Deborah MacDonald

When you first meet Deborah MacDonald, you are immediately captured by her grace, her wit and her gentle demeanour. As you get to know her, you realize that she has had to overcome a great amount of loss, multiple losses, and times of transition, throughout her entire life. Each of these experiences have helped her to grow, share and be a light in so many lives, as she does not let what hurts take her down. Instead, she uses it to encourage others to live their lives fully. She walks her talk and she is one who builds and fosters community with every ounce of who she is. She is this week’s Woman of the Week.

Tell us a little about yourself.

I was born and raised in Alberta, two hours north east of Edmonton and grew up on our progressive family farm. Along with my sister and two brothers we helped my mother and father grow the farm into a thriving and successful agricultural business. This is where my entrepreneurial spirit began.

After high school, I studied medical office administration in Edmonton but I wanted to go into business. I worked retail for a while but then I got into the women’s cosmetic industry through a Merle Norman franchise. This would take me later into the corporate world of Estee Lauder, where I was involved in training staff on all aspects of this popular line of skin care and cosmetics..

I am passionately married for over 30 years to a former Air Force Officer and Pilot. I have two children, a son and a daughter.

I love the business of network marketing and real estate investing because they both offer residual income opportunities and a freedom lifestyle.

I’m crazy about golf, travel, gardening and I love reading inspirational and motivational books. I get excited about mentoring others, and love to help my children grow their life.

Who inspires you in your life?

My mother is my inspiration. She lost her husband, my Dad, to cancer when I was only 21years old. This was devastating, but through her courage and the support from us, she continued to grow the farm business. She was a fighter. She would not let her dream (the farm) be lost. She loved life and the simple things like gardening and dancing. She was a giver, not a taker, and never complained. Although she recently passed away, she continues to give me the hope and inspiration I need every day.

Who do you look up to and why?

I look up to my sister, Joanne. She was always there for me and was so pragmatic, even though she went through hardships in her life. I could discuss anything with her and she was always optimistic and non-judgmental. She always had a positive spin and gave me great guidance. She introduced me to network marketing as well, for which I am so grateful. Unfortunately, she succumbed to cancer at any early age, just like my Dad.

What have been some of the biggest challenges you have had to overcome in your life?

Being married to a military officer was a challenge (and a blessing). Why a challenge? My husband’s career path meant we would move every 3 years and in one 3 year period we moved 3 times. Uprooting the family, moving to an unknown location and developing new relationships was required each time. It also meant maintaining my own career which was very difficult. This was definitely a career challenge for me.

One of the biggest and most devastating challenges was losing our second child at birth. Overcoming the emotional impact took inner strength, understanding, and time. This was a personal challenge and a very difficult time in my life. One of the best ways to help myself was to help others with peer counselling who went through the same thing of losing a child. This really helped to maintain my sanity.

When I was introduced to network marketing, I had no idea what it was about. But I learned quickly, I had to. It was challenging as we had just moved to a new city where I did not know anyone. This required me to be outgoing, to network, to meet new people regularly in order to grow the business. I found ways to do it and read material that helped me immensely. It did grow and it resulted in the creation of millions of dollars in real estate investments. This was a business and a self growth challenge.

What did you do to move through them?

I did many things, depending on the challenge. I sought professional guidance and advice when I needed it. I always maintained a positive attitude, through daily affirmations that I read every day. I taught myself through self-help and inspirational books. I developed a dream/vision board that visually reminded me of my mission and vision to get me to a better place. I looked at it every day to keep me focused. I wrote two books to help others get ahead in life. I was proactive and outgoing, no matter what.

What did you learn?

I learned that I was a very brave person. I did not look at the glass as half empty but always as half full. I learned that I was never happy with the status quo and always worked to improve our life. I learned that I was like my Mom – I was a fighter, a hard worker, a giver, a builder, an inspiration to my children, like she was to me and my siblings.

What do you wish to share with others?

Keeping a positive mindset is essential to overcoming any hurdle in life. There will always be barriers and setbacks in the road ahead – you just have to be focused on where you want to go and you will find a way around them.

What are you most proud of?

I am most proud of creating a legacy for our kids, not only financially but from a purpose driven way of living each and every day. I’m also pleased to have built a successful real estate portfolio, that was funded by my home business/network marketing residual income business. Lifestyle income is what I am passionate about so that I can live life on my terms and help others do the same.

What do you want your older self to know?

I want my older self to know that no matter how many times fear can try to hold you back, don’t let it stop you from living your dreams and goals. It does take work, commitment, consistency, attitude and passion. Without anyone of these, it will be hard to live the life of your dreams.