KGCI: Real Estate on Air - Living and Loving What You Do with Sommer Downs.

Episode Date: May 20, 2024

What's going on, everyone? It's Holly here, and I am so excited to have not only someone I admire as a business owner, but also am grateful to call a friend. Super excited to have with me, Summer Downs, who is an herbal life wellness coach, as well as owner of Bulldog Nutrition. Welcome, Summer. Hi, everybody. So excited to be here today. I am so excited, too. And, you know, I think what I'm most excited about is really for everyone to hear your journey. and just kind of get inspired from it because you have, I don't know, you've been through a lot and like most of us have been, you know, we've all gone through a journey, but you really chose a different way to pivot your, you know, the situations that you're in and the circumstances you found yourself in and I love this story that I'm better to share with everyone.

So hopefully you guys are super excited to get, you know, just a big dose of inspiration from summer and I look forward to helping you helping share her message as well as connecting you guys with her awesome products and services that she offers so let's kick it off like this summer I know we have what we've known each other for about 10 years wait more than that probably I don't want to I don't want to age or ourselves right honestly probably about 15 but yeah yeah well let's just go ahead and round down and say 10 because just joking but for real you guys We've known each other for a long time, and summer is, ever since I've known her, she's always been energetic, fun, outgoing.

But what you guys probably don't know, even if you know her, is there's a period of dark time in her life, and there's depression, and there's weight issues, and eating your feelings to say. So let's just kind of talk about that, because those words that I just mentioned, you would never connect them with someone who is a wellness coach and owns a nutrition business. So Summer, I want to kind of talk about that. Let's kind of go back in time, and I hate for you to kind of visit this part, but, you know, just for everyone can kind of get an idea of where you were.

Let's talk about those times and then how you really just kind of turned everything around. Oh, for sure, because I feel like in order to appreciate where you're at now, you constantly have to remind yourself of the struggles that you've been through. So I don't mind talking about it at all. Let's see. Okay, so many months ago, about 2015, my husband, then he used to per concrete. He got transferred to Colorado on a, they were built in a hospital.

So, you know, it was really great. And we were actually super excited to move because who doesn't love Colorado, right? We vacationed there's plenty of time. I was super excited. And what we hit there. And I realized that I, I'm not like the best at making friends right out the way. I've got what everybody's come to know as RBS, big suffer. It's huge. The struggle is very real. So I'm great once you get to know me, but I just look very

unapproachable. So I had a really hard time making friends. I found myself becoming a hermit, which really isn't me, but I would just stay in our room all day, you know what I mean? I would go to bed with Taramisu and French Onion did it because those were my friends. That was my comfort I was finding while we were there. And I honestly, as embarrassing as it is to sound, I, or to say, I put on 50 pounds in nine months, which is astronomical. Like, it is, if y'all know me, I am a very, I'm a very short person. I am 5'2.2.5, 5 foot 4, if you read my driver's license.

But, you know, we all lie on that, right? So the weight, it really, it took a toll on my body. I found myself pre-diabetic and I was faced with the choice. I could either get put on medication. And for those of you that know me, I try to be as holistic as I can be. I try to steer away from medication. I have a lot of addiction in my family. So I have a lot of people that are close to me that are on so much medication and it's

really being detrimental to their bodies. So, but that's another story. So I try to be as holistic as I can. So I was either going to be put on all this medication to help combat my weight or, you know, I could do the good old fashion not go to bed with the taramisu. So I chose the latter. It wasn't easy. I actually was blessed.

A friend of mine was introduced to this amazing product called Herbalife. And she was kind enough to share it with me. I, of course, was very negative in the beginning because I tried so much it felt like clean eating. I tried Atkins. Basically, it was that mom that went through the cupboard and throughout anything that wasn't, you know, fruit or veggie. And my family did great, you know, but I wasn't losing the weight. So I was very negative when I was introduced to herbal life nutrition.

And for those of you that don't know, herbal life nutrition is a complete nutrition brand. So that's what she was introducing me too. I tried a shake, the remote replacement shake. The first one I had was a banana pudding. And I remember thinking at the time, oh, this is amazing. This actually tastes good. So that's what hooked me. Everything else I was kind of having to choke down, you know.

Things were kind of chalky, not tasting the best. And I was at the point where I would just rather not eat. But herbal life was good. That was the first thing. So I told my friend, I'll give it a week. I went into it very optimistic, very, you know, a week. What is that really going to do? But I happened to lose six pounds in that first week.

