Austenver

This entry started as what would be a combination of two events, Austin and Denver. Thus the name, Austenver. Then, I started looking at all the great pictures and people from Austin, and I just couldn’t bring myself to pull the two events together. 

As I type we’re en route to Denver, placing bets of whether we’ll land or not. Already, the Frontier flight first thing this AM was cancelled to Denver, and many United flights leaving Denver were cancelled, yet as I write we’re flying in gorgeously sunny skies—hopefully beating this last winter storm that’s apparently on its way (side note: when I landed this was published, so obviously we have made it to Denver and we will see you this afternoon). 

So the three of us are doing our thing in flight, Stephen pounding away on his keyboard (though not quite as loudly as me), Regan sits ahead of us CEO style in first class (bumped, not a purchased ticket) watching 30 Rock, and I’m bloggin’ away.

Arriving into Austin was welcome warmth, spectacular sun and temperature. It’s the best weather so far. And, while weather is really an exceptionally boring and mindless topic, when you live in 40-50 degrees and rainy for much of the year (though I actually love it) the topic of sunny skies and arid warmth becomes just a tad more interesting.

Austin is such a hoppin’ city, and for a Friday night our turnout was fantastic—probably close to 200. Significantly more people than we had last time in Austin, and the energy and excitement was a lot better as well. Not that last time our Austin trip wasn’t great, it was good. But this was really exceptional with the quality of people and just the…Energy.

I’d rather have energy, excitement, and conviction any day of the week over someone with just talent and talk that lacks passion. In Austin we had people that are both talented and excited. The best of both. 

When I reference specific people that I meet on the Road Tour I always hesitate a bit, because there’s always more people that I can’t blog about that I met who are equally interesting. But I try to tie in one story or experience.

At this event I met a guy with a great story, his name is Mario (his brother Tommy attended the event as well), and is signed up under Colleen who was also attending. Mario’s story is a great one, he grew up in the Lyford, Texas area. Which, many of you know, is home to Hilltop Gardens—the Historical Home of Aloe. There’s more to this great story, it’s just evolving and someday I’ll write more about it, but the short of it that Mario has gone on to become exceptionally successful, and as I understand it is an inventor (even featured in magazines like Popular Mechanics) and has also done some feature work in TV. The amazing thing is not that he’s totally bought into Univera—the products and the business. It’s that he has a stronger tie to Hilltop Gardens than most anybody I know.

See, when Mario was growing up, his parents worked in agriculture and in the fields. And, some of the work they did was planting and harvesting aloe.

But the magic is, they didn’t just work any farms. One of the farms his parents worked in the fields was the Hilltop Gardens farm itself, before Bill had actually purchased it (owned by a different family, with a different name—but the oldest aloe vera farm in the U.S.).

So the evolution of this story is an amazing one, and among many other stories of success that will grow over the years this will also be another interesting one. 

 

 

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

Hello Hainan Aloecorp!

welcome-univeraToday was the Grand Opening of Hainan Aloecorp, a very significant accomplishment for the ECONET and particularly those involved in Hainan Aloecorp–which is run by CEO Jeff Han.

The morning was relaxing, since we didn’t have to leave early it afforded me the opportunity to take a long walk on the beach and see the sights as well as go for a swim in the South China Sea. Gorgeous day, sunny in the morning and a little balmy but comfortable. The beaches were miles upon miles of silky soft sand. Hainan Island will be an wonderful venue for VeraResort.

blue-diamond-car-programThe bus ride over offered a bit of an adventure; Hainan is a place where the horn is used nearly as much as the gas pedal and other cars/bikes/pedestrians seem to historically have been used as slalom obstacles, though I am sure this has subsided over the years as tourism increases. We arrived safe, though it made for quite an adventure with squirming backseat drivers.

rice-fieldsAl, ever the overachiever, took well to his role as “sideseat driver” while sitting shotgun. He happily absorbed the unrequested (but needed) role of providing directions and feedback to our Chinese driver who spoke no English. To make it more difficult, Al’s Chinese was as good as our driver’s English. Yet, the driver also took to speaking with Al at times, sometimes wildly with hands flying. It was a pretty comical exchange, and despite the fact that neither could understand each other both seemed quite content being able to speak their mind.

keynote-from-billAs we drove throughout the countryside, away from the urban environment of dodging people and cars, I turned my gaze to the rice patties which seemed to last as far as the eye could see. John Ryan shared with me just a few of the experiences from decades ago while in Vietnam–hearing the stories will be memorable for me, in that he was willing to share some personal history while we traversed a
similar landscape to while he was soldier in Vietnam. I am deeply grateful to him—as well as the many others—who either have or currently do serve for our Country.

celebrationWe arrived at the start of the ceremony at 2pm to an eclectic audience of locals, Korean Diamonds, ECONET Executives, Aloecorp (East and West) employees, FLC members, and Chinese officials.

