Owen, Graeme & Debbie

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Graeme & Debbie Owen
Graeme Debbie Owen.jpg
Pin: Executive Diamond - 2006
Markets: Australia
LOA:

Network TwentyOne

LOS Upline: Sala, Mitch & Deidre
Website:
Notes:son Jeremy is a Platinum

Success Story (Australia)

from Amway Australia Because Magazine December 2006

Graeme and Debbie Owen, Now at Executive Diamond, run their business exactly as they live their lives and it pays dividends. both sons have their own Amway businesses, the family lives in a stunning, resort-style home on the Gold Coast, and with business in countries they never dreamed of, the world is literally, at their feet. Debbie Owen has a passion for building and interior design so when the builder she and Graeme had commissioned to oversee the massive task of extending and renovating their Isle of Capri home was unable to continue, the only viable option seemed to be for Debbie to complete an owner builder course and supervise the project herself. There were more than a few challenges to overcome, including the fact that 60 tonnes of concrete had to be removed from the property. After months of dry weather, the day the gutters and exterior brick were removed, it rained for a month, which led to water dripping through the ceiling causing mould on the wall and ceilings and saturating the carpet.

Graeme and Debbie needed to stay on site, so for four months the family lived through the renovation.

“We had a vision of a house with a resort atmosphere where we could feel as though we were on holiday every day, so we just persevered,” Debbie says.

Graeme adds: “It is very much like what you do in the business. As long as you keep the end in mind and understand that challenges and obstacles are part of the process, you’ll get your desired result, if you’re willing to persist.”

The result is well worth it. The house has a heavy Balinese influence in the furnishings and colour with timber sliding doors leading to an outdoor pavilion and an infinity edge pool which perfectly matches the sparkling water at the back of the property.

An added bonus has been Jeremy (23) and Jonathan (20) who both matriculated and realised that if they were to maintain the lifestyle they had lived with their parents for so long, they’d better start their own businesses as well, so for his 19th birthday Jeremy asked his parents for a Business Pack. Both boys were educated at the prestigious Bond University and Graeme points out that it’s a testament to the business that even after earning first class degrees, they see the Amway business as their best option.

The family is more like a bunch of friends and housemates, with the boys practicing their music (drums and guitar) in the music room while Graeme and Debbie check emails in the home office that runs their ever-increasing empire.

Even more amazing is that while they have enjoyed the spoils of an idyllic family life, their business too has thrived, stepping across borders they never imagined. They have recently qualified as Emeralds in South Africa. Graeme, who often counsels the overseas leaders on the phone, recalls some “interesting times”.

“A couple of years ago while we were growing groups in South America I had a conference call with 25 IBOs in Colombia and Venezuela with a translator in each country, asking questions and clarifying finer points of team building.”

They recently received an email from a couple who qualified as Emeralds in Bucaramanga in Colombia, who are incredibly grateful for the support they have received and were really excited that their Amway business had allowed them to become debt free and also repay the debts of their parents.

“The relationships you build and the lives you are able to influence are unique serendipities of our business, which certainly keeps you humble and grateful for the opportunity.”

Graeme and Debbie explain their success very simply: “The most successful leaders have two traits,” Graeme begins. “A fierce resolve and humility. That means being very determined, but never believing your own publicity.”

“Lance Armstrong is one of our leadership heroes’,” adds Debbie. “And he says that most people take their failures too seriously and over-celebrate their successes, so we try to be moderate at both ends of the spectrum.”

Now Graeme and Debbie live life at their pace. Graeme particularly maintains regular contact by phone and email with their key leaders here and overseas, but life for the Owens’ is about family and lifestyle and they now revel in their ability to enjoy both as they please. From here, Graeme and Debbie see great things to come for their business which is already on a serious roll. Especially important now is their focus on building their Platinum and Emerald groups to Diamond, so there will be more counselling and more trips overseas, but always with that persistent, determined, yet humble approach which is reflected in yet another aspect of this successful couple’s lives.

“As part of our regime to stay fit and healthy we walk three kilometres every day along the Surfers Paradise beachfront,” explains Debbie. “Over a year, that’s 1095 kilometres, which is about what it would take to walk to Sydney.

“Now if someone asked us to walk to Sydney, we would probably say no, but similarly in this business, people underestimate the cumulative effect of consistently showing four plans per week, every week over a year.”