Being a THRIVE Life Consultant -- Q&A

I've recently had some lovely ladies express interest in the consulting side of THRIVE Life.  They have great questions about the business; and I thought it would be useful to answer them here as well as individually for each of them!  Because sometimes people have questions but don't want to ask -- or aren't sure what their questions even are!

And if you have a question about being a THRIVE Life Consultant which I don't address here, please message me and ask!  I'm always happy to help people learn :).

In recent months, THRIVE Life has re-vamped their whole Consultant plan.  And it is amazing.  I would say if you've ever considered being a consultant, now is the time to look into it further!  The perks for joining are phenomenal, and the kits to help you get started have new prices -- and a new variety of products!  So here are a few of the questions I've received:

1.  What is the annual fee for being a consultant?  Zero!  You do not pay annually to be active as a THRIVE Life consultant.  And I think that is amazing!  Until this question was asked of me, I never even knew that other direct sales companies charge an annual fee.  So this was a great learning opportunity for me, and I'm thrilled to be able to come back with that lovely number of ZERO!

2.  So what does it cost to become a consultant?  I think this question must be answered with two sub-categories, if you will.  First of all, you need to buy your consultant kit.  There are 3 different kits from which to choose, depending on what you want your consultant business to look like.  You may not want to actively go out and do parties -- and that's okay!  There is a kit made just for you! It's called the "Social Seller" kit (it is the least expensive kit at $129 plus tax and shipping).  But you may want to hit the ground running and make this business work for you.  And that's great too!  There's a kit that is more extensive just for you!  You can learn more about these kits by following this link. Your kit will include amazing foods along with paperwork to help you get started!  The second half of the answer is in regards to the Q.  Every consultant is required to have an active Q to receive commission (or be in active consultant status).  There is a $50 per month minimum Q budget for consultants.  Basically this means you order at least $50 worth of product (food, emergency supplies, etc) each month.  

3.  As a consultant, what would I be required to do?  Is there a monthly minimum in sales I need to achieve, etc?  As a consultant, once you order your kit, your ONLY requirement is to have an active Q with a minimum budget of $50 a month in order to be an active consultant.  You are NOT required to hold parties or sell the product.  

4.  What if I want to quit being a consultant?  You simply cancel your Q and you are no longer a consultant.  

5.  What are some of the perks of being a consultant?  You can earn commissions on your own Q for anything over $50 (not including shipping) as well as any other orders your place yourself outside of your Q.  You can share the product with friends and family and earn free and half-off (retail price) products as well as commission just by sharing with those closest to you who may be interested in the awesome THRIVE Life products.  And if you want to actively sell the product and make it your business, you have the potential of stocking your own home store for free.  You are also a member of the Q Club as long as you are an active consultant, regardless of your budget.  For non-consultants, Q Club membership is free with a minimum $100 budget or an annual fee of $79.99 with any budget under $100.  The Q Club allows you to earn points for your Q purchases which can be redeemed for free product when you reach certain point accumulations.  And one of the biggest perks for new consultants is what's called the double-dip.  When you buy a kit and sign up for a Q, you can get host credits for those purchases, which translates into free -- and usually half-off -- product!  And, of course, anything you do as a consultant is on your schedule and you can choose how involved you want to be.  That's a great perk, in my opinion, because when I was in my first trimester of this pregnancy, I was so tired and felt pretty crummy every afternoon.  I was able to put my THRIVE Life business on the back burner until I felt better -- and that was okay!

6.  How hard is it to sign up to be a consultant?  It's super easy.  You can go to my website (www.thrivelife.com/THRIVEingNilla) and click on "Join My Team" under my picture.  This enables you to input all necessary information without having to give me anything you may not want me to have (like your SSN).  You can also always contact me, but I know I prefer doing things on my own and keeping some information as private as possible, so I make sure people know how they can do that!

