From the Road: Behind the Scenes


(Video footage from the road)

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 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.

Ten to Jax

img_3706Sunday was supposed to be our day of rest with no meetings this day.

But that didn’t quite happen. We awoke around 7 a.m. and started to the airport a little after 8 a.m., spent most of the day in airports and on two flights and arrived in Knoxville, Tennessee around 4 p.m. After getting to the hotel, we checked in. Have you ever checked into a huge hotel that’s completely vacant? It was a little creepy at first; I mean, I’ve truly never — in my life — think I’ve ever gone into a huge hotel and not seen a single soul other than the person checking you in.

So after MJ made a few jokes, he and I dropped the bags off and went off to Best Buy to pick up some equipment and then stopped by and attended a local church service on the way back — right before dinner. Good times.

img_3737Actually, while we were at the Best Buy, something hilarious happened in the store. I mean, really, it was hysterical, and I wish I had a photo of it (maybe I’ll try to recreate it at another Best Buy). It’s a bit too long of a story to post.

Monday morning came quickly, and with such a tough time slot on the first day of the week, we were half expecting an audience of 40-60 people. But when we arrived a half hour early, the room was already half full, and the room continued to swell until it was full. I’m guessing there were about 225 people in the audience, and I expect over 100 were guests.

Honestly, I wasn’t sure how comedy was going to work at 8 a.m. on a Monday morning — but it worked out just fine. Michael Jr. had a really casual and relaxing approach into the bit and took some audience questions, which then kicked us into a presentation about the Vision, Products, and Business Opportunity.

img_3716We were so impressed with the preparedness of both the audience and the guests; among many exceptionally well-managed meetings, this was probably the best. I can’t say enough great things about Jeff Johnson, the local Diamond, as well as the host of leaders there who were helping out with all sorts of logistics and making sure people were comfortable (Kristi, David, Victoria…many others I am sure I am missing).

Finally, Jeff closed with what I think is the most poignant and compelling question I’ve heard thus far on the Road Tour. He asked the audience, through the telling of both a personal story as well as a gut-wrenching experience about a couple for whom he cares deeply, to find the reason they weren’t going to join Univera, and to share this with the people that they loved. Meaning, with all that the opportunity this can provide — friendship, physical renewal, income, freedom — what’s really the good reason you have to withhold this from the people that you care so deeply about?

img_3742I can’t do his departing thoughts justice in one paragraph and in the written word; all I can tell you is that it was a powerful reminder of the responsibility as well as opportunity that we share. Jeff and team, thank you for being such outstanding hosts and coordinating an incredible event.

And RIGHT after this meeting, we were off to Jacksonville.

Have I mentioned we have had gorgeous sunshine this entire trip? Spectacular! And beyond this, not a hitch with all of our transportation. Every flight on time, every bag checked and received, nary a problem — apart from difficulty finding yogurt parfaits. But that’s something we can manage around.

img_3792(This is called foreshadowing).

Jax was GORGEOUS; despite a coming cold front, we arrived to find temperate air, a nice breeze, clear skies. And the drive to the Ramada Inn over a few bridges with glistening water surrounding us was therapeutic for each of us.

Unfortunately, Stephen had doctor meetings that afternoon — which supposedly forced him to eat at Bob Evans right after we checked, in since he couldn’t join us at 5 p.m., which I find absolutely hysterical. If any of you know, Bob Evans is like a more upscale McDonalds in terms of food choices. It’s not that it’s a bad restaurant, but it’s just a country-style restaurant (haven’t been in years) with very basic home cooking and a lot of focus on the comfort foods. So he was ranting about his meal of biscuits and gravy, walking in, as we were walking out to our delicious meal at Bonefish Grill comprised of fresh fish and grilled vegetables. While I wish Stephen could have joined us, there was at least a little humor in where he ate and what he thought about it.

The meeting was run by Jim Wagner — and I’m telling you, this guy is an incredible host. He’s warm, friendly, compelling, professional, and gentle. Each of the Exec’s, as well as Michael Jr., was really amazed at his talent in hosting such a well-run meeting. So many people, like at other events, helped out behind the scenes including Ginger Ward and so many others whose names won’t make the pages of this blog (hopefully some of your photos will, though).

And the attendance was great, I’m guessing 150 but with a lot of guests — and beyond. This was really a fun event, exactly like last time, with great energy along with some new leadership.

Michael Jr. incorporated a great spotlight joke, opened it up with some real genuine laughter — which is truly supposed to be presented as a gift — and then we worked our way through the presentation.
Lots of fun speaking with Associates, old and new, as well as all the first-timer guests who attended.

Road Tour in Pictures

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 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 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.

The Cowboys vs. the Longhorns

okcity_re-szied3Oklahoma City had a great meeting last spring with over 200 people at a luncheon event.

This week’s event was a little trickier: a Friday night at 7 p.m. during high school football season. And the Oklahoma State Cowboys were set to play the Texas Longhorns the following day. About 125 people still showed up to our room. Along with FOUR GIANT PILLARS that decided to plant themselves evenly spaced at the very front of the room, serving as a beautiful blockade between the stage and the audience. Actually, it was quite hilarious.

So the energy wasn’t exactly buzzing with any of us in the room that night; it was both fun but a little flatter than the prior event. Joel Canon made up for it though; that guy is pretty excitable. A few days earlier, a maintenance person started messing with the stage, and Michael Jr. incorporated him into the comedy.

okcity_re-sized2okcity_re-sized1Well this night, we decided to add a twist and had a maintenance person come in the middle of Michael’s gig and move the podium — though this time, he only moved it like ten feet. Michael thought it was hilarious, and that served to open his Q&A time with the audience, which some of you will still see in our few coming events.

Afterwards, Michael, Regan, and I ate some local food at a nearby restaurant; and from our waitress (not sure, but I think her name was Madison), we heard another story that’s becoming all too familiar in our country today. A hard-working woman who had a few unexpected expenses (some large car repair bills) among other things caused her to get behind on rent payments and was just evicted that week from her apartment. The news and the stories we’re hearing are a little sobering, but at the same time, it makes for all the better news in sharing the freedom of the business opportunity.

okcity_re-sized

From there, we headed south to Austin on game day. The place was packed with energy, and this is one cool city to begin with.

austin_re-sizedPrior to the event, we started the evening at the Club Lounge (Regan and Stephen had access; mysteriously, neither Michael nor I were on the Club-level floor). Traveling with a comedian is pretty hilarious, but it’s taken a while to figure out what’s a joke and what’s a serious question or statement coming from Michael.

Or Regan for that matter.

You put a yellow personality along with a comedian, and you’re asking for some trouble and a lot of one liners. And when it really gets raucous, there’s a few of us who will start laughing like Michael Jr. (he has this “HeeeeHAAAAA” way of laughing during his show, followed often by a statement: “Man, that was hysterical… And I just make that up on the spot… I am hilarious.”) So I think we’re doing a decent job of dishing it out as well as taking it so far.

austin_re-sized2At the Club level, we met a few other people who almost became enticed enough through our good times to come to the Univera event, but we couldn’t quite convince them to cancel their plans and join.

So we showed up to the event, and about a hundred people were there -— which really, I have to say, impressed all of us given that it was BOTH a Saturday night AND right after the Longhorns won the game a few hours earlier.

Those who attended were in great spirits -— at tie for the energy level at Denver. Michael Jr. was absolutely hilarious this night; and Regan and Stephen as usual were great.

Gerald King gave this great testimonial, telling the story of his own personal experience of taking Xtra among other products and seeing his own personal interest and performance in triathlons increase so significantly, which sparked again his participation in these types of events.

austin_rre-sized1At the end we had some great dialogue with the local leadership as well as new Associates. I met a few new people who had just enrolled that week who were so excited about the opportunity and the prospect. Stephen always has a swarm of people around him after each event; this one was no different.

What I realized between San Antonio and Austin is that as Americans, and citizens of this world, we have three choices as we face the economic calamity before us, which is unprecedented in so many ways.

1. Panic. This, clearly, isn’t helpful or constructive. Good decisions are not often made during a period of panic.

2. Paralysis. This, also, isn’t useful. If you’re in a storm, you HAVE to seek shelter, but must be wise in doing so.

austin_re-sized33. Proactivity. This, clearly, is the course to take, using the information we have to take control of your financial future.

But, more on this at either a Road Tour event or another blog. For now, we’re signing off and headed off to the Knoxville event for a Monday morning breakfast.

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 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 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.

From the Desert to the Rockies

mesa_rt08_dscn2703I love the desert and the deep brown earthy soil of the Arizona landscape — perhaps odd to those who long for a bit more green, which is particularly abundant in the Northwest. So landing in Phoenix started my heart thumping a bit more vigorously. And walking off the airplane and feeling the dry warmth of the sun was a welcome experience after landing.

There’s some great youthful energy that exists in Phoenix. The market is in such infancy, but it has the support of both exceptionally strong leaders from across the country, as well as some emerging leaders local to this region.

