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Hilarious. Just hilarious.

This will be among my shortest blog postings yet, because Michael Jr.’s done all the work for me. For those who attended our annual Convention, you saw the brilliant humor that comedian Michael Jr. injected into our Thursday night Platinum/Diamond reception as well as General Session on Friday night. It was fantastic.

Spontaneity and humor can be a great–but also risky–combination. When Michael Jr. showed up to Saturday’s General Session unannounced, he was there to say goodbye to me back stage in between my hosting the session. Right before I took the stage someone back stage mentioned he was looking for me and was making one final round before departing. So, as you’ll see, I took a chance to see if he’d do one more impromptu set in the midst of recognizing him for the great show he performed the night before. The video below basically says it all and shows what ensued.
Thanks, Michael Jr. and also Andrew (Univera associate) for providing us some great entertainment. As Michael Jr. would say “That was hilarious man…just hilarious”.

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 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, its 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.

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One of the Greatest Things…

2500768232_1d7e6cc015About the Direct Selling industry is the ability to offer opportunity and development to those who might never experience the chance otherwise.

Growing up in the Raz family wasn’t likely a totally normal experience; I think we were a family of restless overachievers yet at the same time each of us were and are, in my opinion, fairly normalized people.

family-christmasFor example, at the Raz household for Christmas, one of the annual gifts was ALWAYS ALWAYS a Day-Timer calendar for each person (seven in total) — this is pre ’95, which was the introduction of the Palmpilot which quickly replaced the Day Timer in our family of early adopters, so late 80’s and early 90’s it was Day-Timers all the way around. Even though, in the picture above, the decor actually looks a little late 70’s or early 80’s (so we kept it going about a decade longer). And, odd as it might seem, all of us were quite excited for our annual supply of Day Timers — my younger sisters included, despite the fact that friends of ours were singing Christmas Caroles, dreaming about Santa (which never really existed in our house past the age of four), and opening up gifts of Tony Hawk Skateboards and Atari game systems we somehow settled into a sense of satisfactory existence with the practical and probably peculiar annual family gift. Okay, so some of the kids (see tears below) weren’t always enthusiastic about the Day Timers…but those also weren’t the only gifts mom and dad gave us.

sad-gift750px-atari_game_consoleSo fast forward a few years, though throughout all these years we received the annual supply of Day Timers, when I was in high school and most of my buddies were out mowing yards for summer jobs and drinking kool aid in the evenings, I yearned for something else — a job or activity that might put to good use my unlimited supply for Day Timers and penchant for calendaring and scheduling and deal-making, a desire to just do something unique…Different. I was seeking adventure, financial opportunity without limits, teamwork, personal development. I wanted to be stretched. I wanted to wear a shirt and tie to work even though I was in high school (though, based on the picture below, I am now cringing at several things about the wardrobe — including the tie clip and too short tie among other things!).

raz-selling-cutcoAnd, alas, I found the opportunity in October of ’91. I was 17, Senior in High School, and saw a sign that said “Part Time Jobs: $9/hour”. So I called, went to the meeting and learned it was for Vector Marketing — a job selling Cutco! And, it was the most influential job of my life. It taught me about leadership, people, personalities, listening, tenacity and perseverance…

product_giftAs I write about it a flood of memories come back to me, because it wasn’t just a three month gig for me. It actually put me through College where I worked as a Sales Rep for a year, an Assistant Manager for a year, and then led my own office as a Branch Manager when I was 20, and moved up to Sandusky, Ohio (by myself) to do it as my college job.

The point isn’t really what I did or didn’t do with Vector, it was that it served as the PERFECT vehicle to fulfill some of my needs — which weren’t just income (I could have cut lawns too, in fact I did the years before — I just got bored with it more quickly than my buddies) but also personal development, a sense of satisfaction in what I did, a purposeful mission coupled with self development.

What made me think of all this today?

The Wall Street Journal.

eco_journalismYes, I know, many think it’s all just boring financial blah blah in the Great Grey Lady (WSJ), but it really is a wealth of recycled papers wrapped full of compassionate and compelling stories of human interest and human spirit, in addition to a bunch of boring financial blah blah.

And today the WSJ ran a great article on a young man who is a Vector Marketing (Cutco) sales representative that reminded me of what makes this Direct Selling industry, and also Univera, so outstanding.

We have the opportunity of not just financial success, but also personal development. To develop the skills of time management. Perseverance. Teamwork. Enthusiasm and optimism. Where else can you learn such life-changing and beneficial skills than in this environment?

What I loved about Vector, in looking back, was specifically the personal development and how I was stretched, molded, and developed by the experiences and the people. Sure, I made quite a bit of money, but I could have done that anywhere. Truly, knowing what I know now, I would have done the whole Vector/Cutco thing for FREE just for the experience. It affected and changed me that profoundly. And, so too I think it is with Univera (but you don’t have to do it for free!).