I have definitely loved being a THRIVE Life Consultant.  I have started having a better -- and bigger -- variety of foods in my home store; and I've also become more adventurous in the kitchen.  It's been a lot of fun for me to try new things and see what I can do with my "food storage."  I've loved sharing things with others and helping them learn a variety of ways they can become prepared.  For me, being a consultant made sense, since I wanted the variety offered by THRIVE Life in my food storage/home store anyway!  I joined back when the kits were a little different and a bit more costly, and I was still able to pay off my initial outlay (which I chose to include my 3-month Q commitment of $100 -- which was the minimum commitment at the time -- as what I needed to pay back) in less than 6 months.  And that was doing things at a pace I felt comfortable with and also while I was going through my rough months of early pregnancy and didn't put a whole lot of effort into my business.  For me, it has been an enjoyable journey.

I just wanted to share a little bit of information for anyone who may wonder, especially because with the new kits and their prices, this is a great time to start!  And if you have further questions, please feel free to contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com!

Cornmeal Cookies

Some days I just get in a baking mood.  And then I need to either freeze or give away what I bake.  Because I have an insatiable sweet tooth! 

When I became a consultant with THRIVE Life, one of the awesome things included in the consultant kit was the THRIVE Cookbook.  I love cookbooks.  So I have spent much time flipping through the pages of this cookbook, thinking about all the things I want to try.  One of those things that grabbed my interest right away was cornmeal cookies!  I'd never heard of putting cornmeal in cookies.  I was intrigued and knew I wanted to give them a go. 

So I did!

I shared them with one of my sweet customers, and she said it is one of the best cookies she has ever tasted.  If you don't like lemon, you'll want to steer clear.  But otherwise, these are a delicious treat!  And I even threw in an extra little something yummy :)!

CORNMEAL COOKIES
3/4 cup butter, softened (I used 1/2 cup butter and 1/4 cup THRIVE Butter Powder + 2 tablespoons water)
3/4 cup white sugar*
1 tablespoon THRIVE Whole Egg Powder (plus 2 tablespoons water)
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1/2 cup THRIVE Cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder*
1/4 teaspoon salt*
1 1/2 cups white flour*
1/2 cup dried cranberries (or raisins -- I used cranberries)
1/3 cup white chocolate chips (optional -- these were my addition)

Preheat oven to 375.  In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Mix in he egg, water, and lemon extract.  Mix well.

In a separate mixing bowl, combine the cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and flour.  Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and combine.  Stir in cranberries and white chocolate chips (if desired).

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a lightly greased baking sheet.  Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until the cookie bottoms are lightly browned.  Let cookies cook for 2 minutes on baking sheet before placing them on a cooling rack.

*Denotes other ingredients available through THRIVE Life.

These are yummy and just a different spin on a cookie!  Loved trying them out -- and love my THRIVE Cookbook!

Speaking of becoming a consultant...  There is seriously no better time than now if you have ever considered becoming one!  THRIVE Life has just revamped their Consultant Kits and restructured everything.  It's amazing!  Enough that I sort of wish I was just now signing up ;).  Except for all the fun I've already been having as I've built up my own home store!!!  So if you have any questions about being a THRIVE Life Consultant and want to know more, contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com!  I'd love to tell you why I love what I am doing!

The Q: Q&A

One of the many fabulous options offered by THRIVE Life is the Q.  Pictured above is my Q shipment for September!  (I am anxiously awaiting my October Q shipment -- it's wheeling it's way to me as I type!)

So, what exactly is the Q?

The Q is a convenient and easy way to get some of your groceries delivered right to your door every month! When you set up a Q through THRIVE Life, you set a budget of how much you want to spend on THRIVE yumminess each month.  You choose what items you want to have arriving at your doorstep and add them to your Q.  And then they arrive!  The idea is to reallocate some of your monthly grocery budget to ordering long-lasting, healthy, delicious, and convenient foods to start building your home store.  With the Q, you also have control over when your order processes each month (the date your credit card is charged).  You can even change it from month to month!  And though you can always order through me -- and always get the Q price when you do...  When you have a Q, you will get the Q price every time you log-in and place your own order on your Q!


What is a home store?

