I've, done a lot of, you know, had a lot of conversations and done a lot of thinking on that exact same situation. And so, you know, about 10% of people probably do need, like, for example, the Amish community, they clearly, they don't even have smartphones.
Right. I remember you telling me that, so obviously they're not gonna have social media, so it's important, you know, to, to find tools and resources to that work for them as well. And then there's another. Probably less than 10% that do wanna be an online influencer and feel comfortable in that they're especially like the gen X, gen Zers, sorry.
And sometimes millennials, like they feel comfortable in that space, which is great. So then providing tools and resources, which. is primarily outside of Bob Heilig. I feel like much of the training is geared towards that small facet of the company. And then, like you said, 80% of us, and I would throw myself into that bunch.
And the only reason I'm not using social media is because I wanna be able to exemplify and be motivated by other alternatives, you know, solutions like some of the ones you've shared today that can get that can show that you can do this the old school way. So yeah, I don't think it has to look. A you know, hard and fast, no social media.
like it's social. Media's the enemy. I'm just kidding. It's not, it doesn't have to be that, that dramatic of a, of a cut for sure. And I think it is important to find ways to show all the different. Incredible ways that we can build this
Kristen: business model. And I'll tell you, there's a very large conversation happening in our NVP community about getting back to the basics after this crazy two years, you know, it's looked different for everybody depending on where you've lived, cuz we're international.
So you know what we could do here in , you know, Florida is way different than what people could do in Australia. For instance but there is a huge push. To get back to in person and back to the basics. And I didn't build my business doing parties. And if I, if that had been the only option for me, I wouldn't have started this business because it's just not my jam, but I, I absolutely love Watching people on my team do them.
And then I've started doing basically like Fs flights, you know, with Fs sticks, like the different flavors. And it's just like, if you went to a, a bar and did a flight, you know, there or a glow bar and those to me feel awesome. And I could do those every day of the week and we just got a new skincare system and I'm like, yeah, I can absolutely gather a few people.
And for me it's a few, right. It's yeah. It's four and it's. 80 at, at my house, you know, I love big parties, but, but for me that I feel like because I am so relational, I just want to be able to connect with everyone individually. And so I figured out that disconnect as we've been talking about how different people are sharing in person and even, you know, the 20 year olds on our team are like, I want to do this in person, like, teach me how to do this.
And they're feeling that need for community and to be in person. And so I just think that's huge to know that in a company like our. That you have people, you know, doing things every which way we have a system, but you know, it's how you wanna implement that is up to you. But to know that people are craving that that's telling me something huge, especially with all the people in our business that have been around for 20 years and where they've seen things come and go and they know what works, and they know that we are connected to be in community with each other.
So it's really fascinating to see what's happen.
Heather: Oh, my gosh. I, I love that the back to basics that's yeah, definitely so important. And shifting, cause have you read have you read the book renewal for field leaders? No. Oh my gosh, Kristen, this read it is for you. It is so good. Goodness. Actually another, I had still, I guess have I'm not actively recording episodes, but I interviewed a top leader at Rodan fields, Jody, for my stories of light podcast.
And she has an incredible story. I can actually link that in the podcast too, but she was the one who, I don't think it was on the podcast, but privately recommended this book to me. And it it's just incredible because it talks about the business model in general and how it. There's kind of like a bell curve that we all go through.
And I mean, actually I think literally I'm pretty sure Arvan is in here with
Kristen: one of those bell curve, bell curves. Yeah,
Heather: sure. It's there. It's right there. And I so funny it's blurry, but anyways it, it shows this bell curve and some of the I guess. Peaks and valleys of the life cycle of the business model and some of the important aspects of kind of going back to basics, to lean on systems.
And a lot of the things we learned from somebody like Bob HEK, but it's, it is an incredible book that I highly recommend. It's, it's definitely a higher level. So if you're listening to this and you don't lead a team of thousands, it might be a little overwhelming , but for someone like Kristen, you know, this is definitely a fantastic resource to kind of better understand the business model.