Some of you have seen the artist’s rendition of what would become this manufacturing facility, and you’ll see in the actual photos that it’s really a ringer for the drawings created years ago. Bill does everything first class and this facility is no exception.

john-terhune-and-marshallAfter the ceremony, which included a ribbon cutting that the FLC participated in, we attended a tour. Inside, the facility was operational and processing Aloe leaves before our eyes. All of the equipment used within the facility is among the newest and best. In fact, it is so technologically advanced that the time from harvesting the Aloe to completed processing is less than six hours. That’s extremely rapid, and results in an exceptional quality Aloe for consumers. I am convinced there’s no other comparable Aloe on the market, and seeing some of the manufacturing operations firsthand simply reaffirms my belief in quality of the products we produce.

flc-ribbon-cuttingAfter the tour it was off to the Sun and Moon Bay, which is the Bay in which VeraResort will be built. The setting is quite majestic and my words won’t do it justice.

drying-machinealoe-processingNearby, in fact leading right up to the Aloecorp facility, a high speed train is being built that will serve as rapid and simple transit right from the airport directly to the VeraResort. Sometimes it’s hard to believe all this stuff, there’s simply so much going on across the globe within ECONET. If I just heard about this train from a secondary source I suppose I’d even be a little skeptical! But, check out the picture to the below left which demonstrates the initial groundwork being done for what will be an incredibly convenient mode of transit. The flight times, on the other hand, need a bit of work–but more on that later.

future-high-speed-trainAs we rode the bus back to town, the FLC members and ECONET Exec’s got a second wind and the playful banter and teasing (which is particularly a male thing, for some reason) passed plentifully around the bus. For sure, we have a group that can both dish it out and take it equally well and it provided for lots of laughter on our way to dinner.

Our final dinner on Hainan Island was spent with the Korean Diamonds eating traditional Chinese seafood. Given that this marked nearly a week abroad for the FLC, it was evident that each of us were beginning to crave some American food. It really is amazing the taste differences and food preferences among different cultures.

dinner-speakersDuring the meal a toast–really more like a team cheer–was initiated by each table of Korean Diamonds (about 10 tables in total) as Bill made his way around the room. Being the last table and only Americans we felt important to try to toast in the appropriate language, yet none of us know many Korean words beyond “hello”, “goodbye”, and “thank you”.

an-unknown-but-tasty-delicacyI have always liked the sound of the Korean words “Yogi Yo”, though I have no idea what it means. It’s just a fun expression to say and hear said. So this suggestion seemed to be as good as any alternative. It was confirmed by a few at our table that a) it wasn’t offensive, but b) we still didn’t know exactly what it meant even though we’ve heard our Korean colleagues use it frequently. We think the word means “here”, but this has not yet been validated. And shouting “here” probably does not make for a great team cheer.

Regardless, it was the best sounding expression we could muster and upon shouting the cheer it was met with a mix of hearty laughter and confused faces from around the room. I think they appreciated that we, at least, tried to say something in Korean. Our second cheer played even better, which was a simple and reliable “Univera, Univera, Univera!!!”

welcome-to-aloecorpAfterwards we made a stop at the Sheraton Sanya and then it was off to the airport for a departure flight late that evening (actually the next morning) at 1:30 am for the four-hour flight to Seoul.

Today is the long travel day, with a ten-hour layover followed by a 12-hour flight directly home.

aloe-fields-on-hazy-dayOn behalf of those from Univera, I offer my sincere congratulations to our friends and colleagues at Hainan Aloecorp China, and particularly to its CEO Jeff Han, for an outstanding event yesterday. This marked a milestone accomplishment as part of Bill’s worldwide plan for the ECONET.

