I wouldn’t be in the Profiles of Success if it weren’t for Wilburn and our chance meeting in 1984, when I was working for TVC marketing and he was working for PPLSI.

He had been in the business for four years at that time. We went on a blind date that year, and just a couple of years later, we were married and had our daughter, Samantha. Before joining PPLSI, Wilburn worked for 20 years as the manager of a grocery store in Holdenville, Oklahoma. He really liked his job there and had plans to buy the store when the owner was ready to sell. That time came and passed with the owner selling the store to someone else. Wilburn’s dreams were crushed.

His cousin Mike Smith offered him a completely new opportunity with PPLSI. Wilburn was ready for a change and took a leap of faith with this brand-new company.

Wilburn kept going, and his income continued to increase from the previous years. We had a young daughter back then, so I could not travel with Wilburn as much as I would have liked. I did whatever I could to support him in his business, whether it was getting supplies ready, making sure he was packed and ready to go to a meeting, or taking care of the house.

Wilburn loved selling memberships and recruiting new associates. He was so good with people and could really relate to new associates since he was once in their shoes. He became vice president of the company and then president a few years later in 1997. Despite the busy travel schedule and stress, Wilburn absolutely loved his job.

By that point, Wilburn was able to have and do things he never could have when he was a grocery store manager. He bought a nice car, and he purchased a house and land in Ada. He was able to have as many John Deere tractors and gadgets as he wanted. Most of all, he was able to provide for his family with the comforts that he never knew as a young boy growing up in Lamar, Oklahoma. He always said, “When you reach one dream, make another.”

Wilburn lived and loved with a passion that was contagious. He passed away in 2011, and I miss him terribly, as do the rest of his family and his massive organization. I am forever grateful for the opportunity that PPLSI continues to provide. Because of Wilburn’s hard work and dedication, his organization will continue to grow and be active for many more years to come.

Currently, I divide my time between supporting our organization and enjoying time with my grandchildren, Dexter and Ruby. Our daughter, Samantha, lives close by, so I get to see them every day. What a joy!