I never stop being grateful that my daughter has my mom to look up to.
For the entirety of my childhood – up through and including my teenage years – I used Avon Skin So Soft Bath Oil. When I was a kid it was just what we had sitting by the tub, but by the time I was a teenager I actively sought it out: It had taken on an air of nostalgic simplicity and made me feel both elegant and a touch retro, even though I wasn’t sure exactly why.
Recently, Avon sent over a few of their products for me to test out – Avon Prima Eau de Parfume and some very excellent mascara, Avon True Color Wide Awake – and it got me thinking about how I used to use Skin So Soft (both the bath oil and the bug spray) for all those years. I asked my mom why, and you know what I found out? She discovered the products back in the ‘70s, while working as an Avon Representative. I had no idea.
I recently did an interview on the Avon blog, Beauty for a Purpose – find out more here.
Avon has a long history of empowering women to take control over their own careers, and in many ways it’s forward-thinking, female-supportive companies like Avon – and their entrepreneurial Representatives – who paved the way for the rise in female-run small businesses such as my own. The idea of being an “Avon Lady” has always sounded mysterious and compelling, and so in celebration of Avon’s Boss Life campaign celebrating female empowerment, I thought I’d get to know a little more about that particular moment in my mom’s life, and discover the fresh new Avon of today.
Q&A time!
Me: What were the circumstances in your life that led to you becoming an Avon Representative ?
Mom: When I moved to NY to marry your father [ed note: this is such a cool story], I left behind friends, family and my job teaching fourth grade. I arrived with no job, unsure of what I wanted to do with my life, and selling Avon products seemed like a perfect solution. I was able to make some money to support myself, and it also gave me the chance to meet new people. My father had been a travelling salesman when I was a young girl, and maybe that’s where I got the idea that I might like to try person-to-person sales myself.
Me: You lived in Queens – hardly the kind of place you picture seeing an Avon Representative . How did this work?
Mom: [My husband] and I lived in an apartment building, so I made most of my sales to women living in other apartments in the building. It was actually a great way to make new friends in my new city – the women I sold to usually invited me in for tea while they looked through the brochures.
Me: The Avon Brochure! Hello nostalgia. So what were your top-selling products?
Mom: At the time, Avon sold mostly face and body creams and make-up. My clients and I would sit together for hours, trying out all the new eyeshadow and lipstick shades, so while I always left with an order, it was also an opportunity to socialize with people I might never have otherwise met.
Me: Um, that’s ADORABLE. Now I want to have a makeup party. What were your favorite products to use on yourself?
Mom: Unfortunately, I loved most of the products. I say “unfortunately” because I ended up buying a lot of them myself, which cut slightly into my proceeds. But the value in being an Avon Representative went beyond financial for me: I was very shy when I first arrived in New York City, and felt very isolated, and working in direct sales helped me come out of my shell while also being a part of a company that I knew practically every woman in America had a connection to. I’d be remiss in not handing some credit to Avon for helping me start along the path towards where I am today, living in Hell’s Kitchen and running my own law firm.
Me: Was it you who got me into Skin So Soft?
Mom: You were about four years old when you started taking baths with it, so unless it was delivered by the Tooth Fairy, probably.
This post was created in collaboration with Avon. Learn more about their efforts to empower women here.