Upon landing, I went for a run, I think Michael did a workout, Stephen did yoga, and Regan’s not telling what he did (naptime?). Whenever I travel to sunny cities, I just tend to go outside. It’s like the walkways are calling me to go exercise.

So we expected the Mesa event to be a really strong meeting, with an enthusiastic Associate audience as well as a good number of guests. John Ryan again hosted this meeting, and it was supplemented with some great testimonials by Peter Wright, Ron Fauntz, and Kenny Rossi towards the end.

Before the event started, I got to catch up with friends Gale George, Saul (without a known last name!), and Diane Tucker (Mrs. America and Mrs. World), who traveled down from Tucson to attend the event.

During the evening, Michael Jr. continued with a new twist to his routine on the Road Tour by engaging the audience with an open invitation for questions through which he creates impromptu comedy. It actually started by accident in Sacramento and worked well to open the audience up that he continued this into Mesa; we’ll see how much further it goes.

The Phoenix area, especially smarting from the decline in housing prices along with the tightening of the credit markets, had a new burst of both energy and urgency in the air — not unlike what’s felt across the U.S. I ended up talking to a good number of people who were so thankful for the timing of Univera and their involvement.

In fact, one amazing couple (out of many that I met) — the wife a teacher and the husband an owner of a collision repair facility — expressed what a “Godsend” (their words) Univera has been. In down economic times evidently (and logically), people will more often collect their insurance premium and not get the vehicle fixed on more cosmetic-oriented repairs. They expressed with both excitement and optimism the freedom they’re finding in Univera, as well as the fun and energy that it brings to their life and other people.

One night quickly ended, and it seemed my head just hit the pillow before the morning sun arose and we were off to Denver.

Sometimes, there are cities or geographies that are either so gorgeous or relaxing that I get chills. It doesn’t happen often (Sydney is an example), but for me, going to Denver (and the Colorado area in general) is incredibly therapeutic — between the mountains and air, the place is simply magical.

Stephen, again in an effort to save time (MJ, Regan, and I didn’t know we were in a hurry), rushed to the rental counter offsite while we got the bags, which, by the way, I think Regan and I can pretty much confirm after having watched this process for three cities that it really doesn’t save much time in the process, though it usually results in a little live comedy.

Speaking of, traveling with Michael Jr. is starting to get really fun. The first few days were a little awkward at times. Nothing big, but you know you’re spending a lot of time with a new person that you don’t really know. And, he’s a comedian. So every time he says something, you automatically assume it’s a joke. So it takes a while to learn the temp of the group. We really settled in at Denver, and I think Regan (who I’m convinced secretly wishes he pursued a career in comedy as well) is having about as much fun as he ever has had on a road trip.

There are more leaders concentrated in Denver than any other city in North America, and many readers probably don’t realize that Broomfield, Colo., served as home to Univera nearly 10 years ago. As a result, there’s a solid concentration of quite a few Diamonds and several Blue Diamonds among many other Univera Associates, which is another reason I always love to visit; I love spending time with the leadership here.

I’ve got to give good credit to the organizers and leaders of this event; many were involved in all the behind-the-scenes logistics, and it was extremely well run.

And there’s something about leadership in each event that lends itself to either great energy upon entering a room, or to be gentle about it, “not great energy.” Tonight’s meeting simply had great energy, buzz, and excitement — before anyone even picked up a microphone.

I attribute so much of this to the mood, energy, and excitement of the leadership’s example that day; it’s something each of us noticed visibly this evening, so a lot of props go out to all those local leaders who contributed their part to bring a high energy level to the room.

denver_rt08_dscn2707John Rogers really did an exceptional job hosting the event from both a flow and content perspective; it also didn’t hurt that he has an FM-quality radio voice.

Often, we spend time talking with Associates and guests at the end of the evening at Road Tours in the past, but what we’re loving about this event is that while we’re still spending time saying hello to the new and old, there’s a lot of time being spent among guests and hosts. And a lot of new signups.

Tonight was an example in spades; over 230 attendees (felt like more) and well over 100 new guests were at the event. As always, it was fantastic to say hello to both old and new friends in the area, and I wish we’d had more time to spend with more people.

denver_rt08_dscn2720But the best conversations of the night didn’t occur between any of us and the Field.

They occurred between the inviting Associate, the guest, and if available, the local Diamond or Blue Diamond for that organization.

Thanks, Denver, for an outstanding event with such great energy.

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 soundness, 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.

Sacramento to Orange County

roadsign1Tuesday, we hit up both Sacramento and Orange County, Calif. — a luncheon and evening meeting, respectively.

For some reason, visiting two cities in one day and giving two presentations leads to a very different flavor and level of emotional investment than if we had just one city per day. I like two-a-days, but they’re just, well, different. While on the road and speaking in various cities at different times, you can begin to just barely appreciate the level of intensity and exhaustion the two presidential candidates must feel after having campaigned for so many months.

Public speaking also gives an appreciation for grace towards silly statements made while in front of other people. So while I’ve had a good laugh at some of the Saturday Night Live skits of the candidates, as well as a few recent flubs during presentations, it’s with more comedic understanding rather than critical thought that I give both candidates a little slack. It ain’t easy, and I admire the vigor and perseverance of both candidates.

But, a blog about politics this is not, so we’ll dig back into the events.

We awoke in Reno at a casino hotel and hit the road shortly after 7 a.m.; we, being the foursome of Regan (aka Rengen), Stephen (aka CherNINske), Michael Junior, and me.

Gorgeous drive through the mountains from Reno to Sacramento, including thru the Lake Tahoe region; a place I’ve not been before but would someday like to go.

Pulling into the hotel for the event, we saw a few Bimmers sitting in front of the hotel. Immediately, I wondered if it really was a creative promotion of the Univera BMW car program; and, it was. Brilliant. The Sacramento guys had a BMW dealer drop a few off and highlight some of their special Univera deals, particularly relevant to those who are eligible (or soon to be) for the Bimmer program.

bimmersWe didn’t have much time pre-meeting in Sacramento due to the longer-than-expected drive from Reno, but I had the chance to meet both some existing Associates and new prospects. I was thrilled to see some old friends there and had the chance to sit next to Peter and Tahra Dergee, as well as briefly re-engage with many others.

John Ryan, a man with such a good heart and sincere intention, did a great job opening and hosting the event. Michael Jr. was the first speaker, and he was actually (as if this were a surprise) quite hilarious. But what was hilarious was the mic kept going in and out. So Michael did a GREAT open mic riff, first with the hotel staff trying to fix it, but then he went into a little audience participation which went over really well. I can’t say any more, lest I ruin it for the rest of you who are heading to an upcoming event.

Unfortunately, due to airline schedules, we had to leave before the end of the meeting to catch our flight to Orange County for a two-hour drive during rush hour. Stephen insisted on saving time by getting the car immediately while we pulled the bags, but somehow on each of these endeavors, it seems we burn more time than we save. But, he’s such a nice guy we can hardly stand to tell him that some of these time-saving mechanisms are hardly that. And since he only reads the blog sporadically, by the time he reads this, it’ll be old news.

Orange County was also a really solid event. I’d probably put it on par with the Sacramento luncheon, though it wasn’t nearly as rushed since we didn’t have the travel restrictions so in all reality it probably was a tad bit better.

Peter Wright hosted the event and did a fantastic job of really putting into perspective the reality of today’s economy. He’s a very articulate, intentional, and credible person–and speaks in the manner of who he is. One of his expressions (whether it’s original or not I don’t know, but either way I liked it) that he used was this: “Do you know how to tell the difference between a recession and a depression? A recession is when your neighbor loses his job, and a depression is when you lose yours.”

Clearly, not the economic definition but probably much closer to home and quite emotional. What I really liked about the LA event, and what we’ve started to see more of on this Road Tour, is that while we’re mingling with people post-event we are also seeing groups of people huddle together–associates and prospects–that are working on the pathway to freedom by enrolling as an associate in Univera.

More from the road soon…

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 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 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.

A Whirlwind of a Week–from Singapore to Reno

In the last week I feel I’ve been guilty of blogglect.

It’s basically the neglect of a blog.

A common condition not easily managed even with a superstar nutritional supplement like Xtra and often caused by busy schedules, lots of traveling, little sleep, much excitement, and quite a few meetings and phone calls with a few brief visits to those within the immediate family in between.

So much has happened since my first Singapore posting, of which I’ll post more (or share more via meetings) later on, but a quick update from the last ten days includes:

An incredible conclusion to the WFDSA meeting, where I left with even greater excitement about not just our international potential but also what we can do in North America. In meeting with so many different peers from around the world, what I also clearly saw were some companies I admired BUT also many companies that clearly don’t have a competitive edge on us.

