Go Furness

The Joy of Body Shop

Party On

Senior Area Manager of The Body Shop at Home

I went to visit Joy in her home and she showed me into ‘The Body Shop Room’. It was vibrant, warm and full of gorgeous soft furnishings that looked as though they had been chosen by an interior designer. I was made to feel very welcome and soon lost about 2 hours as I listened to all the different aspects of Joy’s business. She is passionate about her work and I felt very inspired by the end of our time together.

She actually started her working life as a police woman, incorporateing working with people involved with domestic violence. She then worked for a time at her husband’s garage. This was not financially viable after deducting childcare costs, so she jumped at the opportunity to work for The Body Shop when she heard about it. It meant she didn’t need childcare, could work the hours that she chose and most of all it embodied all of her ethics and values. The Body Shop is involved in supporting a number of charities and action groups and this is all down to Anita Roddick, the founder. Dame Anita was so much more than just a business woman, she was an activist. She changed the way that cosmetics are produced and sold, and has been actively involved in promoting human and animal rights all mixed in with her business. Joy was mentored by Anita and was very saddened by her death in September of last year. She spent quite a long time discussing Anita’s ethics and all of the charities that she actively encouraged her consultants to support through the company.

Joy was inspired to make a success of it, not just to create a successful business, but to make a difference in the world. She worked hard and gradually built up a large client base and eventually a team of consultants throughout Cumbria. She goes to and runs regular trainings and supports a team of 37 consultants. Her work is divided into 3 parts; consultancy, recruiting and managing, and charity work.

As a consultant, she has learned about the products, how to sell and market and how to educate her clients. She works with individuals to build self-esteem and confidence. She is also an entertainer. She has been able to host the parties to fit around her family commitments and still build her career.

As a recruiter and manager, she supports other women as they establish themselves as self-employed consultants entering the world of business. She teaches and trains them, again working on confidence and self-esteem. This has been a rewarding aspect of her career as she has seen some women make a great success of The Body Shop at Home and some who have used the training and the skills to move on and establish other ventures. This has involved setting up trainings, meetings, free seminars and even holidays.

As a charity worker, she has been actively involved in working with Children on the Edge, Preventing Domestic Violence in Homes and others. She is making her second trip to Romania this summerwhich is where Children on the Edge started. She is extremely passionate about this work and her whole family get involved with the venture.

It was an absolute pleasure to spend time with Joy and to see how she has managed to establish a successful business and have time to give to charities the way she does. She is organised, professional and a really smart business woman. It is no surprise that she has bookings all the way to Christmas already. Getting involved with the Bodyshop @ Home is a great way of learning about business and making the transition to self-employment with the backing of a good team and a tried and tested model. If you are interested in a second income or in building a career with this company, do get in touch with Joy.

Posted by Kay Hebbourn on 24th July.