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Skills That Support Lasting Professional Development
Many individuals begin building a business with Amway to earn extra income or to explore entrepreneurship without facing the hurdles and costs associated with starting a business from scratch. Along the way, something more meaningful often develops: a set of professional skills that extend far beyond the business itself. Through everyday experiences in selling products, mentoring others and managing a business, Amway Independent Business Owners (IBOs) develop habits and strengths that become valuable in every aspect of their professional lives.
Business owners in the Amway environment gain real-world experience in communication, team building, product knowledge and leadership. Over time, many develop a new level of confidence in public speaking, team building, leadership and time management. Vince, an Amway IBO who started his business with his wife April in 2014, puts it simply, “you literally can start with no [business] education, no nothing. And people will teach you [what you need to know] every step of the way.” That level of mentorship allows individuals to grow at their own pace while gaining exposure to important business principles.
What makes this development different from other environments is the structure of support IBOs receive. In many industries, professionals may experience isolated roles. Within the Amway community, the dynamic is intentionally collaborative.
“We are in business for ourselves, but not by ourselves…[the business] is more relational than transactional,” explained Santiago, a Florida-based IBO since 2008.
Seasoned IBOs view new IBOs as developing leaders reaching toward shared goals. The result is a culture where encouragement, coaching and personal accountability coexist.
Building a business with Amway teaches people to keep showing up even when things are hard.
Megan, an IBO from California who started her business in 2010 with her husband Spencer, compares business ownership with working out in a gym, stating, “you have to get used to the reps. And it’s usually the experiences that aren’t good that you learn the most from.”
In a world that often avoids failure, Amway IBOs learn to view setbacks as part of the professional development process. They are motivated to push through and acknowledge that personal growth is happening even when results are not instant.
Hard work and habit development also play a central role. Many IBOs come from diverse backgrounds with varying levels of formal business experience, but they bring ambition and a willingness to learn.
April recalls the persistence required in the early stages, stating that, “we’re able to give new [IBOs], who’ve never been in business before, a realistic picture of what it looks like. You’re building something and it’s going to take time.”
The process of building a business instills a mindset of resilience and problem solving; traits that benefit any path. And the development doesn’t end with the individual. As IBOs gain experience, they begin mentoring others, reinforcing their own learning while contributing to the skills of those around them.
A former Alabama State University football player and IBO since 2013, Brandon, captured this dynamic clearly, “the success that someone has is dependent upon how much they can actually help others become the best version of themselves.”
For many Amway business owners, the skills gained are not theoretical … they are practiced daily, refined through experience and strengthened by a community committed to excellence. Whether in business, education, healthcare or any other field, those skills carry over and continue to open doors.
To hear more from IBOs directly on their Amway experience, check out the playlist “IBO Voices” on We Are Amway’s YouTube channel.