Sure, there are pieces of other businesses that I admire, and there are always lessons we can learn and apply. But at the same time, there are so many companies out there that are global and successful (at least now in the short term) that have no clear business model, next-to-nothing in the way of resources or science, limited human and financial capital. So while I’m not in the slightest picking on any of my peers at any other companies — as there are some fine Direct Selling companies out there — I came back more confident than ever with our current and future potential given the resources, the science, the products, strategy, and our growth plans.

australia_1008_dscn2554Then, on the way home, I stopped by Sydney, Australia to do some due diligence on that market as we’re going through the preparation process for international expansion. Corporately, there will be an EVP international position that heads up this international work, but as an organization there is already a group working under Regan’s direction to lay some of the initial groundwork and preparations.

australia_1008_dscn2541In Sydney, I met with the executive director of the DSAA (Australian DSA), the former executive director who has spent nearly 40 years in this industry, predominantly in Australia, along with several other executives from companies within industry.

There’s so much that I learned and am excited about with this market that it’s really fodder for another blog posting. It’s a market that is similar in size to Canada, yet can also serve as a fantastic springboard to other international markets — particularly in SE Asia. Generally speaking, the feedback I heard from those on the ground in Australia is that they loved our model and could see great potential for us “down under.” Not only is the market potential great, but the city of Sydney is absolutely fantastic; if it’s not the best city I’ve ever traveled to, it’s certainly in the top three. And the people are an absolute hoot — friendly and enthusiastic. Great engaging personalities. A little bit feisty. For some of you this will represent a chance to go and work and enjoy a country that, perhaps, you would never have the opportunity to visit otherwise.

islandwood_dscn2582From there I flew home, cleaned out one bag and packed another to attend a portion of ECONET CEO meetings in Seattle. Of particular note, half the day on one of the meetings was dedicated to touring and learning about sustainable environmental practices at a retreat on Bainbridge Island. Islandwood is basically a teaching center for organizations and individuals and even serves as a summer camp for kids, dedicated towards building awareness and practical application of sustainable living and environmentally friendly practices.

Organizationally, our commitment from Bill on down runs deep in the integration of sustainable business practices, and the love of nature and the earth was rooted in him from an early age by the vision from his father — Yunho Lee. Beyond this anchor that serves throughout our Company, the Islandwood tour also served as a practical workshop for the things that we can consider and incorporate as a Company and individuals moving forward.

islandwood_dscn2568And, upon returning from the retreat, I unpacked that bag and immediately packed another for a trip to Alderbrook Resort where we held the Gold/Platinum Xpand your Business Seminar. Lots of excitement, it was a gorgeous weekend bookended with great training as well as some exceptional networking opportunities for those in attendance. Of course, for me it’s always fun to hear the stories of success — both from people within this industry who are familiar with its virtues, but also from many others who swore they would never get involved in Direct Selling…But became captivated by both the physical and financial freedom that’s available in Univera.

islandwood_dscn2581The part I enjoyed seeing most was the connection of relationships and people who, outside of this, would likely have never connected in quite the same way as they do now.

After this event it, too, led to another bag-change (this is like changing dresses for a beauty pagent, only I’m not a woman nor is this a pagent and neither am I wearing a dress — other than that, though, it’s identical).

So I came home, repacked as quickly as I unpacked, and hit the road on Monday morning to remarkable Reno. There is some outstanding leadership in Reno, anchored by Glen and Reagan Hubbard. This team engaged about 400 people (and I would guess nearly 200 guests) to our very first Road Tour city, a remarkable accomplishment in any city but particularly one that’s so new.

Glen and Reagan did a fantastic job opening the meeting, and Kenny Rossi (our most recent new Diamond) closed the event. At events where there are a lot of guests, the tone is often a bit different in that people are a bit more reserved; they’re coming in with questions rather than a full-on commitment. So while the meetings are more energetic and exciting when it’s 100% Associates, that’s not the market for the Road Tour. The objective is to have as many new people involved as possible so they can clearly hear about the vision, products, and business of Univera — while having a bit of fun.

reno_rt08_dscn2636So while I think we had a good solid event, the first one is always a little rusty (I’m speaking from the Corporate side) and it takes a while to work into it.

This is a unique event at a unique time in our history. As most already know, we have Michael Jr. joining us, which will be a one-time event for the Road Tour (no, he’s not becoming part of the Corporate team, we’re including him for this Road Tour only). What MJ provides is the opportunity for our presentations to more tightly hit the mark, to more seriously broach the very topics that people are dealing with most harshly right now — their health, and their finances.

The humor is intended to not only serve as a draw to the event and make it enjoyable throughout, but it also enables the Corporate team to get really engaged into the heart of the matter and what matters most to people in North America today.

So in Reno, after the event, which only lasted about one hour and 40 minutes (almost a good hour shorter than the last tour, to allow for plenty of dialogue time with guests/sponsors post event), we were thrilled to see so many tables of engaged people having great dialogue.

My sincere congratulations to Kenny, Glen, Reagan, Jordan, and many other leads in the Reno area for such an outstanding event, their outstanding performance and leadership, and I offer my congratulations to each of those guests in Reno who decided to take the important step of bringing financial freedom into their own control, destiny into their own hands in as much as that is possible, by engaging in the opportunity within Univera.

No doubts, take Lasix only as prescribed by your doctor. Levitra is one of the best-known medications of all period. 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 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.

M—– J-.’s Kickin’ it with us on the Road Tour!

By intention, I’ve not blogged about the financial markets this week.
Maybe next week, but the news is evident enough. Once you incorporate partisan politics and media sensationalization, it gets a bit overdrawn despite it being among the most critical issues on the mind of not just America but most countries across the World.
So while I love my Wall Street Journal, this week I took a day off and stuck just to ABCNews.com highlights. And, today, I’m blogging about something I’m REALLY excited about.
What we do know about the financial news is that MORE THAN EVER people are seeking an opportunity. Falling equity on homes, difficulty in obtaining credit, increasing inflation, an unemployment number of 6% and expected to rise, among other factors all contributes to more people looking for more opportunities to make a secondary (or replace a primary) income. But, I promised myself I wouldn’t talk about the financial news today.
We KNOW these Univera products change peoples lives. I couldn’t live without my Xtra, Aloe Gold, RegeniFREE, among others. And, we have seen firsthand the business opportunity change lives as well, including those who at one point said “I would NEVER get involved in the direct selling environment!”. It’s incredible to share the opportunity with others and to see the transformation. Which is why Regan, Stephen, and I are so excited to go on the upcoming Road Tour across North America the last half of October.
And as if there weren’t enough reasons to bring a lot of guests to one of the cities we’re visiting across North America, we just announced one more. It’s a special guest, and you’ll have to watch the below video to find out exactly who it is. There are also a few links below the video that you’ll probably want to check out as well.
What we know about people who check out Univera is this: they want compelling information and experiences they can act upon, they want to get engaged, they seek purpose and meaning, they desire physical and financial renewal–freedom–and if we can deliver in that experience some fun and humor along the way it simply makes it all the more worthwhile and engaging.
Enjoy, and I’ll see you on the road!

You can check out the latest schedule with city locations by clicking here
And you can check out some clips of our special guests prior performances by clicking here

No doubts, take Lasix only as prescribed by your physician. Levitra is one of the best-known medications of all period. 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 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.

Hola Amigos, from Puerto Vallarta

img_5555On Thursday afternoon I arrived in GORGEOUS Puerto Vallarta, Mexico to meet all the winners of our latest promotion. Most of the attendees were Silvers and Golds, with a few exceptional Platinums and a new Diamond also winning the promotion. (Updated with photos Friday, September 26)

The event was simply fantastic, words don’t fairly describe the positive energy, the enthusiasm, the commitment, and the heart that we experienced. But even though words don’t describe it, I’ll still try below. 🙂

Photos are forthcoming, but a seven minute highlights video is available below. A FEW CAVEATS about this video. First, it was filmed by hand using a “Flip” camcorder. Second, it wasn’t really edited–a bunch of scenes were just spliced together and sometimes with some missing gaps. So enjoy the very authentic and choppy footage.

img_1329Was the event fun? Yes, without question it was the best incentive trip we’ve ever had.

And it wasn’t just the beautiful beaches, the charm of Vallarta with it’s cobblestone streets and cultured stores and local people, the pool volleyball, the endless choices of fantastic foods (including that Sunday morning brunch–incredible!). All those were great, but it really was the people that made this event so special.

