Road Tour – Page 2 – Razflections

October 23, 2008March 26, 2009

From the Desert to the Rockies

I 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.

John 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.

But 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.

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October 22, 2008March 26, 2009

Sacramento to Orange County

Tuesday, 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.

We 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.

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.

Then, 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.

In 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.

From 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.

And, 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.

The 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.

So 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.

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October 7, 2008March 20, 2009

The Road Tour–Coming Soon!

October 2, 2008March 23, 2009

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

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May 24, 2008March 26, 2009

The City of Broad Shoulders

Chicago…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…

Regan, 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.

And, 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.

Sadly, 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.

I 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.

Stephen’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.

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.

The 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.

I 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.

And, 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.

I’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.

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May 20, 2008March 26, 2009

A Tale of Two Cities

First, 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. 🙂

Landing 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.

Our 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.

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.

She 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.

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.

May 20, 2008March 26, 2009

The Drive up the Coast

Today 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.

But, 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.

Regan 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.

This 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!).

Stephen, 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.

Larry 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.

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.

May 20, 2008March 26, 2009

My friend, “Stephen DVD”

Upon 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.

As 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.

Saturday 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.

It 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.

A 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.

One 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 11^th 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.

And, 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.

May 15, 2008March 26, 2009

Welcome to the South

This 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…

For 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.

Yes, 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.

I 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.

Jeff 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.

But 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.

Over 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.

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.

May 14, 2008March 26, 2009

Boiled Peanuts

Okay, it keeps getting better and better.

It really does.

That’s the beauty of momentum, and also the byproduct of great leadership and amazing people. And then sometimes you add these things together with all the other right dynamics that sometimes occur on occasion and you have a nearly perfect evening.

Tonight’s meeting was among the very best that we’ve attended so far. There must have been an easy few hundred at the Jacksonville meeting tonight. So while it was a really good sized group for this area, it wasn’t the largest we’ve had. But, WOW! What strong energy in the room, so much enthusiasm. Happy and positive people. Who also brought a good number of guests, I’m guessing about fifty in total.

In fact, I was told that EVERY SINGLE guest that went to the event signed up for Univera, either as a customer or an associate. Really, that’s quite amazing. And I give full credit to the leadership in that room and the people who are working to build the Univera business that led to such a successful event.

Jim Wagner hosted the event, and he also deserves a lot of credit. He was funny, crisp, compelling, clear. Everything ran on time and was quite flawless. We have seen some really great hosts over the past month. And I can say that Jim was simply phenomenal.

And, as it is with each city we go to, there are all these great people we meet, stories we hear, pictures we take…and it’s impossible to share them all, though each one touch us uniquely (so please don’t be offended if I couldn’t capture in writing or pictures each of you personally).

Ginger Ward also gave a really compelling testimonial this evening about her “why” related to Univera. Powerful, a mixture of an incredible story of a relative whose life dramatically changed as a result of our products as well as the business opportunity that exists within the Company.

We also met a wonderful woman named Dr. Heather Henry, a physician who has expertise in anti-aging and started towards the end of last year who went from Bronze one month, to Silver the next, and is now currently at the Gold rank! It was another amazing testimonial. We were so impressed.

By the end of the meeting when it was my turn to speak I really could’ve just ended the meeting and it would have been perfect.

I also can’t forget Gary and Rita Ross, pictured to the left, who for my second consecutive event in Jacksonville have graciously gifted me with one of my favorite Florida foods: boiled peanuts.

You haven’t really lived until you’ve tried both AgelessXtra as well as boiled peanuts (I’m not suggesting them together, necessarily, though as I think about this it could be a great combo…). Until yesterday, Regan didn’t even know what boiled peanuts were so it was a real treat for the both of us.

There were so many great people we spoke with tonight, from all over the South. Even one group of people drove in from the Panhandle section of Florida–about a 5-6 hour drive.

Thanks again, Jacksonville, for your enthusiasm and commitment. Last night was a really special night.

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 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.

May 14, 2008March 26, 2009

Dallas/FORT WORTH

I’ve capitalized Fort Worth because at this evening’s event Regan kept saying how great it was to be in Dallas. But, truly, we were actually having the meeting in Fort Worth. And, even truer still, in the scheme of things this is not a distinction that will make much difference in any of our lives. But, it was brought to his attention last night be a few individuals so I’ve taken to teasing him just a bit this morning. I am certain there was no disrespect intended, it is a distinction that is simply recognized instinctively by us Texans (yes, I was born in Dallas and lived there long enough to claim my Texas heritage) and those non-natives who are familiar enough with the local geography. Anyways, it was AWESOME to be in the Dallas/FORT WORTH area tonight.

Tonight’s group was somewhat the category of “small but mighty.” It really wasn’t what I would call a small event, as there were over 120 attending the general session, but it felt like more than several hundred. It was a very high energy and positive group, and one of the things that I really enjoyed last night was seeing some great diversity in the room, in race/gender/age. Having a diverse group of Associates and guests at events really makes for a healthier organization, and it’s the only way we will truly be able to fulfill our organizations purpose of “Bringing the best of nature to Humankind.” The intention is not to reach just one segment, but to reach the world. People of all kinds and nationalities. Admittedly, what I probably miss most about my Manhattan-living days is the full diversity of a high energy City. And it’s one of the things I enjoyed so much about last night, in that for an event that had over 120 people there was a great diversity of energy, hope, and commitment in those attending.