This also marks an important step in the long-term evolution of our Univera business. There are some considerable hurdles in conducting the direct selling business in China, and already with the progress made in building a manufacturing facility as well as developing a track record of positive working relations with the Chinese government will serve to carve a path for us in future years for a burgeoning market.

regan-and-ryanWhat a great trip, yet I am glad to be on our way home. It’s been two weeks since Regan and I have seen our families so we’re eager to get back home for a few days before the Road Tour begins. Officially, the tour starts on Friday by kicking off a sold-out Univera Xperience and a special reception to follow. Then, Monday is a dinner event up in Seattle and then it’s down the coast for week one of our journey–ending in Phoenix for their Regional event.

I love the concept of RENEWAL. The meaning and flexibility of the expression, as well as what it represents to Univera and me personally. It can be both specific and general–achieved or aspirational. And it can mean different things at different times to different people.

flc-membersAs we head home I am certain that Renewal has touched each one of us, and I hope we can share some of the privilege of this Experience with some of you over the coming weeks and months.

Thankful to be on the Journey…

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

The Significance of Steadfastness

hainan-sunsetTonight we arrived in Hainan Island, the southern most part of China. A gorgeous island that could be compared to the grandeur of Hawaii but with a different charm and atmosphere uniquely its own. I’ve never been to Vietnam, but it has what I imagine to be that sense of flair from the somewhat steamy–though comfortable–atmosphere and developing yet rustic countryside riddled with road side rice patties on the way to our hotel.

It’s not only home to Hainan Aloecorp manufacturing, the official unveiling which occurs tomorrow, but also home to VeraResort–what will be a world class spa and destination resort that will be unrivaled on this Island, and among the best in this hemisphere.

the-bus-ride-to-hainanTonight Bill hosted a special dinner for the Field Leadership Council, he also invited two other guests: ECONET CEO, Stuart Ochiltree, and the very first Aloecorp employee who was a college friend–JJ (who is now an entrepreneur and remains close friends with Bill). It was a special evening of laughter, fellowship, and reflection; every time I am around Bill I am amazed. He is, truly, the real deal. A man of great conviction, vision, character, and perseverance. His commitment is among the most steadfast I have seen, and there are many examples of this within ECONET. Tonight, he used Unigen as an example, where for well over a decade the organization didn’t turn a profit (though today it is very successful and profitable). A business in which, despite many years of investment, he continued forward in what he knew would be the right thing to do that yielded the right outcome.

the-landscape-en-routeI mentioned in one of my first posts the magic of vision coupled with commitment. This is exactly what I was referring to, and it makes me honored and privileged to be a part of it. All across North America, I know there are many other people who feel the same way that are uniquely attached to the vision he leads, initiated by his late father. It is special that every one of us, regardless of where we live, how long we have been involved in the business, and regardless the capacity or rank (new Associates to Blue Diamonds, Customer Care agents to the Chief Executive Officer) can have a meaningful and lifelong impact in this cause.

rice-fields1I expect there are some leaders who also wish they were on this trip; truly, I wish you were here as well. And, someday you will be. For now, I feel it’s appropriate to share that those of us who are here represent you and share in this privilege to take what we have learned about Bill, the Company, the resources, and to utilize this to further instill the goodness and breath of what makes this Company so unique.

Tonight Bill shared stories of commitment, unity, and future opportunity. It is on this trip that there are many other Diamonds and Blue Diamonds here from Univera Korea (this is their equivalent of Diamond Club). He reflected that some of these Diamonds started with him 20, 25, and even 32 years ago when they first began. He reminded each of us that with this team, over the years, learned, persevered, stumbled, and grew together.

conversations-at-dinnerBill reminded us that those who were there many years ago were extremely well off today, with financial success they only once dreamed about–though their success was not just limited to financial prosperity. His point, clearly, was that so it will be with Univera North America. Those that begin today, that learn, persevere, stumble, and grow together will have a limitless opportunity for future years to come.

