We recently connected with Shelley Simpson and have shared our conversation below.

Shelley, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

Some individuals refer to this as pursuing the allure of shiny objects, but my career paths have all started with unconventional decisions. When I embarked on law school as a mother of two adolescent boys, people thought I was crazy. Similarly, when I transitioned from law to politics and subsequently to health policy, my choices were again met with skepticism.

Eighteen years ago, I made another audacious decision to become an entrepreneur and join The JuicePlus+ company despite lacking a substantial network and the knowledge that no one within the organization had achieved success in the New York City market. I had no prior experience in product sales and had previously attempted to sell insurance with limited success.

Motivated by an unwavering desire for success and a firm belief in the products, I took the plunge. While I remained in my previous role for a short period, I eventually recognized the necessity of fully committing to the venture if it was to yield positive outcomes. This decision proved to be pivotal, and I have never looked back.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I know that life can feel like a marathon where you’re sprinting from “8 to faint,” juggling deadlines, squeezing in workouts, and trying to make healthy lifestyle choices. After adventures in law, politics, and health policy (plus a few plot twists courtesy of real life), I decided to rewrite my own wellness story. Enter JuicePlus+: my not-so-secret weapon for taking charge of my health and helping others do the same.
JuicePlus+ isn’t just another supplement—it’s the bridge between what we actually eat and what our bodies wish we’d eat. Backed by independent, peer reviewed and published research and third-party validation from the National Safety Foundation, these products are the real deal. I’m all about giving you the raw truth, not just raw produce. When you work with me, you get someone who knows the products, knows the business, and genuinely cares about people.

In addition to working with busy professionals and athletes, I have a Family Health Starts Program, where I get to help kids thrive too—with complimentary products for families who want to level up their health game. My mission? To support everyone from womb to tomb, making wellness simple, practical, and—dare I say—fun.

I didn’t set out to join a direct selling company, but the benefits of JuicePlus+ were too good to ignore. Partnering with a company that’s bold enough to evolve with the market, offer innovative products, and keep things flexible for customers is my kind of business. Although my approach is customer-centric for those who want to enjoy research-based, plant-powered nutrition, I am also here for those health and fitness professionals who want to create a stream of income by using an already existing “shop” on their website or individuals who want to dip their toes into entrepreneurship with a hybrid franchise model, I like the BK approach of letting people have it their way.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I bought into a business that has, for over 50 years, used the same “tried and proven system” in an industry that has been viewed with suspicion. The so-called. “pyramid schemes” that have been outlawed and the Multilevel Marketing businesses that have over-promised and underdelivered leaving people with rooms full of products and empty bank accounts presented me with a challenge to overcome despite the fact that my company is a business designed to include the best of the franchise, network marketing and corporate business models.

No way was I willing to sacrifice my reputation or my law licenses to pursue something sketchy! Embracing the idea that what others think of me is none of my business was a game-changer. My mission is empowering people to take charge of their health and flipping the script on what “wellness” means. In a marketplace that’s always shifting, I developed a method that adapts, innovates, and delivers real value, not just hype. I have remained customer-centric while making the business opportunity available for those who ask to join my mission.

When faced with skepticism, I shift the spotlight from “how I get paid” to “how I help people thrive”—because value speaks louder than any paycheck. People buy from me not only my corporate partner.

My career has always been about breaking the mold. From law, to electoral politics, to lobbying (and a few plot twists in between), I’ve never fit any stereotype and I don’t plan to start now. I reject old ways of doing things. For example, the idea of “go for no” does not work for me. Sure, I have faced my share of “no’s.” They certainly don’t stop me; I choose to go for “yes!” And my mission continues to be inspiring healthy living and not recruiting anyone who is breathing.

I believe in building relationships, not just closing sales. For me, “yes” is the start of an ongoing conversation, and every connection is a chance to create something remarkable. Sales happen—sometimes directly, sometimes as referrals—but the real win is in the relationships that lasts.
You can’t tell people you’re different, you must show them. That’s what I do—every day, with every client and prospective client, and every bold step forward.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

After over 7 decades on the planet I have many tales to tell. If I didn’t, those decades would have been boring to be sure. I have faced financial insecurity at more than one point in my life. Discrimination? Sure, I’ve faced it and I’ve seen it in action against others. Those are stories for another time and place. I know what it is like to start over. That’s what gives life texture and depth.

It wasn’t long ago that life decided to shake things up—hard. My spouse and I had new plan in a new place, and enough money to feel smug about our semi-retirement. Then, in record time, we went from “new beginnings” to “medical drama,” complete with a coma, four hospitals, and enough family interference to fill a reality show. Miraculously, my spouse survived, but our plans did not. Suddenly, we were hunting for jobs that offered health insurance, moving three times, and adding my“PTSD” to our list of plot twists. Financial insecurity? Oh, it RSVP’d to the party, too.

Was it easy? Absolutely not. There were pity parties (BYOT—bring your own tissues) and moments when my only superpower was stubbornness. I never saw despair as an option. I found tools I didn’t know I had—like channeling my inner “bitch” to make sure I was seen and heard, finding the helpers, and challenging authority when needed.

Here’s the punchline: resilience isn’t reserved for superheroes or motivational posters. It’s that small, slightly sarcastic inner voice that says, “Follow your gut—you’ve got this!” We all have it. If you’re still here, still learning, still growing, congratulations—you’re living proof that resilience is real (and sometimes, it’s got a wicked sense of humor)

Contact Info:

• Website: https://shelleysimpson.juiceplus.com/us/en-us. .
• Instagram: @shelley_simpson44
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ssimpsonjuiceplus/
• Other: https://www.towergarden.com/#shelleysimpson

Image Credits

They are my photos