The leadership reception was great fun, the entire event was held in a graceful and elegant Country Club. The reception itself was in a gorgeous room overlooking the landscape and had this really distinctive smell to the room of old, finely polished wood combined with the pleasing smoky smell of a previously used fireplace. If you know this scent I think you can appreciate the description, if you aren’t familiar with this then try your best to imagine…It really was elegant, and the room smelled great. Perhaps an odd distinction, but they say that memory tied to scent is among the strongest sensory experiences.

There’s a great heart to DFW as was evidenced by the group this evening, it was an event where Regan and I both would have enjoyed spending more time speaking with those who were there. And, really, the fact that *only* 120 people attended the event is exciting. Exciting, in that 120 is not a bad showing. It’s actually a good core nucleus. But, moreover, it’s exciting that out of the many millions of people’s lives that could be positively and incredibly impacted over a lifetime in the Dallas/FORT WORTH (note that, Forth Worth!) area that there were only 120 at the meeting. Talk about fertile ground, a perfect opening of opportunity. While this is true for most of the 99% of North America, it’s particularly so in the DFW area.

Brandon and April Daniels hosted the event, they have been longstanding “Univerians” who originally, for the first several years, were simply great fans of consuming the products and later became engaged in the business.

This leg of the journey Stephen was unable to attend, so he participated via a video created about a month ago. And, it’s really quite excellent. The video does a great job capturing the essence of our scientific advantage, the power of Xtra, and a tour of our labs and how products come to life through the Univera/Unigen process. Really, very well done and while it wasn’t a perfect replacement for Stephen live, it was a very targeted, high impact, and tight message in a 20-minute video.

There will be a time in our future when Dallas/Forth Worth will have not hundreds, but thousands at events. And those involved in Univera who have built their business will have a reach across the entire globe, business in geographies that they have never even traveled to–it’s simply the nature of Relationship Marketing, the power of exponential growth, and what will happen as we take these products to the World. Before we do that, the planning and registrations of which have already started, we still have incredible opportunity right here in North America. Right here in Texas. And right here in Dallas/Fort Worth.

Thanks, Texas for gracious hospitality and a lot of fun.

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

May 13, 2008March 26, 2009

The Heartland, OKC

Today we flew from Denver into Oklahoma City, it was our first time here and OKC reminded me very much of my time living in the Midwest–Ohio and Indiana. It’s really a great city, such nice people. It was quite a comfortable, slightly humid and pleasantly warm late-Spring day.

And to my amazement, when Regan and I did the drive-through at Starbucks (to get green tea…seriously!) I learned that even the Starbucks here is a distributor the world-famous TOP POT doughnuts right out of Seattle, WA. Now, I would never recommend that a person eat a doughnut, but if one were to do this, by accident or with intent, and if such doughnut were lovingly constructed specifically by Top Pot, one would have a truly memorable experience. But, despite the temptation, we also avoided ingesting a Top Pot doughnut.

When many of you come to Seattle this summer for Convention, not only is this going to be an incredible training event that will help you in countless ways as you build and grow your business, it will also be an outstanding experience from purely an enjoyment perspective. Not just the time at Convention, but Seattle itself really is one of the greatest cities in the world. Seattle is to summertime what Aloe is to the gastrointestinal tract. Heavenly.

There are countless fun things to do while here, I am sure many of you can add your top few favorites using the comments section, but one of my favorites is the Fish Market, particularly Pike’s Place (this is where they throw the fish twenty yards, you can even volunteer to be a catcher!). And, as I’ve already mentioned, as an indulgence (truly I’m not suggesting it as a daily habit) nothing beats the Top Pot experience. Except, for, possibly, eating barley. Raw. Which I have grown to love in immeasurable ways. Deviations, deviations…

Back to the point, Oklahoma City was really an AMAZING event. Now, I know I say each event was at the very least good, and every time I say it I mean it and it’s absolutely true. Regan and I were talking last night that even if we just connect with a couple people at an event it would be worthwhile. But there are some special events that can really capture incredible energy and take advantage of momentum; today OKC was a great example of this. They had about 250 people at their event. During lunch. On a weekday. 250!!!

And as I understand it, they had to stop selling tickets about a week ago due to room restrictions. I really must compliment the OKC team of leaders who pulled together this event and made the most of our time together. I also want to thank them for their graciousness in hosting us and the nice touch of providing little care packages among other things for our drive to Dallas/Fort Worth later that afternoon.

Attending the meeting were quite a few medical professionals, particularly those in the dental field, but it was an across-the-board eclectic group of individuals. Stephen stayed behind and did an “unplugged” secondary session while Regan and I took the 2.5 hour drive to DFW.

After a while it’s the funny or special moments that really start to stand out at each event. I feel I always learn something, even after hearing it many times, from the presentations whether it be from Regan or Stephen…Sometimes I even find myself fascinating. Kidding, of course, at least about the last comment. So I always learn something new, but it’s also the impromptu moments that make life so memorable.

A humorous event moment from OKC is brought to you courtesy of Joel Canon. During Regan’s presentation he reviews a series of slides and begins one of them with “How many of you are single in the audience today?” in order to set up the punchline.

Well, like clockwork, Regan asked the question and Joel’s hand immediately shot up signifying him as one of the single people in the room. Which I suppose could have been fine were he really single and if it weren’t for the fact that his girlfriend were sitting a few seats away. So immediately he caught himself and broke into fits of embarrassed laughter, and as I watched the looks exchanged from her (she is very sweet, I met her briefly before the event) to him, and his absolute shock of some type ingrained response, I couldn’t help but laughing myself. I guess this just depends on the definition of single, as in not married or not attached. So I’ve got this great photo of Joel right after he raised his hand, where you can see him looking sheepishly at his girlfriend while asking for forgiveness. And, with that look, how could anybody say no?

