Sarah uses her Olympic training to build a strong team and successful business.
"I’d always loved watching the Olympics as a child," said Sarah. “When the time came for me to go to university, instead of studying for a law degree, I went to Loughborough University to study sports science as I’d developed a love of sport.
“I trained hard and finally won my place on the Olympic Taekwondo team, which was a life-changing event. Being part of the 2004 Olympics in Athens was not only a fantastic opportunity, but it taught me some very important life skills which I use every day in my own business as a Consultant for The 1:1 Diet by Cambridge Weight Plan.
“There are two attributes one needs to succeed in competitive sports and business; resilience and self-motivation. The drive to keep focused and on track, even when things don’t go your way, is fundamental. I’ve carried this work ethic into my business. My motto is failure is not an option - and it isn’t. “Working in direct sales is like training as a top athlete, you put in 110 percent to get the best out of any situation.
“I joined The 1:1 Diet in 2014, as I’d just had a baby and wanted to lose weight. I was impressed with the diet and decided to sign-up. I knew from the moment I attended the training day this could be a brand new and lucrative career for me. It just suited my lifestyle, working around my young family, and being rewarded for my hard work was something I’d been searching for without knowing.
“Within six months of becoming a Consultant, I was earning more than my husband, Rob, so he gave up his job in 2019 to support me in raising our three young children, Emily, nine, Toby, six, and Bailey, five. We pay ourselves a good salary, live debt-free, enjoy nice holidays and have the financial freedom to provide a good standard of living for our children. However, you have to put in the work if you want to get the rewards.
“Throughout this awful crisis I've kept my team and my clients fully motivated. It was strange at first working in a virtual world, but I kept visiting my clients face-to-face at their doorsteps, but at a distance. I felt it was very important to have that personal connection and gain some control back.
“Working from home during lockdown has been a challenge, especially trying to home-school our children and run a business. Rob has been a great help and support, which has helped me focus on my team and my slimmers.
“Coaching people is my passion, and the time spent at home has meant that I’m listening more, giving people extra time to work through their thoughts and feelings. I then support them with coping strategies to help them achieve their goals.
“I wouldn’t be this successful without the support of my family and the great team of people behind me. I have more than 101 team members across four generations. It’s funny, when I started this job, I’d have been happy with six clients a week to match the pay cut I was taking to go part-time. Now, look where I am. I can safely say that this business opportunity six years ago, has changed our lives forever.
“I've been lucky enough to win an award every year and hopefully I’ll make Diamond Champion this time around. One of my highlights was when my first slimmer, Alyson Syms, lost 12 stone and won the New Me category at our Slimmer Awards in 2017. It makes you realise that you can change lives through weight loss, which is why I love what I do.
“Even during such uncertain times, my business is going from strength to strength. My goal is to reach a Diamond Elite level in five years and, by then, I should be able to lower my client numbers and focus more on coaching and mentoring my team.
“You never know, in a few more years we could be team planning from my private villa in Spain . . . watch this space!”
Wanna know more about the business opportunity with The 1:1 Diet? Check out our Become a Consultant webpage and speak to a Consultant, to get the low-down how to be a great weight-loss coach.