From a tepee to totally free.
Rhonda Smith is a mother to five children, but also as an herbalist, midwife and massage therapist.
Her world changed forever in 1993 when she lost her home because of a job loss. The family moved frequently over the next few years trying to get back on stronger financial footing, but instead kept losing ground.
“I was 43 when it happened,” Rhonda explains. “We had two children with us and were homeless. After six months of sleeping on the desert ground, we finally saved enough to buy a tepee and set it up on borrowed land.”
Rhonda describes the next four years of cooking over a fire and bathing outside. She says, “I remember telling a friend of mine, ‘I cannot believe this is my life.’”
Looking for Courage
Rhonda was afraid of starting a business despite the health stories she had heard. She had worked unsuccessfully in network marketing in the past. And since she had to borrow the money to become a Master Affiliate, she was more worried this time.
Rhonda’s life was touched irrevocably after attending her first conference in 1999 and she set her sights on becoming an Ambassador. “I plugged into the Reliv System, began sponsoring and built my wall of belief story by story,” Rhonda says. “Within a few months, I was able to rent a house with all the modern conveniences — electricity, running water and bathrooms!”
From Friends to Family
Rhonda’s new-found strength was cruelly tested when they lost their 22-year-old daughter in 2000. Because of her hard work, the next month the family received a check for nearly $4,000 and nine months later became Senior Directors, but the pain nearly shattered them.
“We already knew that Reliv was a company of integrity,” Rhonda recalls. “But the outpouring of love and support we received was overwhelming. Reliv was no longer just a compensation plan and wonderful products — it became our family.”
Sometimes life throws you cures. Rhonda found herself single, but three years ago she remarried a kind man. “I am now living the life I always wanted and the thing that was consistent through the ups and downs was Reliv. I appreciate the fact that Reliv has made it easy to be in business. You can do it anywhere even riding a horse and moving cows!”