February 2009 – Razflections

February 26, 2009March 20, 2009

Dying Wishes

There are some things in life that just don’t seem fair. This story I stumbled upon gives reflection to a new definition.

Perhaps it’s especially difficult as a dad of two little girls, who talk and think of nothing more than getting married when they grow up. One day I found her sitting with a look on despair on face while sitting on the coach, and when I asked her “What’s wrong my little Roycie?” and she exclaimed, “It’s just so hard dad…It’s just so hard to know who God wants you to marry when you grow up.” She was five.

So this story really hit me emotionally and I couldn’t watch this simple video without tearing up; so I’ve limited myself to three views. I’ve included the video as well as an accompanying article (from a different news source).

What I thought mattered to me one minute before seeing this video was differently than what I thought mattered to me in the one minute following this video.

Dying Wishes: Weddings to Helping Homeless

The bride was dressed in ruffled white and wore a tiara. The groom pledged to be her best friend forever. They exchanged rings, and the lucky North Texas couple swooned as they danced to their favorite song — “Love Bug” by the Jonas Brothers.

They may be a tender age — Jayla Cooper is 9 and the groom, Jose Griggs, is 7 — but their parents were behind them all the way.

For Jayla, who has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia and who, according to her doctors, may only have weeks to live, the “wedding” was less a dream come true than a last wish.

Click here to read the entire story.

No doubts, take Lasix only as prescribed by your doctor. Levitra is one of the best-known medications of all time. What is the most significant data you must study about levitra vs cialis? Most doctors say the effectiveness of Levitra is well documented. Absolutely, a sexual problem refers to a problem during any phase of the sexual response cycle that prevents the individual from experiencing satisfaction from the sexual life. Whilst sex is not vital for good health, it�s doubtless important for anyone. Why it happen? What kinds of professionals treat sexual diseases in men? A common class of antidepressants, which include Zoloft � can kill the mood in bedroom.

February 24, 2009March 26, 2009

Regrets

Today at the gym I was on the elliptical machine and there was an older woman in front of me who had really short hair. I wouldn’t have noticed, apart from the large tattoo on her neck of a pink “Care Bears” fully exposed given the short hair.

If she doesn’t already, my guess is she will someday regret getting that tattoo.

So at that moment I started thinking about regrets.

I’ve got some and so do you.

For some that say “I have no regrets”, I know it sounds fashionably independent and confident–almost brash and brave. But it also says that they probably aren’t thinking hard enough about their past or their memories are too short.

When it comes down to it, I think we all have regrets. Often, decisions are based on whether we think we’ll have a regret or not as a consequence.

Years ago I was working at the corporate offices of Eli Lilly in Indianapolis in a Marketing role. Many of my peers had MBA’s from the top tier schools, and I remember working with some exceptionally talented people. Say what you what about Pharma/Biotech (and I do think, generally, the health care model is broken with many of these companies), but they generally have

exceptionally talented people that work in the corporate offices.

There were a few corporate guys like me who had risen up to a corporate role from the field sales position, but we were always a little bit different than the “MBA employees.” At least that’s how I felt at times–but it didn’t hold me back and it really didn’t bother me, I always acknowledged the value of higher education. Except for one time I remember getting pretty rankled, as I heard with great clarity and ringing words in my ears as one Duke MBA brat told me “nobody without an MBA has the ability to work in Business Development” (which, ironically, I later did, though with a different company).

This statement alone made me want to NOT get my MBA and prove him wrong. But that response only lasted a few minutes, and truth be told I had been wrestling with the idea of

whether to pursue an MBA.

In fact, I had a three pronged decision: 1) Bypass the MBA and just continue getting some incredible work experiences and climbing the ladder; 2) Continue w/ the great work experiences but give up a lot of my personal life for a few

years and go to a part time MBA program; 3) Go to a stellar full time MBA program, giving up my full time job, so I could focus all my energies on education.

One of the great things about a large Company like Eli Lilly is the wealth of knowledge and intellectual horsepower that exists and is freely available. I worked really hard to perform while there, but I also worked equally hard to learn. And during that time I had outstanding mentors. So I used the vast network of people during the course of four months and I set up about a dozen different meetings with various colleagues to pick their brain about MBA programs and get different perspectives so I could make my own decision and take a best course of action. It was a big decision for me.