It was a funny moment amidst a great luncheon.

We could really feel the energy and momentum in this group, a great event.

Thanks, OKC, for such an incredible turnout of attendees and your enthusiastic support and leadership. I am also appreciative of all the newer Associates or first time guests who took time out of their day to learn more about Univera, to hear why each of us are so excited, convinced, and compelled about the Univera opportunity.

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

May 13, 2008March 26, 2009

Sunny Days in Denver

Denver has something like 364 days of sunshine a year. We came on day number 365.

Okay, that’s a little hyperbole. Maybe it’s something like 310 days of sunshine a year. Regardless of the clouds and off/on snow in May, our brief time together in Denver was fantastic.

Stephen came to Denver a day early, Rengen (not a typo, read previous blog entries) and I were en route yesterday on a much delayed flight that put us in just about in time to catch the tail end of the Leadership reception.

Nearly 400 attended this evening’s event, really a strong turnout for the day of the week and weather. Coming back to Denver is really like a second home for me, with both the people and the geography. While I ultimately love nearly every place we travel, both California and Colorado are idyllic to me.

Denver is quite a diverse group of business professionals, entrepreneurs, healthcare professionals, moms who work at home, and on and on. It’s a very passionate and diverse group of people.

Eddy Wittry hosted the event, and he’s such a credible and rational voice. His background, having worked in some very high profile roles at some fantastic companies, simply reaffirms—to me—the uniqueness and appeal of Univera. Here’s a guy who is immeasurably talented and could be involved in any business endeavor he practically desires, yet he dedicates a considerable portion of his time and energy to Univera. He sees the vision, the power to change peoples lives, the impact of residual income. By the way, he also has a great family and I got to see again two of his fantastic kids this evening.

Tonight’s testimonials were good and I always get a kick out of Dino’s story as well as his intro (“I AM Dino D”…If you’ve heard him you know exactly what I mean), his story really is so powerful of how he’s transformed physically over the past two and a half years.

Just recently, as a Company we started sending out these “Power of Four” pins. You can see one modeled here nicely by Ed Cook in the bottom left photo. If you look closely, or click on the picture, you’ll see a close up of the pin which represents a pretty cool designation. Notice his pin says “12”, which means that he has 12 frontline Customers or Associates on Convenience Plan. So this pin and the number simply represents the frontline associates or customers on CP, and the pins range in increments of four from 4 to 20. Great job Ed!!! 12-frontline on CP is excellent. Keep an eye out for these pins, I’m still looking for the person who is wearing the first “20” pin, but am thrilled to see so many with 4, 8, and 12.

At every meeting Regan opens up pretty early with a slide of a quote from a famous movie. For those that will still be on the tour I’ll save both the quote and reference for the real presentation. Here’s the funny part, at least to me. Every time Regan flashes the quote on the Power Point he asks the audience “What movie is this from?”

And about every time, 99% of the audience answers it correctly. The other 1% I end up sitting next to, and Stephen responds by blurting out “Animal House!!!”

I can assure you, the quote Rengen’s giving is not from Animal House. So it continues to give me a bit of a chuckle when Stephen does this and a few others have noticed it as well. So, tonight at the conclusion of the event, John Rogers on behalf of the Denver leadership team, gave us as memento copies of the movie Animal House. Very clever and cute, another memorable and fun moment.

This morning we’re off to Oklahoma City—the first time anyone from Corporate has ever been there on Univera business, and then onto Dallas, Texas in the afternoon for an evening event.

We started the morning right with a bite to eat at McDonalds (actually, we DID eat healthy—none of those fried potatoes containing that poison commonly known by humankind and potatokind as acrylamide) and then continued the journey with three journeymen posing for a raucous flight in the photo taken below.

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

May 2, 2008March 26, 2009

CherNINske in Phoenix

Friday morning I woke up early without a lot of sleep (the blogging generally happens very late at night!), granted I had the time to sleep a bit more but I was craving one more walk on the California coast before we departed.

Regan and Stephen did the same thing, funny enough. Doesn’t it, in some abstract and intangible way, somehow make for great intuitive sense to have a Univera satellite office located somewhere between San Diego and L.A.?

Our flights were uneventful, and somehow Stephen has managed to move himself towards the front of the plane to the chagrin of both Regan and me. But, such is life. Which, by the way, is the name of a fantastic little restaurant in Phoenix (Such is Life is, if I remember, on N. 24th Street) which is the next–and final–destination for this week’s trip.

This event was more like a Regional of sorts, so we mixed things up a bit. Yesterday evening we were a little loose, each of us went a bit long and I think one would have to say–if nothing else–we were authentic and real. Perhaps that’s code for, well, “a little loose”. We had a LOT of fun and shared some of the more eventful stories from the week.

How does one define “a little loose”? Probably quite a few examples could be used, but since I’m at it let me pick on Al a bit. I’m sure some people look at a Blue Diamond and wonder “What’s it take? How could I achieve that level of accomplishment, the compensation, the leadership, the legacy…”

The answer? Planning.

Lots, and lots, and lots of planning.

Intricate and innate dedication to detail. Forethought. Weeks of considerations, contemplations, and modifications prior to the conduction of an event. The creation of incredible agendas. Detailed agendas, developed way in advance. Planned so thoroughly that there remains no chance of any detail missed, or any speaker misplaced, or any minute misused.

