I still have a few boxes to empty - most of the contents will end up in the tip, but I have to go through it all just in case there is something of value within the cardboard or plastic! Really there are some 30+ years of documents. I have all the letters my parents wrote to me over the years, and one day I may feel comfortable getting rid of them, but for the moment I have re-stored them.
One collection of documents I came across was of a business called Lady Love, which started in Australia back in 1979 by Michael J. McCarthy in Melbourne. He had developed a range of quality manicure products supported by the concept of trained "consultants" showing ladies, in their own home, how to do their own "professional" manicure. The motto was "it is easy to have beautiful hands and nails, naturally".
From then into the mid 1980's hundreds of women around Australia joined to work with the fabulous products and join the excitement of commission only direct selling, with the more successful consultants earning top commissions and bonuses giving them earning and bonus cheques of up to $2000 a month, which was pretty awesome in those days.
Around that time Mr McCarthy introduced the concept into the west coast of North America, but back in Australia his hard work was being undone as two colleagues set up in a hastily put together opposition company that was spectacularly unsuccessful and short lived, however it damaged the original business. Mr McCarthy attempted unsuccessfully to resurrect the Australian business and then sold out the Australian operation in 1989 and returned to America and his business there.
There was a succession of owners from 1989 to 1995, which saw mildly successful bids to return the business to its former successful period. In 1995 my husband and I bought the business and relocated it to Brisbane in March 1995. We had a few successful years but a number of things worked to hinder our success - one being the new transport regulations that limited our ability to send the "flammable" nail polish and nail polish removers, adding to the cost of such transportation.
I think it was about four years before we gave up on it, as we were losing money and it all became too hard.
I am still in contact with some of the "Lady Love Consultants" even all these years later, and only today I cast to the bin, all the documents that were associated with the business - including names and addresses of wonderful consultants who were part of this wonderful period.
Photos of various conferences and awards ceremonies (some of my winning cups are on the refrigerator in my new abode!).
The products? I still use the wonderful protein crème which was awesome and still despite being well past its "use by date" still works well. I still use the diamond file, and the profiles. The products really were awesome, but the nail polishes etc would hardly compete with the low cost products on the market.
I did learn to keep my nails healthy - and I did learn how to do my own manicure, and keep my nails looking good without the expensive false nails that seem to be popular.
Life goes on. It opened doors for me in many ways, and after volunteering in a not-for-profit training organisation helping the girls with their nail care, I was offered a job as a trainer there and subsequently headed to university - now have two degrees.
It was an important time in my life journey. I will never forget Lady Love - the people and the products.
I wonder how the company name "Lady Love" would be received in 2013!!!
One collection of documents I came across was of a business called Lady Love, which started in Australia back in 1979 by Michael J. McCarthy in Melbourne. He had developed a range of quality manicure products supported by the concept of trained "consultants" showing ladies, in their own home, how to do their own "professional" manicure. The motto was "it is easy to have beautiful hands and nails, naturally".
From then into the mid 1980's hundreds of women around Australia joined to work with the fabulous products and join the excitement of commission only direct selling, with the more successful consultants earning top commissions and bonuses giving them earning and bonus cheques of up to $2000 a month, which was pretty awesome in those days.
Around that time Mr McCarthy introduced the concept into the west coast of North America, but back in Australia his hard work was being undone as two colleagues set up in a hastily put together opposition company that was spectacularly unsuccessful and short lived, however it damaged the original business. Mr McCarthy attempted unsuccessfully to resurrect the Australian business and then sold out the Australian operation in 1989 and returned to America and his business there.
There was a succession of owners from 1989 to 1995, which saw mildly successful bids to return the business to its former successful period. In 1995 my husband and I bought the business and relocated it to Brisbane in March 1995. We had a few successful years but a number of things worked to hinder our success - one being the new transport regulations that limited our ability to send the "flammable" nail polish and nail polish removers, adding to the cost of such transportation.
I think it was about four years before we gave up on it, as we were losing money and it all became too hard.
I am still in contact with some of the "Lady Love Consultants" even all these years later, and only today I cast to the bin, all the documents that were associated with the business - including names and addresses of wonderful consultants who were part of this wonderful period.
Photos of various conferences and awards ceremonies (some of my winning cups are on the refrigerator in my new abode!).
The products? I still use the wonderful protein crème which was awesome and still despite being well past its "use by date" still works well. I still use the diamond file, and the profiles. The products really were awesome, but the nail polishes etc would hardly compete with the low cost products on the market.
I did learn to keep my nails healthy - and I did learn how to do my own manicure, and keep my nails looking good without the expensive false nails that seem to be popular.
Life goes on. It opened doors for me in many ways, and after volunteering in a not-for-profit training organisation helping the girls with their nail care, I was offered a job as a trainer there and subsequently headed to university - now have two degrees.
It was an important time in my life journey. I will never forget Lady Love - the people and the products.
I wonder how the company name "Lady Love" would be received in 2013!!!
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