And I thought, dang, I can actually do this. And that's a week. It's six pounds, right? Right. You know, I've got to get credit or credit it's due. And that was with no exercise, guys. That was just a little tweak in the diet and the herbal life nutrition. So I knew right then that I was going to be taking the products for, you know, for life

because they saved me. I was able to lose 35 pounds in a matter of weak, 16% body fat. And I did a full body analysis at my doctor's office, the one that had told me I was pre-diabetic. And he told me that not only was I great, but I actually had a heart of an 18-year-old. And I was 27 at the time. So that was amazing to hear. That's so encouraging to hear.

you know what I mean because I know a lot of times people kind of get stuck in like the now instead of putting in the work and trusting the process and that's exactly what you did is you put in you know the work meaning you put in the work of making this healthy choices those healthy habits because you knew like you know at the end of the day we're in charge of our own bodies it's it's our responsibility to take care of ourselves because we only get one body during this lifetime and to see you go through that but then also just to get that confirmation from your doctor, that had have been amazing. Oh, it felt so good.

He actually asked me what I'm doing or what I was doing. And I don't know for those in the Lawton area that know Dr. Steve, he's actually one of my customers now. So that's an even greater testimonial to the product and what they can do for everybody. But like you had just said, though, we are in control of what we put into our bodies. So I feel like that was my responsibility solely, you know what I mean? like I'm the one that needs to take action here. And I always compare it, Holly, to like a car.

You can either do maintenance on your car, have your oil change, you know, use premium gas, and you're going to get the best use out of your car. We're all a machine. We need to do maintenance. We need to focus on what we are putting into our bodies. And luckily, for me, I was just blessed with the opportunity of the herbal life nutrition. So I knew I was going to stay on the products because of, I mean, they changed my life. So I signed up to become a distributor's flight just to get the discount on the product.

I had no intention on selling at all. I retailed here and there to my Nana and my mom just because the products were amazing, you know, or are amazing. So they wanted to get on them. They saw what they did for me. Works the business very, very part-time, you know, to those two people. and was able to reach the level of supervisor, which is where you earn 50% commission. So one of my friends was like, you know, you're at 50%.

That's the best discount you can get on the product. Why don't you come to a business training with me and just see what it's about, you know? And I was like, sure, why not? Everything I've learned about herbal life so far, I've been completely in love with. So we go down to Houston to what is extravaganza. It was what we call the Super Bowl of Herbalife.

and they played this obesity video. And you can ask anybody that was there with me, this video touched me so much that I literally, not trying to sound like a baby, I cried in my seat. They had all these testimonials of these people that were overweight, people that actually had to have limbs amputated, and they talked to, see, I'm getting all emotional now,

and they talked about just how alone they felt, how they didn't have the energy to play with their kids, how they, you know, would have to basically sit in their car instead of going inside to the baseball game because they couldn't, not only could they not physically make it there, but they also didn't want to embarrass their children because of how overweight they were. And I resonated with every single person in that video. I felt in my soul that this is what I'm supposed to do with my life. This is my calling. I am here to let these people know that they're not alone. to let these people know that there is a way because I was there. I was that person in that video. I felt completely alone that there was no way out, you know, basically almost about to put myself on medication, but took initiative. And I feel like when you have somebody in your corner, like luckily I had my friend

Nicole that introduced me to herbal life, you feel like you can do it. You know what I mean? You're like, okay, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. There is a way out. This person is going to help me do it. So I needed to be everybody in the world's Nicole. I had to let them know they're not alone. Like I will be there for you.

I will be your cheerleader and we'll do this together. I mean, life changing, like right there in my seat, like bawling like a baby, knowing that I just found my purpose. And so, yeah, that was one of, besides having my kids, that was probably the best day of my life. We came home from Houston. I immediately got in touch with the owner of Insight here. and we went to work to find a location. I opened an herbal life nutrition club.

We found our location in October night, and we were open for business November 12th. It's how determined we were. Just because, I mean, there's an obesity epidemic. That's no secret. You know what I mean? It's currently on the rise. So we knew we had to put in action fast

because the more people that we can touch and the more lives we can change, that's just fulfilling our reason for being on this earth. So we've been a business over a year. We are so very thankful, very grateful for the cash communities that we're in. If you're local listening to this, come see us. We're bold our nutrition, 423 West D in Cash, Oklahoma. We just want to be your friend and get healthy together, basically.