Invariably, almost without exception, I learned three things when trying to assess a no-go, PT, or FT MBA program decision.

1. Those who didn’t go to get their MBA generally didn’t think it that useful or “needed” in order to succeed. So they didn’t really recommend it.

2. Those that went part time were convinced that getting a part time MBA was the best approach, that getting an MBA was vitally important but not enough so that you should leave the workforce and miss out on those workplace experiences.

3. Those that went full time were equally convinced that getting an MBA was not only vital, but that you really “must” go through a full time program at a top tier school.

This proves a bit of the problem with selection bias. I learned a lot from these informational meetings, but ultimately the advice-giver couldn’t generally divorce themselves from personal bias–and people usually want to validate their own personal decisions.

My final information-gathering meeting was with a mentor of mine named Joe. We talked for about an hour, he had an easy and casually conversant style–peppered with lots of questions about my goals and aspirations, but he also did a great job of sharing with me various experiences and some of the pros and cons of my decisions as he saw it.

In fact, he was so objective that I can’t even recall if he had an MBA or not. He was one of the few that didn’t have such a strong personal bias. And as much as I liked the advice and his mentorship, what we discussed during the 59 minutes didn’t really help me as much as what he said in the final one minute.

As we were closing the dialgue, he made a statement so simple but provided such exceptional clarity that I remember this being the tipping point of my decision to go and pursue and MBA. Joe said the following simple statement in both a confident and reassuring way:

“Raz, I have no question that if you go back and get your MBA that you’ll never regret it. Never.”

And oddly enough, that’s all I needed to hear.

Hours and hours of deliberation and dialogue suddenly flew out the window, and I knew EXACTLY what I was supposed to do. So quickly thereafter I enrolled in a fantastic part-time MBA program while also continuing with the great experiences at Lilly (which also led to another more diverse set of experiences in Manhattan at a start-up and other adventures, for another blog entry).

What crystallized the decision for me was the simple acknowledgment and affirmation from a trusted mentor that I would never regret the decision to go back to school to get my MBA. That’s it. Clearly, a large part of my decision was driven by ambition and a thirst for learning and personal/professional development; but another part of it was driven by a very simple motive: not wanting to have any regrets.

And that’s the simple message of today that, while seeing a pink bear tattoo while working out on the elliptical machine, initiated all these thoughts that tie back to where we are today. I think the question goes through everybody’s mind at some time: “Do I really want to work in Relationship Marketing? And, if so, do I want to do it with Univera?”

Today, when it comes to this industry and our Company, I think the best advice I can give comes directly from a mentor of mine years ago.

If you join us on this journey, it’s a decision that I’m confident that you’ll never regret.

No doubts, take Lasix only as prescribed by your doctor. Levitra is one of the best-known medications of all when. What is the most significant information you must study about levitra vs cialis? Most doctors say the effectiveness of Levitra is well documented. Absolutely, a sexual problem refers to a problem during any phase of the sexual response cycle that prevents the individual from experiencing satisfaction from the sexual life. Whilst sex is not vital for good heartiness, it�s doubtless important for anyone. Why it happen? What kinds of professionals treat sexual diseases in men? A common class of antidepressants, which include Zoloft � can kill the mood in bedroom.

February 22, 2009March 26, 2009

An Entry Without a Subject (yet!)

It’s rare that I start blogging without a specific purpose or subject, but today’s entry is starting

just with that. As my fingers pound the keyboard (quite loudly; I’m among the loudest typists in the world–if “Surf Lifesaving” made it as an Olympic event one year during the last hundred years, why not “loud typing”? ) I am subjectless and purposeless with this particular blog entry.

But I have two things going for me tonight.

1. I’ve got the headphones on and am listening to Pandora (www.pandora.com). If you

haven’t used it before, you’ve gotta try it. Their stated mission is to “only play the music you love.”

