“Little monster just showed me his bum.” said Donna “He must be feeling better.”
She was face-timing her kid back at home. He had not been well, and she had missed the first two days of our Leadership Retreat to stay with him until her husband was able to get time off work so she could leave. She had one hell of a trip to get to us, and only for the last day. “Are you sure its really worth it?” I texted her before she left.
But Donna came, joining 80 or so of our other leaders. On that last day, Donna listened to experts talk about the beauty industry, heard Mamacita Jeanette explain how we build businesses and mentor one another, and listened to our National Directors train their own Tribes.
At our final dinner, in a candle lit room, I thanked not only Donna for making such an incredible effort to be with us, but all of the extraordinary women who lead our business forward. These are smart, savvy women who know what it takes to get things done. Although not always – Jenny admitted it took three of them to work out how to get her into the dress she had rented for the evening.
Every time I am with these women, I hear another heart warming story. This time from Randi, whose young son has suffered a form of childhood cancer. The family was doing all they could to find a second opinion, and in the end, that came from a connection within the IH tribe. As Randi says, “Hair pulling, wine, and crying was replaced with a new girlfriend, champagne and hope. Just like that.”
Of course, I also thanked my friend, and partner, Nicholas, the CEO of IH. He had just been given a mug with the words ‘Saint Nicholas’ on it. But the person who really needed thanking was Nui, his wife. Imagine your husband heading up a business of several thousand gorgeous women. “No thanks needed. All I want is that little purse you designed,” Nui told me. “That’s all I wanted. I even slept with the CEO to try and get it.”
During those few days we listened, learnt, and laughed together.