Four and a half years ago, Presidential Silver Ambassadors Rick and Jeanie Benson of Columbus, Nebraska, were at a crossroads. To help make ends meet, Jeanie was preparing to enter the corporate world. “I was 47 years old and hadn’t worked outside the home for 20 years. I was terrified,” she says. “The worst part was knowing I’d have to sacrifice time at home. I knew how fast our kids were growing up. Our youngest was only 12. I wanted to be there for her and her two brothers.”
Jeanie was also suffering from soft tissue damage and a bulging disk in her back due to an accident five years earlier. “Pain ruled my life,” she says. “It got to the point at times where I couldn’t help myself or my family.”
‘It Changes You’
Then friends from church introduced the Bensons to Reliv. Jeanie says that within weeks, her back pain subsided. “I felt like a burden had been lifted,” she says. “When something like that happens, it changes you.”
She also began to hear stories of people achieving success working from home. “The entire concept was foreign to me,” she says. “I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, but I knew this was our chance to keep living life on our own terms. Rick encouraged me to go for it and gave me his complete backing and support.”
The Bensons earned $20,000 the first year, $54,000 the second year (which matched Rick’s teaching salary after 30 years in education), and $165,000 last year. They currently average $13,000 – $15,000 per month.
“I was driving a rickety old van when I started with the business, but was soon able to buy what we called my ‘Reliv car,’” Jeanie says. “This month, we’re moving into our ‘Reliv house.’”
A Shared Vision
For the Bensons, Reliv means much more than personal success; it is a calling. “The greatest joy comes from sharing this opportunity with others,” Jeanie says. “We are providing people with health, freedom, and a purpose. What could be better?”
For Jeanie, it all stems from the very foundation of the company. “[Reliv Chairman, President and CEO] Robert Montgomery could have very easily used established companies to distribute the products and run ads with big-name athletes. But as a family man, he instead chose everyday people to be the ‘hands and feet’ of the organization. It is incredible to be part of this vision that is now shared by so many.
“Five weeks ago my sister, who was initially reluctant, was able to grab hold of the vision,” Jeanie continues. “We’ve talked more in the last five weeks than we have in the last year! Plus, I have made some of the best friends in my life thanks to Relìv.”
Just Getting Started
Looking ahead, the Bensons have no plans to slow down. “I love what I do and work very hard at it,” Jeanie says. “It is humbling to join the Inner Circle, but we’re just getting started.
“My sponsor jokes that when I started, I was afraid to say my name out loud in a dark room. I have grown a lot since then,” she adds. “People saw something in me that I couldn’t see myself. Now my passion is to do the same, to let others see the potential they have inside of them. It is what I was made to do. I thank God for this blessing.”