A home store is a supply of food in your home from which you can "shop."  It can be a time and money saver!  Here's how:  Have you ever found yourself in the middle of making a meal and find you are lacking one stinkin' ingredient?!?  I have.  And it is the most frustrating thing!  For me, it seems the ingredient I am most often without is sour cream.  Even when I plan my menu out for two weeks and I know I'm going to make a dish that calls for sour cream, I somehow frequently forget to put it on my grocery list.  So then it doesn't get purchased.  And then I find myself mid-meal-prep with no sour cream.  One day I called around to 2 friends who live nearby to see if they had any.  They didn't.  So I texted my mom at work to see if she did.  She did.  So I had to get my baby ready, and go to my mom's house for sour cream.  True, I could have gone to the store...  But since I could walk to my mom's, I saved gas.  And I saved myself on impulse buys.  But I still wasted a ton of time in the endeavor!  So guess what is coming to my house this month in my Q shipment?  THRIVE Sour Cream Powder!  I will never have to make an extra trip to the store -- or shop at Mom's -- now that I will have sour cream in my own home store!  I can just "shop" at home!!!

Is there a minimum required budget?

Only if you are a consultant, in which case the minimum budget to remain active as a consultant is $50 a month.  For non-consultants, there is no minimum budget.  You can set your budget at $20 a month or $200 a month, it's all up to you and what your family feels is best.  The most important thing to remember is that your budgeted amount does not include shipping.  Shipping is additional to your budget total.

Is there a contract or commitment for the Q?

Yes.  When you sign up for the Q, you commit to spending your chosen budget for 3 months.  For example, if you sign up for a Q in October at a budget of $60, you commit to ordering $60 in October (or whichever month you choose to begin, as you can post-date your first Q shipment), $60 in November, and $60 in December.  After the first 3 months, you can increase your budget, decrease your budget, pause your Q, or cancel your Q entirely.  It's all up to you!

When I am on the Q, are my shipments pre-determined, or do I get to choose what I want to have shipped to me each month?

It depends on your preference!  If you would like to allow THRIVE Life to select items for you based on some parameters you define, you can do that.  If you want to start out with one of their Smart Start Kits, you can do that. (These kits have the most popular items and will offer you a large variety for the first 3 months of your Q, giving you an opportunity to try several THRIVE Life products quickly so you can determine what your family likes best!)    Or, if you prefer, you can opt to always choose your items yourself.  This is what my family has chosen to do!  Then I decide each month what treasures will be arriving next :)!

Can I only purchase food items on the Q?

No!  THRIVE Life offers other awesome products, such as emergency essentials and food rotation systems -- and you can purchase them all on your Q, as well as the delicious, long-lasting foods!  (If you'll notice in the above picture, I ordered a 5-in-1 Emergency Whistle as part of my September Q!)

What is the Q Club?

The Q Club is similar to the Q, but better!  When you join the Q Club, you have access to new products when they first come out (meaning you can pre-order them before others can), you are able to purchase the Q-Pon item (the most deeply discounted item each month), and you receive rewards points!  Your rewards points can continue to accrue as long as you want them to, and then you can redeem them for free product at THRIVE Life!

How do I join the Q Club?

You can join the Q Club 3 different ways:

1. Become a consultant!  You are part of the Q Club free for life!
2. Set your Q budget at $100 or more and you're in the Q Club for free.  (If you choose to order the Smart Start Kits, these will automatically qualify you for the Q Club your first 3 months.)  Remember, the budget amount does not include shipping.  You must purchase at least $100 in product, NOT INCLUDING SHIPPING, to be in the Q Club at no additional charge.  If you choose to lower your budget to below $100 after the first 3 month commitment, you will retain the points you have earned, but you will not continue to earn rewards points unless you pay the Q Club membership fee.
3. If you do not wish to set your budget at or above $100 or become a consultant, but still want the benefits of the Q Club, you can pay $79.99 to join the Q-Club at any chosen budget.

I hope this little Q&A session about The Q has been helpful!  I know there is a lot of information to learn when one chooses to set up a Q, so I want to help as much as I can to make it easier to understand and use from the get-go!

I love my Q and look forward to filling it each month with the THRIVE Life goodies I want to try next -- or add to in my ever-expanding home store :)!

Would you like to set up a Q to help you build your home store?  Contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com and I'll help you get started!

THRIVE Garden Fresh Salsa

Did you know THRIVE has a delicious Garden Fresh Salsa?  Well, they do!  But here's the secret:  you can only order this fabulous salsa through a consultant!  Or by becoming a consultant yourself ;).  You won't find this tasty treat on any price lists or online.  But that doesn't mean you can't enjoy some for yourself!  Just contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com to get your own party sample -- and devour it all by yourself -- or share it with friends :)!