I love it. So, you know, there's so much that you just kind of share that I really want to to go back and touch on. And first, one thing that really struck you, you know, you talked about whenever you moved there, obviously, you know, a lot of people, myself included, can relate to this. You move to another place. You have no family, no friends. And you find yourself almost isolated. And you said already that you don't make friends easy because you can kind of be shy or reserved. And it's crazy because, like, you have a successful team, the Diamond Dynasty team. So let's let's kind of talk about like, you know, it's crazy whenever people really find a way to live

out their why and fulfill their passion and purpose. It's crazy how like that can bring out like the person that's been hiding in our bodies because I'm sure if you were to go anywhere in several to see somebody, she would be so excited to connect with them, not just to sell them a product, but really to help, you know, help them in her why and why she's, she's here and what's her purpose in life. So let's kind of talk about like that fuel and that passion. Like how do you find, how do you find that excitement, that energy?

And then how do you channel that into the positivity of your life? Yes. So before Herbalife, my dream job, if you would ask me, would be, this is going to sound so embarrassing because I'm completely different now. Thank God for growth, right? I wanted to be a financial advisor. I wanted to work in a cubicle. and I didn't want to speak to the outside community.

I wanted to have a list of things to do, do my list, the best I could, and get out of there. Go home, you know what I mean? Get me a glass of wine and that's that. Now my favorite part of my job, I get to see, they're my friends. I mean, they're my customers every day, but they're my friends. I'm invested in their life. They come in, I'm like, so how's your mom doing? Tell her we said hi.

You know, how was the dentist appointment yesterday? it's not about just selling a product. Like, it's about the relationship that you build. Like, I find myself, when we go out to eat, I'm asking, you know, our server, if they're happy with their career, are they happy with their job? Because if not, there's, you know what I mean?

Let's find something that can help them basically fulfill. You know, like, you want to wake up in the morning excited. You don't want to just wake up because you have to pay bills. Nobody wants to live to pay bills. You know what I mean? unfortunately it's inevitable we have to pay bills but there's so much more to it you know what I mean when you're living your purpose and living on purpose you don't have to work you know what I mean you get to do this life you don't have to do it so that's just what's changed for me is I get to go

to my business every day got like you know what I mean like God has provided in an avenue for me to get to share these amazing products but not only that to develop these amazing lifelong relationships with these people. And my team is doing the same thing. I have so many people that you wouldn't even think, like, so introverted, but they do so amazing because they actually care. You know what I mean? And that's the difference.

And that's why herbal life is so much different than something you can buy at GNC, for example. I'm not saying the people at GNC don't care, but they're not texting you, you know, at three o'clock in the afternoon saying, you didn't have that donut, did you that we're talking about earlier? They're not keeping you on track. You know what I mean? they're not inviting you to the gym after work.

They're not invested in your life like we are. And I feel like that's one of the best, not only are the products amazing, but the relationships you get along the way are incredible. Absolutely. And I think, you know, it comes back to like finding your why. And for those listening,

if you guys have not read the book, Finding Your Why by Simon Siddick, after you get done watching, or I'm sorry, listening to this podcast, I guess you can watch it on YouTube. But if you get done that tuning into this go find that book you can download an audible or you know obviously just order off of Amazon wherever but it's an amazing book because there's so much truth from what you just said it's like we aren't

created just to pay bills like we're not brought here on earth to wake up go to work pay our bills go to sleep and wash and repeat like that's just now how like at the end of the day and it's so cool because in today with technology with the availability of tools that a lot of free tools available in our hands like social media things like that there's no reason why people should be miserable and find their purpose find the why even if because like exactly what you did you had a job you know you you were doing something else whether it's a full-time mom job I don't always say that's a job you know what I mean like that was your time yeah a full-time mom in it or if you're a full-time

employees somewhere, that's perfectly fine because, you know, unless if you're able to, very few people are able to just step away from their business and go find their purpose and do what they want to do and survive. But it's good to get that clarity now, like when you're in your 30s, even if you're, you know, young, like in your 20s or if you're 40s, it doesn't matter how old you are. And a lot of people kind of hold themselves up with that age, but it's just kind of finding your purpose and then finding that side hustle to, you know, feel that passion, to find a way to live out your purpose and then like summer did you know she went from just helping herself and her family you know her mom and her grandma to now she has her own business and this is her job if you will

so it's all about like finding that purpose in life and then you know finding a way to to to make that your reality it might not happen overnight but i mean summer how long did it take you from your very first shake to opening your business. What was that time frame? A little over three years for my first shake. Which is incredible because that's not normal, but it's incredible because summer just made it happen. You know what I mean?

I love it. So let's talk about, and I just want to address something too because if you guys are a lot like me and or at least the old me, you had that mindset of, oh, herbal life. I roll, it's just another MLM, just like you would say with anything else, that's another MLM. But what's crazy is like... Just like I did. Exactly. That's the whole standard.