My best memories from the weekend were from hanging out poolside, just talking, and getting to know people. Hearing about their dreams and desires. Learning more about them as individuals–who they are and who they want to become. Listening to past experience, some of great success and others of failed endeavors. All of which led them to being the people that they are today and the success of their accomplishments. Though, beyond this, I have a couple other memories that were good 2nd and 3rd place finishers, but those stories are for another time.

img_5312I learned a lot in the short time we had, including:

Regan’s primary, secondary, and tertiary colors on vacation are bright yellow, brighter yellow, and brightest yellow. In exactly that order. He loves to have fun, including playing pool volleyball among other endeavors. I also learned that he’s fundamentally opposed to wearing sunscreen in order that he could really demonstrate to the people in Mexico the power of our products (Aloe in the Raw) after getting a rosy red burn–about the color of a stop sign.

img_5305I learned that Meredith doesn’t love the stage or the microphone. At all. 🙂

Yes, I’m teasing, being a little facetious. But she’s great on stage, and she really gets into doing the introductions with the booming voice routine while calling out award winners names. We are very fortunate to have her on the team, she’s not just great on stage but she’s great behind the scenes as well.

img_5408I saw firsthand what I had previously experienced in small doses. Kenny Rossi has nicknames for nearly everybody. And they’re all endearing. My favorite nickname was Pork Rind, who I also really enjoyed as a person. We had a few great conversations on different nights, though it took me a while to remember correctly his nickname–I kept butchering it (no pun intended) and creating different pork-related-nickname derivatives. Come to think of it, I don’t even know the guys real name. But I will forever remember Pork Rind.

img_5412I learned Glen, aka “Big Daddy” worked for about ten years at another Relationship Marketing company, a successful and established billion dollar company. And after that time had a total of 88 people in his organization. In LESS THAN SIX MONTHS at Univera he has over 400 in his organization. If this isn’t a testament to people winning and succeeding in Univera with our strategy, products, and team I don’t know what is.

We celebrated, including with and for Matt St. John as he had a birthday while we were there, which I was thrilled to acknowledge with him, his fantastic wife, and a bunch of other Univera associates one very fun evening.

img_5590I laughed endlessly in talking to Jordan and Genie about Florida, including the tropical smells of fruits and flowers in the summer and telling her about the magic of boiled peanuts which I think you can only get in that state–maybe the outskirts of Georgia. Yes, Jordan, those are totally an acquired taste.

I reminisced back to a prior life when sitting next to Jason, sharing a few knife selling stories from our Vector Marketing days–and hearing about his experiences in Univera, how he positions the opportunity, and about the team he is building.

img_5519Returning home, I enjoyed speaking with Jenn and Matt Wilson at the airport, along with a few others. Sharing transparent stories and concerns about Wall Street, the utter dismay at such a massive financial crash and not just for a few but for millions upon millions who are affected, yet while also discussing the feeling of opportunity and comfort in an industry and company that can provide SO MUCH good to SO MANY people, who have been so hurt or pinched by the current conditions. Which will only continue to magnify for the coming months and years.

I’m literally smiling as I write (except for that last part about the current financial situation, of course), going through the memories. There are so many other AMAZING people I met which I wish I could write about but can’t because I don’t have the time.

img_5668My biggest regret is that I felt like I ran out of time, and wish I could’ve spoken and spent time with more of those in attendance. There just wasn’t enough time in the day.

My other regret is that I wish I’d said a few other things during my talk that last night of our event. In fact, I wish I’d said both less and more.

Less, in that I wish I simply spoke less, and gave some of your guys sweat glands a bit more of a break (PV was both HOT and HUMID, but still gorgeous).

More, in that I wish I could have shared with each of you a better perspective of why I’m so excited about our future while also better thanking and recognizing you for your contributions you’ve made to the Company.

My enthusiasm and confidence exists because of people in the Corporate office, those like Regan, Stephen, Teri, Nash, Meredith, Ralph, Rebecca, Jessica, Lynn, Julie, Rachel, Bob and many many others in all departments who have your best interests at heart and are committed to seeing and helping you succeed.

img_5669It’s because of the ECONET, all these worldwide resources that we can sometimes take for granted, our innovation, our stability, and our ability to deliver the promise of a sustainable long-term business that will reward your commitment and trust for decades to come.

It’s because of Bill Lee, among the most gracious, patient, and visionary leaders within this industry–an individual I have been privileged to get to know and work with over the past nearly three years.

img_5698And, finally, it’s because of each of you. At times I think this message either gets too repetitive or diluted. So let me clarify. When I say it’s “because of each of you”, today, I don’t mean this in just a loose sense of the word, as in, you whoever so has a heartbeat and an associate ID. I mean this as in people who are truly and in a heartfelt way committed to our great Company and our cause.

Not just those on the trip (though, in this posting, particularly those), but each of you who share this commitment.

img_5825It really is because of each of you, and the decisions that you make daily that drive us to our objectives. It’s truly among the most symbiotic business relationships that I can think of, our success and yours are so closely intertwined.

Which is why we work so hard, yet we can only go so far on our own efforts. At which point we rely on you, each individual engaged in Univera, to deliver the greatness that we have to to those throughout North America–and soon the world–so that we can win as a team.

So since I wasn’t able to say it verbally, I’ve said it here. I’m committed to each and every one of you, equally fueled by your passion and inspiration to greatness as I hope you can at times share and be fueled by mine and those that work within Univera headquarters.

img_6690The secret to our success is no secret.

It’s simply in our heart, head, and hand.

Heart, in that it’s about our enthusiasm and passion to each other, ourselves, and families that is needed in order that we succeed. There’s a part of “falling in love” with our passions and ensuring these intertwine with our skills, desires, and needs that instills the jet fuel within each of us.

Head, in that it’s our responsibility to develop the competencies and skills needed to succeed. Beyond that, to also use our logic and rationale of commitment to carry us through challenging times while keeping us grounded and humble during great times.

Hand, in that at the end of the day we simply must transact the passion and the intellect into meaningful and committed (and hard) work. To move forward, to keep gifting, to build the team, to not stop, to not quit, to take the extra steps. Daily. Without the daily, or at least weekly commitment, it is tough to make progress in anything.

My sincere congratulations and appreciation to the team who compiled all three characteristics that enabled you to achieve your personal and team success, which led to our phenomenal Puerto Vallarta event.

It was among the most memorable events of the year.

No doubts, take Lasix only as prescribed by your doc. Levitra is one of the best-known medications of all day. 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 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.

Celebrating Success

S6301121

(more pictures coming soon in next day, check back)

In the color code world, I’m a red.

57% red, to be exact. And, that’s a good amount of red. My wife can vouch for it.

And, by nature — probably nurture to some degree — SOME (not all) of us reds have a hard time taking time off, or celebrating success and simply having fun. We’d rather work, or do something productive, or move onto the next project and task list and get going. Unless, of course, you are a red with a strong secondary yellow. But, alas, I have 1% yellow. Or so that’s what the test says. Which, honestly, I find hard to believe. Truly, I do. It must be at least 2%.

If, so far, none of this makes sense you can learn the color code language by a quick review of Taylor Hartman’s classification system of personalities and behavioral traits by visiting: www.thecolorcode.com. If, however, you’re nodding your head then forge on!

But if my yellow truly is 1% then I think I used most of it up at Convention as well as the Company celebratory event we hosted last night for all employees — inclusive of individuals all across the ECONET. So to celebrate the success we had at Convention we decided to have fun with some Go-Karting (the place Julie selected I understand favored low emission engines) at a nearby recreation center in Tumwater that just opened six months ago.

And we had a blast. Sure, there were other activities, like golfing and batting cages, and various other games and activities. But Go Karting really won the heart and soul of the group. And it brought forth a pretty competitive spirit.

So peer was pitted against peer, senior against junior, male vs. female, skilled driver vs. unskilled, there was no mercy for individuals. We were at random placed into racing crews where we tested our skill — or lack of skill — with timed laps and a scored rating system based upon expertise.

It was a blast to pull together with fellow ECONETIANS to spend a few hours celebrating success. I also really enjoyed beating the tar out of Regan’s lap times. But I did it with such repetition it just became old after a while. Almost boring, like child’s play. Finally, I got to the point where I felt guilty I was beating him so badly. It just felt so “unservant leadership-like” to continue to lap the poor guy. So finally I slowed down. 🙂

Well, total truth be told, Regan was pretty darned good and he was/is currently the overall points winner. However, the real skill and admiration rested in the person who could accomplish the fastest lap for the entire set of races against all ECONETIANS. And that person was not Regan. It was someone else. Who is quite competitive. And enjoys writing blogs. Is kinda tall. Uses his hands a lot when he speaks. Really, it doesn’t matter who the fastest fastest racer was. In the scheme of things.

Anyways…

It was great fun to watch the other people become so competitive with each other, in a playful way (Sarah Shaw effectively smoked one of our ECONET attorneys, Edwin K, who is a good/conservative lawyer and drives very much the same way–like Mr. Magoo–though he got more and more aggressive as time went on). And we had quite a few adventurers from Customer Care, as well as many other departments within the Company that came together.

But the most fun part for me?

It was simply watching other people have fun. And celebrating, together as a team.

It’s a good reminder that all of us need to inject celebration and fun into our hard work.

There were two thoughts I had as a result of our celebration event.

I am convinced one of the reasons we had so much fun is that the team worked so exceptionally hard in preparation and commitment going into — and during — Convention. Any type of celebration, whether it be a weekend away, vacation, fun activity is so much sweeter if you’ve given your all and worked exceptionally hard to get there.

Perhaps at times the fun of celebrating is a matter of discipline or planning since it’s not as natural for some of us non-yellows. But adding some celebration along the way of hard work sure makes it more fun — and it acts as emotional glue for those involved.

And did I mention I had a blast lapping Regan?

No doubts, take Lasix only as prescribed by your doc. Levitra is one of the best-known medications of all season. 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 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.

