My Biz: Hiawatha entrepreneur's health led to business opportunity

Tiana Dougherty began her quest when she was 22, and that led her to her own business.

That was when Dougherty was diagnosed with cancer - stage 3 fibrosarcoma, a soft tissue cancer, on her leg.

“After having cancer, I looked at a lot of things much differently,” Dougherty said, noting her quick treatment through the Mayo Clinic saved her life. “One of the things that quickly changed for me was diet and exposure to household chemicals.

“We don't typically have much say in government regulations or decisions for our external environment, but we can certainly make changes in our home. Home should be a safe place for everyone.”

Her discovery of Norwex, a line of cleaning and personal care products that seek to “clean without chemicals.” She quickly transitioned from consumer to consultant.

“I was so impressed that I could clean my house with just water,” she said from her Hiawatha home. “If you have ever used microfiber to clean you know it works well, but Norwex takes it to a whole new level of clean.

“In order to be considered microfiber, the fibers in the cloth have to be at least one-sixth of a human hair in size. Norwex products are actually one-200th of a human hair in size. It's hard to even imagine how tiny that is.”

Dougherty started selling Norwex products in July 2009. As the vice president-sales leader - a recent promotion making her the first in Iowa - she oversees 54 consultants. Like the Amway model, those consultants have also built teams creating a network for 475 people in 26 states and in Canada.

“I spend 25 to 30 hours connecting with team members by phone, email and Facebook,” she said.

She spends an additional 10 to 15 hours a week at or preparing for direct sale parties, typically holding two or three per week.

As for living practically chemical-free, she notes, “I know I am not able to change every home overnight, but I believe small changes over time can add up to really big changes.”

• Name: Tiana Dougherty
• Title: Vice president sales leader-independent consultant
• Company: Norwex
• Phone: (319) 350-0836
• Website: www.RadicallyReducingChemicals.com

Know a manager or company in business for more than a year that would be a great feature for “My Biz”? Contact business editor Michael Chevy Castranova at michael.castranova@sourcemedia.net.