Life as a Wellbeing Advisor
Staying true to what you believe in and making money don't always go hand in hand. But being a Weleda Wellbeing Advisor is no ordinary role. It's a position that invites you to learn more about natural health and organic beauty, and connects you with new and interesting people. It inspires you to inform and engage others, learn new skills, discover new experiences and earn money at a pace that suits you with no catches.
As a leader in anthroposophic health and beauty (a holistic approach to healthcare developed by Rudolf Steiner) Weleda’s ethos of balancing mind, body and emotions is synergistic with many natural therapies. If you work in homeopathy, practice massage therapy, yoga or another form of complementary medicine, this may resonate with you. Being a Weleda Wellbeing Advisor is not just a way to supplement your income; the skills and experiences you develop can also compliment your existing business and help that to flourish further.
We spoke to three Weleda Wellbeing Advisors to discover why the role is so special to them.Kate Irving
Massage therapist and yoga teacher, Sheffield
I've been a massage therapist for 15 years and a yoga teacher for ten years and joined the Weleda Wellbeing Advisor programme after some space cleared with work. I was interested in replacing the income without taking on too much onerous work and haven't looked back since.
Being a Wellbeing Advisor fits in perfectly with what I do as a yoga teacher because it adds value to what I offer my clients. Many clients were delighted as they were already familiar with Weleda. It's added so much to my life in terms of relationships and friendships and has allowed me to meet like-minded people – as an independent therapist and yoga teacher that’s important. Weleda also fits well with the overall ethos and organic approach I take in my own life and business so there’s a great synergy.
What I bring in through being a Weleda Advisor simply takes the pressure off my other work which in turn has given me value in time, so I can maintain my enthusiasm and energy for my massage and yoga clients. The little bit of mental space it’s created keeps the joy in everything I'm doing, which is important for my work and my personality.
Personally I don't do many formal parties or market stalls, mainly because I want to keep my energy for treatments and yoga teaching. I mention products after a yoga class or appointments and when there's an offer on I email around and allow people to place an order. Our Advisor 30-day satisfaction money back guarantee gives people the comfort of giving something a go. The products sell themselves and once people have tried something they buy and re-buy without me having to ask, which is great as my natural inclination is not to push sales.
My advice to others would be don't be afraid of giving it a go. My clients have reacted really positively that I'm offering something that fits into the type of lifestyle they’re interested in. It has integrated seamlessly into my working life without using too much energy and that's been a pleasant surprise even now.
Sarah Guise
KORE therapist, Derbyshire
I’ve been a Weleda Wellbeing Advisor since 2012 and joined the team because it was an avenue that worked well with my self-employed KORE Therapy business. It’s actually helped me grow my therapy business and it allowed me to make the break from a completely unconnected second job (Business English Training).
KORE therapist is a holistic treatment and so Weleda products complement it perfectly. When clients I know through my running club come in with injuries, I might recommend the Weleda arnica range to them. My therapy work isn’t just about massaging muscles, and Weleda’s anthroposophic background means that products such as the arnica bath soak are formulated holistically to not only ease physical aches and pains but unwind mental and emotional tensions too. I find the more people spend time with me and get to know me professionally and personally, the more they trust my recommendations.
I think most therapists would concur that Complementary Therapy is not the business you choose if you want to make your fortune! I do achieve quite high Weleda sales though, so it really helps to supplement my income. But Weleda brings so much more into my life I just wouldn’t want to be without it. It’s not just a monetary gain - I enjoy the learning it brings and the opportunity to deepen my understanding of health, especially skincare. People come to me with a problem such as eczema and I can help them to understand how different products affect their skin. I might give them a sample. They get results and they become loyal clients.
My clients are people I know or meet from the school run, my church group, running club, parents of my son’s football team, friends and family. I’m always seeing people. I hold a stall at certain events but choose them carefully. I make sure they are well organised and well advertised so there’ll be plenty of people there. I’m not driven by sales – of course I have to pay bills – but I’m just very passionate about products and the brand. I'm always glad when I've got people into using natural skincare and then it’s a nice surprise to see how much I’ve sold. I often make the point that I’m an Advisor not a sales rep, so clients know I’m not trying to sell which makes a big difference.
