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View from a Mountaintop
Joni Stemple is having a worldwide impact-without leaving home
This article appeared in the Feb. issue of the Network Marketing
Lifestyles Magazine
From her mountaintop in rural Washington State, Joni has built
a successful business with New Earth over the past seven years.
The Stemples' fruit farm is 30 miles from the nearest town--so remote,
in fact, that in the winter, they ski a mile and a half just to
visit the mailbox. When they were first interested in purchasing
the property, it had no telephone or electricity lines.
Imagine trying to create a network marketing business from a
mountaintop, far from civilization--and without a real telephone.
Their mountain farm was providing the Stemples much contentment
and beauty--but not much income. "We were seeking out an existence
in the wilderness. We were farmers, barely getting by."
Her family and children her top priority, Joni dreaded going into
town to look for a job that would keep her away for long hours.
The fact that she was home-schooling her three boys made the prospect
of going to work even more daunting. Then a friend sent her a cassette
tape. She thought, "Oh! Isn't this nice! They must be musicians!"
However, there was no music on the tape; it was a presentation of
the New Earth opportunity.
Joni had mixed feelings at first. "It sounded intriguing:
to be able to work from home, working around my children's schedule--it
seemed almost like a dream come true. But I wondered, could
I really do this? Was it possible to build a business like this
and stay within my integrity? I'd never been associated with any
company before. I was skeptical." The more Joni looked, the
more she liked what she saw.
"I was happy to find a company that aligned so well with
my values, coming from a humanitarian, ecological perspective."
At times, having only a radiophone at her disposal proved difficult.
Losing phone service is a network marketer's nightmare. For Joni,
it was commonplace, especially during electrical storms in the summer
months, when she would lose her service altogether. "One of
the first investments I made for my business was to put in a land
line. You can't be professional and run a business if your phone
is going to go out."
With a telephone in place, Joni's business began to grow more robust.
Nevertheless, the first year and a half weren't easy, and Joni worked
very hard. She credits her family with giving her the courage to
keep her chin up. "It has also set an example for my children.
I knew they were watching me, and that's helped keep me going. I
know the only way you can fail in network marketing, provided you're
with a good company, is to quit. And I can't quit--they're watching
me!"
Her dogged determination, coupled with her will to teach her boys
the value of hard work, paid off. Having her family work together
with her in the business is important to Joni, and she feels that
her children's input and proximity enhance her New Earth business.
"I love the fact that I can sit here talking to people
on the phone, look out the window--and there they are, swimming
in the pond or running around in the meadow," she explains.
"It's a feeling of security and safety--my heart's delight."
Her success with New Earth now allows Joni to spend even more time
with her children and husband in the beautiful mountain home they
have created together. "My office has a gorgeous view. The
larch trees and the quaking aspen are aglow with color; it's just
beautiful."
Seven years have passed since she received that first tape in
the mail. Far from "seeking out an existence," the Stemples
are now supported by their New Earth business. They no longer
depend on income from the farm--though they continue to use it to
supply food for their growing sons.
Beyond the financial freedom and security, Joni says, the business
nourishes her in myriad ways.
"New Earth has given me a richer form of connection with people
all over the country--the world, really. With our Global Solution
projects, I'm helping to make a difference in the world. I'm helping
children in Nicaragua just by being with New Earth. That is very
rewarding to me."
Joni Stemple
Colfax, WA
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