I hope that you hear firsthand from some of those with us tonight the magic in what we have as a Company, an owner, and each other. I have been to many wonderful dinners and events over my career: Black Tie receptions, dinners, fund raisers, inaugural events, and various other fanfare and recognition events. I have worked for several incredible Companies and with some exceptionally talented people. Yet, tonight, I found myself in the magic of the moment among the most exceptional evenings in my business career. And I write about it tonight, late into the evening, so you can share a glimpse of Bill’s commitment and our opportunity together.

flc-and-billTonight, I felt an innate sense of pride–not in a presumptuous sense–in our Company. More like a sense of pride that one might feel about their heritage or family. It was a pride in knowing who we are, a pride of our leadership as well as all those who touch our Company. It was a warm sense of satisfaction and commitment with the leaders at the table, those of the Field Leadership Council, and each of you whom they represent. A pride in you, who you are and what we want to become.

This trip is not just about the Field Leadership Council. It’s about each of you as well as our future together. In some small way, sitting 10,000 miles away overlooking a full moon reflecting on the South China Sea on a starry and exceptionally clear night–near the home of the future Veraspa Resort–that I wish to share just a glimpse of what it is that we have together and what we can become.

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 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.

The Whisper of Tienanmen Square

tiananmen-square
Tiananmen Square

Yesterday was the second day touring Beijing.

Tiananmen Square was magical to me. Not really because of the “sights to see”, there isn’t much. It’s a very large open space, surrounded by Government buildings including the Grand Hall. It’s, instead, the experience and feeling of the history. Odd as it sounds, there’s a haunting atmosphere in the Square and several times during our half-hour visit I felt chills as I thought back to what happened here on this plaza in 1989. It’s a humble reminder of the freedom we have in America, and a tribute to many people around the world who have risked or given their life for the privilege of freedom (or simply progress).

The Forbidden City was fascinating, an Emperor’s indulgence in a dramatically massive landscape that contained nearly 10,000 rooms. The entire structure was completed in about 15-years. Amazing.

inside-forbidden-cityWe learned that about 80-90% of the tourists in Beijing are actually Chinese. A dramatic difference from 20-years ago, when most tourists were Europeans, Americans, Russians, and Koreans. The rise of Chinese tourism, and also the significant increase in urbanization as well as modern transportation are all very visible indicators for the industry attraction to direct selling in China. With 1.3 billion people, a massively emerging middle class, it is set, someday, to become a spectacular source of opportunity for Univera as well as the people within China. It is still a structure that needs more development and a more favorable regulatory environment, but it remains an exciting opportunity as we plan our International expansion.

learning-about-silkwormsCraftsmanship in China can really be quite exceptional. As we all know and read in the news, there can be a whole spectrum of quality that comes out of China, and at times it’s unfairly generalized. After looking at some of the architecture, as well as handiwork in the silk industry, I have learned a great deal of the quality that can come from this land. In the picture to the right we’re learning about how the silkworm weaves a little cocoon, and then how that silk is extracted. In one tiny cocoon there is about one mile of a silk strand!

silky-softThe silk operation we went to had their plan perfectly templated with their own Gift-Team-Enroll method of operation. We showed up, they gifted us with a silk cocoon, shared with us a bit of information. Then came the experience, you can see Al rubbing his face on the silk to the right. It’s the face of a man about to make a silk investment. The silk touring team continued throughout, there was a pod of silk experts at every step of the tour…which then led us to enroll. They had their own 100340 twin pack plus two, but it was a silk comforter instead. After you bought that then it was time for the upsell. Some of us didn’t quite get through enroll, while others bought the 60-gift pack equivalent.

temple-of-heavenAnother incredible example of craftsmanship (craftswomen/craftsperson/craftshuman, etc.) is the Temple of Heaven. This is where the Emperors went to pray–just twice a year. Before entering, it required a three-day cleansing ritual. The temple, pictured left, is a construction masterpiece because it was made without a single nail. Or glue/adhesive of any kind. The entire structure was built by hand using interlocking wood beams. The inside, particularly the roof, is incredibly intricate. To imagine that this was done without CAD (architectural) drawings and modernized tools is hard to imagine. I have no clue how these guys could built the interlocking components that required such precision for perfect fit–each of thousands of pieces of wood had to fit perfectly together. Each piece was custom created, filed, chiseled by hand. Rather than going to Temple of Heaven, the rest of the FLC decided, instead, to sit on the bus and talk about culture and history, I think the topic was about the transfer of power from the Ming dynasty. It was either that, or they were comparing the watches they had just purchased at the market. Of course, Regan, Renate, and I teased each of them that the Temple of Heaven was the most interesting part of the trip so far, and that they missed Jackie Chan giving autographs.

discussion-at-dinnerBeijing is such an amazing city, each of us loved every minute of our time here learning more about the history and learning about the culture of such warm people. Today we’re off to Hainan for the grand opening of Hainan Aloecorp. Someday, many of us, will be back in Beijing together as we build Univera throughout the world–including China.