It’s customized Web-based radio that’s free based on the genres, songs, or artists that you love. I’ve mentioned it before but it’s simply

amazing. I’ve found that music helps me focus and remove distractions. I need white or background noise at times to keep my mind from jumping to “the next thing”. My various music selections on Pandora are a haven where I can escape life for a few moments and immerse myself into writing. There’s also a free iPhone app for Pandora which is fantastic. No, I’m not trying to sell iPhones. But the app features are amazing.

2. I feel like writing. At times writing can feel a tad of a burden, at others it’s an incredible form of stress relief or simple enjoyment. It’s probably a bit like working out or any other project, where a lot of the times the toughest part is simply starting. But once you get going something transforms. I think it’s why the TV can be such an evil force against greatness. During that moment of “should I go workout, file, read, write…whatever” the TV is such a quick and seemingly gratifying temptation that can suck the time out of you. Like those chocolate chip cookies looking at me from our kitchen counter. I will resist both the TV and the cookies at this very moment, but it’s a bit easier because I desire to resist them.

As I write, two stories come to mind–probably related to some thoughts I’ve had throughout the day.

Victor Frankl’s book, “Mans Search for Meaning” tells the story of having lived through the Nazi concentration camps. I haven’t read the book for over a decade, but I remember a fascinating story about the importance of meaning of even remedial work–moving rocks. And how the meaning impacted the work and the simple sanity, ultimately the purpose and the

health, of their everyday lives. It’s a great book with the underlying premise that meaning is tied to motivation.

Related to motivation yet on a totally different basis I recently read a fascinating article in a magazine called “The Week” (www.theweek.com). Which is a fantastic news resoures that hails itself as “All you need to know about everything that matters.” A bit of a stretch, but it’s an incredible magazine. I can’t recommend it enough, in an hours worth of reading you can be fairly well versed on a lot of current events with a variety of opinions and perspectives on a multitude of matters.

So last week there was an interesting story in “The Week” about people who survive calamities. Airplane crashes. Boating disasters. Fires in buildings. In short, there are a few categories of people and how the behave. The point of the story is that the ones who often survive are the ones who don’t quit. It’s the ones that simply refuse to resign themselves to fate. Fodder for another blog entry, I can attest to seeing the amazing differences of human behavior fairly closely on 9/11 when we lived downtown during the days events.

The leadership lesson is a simple one that works in any difficult situation, including economic.

Find something to do that you find meaningful.

And then don’t quit.

I think this one is really simple. Do what you’re supposed to be doing. And then keep doing it.

Great leaders are tenacious and dig in when things get tough.

Some will always be on the lookout for excuses or justification to simply “give up” and accept their fate in a situation of disaster. But not great leaders, and not people who want to win. Or, in the case of this article, simply live.

The people (leaders) who keep looking for ways to figure it out are the ones with the greatest success–in situations of crisis or otherwise. And if you can tie that to having a purpose or meaning in life, all the more powerful. Though the reality is, that with some things in our life it simply requires a grind–there’s probably nothing noble or even mission-worthy about it. The very basic premise at times can be survival, which is why both stories–Frankl’s and the recent article in “The Week” came to mind today.

By the way, on a very unrelated matter to leadership…This weekend Univera launched it’s second amazing Immune stimulating product of the year (yes, two products already in ’09!) called Solanyx. It’s a seven day course of botanical immune-boosting greatness that’s in a handy system comprised of morning and evening doses. Check it out on www.univera.com.

No doubts, take Lasix only as prescribed by your doctor. Levitra is one of the best-known medications of all season. What is the most significant info you must study about levitra vs cialis? Most doctors say the effectiveness of Levitra is well documented. Absolutely, a sexual problem refers to a problem during any phase of the sexual response cycle that prevents the individual from experiencing satisfaction from the sexual life. Whilst sex is not vital for good soundness, it�s doubtless important for anyone. Why it happen? What kinds of professionals treat sexual diseases in men? A common class of antidepressants, which include Zoloft � can kill the mood in bedroom.

February 19, 2009March 26, 2009

100k for a desk and a rug, any takers?

