Mastering the Art of Success
WRIGHT
Between ’81 when you started with Avon and ’87 when you were
full-time, d id you work at other nine-to-five type jobs?
WIL BER
Well, I think saying nine-to-five is probably being generous, but I
worked many different kinds of jobs. I was a waitress, I cashiered at a
bank, I also designed wedding invitations. I think the lowest paid job I
had probably was working third shift in a convenience store.
I wanted to tell you that because I think the low point of my life
came one night at the convenience store. I was working there from
eleven PM until seven AM and I was earning only about $3. 35 an hour.
That included the 10 cents extra for working third shift. I worked there
by myself, and I was trying to take college classes during the day.
I was so tired one night that I made an agreement with myself to
only lay my head down on the counter for a minute—I was just too
exhausted from juggling school and work.
So I laid my head down for a minute and the next thing I knew,
when I looked up , there was a gun in my face. At that moment I
thought to myself, that there just has to be a better life than this.
Luckily, at the end of the gun was a police officer. He had driven by the
convenience store and when he saw my head on the counter he thought I
had been shot; he was actually securing the premises. But in that
moment of time, I think that one thing was the worst thing that has
ha ppened to me. It also made me change the direction of my life
because I knew I didn’t want to end up being the one whose shooting
th ey were investigating. So yes, I worked a lot of different jobs, that’s
for sure.
WRIGHT
What made you change to direct sales, after losing your secretarial
job in ’87?
WIL BER
What’s funny is that after I left the convenience store I moved to
New Hampshire. I got this great secretary job and I thought that was