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 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.

Do you need anything Mr. Ambassador?

american-embassy-housingYesterday was our first full day in Beijing. Regan is the only person who has been here before, so each of us were like little kids discovering one of the most unique cities in the world.

The FLC members arrived into Beijing two nights ago, Saturday late into the evening (North America’s Friday). Within, I believe it was, 10-minutes of arriving at the airport Renate made a quick stop into the restroom. Next thing they knew was they lost her! For about thirty minutes. So as the story goes, just a few minutes before calling the police to report what they feared might be a missing person, they found each other. So you can imagine both their relief, as well as the endless teasing that occurred the following day.

regan-and-raz-eating-chineseThat same Saturday evening, Regan and I ventured out to the most authentic Chinese restaurant we could find and ended at a traditional Beijing noodle house. Not a lick of English spoken. Lots of pointing to the menu, acting out certain sounds, and trying to say the English word more loudly in the hopes of our servers understanding. We both received incredibly delicious noodle bowls, Regan had beef and I had pork with bean paste. Fantastic. We also were given a chance to try a drink called something like “Sweet Little Fairy Spirits”…Which, I think, is basically bottled jet fuel. Not so fantastic. We tried some, out of both courtesy and curiosity, and gave the rest of the bottle to our concierge. Another dish we ordered were these miniature shrimp–yes that sounds silly–but these were the size of peanuts. A heaping plate full of whole shrimp–legs, tail, head–cooked in oil. I think it was somewhat the Chinese equivalent of french fries. Delicious.

the-great-wallYesterday we spent nearly all day at The Great Wall of China. It’s about a two hour drive, so we enjoyed a traffic-filled journey by listening to the encyclopedic knowledge of our tour guide–Sally. Really, she was incredible. Her facts and figures riddled off like a bullet train, she was both charming and gregarious. We learned the Great Wall is about 4,000 miles in length (equivalent of going from LA to NYC to Miami), and took about 2,000 years to complete construction. What an amazing accomplishment–seeing the size and structure it is hard to believe the magnitude. And the geography for building this wasn’t exactly a cakewalk either, you can see some of the rugged and hilly terrain in the photo to the left.

part-of-flc-at-great-wallTo the right you can see MOST of the FLC members and Regan. Yes, four of the members were tough enough to brave the rain and wind. In the picture below right, you’ll see Al huddled in the corner. Like a puppy in the rain.

So this is what prompted tour-guide Sally–she quickly picked up on Al. Shortly thereafter, in a very endearing way, she started calling him “Mr. Ambassador”. The rest of the trip she really took to him.

al-off-in-the-corner“Do you need anything Mr. Ambassador?”

“Please come over here Mr. Ambassador.”

“Do not touch those ancient statues Mr. Ambassador.”

“Mr Ambassador, are you happy man right now?”

She was a riot. So was Al and the rest of the group.

A parting group shot below before leaving the Great Wall to continue the adventure…

flc-at-great-wall

the-next-pearl-streetWhen we returned to the City, most of us opted to go shopping in the Pearl District, where you can shop for nearly anything but the specialty are pearls. Hence the name.

We took the photo to the right given that our Company heritage with field leadership really started at the Pearl Street Hotel in Boulder, Colorado about ten years ago. So the word “Pearl” has some symbolic and special Univera meaning. The photo to the right is somewhat like a “Pearl Street 2”, but it’s “Pearl Market.” And in Beijing. And it’s missing Mr. Ambassador who opted instead for a massage.

Do you need anything Mr. Ambassador?

We finished the evening with more traditional Chinese food; in Beijing a specialty is duck. Different restaurants and areas have different ways of preparing it, yesterday ours was roasted duck. We wrapped up the evening discussing both the days events, sprinkled with business, and celebrating three of the five FLC members birthdays which occur in April. John Ryan, Al, and Renate. Served, of course, with traditional Chinese noodles and egg as dessert. A great day with a great team of people.

dscn0449dscn0448dscn0445

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 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.