Cindy Baines, Diamon Director, Jordan Essentials

According to its company website, Jordan Essentials was established in 2000 under the name Country Bunny Bath and Body. CCCEO and Founder Nancy Bogart conceptualized the idea for her product in 1999 in her kitchen, “where she developed an innovative lotion concept, the signature lotion bar, a unique product that offered multiple ways to nourish and soothe skin care needs for every member of the family.” The name Country Bunny Bath and Body came to be later — with the help of Bogart’s husband and children, who all helped to develop and distribute new products. Fast forward to the present — and Jordan Essentials now employs over 14,000 direct sales consultants across 50 states, all of whom are empowered with the mission to educate consumers about organic skin care products.

 

“Jordan Essentials takes pride in [their] safe skin care solutions that are proudly made in the USA!” the company website continues. “Our products are made with botanical, natural ingredients” and are “free from harmful toxins such as DEA, Mineral Oil, Parabens, Isopropyl Alcohol, Aluminum and Quaternium.” A standout among the 14,000 direct sales consultants is Cindy Baines, who joined the Jordan Essentials team in September, 2001. She has maintained her position successfully for nearly 15 years and currently works out of her Reno, Nevada home.

 Baines is recognized as a Pinnacle Lifetime Member of Continental Who’s Who for her exemplary career accomplishments in direct sales as well as health and wellness. Baines specializes in both the distribution and sales of products including oils, lotions, anti-aging care and shea butter. She utilizes her expertise in corporate recruitment, direct sales, leadership, public speaking, fundraising, event planning and training — and cites professional skills in life coaching. “I offer wellness clinics to teach about safe ingredients in your skin care products,” Baines said of her work. “I’m also a professional recruiter and train a large team to be successful in business. I offer a fabulous fundraiser program with no monetary investment, and I’m also a professional speaker.” With a career in direct sales that began in 1975, Baines sold for a plethora of companies — starting with the ever-popular Tupperware, Better Homes and Gardens Crafts, Yellow Ribbon, Sway Swaford and Rickshaw.

She sold products ranging from craft supplies, to insulated thermoses, to monogrammed purses and luggage. She “fell in love” with the Jordan Essentials products and “the concepts of selling products that are healthy and safe.” She has maintained an exclusive contract with Jordan Essentials since coming on board in 2001 (when the company was still doing business as Country Bunny Bath and Body), and was especially impressed with Bogart, as well as the company’s operation. When asked what her favorite aspect of her work is, Baines said “that’s like picking a favorite grandchild,” but concluded that “helping people find relief with health and skin care issues through products” topped the list.  Baines works both alone and with a team, and is not limited to working only from home. “I’m involved with leadership with the home office,” she said. “I’m part of different groups that participate with our owner, and I was a presenter at our conference this past July.”

When managing her sales team, Baines provides team members with weekly newsletters and offers on her team Facebook group page, holds a monthly team meeting and speaks with each member via phone bi-weekly. When conducting her own sales, Baines regularly participates in craft fairs, art shows, holiday fairs and farmers’ markets where she can display the Jordan Essentials products for purchase. She also helps to host company-sponsored “Spas,” or in-home parties, where she teaches about the Jordan Essentials products and their organic ingredients. In the advertising of her business, Baines invests a great deal of time into her social media presence — which includes a business Facebook page titled Cindy’s JE Jewel Box. The page showcases content that goes beyond Jordan Essentials products — and also provides users with posts with tips for healthy living as well as snippets and photos of her family so that potential customers have a chance to truly get to know their representative on a more human level. Aside from Facebook, Baines indicates her advertising comes “mostly from word of mouth.”

Most recently, Baines purchased listings in school folders across four districts. “Teachers use the folders to send home notes and cover the costs of the folders with ads,” Baines explained. Baines’ list of professional accomplishments does not end with her business. She has been a member of the Sierra Reno Chapter of Business Network International (more commonly known as BNI) for two years and serves as the Chapter Secretary/Treasurer. She utilizes her BNI network for additional word of mouth, and is also a member of the National Association of Professional Women. With a personal philosophy mounted in helping others, Baines does not limit herself to spreading goodwill through her business — she is active in her church community, Living Stones of Reno.

The church’s website indicates that its “primary mission as a church is to bring those outside of a relationship with God into reconciliation and a new identity in Jesus.” Living Stones sponsors several locally-based ministries, including worship gatherings, community groups (particularly Bible study) and serving — as a teacher, a greeter, an usher, at the contact desk, preparing refreshments—just to name a few venues of service. Baines names food drives and working community donation efforts as highlights. In addition to her church-based efforts, Baines volunteers time as a mentor with 360 Blueprint, a local non-profit that connects mentors with children who require assistance with reading. “We are a collaborative diverse community of people, agencies and organizations whose efforts are to serve our kids in our community for their success through reading and relationships,” the organization’s website states. While Baines’ work giving back to the community predominantly takes place outside of her business, she also participates in a company-wide effort titled “Joy for the Journey,” in which Jordan Essentials »employees visit groups in their respective communities that are “making a difference.” “In Reno, a group called Awaken helps to get girls out of the sex trade,” Baines explained. “We came in and pampered the girls and staff and gave them products to keep.”

In addition, a “Joy for the Journey” soap retails for $10, with $2 going into a fund to be divided among all of the community groups that benefit from the product. The fund is divided up in December, around holiday time. However, Baines’ accomplishments go far beyond the realms of business, networking and volunteerism. She is awaiting an October publication date for her book, I Don’t Have Time for Breast Cancer – I Have a Wedding to Go To, which chronicles her breast cancer journey. “Ten years ago, I was diagnosed with breast cancer, less than one month after my husband accepted a job here in Reno to be closer to our kids,” Baines said. She went on to explain that the title of the book came about when she was first diagnosed and she explained to her doctor that she will soon have a family wedding to attend following the birth of her first grandchild.

 

Today, Baines is doing well, and is in good health. With the support of Mark, her husband of 39 years, her four granddaughters and under the leadership of Bogart, Baines continues to thrive in the field of direct sales — and defy all odds.