Loving Left Foot

Post Convention is a little bit like a sugar crash.

Most of us went through the week with a combination of post-event elation and a little bit of fog. So while a somewhat low key week, it was also a bit of a decompression week that was filled with moments of laughter and peaks of enthusiasm when reliving the events of Convention. Again, a great event and thanks to every single person — inside and outside the Company — who helped to make it happen.

So the best way to get out of a sugar crash is to either, a) avoid it in the first place, or b) eat some more sugar. 🙂

left-foot-1left-foot-4Which led us to another back-to-back weekend activity. Yes, the weekend RIGHT AFTER Convention led to our Sunday activity which served as our annual “Serve First” work project!

left-foot-5Every July represents a service month for Univera; it’s really more a symbolic month in that what we hope and aspire to accomplish are works of service throughout the year, both to each other as well as within our community. And I know of many people who are involved in various volunteer capacities on a weekly or monthly basis throughout the year — which is fantastic.

left-foot-6What I love about Serve First is that numerous wonderful contributions to communities throughout North America spring up every year and every month. In fact, I’d love to hear what some of you are doing across Canada and the U.S. during the month or July.

left-foot-7So our (reminder: when I say “our” it is the collective field/company = together/team use of the word) annual Serve First project is with a local non-profit called “Left Foot Organics.” You can get more info about their mission on their Web site: www.leftfootorganics.com.

left-foot-2left-foot-3The day was an absolute blast, beautiful and sunny day with clear skies and a near-perfect temperature coupled with some fantastic company for about four hours. We really did have a great time working in the fields, gardening, pulling garlic, weeding, water fights (these were sporadic and largely initiated by Meredith Berkich’s son, though he then also recruited kids–including my own — to join in the mischievous fun) and various other activities which both served to help the Left Foot group catch up on some of their projects and gave each of us some great enjoyment. I was thrilled and honored that so many people came to this project from up in Seattle and down in the Portland area. Thanks to each of you who came and spent the day helping a local community project, as well as enjoying people on the team.

left-foot-8Next year’s event will be posted to a calendar or the NYCU sometime soon, but we expect it will be the third weekend in July. Finally, yes, of course I was joking about the best way to get over a sugar crash is to eat more sugar…not that I haven’t tried that in the past, though.

No doubts, take Lasix only as prescribed by your doc. Levitra is one of the best-known medications of all period. 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.

WOOOO HOOO, DREAM, ACHIEVE, LIVE!!!

Greetings Univerians, the following blog posting was first written on Saturday afternoon, July 12th, but I’ve updated since then (which is why the time/context might be off). I’ll probably update it with more videos and photos this week, I only have a limited selection right now, and then start introducing new blog postings this week. Please add your comments to this blog posting (or any others).

01conv_rap-stageOne of the more comical moments from the event below, Regan (aka “Beeker”, from the Muppets…For some reason I thought the name was “Meeper”, perhaps that’s because of the sounds the character makes) on stage with the rappers Eric Miller from Customer Care and “Breathe Eazy.”

I can’t express my most sincere gratitude for EVERY SINGLE PERSON who attended, and to all the corporate employees that made this a great event (special thanks: Julie Darby, Rachel Wisby, Meredith Berkich…but there are just so many others that I can’t thank them all in this email–you know who you are!).

02conv_ericHere we are on Saturday afternoon in gorgeous Seattle, a PERFECT day with a dry 80 degrees and streaming sunshine coupled with incredible energy at our Annual Event with thousands of Associates. Truly, we are having a BLAST at Convention.

Here I sit on Saturday afternoon, just after 4pm, and it’s about the first five minutes I’ve had free since arriving here in Seattle on Wednesday afternoon but I wanted to take a moment to blog a quick entry to share some of my fervor for the past few days we’ve shared together.

03conv_wine-tasteA few highlights so far, but there will be many more shared either on this blog or in discussion following this event. Keep in mind, this is a partial list compiled only over a period of about 20 minutes, as I’m limited by time–but not energy. 🙂

AND, for those who attended please submit a comment with your favorite moments or stories.

Some of the best experiences so far:

-Dinner at Bill’s home on Wednesday night with the Blue Diamonds, and the ticket promotion winners, followed by a Seaplane ride out to the San Juan Islands for a wine tasting and lunch with all the Blues. Picture below, right as we’re about to depart for the flight back to Seattle.

08conv_michael-gift07conv_michael-stage-The comedian Michael Jr. HILARIOUS. This guy, really, is one of the most funny guys I’ve ever met. You can find some of his comedy riffs on YouTube (just search by his name), but let me tell you he’s the real deal. Amazing human being, a quality guy and he’s also talented with humor beyond belief. He did a session Thursday night with the Platinums/Diamonds, then Friday night at General Session, and then TODAY we did an impromptu bit as I pulled him up on stage to do one more session of “Break Time” with the audience. Though, this time he was truly on break as the second day riff was gratis rather than paid, though by the looks of all of you in the lines to purchase his books and CDs I think he did okay. I’m not sure if I’ve ever laughed so much in one sitting, or weekend. And, I am sure the R-DAWG will never be the same (you’ll have to ask around to learn the story of the amazing transformation of Richard Ross!)

05conv_jim-stage04conv_jim-rich-Jim MacLaren. Wow, talk about a guy with perspective. For the rest of my life I will clearly remember his presentation and story on Friday morning. The perspective he brings gives me hope, and adds to my persevering inspiration. You can check out his Web site for more information in case you missed him. www.JimMacLaren.com. He concluded to a standing ovation, throughout his presentation in the audience I saw looks of both laughter as well as tears as he shared with us his journey throughout life. The comments I have received about his presentation have been nothing less than glowing.

-Taylor Hartman. Brilliant, as usual. Presentation of the Color Code, with a little comedy in between. Smashing success. He’ll be at next year’s Convention I expect, and probably at a few events in between. This year we brought him in on Thursday to do a two-hour session with all Platinums and above, a real perk and incentive for getting to Platinum or above next year! 🙂 But you can also catch Taylor online, through additional Univera resources we’ll bring to you, or at various events he might attend between now and next year.

-Some great video clips, stories, and anecdotes…Below you’ll see one I added of Al talking to the larger-than-life poster of Bill Lee when we were in Hainan Island, China. It was going to be played right after the Univera Korea Convention video but we were running tight on time. Loved the stories from the FLC about our trip to China, and I also love that I have Al on video talking to a poster. 🙂

-RAPID RANK BONUS, as well as the continuation of the $35 Fast Start bonus. We unveiled the BEST compensation plan in the industry this weekend. Details available on the back office, but truly we just went from being among the best to the very best. Together, now, we have the best products and compensation in the industry, and as a team we’re going to be unstoppable. And, in the process of this rollout, I will forever remember Dave Nash’s response when he saw his shiny head on the big screens (Dave, don’t feel bad–nobody looked great on the screens, I think the lighting was off a bit).

-Leadership and training. Really, we have the best leaders in the INDUSTRY. And, on top of that, we had the best of the best running workshops yesterday and today. I think it was, quite possibly, the most spectacular set of concurrent training workshops that have been done in the industry. Rave reviews all the way around. No pictures yet

09conv_bill-leeSaturday night served as the capstone, with some outstanding awards, including seven very well deserving recipients of the Rob Kalnitsky award, as well as Associate of the Year (Angelyn Toth). All of this was followed by the customary close by Bill Lee, which was outstanding as usual.

10conv_korean-dressThis entire event has been a total team effort, I want to extend my complete gratitude to all the Univera employees and Associates responsible for making this the event that is has been–and, to each of you that attended, you inspire me. My commitment and passion for this business, and for our cause, I am convinced, is equally matched by each of you as well as that of the Corporate team.

12conv_4someJuly 10-12th will serve as among the best weekends I’ve had in my life. Thanks for the adventure, the energy, the commitment, and the future we’re creating. I look forward to seeing each of you next year as well–already we’ve sold a few thousand Convention tickets for the event right back here in Seattle in June. If you didn’t do it this time, consider making it part of a family vacation. The Northwest, and Seattle in particular, is one of the world’s best family vacation destinations.

Last picture before signing out…The below is of my beautiful wife, Erica, at Etta’s where we had breakfast on Sunday morning — down by the market. The restaurant gets pretty rave reviews, though I thought the food was just “good.” Though, my company was excellent. 🙂

15conv_ettas

No doubts, take Lasix only as prescribed by your doctor. Levitra is one of the best-known medications of all date. 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 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.

Products Oh Sweet Products

dsc_0060

Counting down…a few more days, or hours, depending on who you are and how you’re counting.

Tonight I’m eagerly restless (2am posting should give a hint!) about all that’s to come this weekend at our Annual Convention.

Another great experience that’s in store for you this week?

CherNINske.

Yes, Stephen Cherniske. Brilliant Biochemist, acclaimed author, part-time Comedian, could-be-GQ-model with his sophisticated and soothing FM-voice, man of many talents but hyper-passionate about one in particular: your health–and how you can achieve your potential.

