ELBA, Ala. — Follow the trail of pink feathers and shimmering gold dust, and you will find yourself standing before Marilyn Chivetta. With her flamboyant hot pink boa and dazzling jewelry, she is impossible to overlook when she strolls down the streets of Elba.
Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, she decided to relocate to Elba during the COVID-19 pandemic. Accompanied by her son, Maverick, Chivetta made their new home in Alabama.
Driven by their curiosity about a farm they had previously seen only in online photographs, the Chivetta family took a leap of faith.
As they drove along a winding dirt road in a truck without air conditioning, doubts began to creep into their minds. But when they emerged from the trees, a breathtaking clearing greeted their eyes, featuring an exquisite pond.
“We turn this corner, and there’s the most beautiful pond I’ve ever seen in my life. It looked like a Norman Rockwell painting,” she recalled. The property fulfilled her wildest dreams.
“I turned and I looked at Maverick and I said, ‘This, this is destiny pond. This is where I’m meant to be. This my destiny.’”
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Chivetta has not always had a sparkling life. “Everyone talks about what I’ve done now. But where I came from to what I’ve accomplished has been a gut-wrenching experience,” she said.
Ten years ago, she faced destitution. Then, she signed up as a consultant selling jewelry. She said the decision ultimately saved her life.
Today, she works with Paparazzi, a multi level marketing company selling costume jewelry for $5. She is a top sales consultant.
“My life in 2018 just exploded. After three months into Paparazzi, I could pay my bills,” she said. Chivetta now leads a team that she calls her “bombshells”, who also sell for Paparazzi.
Today, she calls her Elba farm Golden Acres, a place where hope grows. Chivetta said she wants to use her struggles to make a difference. “Because I have been through all of these things, I can really relate with and help people.”
In addition to the farm, Chivetta now owns a building in downtown Elba where she hopes to train new team members in her jewelry business.
She said, “That building will be a place for people to increase their confidence, find hope, find joy, and heal.” The main goal for Chivetta is creating a space that can act as a catalyst for acts of kindness.
Just as the farm did, the building spoke to her. “There used to be a piece of plywood on the front,” she said. “That piece of plywood had my birthday on it. I was meant to have that building.”