When Coleen Mast of Bourbonnais, Illinois, thinks back 16 years ago to life before Reliv, she remembers the frustration of not being able to discipline her 3-year-old because she couldn’t carry him upstairs to his room. Arthritis and chronic fatigue made climbing steps painful and exhausting. “Despite the fact that I took 20 vitamins a day and ate organic food, my quality of life was terrible,” Coleen says.
While planning her daughter’s Confirmation party — and wondering if she could get through it — a family friend told Coleen that she had something she thought would make her feel better. Her friend’s persistence paid off when Coleen and her husband Kent experienced tremendous results on Reliv.
“We got our lives back,” Coleen says. “We were so excited that we told everyone about Reliv, not having any idea how huge this opportunity would be for us.”
The Start of Something Big
Coleen and Kent began attending Tuesday night Reliv meetings with no intention of seriously building a business. Coleen is a national Catholic radio host, author and speaker, and Kent is a real estate sales manager. At the time, they earned a six-figure income and were busy enough.
“Our Reliv business grew quickly before we even understood it,” Kent recalls. “The month after we became Master Affiliates, we achieved $38,000 in volume. By 1997, we were Bronze Ambassadors, had traveled with Reliv and were having a ball.”
Coming Full Circle
A request from the Vatican in 1997 and family obligations pulled Coleen and Kent away from their Reliv business until September 2008. Coleen’s focus during those years was on her writing and speaking on behalf of global abstinence programs she had developed.
“When we were ready to jump back in feet first, the opportunity was still solid and strong,” Coleen says. “Today, more than ever, so many people need the health and financial hope that Reliv offers.”