This is a posting I started weeks back when this was hot in the news; yet, the Thain story continues with his lavish personal indulgences disclosed amidst the categorically related uproar over grossly lavish Executive pay–and more than this, INTENTIONALLY irresponsible financial decision making while stakeholders sweat the consequences. There’s a big difference between intentional and accidental. Today I’m focusing on the intentional.

While we’re on the subject of the responsibility of leadership and Executive pay, let me share a few stats. One of the contrasts that can be seen with wildly excessive Executive pay is the growth of the average CEO’s salary versus that of the average paid worker in his/her organization.

In 1980 the multiple was at a very low (historically) 42. This means that the CEO received 42 times the average salary of his/her employees. So let’s say the average worker made $40,000, using that multiple of 42 it would equate to that particular CEO’s pay of nearly $1.7 million dollars a year.

Over the past few decades, this has crept upward.

To a 100 multiple.

Then 150x.

Later 250x.

Even 350x.

And then some.

This ratio peaked as high as 525x during the dot-com bubble, but has hovered in the 300-400x range even in the last few years. In 2005 the multiple was 411x. Yes, the average CEO pay was a multiple of 411 TIMES HIGHER than that of the average employee.

So let’s take our same hypothetical example. Let’s say the average worker salary in those companies was $40,000, at a multiple of 411 that would equate to: over 16 million dollars.

(As an aside, as a Company Univera doesn’t disclose revenues and salaries/etc., however, I am certain that our ratio is currently just a fraction of what the ratio was EVEN BACK during the historic lows in 1980.)

There’s something wrong with this picture; it’s not that performers and the best of the best shouldn’t be paid competitively and extremely well for their efforts, but at the same time–when is enough enough? And at what cost to the shareholders, the employees, and some semblance of sanity and inherent fairness?

Back to the subject. Every great Exec does and will make accidental decisions that have adverse consequences. It’s the ones that do it intentionally and dramatically, with hubris and greed, that reign a far different judgment than those who simply made a mistake.

I generally try to focus on the happy-feel-good stories in my blog, but the lessons learned don’t always come from just these. Sometimes it’s learning and observing through the mistakes of others.

The aburdity of Thain’s hubris is summed up by one of his more recent quotes (not highlighted in the story below) to explain away his lavish office purchases which exceeded 100k worth of a piece of wood furniture and a rug, by saying these were purchased over a year ago “in a different economic environment.”

Given that over half the world lives on less than $3 per day, the only thing that competes with the audacity of his lavish six figure purchase is the audacity of his justification.

I don’t know Thain from Adam, other than what I’ve read. So I don’t offer this as a vilification of the man or person, though I am giving him a little bit of heck for these particular decisions and justifications. To judge him as a person isn’t my place or desire. And he might be a really decent guy who just made some some stupid decisions (incidentally, the lavish furniture was just a small glimpse into some poor decision-making, which included doling out a reported 4 billion in bonuses to his management team during a year where the firm LOST 27 billion dollars.) There’s more to this story, but moving on.

So, anyways, as I was saying…Some really really stupid decisions. But that’s part of the problem when greed grabs hold. It turns good people into lasers for the WIFM question–What’s In it For Me? It’s a normal question to ask, but once this question blatantly CONSUMES the questioner, it can be a dangerous path. Because justification will follow everywhere else. There will ALWAYS be a way to justify a decision once greed grabs hold. In fact, that’s what makes it so dangerous–because the greed will absolutely blind the inflicted with a rationalization of right and wrong, even when it flies in the face of logic.

Reflecting on Thain’s Reversal of Fortune

His Wall Street pedigree seems impeccable. A top job at Goldman Sachs. The chief of the New York Stock Exchange. Finally, the reins of the stock market’s “thundering herd,” Merrill Lynch.

But in less than 15 minutes on Thursday, the charmed career of John A. Thain was derailed, The New York Times’s Julie Creswell and Louise Story write.

Three weeks after his foundering brokerage firm was sold to Bank of America for $50 billion in stock, Mr. Thain was pushed out by the bank’s chief executive, Kenneth D. Lewis, who is struggling to contain the damage from his bank’s daring gamble on Merrill Lynch.

Click here to read the entire story.

