Editor-in-Cheif, Tiffaney Malott, Interviews Margie Aliprandi
Part One: Love and Legacy
Love, Loyalty and Legacy by Margie Aliprandi
When I found network marketing, or shall I say when it found me, I was a junior high school music teacher, a single mom with three kids under the age of 5, and at a crossroads in my life. I wanted to be home with my children for their growing up years, and I wanted to provide them with a better lifestyle than I could as a teacher. I had no previous experience in NWM, and no money to start a business, but I was passionate and scrappy and my ‘WHY’ was fierce strong. I made a “whatever it takes“ decision, jumped in with both feet and never looked back. Within one year, I was making more money in a single month than I made in an entire year teaching, and I made my first million dollars by the time I was 35.
Now my children are grown with children of their own, and I have the unique vantage point of seeing the legacy that blossomed from my decision to dive into this business 32 years ago.
Part 2: Loyalty and Legacy
Five years ago, I read the book Half the Sky, about the marginalization of women globally, particularly in developing nations. I and a few other network marketing women felt compelled to do something about it. That is how WOMEN UNITED FOR CHANGE was born. Our first order of business was to find an organization with integrity that already had the infrastructure and a platform in place to lift women up. We hit the jackpot when we found PCI and their Women Empowered (WE) program!
Five years later, there are thousands of women and men ‘paying it forward’ through this movement. Many of us are entrepreneurs whose lives have been blessed by network marketing. Together we’ve helped transform the lives of over 10,000 women across the globe.
A few years ago, we visited Guatemala to see the results of our donations firsthand. We were so impressed with PCI’s efficiency, the trust they’ve built in the community, and the network of staff, community leaders and volunteers supporting their programs. PCI builds integrated and holistic programs that address the root causes of poverty and inequality, and empower women as powerful agents of change.
We just returned from another vision trip in Africa, and WOW…life-changing!!! I’m more convinced than ever that PCI has cracked the code. Through them, our donations are changing the world in the most foundational and sustainable way possible. They are truly “teaching a woman to fish, rather than giving her a fish for a day.”
Entrepreneurship is the key. These women are stepping into their power, creating their own businesses, and becoming an economic force in their communities. The ripple effect is profound. One by one, they are making their voices heard within their families and stepping into leadership roles in their communities. They are breaking through huge cultural barriers to do with they are doing. Together, they are changing social norms and unlocking a bright future for their children and for generations to come.
I know everyone has their favorite charities, but this is more than another charitable organization. This is a movement! We are linking arms and together we’re changing the world.
I carry an image in my heart from our trip to Tanzania. I see these women standing tall and saying with the help of a translator, “Before PCI’s Women Empowered program, I had nothing in my life. Now I am a business woman. Now I’m an entrepreneur.”
That image drives me forward in this movement. A $50 donation changes a woman’s life. For less than what I spend on coffee in a month, I can empower a woman with 18 months of financial literacy and business training, and connect her to a strong and global support system – a sisterhood for life.
We all have the power to give this gift; to follow a purpose far greater than ourselves. Please join us in Women United for Change!
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