Today we’d like to introduce you to Kira Cook.
Kira, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I was first introduced to the oil & gas industry in 2008 when I became a receptionist for Energy Transfer in Houston, Texas. With an office of over 200 employees, I learned quite a lot about the industry in a short amount of time. In 2010 I moved to the North Dallas area and was very fortunate to find a position as an Office Manager with a much smaller oil & gas company called Plano Petroleum. With an office of only five employees, I was working directly with the CEO, the CFO, the Controller, Geologist and Exploration Manager, and the Land Manager. Here I was taught the more finite functions of Exploration & Production. I was taken out to the field to see our work in action, visiting the rigs to see how we drill for and produce the oil and gas. In 2012, Plano Petroleum sold its operating interests in Oklahoma and in 2013 PT Petroleum was formed with the same team of people with a new focus in the West Texas area.
I learned a lot about entrepreneurship from the CEO; his life experiences, where he started to where he is today. With that, I became an Independent Distributor with AdvoCare in 2016 with the focus of health and wellness through exercise and nutrition. I continue to be a full time employee with PT Petroleum while taking the time to build up my own business with AdvoCare.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
From the time I arrived to the North Dallas/Plano area in 2010, I feel like I’ve hit the ground running. I was unemployed for nearly two months and found periodic work through a temp agency which helped to pay the bills. It was through the same agency that I found the position with my current employer. The funny story about that is I was the third person they called to fill in. The current Office Manager at the time was out on maternity leave with the plan to retire. They were replacing their current temporary employee who had accepted a full time position elsewhere. The first temp that was scheduled to arrive decided last minute not to show. The second temp that was scheduled the following Monday slipped in the bathtub that morning and broke three ribs. That same Monday afternoon, I was called and asked to go in for an interview the very next morning. It is a true blessing that they ultimately hired me on full time, and I have been with the same team ever since.
My work with PT was the stability I needed, that provided me the opportunity to start my AdvoCare business in 2016. It was a slow start for me as I initially had no desire to take advantage of the business side of the company. I simply enjoyed the products and what it was doing to better my lifestyle. In late 2017 I learned that as the company I worked for was preparing to sell its interests again, I learned that it was a strong possibility that there would not be another company formation after. The reality of possible unemployment helped me to take the first steps to learn more about what being a Distributor for AdvoCare was really about. With the guidance of the Advisors above me and the training available from the company, I slowly began my journey in direct sales.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
With PT Petroleum, I am their Office Manager; i.e. hands on, jack of all trades, administrative & personal assistant, tech savvy, party planning, go-to person. Being in a smaller company, I have learned to be flexible knowing that responsibilities of my position are not finite or set in stone. I maintain office supplies, break room beverages and snacks, I schedule meetings and set up the video conferencing equipment, I send and collect the mail, answer the phone and the door for visitors, order and set up food for lunch meetings, maintain travel calendars and book flights, etc. I also work exclusively with the Controller and CFO to assist with Accounts Payable, setting up new accounts, Master Service Agreements, working with outside parties for annual audits. What I love most about this office is the true team mentality we have. We cannot succeed without the contribution of each and every person involved. And beyond that, we truly care about each other and what’s happening in each of our lives.
With AdvoCare, I have the opportunity to introduce and teach others about implementing a healthier lifestyle with exercise and nutrition, in addition to vitamins and supplements. With the support and creativity of our renowned Scientific & Medical Advisory Board, and a partnership with Informed-Choice to certify that our products are banned substance free, we are among the top choices in health and nutrition. As an Independent Distributor, I am one of many who have decided to take the steps to no longer “punch a time card”, to build a business that would also allow me the time and flexibility to raise up a family. With AdvoCare, family comes first.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up in Southeast Idaho, I was the youngest of four siblings and the only girl. So naturally I wanted to do everything my older brothers did. We were a soccer family so we were regularly travelling for games and tournaments for either myself or my brothers, or for the teams that my parents coached. My parents divorced when I was fairly young and I spent the years between 4th and 12th grade travelling back and forth between parents. Because of this, and my mother’s love of travel, I had lived in five states and visited another 40. As I grew older, my interests gravitated towards music and reading. I had a wild imagination so reading was a wonderful outlet for my mind.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.advocare.com/16103951
- Email: kira_cook@advocaredistributor.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kiwi0685/
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