Heather Johnson has lost 275 pounds and has made it her mission to help others do the same! Read our interview with the lovely Heather below…
What motivated and inspired you to start your own business?
When I was overweight and learning about low carb, what to eat, what not to eat. What was okay and what wasn’t. I had NO help. I had to learn everything myself. It was hard. I wanted to make a page, a group. I wanted to share recipes, weekly menus, I wanted people to have a place to go and get the help I didn’t have. I wanted to inspire people. I wanted to help people lose weight, get healthy and do it right the 1st time! I started my own business to help other people feel great and help them change the direction in their lives. And for myself and my son. I am a single mother and I want my son to know that he can be ANYTHING he wants to be. I want to be happy to provide for him and for myself.
Tell us about your business.
I am a weight loss coach. Mainly I promote low carb eating. The business side would be skinny body care.
- Skinny Fiber
- Skinny Body Max
- HiBurn8
- Instant Youth
- Ageless
- E3
Are you currently running any promos/contests/giveaways that you would like our readers to know about?
Yes, when you buy 2 bottles you get the 3rd free. Also, we have our buy 3 bottles, you get 3 bottles FREE. You can also mix and match and change them around. During the Month of November ANY order will be put into a contest for a Fitbit Blaze and also a pink fitness tracker.
Where is your business based?
I’m in Georgia, however, my business is done online, so I am available EVERYWHERE!
What were the first few steps you took to get your business up and running?
I already had a following base from the weight loss support group I had started. I also did a lot of training, reading, self-development, a lot of test runs. I ran promotions, giveaways, contest. I had business cards made, a car magnet, and I registered to be a LLC.
What has been the most effective way of raising awareness of your business and getting new customers?
I do my business 100% online, I’ve only used Facebook since I started in 2013! I then started to use Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter! I am learning those as I go and branching out for new ideas. I am always trying to meet new people in groups, so I meet and help other people! I also ask for my friends and followers to my post to help me SPREAD the recipes, and tips I offer. I also LOVE to give my followers a chance to win something. I will do a contest like, the person who is the most active will win a gift bag. The person who invites the most people to the group can win a FREE product. Also, when going out, for example at Walmart, I drop my business cards in pots and pans and in weight loss magazines or books. I drop them in plus sizes clothes in the pockets and also in purses. When I go out to restaurant, I bring my purse which has a business card, a plastic door handle with a mint and few other items, I either tape them on the door, or I hang them on the door! When going to the book stores, I put them in cook books, weight loss books, self-development books. When I am out at Sea-World or Discovery Cove, depending on weather – if it’s chilly, I wear my jacket I made with my before and after picture. If it’s sunny, I wear my SBC hat or my BIG bag with my before and after picture, it makes people ASK HOW DID YOU DO IT! Also I drop fake 100 dollar bills! YES, I DO! I leave my card in hotels, stores, anywhere I go!
What have been your biggest challenges so far?
My biggest challenge is I want everyone to like me. I made my page to help people. It hurts me when people can be so mean. However, I’ve learned that I had to grow tough skin. Some people will love you, like you, hate you or be jealous of you. You always have to do what YOU say even if someone isn’t nice or rude. My biggest challenge was learning that I couldn’t please everyone and when someone wasn’t happy all I could do is try my best and if that wasn’t good enough, try even harder. And in the end, just let it go! I would have to also say an email list and newsletter. Getting one started years later isn’t the easiest thing to do!
How did you overcome these challenges?
I have read and listened to a lot of self-development books, read about network marketing, and talked to top leaders and learned how to grow. I am working on rebuilding my email list and making a newsletter. I have a filing system with my customer’s birthdays, anniversaries, kid’s birthdays, and spouses birthdays because I like to send thank you notes out. Also, birthday cards to the kids and I email my customer’s on their birthday’s to let them know they mean a lot to me! They are my #1 priority!
How do you keep motivated through difficult times?
In February 2014 and May 2014, I got in a bad accident. After being on bed rest, I thought I would go and have skin removed from losing 275 pounds. The surgeon almost killed me. I had 5 infections and a whole the size of a baseball. I was on steroids for 8-9 months and gained 60 pounds back. I felt like a failure, all my self-esteem was gone, and I felt like a hypocrite for telling my followers to lose weight when I couldn’t do it myself! After reading a lot of self-healing, self-development books, I started to work on the problems at hand. I started a journal, every morning I write 3 goals. How I feel, what I have done that day and how I feel at night. Every day I do this and at the end of the week I read through it and see how much I have worked through. I listen to a podcast and to inspiring speakers to make a better, stronger, happier Heather. I have also started my weight loss back up and share my struggles with other people so they can overcome struggles in their life too!
How do you distinguish yourself from your competitors?
I am completely honest. I don’t lie about how I lost the weight. I make weekly menus with shopping list and the recipes. I do giveaways for people, tablets, laptops, gift bags, gift cards, I show my customers that with me they not just get a product they also get a gift and a friend!
What is the best advice you have received recently?
If you find yourself comfortable, kicking back and just resting, you’re not growing. You’ve stopped pushing, learning, and stretching yourself. If you’re comfortable you should be nervous, because in network marketing, you’re either growing or you’re dying.
What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs?
Stop thinking about what other people have done, or how FAST they did it! It may take you some time to be able to get a sale, just hold on, it’s worth it. Always work on yourself. Always grow. Start an EMAIL list as soon as YOU start, don’t wait or you will be frustrated when you have too many and are trying to fit them in! Don’t compare your success to someone else’s. It’s not going to happen overnight, what you put in you will get out. But ask yourself are you sick and tired of being sick and tired!?
What is your favorite business tool or resource?
- Go Daddy
- Google Analytics
- Kindle Unlimited, so many books on self-development and self-healing
- Survey Monkey
- Happy Planner
- Canva
What social media outlets do you use? List them below.
Instagram @heatherdivaxo
Twitter @heatherdivaxo
Facebook @
Facebook Group www.facebook.com/groups/
Facebook Fan Page www.facebook.com/
Facebook Business Page www.facebook.com/
Pinterest @heatherdivaxo
LinkedIn @heatherdivaxo
Snapchat @heatherdivaxo
Youtube @butterfly31881
Website www.gettingskinnywithheather.
Email gettingskinnywithheather@
Hashtags #heatherjohnson #heatherjohnsonweightloss #heatherdivaxo
What is a good article or book you have read recently?
Okay I been reading a lot! So here is my list!
- The Celestine Prophecy: An Adventure
- The Four-Year Career; How to Make Your Dreams of Fun and Financial Freedom Come True Or Not
- Go Pro: 7 Steps to Becoming a Network Marketing Professional
- Beach Money: Creating Your Dream Life Through Network Marketing
- The Miracle Morning for Network Marketers: Grow Yourself FIRST to Grow Your Business Fast
- ROCK Your Network Marketing Business: How to Become a Network Marketing ROCK STAR
- How to Heal Yourself When No One Else Can: A Total Self-Healing Approach for Mind, Body, and Spirit
- The four year career
- Your First Year in Network Marketing
What are you currently learning about for your business or looking for help with?
I am always looking for new team members who want to work from home. I am constantly learning new things to incorporate them into bettering myself, my team and the way I conduct myself! I am looking for ADMINS for my weight loss group. And to help make sure everyone is answered and no one feels ignored!
What are your goals for the next few months and how are you striving to achieve them?
My goal, is to make my businesses grow, help others, and most importantly I want to lose the rest of this weight I gained from the steroids, and get back to feeling healthier. To help other people reach their goals and help them feel confident! My goal is to keep growing, learning and make royal crown diamond!