<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
	xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
	>

<channel>
	<title>Razflections &#187; Economy</title>
	<atom:link href="http://www.razflections.com/tag/economy/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://www.razflections.com</link>
	<description>Reflections on Business, Life, and Pursuing your Purpose</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2011 17:47:00 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	<language>en</language>
	<sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod>
	<sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency>
	<generator>http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1</generator>
		<item>
		<title>Prudence</title>
		<link>http://www.razflections.com/2010/02/prudence.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.razflections.com/2010/02/prudence.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 09 Feb 2010 08:47:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Raz</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Personal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Direct Selling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Financial Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Recession]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://razflections.com/?p=2392</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Okay, so here it is...The vlog I've been postponing for ten days. Please, don't even watch it. I was compelled to post it by a Beatles song from 40-years ago. Yeah, I know. It makes no sense. To me, either. I am just trying to follow a "sign."]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://razflections.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/photo.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-2393 aligncenter" title="Prudence" src="http://razflections.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/photo.jpg" alt="Prudence" width="500" height="700" /></a></p>
<p>Okay, so here it is&#8230;The vlog I&#8217;ve been postponing for ten days. Please, don&#8217;t even watch it. I was compelled to post it by a Beatles song from 40-years ago. Yeah, I know. It makes no sense. To me, either. I am just trying to follow a &#8220;sign.&#8221;</p>
<p><object width="425" height="344" data="http://www.youtube.com/v/sQ4ZJOX4Pvs&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/sQ4ZJOX4Pvs&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /></object></p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.razflections.com/2010/02/prudence.html/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>17</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Thank You, Susan Boyle</title>
		<link>http://www.razflections.com/2009/04/thank-you-susan-boyle.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.razflections.com/2009/04/thank-you-susan-boyle.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 15 Apr 2009 04:19:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Raz</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Video]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Direct Sales]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ECONET]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Elaine Paige]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Executive Recruiting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[FLC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[I Dreamed a Dream]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Leadership]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Les Miserable]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mlm]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Olympia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Portland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Relationship Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rich Raz]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rich Razgaitis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Road Tour]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Seattle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Servant Leadership]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Susan Boyle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Univera]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wall Street Journal]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://razflections.com/?p=1259</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[  Sometimes there are certain moments that words don&#8217;t describe well. Which is why I won&#8217;t try to share much about today&#8217;s posting and I&#8217;ll let this seven minute video taken from &#8220;Britain&#8217;s Got Talent&#8221; give you chills from seeing someone&#8217;s dream realized. I wish I could embed the video itself, but that feature has [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<p><a href="http://razflections.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/susan-boyle.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1262" title="Susan Boyle" src="http://razflections.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/susan-boyle.jpg" alt="Susan Boyle" width="450" height="324" /></a></p>
<p>Sometimes there are certain moments that words don&#8217;t describe well.</p>
<p>Which is why I won&#8217;t try to share much about today&#8217;s posting and I&#8217;ll let this seven minute video taken from &#8220;Britain&#8217;s Got Talent&#8221; give you chills from seeing someone&#8217;s dream realized. I wish I could embed the video itself, but that feature has been disabled by YouTube for this particular video&#8211;so you&#8217;ll have to go to the link at the bottom of this posting.</p>
<p>When watching this, some of you will get chills.</p>
<p>Some will laugh, or smile.</p>
<p>And others will cry.</p>
<p>All of you will be moved.</p>
<p>The experience of watching this is among the most powerful I&#8217;ve felt in months. Look at the change in the audience, from the beginning, where they were laughing and mocking this lovely woman who simply has a dream&#8211;to being an audience that&#8217;s simply&#8230;inspired.</p>
<p>So many lessons in this seven minutes. About perceptions. Judgment. Perseverance. Potential. And dreams.</p>
<p>I&#8217;ve watched her performance four times in a row, and I can&#8217;t stop the overpowering sense of emotions and insight I get from watching what is probably seven of the most magical moments on television that have happened in a long while.</p>
<p>I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Here&#8217;s the link:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY&amp;NR=1" target="_self">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY&amp;NR=1</a></p>
