"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly;...who at best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly." - Theodore Roosevelt

This is a favorite quote of my favorite "researcher and storyteller" - Brene Brown. She loves this quote so much she even wrote a book about it, appropriately titled Daring Greatly. The book is all about the power and positivity that can come from being vulnerable. Yes, vulnerable.

vulnerable (adj.):
1. capable of, or susceptible to, being wounded or hurt, as by a weapon.
2. open to moral attack, criticism, temptation, etc.

Prior to reading the book, I always associated that word with the oppressed populations I learned about in social work classes or something like how babies are vulnerable to germs. We are taught to be tough, "don't let them see you sweat", and that vulnerability = weakness. But while reading this book, I quickly realized all people have opportunities to be vulnerable (and not in a germ-y way), it is just not highly encouraged by our society.

A few years ago, I tried working for a direct sales company. For various reasons, it was not a good fit. So I wrote off direct sales as something that would never be a good fit for me. But eventually, I remembered a very wise woman who taught us 90's kids to never say never.

So, this is my opportunity to be vulnerable. This past week I joined a team of some pretty great women who serve as consultants for Rodan & Fields. My Sponsor, Amanda, can tell you it was not an easy decision for me. She asked me to join her probably about six months ago when she began her journey. I thought about it, talked to her about it, and then decided against it. Since then, she has put the bug back in my ear and I have continually thought about it, almost said yes, and then ultimately said no. My go to excuse was the financial commitment needed to start the business. What I didn't openly admit was that it was scary to jump into direct sales again after trying and failing the first time. But last week, I decided to dare greatly and see if this can be as successful for me as it has been for Amanda.

Is this journey scary? Hell yeah.
Will it be worth it? I certainly hope.
Am I excited? Most definitely.

**If you are interested in purchasing any Rodan and Fields products, check out my website at careyk.myrandf.com
***If you are interested in daring greatly and joining my team, please don't hesitate to reach out!