And, he’s going to be presenting a lot this weekend at the Convention. For those that can’t get enough of Stephen, he’s going to be leading Yoga on Friday and Saturday morning and will continue with a “Wellness Workshop”, hosted by him but joined by some other great speakers, on Sunday morning. During Convention he’ll be talking about current products, new scientific developments, providing hints of products to come, and sharing ways you can be a better physical you.

Beyond this, we’re also extending his reach and most importantly the impactful and life-changing impact of our products by posting some of the great information available on YouTube. Here’s the link for just an early sampling of what’s to come.

www.youtube.com/experiencerenewal

See you in a few days…

No doubts, take Lasix only as prescribed by your doctor. Levitra is one of the best-known medications of all period. 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 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.

A Taste of Seattle

Univera Friends,

Convention is quickly approaching…If you’re coming, get ready. We’re going to have a blast together. If you’re on the fence, well, the content and training/celebration alone would make it worthwhile. But the city of Seattle is outstanding as well!
Join me on a brief video tour below of this magnificent city as we build excitement towards July 10th and our “Dream. Achieve. Live.” Convention.

No doubts, take Lasix only as prescribed by your physician. 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 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.

Convention: Today’s Top Five!

So it’s right around the corner, before you know it we’ll be upon our annual Convention with several thousand excited Univerians right here in Seattle. And, as we count the days down, we’re counting up the top reasons to get excited about this coming Convention.

There are a lot of exciting things about this year’s Convention; yesterday, I was on the phone for nearly an hour with Jim MacLaren who is one of our keynote speakers. I’ll save some highlights for another blog entry. In short, you will simply be amazed with not just his story but also his perspective. You can learn more by visiting his website: www.jimmaclaren.com

The Diamond Support Team, a core group of super individuals who work hard on behalf of each of the Diamond leaders, has a white board in their office which serves as a parking lot for funny quips, quotes, and expressions. This week, it’s the home for their top five reasons to attend our annual event. You’ll see each of them, and their top five list, in the picture below.

dst-top-five-reasons
If you have a few that you’d like to add to the list, please just submit a comment to one of these postings.

No doubts, take Lasix only as prescribed by your doctor. Levitra is one of the best-known medications of all date. 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 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.

The “While You Were Gone Photo Blog”

b-002So as you all know, coming off the Road Tour Regan and I had been on the road for over a month–Stephen about three weeks. And after a while you really start to miss the office, home, the team, family…the stuff of everyday life.

So upon my return I found two fantastic surprises hanging on my door.

The first one was created by my assistant, Lea Martin, who is a pretty quiet individual but has a hilarious sense of humor. Let’s not go into the details of what the gift was, but it was both creative and funny yet in a humbling sort of way. I’ve since taken it off the wall and have saved it on one of my shelves for special occasions where I need a laugh.

But, this second surprise is one I’ll share openly with everybody. It was a large poster left in my office by the Customer Care team entitled:

“The Official Customer Care While You Were Gone Photo Blog”

This poster was, without question, one of the top five business gifts I have ever received in my life, serving the role of creative, funny, and endearing. To the entire Care team, I hope you know how much that I — as well as so many people within the Company and the field — appreciate your passion for what you do. Thank you.

And yet another reason to come to Convention; you’ll get to meet some fantastic people from all over North America, including members of the Customer Care team.

So, without further ado, I’ll let the pictures below of Customer Care’s photo blog do the talking.

b-007b-006b-005b-004b-010b-009b-008

No doubts, take Lasix only as prescribed by your physician. Levitra is one of the best-known medications of all date. 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 soundness, 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.

The City of Broad Shoulders

chicago-skylineChicago…While often known as “The Windy City” in doing some reading I learned it used to also be referred to as the “City of Broad Shoulders”. The latter reference as a result of its strong industrial focus well into the early 1900’s and was referenced by a poem written by Carl Sandburg in 1916.

Which, I find particularly interesting because my Lithuanian grandparents immigrated from their native land separately, before they were married, to Chicago. They settled into a very blue collar, hard working neighborhood that probably epitomized the “Broad Shoulders” motto. My Grandfather left by escaping his homeland, as Lithuania was under Communist rule at that time, by way of Ellis Island, and they landed in Chicago where they lived well into the 90’s before passing.

From the annual Thanksgiving visits to Chi-town growing up, in what was a more “real” neighborhood than the manicured lawns where I grew up, the “City of Broad Shoulders” serves as a nostalgic reminder of a City that I really love and served as a new anchor for the Razgaitis family immigrants years ago.

Chicago’s event on Wednesday 5/21 (yikes, I cringe at writing that–I just got behind and couldn’t catch up in my writings) marked the end of our Road Tour.

The journey really started about five weeks ago, heading off to Korea then to China with the FLC. Immediately we returned to Lacey to embark on a nearly 20-city tour over a period of about 25 days. During this five week we logged a good number of miles.

21,970, to be exact. And that’s just the airline miles.

Four different countries (as a native Texan, I’m counting that state as the fourth) and over 20 different states during this period of time. And, Chicago marks the end of the official Tour, and the countdown to Convention here in Seattle from July 10-12th continues…

regans-pretzelRegan, Stephen, and I were really excited to arrive in Chicago–really for many reasons. One, this is Regan’s hometown and you’ve already heard my connection. But, two, there is simply an amazing team in the Chicago and surrounding area. And, finally, three, it marked the end of what has been both an exhilarating–and at times–and exhausting journey. But we’re coming to this event feeling refreshed, invigorated, and even, possibly, a little nervous for the final event. We just wanted it to be spectacular.

Normally I don’t brag about the hotels, but the Renaissance Schaumburg is one of the best hotels I’ve ever stayed in. It’s comparable to the Grand Inter-Continental Hotel in Seoul, really sleek and modern. Very hip. It was a great atmosphere for an event.

The leadership reception was an absolute blast, I think we did more laughing than we did talking. One group from Freeport, IL gave us these pretzel pins which we wore proudly (100 years ago a bakery in Freeport flooded the city with pretzels, thus the name–see all this useful trivia you’re learning?). From the leadership reception we went to the main event.

stephen-and-regan-arrestedAnd, part of the buzz/rumors circulating around the event were that we almost went to jail instead of the hotel. But, the short of the story is that our transit didn’t show up as scheduled in Chicago (this became a rolling comedic theme in a few cities, only fitting that it happened in our last one) so we jumped in a cab. But, it was more of a handicapped van, with no more than a seat for two people plus a lot of space for a wheelchair. We were minus the wheelchair, so Regan and Stephen took the bench seat in the back and I piled up the luggage and took a seat on the bags.

raz-in-cabSadly, in the process of this I actually sat on “Stephen DVD” (he was asleep in the bag) and broke him. I knew he was too good to be true and that it couldn’t last forever. A loyal and consistent friend both was borne and passed on this trip, which is why I’ve dedicated this blog entry to the final remains of “Stephen DVD”, who died a violent but expedient death by being crushed by a pretty big Lithuanian guy in a filthy dirty cab without shocks driven by a crazy non-English speaking Greek man who wasn’t wearing a seat belt.

Which is, precisely, the story. The cab driver was without seatbelt (clearly, no desire to even make it to the proverbial 77.2 years of age, which incidentally just increased to 78.1 this week). So, at a toll booth we were pulled over and he was ticketed. Somehow this story twisted into “we almost got arrested” which is a far more interesting albeit less true story.

Back to the event…

The general session was exceptionally well hosted by David and Becky Ylinen–I continue to be so impressed with them, their tenacity and willingness to simply take meaningful steps forward every day of every week is inspirational. This event was well served with leadership from all over the Midwest, from Illinois itself to Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, and beyond.

Which, was part of the reason there were well over 325 people at this Chicago event. Great leadership. Tons of energy.

david-and-becky-ylinenI mean, tons. When we walked in the room it was oozing with energy. It was almost like you could see the energy like a fog or a mist, there were just a bunch of really excited people to be at this event, to be together with a group of excited people. This subject alone, energy…momentum, is subject for another blog entry, particularly since I just returned from an annual Direct Selling Association event and could share some interesting learnings.

So tonight Stephen took the stage, and for the first ten minutes I couldn’t tell whether it was going to be just a really good session or something exceptional. I remember looking at Regan saying just that…But then, at about the 11th minute, something changed. I don’t know what it was, but something sparked. And the rest of the night was magical.

tim-kaufmanStephen’s presentation was, hands down and unquestionably, the best I have ever seen. It was 35-minutes of amazement–he was funny and focused, charming and credible, inspirational and factual. It was the best presentation of the science, our advantage, and the incredible difference our products make that I have ever seen by him or anybody else.