<p>And, by the way, if you&#8217;re up for a little extra sentiment and contemplation, read the lyrics to the song she sang from Les Miserable &#8220;I Dreamed a Dream&#8221; below.</p>
<p>There was a time when men were kind<br />
When their voices were soft<br />
And their words inviting<br />
There was a time when love was blind<br />
And the world was a song<br />
And the song was exciting<br />
There was a time<br />
Then it all went wrong</p>
<p>I dreamed a dream in time gone by<br />
When hope was high<br />
And life worth living<br />
I dreamed that love would never die<br />
I dreamed that God would be forgiving<br />
Then I was young and unafraid<br />
And dreams were made and used and wasted<br />
There was no ransom to be paid<br />
No song unsung, no wine untasted</p>
<p>But the tigers come at night<br />
With their voices soft as thunder<br />
As they tear your hope apart<br />
And they turn your dream to shame</p>
<p>He slept a summer by my side<br />
He filled my days with endless wonder<br />
He took my childhood in his stride<br />
But he was gone when autumn came</p>
<p>And still I dream he&#8217;ll come to me<br />
That we will live the years together<br />
But there are dreams that cannot be<br />
And there are storms we cannot weather</p>
<p>I had a dream my life would be<br />
So different from this hell I&#8217;m living<br />
So different now from what it seemed<br />
Now life has killed the dream I dreamed.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.razflections.com/2009/04/thank-you-susan-boyle.html/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>16</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Dogged Pursuit</title>
		<link>http://www.razflections.com/2009/04/dogged-pursuit.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.razflections.com/2009/04/dogged-pursuit.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 13 Apr 2009 03:38:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Raz</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Convention]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Direct Selling Association]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ECONET]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Executive]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Executive Recruiting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Exercise]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fitness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Making Money]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Olympia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Portland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Primary Income]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Relationship Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rich Raz]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rich Razgaitis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[richraz]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Road Tour]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Seattle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Secondary Income]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Servant Leadership]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Univera]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wall Street Journal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wellness]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://razflections.com/?p=1208</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[  Can we agree on a few simple premises?  1. There&#8217;s a huge need for secondary or replacement primary income right now? More than ever in the past three decades, perhaps longer? Everybody is faced with the prospect of layoffs, 401k matches missing, salary reductions, and on. Not to say that everyone is going through [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://razflections.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/hot-dog-cart.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1255" src="http://razflections.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/hot-dog-cart.jpg" alt="" width="422" height="422" /></a></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Can we agree on a few simple premises? </p>
<p><strong>1. There&#8217;s a huge need for secondary or replacement primary income right now? </strong>More than ever in the past three decades, perhaps longer? Everybody is faced with the prospect of layoffs, 401k matches missing, salary reductions, and on. Not to say that everyone is going through it&#8211;but everybody to some degree is faced with the prospect. Heck, I just read that even Sesame Street is laying off 20% of it&#8217;s workforce&#8211;including some of the letters of the alphabet, such as Q, K, Z, K, and the semicolon! (the latter is pulled from a funny piece of online satire, but the former is apparently true and not so funny). </p>
<p><strong>2. That there&#8217;s nothing wrong with pushing a hotdog cart </strong>(though I wouldn&#8217;t recommend eating one everyday). People do what they need to do. No judgment here. </p>
<p><strong>3. That an opportunity in Univera makes vastly more sense</strong> in terms of a) lower initial investment, b) time factor of money, c) income potential, d) capitalizing on a growing marketplace, e) feeling better physically, and f) intersecting what you do with what you love&#8211;or in other words, finding purpose in work? </p>
<p>Check this recent article from the Wall Street Journal, and tell me it doesn&#8217;t motivate you to go and find that extra person to give them a shot at what they might never have known but for your contributions and enthusiasm&#8230;The best advice probably comes at the very end of the story, where Mr. Mottola says &#8220;I&#8217;m creating my own stimulus plan&#8230;I&#8217;m not waiting for the President.&#8221;</p>
<div style="margin:20px;"><strong>Dogged Pursuit: Professionals Find New Livelihood Selling Frankfurters</strong></div>
<div style="margin:20px;"><strong></strong>BANDERA, Texas &#8212; In hard times, some small-town Americans are turning to a new livelihood with relish.</div>
<div style="margin:20px;">
<p>Among them are Andrea and Ben Guajardo. They began selling hot dogs from a pushcart on Main Street in November.</p>
<p>Ms. Guajardo is a grant administrator for a health-care system. Her husband, Ben, is a pipeline operator. Theirs is the first hot-dog stand in Bandera, pop. 957, that anybody here can remember.</p></div>
<p>Click <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123923554488403239.html" target="_blank">here</a> to read the full story.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.razflections.com/2009/04/dogged-pursuit.html/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Rockin&#8217; Reno</title>
