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HAY RIVER - Let's get one thing clear: Shelley Maher is not an Avon Lady.

Maher, a 36-year-old mother of two boys living in Hay River, works from the comfort of her own home, so you can get the image of Dianne Wiest clickety-clacketing her way in pink heels in Edwards Scissorhands out of your head.

Shelley Maher, a broker for Los Angeles-based product seller Sunrider, said it doesn't get any better than working from home. - photo courtesy of Shelley Maher

For the last three years, Maher has worked as a broker for Sunrider, a Los Angeles-based company that sells a variety of products from healthy food to pH-balanced, baby-friendly laundry detergent. The company makes $12 million a year in Canada, according to Maher.

While she's not stuck in her house all the time - she does call on customers for demonstrations and even gets to travel, planning a trip to Fort Smith next month - Maher does prefer to spend the majority of her time in her home, where she can take care of her two-year-old son Jhet. His brother, five-year-old Tyson, is in kindergarten.

Her job? To promote Sunrider's products and recruit other brokers in the area. She's already got two people in training.

"I love it because it's just where I want to be," said Maher of her home-based office. "It gives me something challenging that I get to do on my own but yet doesn't eat up eight hours of my day."

Maher moved to Hay River seven years ago to accept a job as treasurer of the NWT Power Corporation. She worked there for five years until Jhet came around in 2006. Working at the Power Corp. "just didn't allow me be with him as much as I wanted."

A friend suggested she try some tea and a power bar from Sunrider. A reluctant Maher - who grew up on a diet of Pizza Pops, french fries and chocolate milk - was in for a surprise.

"I tried it and my body immediately responded," said Maher. "The thought in my head was, 'I've got to have more of that.' I found out how to order it and started ordering it."

Maher said that between her job, which takes two hours out of every day (including weekends), and her responsibilities as a mother, her time consists of "preparing lots meals, doing the laundry, running the kids, lots of playing. And work."

Maher approached the owners of Big Way Foods - recently renamed Super A Foods - about offering a coconut-based solution that neutralizes the pesticides found on fruit and vegetables.

"Shelley came in and showed customers how it was used and the difference in the product before and after it was cleaned," said Steve Anderson, co-owner of the grocery store. "There was quite a bit of difference in the colour of the product, actually. The solutions all went toute suite. "

Of Maher, Anderson said, "She's very good dealing with the public. She's very much open to talking to people and very personable."

Maher said the job has changed her for the best.

"You have to put yourself out there and put yourself outside your comfort zone a bit," she said. "You can apply that personal growth to anything that you do."

Her dream is to open her own Sunrider store.

"Ultimately I would love to have a Sunrider agent everywhere in the Northwest Territories," added Maher.