Amway Global Insider

No time like summertime, so enjoy it while it's here

There's no time like summertime.   And there's no better time to enjoy it than the long Independence Day holiday weekend.  By the fourth of July, even chillier areas of the country are warming up so it feels like summer everywhere.

So get outside and catch summer while you can.  Here are 10 things you can do wherever you are and whatever you're doing to enjoy a bit of summer.

1)  Free your feet.  Take off your shoes and walk in the grass.  Feel the heat from the earth and let the blades tickle  your toes.  There are months where your feet are confined within socks and shoes.  July shouldn't be one of them.

2)  Get wet.  Run through a sprinkler or turn on a hose.  On the warmest days, there's nothing that elicits giggles like the sudden spray of a sprinkler or garden hose.

3)  Eat fruit.  June is for strawberries, July for blueberries, and August for peaches.  Eat them while they're still warm from the vine, bush, tree, or from a farmstand.

4) Make your own iced tea.  Not the rushed, watered down stuff you get in restaurants.  Make a batch of sun tea or brew your own with enough bags so the tea stands up to the ice.

5) Eat lunch outside.  Even your brown bag lunch eaten on a curb qualifies as a picnic.

6) Listen up.  Many communities have free outdoor concerts in the summer time.  Grab a lawn chair or blanket and get outside and enjoy some music and community.  In West Michigan, check out Blues on the Mall in Grand Rapids or  Blues on the River in Rockford.

7) Splurge on a cone.  Not a cup, a cone.  Wrap it in a napkin, although you know it'll soon melt all over your hand. 

8) Grill something.  Everything tastes better cooked over coals.  It doesn't matter whether it's a humble hot dog or a delectable Delmonico, it'll be worth the time.

9) Seek water.  Find a lake, pond, river, or other tributary. Wade in or go for a swim. 

10) Open the windows.  In many parts of the country, we're trapped inside most of the year.  Even on the hottest days, open your windows a bit and let the warm fresh air in.

Oh yes, and if you're outside, wear sunscreen. 

See how many of these you can do over the long Independence Day weekend.  And remember, Amway's U.S. offices will be closed for the holiday on Friday, July 3 and Monday, July 6.  We'll be back open for business on Tuesday the 7th.

Interns at work

It's summer at Amway, which means the interns have invaded and are hard at work in departments all around the company.  This year we have more than 100 interns at our West Michigan headquarters and 20 or so out at Nutrilite in California.

Which means more action at the Interns Expose Amway blog as this new crop of interns gets settled in for the summer.

Check out the blog as some interns who are graduating recall their time here and as new interns share their thoughts and experiences.  You'll also see our interns at work -- and play -- building a KaBOOM! playground  last  week as a One by One community service project.

Amway Global National Spotlight returns!

Staff are in the air or on the ground.  Boxes are being unpacked.  And displays are getting finishing touches.

We're literally hours away from the launch of the 2009 Amway Global National Spotlight events.   This year's series of events kicks off at 5 p.m. Pacific time today, June 25,  at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California.   The event continues from noon to 9 p.m. Friday, June 26, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 27.

Amway Global once again is bringing some of the world's most sought after brands to IBOs and their customers and prospects through the Spotlight events.   Here's what IBOs can expect:

• Training on Artistry skin care basics and Nutrilite foundations of optimal nutrition
• Overview sessions on the company's Fast Track promotion and online training opportunities
• A look back at IBOAI's first 50 years and ahead to the future
• Opportunities to talk with Amway Global's experts about the products and brands that fuel IBO businesses
• A look at what's new and hot in Artistry, Nutrilite, XS, and other brands

IBOs will walk away with new information, insights, and techniques designed to energize their businesses.

Spotlight events are also planned for August 6-8 in Baltimore, Md.; August 13-15 in Seattle, Wash; September 3-5 in New York, NY; and September 10-12 outside of Chicago, Ill. 

Complete details are at www.AmwayGlobal.com.

Farmer's Markets bring a taste of Michigan to Amway employees

I'm a big fan of our local Farmer's Markets.   The Fulton Street Farmer's Market in Grand Rapids operates May through December, with dozens of vendors offering fresh produce, meats, cheeses, flowers and other goods four days a week.  I frequent our little Rockford Farmer's Market every Saturday morning for my fruits and vegetables and the rosemary sourdough bread that I can't get anywhere else.

So I was delighted to learn that Amway is now hosting Farmer's Markets for its West Michigan employees.  The first market was June 24 at Amway's Fulton Street headquarters, and a second is planned for July 8 at its Spaulding facility, home to Amway Global. 

