Liz Foo-Lequeux thought that working hard and dedicating herself to her career would create financial prosperity for her family. However, when she found herself working 12 hours per day for six days per week while still struggling to get ahead, she realized that something needed to change.
“I was reading the best-selling financial book Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki. I was really struck by his idea that the way to get ahead was to have a business that paid a passive income whether you were working or not. I had never heard of that idea before,” says Foo.
That was when her life changed.
“Right at that time, I met someone who introduced me to the LegalShield model. I realized that this was exactly the kind of business that Kiyosaki was writing about, and I jumped on it immediately.”
Even compared to other direct selling companies, Foo sees LegalShield as a perfect fit for stay-at-home mothers because of the flexibility of the sales presentations, which can be made over the phone. “Others—like jewelry, makeup, and consumables—usually require a face-to-face presentation for people to try before they buy. With LegalShield, if you are stuck at home with a sick child, you can walk people through the website over the phone and they can buy it right there. And unlike my old job, I don’t have to request time off when the kids are home for spring break, winter holiday or summer. I can just go straight into mom mode.”
The direct selling model utilized by LegalShield is also appealing because it takes very little cash to get started. According to LegalShield CEO Jeff Bell, “For under $200, a mom can start a business that has the chance to generate real income—while providing her customers with much-needed, affordable legal and identity theft protection. Where else could you do that?”
Foo’s dedication and work ethic has paid off. She was recently profiled in HomeBusiness Connection as a “mompreneur” (“mom + entrepreneur”) who makes $100,000+ annually as a LegalShield associate.
For her fellow mompreneurs, Foo offers these tips for building a successful at-home business:
- Be 100% present.
If you’re with your kids, be with your kids. If you’re working, work. Compartmentalize these times. If the kids are not yet in school, then set office hours. This way you will not feel guilty taking a call while you’re with the kids if it’s during office hours; on the flip side, you won’t feel guilty if you ignore a call after office hours when you’re with the kids.” - Make sure your cup is full so you have enough to give.
“Motherhood and running a business is about giving to others. If you’re running on empty, then you’re no good to anybody! Make sure exercising, eating right, prayer time, getting to bed early and taking naps are priorities! It’s so easy to put others needs before your own, but if mama ain’t happy … ain’t nobody happy!” - Plan everything.
“One success coach of mine says, ‘Liz, you can have it all; you just have to be willing to plan it out.’ Meetings, follow-up calls, birthday parties, date night with the hubby, class trips and achieving the top position at your company: if you use your day planner, you can do it all!“Decide what your five-year goal is, then break it down into annual mini-goals until then. After that decide what your monthly plans are going to be to achieve those annual goals, then determine your highest income-producing activities that you can do every day to reach your goals. And don’t forget to put your personal life goals in your planner first – when you’re running a high-achieving business, it’s easy to put these things like family time and date nights last. Remember, they are the entire reason why you’re working so hard in the first place!” - Delegate, delegate, delegate.
“Always ask yourself, ‘Can someone else do this?’ For example, I found a wonderful housekeeper who comes once a week for $40. How much are those 3 hours of my time really worth? In those same 3 hours, I could be signing up new clients or game-planning with a new sales associate who will go on to sell 10 memberships a month. When it comes to business activities, how can you leverage your time? I take new sales associates with me on appointments and calls so they learn how to do it faster and eventually take that leadership role. “I am always asking myself ‘how can I replace myself?’ This way, if I have an opportunity to sign up 35 clients on a Saturday, I can confidently send somebody else to do it so I can go to a birthday party.” - Network, network, network.
“People do business with people whom they know, like, and trust. The more business people I meet and the more time that I spend building relationships with them, the less they mind if I bring my kids with me on appointments. The more heavily networked you are in business groups, church groups and community functions, the quicker that people trust you, like you, and buy from you. And the more people you get to know, the faster your business will grow!”