Might an example be available for us? Indeed, one might. And you can see it to the left. This is, literally, the agenda I was handed by Al at 6:57pm on Friday evening–which was plenty of time given that the event didn’t start until 7:00pm. We probably could have even made a few agenda adjustments in the extra time. But, we didn’t. And it all worked out.

Of course, I am teasing in an endearing way. And in my jest I do not intend to underestimate the criticality of planning. Al and his team (I’m including those cross-team to him as well which develop much of the content together) conduct a lot of pre-event thinking and they do run some amazing events. They always pull it off. And, what might be missed in pre-event agenda creation is captured in the spontaneity of the moment. And on Friday night we had a lot of humorous and spontaneous moments.

I had quite a few highlights from Friday evening, but will only share a couple. One, we recognized a new one-month qualified Diamond: Kenny and Esmeralda Rossi (unfortunately I didn’t get a picture). So while not yet fully qualified we took a moment to congratulate what has been amazing success in an incredibly short period of time (one month!). Kenny made a few comments and was visibly touched, I loved his humility and authenticity. He reminded everybody that he had nine years experience in this industry and it was those prior years of efforts and relationships that brought him the speed of success at Univera. I also loved that his passion was for his team, he came to Univera because he wanted to see his team win–and win in a way they had not experienced before. They are winning. And perhaps as importantly, they are having fun. I think that’s part of their success, the raw enthusiasm and enjoyment of the process lends itself to a better result naturally.

Another highlight was spending time with the Ryan and Faunce team post-event. We stopped by Ron’s room who was hosting a get together with about a dozen people who were hanging out sharing stories, some were eating dark chocolate and also consuming some resveratrol (which is a phytoalexin found in the skin of red grapes and is known to have some health benefits) during the evening as well.

Saturday morning Regan and I had to catch an early flight, so there’s not a lot of content captured from that day. BUT…It wasn’t until I got to tease Regan a bit during my presentation for calling our Chief Scientific Officer Stephen Cher-NIN-ske vs. Cher-NIS-ke for the last six months. It would be like calling Regan another name, like Rengan. Consistently. From stage. In front of lots of people.

And, ironically enough, Rengan was his newly adopted name (originating from a misspelled name tag) when we went to Hainan Island, China. So Rengan’s suggestion is that Stephen change his name. I don’t expect this to happen, but quite a few weeks remain on the Tour.

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 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.

May 1, 2008March 26, 2009

The Singing Telegram!

At last night’s fantastic (but not lavish) L.A. hotel the beds were really amazing, enough to mention in a blog. So we slept pretty well and hit the road around 9am for our drive down to San Diego.

Now, in my writings I’ve only been able to share a fraction of the stories and events (of field and corporate team) that have occurred during these road trips over the past few weeks. But, as time goes on, I’m getting slightly more daring in sharing some of the idiosyncrasies we all have, particularly Regan and Stephen. 🙂

The way our travels work so far is that Stephen drives, Regan rides shotgun, and I’m sprawled out in the back with laptop open and camera on. Now, as some of you may have heard before, Stephen often does a hilarious riff on how people need energy and the different ways to acquire it.

One part of this story is where he’s screaming into the microphone the punchline that “If you almost got hit by a bus in the morning that’d give you an incredible dose of energy for the day, but I don’t think you’d be saying to yourself ‘Geesh, I’d like to do that again!’”

Now that I’ve ridden with Stephen-as-driver, I know how he comes up with his material.

Real life experience.

Expressed in LSAT-esque language it goes like this: Stephen is to stellar driving what I am to the advancement of biochemistry.

In other words, we almost got hit by a bus.

With all this excitement, who needs AgelessXtra?

Stephen’s driving antics have given me more content than my flying fingers can type. On our drive down to San Diego tonight we’re cruising down the highway and Regan and I start howling with laughter as Stephen scoots right by a policeman. The lights came on immediately (see photo) but to our relief the officer was simply trying to slow down traffic rather than ticket anybody.

We arrived into San Diego, Carlsbad specifically, and had some free time in the afternoon. Each of us went walking (alone) along the California coast. There’s nothing like the fresh smell of ocean saltwater as it breaks into the sandy beach forming an intoxicating mist. After a good walk I spent the afternoon plugging away on calls/emails sitting outside trying to capture as much Vitamin D possible before heading back to the Northwest.

So it was from this idyllic afternoon that we attended the leadership reception on a perfect evening on the outside terrace of a really cozy hotel. The reception proved great to see old friends again while also getting to know some newer members of the team.

Remember I shared about how special it was to receive the professionally-made desserts last night in L.A.? At the reception tonight another unique moment occurred. On behalf of the Carlsbad Associates we were given a singing telegram by a Univera Associate named Robert. Never in my life have I received a singing telegram so this was a special event for each of us and very endearing—I only wish I had video of it that I could upload to this blog (Robert—if you can email me an audio file of this I’ll try to post it!).

Tonight’s main event had a very strong turnout, about 200 in total. I expect this was one of the larger gatherings in this area so far—though I also expect one day that there will be many multiples of this.

I have written about the “audience energy” before and, once again, the atmosphere in every group is always a little different. Truly, tonight was a perfect night—the audience energy was the highest we have experienced this week and I also think the presentations were a bit tighter than previous events.

Why the reason for such different dynamics from venue to venue? Perhaps based on the ratio between Associates and guests, the time of day, speakers style and whether they’re “on,” the type of setting, the events of the day, the set-up of the room, the people attending…It’s always fascinating to observe and experience the different dynamics of each program.

