MA distributor featured in Time

A couple of days ago I wrote about ma distributor Julie Court who appeared on the front cover of the February 25 issue of Time. Powerline and maBlog writer Brandon Keel sat down with Julie for an exclusive interview about what it was like to be on the cover of Time, her thoughts on the problems facing educators today and why she became a Market America Distributor.

On paper, Julie Court seemed like the typical ma Distributor who became involved with the company part time, in large part due to her incredible results with the products. But when a recent issue of Time magazine hit with her photo on the front, she didn’t appear so typical after all.

“It is very surreal,” Julie said in an exclusive interview with Powerline magazine. “I shake my head every time I see it, because I just can’t believe it’s me on the cover of such a prominent publication.”

Julie was featured as the solo cover shot for the February 25, 2008 edition of Time, reaching more than 4 million households worldwide. Shown seated at a desk with her arms crossed and lesson plan opened, Julie’s serious look of concern was spelled out in bold red type positioned directly beside her photo, which read “How To Make Better Teachers.”

The article addressed two main issues public schools throughout the U.S. have struggled with for a long time – attracting high-quality teachers, and more importantly, retaining them. After just four years of teaching English at a middle school in New York, Julie has an intimate understanding of the challenges that ultimately contribute to teacher turnover.

“What people don’t realize about this job is that teaching is actually last on our list of things to do,” she said. “There are so many other responsibilities that take up time and energy before we even see the students – memos and administrative reports, bulletin boards to maintain, making copies and gathering materials, keeping in contact with parents, planning, grading papers…the list goes on and on.”

Another major concern – especially with urban, inner-city schools like the one Julie currently works at – is an extreme lack of resources combined with declining classroom conditions. Often times, the students are expected to get by with damaged or insufficient workstations, including desks and chairs that are simply falling apart. Many classrooms do not have a computer in sight, and what books Julie does have for her students to reference are either too outdated or vandalized.

“It’s a shame, because kids in urban schools have just as much intelligence and potential as other children, but the lack of equity in resources can have a major impact on their futures,” Julie said.

Unfortunately, this particular issue with educational funding – or a lack thereof – isn’t limited to just the classroom setting. In fact it starts at the front of the class, leaving much to be desired with the average starting salary of teachers nationwide. Time reported that out of the 3.2 million teachers in U.S. public schools, the average beginning salary was approximately $31,753 during 2005.

This combination of heavy workloads, extra responsibilities and low starting pay is all too familiar for Julie’s mother, Kathleen MacLeod, who currently teaches math at the high school level. But for Kathleen, she found hope to overcome such challenges in the most unlikeliest of places.

“Five years ago, a lady by the name of Debi Waldeck gave an incredible wellness lecture on a ski bus,” Kathleen recalled. “I was so impressed by her passion and knowledge that when one of her business partners, Deanna Aadland, contacted me for a follow-up, I began to use the products.”

Within two years, Kathleen recognized the other benefits Market America had to offer in addition to superior, market-driven products. She realized that the financial opportunity available through the UnFranchise business model was a perfect fit for her future plans.

Now, Kathleen is proud to report she has reached Executive Coordinator on her way to the next Pin Level! But for her, the real success story here is that she introduced Julie to the company as a result of her positive experiences with Market America.

“Like all parents, I want my daughter to be healthy and happy,” said Kathleen. “It is difficult to be happy under the financial and emotional challenges of teaching. After I became a Distributor and introduced Julie to the Isotonix line of products, it became obvious that she could also benefit financially from being a part of Market America.”

“Julie is a focused, determined individual with a great capacity to share and care – all qualities that have served her well in the classroom and should transfer to her future as an UnFranchise Owner!”

Although Julie is still fairly new to Market America, she has already made Isotonix a routine part of her busy day. In fact, without the extra energy boost these potent nutraceuticals provide, Julie admits she might not make it through the day.