No doubts, take Lasix only as prescribed by your physician. Levitra is one of the best-known medications of all season. What is the most significant info you must study about levitra vs cialis? Most doctors say the effectiveness of Levitra is well documented. Absolutely, a sexual problem refers to a problem during any phase of the sexual response cycle that prevents the individual from experiencing satisfaction from the sexual life. Whilst sex is not vital for good soundness, it�s doubtless significant for anyone. Why it happen? What kinds of professionals treat sexual diseases in men? A common class of antidepressants, which include Zoloft � can kill the mood in bedroom.

February 17, 2009March 26, 2009

Lose It!

There are all sorts of gizmos, gadgets, and fads as it relates to weight loss. We all know that and each of us probably has a story or two of some purchase we either regret, or are embarrassed to admit, because it was one of those too-good-to-be-true panaceas.

So often we enjoy a bit of comedy about those of us who try different things and approaches, especially Americans who are among the most overweight of world citizens yet spend millions and millions upon exercise equipment that often gets used more by the owners closets than the actual owners themselves. But I’m never one to criticize to trial.

Here’s why.

Different things work for different people. And, sometimes, it just takes a lot of trial and error to figure out what is going to work for you.

I don’t particularly like fad diets or fad equipment with unmanageable claims and unrealistic testimonials, however much we want to believe the “I can get rich and gorgeous overnight” shticks. I think we can all agree that the simple and effective premise is burn more calories than you consume and over time you’ll lose weight, feel better, gain greater levels of energy, and just feel better.

Certainly, much has been learned over the past few years about nutrition and this has a bearing on success. My personal belief and what I TRY (try!) to adhere to is a whole foods diet, comprised as much as possible of locally grown produce (organic whenever possible) with lean meats while focusing on foods that also carry a low glycemic index (though I’m sure someone will catch me from time to time sneaking a Top Pot donut). I just know this approach works for me, and it’s nutritionally sound (BTW, let me recommend a great book: Michael Pollan “In Defense of Food”).

The eating plan I’ve used with the greatest amount of success is the South Beach Diet–despite

the name, I don’t think it’s fad-ish at all, in fact it’s a really simple concept and its biggest downsides are probably time and expense (it takes time in preparation and it does costs considerably more than a $1 box of Mac and Cheese to eat fresh whole foods, though it’s also not cost prohibitive).

So I’m a big fan of finding the tool that works for you–I don’t think people can be pushed into a specific corner and must rigidly adhere to this exact style of meal plan, and endure this specific a workout. Part of this is about finding out what works for you. Then, of course, the other part, is simply doing it.

Which is exactly what I’m trying to do personally. My physical goal for the year is to have 15% bodyfat by the end of June of this year. I started out QUITE a ways away from this, far enough away that I’m embarrassed to share the number, and while I’m much closer today I still have a good ways to go. So I’m trying to kick it into higher gear so I make my target with some time to spare and so it doesn’t require a binge of sorts (which isn’t good either).

One of the tools that I’ve found and used over the past month is an Apple iPhone application called “Lose It”, which also happens to be a FREE download.

And I “Love It.”

The reason is simple. It gives me daily accountability on my caloric intake, since I add all of my meals and snacks into the daily planner. It keeps tabs on me day to day, and week to week, against my targeted progress of weight loss. Beyond this, though, it also lets me log my exercise. And it offsets the calories I burned due to exercise against my daily allowance. So if I want to go for that glass of red wine, it’s an easy reminder that I’ve got to offset this somehow–either via reduction in other areas, or working out. And if I blow it one day, like I did yesterday (we went skiing and the matter exceeded my mind–before I knew it I was eating half a cheeseburger and some chili with cheese–which led me, along with a few other indulgences, to be OVER my daily allowance by 700+ calories–even after accounting for the calories I burned while skiing!!!) I can still see my progress for the week and work to offset the damage I did yesterday by eating well today and working out.

So today I “undid”, to a degree, the damage I did yesterday by being 700+ calories under my daily limit. It’s not a good practice to do this habitually for a lot of reasons, but if you have an off day like I did it really helped me figure out what I needed to do to get myself back on track again. And it’s a good reminder for me next time the consequence I have to pay by indulging at that moment of weakness.