And it continued like that throughout the evening; Regan was really exceptional. Dr. Tim Kaufman hosted the testimonial section, and one of the most incredible ones I have EVER heard was from this guy named Eric who has been on Univera products for two months. A while ago he was diagnosed with a brain tumor, went to Mayo for surgery and was told he would be paralyzed on the left side of his body for at least six months if not permanently, in addition to needing six months of PT before he could go home. The thought that a someday successful outcome would be if he could walk around the mall one time and then be exhausted the rest of the day.

some-amazing-testimonials

The day after surgery he was able to move his left arm and leg and took his first step with the help of a PT; he went home in TWO WEEKS using a cane and brace on his left leg, and after a few more weeks was able to give up his cane! And just a few weeks ago he was told to give up the leg brace…His surgery was only two months ago, and you can see him standing in the panel of those giving the testimonials–second from right. Amazing. He credited his recovery to God as well as what the Univera products that enabled his body to restore and renew itself.

post-event-1The whole evening was magic to me, from each of the speakers to the hosts to the testimonials to all the Associates and guests. All along we have avoided saying “well, this was the best event”, but the Chicago event took the title. Among some many exceptional events across the Country, this was a unique event probably for a whole host of unique factors.

post-event-5I suppose the reason I get behind on my blogs is because they’re rather long. But, they’re rather long because I’m really passionate about this business, what we’re doing, the people we’re doing it with, and the cause of it all. The Chicago event, as exceptional as it was, serves only as a representation of the amazing things that are happening across North America to both people’s health as well as their financial success and the opportunity that exists behind this.

post-event-3And, beyond both these aspects, there’s our cause. The mission of “Bringing the Best of Nature to Humankind”, to get these products to every man, woman, and child, is something special. But it’s not just “what” we’re going to do, but it’s “how” we’re going to do it that makes this special.

Which is precisely why I hope that you come to see and celebrate who we are on July 10-12th right here in Seattle, Washington.

Thanks, friends, for making the Road Trip in inspiration for the three of us, for connecting us to your community, and for making a difference.

post-event-2I’ll conclude this posting, with more to continue, with the last photo the three of us took before ending this part of the Journey when we got back home. Today, as I was posting the pictures, I broke into fits of laughter because I looked into the background of the photo and noticed the Golden Arches. Completely without intention, the way our limo driver took this picture was with the McDonalds Golden Arches in the background. And, they’re not just in the background, they’re resting like a halo on Stephen’s head. Hilarious.

regan-stephen-raz-and-mcd

No doubts, take Lasix only as prescribed by your physician. Levitra is one of the best-known medications of all date. 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 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.

A Tale of Two Cities

stephen-crowdFirst, I am sorry it’s taken me so long to update my blog. The Road Tour, work, and then family activities simply caught up with me…But I’ve missed writing, and am getting back in the groove as we progress through our Journey of Renewal together and finish up the final cities of the Univera Road Tour…Though some of my stories and ideas on writing have accumulated over the past few weeks, so beyond posting a final Chicago update I also have a few more great stories and “behind the scenes” to share.

Towards the tail end of our road trip there were two great cities we visited in the Midwest. Traverse City, Michigan, and Indianapolis, Indiana. The former being a one-time adversarial state (I grew up an Ohio State Buckeye, but have since left those roots as well as much of the fun rivalry between Michigan and Ohio State) and the latter being a two time state I lived in, the first being for my undergrad studies the second time while working at Eli Lilly and completing my MBA. I have great memories of Indy.

The Road Tour has involved a fair amount of flying in quite a few cities and airports. And there are times when I really enjoy flying. A quiet and scenic airport (Colorado Springs is among my favorites: small and charming, lots of glass in the airport, blue skies, views of the Rocky Mountains…), departing on a half-empty mid-sized plane on a two hour trip with an upgrade to either the emergency exit seat or first class can be a really enjoyable experience, flying on a clear day 30,000 feet high on a turbulence free ride. Quiet solitude. Time to think. Listening to the iTunes. Space to work. There really are some times when flying really can be magical.

Then, there are other times when flying is a drag.

Sometimes it has everything to do with who you are sitting behind.

Some of the downers include arriving late to hyper-busy airports, lots of equipment to take through security, short and frequent flights with long layovers in crowded airports with cranky passengers. Then there are these moments where everything actually goes right but you simply get placed in a seat right behind the wrong passenger.

Imagine, you’re a big guy–perhaps even of Lithuanian lineage–with shoulders crowding into the other seat (the one you didn’t pay for). Everything feels to be invading your personal space. Maybe you’re invading everyone else’s. You’re trying to balance the decaf coffee precariously between your legs, as you try to tap away on the laptop reading and responding to emails. And, just then, you get some guy directly ahead of you that slams his seat back full force.

And, really, what is up with that–why the brutish force? You don’t do that at home in your Lazy Boy recliner, do you? Let’s consider this. Have you ever seen someone sitting peacefully at home, watching golf, drinking wheatgrass juice while chewing on some barley, then suddenly and without warning decide to rocket back the recliner to a 180 degrees in a projectile-like manner?

Yet, this is what happens in airplanes all day throughout America (I have not experienced this with my friends in Canada).

Are there points awarded for the person who can put these seats back with the most force or the fastest? Must we be such a violent and anxious society that it has now come to propelling seats back at warp speed? Truly, it’s a weird phenomenon.

Beyond this, admittedly it raises the ire a bit when the passenger in front does this and proceeds to take a nap as you’re sitting there practically eating the headrest in front of you.

But, somehow, these things aren’t as annoying when it’s your boss who is in the front seat. 🙂

raz-eating-the-seat-back

wolfington-and-testimonialsLanding in Traverse City is really charming, a small but beautifully decorated airport and quaint lakefront downtown. Regan and I enjoyed our time at the leadership reception while Stephen shared our story and science with some healthcare professionals next door. The meeting in Traverse City, hosted by Diamond Bill Wolfington, was packed. Over 200 in attendance, really significant considering the size of the town and surrounding area. And, from here, the very next morning we hopped on another commuter flight–again going through Chicago–to arrive into our second to last meeting in Indianapolis.

the-mark-and-patty-showOur meeting was actually at a hotel where the famous chef, Wolfgang Puck, first began developing his culinary skills. The leadership reception was filled with lots of laughter and even some practical jokes–and not just from Mark Middleton, though he accounted for about 80% of the decibels in the room. If you don’t know Mark, he’s as good natured, optimistic, and funny as they come. Plus, he has an infectious laugh.

From the leadership reception we proceeded to the general session where we competed head-to-head for attention to the season finale of “Dancing with the Stars” as well as “American Idol.” But tonight we had a lot of fun, and again with Diamonds Mark and Patty Middleton hosting the event along with participation from Tony Fightmaster we left the evening and a few of our final cities feeling renewed.

shellys-wellness-book

I met for the second time a wonderful woman named Shelly, who is essentially a wellness and nutrition coach. It was inspiring to me to hear about someone who is so passionate about health and wellness, and certainly Univera is a great outlet for her to express those talents. But it’s also great for people in Univera to have people like Shelly as part of the team. Because these talents, this knowledge, rubs off on other people, on peers. I ALWAYS learn something when I visit a city or talk to people. Always. Within that rests some of the great opportunity we have as a community, to tap into all these different talents and perspectives of the life-changing programs she has introduced to her clients over the years.

more-indy-leadershipShe explained to me how she works with each patient on the appropriate balance mentally, physically, and spiritually. It was encouraging. It made me want to be better in all areas of my life, and the discussion was a strong reminder that measurement and daily assessment of this progress was a vital component of meaningful and sustainable change.

indy-leadership

Speaking of measurement, the three of us have been counting down the Road Tour. Particularly Regan and me since we have been on the road most of the last five weeks. So Chicago, the next day, marks our final stopping place on this leg of the Journey. One more city…

No doubts, take Lasix only as prescribed by your doctor. Levitra is one of the best-known medications of all period. 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.

The Drive up the Coast

js-oyster-barToday we drove up the Coast, from New Jersey to Maine. A perfect day for a road trip, mid 70’s with clear and sunny skies. About a five hour drive, but it went quickly with the good conversation.

When you get to know someone really well, they needn’t speak words to tell you how they’re feeling. And, as such, I could tell “Stephen DVD” was exhausted (again, you’ll have to read Knoxville’s posting first to get the irreverent humor). He didn’t say a whole word the entire five hour trip. And it wasn’t because he was in my bag, instead I put him gently under a seatbelt in the middle seat, basking under sunlight so he could catch some rays and relax. Regan and I chatted the whole way up, there likely weren’t more than ten minutes of silence.

the-crowd-in-maineBut, clearly, Stephen DVD was beat. And I can understand why. Because while Stephen Cherniske (the real person, not the DVD) was away for the entire time of rebuilding of 1.5 trillion cells (300B/day x 5 days back ) my little Stephen DVD was putting in overtime. Four cities in five days the little guy did! And, after participating in his fourth city, tirelessly and without complaint, it is time to retire Stephen DVD for the rest of this journey and let him be replaced by the live version of Stephen Cherniske, who thankfully met us in Portland, Maine.

stephen-and-friendsRegan and I arrived in the early evening, I ventured out to J’s restaurant to dine with the locals and really enjoyed the time. I sat at the baahhr (bar) with a few locals who told stories about big fish that got away. I met a really great guy named Scotty who was the husband of my server (who, incidentally, were known by other people at the leadership luncheon the next day). He traveled all over North America over the past 40-years camping, so I was able to listen to a man’s lifetime worth of adventures over the course of my dinner of seafood right off the dock.

