My name is Jen Towkaniuk and I teach network marketers and home based business owners how to create a personal brand online through blogging, social media, podcasting, and video. I believe that everyone has a super power unique to them that can not only help others, but also create additional income for their family. This blog is designed to teach you how to build your brand, how to get it visible so others can find it, and how to monetize it to create multiple streams of income from home.
That’s Jen Towkaniuk today. 10 years ago I was much different.
Have you ever felt like a plastic bag, drifting through the wind…. Wait. That’s a Katy Perry song.
But really, have you ever felt like you were just drifting along in life, with no sense of direction, wondering how you got here? That’s exactly how I felt back in 2010.
Over a 16 year period, my ex-husband opened 7 businesses, zero that I was passionate about. My job was to run them while he did the physical work. We worked 10 hour days, often 6 to 7 days a week. He promised that one of these businesses would make it all worth it. One of them would be the one that allowed us to travel, enjoy life and retire.
I was drifting along, working all the time because that’s what I was supposed to do, until the wind abruptly changed.
At the age of 39 I found myself divorced and fired by my ex-husband from the companies I worked so many years to build. The promises of travel and retirement were gone. I had spent 16 years building his dream, and now I had nothing to show for it.
I loved to exercise and lived a healthy lifestyle, so I spent a lot of time at the gym. I began dating my trainer (who is now my husband) and naturally began helping him build his business. Then one day he asked me a question that changed my life forever.
What do YOU want to do?
Pretty simple question, right? He said, “For the first time in your life you get to choose. You don’t have to help me build my business like you did with your ex. What do you want to do?” I’m not going to lie. I had no idea. The option to choose had never been available before, and there were a lot of things to consider.
- Going back to school was an option, but I didn’t want to rack up a bunch of debt.
- Getting a job seemed responsible, but that would be building someone else’s dream again. If I was fired from my own company, I could be fired from someone else’s.
- Finding a way to earn income that I could do around my daughter’s schedule was a must. I had already missed a bunch of my daughter’s childhood and I didn’t want to miss any more.
- Financial security and time freedom were something I craved, that would not be available in most jobs.
- I was starting to think what I was looking for didn’t exist.
Jen Towkaniuk – Network Marketer?
I found my answer completely by accident. I went to a fitness seminar and ended up at a presentation about network marketing. I listened to a couple talk about how they went from being $160,000 in credit card debt to making $500,000 per year in just 3 years. They had 5 kids and worked their business from home without missing their kids’ activities. I had worked 16 years and never made anything near that. They offered to show me how they did it and I signed up on the spot. It was exactly what I’d been looking for.
I was driven and coachable, and did everything they told me to do, including posting my journey on Facebook. Posting on Facebook helped me make $916 in my first 30 days and I was hooked! I wanted to learn everything about marketing online.
Mastering New Skills
I became addicted to podcasts and trainings from other industry leaders building their businesses online from home. I built my business almost exclusively online using the branding and social media techniques I learned.
As the social media landscape changed, I started branching out to blogging and podcasting to build more visibility and stability for my business. The strategies I implemented attracted more leads and sales to my business than ever before.
I shared the most effective techniques with my team and they worked for them too. I found that I loved teaching what I learned about online marketing just as much as I loved building my team. It was so cool to make a living doing something I really enjoyed, for the first time in my life. I knew there were more people out there who felt like me.
My mission changed from building something that was mine, to helping thousands of people build something that was theirs. I wanted to free people from building other people’s dreams and show them how to build their own.
I love what I do
Today my husband and I work from home, usually over coffee with a cat on my lap, and I’ve never been so happy. We choose when we wake up, how we’ll spend our day and we have plenty of time to travel. We still work hard, but we design our own schedule and spend our days together.
Crazy to think back and remember believing that I would have to work full time for another 20 years to do the things we are doing right now. They say that when you keep your eyes open for opportunities, they tend to show up. Nothing could be more true. I am so grateful I was open that day and that I had the courage to go for it.
If you’re feeling a little like that plastic bag, feeling like there’s something more you want out of life, reach out. I’ve been there and now that we’re friends, I’d love to help
If you’re motivated to make a change, coachable and driven, there is a possibility we could work together more closely. Head over to the Work With Me page to fill out my online application and set up a time to chat.
It’s so awesome to meet you my new friend.
XOXO, Jen Towkaniuk