What BBQ Tofu + Aretha Franklin have in common

She ordered the BBQ Tofu sandwich, so she wasn’t like your typical Mary Kay lady.

But she did have a pink Cadillac though. And she drove it all the way from Lexington Kentucky to Richmond Virginia for my grand opening! 🎉

The “grand” opening was like 5 of my friends who felt obligated to show up to my apartment because I promised drinks and snacks.

It’s wild to me that she drove 8 hours for that. I felt super supported and I was super excited about the opportunity. So excited that I decided to fly to Dallas Texas a few months later. I mean, WTF? 😅

How did I go from being the shop girl at a local tattoo studio to being in a crowded auditorium full of women in blazers dancing across the stage while Pink Cadillac by Aretha Franklin blasted from the speakers? 🤔

Photo of the Cadillac Sales Directors event with all the directors on stage surrounding a pink Cadillac. I did not win the Pink Cadillac.

When I get excited about something, I go all in. Turns out that’s a thing with ADHD, which I didn’t have any idea I had at the time.

And spoiler alert: I never got a pink Cadillac.

To say that I SUCKED at selling Mary Kay would be an understatement. I honestly don’t think I ever sold anything to anyone at full price. I could hardly give the stuff away.

I was too uncomfortable because it just wasn’t me.

But I did love Julia. A few years later I ended up taking a road trip with my friend Natalie and we stayed with Julia and her husband and had a super fun night grilling out on their back deck.

An old pic of Deanna behind the wheel of a chevy wearing pink aviators and a white tshirt with stripes. She's ready for a road trip. But not to sell Mary Kay.

Turns out, I love people but I don’t love sales. And now that I’ve learned so much more about MLM’s… I don’t love them either.

Because the dream they’re selling can’t possibly be for everyone in that auditorium. It just can’t. The system’s not set up that way.

They want you to believe it can be, but it’s not.

I mean, there’s 2.4 million Mary Kay ladies on this earth, how many pink Caddy’s do you see rollin’ around? 👀 Just sayin.

It’s kinda how diet culture blames you for failing at the diet, when 90% of people who go on a diet gain the weight back. So really… the diets fail you.

The online business world I stepped into years ago is actually a lot like MLMs and Diet Culture swirled into one.

There are a few people at the top selling you the idea that you can be just like them if you just buy their programs. Turns out 90% of people don’t finish those courses either, and they don’t work for everyone. But the blame is put on you when it doesn’t work. #resultsnottypical

The truth is, you can’t be just like them, because you’re YOU.

And I want to help you freaking celebrate that.

I’m your gal when it comes to creating social media plans, kick-ass graphics, lead magnets that ooze personality, scripting and editing reels that showcase your beautiful personality, and emails that make your readers wanna hit reply.

We all have different zones of genius and when we come together we’re a force to be reckoned with. ⚡️

A strategist and graphic designer in your back pocket ready to support you in growing your business on your own terms and in a way that feels aligned with your mission and values.