My name is Robin Southwick Burton. I was born into a large family of devout Christians in a tiny farming community. Belief in God & a strong sense of family were taught from day one. There wasn’t a lot of money, so almost everything I had was previously owned or very inexpensive. Most definitely not one of the popular kids, I never truly felt that I fit in although I excelled at sports & academics. Despite not fitting in or even dating in high school, I grew up stubborn & strong willed-I knew my path. At least I thought I did. =)
I had plans to attend college, serve a mission for my church, & marry. There would be no debt, a decent amount of money , & I’d be the perfect doting mother. I graduated from college debt free (thanks to scholarships, pell grants, & different jobs while at school) with a degree I hated & worked various jobs while trying to decide to serve the mission I had planned on. I served the mission in Brazil for 18 months & came to love those amazing people. It wasn’t until I was a missionary in a foreign country that I came to feel comfortable with myself & knew that I truly had worth.
I returned from my mission 23 years old & ready to move into the next phase. I didn’t marry quickly like I had planned. I worked various jobs, planning to have a lot of money. After a year of working for a grocery store & three other side jobs, I had purchased & paid off a car, but had pretty much no money saved. I got a job as a UPS delivery driver that paid well & after 1 1/2 years, I was making good money. Still living at home, but rarely there, my mom asked if I was ever going to leave! I was deeply hurt, but it got me moving.
With the help of my high school track coach, I purchased an old house that needed fixed up. 25 years old, making good money with a paid off car & a house, I thought I was a pretty good catch. Problem was, I was the only one. =) Okay, I did have a couple guys that were interested, I just wasn’t super interested back. I did date a little & had even had my first boyfriend, but it didn’t work out. I fixed up the house with lots of help from family & friends & in the process fell in love with one of the friends. At the age of 27, I finally married.
After my first daughter was born 1 1/2 years later, I quit my job to stay at home with her. Things got super tight as we still hadn’t mastered the art of saving. I was constantly looking for ways to earn money. I found a sure fire way to earn & ended up putting us $5000 in debt while not making a dime. Finally, in 2015, after four years of not making money, I attended a direct sales party with a company called Norwex. I signed up as an independent consultant & have never looked back. I love it! I have grown personally throughout my years there & have made some great friendships. I’m coming to realize that there are so many ways to make a difference in people’s lives.
As I’ve struggled through different obstacles these past twenty years, I’ve picked up some small tips from others that have made a difference. I am in no way perfect, but I am learning & growing every day! Although I constantly battle with priorities & utilizing my time wisely & am not that doting mother I had wanted to be, I absolutely love my children, & try every day to keep my priorities straight. =)
So, between working my own business, raising children, worshipping The Almighty, supporting my husband, & still trying to remain sane, I often feel overwhelmed. However. I know I’m not alone. As I try to muddle my way through life with different ideas to make things more manageable, I’m sharing them so we can learn together & become free from debt, chemicals, self deprication, & the world’s definition of successful & amazing.
I ‘m amazing & so are you. Let’s make this journey together!