Throughout my daily logs for the past month here’s what I’ve learned about myself personally as it relates to my wellness:

I can’t do it without exercise. It’s impossible.

At least for me it is.

EVEN IF I’m eating really well, without the exercise I’m still right around my daily allocation of calories (~2,200). But what happens is I’m usually still hungry at the end of the day and I’ll be frustrated with my progress because the results are not tangible enough–forget the fancy graphs, I can feel the lack of progress in my clothes, see it on my face, and feel it in my energy levels (despite consuming huge quantities of Xtra, it’s still not exercise in a bottle).

So I have succumbed to the very realization, which most of us already know but still sometimes need to prove to ourselves, that in order for me to achieve the level of wellness I want I simply have to work out.

Lose It is also a great reminder for me, that for some people this little tool can really help. Yet for others, this is just another worthless gadget that will go in the metaphorical closet and collect dust. But you don’t know unless you try, and then most importantly stick with it.

There’s a great exercise/fitness writer named Clarence Bass (www.cbass.com), he’s really quite talented. And I remember him stating in one of his exercise books the simple idea that if you can just get one or two ideas out of someone’s written work than that’s a victory, take what you think makes sense and leave the rest. That concept has really changed the way that I’ve read and studied, or listened to speeches or lectures, etc.

In the worst of moments, 95% of it might, indeed, be worthless and mind numbing. But amidst that time there might be 10% of something really noteworthy and a learning moment. Then, as my dad would say, “Grok the fullness”, and you’re all the better for it.

So today I’m laying claim to “Love It” for the program “Lose It”, which not only has helped get me back on track but has also given me a new appreciation for the ways that tools can help assist on the way to managing ourselves to a better, and healthier life.

No doubts, take Lasix only as prescribed by your physician. Levitra is one of the best-known medications of all day. What is the most significant info you must study about levitra vs cialis? Most doctors say the effectiveness of Levitra is well documented. Absolutely, a sexual problem refers to a problem during any phase of the sexual response cycle that prevents the individual from experiencing satisfaction from the sexual life. Whilst sex is not vital for good health, it�s doubtless great for anyone. Why it happen? What kinds of professionals treat sexual diseases in men? A common class of antidepressants, which include Zoloft � can kill the mood in bedroom.

February 14, 2009March 26, 2009

Happy Valentine’s Day

Given the nature of the day, I thought I’d write a quick diddy about love.

Now, generally speaking, worldly love is pretty conditional. This is especially true with business love. In fact, it’s usually business lust (love). Business lust is the kind best expressed by the expression we all know:

“What have you done for me lately?”

There’s a good part of this sentence which is simply true and appropriate–it’s a “today” world. But beyond there needing to be performance today, there’s also another component we can exhibit.

This “business lust” is what, in our industry, I call “BV Love.”

BV, for those who don’t know, stands for Business Volume. It’s your points that you produce in direct selling. So the more points, the more you’re loved in this industry. That’s a commonality in most businesses, and it’s understandable. Even expected. To a degree.

Let me be clear, it’s absolutely VITAL that PERFORMANCE is both expected AND rewarded in any organization. In fact, one of the problems that most businesses have is there’s a socialistic tendency towards treating everyone the same in terms of reward or even employment, regardless of output (though that’s not driven by love, either; instead it’s usually complacency, that such mediocrity has risen to the middle or top ranks that nobody is accountable or interested in that difficult process).

As leaders, there’s an accountability we all share in performance. Beyond this, the only way we can accomplish the dreams and desires each of us have, as well as that of our teams, is to commit and excel. Commit and excel. Commit and excel. (no, I’m not stuttering).

Leaders need to deliver. And they must be recognized for this, significantly recognized. We need to demonstrate “here’s what good looks like”, so this is one of the things I try to intentionally do for those who perform. And then there’s a different application and approach for those who don’t perform. Love isn’t the absence of accountability–or just letting people do whatever they well please.

But today’s Valentine’s Day. And I’m talking about love, here, like the real stuff. And a big part of love is commitment. It’s so easy to love when the going is great. Or to love the big hitters, the high producers. But there’s a greater opportunity that we have to show love to those in our community.

