Nicki tells us why she became a Consultant for The 1:1 Diet, and why she still loves it so much five years later!
Why did you become a Consultant for The 1:1 Diet?
“I became a Consultant in 2016 after being encouraged by my own Consultant and Sponsor, Amanda Plastow. Amanda thought that I would make a great Consultant, and always told me that I had what it took, but I didn’t believe her. But then I thought ‘what do I have to lose?’, so I decided to apply. Since that day, I’ve never looked back.”
Did you always want to be your own boss?
“I’ve been self-employed since 2012 with other work, so I always knew that employment wasn’t for me. The 1:1 Diet fit perfectly into my existing lifestyle.”
Do you make a decent living out of this business?
“I do. It sounds ‘cringe’ but when Amanda and I first started talking about me potentially becoming a Consultant, I asked her ‘will I earn enough to buy my dream car?’ She said: ‘You’ll get it one day’ and I did!”
What are the key attributes that make you a successful Consultant?
“You’ve got to be yourself. Your vibe attracts your tribe, right?
“I also find that you need to be knowledgeable about the products, the brand, and must be able to listen to your clients. Make lots of notes – even their pets’ names, their goals and favourite products.
“Set your own goals too, no matter whether they are personal or financial. My favourite quote is ‘have courage and be kind’ – kindness always comes back to you and I believe we should all live by that mantra.”
How have you changed your business model during COVID-19?
“I’ve become much more organised and have learnt how to treat my work as a business - I converted my garage into an office.
“Before COVID-19, I used to see my clients before or after work, but now I allocate time to meet with them virtually and deliver products on set days so they’re ready for the week ahead.
“I find things have become much more structured.”
What key challenges have you had to face during lockdown?
“This is a bit of an emotional one, but here goes . . .
“At the beginning of lockdown one back in March 2020, my husband’s shopfitting business was shut down for eight weeks, my parents were locked down in Spain, and my daughter and I couldn’t leave the house.
“I’m such a social butterfly and found the lack of interaction from family and friends extremely difficult to manage.
“I started piling on the pounds, as I was eating and drinking so much. I treated lockdown like a holiday. I felt like a complete fraud – how could I deliver products to dieters but be gaining weight myself?
“I decided to get back on The 1:1 Diet, and within two weeks the lockdown weight had gone in the healthiest way. I went on to lose one-and-a-half stone in 12 weeks*, and a total of 23 inches! My best friend, Chelsea, joined the Plan too and she managed to lose three stone!”
How have you managed to maintain sales throughout the crisis?
“I keep in touch with my dieters almost every day. I have a WhatsApp group, and also support them on a one-to-one basis.
“I started delivering products, set up click and collect from my home, and invested in a good diary.
“I also give out free celeriac as an incentive (yes, celeriac). It’s hard to get hold of and if you want to make healthy chips, you need celeriac.”
How many people are in your team?
“I have 11 people in my team, and it’s growing!”
What have been your career highlights at The 1:1 Diet?
“The highlight of my career at The 1:1 Diet was seeing Kelly Holmes at the 2019 Convention. She bought tears to my eyes with stories about her career, running failures and restarts.
“Now, I am no athlete, but being a Consultant requires hard work so I could really relate. She inspired me to believe that I was good enough to achieve my goals.
“I was also selected to be on the North East RCC – I absolutely love being able to share client and Consultant ideas / thoughts with Head Office.”
What words of encouragement would you give anyone considering a career change at the moment?
“I saw a great quote when I was looking for some part time work when lockdown struck. ‘Do what you can with what you have’. Oh my, this quote was sent for me! This really has happened.
“We are all in this big ocean together, in our own individual boats. I started with one oar and now I have a turbo engine thanks to The 1:1 Diet! I get to spend more time with my family and friends, even if right now it’s only on the phone and via Zoom.”
What do you think the future holds for your business?
“I have a five-year plan – it’ll be my five-year anniversary as an accredited Consultant this summer.
“I want to grow my team even more. I don’t commit to numbers and I consult as many dieters as possible to help give others business opportunities. This is my full-time career, so I’d love to help others the way The 1:1 Diet helped me.”
What are your top three tips for being a successful Consultant?
“Be yourself, be on time, and ALWAYS have a full stock of products!”
* The weight lost and/or timeframes are particular to this slimmer. Everyone's weight loss journey is unique to them.