Purses, parties and sisterhood

Thirty-One is much more than purses and parties, says consultant Megan Lanphere. After five years of working for the trendy bag company, the Tea lady says that while Thirty-One brings her a good paycheck and a wide variety of bags, totes and bins, Lanphere derives her joy in her job not from the material perks, but from the sense of sisterhood.

“I do get paid to party, so that’s pretty great,” she admitted.

“My focus with Thirty-One is not on selling –yes, these totes are great and wonderful and I love to use them on a daily basis, but my true calling is to connect with women. That is what keeps me going. If I can send someone a cookie and make them smile, then it was worth it to me.”

Like Tastefully Simple and Pampered Chef, Thirty-One is a direct sales company that specializes in fashionable and functional carry-ons and organizing solutions. Lanphere adores taking her products into a home or business and sorting items into fabric embroidered bins and baskets.

She also adores fundraising, and Thirty-One affords her ample opportunity to create care packages for worthy causes.

The Wisconson native started her career teaching elementary students before a longtime friend turned her onto Thirty-One. At first Lanphere resisted, saying she only wanted the starter kit. And she put the booklets and materials under her bed when they arrived.

“I never thought I’d be selling purses for a living,” Lanphere admitted. “But it’s my calling. And it’s so much more than that.”

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