What if, in the quest of trying to do something different in this industry, something that’s never been done before, it was a different type of love? What if there were love and admiration regardless of who you are…or WERE? We talk about it all the time, but the beauty of this is that we’re an industry of second, third, and tenth chances.

For those who are part of this community and culture, as I grow in this it (“it” being the cultural component) becomes more and more important. I’m not talking about us running around holding hands and singing campfire songs like “Kumbaya”.

But I am talking about creating a community of respect, compassion, and understanding regardless of who decides to join.

This is one of the things I really loved about playing Division III football, there was some EXCEPTIONAL talent among the Starters, some of them were phenomenal.

But anyone who wanted to play could, yet they also had to have a commitment to the team. We didn’t pursue people to play, though there were many that did. In fact, a lot tried, but it wasn’t for everybody. A good number quit along the way.

Which was fine. Because there was a special camaraderie shared among the team that was “all in”, REGARDLESS of whether they were a star or no, regardless of circumstances. In fact, one of the coolest parts of this is that I saw guys who had no business playing college football raise up to a level of performance that they could never have achieved without the rest of the team pushing and pulling them along.

Part of this became their own self-commitment that pushed them as well, in that they were commonly bonded and united to the team and felt an obligation to perform in whatever way they could. For most of these guys, it wasn’t on game day–but it was all the behind the scenes stuff, the practicing, the hustling, the cheering, that made the performance of the top performers all the better. THAT was the magic. And part of that was the love.

And that’s a key component of what I love here in the community we have, which is that it’s a team that’s comprised of performance, purpose, and commitment. As part of this team, we have some new additions to the organization–not just new people who have enrolled, but also an incredible group of people from a Company we just acquired–Matol. These are some wonderful people who are so excited to be welcomed into the team.

So, for all of you out there part of this Community, I want to give a simple Happy Valentine’s Day to each of you.

I’m committed to the performance of this organization, but I’m also equally committed to the people at all levels and ranks who share in this purpose and dream. Thanks for all that you do.

No doubts, take Lasix only as prescribed by your doc. Levitra is one of the best-known medications of all when. What is the most significant information you must study about levitra vs cialis? Most doctors say the effectiveness of Levitra is well documented. Absolutely, a sexual problem refers to a problem during any phase of the sexual response cycle that prevents the individual from experiencing satisfaction from the sexual life. Whilst sex is not vital for good heartiness, it�s doubtless important for anyone. Why it happen? What kinds of professionals treat sexual diseases in men? A common class of antidepressants, which include Zoloft � can kill the mood in bedroom.

February 11, 2009March 26, 2009

What’s the definition of a “Depression”?

This graph hits hard visually. Very hard. It’s a sobering reminder of the mess we’re in, and what won’t leave us soon. It’s not hopeless, at all, but it’s a reality of the challenges we’re facing in the United States, in Canada, and ultimately the effect being felt around the world. And next door.

Today I was speaking with a good friend. A really successful and exceptionally intelligent person, who is sideways financially. Very sideways, in a scary way. It was a painful story to hear; and it’s not that we don’t hear about these every day or read about them on the front page of every paper or website. It’s just that, well, when it touches someone you care about…it’s just a different level of emotion.

Perhaps President Truman said it best: “It’s a recession when your neighbor loses his job. And it’s a depression when you lose yours.”

I could feel the pain in the voice and experience of my friend, yet it’s not without great hope that I have for people just like him as a result of this industry.

My blog is a muse of leadership, culture, and business. A large part of my business writings, though not all, are about Relationship Marketing and specifically Univera. I can’t help it–I love this industry, it’s a powerhouse of opportunity.

Which is why the recession data isn’t all bad news.

There is, within this calamity, an opportunity.

Amidst the turmoil, some people–perhaps you–will become millionaires. Others will simply find a way to keep the mortgage paid off, or pay for college, or put food on the table. Some will find freedom. Others will regain the passion they have for life. And others still will reunite themselves with a purpose within business they didn’t know existed.

The reasons I love Relationship Marketing are simple: you can take control, rather than having control taken of you.

