Meet Founding Victory Circles Member Nancy Chaconas
Nancy Chaconas was inspired by her first grade teacher to become a teacher herself.
As a kid, her stuffed animals became her first students. As an adult, Nancy moved on to teach in the Fillmore, California, public schools, primarily to 4th and 5th grade students as well as some other grades over a 10 year period. Teaching was her first deep passion.
In wanting to be part of a movement that made a difference for others, she attended the Foundation for Self Esteem with Jack Canfield. Through continued work with the Foundation she got to know Jack and assisted with teacher trainings. With a group of other teachers they attempted to bring self-esteem to the California school districts.
In helping the kids to find their self-esteem, Nancy found the core in her work as a teacher. Nancy explained it this way, “It didn’t matter if I was teaching math or science or a certain grade level my theme was always self-esteem building. The subject itself was just the stepping stone for helping the kids find their talents.”
Nancy’s second passion in her life was the outdoors. Growing up in Los Angeles in a family of non-campers Nancy yearned to go backpacking but didn’t know anyone to take her. After going to college at the University of California in Santa Barbara, she found a course in 1976 through UCSB Extension called “Wilderness Adventure” led by a woman named Jood Lee. Their first outdoor adventure took them into the Piru wilderness there in Southern California. Nancy fell in love with backpacking and the gift it brought of being so close to nature. It was a process that made her feel completely at home.
Taking a year sabbatical from teaching and having taken an adventure with Colorado Outward Bound she again reconnected with Jood Lee, who would become a life long friend, mentor and partner in leading thousands of women out into the wilderness for the sole purpose of opening to spirit. Excitedly Nancy shared, “It was the most delightful and rewarding work that I have ever done. There was such a feeling of being more connected to people and spirit and my purpose when I was doing that work.”
Then life changed, Nancy quit teaching completely, returned to school as the student and was writing her thesis on using imagery in the classroom through guided visualization. She loved getting in touch with kids and their imaginations.
During these years Nancy found herself really soul searching and trying to understand the world around her and what she really wanted from her life. Through this time she realized what a beautiful place the world really was and began to want a family of her own to share in the world around her.
In 1984, Nancy and her good friend Jood sat down two weeks before Jood’s wedding , and Jood coached Nancy on an affirmation to attract the essence of the character and quality of the person she was looking to share her life with. Jood prophesized that the wedding would be the place where Nancy would met her future husband. Two weeks later at Jood’s wedding in the backcountry of Ojai, Nancy did meet her future husband Jim and they were soon married.
Several years later she had her son Jonathan, and then three years later her daughter Robyn was born. For the first seven years of her children’s lives she stayed home enjoying her kids.
Nancy had a career epiphany when her daughter was four. It happened while watching Barney the purple dinosaur. It came in a flash when Nancy had the realization, “I have got to do something more intellectually stimulating.” Weeks later a friend called to say she was going to send Nancy some information on a business she was starting.
“You must understand” Nancy explained, “I did not think I was a business woman at the time but now realize I was. It (the company) was called The People’s Network. So I jumped in and let my husband step up and parent as I went off to conferences. I wanted to be a turnkey mom. I wanted to be able to leave for a week, turn the key and be gone.”
Nancy loved her work with The People’s Network and really fell in love with network marketing. It was another laboratory for personal development. In 1998 Prepaid Legal Services purchased The People’s Network and they became a blended family. Nancy has been with Prepaid Legal now for 12 years and has 100’s of people in her current down line. She also works with a wide variety of companies to help them set up Prepaid Legal Services as part of their benefits package.
In her role as Executive Director with Prepaid Legal Nancy was recently given a prestigious award for having sold a record number of 2,000 memberships. Her team has collectively sold 12,000 memberships.
Through all of her busy life as a Mom with a growing business, Nancy’s love for the outdoors has not waned. In fact, in 2000 she and her husband went looking for some wilderness property to purchase. They found 5 acres in the Sierra Nevada Mountains near Shaver Lake. They bought the property with the vision of inviting people to come enjoy the wilderness.
This summer on July 23rd is the first retreat at Camp Chaconas. Jood and Nancy’s Success Camp through Nancy’s venture, Vision Makers Unlimited –The plan is to give women a sacred place in nature to practice strategies for living in joy with ease and grace.
Nancy cares deeply about this work and had this to contribute to the topic, “I feel moved to make the world a better place - especially to help women. I have had the most wonderful mother in the world. She has always said don’t let money stand in your way. It allowed me to be the visionary that I am. Both my parents always encouraged me. My parents are both my inspiration. If I could give half of what they have given to others, I would be giving so much back to the world.”
In her current business life as well as over the last 15 years Nancy has done the same thing with her team, and her clients. Connecting them to their passions and their talents. Assisting others in having a more joyful and loving life.
Nancy is currently writing her first book, Network Marketing with Ease and Grace. The focus of the book is on how to have ease and grace in your business and the tools for working with the laws of attraction.
In regards to becoming a founding member of the Camarillo, California Victory Circle Nancy had this to say, “When I felt inclined to join up with the Victory Circles, it was another way to really connect with others. And the most important thing for me right now is to connect with other powerful women. When we all have reunion together, we will be healing the planet. In the gathering of the people, we will be healing each other.”
One of Nancy’s favorite quotes…
"Imagination is more important than knowledge" – Einstein
To connect with Nancy go to www.NancyChaconas.com