		<link>http://www.razflections.com/2009/04/rockin-reno.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.razflections.com/2009/04/rockin-reno.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 11 Apr 2009 03:00:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Raz</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Road Tour]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Univera Events]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Video]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[2009]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Convention]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Direct Selling Association]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dream Cube]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ECONET]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Executive Recruiting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[executives]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Exercise]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fitness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[FLC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mlm]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nevada]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Recruiting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Relationship Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reno]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rich Raz]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rich Razgaitis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[richraz]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Servant Leadership]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Univera]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://razflections.com/?p=1213</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[  What happens when you pull together 500 people who&#8230; Have high energy?  Great leadership?  Are excited about a new paradigm to feeling great?  And ready to take hold of their own financial future?  httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUV-QV_jp0w Well, when you combine all of those things in the dynamic city of Reno, and a huge portion of those [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: left; "> </p>
<p><a href="http://razflections.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/al-and-glenn.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-1234" title="Reno Event, Al and Glenn" src="http://razflections.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/al-and-glenn-500x326.jpg" alt="Reno Event, Al and Glenn" width="500" height="326" /></a></p>
<p>What happens when you pull together 500 people who&#8230;</p>
<p>Have high energy? </p>
<p>Great leadership? </p>
<p>Are excited about a new paradigm to feeling great? </p>
<p>And ready to take hold of their own financial future? </p>
<p>httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUV-QV_jp0w</p>
<p>Well, when you combine all of those things in the dynamic city of Reno, and a huge portion of those 500 are guests leaning forward in their seats during the presentations, you&#8217;ve got an event that absolutely rocked this past Tuesday night. </p>
<p>I can&#8217;t say enough great things about the event.</p>
<p>And, with our Road Tour every city was really good&#8211;many were great and even exceptional. But, Reno was off the charts. Just totally off the charts. Of course Stephen and Regan were fantastic, but so were all of the hosts and participants and people and guests and&#8230;</p>
<p>So much of the success of an event is decided before anyone first sets foot in the door. And, what I mean by that is it&#8217;s often pre-determined by the leaders in the room and their spirit and excitement coming into the activity that helps drive to a successful event.</p>
<p>That, coupled with bringing lots of qualified people to hear some great news. </p>
<p>This past week, that&#8217;s exactly what happened as we wrapped up the Road Tour in Reno&#8211;there&#8217;s no hyperbole there when I saw it&#8217;s the best event we&#8217;ve had in a long time. It was absolutely electric by the end of the night.</p>
<p>httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0G5U84Iq0M</p>
<p>And hangin&#8217; with the Reno leaders was a hoot as well. </p>
<p>Stay tuned for a Road Tour highlights video, for now enjoy this stuff from the Rockin&#8217; Reno team. </p>

<a href='http://www.razflections.com/2009/04/rockin-reno.html/dscn3648' title='dscn3648'><img width="150" height="150" src="http://www.razflections.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/dscn3648-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail" alt="dscn3648" title="dscn3648" /></a>
<a href='http://www.razflections.com/2009/04/rockin-reno.html/dscn3649' title='dscn3649'><img width="150" height="150" src="http://www.razflections.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/dscn3649-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail" alt="dscn3649" title="dscn3649" /></a>
<a href='http://www.razflections.com/2009/04/rockin-reno.html/dscn3650' title='dscn3650'><img width="150" height="150" src="http://www.razflections.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/dscn3650-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail" alt="dscn3650" title="dscn3650" /></a>
<a href='http://www.razflections.com/2009/04/rockin-reno.html/dscn3651' title='dscn3651'><img width="150" height="150" src="http://www.razflections.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/dscn3651-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail" alt="dscn3651" title="dscn3651" /></a>
<a href='http://www.razflections.com/2009/04/rockin-reno.html/dscn3652' title='dscn3652'><img width="150" height="150" src="http://www.razflections.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/dscn3652-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail" alt="dscn3652" title="dscn3652" /></a>
<a href='http://www.razflections.com/2009/04/rockin-reno.html/dscn3653' title='dscn3653'><img width="150" height="150" src="http://www.razflections.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/dscn3653-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail" alt="dscn3653" title="dscn3653" /></a>
<a href='http://www.razflections.com/2009/04/rockin-reno.html/dscn3654' title='dscn3654'><img width="150" height="150" src="http://www.razflections.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/dscn3654-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail" alt="dscn3654" title="dscn3654" /></a>
