Supportive, passionate about helping you to lose weight and full of expert knowledge and advice, Slimming World Consultants are an amazing team. That’s why we’re so excited to share this success story with you. We caught up with Top Target Consultant 2020, Natasha to find out how inspiring others to reach their dream weight can open up a world of unexpected opportunities…
FIND OUT MORE: How to become a Slimming World Consultant
What inspired you have to do to become a Consultant?
After losing 11st with Slimming World, I was feeling slim and fitter, and, in April 2016, I started to think that I’d like to help other people by becoming a Slimming World Consultant myself. I contacted my local manager, who explained that they were looking for a Consultant to run a group in Littlehampton, West Sussex, near where I live.
A few weeks later, I went to an opportunities event to find out more about the self-employed role. It left me feeling even more excited about starting my own Slimming World business and raring to get going. Following my interview, I was invited to Head Office to start my Consultant training. The training team was fantastic – they really focused on helping me get the very best out of myself, as well as equipping me with everything I’d need to know to support my members to lose weight successfully – including training in nutrition and the psychology of slimming.
The training covered building my new business, too, and I immediately started promoting my new group. I formed a great relationship with my local supermarket, which allowed me to permanently hang a banner advertising my group in the store, and I went to every community event I could find to raise awareness that I was re-launching my group.
MORE ON THE BLOG: Why our members are feeling the love with Slimming World
Were you nervous about running a group?
I don’t think I slept for days in the lead-up to the first one! I had major butterflies about speaking in front of my group and I also knew how important that first night is for new members – I didn’t want to let them down. As soon as I started talking, though, the evening went by in a blur and I loved every minute of it.
I have multiple sclerosis and I’m in a wheelchair full-time, so at first, my husband Marc, my sons, London and Deon, and my mum helped me set up and promote my group. As time went on, I found I didn’t need them as much as I’d expected. Although Mum still comes with me and London helps out to earn his pocket money, I have an amazing social team – members who (when we’re in our real-life group) help welcome everyone each week, make the teas and coffees, help with pay, weigh-in and the shop. And I’m inundated with members asking to help deliver leaflets to promote our group. With everyone’s support and a lot of hard work, we tripled the number of members in my group, and last year I was able to open a second group in Lancing.
How does being a Consultant fit in with your family life?
It’s given me so much more time to spend with my family. I run my groups on set days and I can do my admin while the boys are at school. I also don’t have the usual stresses of a full-time job, such as commuting and working long hours, which helps me manage my condition. And I earn a great income from a part-time role that I love!
Has it been difficult running a group during the pandemic?
Obviously, it’s been a scary and challenging time for everyone. The virtual group service was a master stroke, though. Within days of our real-life groups being temporarily suspended, the Slimming World team created a brand new way for us to run our groups remotely, they helped every Consultant set up the technology at home, ran training sessions and we’ve had tonnes of support throughout the whole pandemic. I love that I can carry on helping my members while we can’t be together in person.
I’ve had four members reach target just in the past two months, and everyone is enjoying finding new ways to motivate each other. I’ll often share my screen to show a handy article on the members-only website, and if a member has a new food product they want to share, they can just hold it up to the screen. Obviously, we’re all desperate to get back to our real-life groups and see each other again, but the virtual groups have given us the support we need to get through this difficult time together.
How do you maintain your target weight as a Consultant?
I still go to group every week. The support of my Consultant and fellow members helped me to get to target, and I still get so many tips and ideas from them to help me maintain my weight. Food Optimising is a natural part of my life now, and I just can’t imagine cooking or eating any other way. The boys all take turns with me to do the cooking – London’s signature dish is diet cola chicken with rice. I felt so proud last year when he told me he’d won an award at school for designing the healthiest menu in class. It made me smile because I knew that the fact we cook Food Optimising meals together would have made it a breeze for him, and that he’s growing up with healthy life skills that will always stay with him.
If you’re fascinated by Natasha’s story, are well on your way to your final target weight and would like to know more about becoming a Slimming World Consultant, call Maggie on 0344 892 0434 (01 656 9600 from Republic of Ireland) or email maggie@slimmingworld.co.uk.
Visit slimmingworld.co.uk/careers for more information about the exciting opportunities available with Slimming World.