And it could be really good to, to kind of chat with your. MVP community. So are those the vice presidents that are, or in MVP? So the that's the national vice presidents that all the ones that are that highest rank. Oh, I love that. That's
Kristen: super cool. Very cool. Yeah. And I think you know, when we're thinking about when we are in momentum the last time we had the largest lift in our business was when R nine, which is the skincare line that you were probably told about.
It came out and it absolutely exploded Arbonne like so many people promoted. They couldn't even like call their name when they walked across the stage. Like it was, it was an experience like that. And so the skincare line that we've just launched. Similar to that in the sense that it's revolutionary, it's, you know, you can see results in two days.
And so the onus to give it into people's hands and to have the, I think that's the benefit of, of learning from other companies that have been in business this long. Like they, they, they can feel it, they can see it, they can sense it. And they're like, this is it. This is the time. This is where we go back to the basics of you know, doing this because we are gonna experience.
Astronomical growth. And to have that industry knowledge is incredible. And I think that when you think about, you know, leveling up or scaling your business and how you can do that through without depending on social, you've just gotta figure out what you love and just do more of it because when you.
When you're in that flow, it doesn't feel like work. You know, when I promoted my team and I promoted to the top level of the company, I felt like I was doing less personally than I ever had been because I was leading through my leaders. And as someone that doesn't delegate well and is always just kind of self-motivated, it was a learned skill, but when you're obsessing.
Over other people's goals and their futures and their dreams and you're partnering with them. And that, it just feels amazing to be speaking life into them, you know, and they may never have had a positive voice in their world and suddenly you're watching them grow and flourish. And that is where. You can see absolutely tremendous growth in your business and not have to, you know, rely on social media to create that.
And I think it just comes down to community. If you're doing something for one person, do it for all right, we're huge on retreats and experiences. And the more that we can invite others and to take a peek into what we're doing. And sometimes it's something simple, just like a book club or a happy hour, and it's inviting.
Consultants obviously, but having them bring guests and watch what happens when your network just explodes, because that one person brings two people and they are like, what is this? I wanna be a part of it. And suddenly next month they're bringing 20 or 30. And that happens. And I was looking, as I was thinking about this conversation today, I was looking back at the top leaders on my team and of them only five.
Did I directly sponsor. So just for that mental, you know, if I drew it out it's because someone else sponsors someone who sponsors, someone who sponsors someone and introduced me to that network of people and they've all just risen up. And so I just think the power of the network is huge and you can still do that today.
One-on-one in community. Oh, my
Heather: goodness. So much gold. Kristin. I cannot even handle all the goodness and wisdom that you have brought today. And I feel like we could talk for hours about this, but is there anything else that you wanna leave with, with the listeners about this.
Kristen: No. I just encourage you to find your happy place in this business, in this industry and protect your mind, guard your heart do life in business with people that you love to be around and just offer this gift because people are looking for it now more than ever.
Heather: Wow. Love that. So where can people find you where's the best place?
If somebody wants to connect with you about the products or the business opportunity or anything anything at all, where can they find.
Kristen: Instagram @kristenwilliamsnvp, or my website, KristenWilliams.Arbonne.com. But yeah, I just love this and love what you're creating. Thank
Heather: you so much. And it's Kristen with an E right?
Well, I E K R I S K R
Kristen: I S T E N. Yeah. Williams dot MVP. Okay. Mm-hmm
Heather: awesome. I'll make sure to share that also in the show note. So just a reminder, just if you're on listening on apple, just kind of swipe up and you'll be able to see, you know, both like a quick summary, but also the links and the resources and the books, cuz like this book renewal for field leaders, unfortunately it's not on audible, but it is absolutely.
Like clicking, add to cart from your from your Amazon account. So I'll make sure to link all of that as well as the, the Earnings.Arbonne.com again and again, I'll, I'll do our Seint income disclosure statement as well, because I think it's really important, again, to be super transparent about what it looks like.
Yeah. Cause I know it wasn't, as you've mentioned without a lot of hard and hard work coupled together that you've, you've been here, but it means a world for you to be here and share your story and everything today. Thank you so much.
Kristen: Thanks for having me. Yay.