It's great to be part of this Weleda network of women – and now men! To share experiences and thoughts with them is so helpful. The collective wealth of knowledge in the group seems endless. It allows ideas to develop and be echoed. It triggers changes throughout your whole life. I’ve always cared about provenance and thought ‘organic is good’, but I realised I hadn’t always thought through why it might not be beneficial to get the cheapest thing off the supermarket shelf – it’s not just the quality, the production processes also affect the planet and the people involved in those processes.
For my son (10), ditching the nasty chemical laden products felt good. Children seem to be strongly drawn to Weleda - he feels excited about it all. We don't have anything else in the house - Calendula or Almond range for him, Citrus and Men’s range for my husband, Pomegranate or Sea Buckthorn for me, although they're all favourites really!
My advice to others - it's very personal - but for me it's crucial to work with a company you completely trust. Weleda products are created to be meaningful healthcare products and I can completely embrace the brand because the whole essence is about holistic healing.
Working for Weleda shows you care about ethics and it's a clear indicator you care about others and treat others how you would like to be treated. That's a really important point too. The Weleda team is always thinking about how to support the Advisors - it’s nurturing on a truly personal level.
Naomi Smith
Mum and yoga teacher, Cornwall
Prior to having children I was working in the public sector and government PR.
There are three elements to what I do: I run my own Weleda business so I organise events, place repeat orders and ensure my customers have everything they need; I liaise with Weleda HQ; and I carry out training for Wellbeing Advisors and help Advisors in this community blossom.
I have two kids, and we’re very much a Weleda family now - it's changed our whole perspective on what we use and what we don't use. I now take a much more natural approach to life, skin and health and often seek out alternatives to conventional medication. If you’re already interested in a more natural lifestyle, Weleda opens that up even further.
The Weleda Wellbeing Advisor role is much more than a sales or marketing role – it’s about being a Weleda friend to people. We are trained to advise, not to sell; I look after my customers and my team holistically and the sales happen by themselves because the products are so good.
Being a Wellbeing Advisor is a gentle way back into working life, especially if you may not have worked in a serious capacity for a number of years like myself. It’s flexible enough to fit in with a young family and the only commitment you have to make is time for training.
We don't work competitively, we're much more collaborative. That's something we really emphasise. We want to support as many people as we can to find a more natural way to feeling better, and we are passionate in our belief Weleda can help everyone.Robert Beaton
Wellbeing Advisor, Personal Trainer and Dad
I joined the Weleda Wellbeing Advisor team in the middle of April 2018.
I am a qualified personal trainer but am currently working for a building firm for greater financial security for me and my family. I would like to get more involved helping and teaching people about exercise and natural movement and the importance of it - after all, the human body is designed to move, not sit for prolonged periods of time.
I wanted to move away from the gym-based exercise and workouts and the all too common “I’m going on holiday next week, can you help me get a six pack?” I would like to help people get back into shape for their health and wellbeing, rather than just aesthetics.
I first heard about opportunities with the Weleda Wellbeing Advisor programme through the Weleda website whilst ordering some products, and thought it would be good to promote something that I KNOW works very well as it does what it says on the tin, is amazing and won’t harm people or the environment.
I was motivated to be a part of this amazing company and the values that have endured since the very beginning when Weleda was first founded in 1921. What particularly inspires me is the company’s passion for quality, with no urgency to flood the market with any old product just for profit. Weleda’s motto ‘Working in harmony with nature and the human being’ truly resonates with me.
What especially appealed to me about the role of Advisor was the fact that I could be the one to enlighten and advise others about Weleda, a brand I really believed in. What I am enjoying most about it is introducing people to Weleda and hearing the very positive feedback and experiences the customers are having with their products, and how in some cases this has changed their lives as their skin has never been/felt/smelt so good in a long time. The work has certainly lived up to expectation. I was really pleased to achieve my place at this year’s Conference.
As far as my future plans, it is still early days for me, however, I would like to incorporate Weleda and natural movement somehow. I’d like to gain other skills like massage and perhaps set up a wellbeing room at my home.
I have many favourite products from the range, including arnica for fitness, but if I had to pick one I guess it would have to be the very first product that I used, and that would be Weleda Skin Food! If one needs moisture, then look no further, as this gift from nature/Weleda is the best.