share your milestones with philosophy

by on

philosophy is celebrating a big milestone this week: 14 years on QVC! dara lynn, heidi guest, and mari lyn are sharing their personal milestones with you and they invite you to share yours as well!

dara lynn

every time i visit QVC, i have something exciting to look forward to. although, i have to confess that my favorite time of year is our anniversary/milestone shows. it's our biggest party of the year! we work on the offerings and new items an entire year in advance. we believe every day is a holiday, particularly our anniversary/milestone event when we have a giant party on the air to celebrate you!

i was asked to write something about a milestone in my life to commemorate this special time of year. i've decided to write about how grateful i am that you've given me the chance to be an on-air guest for philosophy for over a dozen years. i never expected to have a job on television. it truly just happened by chance. years ago, i was heading up education for philosophy. i mainly concentrated on traveling to our retail locations to attend events and conduct seminars on the great benefits of our philosophy products. travel was always on deck in my position and, one day, i got a call saying that i needed to go to QVC to do a show. i thought, "what an exciting assignment!" little did i know it would open up such a gateway of new experiences.

before i appeared on QVC, i had no idea what an "on-air guest" was. i didn't know much about being on television, but one thing i knew for certain was my love of philosophy. when my nerves rose to epic proportions before the show, i knew i could go out there and talk honestly about what i love about philosophy products. like a mini miracle, once i got out there, i felt just like i was in a one-on-one consultation with you sitting right in front of me. i also had another thing going for me. i knew people who loved philosophy were instant friends, and that's exactly what i felt the second the camera light went on. QVC and philosophy made a place for friendship, a place for sharing ideas, and a place where showing the emotional side of your life was safe. even though i can't see you in person, the feelings do translate over the airwaves. i feel like i'm completely surrounded by friendship when i'm on the set chatting with you about philosophy.

i have to thank you for giving me this milestone of being able to celebrate 14 years on QVC. i'm forever grateful for all of the friendships and connections we've made over the years. i must admit, i still get butterflies when that red light goes on, but not because i'm nervous. it's because i'm so ready to show you our new items and longtime favorites that i can hardly contain my excitement. i hope you can join me in sharing a philosophy milestone.

with gratitude,

—dara

heidi guest

when i think of milestones, i tend to think of them as defining moments that have occurred in my life and events i look forward to experiencing.

as i look back, there are two defining moments that stand out. certainly, the most important milestone for me was becoming a mother...twice. creating life, nurturing, and helping another human being fulfill their destiny is the most significant work that i'll do on this earth. i've celebrated my children's milestones as my own. through being a mother, i've learned the true meaning of unconditional love, the most defining lesson of my life.

my second milestone was making the decision to move cross-country and leave everything familiar to us in our native california behind for a new life in the new york metropolitan area. that decision forced us to go outside of our comfort zones personally and professionally, both as individuals and as a family. the move opened us up to new experiences and new people. as a result, we're more open to change, different points of view, and cultural traditions than we would be if we had played it safe and not made the move. when you do something that scares you and overcome your fear, you become more adventurous. that one lesson has made a monumental difference in how i live my life today.

—heidi

mari lyn meier

i've always looked up to my big brother of 11 years. when my dad passed away in 1988, greg stepped in as a father figure and friend. as a medical doctor, he understands health and well-being. he became involved in running as a form of exercise and participated in marathons. he invited my husband, david, and me to watch him participate in the disney marathon. it was so inspiring to see so many people running for so many reasons! it goes beyond exercise for your health. it's a way to give back.

david and i signed up for the next year’s half marathon the day we got home in january 2006. by october, neither of us had begun our training. the race was in three months. most races are linked to a charity, so i was ready to write my entry off as a charitable donation. my brother convinced me otherwise. at this point, i was concerned that i couldn’t even run a mile, let alone 13.1. greg told me i had to take baby steps—crawl, walk, then run. i told him i couldn’t run a mile and he said, “then don’t…walk.” i said, "i can’t run down the block." he said, “then don’t…walk..” so, i began my training. i laid out a schedule and followed it the best i could with my busy, unpredictable work schedule. in january of 2007, i ran my first half marathon. in january 2010, i ran my first full marathon…26.2 miles. i completed both in disney where it all began. that place is magic!

runners run for different reasons. some run for exercise, some for bragging rights, some for fame and fortune, some for others who can’t. i was inspired this january when i ran the half marathon in jacksonville, fl. it was a 26.2 mile race for donna, a breast-cancer survivor. my mother was a breast-cancer survivor for 20 years, so the end of this disease lies close to my heart and soul. the city of jacksonville and her doctors embraced the idea of a local race to benefit breast-cancer research. donna runs every year with her doctor by her side. i witnessed a survivor honor her with her medal, thanking her because without the money donated from this charity, she would've lost her house due to unpaid medical expenses. the fans were in abundance this chilly january morning. did i mention it was 17⁰f at the start of the race? a sea of pink flooded the race route in honor of breast-cancer awareness. i was so touched and overwhelmed, but it wasn't until i reached the last hill, which was less than a half mile from the finish line, that i was truly inspired and changed. at the top of the hill, a breast-cancer survivor held a sign that read, “thank you for running because i can’t.”

i think of that survivor and her message every time i run. i never feel like i’m doing enough, but i know when i run my races, i'm always inspired to do more. i just signed up for the philadelphia rock 'n' roll half marathon and the philadelphia marathon. anyone want to join me? it can be life changing.

—mari lyn