Brought to you by...
Creating Wealth From Home™
in conjunction with Vollara™
Linda Johnson-Dulas
Market Expansion Coordinator
Success Stories

Debbie Ratliff's son was so impressed by his mother's
success with her home business, he decided to joined
her growing empire and start his own business.
Vinton is nestled in the southeastern comer of Ohio, spread across 1.1 square miles of lush, heavily-wooded land, dotted with beautiful lakes, rugged scenery and ample wildlife. A mere 324 people call this quaint little village home. The area's many tourists frequent Uncle Buck's Riding Stable and Dance Barn, take tours of five covered bridges and book reservations at the Ravenwood Castle Bed and Breakfast. In virtually every way, this beautiful region embodies the romantic notion of small town America with one notable exception: Vinton is also home to a thriving international business, run by a local family from the comfort of their own living room.

Debbie Ratliff has called Vinton home for over three decades. For most of those 30 years, she's worked with the local school district as its Chief Fiscal Officer, a career path started while still a teenager. After several insufficient raises, she was ready for a career change.		 Underpaid and Underappreciated
Having grown accustomed to the accommodating schedule the school provided her—most notably extended holidays and summer vacations—Debbie wanted to find a job that allowed her to spend quality time with her family. "I felt like it was time for me to actually do something to add to the family income instead of just giving all my hours away to someone else," admits Debbie, who estimated she was being paid anywhere from $30,000 to $40,000 less than most people in her field.

Soon after this depressing realization, Debbie discovered the earning potential of starting my own business. "Once I got started, I saw that my income was absolutely unlimited," she says. "There was no cap, and the union wasn't going to crowd me and say, 'No, you can't be paid any more money.'"		 As an independent representative for a major Air & Purification company, Debbie quickly began building her business, as well as her income. Debbie began enjoying incredible success while working 25 to 30 hours a week, half the number of hours she had logged in her previous employment. But even as both her business and profits continued to grow, her husband, Jim, remained skeptical of his wife's new profession.

From Doubter to Believer
Jim's skepticism grew when Debbie found out her company was going to buy her a new car as a reward for her efforts. Having long dreamed of owning a Mercedes-Benz, Debbie asked Jim to accompany her to the dealership to help her select the model. "Jim and I went to
Page 2.
Charleston to pick it out, and Jim's asking, 'Who's going to pay for this?' He still could not believe how well I was doing with the business," Debbie laughs. "But when everyone in town got a look at that new car, it dawned on him — this business really works!"

Also taking notice was Jim and Debbie's son, Brian, who came home for the holidays shortly after Debbie parked her new car in the garage. "He took the car and drove it all around town and got all kinds of attention," says Debbie. "And while Brian was here, one of my checks came in the mail - a five-figure check!"

Brian was a natural for the home business industry. He's always been entrepreneurial. "When I was 10, my parents hosted a party and I sold cheeseburgers to their guests for $2 a piece," Brian recalls. But he was initially reluctant to join his mom's business. “I was always a stubborn kid."

Then Brian had a vision of his future and it scared him. At the time, he was interning as a golf pro at a country club in Sarasota, Florida. "I wanted to be a member, not just serve the members," he recalls. "I would watch the members, and you could tell by their demeanor		 whether the stock market was up or down. I decided I didn't want someone else determining my income." At the time, Brian was making $80 an hour giving lessons.

Following in his mother's footsteps, Brian finally jumped in and started his own business marketing the same products his mother was using to achieve success. "In five months, I reached one of the top ranks in the company," smiles Brian. "That was the same month that I graduated from college. And I'll tell you what, I've had a blast ever since." Like his mom, when Brian earned a car on the company's dime, he chose a new Mercedes. "It's a CLK 320 with black leather interior," he says.

The Perks of Time Freedom
The Ratliffs soon found out there were other bonuses associated with their new business-perks that didn't appear on surface. Weekly Sunday conversations have now been replaced by daily interaction among family.

Brian gets to spend quality time with his parents, something he couldn't possibly put a price on. "We're almost best friends these days. We walk around the house high-fiving each other," says Brian. "Honestly, I would do this business for half the money." Debbie concurs. "It's cool," she says of having her son nearby.

Jim is firmly on board, too. His morning no longer begins with, the hustle and bustle associated with getting out of bed and heading off to work. Now the mornings for Jim and Debbie consist of swimming laps, taking leisurely walks and watching the neighbors rush off to work with perplexed looks on their faces—wondering how the Ratliffs are able to afford such an independent lifestyle. And in 2005, the three are scheduled to take a Caribbean cruise together.



"I can see now that my former employer took me for granted," says Debbie. "And I didn't know any better. I grew up in a J-O-B. Every morning, I had to be out of bed at 6:00 a.m. Now, with our home business, we don't even have an alarm clock," laughs Debbie. "It's incredible!"

Jim, Debbie and Brian in front of cars paid for by their company's bonus car program.