At the suggestion of a few Associates from the prior events we tried starting the evening with a product focus, which of course was led by Stephen. It seemed to work well, but of course Stephen is always great. The debate we’ve had is whether we save our superstar scientist for the very end or do we put him up front at the beginning of the program?

From a content perspective and considering the target audience of first time guests for “the road tour” it probably makes more sense to start Stephen up front because it’s all about the products and what they can do for you. Plus, Stephen is a great opener to engage and endear the audience to simply open their minds to other Univera opportunities.

Of course, Regan is getting pretty good at this as well and I’ve enjoyed watching him become better and better at presenting over the past six months. He is really good and has strong stage presence.

So we’ve tried arranging the presentation both ways and both seem to work, we’re just trying to incorporate the best approach and make meaningful improvements along the way.

Testimonials were great (check out Ron with the vice-grip on the microphone! He’s not letting that mic go, is he?). Ron did a really nice job closing with the group of leaders and Diamonds while conducting a brief interview with each.

After the event closed much of the group stayed around and shared stories and talked with each other. In fact, one of the many memorable people I met was a woman who had many decades worth of Relationship Marketing experience and was a top earner in several other companies. But, not unlike many of those who have joined us, she felt somewhat burned out from less-than-stellar experiences with prior companies. After her last experience she commented that she would never engage in this industry again…However, she came tonight as a prospect at the urging of a Univera Associate who gifted her. I met her before the event and then again afterwards, and it was rewarding to see her beaming with hesitant enthusiasm post-program. She commented she was cautious to let herself get too excited, but also mentioned that something sparked within her that night. Not to overuse the term, but really I think she saw during the evening–with the people, team, various presentations and testimonials–a slice of Renewal and the opportunity that we have together as a team.

Regan, Stephen, and I closed the evening together with a light bite to eat basking in the afterglow of an incredibly fun and rewarding event.

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 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 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.

May 1, 2008March 26, 2009

California Dreamin’

On Wednesday morning, at a reasonable hour and without alarm clocks (some of you will get this inside joke) we awoke in Emeryville to head over to breakfast in Berkeley at a crunchy, natural foods place. Food was fantastic, loved the ambiance. We sat outside in a rustic California-style courtyard with the sun pouring onto us as we dined in the cool of the morning while eating healthful food.

Man, I love California. We all do.

Before catching our flight we drove around the UC Berkeley campus which is where Stephen actually worked with some leading biochemists for a period of time, involved deeply in bioenergetic and antioxidant research. This was, of course, many trillions of cells ago. 🙂 No doubt he both contributed exceptionally and had the blessing of learning from others who came before him to develop an emerging field. In an interesting way, as we drove around Berkeley I watched Stephen with a sense of pride and acknowledgment of the privilege we have of his incredible talents and contributions.

So Stephen was in his glory touring Berkeley; already he has this youthful and exuberant energy but it was accentuated when driving around the creative energy of a University where some of the best and brightest both attend and teach academia.

To the left I took this photo of one of the Berkeley buildings that caught me in the moment. Given our business initiatives as well as Stephen’s background, it captured my eye immediately. On one side it the building says “Botany” and the other “Biochemistry”. Mix the two together, and, well, you know, lots of good stuff happens. It’s only fitting, I should’ve taken a picture with Stephen in the foreground…Next time.

And, as an aside, I hope there is a next time for this tour. If you couldn’t tell, we’re having an absolute blast on the road. Really, this is probably the most fun I have ever had in any week of business travel. Certainly, touring with Regan and Stephen has something to do with it, but it’s this chemistry tied to all the Associates that makes this amazing. I know, at times, this probably sounds sappy so as I write and re-read my blog I try to make sure everything stated is as authentic and accurate as possible, but I must acknowledge in all my years of business travel and various Companies I’ve never seen the team of people we have in the field like we do right now.

Back to the day…

We arrived in Los Angeles and the hotel event location was fantastic. Usually airport hotels are these run down shanties, but not this one. Despite being right at the airport, the interior of the hotel was fresh and contemporary (though Stephen told me not to swim or sunbathe outdoors due to a combination of jet fuel particulate, sun, smog, and other factors…so I didn’t!).

The leadership reception was held on the top floor of the hotel where we were able to catch up with many of those who are starting to build such a strong business in L.A.

One of the guys that I met was a newer Associate who actually had established, prior to Univera, a Wellness practice involving everything from the physical to emotional to spiritual componentry. I was really impressed with his progressiveness, and he also seemed quite interested to hear about the foundation of Wellness that we’re moving towards as a Company.

For now, much of our migration towards Wellness is—gradually—being initiated with simply an intention in day to day decision making. Last month I was perusing the pictures of a Blue Diamond/FLC trip to Korea and China in April, 2006. And, without fail, every single person in all of my photos looked better today than they did back on the trip two years earlier. People looked healthier, leaner, more refreshed. Better.

Certainly, I know some of this is attributable to Univera products. But I also know that a lot of this also has to do with lifestyle choices and taking some meaningful steps towards living a healthier life. And, what I love, is that this happens gradually in most cases. Sometimes even unintentionally. Usually lasting change doesn’t happen in an immediate instant (exceptions are usually limited to cases where people have some type of transformational and major life event), and so what I’ve observed are these intentional improvements along the way by various different individuals within Univera.

Not only does it work this way physically, but also emotionally.