But you know, what's crazy is like, you know, I've been listening to Brian Carruthers building an empire book. And he addresses this because he's an advocate for legal shield. And, you know, a lot of people kept saying, well, that's an MLM. But if you really think about it, it's like not necessarily because you're still having to putting the work. you're still recruiting people, you're still bringing people on your team, then you're leading those people, and then you're leading those people to lead people, and you are putting in the work, and it's more than just an MLM. And I think that, excuse my language here, but I really think that the lazy people have just slapped that as a look as a title because they probably tried it at one point

of time, and they felt miserably. And instead of accessing themselves and say, okay, how did I felt at, you know, producing or promoting this product, they just turn around and say it's fake or whatever. But I, you know, I could say here, I'm not a distributor, but I am a user of Herbalife. Summer has got me on a couple of supplements. And I will say, like, I've definitely felt a change in that. I'm going to, you know, reassess myself. I'm currently doing the 75 hard and then talk with her too. So, like, that's just the thing, too, is it's not necessarily, like, you have to think of it as an MLM.

You just think of it as, you know, a product that may or may not work for you. And if it works for you, obviously, it sounds like it's working for, lot of people myself included, you know, it's definitely worth a try and forget really what other people think in their opinions do. Yes. And a lot of people don't know that the reason herbal life was even founded was because our founder Mark Hughes, his mom had actually died from weight loss pills. So, I mean, it's from a place of love, you know what I mean?

And just knowing that. And if you think about it, like, I get hit with the person. pyramid scheme thing every single day. Every day I hear it. And it's most of the time it's from people I've never even met on social media. People can be brutal to you. But you just have to know in your heart, what you're doing is right. And I tell them, this is how I answered. And I'm like, well, this is the best pyramid scheme I've ever, you know, been introduced to because I feel better than I ever have in my entire life. I'm doing better financially than I have been in my entire life. And I'm happier than I've been in my entire life. So sign me.

up for that pyramid scheme. And a lot of people don't know that, in my opinion, my personal opinion, and this isn't trying to attack anybody at all, but it's not much different than a nine to five. You have your people at the top of the company, right? I mean, everything is structured like a pyramid, only in my position, you can run as fast as you can go. I can pass the person on top of me if I'm, you know, doing the work.

You get paid off of your efforts, and to me, nothing is better than that because I control my destiny. So I feel like it's all about just like perception and just being open-minded and just realizing that times are changing. We're in 97 countries, which is amazing. I can do business in 97 countries. I can recruit coaches from 97 countries. And how awesome is that, that I'll have a place to stay in those 9,000.

27 countries when I go visit my downline, right? I love it. Right? And for those of you that follow Forbes, which I'm hoping a lot of you do, we were just named one of the top 10 companies to work for. So I'm just, I get impressed every day by herbal life, and I'm just grateful, I guess I should say. Yeah, and it's just amazing of all the opportunities that are currently out there,

whether, like I said, Legal Shield, herbal life, things like, that, but it's like those companies that allow people to collapse time and really kind of focus. Because now, and let's kind of talk, it's like, let's kind of shift subjects here and let's talk about, you know, you as a parent, you know, us working moms, we definitely have the mom guilt. It's hard to say, okay, I'm working and like, you know, when you're working past, you know, the time that they're at a school or you're working, you know, right before bedtime or whatever the case may be. Let's talk about the big old mom guilt and then Summer, how do you handle that? I know. We always, we're expected to, you know, work like we don't have kids, right? We're supposed

to put it in that much effort, but then we're expected to parent like we don't have a job. So it's so difficult. However, I've actually sat down with my oldest already. She's eight and just explained to her that I have to work now very hard, that way that we can live a lifestyle later on and mom doesn't have to work at all. So she understands that I don't get to be at every function right now. Luckily, my husband's job, he's very flexible and he's able to do stuff like that. But my daughter knows that our lives have already changed dramatically since mommy's opened her business. So she's in the shop with me as much as possible. You know what I mean?

Luckily, we're from the town that I open my business in, so everybody knows my family. My daughter has a T named after her at our business. One of the most popular sellers is called Mia's Madness. So we incorporate the family into the business, so that helps out a lot. But just knowing that it's all for the greater good, you know what I mean? I want to leave a legacy for my family. Herbalife is a willable asset.

