She’s unapologetically authentic. She’s aggressively patient. And she’s filled with grit and determination that’s second to none. This is what makes Erin Clark such a dynamic leader. As she works hard to enhance the lives of others, she’s proud of the journey she’s taken to find Melaleuca. Growing up in small town Missouri, everything Erin Clark did involved her tight-knit family. By watching her parents and other family members, she learned that with hard work and determination it’s possible to achieve anything. “My mom has worked her butt off her whole life and she’s not afraid to get her hands dirty,” Erin says. “She always taught me to never complain about the work at hand and just go get the job done. She had lots of obstacles thrown at her, and she always made the best of it. She’s a tough cookie. I am just like my mother! I just got a head start in life because she gave it to me.” Erin’s mom, Director 4 Kim Bryant, encouraged her to attend college in Kansas City, where she studied Spanish and communications. After graduating, Erin stayed in Kansas City to pursue her fledgling career. With some prodding from her mother, she bought and remod- eled a little old home and fell in love with renovating houses. During this period, Erin came across Tracy Kidder’s Mountains Beyond Moun- tains —the story of Dr. Paul Farmer, who cured tuberculosis in Haiti. The book left Erin questioning her own life’s trajectory. Ultimately, it inspired her to go back to school and study medicine. “I went back to college for this, totally randomly,” she says. “I believed that was the way I could change the world.” True to her character, Erin went all in and started medical school immediately, working multiple jobs to make ends meet. While working at a Kansas City restau- rant, she met Aaron—who was a police officer at the time—when he came in for lunch. Months later, they decided to tie the knot and pursue their dreams togeth- er. Newly married, Erin decided medical school wasn’t the right path and eventu- ally went back to corporate America.
From Multilevel Marketing to Melaleuca Erin became quite successful working in corporate America while Aaron worked nights as a police officer. But when their daughter, Reyna, was born, their conflict- ing schedules made it nearly impossible to function as a cohesive family. The Clarks knew something had to change or their marriage and family would fall apart. So Erin left her job to try an at- home multilevel marketing business. “Seventy-five percent of police officer marriages fail, and we were going to end up part of that statistic,” Erin says. “I knew I had to figure out something
less stressful. I had to be the one with flexibility if Aaron was going to do police work for the rest of his life. So that’s why I got started with multilevel marketing. I was a young, exhausted mom hoping for something else. And we often say a lot of negative things about network market- ing, but it taught me a lot and helped me develop a lot of grit and determination.” Shortly after starting that business, Erin met National Director 3 Madra Jones. She admired Madra’s success in the company and followed her progress for years. Eventually, they became close friends. With Erin’s new income stream and more flexible hours, the Clarks saw the
20 AUGUST 2019 | MELALEUCA.COM
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