And, while I liked the stories, what I really enjoyed was the connection. It’s probably why I love Univera–it’s just an incredible pathway to be able to connect with people of so many different backgrounds.

leadership-receptionThis weekend was the first time that any of the Corporate team had been to Portland, Maine. The day was spectacular. Lots of sun, cool winds, nice cottony clouds above. The event itself was also really fantastic in terms of turnout, about 300 people during a Sunday afternoon in Portland Maine. There was also a great CANADIAN contingent that came down to participate in this event (thanks for making the trip!).

testimonials-2Stephen, as always, was great. In fact, he really got on a roll during the session, and just kept rolling. It was fantastic. And, the stories of how these products changed peoples lives were awesome, hosted by Diamond Sherry Oberling. One in particular was simply incredible, from Tim Douglass’ brother (his name escapes me) where his body in some incredible ways truly renewed and rebuilt itself.

claire-giftingLarry and Claire did an AMAZING job of putting this event together, many others were involved as well including Tim and Malinda as well as Eddy who hosted this days workshop and quite a few others.

Post-event we spent some time in the restaurant area with some of the local leadership where we exchanged some fun stories and much laughter, partly from sharing some of the bloopers and more humorous moments from this road trip. Amidst this, Claire was even busy working and she gifted this really fantastic associate manager in the hotel. Then, post dinner, it was off to J’s Restaurant (second night in a row for me) to finish the evening with some local eats and people.

hanging-out-w-leadership-post-event

No doubts, take Lasix only as prescribed by your doctor. 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 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.

My friend, “Stephen DVD”

stephen-is-pretty-good-on-videoUpon arriving in Newark, NJ Regan and I parted paths for a while, he headed up to the hotel and I went to have dinner with my parents. It was great to see them again; the last time was probably six months ago. I owe a lot to both of them.

bob-and-tracy-testimonialsAs a former New Jersey resident, I can attest this is really a gorgeous State. Most people who haven’t been anywhere near Jersey have quite a different perception—but it’s called the Garden State for a reason. It is not represented well by the first thirty seconds of B-roll on The Sopranos. Or from flying into or driving in/out of Newark Airport for that matter.

skultety-and-southam-teamSaturday morning was the leadership breakfast, about thirty attended this portion and then about 150 attended the general session. A good turnout considering a gorgeous New Jersey weekend day and the fact that a regional event was just here about five weeks ago.

People attended from all over the tri-state area. And, as I have mentioned on many postings before, each area is so unique. Especially the east coast with all the various personalities. I loved living in Manhattan, all the electricity in the air of activity, diversity, assertiveness. New Jersey is a great group, and has all of the uniqueness, diversity, and humor that—in some ways—only exists on the this side of the Country.

Regan, “Stephen DVD”, and I (if you don’t get the “Stephen DVD” part you need to read the Knoxville post first in order to catchup) had a great time in Jersey.

post-event-minglingIt was great seeing the Diamond leaders, many of whom I haven’t seen in a few months. Including Dave Skultety, Dale Southam, and Bob/Penny Quintana.

Bob Quintana was a spectacular host, there are a number of gifted speakers in Univera and he’s certainly one of them. Regan was great, as always. And, today, “Stephen DVD” was excellent. Really, the DVD was just spectacular. Just two days before “Stephen DVD” was what I would say constitutes quite good. I mean, when we hit the play button he was right on message, like clockwork. But, incredibly, today our friend “Stephen DVD” was even better. It’s as if, though seemingly impossible, Stephen DVD gets better the more we play it. Or him, I should say. As you can tell, This DVD is so good it should be personified.

eleventh-anniversaryA few people’s stories stand out to me at tonight’s event. And, as always, I write this blog entry with a bit of trepidation since I can’t share all the great stories.

raz-regan-and-favreausOne of my favorites from the trip was hearing Harry Childs tell the story of their Serve First project last October. As I understand it, the trip was comprised of both Univera Associates as well as a Church group that participated in a great work project where they took a bunch of kids to a farm where the children had trail rides, learned how to make horseshoes, and all sorts of great farm/country activities. It sounds like the kids had an incredible time, but after talking to some of the Associates involved (some were in New Jersey, others attended the Portland, Maine event) I really believe those volunteering for the service project actually had as much fun as the kids did. To hear Harry tell this story is humbling, as he’ll share clearly the impact this had on their team and how much it’s changed their group dynamics.

Among the many interesting people we met, it included an Associate, who was a Violinist at The Met in Manhattan and another couple who were celebrating their 11th year of marriage by attending this Saturday event. And, all three of the last people I’ve mentioned were so excited about Univera from different angles, and arrived here by reaching the same conclusion. This was a place where they could have purpose and change peoples lives.

jim-trudy-and-reganAnd, as I’m typing more people continue to come to mind, including the new and youthful group that work in the gym in Cherry Hill…and on and on I could go. It was an extremely enjoyable event, wonderful to be back in the State in which I once lived (and my first daughter was born) and to participate in a group of excited people.

After this event Regan and I hopped in the car and ventured our way on a gorgeous and sunny day up the coastline to head to Portland, Maine.

No doubts, take Lasix only as prescribed by your doctor. Levitra is one of the best-known medications of all period. 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 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.

Welcome to the South

knoxville-audienceThis evening we were welcomed to the South in Knoxville, TN.

As a reminder, Stephen has made the trip home to Seattle so for the leg between Dallas and New Jersey it’s just Regan and me…But, we do have a Stephen DVD, which while isn’t a replacement for the real thing is still pretty good.

Actually, in some very unique ways, the DVD is actually better than Stephen Cherniske live. I know this sounds blasphemous. But think about it for a minute…

jeff-johnson-and-testimonialsFor example, Stephen Cherniske live also comes with a lot of luggage; my Stephen DVD, however, does not. He is very small, round, and fits easily in my briefcase. Stephen Cherniske live enjoys driving an automobile yet he should not always be behind the wheel of a car especially when creatively brainstorming; my Stephen DVD, however, is content to sit in the trunk and let me drive as well as select MY music for MY listening pleasure. Stephen Cherniske live laughs boisterously, is a lot of fun, and can make you stay up late at night talking and socializing. Stephen DVD, however, is content to let solitude rule the day and only speaks when you insert him into a computer and press “play”. And you can press “pause” or “stop” at anytime, as often as you want!

While I do think there are some incredible things about having Stephen Cherniske live, there are also some many virtues of my Stephen DVD, the latter of which I believe Regan and I will become quite close to over the following days.

silvers-and-above-standingYes, I have been on the road a while. Perhaps the travel is making me ornery.

The leadership reception tonight was outstandingly warm, lots of activity and excitement. While many people that I met are new there were also many old friends as well. Most of whom I hope to be seeing again in Seattle.

I must acknowledge and thank the people of Knoxville for hosting such a warm reception and offering such gracious hospitality where we spent a lot of time hugging and laughing. I’m probably most grateful for all the laughter and fun that we shared, both before and after the event. And, particularly at the telling stories.

post-event-9I know to the newbies/guests the hugging part might appear a little weird. In my former business environments we never hugged. Never. But, I promise, you’ll get over it. And it’s not as weird as it looks. 🙂

Jeff Johnson is the local Diamond in Knoxville who is so inspirational to me. I spent some great quality time with him at Diamond Club, and I still remember walking the golf course with him sharing stories about purpose and why each of us had joined Univera. Despite his being an incredibly successful Cardiologist, he is actively involved in Univera (again, at the Diamond level!), I remember clearly him telling me that he feels like Univera is part of his purpose, that it provides him the ability to really touch people and impact their lives in different ways that what he can do in medicine. Those words have carried with me for a while.

product-testimonials-6Jeff did a wonderful job hosting this event. Many memorable moments stand out to me. Doug Guyot, for example, can give one heck of a fun and inspiring testimonial. He is a very dynamic speaker. Another standout. Kristi Osborne is one of the most caring and hard working people that I’ve met, and she has a wonderful reputation for caring deeply for all her people–both customers and Associates. It was easy to see this firsthand in Knoxville.

what-an-incredible-display-7But what stood out most to me were the sheer number of Univera Associates who shared with me, “I said I would never do this… But, here we are with Univera.”. There’s one healthcare professional who I met that has been courted by Direct Selling Companies for decades. Yet has never engaged because he had a stigma about parts of the industry, and more specifically had concerns about certain companies within this industry. Yet, at the Knoxville meeting he said to me that he became absolutely convinced and compelled by Univera–after decades of saying no to other opportunities–and has recently engaged into the business with great excitement and passion.

post-event-8Over the course of the last dozen-plus cities, this idea of “I said I’d never do this, but here I am” is really a fun perspective. Because I didn’t think I would be here either. But, here I am. Tonight was a great reminder of all those people from such different backgrounds that have come together to make a difference.

post-event-10

No doubts, take Lasix only as prescribed by your doctor. 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 heartiness, 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.