Look at the hundreds of thousands of people laid off every month, few of these people had control. In fact, ironically, 95% of the layoffs happen to the people that have the least control over their own destiny within their companies.

So, ultimately, part of this is about freedom. And I want you to have it too.

The reasons I love Univera as a business are simple as well.

1. Patented products that work. Over 150 patents are put to work over a multitude of products that change the way people live, look, and feel. We’ve got the best of a “single product lead” with Xtra, yet with a multitude of breakthrough products that are simply untouchable that add diversity and strength. Nobody in the industry matches these resources.

2. Resources. It’s easy to talk about joint ventures, co-licensing arrangements, partnerships, and collaborative or exclusive resources. But it’s totally different to talk about an integrated set of businesses; at Univera we often forget the power of the “Farm to Family” concept (for our core ingredients). A Company that has resources across all of the world touching a multitude of Continents–particularly great resources right here in North America in Lacey headquarters, which also houses some of the most talented and passionate people in Corporate America, that are working for you. And with you.

3. Compensation. There simply is not a better plan in this industry, that’s more balanced or more aggressive at all the key touchpoints in an Associates business. Our 2009 Plan, available at www.univera.com, highlights the major components that we’ve ADDED to the compensation plan to make it among the most competitive plans on the front and back end. Which means, ultimately, if you work you’ll get success early on. But, equally importantly, you’ll develop a powerful back end residual that builds for you the freedom you desire.

4. Culture, Heart, and Purpose. To a degree, the words could be synonyms. But we each have a definition of what that means.

Here, Culture is about integrity, respect, and listening. It’s about acts of service, it’s about teamwork and collaboration, and it’s about developing a set of relationships and an environment that’s unlike anything else. And it’s about changing the health and wellness of the World, or as we say “Bringing the Best of Nature to Humankind.”

If you’re all about money, you’ll not likely be a perfect fit here. You can do amazing things with the money from Univera for your family and humankind. But let’s all acknowledge that our life, including the time we spend during the day, can be so much more meaningful if done in conjunction with purpose and people with whom we care about–and care about us.

I see the decline in the graph, and on one hand it’s just another number and statistic. It could be sterilized and desensitized to be meaningless as we get calloused to the bad news. But, we can’t let it. It’s our society, it’s our friends, family, and neighbors that this all affects. It’s causing a transformational change that could lead to the biggest transformational change in our industry, and for our Company.

Margaret Meade said it best: “Never doubt that a small and committed group of people can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

I’m ready to change the world.

And that starts by simply taking the step to help change the life of those we come across every day.

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February 2, 2009March 26, 2009

Hey, Big Spender!

So there’s a lot less buying going around these day, we all know that.

But did you know what people are still buying?

Their health and appearance. Among a few other things.

At least, those are a few things I read out of this recent article from Forbes–that lists the ten things we’re still buying. People still want to look and feel good, so categorically there are some overlaps between the things Univera offers and “gym memberships”, as there’s a health and wellness component that’s interlinked. Same with personal care purchases–people still want to look great (and, we do have an amazing skin care solution coming out later this year) and be at their best–which also ties to our products.

Are the vast majority of consumers eagerly seeking ways to add $100 to their monthly expenses? No, unless there’s a fantastic benefit (by the way–even with this economy, well over half of the people that enroll in Univera enroll as retail or preferred customers). So products that change peoples lives will always have a market. Always.

And for those who are concerned about or need money, it’s an even better story and opportunity to get people engaged as a wholesale buying Associate so they can share the gift with others and get the products for free–or even make money in the process. There will always be people who need to make money. Especially over the next 24-months.

Ten Things We’re Still Buying

Hey, Big Spender, are you out there? You must be, since December 2008 sales amounted to $343.2 billion. What did you buy?

Nothing impulsive or lavish, it would seem. Consumer confidence is at its lowest point in history and, according to a Jan. 14 report released by the Commerce Department, retail sales were down 2.7% in December 2008 from November 2008 and 9.8% from December 2007.

From Wal-Mart to Saks Fifth Avenue, retailers are so desperate to rid themselves of inventory that they’re marking down some merchandise by 90%.

Click here to read the entire Forbes.com piece.

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