What’s a Commissionary?
Originally published at If I were a roller coaster, I'd be an e-Ticket. You can comment here or there.
So the story goes like this.
Mike had just become an officer in the Navy Reserves at the ripe old age of 40 and we (the family) had just gotten our first military ID cards. We were on the base, at the liquor store (natch) and Mike says, is there any other place we’d like to go while we’re here? Tori says, I want to go to the commissionary. We laughed and, teasing her, said “what’s the commissionary?” She said, “you know, that place where everyone gets their groceries and stuff really cheap!” (she has friends who have base access). So we tell her it’s the Commissary … and she says “Then what’s a Commissionary?” The answer came to me so quickly that it was out of my mouth before I even knew what I was saying …
A Commissionary is someone who preaches the value of working for commission. [You heard it here, I made it up just over 2 years ago so if you ever hear it used in conversation, it's my contribution to the English Language.] For the record, I don’t necessarily mean commission, as in sales, but as in self-employment in general.
I realized a long time ago that I’ve always been a Commissionary. I’ve always been just as happy to see a woman sign up with a candle company as with my company, just so long as she was doing something to change her situation.
I’m a Commissionary. I don’t believe in picking up a second job, I believe in building something that you can control. You can control your income, your hours, your success. You don’t have to wait for someone to notice that you are amazing and promote you. You won’t not get promoted because the person above you hates you or you don’t have a degree, or you don’t have ‘the look’.
I’m a Commissionary. If you’re a stay at home mom who just needs some adult time and would like to have a little spending money, find the company that has the products you’d like to own (bags, candles, jewelry, cookware, toys - kid, toys - adult) and get moving. You may not even need or want to be a leader in the company, but you’ll benefit from a little you time, from using your brain in a different way than you’re used to, from a little extra ka-ching in your pocket.
I’m a Commissionary. Now, I’m not going to claim it’s easy and it isn’t for everyone. It’s infinitely easier to show up to a job and get paid to do mindless labor for X number of hours. When you’re self-employed, you’re essentially unemployed until you turn on your business mindset and DO something. You can’t phone it in. If you don’t feel like working, you won’t get paid. But if you DO work. Oh, if you do work your business, you will be amazed at what you can earn, in cash, in self-esteem, in general.
I’m a Commissionary. If you’re not living up to your potential, or your job isn’t taking advantage of all your talents, it’s time to look around for something you can do that will challenge you and make you money at the same time. If you have a degree in Culinary Arts, and you make the most awesome dessert creations, why are you still waitressing? Start catering, or offering specialty dessert trays … in your off hours.
There are many, many, many more success stories of women who chose to sign with a direct sales company and ultimately changed her life than those who took a second job waitressing or running a drive thru line at a fast food joint.
So that’s me, I’m a Commissionary and I’m preachin’ it.
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