So this is one of the reasons I love the team in Southern California—such heartfelt and sincere emotions and sense of caring. Now, I don’t mean that I don’t sense emotion and care in other parts of the Company, for sure I do. But every location is a bit different, probably due to a combination of geography, environment, and leadership in that area. Each area is wonderfully unique.

Tonight’s general session was PACKED. We were so proud/thrilled with the Associates in L.A. and their incredible performance. In fact, I was so excited I didn’t take as many pictures as I wished I did. Overall, the night was outstanding and–to date–far exceeds the record for the road tour in terms of attendance (which upcoming city will beat this???).

Over 400 people were in the room. And, of that 400, there were a lot of guests. And, even though I know it’s L.A., I wasn’t expecting to meet so many people actively engaged in Hollywood. Actors/Actresses, Screenwriters, Directors. I’m not sure how to describe the energy in the room, somewhat a creative anticipation. I don’t really get starstruck yet this event was great fun to meet some of those involved in various writing or acting in TV shows and movies.

It’s fun to watch the people swarm Stephen after the event. Regan and I both give him a good teasing about it, because we really do know that this business is about the products and that people come to hear Stephen. Tonight he was, as always, hilarious. Though sometimes he gets so wound up he sometimes skips discussing a little ‘ol energy product called AgelessXtra.

“Oy!” as Stephen would say.

Regardless, people loved the presentation (of course) and many leave inspired to be better. And, they’ll figure out the whole Xtra story if they hadn’t heard it before the event anyways.

Testimonials tonight were great, perhaps a tad on the long side but how can you blame people for spilling their heart when these Univera products have made such an impact in their life?

I met this wonderful woman who has many kids and I believe told me she’s 51 years old (won’t use her name since I’m stating her age!), she looked like she was 31 and had some incredible product experiences personally as well as with her children. It’s always fun hearing about the success stories.

There were also a few Associates who, at the end of the evening, gave the three of us some gorgeous desserts; they were these little cheesecakes and mousse-like parfaits that were made with some of our products and I think they were on the healthier side. At least, that’s what I told myself as I ate both of them as I was blogging in my room. Such a sweet gesture, and tasted outstanding as well, which will stand as one of the many memorable moments from this tour.

Thanks to the City of Angels for being such gracious, energetic, and memorable hosts.

No doubts, take Lasix only as prescribed by your physician. Levitra is one of the best-known medications of all day. What is the most significant info you must study about levitra vs cialis? Most doctors say the effectiveness of Levitra is well documented. Absolutely, a sexual problem refers to a problem during any phase of the sexual response cycle that prevents the individual from experiencing satisfaction from the sexual life. Whilst sex is not vital for good 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.

April 29, 2008March 26, 2009

Regan, did you get my bags???

This morning we awoke at an early hour after a late-into-the-evening night at a steakhouse (this was at Stephen’s suggestion, I was trying to find Sushi! But, for sure, he did eat fish for dinner), to jump on a 7:30am flight from Seattle to Sacramento to catch a luncheon.

Stephen insisted, endearingly, that he visit a Anthony’s at the Airport to dine on a delicious “Seattle Scramble” breakfast. Evidently, it opens right at 6am so we left a little on the early side. Despite the fact we had just finished eating hours before. For a guy who has 9% bodyfat, or whatever it is, he sure has a healthy appetite. But I must also admit he’s pretty good about what he eats though he indulges occasionally.

Ultimately, the breakfast joint was at a different terminal so we didn’t make it. Regardless, I was able to envision a highly recommended Cherniske “Seattle Scramble” of fresh farm-raised eggs from chickens-who-do-yoga-daily mixed with all sorts of delicious fillings, like barley, wheat germ, sprouts, spelt (what, really, is spelt beyond just a hexaloid species of wheat? Do we really know?), wheatgrass…you get the idea.

Truth be told, I actually think it was more along the lines of scrambled eggs with smoked salmon and cream cheese, but we’ll never know for sure and I like my guess better.

Upon boarding we learned of flight delays due to a radio that seemingly got fixed three different times. Ultimately our flight was canceled but, fortunately, we caught a departure that left 90-minutes later.

Regardless of the time of flight or how full the aircraft it always seems that Stephen is sitting in the very back of the plane. Dead last seat. Right by the bathroom. I love it. To the right you can see the fruit of my labor from encouraging as many passengers to use the bathroom as possible, and Stephen’s taking it all in stride with fits of laughter. Indeed, it adds a disturbing level of humor to our day and gives me a chance to take a multitude of photos on our flight.

Regan and I usually are in the front (not first class, just further up in coach and if we’re really lucky in the emergency exit) and so we’ve taken to giving him some serious teasing about this repetitive situation.

Two Associates, Katie and Nora, were also on our plane having also attended the Bellevue meeting the night before and were continuing the tour in Sacramento and Emeryville. Wow, committed and going strong with guests at each event! You can see their picture to the right, they were an absolute blast to have on a part of our journey. Great people, very sweet and endearing.

Upon touching down in Sacramento we divided and conquered. Or tried to conquer. At least some of us conquered. 🙂

I took the point on acquiring food (full disclosure: I did go to Starbucks, but no coffee was consumed in the process), Stephen went to get the rental car to pull it around, and Regan…Yes, well, Regan, his job was to get our bags. That was his only job. Get the bags. Yes, all of them. Including mine. BOTH of mine.

So we jump into the car, as I’m throwing it into gear I holler back “Hey Regan, you got all the bags, right?”

Did I mention his only job was to get all the bags? More on this later.