Beyond just the benefits, what I also love is that there’s no filter in our industry. There’s no “ivory tower” or pedigree that’s required to engage or be considered for the role. No matter your situation, your background, your skills, your history, this is the land of alternative opportunity. Just a spirit of willingness and zeal is all that’s required, and sometimes not even in large doses – -for some it’s simply the willingness to “try it out”, though like with anything try should be accompanied with some type of sustained commitment to yield the best benefit.

Our industry is unlike that at any other business environment. For example, when I worked at Johnson and Johnson they required a huge number of hurdles to get in the door and to become hired was a fairly Herculean task. Consequently there’s also a bit of a “mold” that they look for as parameters. If you walked the halls of J&J, I’ll bet I could pretty simply categorize people according to background, MBA, sales/marketing expertise, and the like. Certainly, there’s good reason for this in that environment, but the beauty of the direct selling model is that there is no bias. There is no filter, and there are no prerequisites. Nor is there prior judgment. It’s an open door. It’s so…American…and Canadian…

Are you a doctor? Great, come join us. Dropped out of high school? Fantastic, we’ll see you at Diamond Club in Hawaii. Love a challenge but hate your current job? Start today! What, don’t have a job? Beautiful, we’ve got one for you! Love your job but need a secondary income? Order the 100340 and get your gifting pack, 10, 30, or 60 gifts, and let’s get gifting.

Really, it’s a beautifully unique and compelling model.

I’m not trying to overly simplify this, but rather point out what struck me today as a few of the amazing aspects of our business. Specifically, that anybody can join and do this. And, importantly, that it provides something more than just income. It provides a rich set of experiences with personal and physical transformation, self development, teamwork, patience, and developing skills to work with other people that will help to transform your life — and those of others.

It’s the amazing thing about this industy, and it’s the luster of Univera.

And the WSJ article that prompted all these thoughts is accessible via the link below.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121788532632911239.html

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

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Celebrating Success

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

In the color code world, I’m a red.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Anyways…

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

But the most fun part for me?

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

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

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

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

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

And did I mention I had a blast lapping Regan?

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

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Loving Left Foot

Post Convention is a little bit like a sugar crash.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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WOOOO HOOO, DREAM, ACHIEVE, LIVE!!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Some of the best experiences so far:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

15conv_ettas

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

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Products Oh Sweet Products

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

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

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

CherNINske.

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

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

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

www.youtube.com/experiencerenewal

See you in a few days…

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

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Happy Fourth of July (and a belated Happy Canada Day)

I hope that everybody enjoys their holiday weekend, and to our friends in Canada a belated Happy Canada Day on July 1st (signifies Canada’s birthday).

Below is a letter that’s been circulated internally, written by one of our colleagues in Unigen Pharmaceuticals. It’s a really touching perspective on life in America and the reminder of how precious our freedom is. Carmen, thanks for taking the time to share your personal story and some wisdom along with it.

The letter, in full form, is below.

Hello. My name is Carmen Hertel. I am currently working as a Research Associate with Unigen Pharmaceuticals in Lacey, WA.

Did you grow up in this area? I didn’t. If you did, I am guessing that there may be a smaller number of people in this category compared to the group of people who grew up elsewhere. All of this is based on my own observations gathered from coming in to our building almost every day for the past year-and-a-half.

As you know, July 4th is Independence Day here in the USA. To me, one of the top on the list of ‘reasons for celebration’ is that of Freedom. This word is not the easiest to define as it can cover a rather broad spectrum and also can be interpreted as the person wants. Nevertheless, for me to attempt to define a word that encompasses so much, it seems easier to for me to share a small excerpt of life without freedom.

Allow me to take you to my home many years ago in the Philippines:

There were several demonstrations recently. Students and police clashes were everywhere. It was tear gas and bullets versus Molotov bombs. Students and other demonstrators were shot—one right outside our house gate. That night, in the middle of the newscast, the TV screen display became all static. My parents were over at the farm –on an island southwest of Manila. Lola (a term for grandmother) put all the kids to bed. I was in the same room as she was and I couldn’t sleep. The gun fire and screams were too disturbing. By midnight, everything turned silent. But I could hear something so I snuck out to the gate. Peeking between the slots of the hinges, I could see military tanks moving along the road and then one stopped right about my house. In my pajamas, covered by the dark of night, I hid behind the garden wall. Then I heard people banging on my next-door neighbor’s gate yelling “Open Up!” I could hear the maid running down the foyer and the Chinese master and his wife talking in rapid Cantonese. There was a 12 ft tall wall between our garden patio and the neighbor’s area and I climbed the wall to watch. The military men said they needed to look inside the house and do an inspection. Quickly but quietly, I went to wake my siblings. My oldest brother was in college, so he would take charge if the men came to our place. Sure enough, our house was searched next – more like ransacked. All of our belongings were thrown and scattered to the floor. Various items were taken. By the time they left, our house was in total chaos—furniture, clothes and personal items were strewn all around. The next day, radios were all static and so were the TVs. There was no newspaper. That day, Martial law was declared. My Uncle, a University professor and an advocate of democracy was taken to prison. A friend of the family was imprisoned in a small square of a cell, so small that she could not even stand. A lot of secret meetings happened with the knowledge that we had to run for our very lives should the military come to disperse the gathering. No person could openly criticize the government.