<a href='http://www.razflections.com/2009/04/rockin-reno.html/dscn3655' title='dscn3655'><img width="150" height="150" src="http://www.razflections.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/dscn3655-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail" alt="dscn3655" title="dscn3655" /></a>
<a href='http://www.razflections.com/2009/04/rockin-reno.html/dscn3656' title='dscn3656'><img width="150" height="150" src="http://www.razflections.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/dscn3656-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail" alt="dscn3656" title="dscn3656" /></a>
<a href='http://www.razflections.com/2009/04/rockin-reno.html/dscn3657' title='dscn3657'><img width="150" height="150" src="http://www.razflections.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/dscn3657-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail" alt="dscn3657" title="dscn3657" /></a>
<a href='http://www.razflections.com/2009/04/rockin-reno.html/dscn3658' title='dscn3658'><img width="150" height="150" src="http://www.razflections.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/dscn3658-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail" alt="dscn3658" title="dscn3658" /></a>
<a href='http://www.razflections.com/2009/04/rockin-reno.html/al-and-glenn' title='Reno Event, Al and Glenn'><img width="150" height="150" src="http://www.razflections.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/al-and-glenn-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail" alt="Reno Event, Al and Glenn" title="Reno Event, Al and Glenn" /></a>

<p>I don&#8217;t have any good stories from the event&#8211;only great ones, and the leadership there is fantastic. There is no way I can give credit to all the names of people who made such an impact. </p>
<p>Congrats, team, on such a great event. And, thanks for making the final stop among the best events we&#8217;ve ever held.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.razflections.com/2009/04/rockin-reno.html/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Hey, Big Spender!</title>
		<link>http://www.razflections.com/2009/02/hey-big-spender.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.razflections.com/2009/02/hey-big-spender.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 02 Feb 2009 17:14:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Raz</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Leadership]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wellness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Consumer Spending]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.richraz.dreamhosters.com/?p=72</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[So there&#8217;s a lot less buying going around these day, we all know that. But did you know what people are still buying? Their health and appearance. Among a few other things. At least, those are a few things I read out of this recent article from Forbes&#8211;that lists the ten things we&#8217;re still buying. [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://razflections.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/workout5-150x150.jpg"><br />
</a><a href="http://razflections.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/fist-of-money.gif"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-377" title="fist-of-money" src="http://razflections.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/fist-of-money-268x300.gif" alt="fist-of-money" width="152" height="169" /></a></p>
<p>So there&#8217;s a lot less buying going around these day, we all know that.</p>
<div>But did you know what people are still buying?</div>
<p>Their health and appearance. Among a few other things.</p>
<p><a href="http://razflections.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/linitie_bg.gif"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-378" title="linitie_bg" src="http://razflections.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/linitie_bg-248x300.gif" alt="linitie_bg" width="205" height="247" /></a></p>
<div>At least, those are a few things I read out of this recent article from Forbes&#8211;that lists the ten things we&#8217;re still buying. People still want to look and feel good, so categorically there are some overlaps between the things Univera offers and &#8220;gym memberships&#8221;, as there&#8217;s a health and wellness component that&#8217;s interlinked. Same with personal care purchases&#8211;people still want to look great (and, we do have an amazing skin care solution coming out later this year) and be at their best&#8211;which also ties to our products.</div>
<div><a href="http://razflections.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/workout5-150x150.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-252" title="workout5-150x150" src="http://razflections.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/workout5-150x150.jpg" alt="workout5-150x150" width="150" height="150" /></a>Are the vast majority of consumers eagerly seeking ways to add $100 to their monthly expenses? No, unless there&#8217;s a fantastic benefit (by the way&#8211;even with this economy, well over half of the people that enroll in Univera enroll as retail or preferred customers). So products that change peoples lives will always have a market. Always.</div>
<div>And for those who are concerned about or need money, it&#8217;s an even better story and opportunity to get people engaged as a wholesale buying Associate so they can share the gift with others and get the products for free&#8211;or even make money in the process. There will always be people who need to make money. Especially over the next 24-months.<a href="http://razflections.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/ageless30ozsingle_web.gif"><img class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-376" title="ageless30ozsingle_web" src="http://razflections.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/ageless30ozsingle_web-150x150.gif" alt="ageless30ozsingle_web" width="150" height="150" /></a></div>
<div>
<div>
<div style="margin: 5pt 10pt 5pt 40pt;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ten Things We&#8217;re Still Buying</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:arial;">Hey, Big Spender, are you out there? You must be, since December 2008 sales amounted to $343.2 billion. What did you buy?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:arial;">Nothing impulsive or lavish, it would seem. Consumer confidence is at its lowest point in history and, according to a Jan. 14 report released by the Commerce Department, retail sales were down 2.7% in December 2008 from November 2008 and 9.8% from December 2007.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:arial;">From Wal-Mart to Saks Fifth Avenue, retailers are so desperate to rid themselves of inventory that they&#8217;re marking down some merchandise by 90%. </span></div>