So the more I build, the better off my family is going to be. So that actually, that helps a lot knowing that in our reality, it's all for them. And I feel like a lot of, you know, most moms that would say the same. Like, it's for my family. I love it. And, you know, there's so many lessons in your story that listeners can learn. And, you know, one that really sticks out is, It doesn't matter where you're out right now and what you're struggling with, whether it's,

if you're struggling with weight, if you're struggling with, you know, just mental health or a job, physical, whatever the case may be. But it's also about like finding the solutions to get you out of it because at the end of the day, you guys, it's all your responsibility to turn it around. No one else can make you happy but yourself. And identifying and pinpointing those areas in your life, like I said, it could be physical, mental, whatever, finding, you know, where am I? And I know Darren Hardy has a great exercise, and it's like the will of life. You know, you go through and you go through and make a ticks on a,

on this diagram. And it's, if you just Google, Darren Hardy compound effect, it's on there. And I remember like 10 years ago, I had a flat tire. If you're, you know what I mean? Like, you're out of whack or whatever, but that's okay. Then you need to identify where you, you're what's making your tire flat, if it's financial, if it's health, if it's relationships, whatever it is, and then find a way that you can fix that. And what's great about Summer's story is Summer saw that flat tire. She, she was struggling with her weight. She was in with that. Unfortunately, it was around my waist. Yeah. Yeah. So you have your weight. But then you also know with that too, you start getting depressed. And then it's almost like a vicious cycle, you know. You don't feel like

moving, you don't feel like going out and working out. You don't feel like getting off the couch. You would just rather, you know, temporarily feed yourself to satisfy a feeling or a void instead of actually fixing the problem. But, you know, what Summer did is okay, enough is enough. And she, she found a solution. And the great thing about her solution is it also ended up, you know, changing her life and her career because now that's what she does for a living. So it's all about, like, identifying that, like the problems, the quote, problems that you have and then finding the solutions. never know when you start working on them how your life's going to change. Exactly.

And how many other lives you could change with that, too, just by taking initiative. You never know who, you know, you're going to impact just by making your life better. One thing that I do want to say, though, to like kind of piggyback on what you were just saying was on the team, like my team Diamond Dynasty as well as my uplines team, the legacy, we're required to do personal development every single day. And the reason that's a requirement is because if you're not constantly growing, then you today is the best you're ever going to be. And we're not okay with that.

So, you know what I mean? We've got to reach the potential that we were supposed to be at, if that makes sense. So I encourage everybody, if you don't currently do it, do some sort of personal development. But we always talk about we wake up with Mark, who is our company founder, wake up with Mark Hughes, and we go to bed with Jim Rohn. You know, you wake up with the motivation and you go to bed with the gratitude. And I would just, you know, if you're not, if you're not on audible or if you don't have like, just, you know, find your favorite podcast. Find your favorite speaker, like the person that wipes that fire in you.

And just even if it's just, you know, 15, 30 minutes a day, while you're in the car, you can constantly be growing. There's so many pockets to your day that you can just fit a little audible segment in or even YouTube has great things. Absolutely. That's just definitely something I would recommend. And this goes back to net, right? No extra time. So if you're driving, you could be utilizing that time to listen to these podcasts, to listen to whatever. Like, while I get ready in the morning, I have it going in the background because subconsciously you're still taking it in.

Yep. And, you know, like I said, I'm going through the 75 hard. and it's 75 days of sticking to a diet, no cheat days, two 45-minute workouts a day, one must be outside, reading 10 pages of personal growth a day, and then, of course, you know, weighing yourself in and all that good stuff. But, you know, I took that opportunity. At first, you know, I listened to music just to kind of get into the rhythm of things. But then I started realizing, you know, my goal was to get licensed in real estate. So instead, you better believe I listen to an hour and a half a day of,

and it was the most excruciating hour and a half a day, I should say, but an hour and a half a day of an audio book about real estate. If you all want to go to sleep real quick, listen to a real estate book because, you know, someone with a monotone voice telling you about the different types of detransvers and the different types of ownership isn't very exciting, but it paid off because within a week I got my license. So it's all about starting it and putting the declaring yourself was like, okay, today is the day that I'm starting. And then stop comparing yourself to other people's successes. Stop comparing yourself to other people's fake digital lives.

But putting a stake in the ground and saying, okay, this is who I am. And this is who I'm going to start comparing myself to, the person I was yesterday. And then it's just baby steps. And you just never know how your life's going to change. No, I always say one percent better every day is the goal. The only person I want to be better than is who I was yesterday. Absolutely. Well, Summer, I appreciate all of the inspiration you share today, being vulnerable, being real about your stories and your struggle. For those who are listening in and are interested in teaming up with you, whether it's just to be a partner and, you know, having opportunity to sell the products with you or even just like me and you just wanting to better your life and get some supplements.

Summer, I appreciate your time today. You rocked and you are awesome. Thank you for having me on, Holly. Anytime. I appreciate you.