Though times have changed and freedom is now again enjoyed in my home country, the time that it was curtailed haunts my memory.

This being said, I imagine there may be other people here within our family of companies who have gone through more difficult times than my story above depicts. Although I am humbled at this prospect, for me to even narrate this story for you does not minimize the fear I had as my family and I were subjected to this lack of freedom. Subsequent to this, I have become so ‘American’ – I know that I have the freedom that I can complain if I believe something is not right. I also believe that this freedom to complain can be taken too far at times. If we stop and think about it, some of the things we complain about are trivial in comparison to things that really matter.

So I ask you – do you appreciate the freedom we enjoy here in the USA? I think almost everybody does. I would encourage everyone that you don’t stop at just enjoying or appreciating your freedom. Be an advocate for freedom—help those that are helpless and cannot or have a hard time fighting for their own freedom – the poor; the elderly; the homeless; the infirm. Live by the golden rule and encourage others to do the same. Be compassionate and teach compassion to your family and friends. I believe we should fight to protect others while we are strong and when we weaken, someone else will fight to protect us. Most of us are aware that we are being protected right now by our own soldiers. In return, I pray for these brave men and women; I pray for ourselves; and I encourage everyone to do the same.

Have a wonderful 4th! God Bless America!

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 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, its 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.

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A Taste of Seattle

Univera Friends,

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

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

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Convention: Today’s Top Five!

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

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

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

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

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

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The “While You Were Gone Photo Blog”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Happy Father’s Day!

Today marks a really special day.

Many of you have had the privilege–at least I think it is, but I also haven’t gone thru the teenage phase yet :)–of experiencing the role of being a Dad. Perhaps some of you served this role beyond even a biological sense, to kids adopted or embraced not yours. It’s a great moment to simply stop and thank all those Dads out there for everything that you do, and have done, for your families and kids.

And Moms, even though it’s Father’s Day I’d also like to thank and recognize each of you too–you probably deserve much more than one day a year of recognition. We should really do something every day for all the Mothers.

Today my day felt like it lasted forever, in a good sense, filled with fun activities yet fantastically simple. We awoke early to see the morning sun on the deck, then departed for decaf coffee and granola at the nearby “Breadpeddler,” off to church which was followed by lunch at the Olympia Farmer’s Market that led to an early afternoon adventure to see the Olympia air show.

Yet the highlight of the day for me was dozing in the late afternoon summer sun under a bright blue sky with cottony clouds lining the sky, snuggled up for a nap with Royce and Zoe…and the Wall Street Journal.

Which, leads me to a final thanks to my fantastic Dad who really challenged me growing up to always work to be a better person, to always tell the truth, and to always work and commit to excellence at whatever you do. The unplanned photograph of my napping with the Wall Street Journal strikes me with irony as I finish my writing tonight, given that he would tear out articles from this publication and place them into my inbox for a “weekly reading and review” that started at a very young age many years ago. Thanks Dad, for all that you did and do.

fathers-day-2008

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 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, its 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.

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The City of Broad Shoulders

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Back to the event…

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

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

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

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

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

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

some-amazing-testimonials

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

regan-stephen-raz-and-mcd

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

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A Tale of Two Cities

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

raz-eating-the-seat-back

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

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

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

shellys-wellness-book

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

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

indy-leadership

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

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

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The Drive up the Coast

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

hanging-out-w-leadership-post-event

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

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My friend, “Stephen DVD”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Welcome to the South

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Boiled Peanuts

and-more-testimonials-1Okay, 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.

a-fun-audience

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.

road-tour-jacksonville-039Jim 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).

road-tour-jacksonville-047Ginger 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.

jim-and-dr-heather-henryWe 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.

boiled-peanutsI 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.

post-event-mingling-1There 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, its 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.

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Dallas/FORT WORTH

dfw-audienceI’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.

brandon-and-april-hostingTonight’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.

dfw-post-eventThe 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.

ginger-with-some-exciting-newsThere’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.

rengenThere 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, its 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.

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The Heartland, OKC

oklahoma-eventToday 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.

post-event-connectingWhen 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…

testimonialsBack 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!!!

regan-raz-and-dr-kennedyAnd 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.

post-event-mingling1Attending 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.

joel-answering-wrongly-to-a-question-askedWell, 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.

a-very-packed-houseWe 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, its 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.

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Sunny Days in Denver

eddy-wittry-hostingDenver 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.

post-event-mingling2Stephen 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.

half-of-400Denver 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.

i-am-dino-dgreat-testimonialsTonight’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.

check-out-that-pinAt 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.

the-other-half-of-400This 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.

road-tour-oklahoma-and-dallas-002We 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.

road-tour-oklahoma-and-dallas-006

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, its 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.