<p>Click <a href="http://www.forbes.com/2009/01/20/consumer-spending-essentials-forbeslife-cx_ls_0120spending.html">here</a> to read the entire Forbes.com piece.</div>
</div>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.razflections.com/2009/02/hey-big-spender.html/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>533,000</title>
		<link>http://www.razflections.com/2008/12/533000.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.razflections.com/2008/12/533000.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 05 Dec 2008 21:19:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Raz</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Leadership]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Personal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wellness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Univera]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wall Street Journal]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.richraz.dreamhosters.com/?p=59</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I doubt anybody missed this announcement, but I&#8217;ll include a link below to the front page story of the Wall Street Journal&#8211;also easiliy found on the website or cover of any other paper or news site today. The month of November represented the shedding of over 533,000 jobs&#8211;the highest monthly total we&#8217;ve seen in the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://razflections.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/unemployment.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-417" title="unemployment" src="http://razflections.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/unemployment-300x219.jpg" alt="unemployment" width="300" height="219" /></a>I doubt anybody missed this announcement, but I&#8217;ll include a link below to the front page story of the Wall Street Journal&#8211;also easiliy found on the website or cover of any other paper or news site today.   The month of November represented the shedding of over 533,000 jobs&#8211;the highest monthly total we&#8217;ve seen in the past 34 years. And I think we all know the reality is that it&#8217;s not going to turn around anytime soon.   And while people are clearly concerned about unnecessary expenses, one of the things that I think people will need to think more about is their health. If you&#8217;re worried about providing for yourself and your family, you also have to be thinking about the physical health you&#8217;re in. And I&#8217;m not trying to suggest that it&#8217;s just about taking AgelessXtra, or Aloe Gold, and RegeniCARE that will lead to better health. Clearly, there are all sorts of things we can do such as exercising, eating well, and eating less that will give us an edge. But I&#8217;m also certain that our products contribute towards the achievement of peak potential, and as a result should stay on the family budget way longer than some other perceived &#8220;must have&#8221; expenses.   But beyond this, North Americans are going to have to get aggressive about seeking employment AND mitigating risk. There is little time to think about what to do, to wallow in frustration or disillusionment, or stay in a state of paralysis.</p>
<p>Which is where our Univera business opportunity will be a focal point for so many now and in the future&#8211;for some it&#8217;ll be enough income that they can easily pay for the product, for others it&#8217;ll be a a car payment and health insurance or possibly a mortgage, for some it&#8217;ll serve to fund vacations/trips/lifestyle that they thought would forever be out of reach, and yet for others still it&#8217;ll simply put food on the table for them and their families.</p>
<p>By finding a job this will mean exploring avenues or pursuits they haven&#8217;t considered before (including Relationship Marketing) as well as finding secondary or supplemental sources of income. Which is where our business opportunity comes into play&#8211;in stronger force and opportunity over the next year than what we&#8217;ve seen over the past three years combined.</p>
<div style="margin: 5pt 10pt 5pt 40pt;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">U.S. Sheds Over Half Million Jobs<br />
</span><span style="font-family:arial;">WASHINGTON &#8212; The U.S. recession deepened last month as U.S. companies shed jobs at the fastest rate since the early 1970s, pushing the unemployment rate to its highest level in 15 years.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:arial;">The figures suggest the year-old recession will approach or even exceed the 1981-1982 downturn in severity and support expectations that Federal Reserve officials will soon lower interest rates to levels not seen in a half century.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:arial;">Nonfarm payrolls, which are calculated by a survey of establishments, plunged a larger-than-expected 533,000 in November, the U.S. Labor Department said Friday, the 11th-straight decline and largest since December 1974.<br />
</span></div>
<p>Click <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122848262764182657.html?mod=testMod">here</a> to read the full article.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.razflections.com/2008/12/533000.html/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>A look at the bright side&#8230;</title>
		<link>http://www.razflections.com/2008/11/a-look-at-the-bright-side.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.razflections.com/2008/11/a-look-at-the-bright-side.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 23 Nov 2008 18:39:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Raz</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Personal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gas]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.richraz.dreamhosters.com/?p=56</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The economy might be rough, but at least it&#8217;s fun to buy gas again.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The economy might be rough, but at least it&#8217;s fun to buy gas again.</p>
<div>
<div><a href="http://razflections.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/gas.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-427" title="gas" src="http://razflections.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/gas-225x300.jpg" alt="gas" width="225" height="300" /></a></div>
</div>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.razflections.com/2008/11/a-look-at-the-bright-side.html/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
	</channel>
</rss>