The luncheon had nearly 200 attendees, we arrived about 50-minutes late to a remaining and very patient audience. It was a VERY energetic crowd, especially for a luncheon during the day. This was my first time in Sacramento and the three of us were thrilled with the turnout.

John Ryan moderated and Al wrapped things up, it was very well done. And, 30 Convention tickets were sold to boot! Post-event, there was quite a bit of mingling and it was really invigorating to meet some of the newer Associates. After the lunch we spent a few minutes on our walk out with a new Associate named Glenn (aka “Big Daddy”) and his team; Glenn just started April 1st under Kenny R–you can see the photo of some members of his team as well as Regan and Stephen above left, Kenny and others on his team is pictured above right. FUN and successful people.

In fact, Big Daddy and his wife, Reagan, contributed an amazing testimonial to the event tonight in Emeryville. He commented on the excitement of seeing so many of his downteam winning so quickly, when at other endeavors it never really happened for them even after years of hard work. And, Reagan, (again, Big Daddy’s wife, not the CEO Regan) really shared from her heart the meaning of the vision and mission of Univera and what they desire to contribute in a purposeful way.

The evening session in Sacramento went well, beyond the highlight just mentioned there were some great people and a good sized group for an emerging market–probably over 150 in attendance. Dwayne hosted the meeting and facilitated throughout, he’s extremely articulate and charismatic. Each of the Exec’s probably spoke a little too long, we should’ve cut it down a bit. Next time. And Al wrapped up the event; he was as good as I’ve seen. Very purposeful in his comments, yet hilarious. Inspirational yet authentic and real. Politically correct yet politically incorrect. Classic Al, he really did a phenomenal job lifting up each of us. It was a really good close to a really good day.

As always, we enjoyed the time both before and after the event the most. Lots of laughter, stories, and fellowship.

As I’m writing this I’ve developed a bit of an adrenaline rush, hearing the stories of success and enthusiasm are so invigorating. And to see people winning the way they are is addictive. These team events give the opportunity to draw on the positive results of others, with the right intention and spirit coming into the meeting it can really lift people up. I came into the tour feeling really good, but some of these moments cause an instantaneous eclipse to feeling great.

And, if you’re not feeling great right now, be steadfast and stay committed. The valleys are followed by peaks, and the greater our momentum the more the peaks.

There are new people joining Univera across the board, and I’m excited to have each of them join us on this mission. Thanks Sacramento and Emeryville for a warm and welcoming reception, we enjoyed every minute.

By the way, you might be wondering about Regan’s role of bag-grabber at the Sacramento airport? Well, when I arrived at the hotel and we’re unpacking my car I notice one of my bags missing.

“Hey Regan, do you remember a green bag, carry on type?”, I asked.

Silence.

“Regan, you know, when we were arriving into Sacramento. I was getting food, Stephen the rental car, you had the bags. Right? I mean, you got the bag, my bag, the one with my change of clothes?”

So I was down a bag.

But clean clothes are truly overrated.

Plus, I’m becoming more “green” by the day, so I figure this is a forced intervention to induce me to use less water and recycle clothes a few more uses. In fairness to Regan he’s not a “bagologist” but rather a CEO, as he quickly reminded me. And, truly, we should’ve double checked before racing to our luncheon.

Not a big deal, Lisa Staiger tracked the bag down in no time and it’ll be waiting for me at the Oakland airport tomorrow morning. And, I’ve learned to divide clean clothes among two bags to prepare for these situations. So it made for a fun story and some new content to use to humor us and tease each other as we traveled.

And, I’ve learned another upside to authoring this blog is that one can pick and tell the stories one chooses. So these are mine today…

We’re looking forward to Los Angeles tomorrow evening .

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

April 28, 2008March 26, 2009

Terrific Three-Hundred: Bellevue, WA

While last Friday marked the official “kickoff” of the road tour at our Corporate Univera Xperience event, tonight was the first official “on-the-road” event held at Maggiano’s in Bellevue, Washington.

It couldn’t have gone any better and served as the perfect launch into a busy but exciting week.

On the car ride back to our hotel tonight each of us, meaning Stephen, Regan and I, was raving about the enthusiasm of the attendees at tonight’s event.

The beginning of the event was an invitation-only reception with Associate leadership. A lot of fun to connect with a smaller group of our leaders, who I feel like we see often but don’t get enough time to socialize with together. Tonight made up for some lost time.

After the leadership reception we began the general session–turnout was incredible with over 320 people. Standing room only, a completely packed house. A very enthusiastic group, which included at least 50+ guests in attendance–if not more (that alone was the number who self identified as guests).

Ann Magee did a fabulous job of hosting (and planning, along with the Corporate Univera staff with special thanks to Julie Darby, aka “J Dar”) the event. It was one of the best hosted events we’ve attended, she handled the group with composure, elegance, and sincerity. Each of us were really impressed with Ann.

Of course, Stephen continued his funny, charming, and informative self (sounds like a repeat from a previous blog, but it’s true–he was excellent). Regan told the story of Senator Bradley becoming a fan of our products and our meeting with him at Lacey headquarters about a month back. Regan even brought up the person in the audience–Gail–responsible for gifting and enrolling Senator Bradley while on a book tour years ago (great job Gail!!!). She briefly shared the story of how he became such a fan of our products and Company.

One thing in particular really made tonight particularly special to me.

The small but powerful group of testimonials were really moving. There were only four or five, yet each of them were sincere and touching–to hear firsthand the impact these products have had on their life, their physical renewal, is inspiring.

