Lost Pounds Turn RN Into Entrepreneur
Monday April 3, 2000
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After losing 67 pounds herself, nurse Eileen Spevak (right) decided to help others lose weight by becoming a distributor for Seattle Sutton's (left) Healthy Eating. Photo by Andrew Campbell.
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Eight months later, I had lost 67 pounds. During the last six years, I have managed to keep off every pound. The success of my weight loss is due to the fact that, along with exercise, Seattle Sutton's Healthy Eating has taught me portion control and what foods I can and cannot eat. Lifestyle changes, not fad diets, keep weight off.
During my many trips to Seattle Sutton's headquarters in Ottawa, IL, where I picked up my weekly meals, I observed the business in full swing and met many of its key people. I was so impressed with their product that I gathered additional information about becoming a distributor, and the seeds of entrepreneurship began to take root.
During 1997 and most of 1998, I pondered the idea of opening my own branch of Seattle Sutton's Healthy Eating. However, I was afraid of becoming a business woman because I had no previous sales experience. I was impressed with the way Healthy Eating helped people change their poor eating habits. The question was: Could I make it on my own? I decided to give it a try, while keeping my nursing job, too. I figured I could do anything for a couple of years and set my goal of doing both jobs for two years.
I opened my store in the small, but growing, town of Oswego. To my own surprise, within one year I was forced to give up my clinical nursing job due to the success of my business. My three-year goals were met within three months, and, within two years of opening, I had moved to a larger location to accommodate a growing number of customers.
The success of my business is twofold. First, Seattle Sutton's Healthy Eating is an excellent product and is a name that sells itself. Second, I love what I am doing. I need no sales experience to sell something that I can personally endorse. I have seen firsthand, with many of my own clients, people with diabetes who can better control their blood sugars, individuals with high cholesterol who see drops in their levels, and clients who lower their blood pressure after following the Healthy Eating plan.
I miss the friendships and camaraderie that I fostered at West Suburban Hospital, and I am grateful for the background they have given me. The knowledge I gained during my 17-year nursing career has helped me become a successful entrepreneur in a completely different venue. The love I have for this product and my passion for healthcare have converged into a meaningful and rewarding lifetime career.
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