So why do I love THRIVE Garden Fresh Salsa?

1.  It's has all the flavor of fresh salsa and none of the chopping!
2.  It's easy to prepare -- just add water to the contents of the can and let sit (at least 3 hours, but I recommend overnight to allow the flavors to blend).
3.  It has less sodium than canned salsa you buy at the grocery store!!! 
4.  It is full of healthy veggies:  THRIVE red bell pepper, THRIVE sweet corn, THRIVE tomato dices, THRIVE chili peppers, THRIVE onions, and THRIVE cilantro!
5.  It has a shelf-life of 10 years, so you can always have some salsa stashed away for a day you might need it :)!

Although we didn't have ours stashed for 10 years...  I found myself in a situation where having salsa was preferred...  We were going to have tacos and I love to have salsa on my tacos.  And we'd finished off our store-bought canned salsa earlier in the week!  I was kind of bummed and told my husband, "I wish we had salsa, but we used it up in Monday's meal."  (I'd forgotten about my THRIVE Garden Fresh Salsa!  But then I remembered it -- so we made it up!)

The THRIVE Garden Fresh Salsa added a wonderful zip to our tacos -- and was even better the next day while I snacked on it with some tortilla chips :). 

Beginning to THRIVE

I suspect some people may be interested in knowing how they can begin to THRIVE.  So I will lay out a few easy steps to get you started.

1.  Send me your email address!  You can leave it in the comments here (because I moderate, and nobody but me will see the comment unless I want them to) or email me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com.  Why is this a good first step?  Because it will enable me to make sure you know about all the specials as soon as I know about them!  If you would also like to be given a temporary password by THRIVE Life, which will allow you to log-in when you visit my website, let me know, and I'll get that set up for you!

2. Create a shopping "wish list."  This can help you prioritize your purchases.  You may want to consider items you know you usually have to throw away, because they spoil before you are able to use them.  For example, I know my mushrooms tend to go slimy and gross before the end of the pay period.  So one of my first THRIVE purchases was the freeze dried mushrooms.  I have been using them in soups and on my home-made pizzas!  And I don't have to worry about not using them fast enough and having to throw them out :).

3.  Start building your home store.  There are many ways to accomplish this.  You can use the Q (a super-convenient way to set a budget to spend each month on helping you build your home store), or you can contact me and place orders when it is most convenient for you.  Remember, the goal is never to go into debt to build your home store.  You want to reallocate some of your grocery budget to building your home store with THRIVE.  You can always obtain a log-in and password from THRIVE Life and log-in and order (not on the Q).  However, the prices will not be as deeply discounted as they are when you purchase through me.  The Q offers the benefit of placing the order yourself and getting the Q price (or most discounted price).

4.  Remember that THRIVE Life can also help you prepare with emergency essentials such as water purifiers, first aid kits, and a variety of other items that may be useful in an emergency situation.

5.  Consider hosting a party.  Parties can be live or virtual, so pretty much anyone -- anywhere -- can be a host and reap the awesome host benefits!  If you want a way to jump-start your home store, hosting is it.  Your potential for earning a lot of free and heavily discounted product is phenomenal.  That's just something for you to think about.  Feel free to contact me with questions or if you're interested in being a host!

6.  Consider consulting!  As I mentioned before, the perks for being a consultant are quite amazing.  You get free Q Club membership for life.  You can help your family's income on your schedule and at your chosen pace.  You can build your home store quickly.  And you can get out and and meet people and help them prepare for the future!  If you think you might be interested in consulting, contact me!  You can also sign up via my THRIVE Life website here.

Why I THRIVE

Any time I undertake a new endeavor, I generally like to explain the reasoning behind it.  I'm not exactly sure why this is, but it is.  So I embrace it.