There was one gentleman there tonight who really inspired me, his name was Scott and he’s gone through an amazing physical transformation, physical renewal, over the past year. He shared with great honesty his story using humility, humor, and appreciation. It was among the most authentic and inspiring testimonials I’ve heard, I had a chance to speak with him after the event and was really touched by his story.

If nothing else occurred tonight (and plenty did!) to hear this testimonial and realize the impact of Univera products in his life would have been enough to make the entire event worthwhile.

There was some great participation from other leaders, including Jay Jackson who kicked off the event, Ray Winter who discussed our upcoming Convention followed by a meeting summary by Mike Kaufman.

Both before and after the “formal” event we also had the opportunity to talk, share, and hear stories–from both new Associates as well as those who have been involved in the business for years. A few pictures might help tell the story, but it won’t do it full justice and I haven’t the time to share about all the great people we met and bonded with tonight.

To top it all off, about 20 Convention tickets were sold this evening.

What an exceptional event; over dinner late this evening (dining on fish, of course), Regan, Stephen and I were really basking in the afterglow of what was an invigorating event made possible by the leaders in the Seattle area and all the attendees.

If you had any favorite highlights or moments please leave a comment below.

Thanks to everybody for a fantastic kickoff at the Bellevue event!

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 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.

April 25, 2008March 26, 2009

The Great Blondin

Today marked the official start of our Road Tour across North America at the Corporate offices right here in Lacey, Washington at our monthly Univera Xperience. It was the first day Regan and I were back in the office for two weeks, and the last three days have been pretty sleep deprived so it was a little foggy–but fun nonetheless.

Amazing how much it is that you can really miss the people (and family, of course!) that you work with, both in the field and corporately, when gone for an extended period of time.

Today’s event was filled with some good energy; because of the number of attendees we had to run two different groups–it probably sapped a bit of the buzz/energy in the room (always better to have a packed house), but it also afforded a more comfortable setting and I’m sure better logistics.

Stephen, pictured left, as always, was charming, funny, informative, and compelling. I was in and out of the Xperience but caught a few really good sections of his presentation. He really is one of the most gifted speakers I know, and he’s also an excellent biochemist.

This afternoon we played a bit of a practical joke on Dave Nash, Director of Canada Sales. It’s been planned for weeks. It started a few months ago when we were on the Canadian Road Tour which began in Vancouver, BC (where there is an exceptional Univera team of Associates, by the way). Nash opened the program with this story of “The Great Blondin.” It’s the story about a guy who apparently is the greatest tightrope walker in the history of the sport of tightrope walking. This is not a very well known story, or sport for that matter and I would expect for good reason. 🙂

Anyways, I’ll spare you the details and make a long story short. This Blondin guy is a daredevil, and one day at the pinnacle of his career he challenges a fan who believes Blondin is the best of the best to get into the wheelbarrow and cross the tightrope with him as a passenger. Sounds fun, no?

So while on the Canada tour Nash opens with this story; as he’s telling the story Stephen and I are cringing, partly because the symbolism of the story is one of danger of life, wild risk taking, madman antics, etc. (which is quite the opposite experience of Univera) but, the point he was making is that there does require a leap of faith in any venture. So at the end of the presentation we’re all debriefing about what went well, what we could improve…and Stephen and I basically say “Nash, we really admire the attempt at the analogy, and pretty good delivery, but do you really think this Blondin story conveys the right message? I mean, Blondin is a daredevil, crossing a tightrope with a wheelbarrow, asking people to get in the wheelbarrow…”

But as the tour continued, so did Nash with the Blondin story. I must admit, he got pretty good at telling the story effectively and making the “leap of faith” point while minimizing the inherent dangers, not to mention insanity, of sitting in a wheelbarrow on top of a tightrope.

A month after the Canadian tour, about ten Univera employees participated together in a volunteer activity cleaning up some land owned by the Company. We decided to take a picture of me in the wheelbarrow being driven by Stephen and Regan. Around the same time, we thought to have Nash open the next Xperience with “The Great Blondin” story and that we would insert, unknownly to him, the photo of us and the wheelbarrow right at the punchline of his analogy.

So, three weeks later here we are today at the Univera Xperience and I explained to Nash that Regan really wants him to open the event with “The Great Blondin” anecdote. It doesn’t take much to convince him to do it. So, today, on two occasions, he told the story. But the first time he was quite surprised, because at the punchline (“get in the wheelbarrow”) we actually replaced his regular powerpoint slide with the photo taken of me in the wheelbarrow being driven by Regan and Stephen, pictured right.

Surprised would be an understatement, you can see the blurred reaction to left It took him a minute to realize what we’d done, which was followed with some barely controllable laughter. A few photos exist of his reaction (see left), but he’s moving around in such hysterics that the camera couldn’t quite keep up. Dave did a great job with the analogy, and was also a great sport in the process.

The biggest thrill for me at these events are meeting the people afterwards who are involved in the business, or at least are considering it. I met one individual who first attended an event in Portland a few months ago. She got signed up right after that weekend and is having a blast. Of course, sometimes the best benefit to these events is recharging the batteries as well. No matter how great any organization/team/event, there will be times where people need to get re-energized. It’s just how it works. So these Xperience Events serve, hopefully, as a way to connect both those who are existing and new with some excitement and energy to move forward. I know that this is what it does for me, particularly in seeing, meeting, and greeting our field.

Monday night we’re in Seattle, then we travel down the coast ending in Phoenix this weekend. Looking forward to seeing each of you as we go across the Country in the coming month.

And, if curiosity has captured you, find out more info on “The Great Blondin” by clicking here.

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