I don’t know Chinese but I’m pretty sure she said, “You are so horrible at this, please just go sell the cloths and train the girls. I’ll do what I do you just do what you do.”

Traveling to Shanghai to be at the grand opening of our beautiful, modern and bigger Norwex factory was truly one of the best experiences of my life. I’m so proud of this factory, the safety practices (1600 days without an accident) the change we are making not just in America but the impressive working conditions that set a new bar for these dedicated employees who work so hard so we can offer an incredible product to our customers. Cleaning safe and smart isn’t mainstream yet, but millions of families HAVE discovered Norwex. If it wasn’t for the modern and innovative technology developed by our Chinese staff, we wouldn’t be offering the high quality products we do. I don’t think I truly understood that until last week.

The fanfare, the celebration, the spirit in the air felt like I was stepping into Disney Land. Music, lights, flowers…. this factory opening was a huge occasion, from the time we stepped off the bus (to drumming) until we left (employees waving goodbye as we drove away) it felt momentous. I had chills the entire day!

There were several times while touring the office and the factory floor that I forgot I was even in China. I have always felt confident that we treat our global workforce with integrity and respect, the Norwex core values are something I have seen lived out in real life time and time again, but sitting side by side with our Chinese employees gave me 100% confidence that Norwex walks the walk. I am confident of that. One interesting thing I learned is that factories with poor working conditions tend to lose a significant amount of their workforce after the Chinese New Year break. Workers tend to not return to their jobs after the holiday. Norwex has been an exception to this rule, where they have not lost employees– our retention at the factory is incredibly high.  I’ll never look at, touch or use a Norwex cloth the same way again!

We also had time to connect and enjoy the culture and sights of China. Doing this alongside the CEO, CFO, our Founder, and Global Staff made it even more fun. We had Norwex staff from all over the world with us for 4 days. One of my favorite parts of this job, (besides doing Norwex parties!) is getting to meet people from all walks of life and from different backgrounds and cultures.

I also used a bidet for the first time. That could be a whole separate blog post that you may want to skip or perhaps you are the curious type like me? (HA!) They even had heated toilet seats in the hotel. China doesn’t even get that cold, why do we not have these in every Wisconsin home where going to the bathroom would be so much more pleasant 6 months of the year!?

What a wonderful company, what a once in a lifetime opportunity. From the minute I said Yes, I’ll try, to becoming a Norwex consultant, to the time I said Yes, I will travel across the World to be part of the Norwex factory grand opening, I have been rewarded with new experiences and learning.

Saying yes is sometimes scary, but it’s always worth it!