| Only a few moments before Gad had buried his dental jacket, gloves and alarm clock deep beneath the sand. It was the symbolic end of his career as a dentist and the life associated with it. If there were any tears on that eventful day, they weren't shed for the loss of the couple's old life. If anything, any emotion would have been accompanied by ear-to-ear grins. Gad and Melissa were now Emeralds and this was only the start of their freedom.
Gad leisurely sits on the lounge in his home office as he recounts this story. The room is filled with books - there's the classic How to Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnagie and Becoming a Person of Influence, by John C. Maxwell. On the coffee table is a brochure of the three-storey waterfront property that they have called home for the past six years. It is the very same brochure that Melissa had stuck on their fridge for a whole year before the previous owner finally accepted their offer for the house.
Now, as the Sydney pair celebrate their latest achievement they reflect on what an incredible effect the business has had on their family life. Gad proudly says, "We've been full time parents for every living, waking moment of our children's lives."
Gad and Melissa's business now runs in 30 countries around the world, with Diamonds in four countries. They have helped a street sweeper in the Philippines, who was making the equivalent of $50 a month income, transform into a confident Platinum. In Australia, the Ghabrials have mentored new Diamonds Shanker and Mia Bala and Emeralds Jerry and Sue Smart. There are many other similar success stories that the couple love to hear about; it is what drives them to keep on building the business despite their enviable lifestyle.
In their 20s, Gad and Melissa had little direction. Gad was at university, struggling to get through a course that he didn't want to do while Melissa was an insecure girl who had just moved to the city from the country town of Eden. Gad was very sceptical when he first saw a presentation of the AMWAY business and admits that he wanted to quit every day for the first six months after they joined. He even went so far as to call his sponsor, Peter Cox, to tell him that he wanted to quit. "Peter said, 'Just get out. I'm not going to beg you to stay in' - arrogantly, but smartly at the same time,- says Gad. "That was probably the turning point because then I thought, well why am I doing this? What is my dream?"
The answer to his question can be seen as soon as you walk through the door of their Caringbah home. A beautiful waterfront property, loving family and a thriving international business - it is everything Gad and Melissa decided they wanted all those years ago. But Gad says, "We are just beginning."Melissa says, "We do it for the love of people and because we know what this business can do for them. It's not just about money - certainly the money is great don't get me wrong - but it's about being significant in people's lives and watching them grow and change. To know that we've made a small difference there somewhere is what totally stimulates us both. Our mentors, Jim and Nancy Dornan, have been an incredible example of the impact two people can have in someone's life - particularly ours."
History
Double Diamond: 2008
Executive Diamond: 2005
Diamond: 1996
Emerald: 1992
Platinum: 1989
Gold: 1989
Silver: 1989
Joined Amway: 1988 |