I can honestly say that being (and becoming) prepared has been important to me since I was in my mid-twenties (which may feel like it was eons ago, but, really, was only a decade ago).  I always had the ideal of having a store of food for my family in the event of an emergency situation of some sort.  I believe we have been counseled by Prophets of the Lord to do this, which is why it has always been a goal for me.  But in recent years, I've learned that the Red Cross and FEMA are also encouraging people to do this.  And in light of some of the events of the last decade, I can totally see why:  hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, overwhelming job loss.  The reasons for being prepared are many.  And I don't think we've seen the end of these things.

So having a long-term supply of food has long been important to me.  And I would start putting forth efforts to accomplish the goal.  And then I'd get bogged down.  I was at a loss as to how to figure out what I needed:  what kinds of food?  how much of those items?  And so it would fall to the bottom of my priority list.

Then I got married.  And my husband had come from a home where having food storage was done.  And he was very good at rotating through the food -- using the food storage in everyday cooking and eating.  That way none of it went to waste.  And so he started teaching me.

Together we started working on obtaining the staples:  wheat, flour, sugar, macaroni, powdered milk.  And we started labeling things with the date so as to know how much we would need for a year or two.  This has given me so much peace of mind.  We feel confident that our family can survive for a time in an emergency situation (whatever that situation may look like for us).  We aren't exactly where we want to be...  But we are somewhere.  And that's a good thing.

Over time, though, I started thinking about our long-term food supply.  And I thought about some of the things that we use all the time, but which are not as easy to store long-term.  Eggs.  Butter.  And, truthfully, the eggs were the first thing that drew me to THRIVE.  I wanted eggs in my long-term food storage -- eggs that would keep for longer than 3 months and wouldn't require a refrigerator.  I attended a THRIVE party, I bought eggs, and I learned about all the other awesome stuff THRIVE has.  It was fun and exciting.

But I didn't decide to become a consultant.  And I didn't order more stuff.

I was at a different point in my life then.  Newly-wed.  Working full-time.  Preparing to start a family.  Food storage was still of great importance to us, though.  And so were our 72-hour kits.  So we worked on those things.  And honestly, I could kick myself now for not joining THRIVE sooner as a consultant!  The perks are amazing.  But, like I said, I was at a different place in life.

But life changes.  We change.  And a little seed had been planted at that first THRIVE party where I ordered whole egg powder.  A little seed that started to sprout about 3 1/2 months after my daughter was born and I was feeling a need to contribute financially to our family income (I'd quit my job to be a stay-at-home mommy).  Still, life was in upheaval then, and the timing still wasn't right.  But the little seed sprout was still there.  And almost a year later, I attended another THRIVE party, and that seed just started growing and growing and growing -- right then and there!  I knew this was something I wanted to do.  I wanted to bring in some income while being home with my daughter.  But at the same time I wanted to have an opportunity for me to get out and do something fun for me.  I wanted flexibility to do a job on my schedule.  THRIVE offers me that.

If someone had asked me a decade ago if I'd ever consider being a consultant for a company -- going into people's homes to introduce them to a product and earning a commission...  I'd have said heck no!  I didn't feel like that was something I'd ever be comfortable doing.  I don't ever want people to feel like I am pressuring them.  I don't ever want people to feel like I have an expectation that they will purchase something through me.  But like I said, life changes.  We change.  And while my feelings about not wanting people to feel pressured are still there and still true, I feel like I can represent something -- share something -- without offending or pressuring others.  But only if it's something I believe in.

I was introduced to THRIVE, and I liked it.  A lot.  Enough to choose to represent it and introduce it to others. I love that these foods have a long shelf-life so I can create a home store full of variety.  I love that these foods are healthier because they are freeze-dried to make them last longer, and there are no added preservatives to make them that way!  I love that the foods come "user-friendly" -- ready to use!  It saves me so much time when I don't have to rinse and chop veggies!  And I love that so many of the items are helping me to reduce waste because they won't go bad before I can use them!  (I'm notorious for not using my cilantro, green onions, and mushrooms before they start going slimy and ick on me...  Then I just have to throw them away :(...)

So I knew I loved the products...  And the more I thought about building my home store with THRIVE, I knew becoming a consultant was just a smart decision for our family.  I love the perks of being a consultant, and I am excited about the opportunity of helping others learn how to prepare through this new adventure.

So that is why I THRIVE.  It's easy to THRIVE!  And it's fun, too!