Vendors there were selling fresh strawberries, jams and jellies; locally produced honeys and honey products; salsas, mustards and barbecue sauces; and of course, fresh vegetables including green beans and red peppers.  I bought some Hasselman's fall honey, a jar of Sansonetti Michigan Maple barbecue sauce, and had to have some more Michigan strawberries before they're gone.

The market is part of Amway's Optimal You program, which encourages its employees to not just sell health, but live it.  Buying and eating local produce and foods is not only a healthy personal practice, it's healthy for local economies and supports a "Local First" philosophy.

And this is just the beginning.  The company plans more on-site markets through the summer and fall to help employees enjoy Michigan's bounty.

It's a good thing, because Michigan blueberries should be ripening up soon!

One little thing...

Sometimes one little thing can make a day brighter.

I thought today was starting out bad due to some drivers behaving badly.  On my way to work this morning, I was behind a small station wagon that was travelling parallel to another small station wagon.  The drivers clearly knew each other, because at every stop light they rolled down their windows and talked to each other.

They drove the speed limit and not a single mph more, which was infuriating the driver who was behind the wagon to my left.  So much so that this driver kept crossing into my lane to see if he could go any faster if he got in my lane.  But that wasn't the really bad part.

Cars started stacking up behind the two law-abiding wagons.  So much so that a car that had to be going at least 70 mph passed us all on the shoulder of the road and then cut off one of the wagons, causing all of us to slam on our brakes. 

Sure, we were all in a hurry and wished these wagons would either drive faster or get into a single lane so others could pass.  But this was a glaring act of stupidity that endangered this driver and everyone else on the road. It was one little thing that could have ruined a lot of people's days.

I decided to duck out of the traffic to get a cup of coffee.  There was a long line snaked around the drive-thru, so it took longer than I expected. When I got up to the window to pay, I learned the driver in front of me had paid for my coffee, just as the driver ahead of her had paid for her order.  The barista told me this had been going on for at least 10 orders.   

This was one little thing that surprised and delighted me, and I was happy to pass along the favor to the person behind me. It's the whole concept of somebody doing something for someone else and not expecting anything in return that's enchanting.   

That's one little thing that has the potential to brighten a lot of days.

Rain, rain, go away...we've got walking to do!

It may be raining here in West Michigan, but that won't dampen the enthusiasm of Amway Global IBOs and Amway employees and friends of Easter Seals who will hit the pavement for this year's Walk with Me event in Grand Rapids tonight.

Hundreds are expected -- rain or shine -- to walk to raise funds to help people with disabilities achieve independence.  This is a fun family event  hosted at John Ball Park & Zoo in downtown Grand Rapids.  Details about the Grand Rapids event are at the One by One blog.

Amway Global is national presenting sponsor of Easter Seal's Walk with Me events around the country. These events help raise funds needed to help Easter Seals help people with disabilities.  Easter Seals is the nation's leading provider of services and support to children and families dealing with autism and related disorders and to military veterans. 

It's a good time for a good cause.  And it's not to late to get involved, either as a participant or as a donor.  You can search for Amway and Amway Global teams at the Walk with Me web site and make a donation to a team or individual walker.  Or drop by the event tonight and show your support.  But you might want to bring an umbrella!

Not in West Michigan this evening?  Find a Walk with Me event near you at the Easter Seals web site.

Final count in the finals

When all was said and done, Amway scored big in the NBA Finals games played at Orlando.

During the three games played at the Amway Arena, the Amway name was seen or heard 1,289 times.

Impressive?  Yes, but consider than hundreds of millions of people saw and heard Amway through game broadcasts in more than 200 countries.  That's a lot of global brand exposure for Amway -- literally billions of brand impressions.

Thanks to those who followed us on Twitter and Tumblr or kept score with us at Score with Amway.

Please leave your "post game" thoughts on this exposure at www.ScorewithAmway.com.  

It's all over but the counting...

Visit www.scorewithamway.com later today for the official game four Amway mentions total and the number of brand sightings during all three games.

Hope you tuned in and kept Score with Amway! 

Are you kidding?

The final, official, double and triple-checked results from Tuesday's NBA Finals are in, and the Amway name and brand was seen or heard 445 times.

I was way off in my guess of less than 200, but I'm considerably more bullish for tonight's game.  I'm predicting more than 500 in this game.

Since we're keeping score, I'm guessing 511. 

That's a lot of Skittles, Peeps, Corn Nuts, Twinkies, Beer Nuts, and Teddy Grahams to tally.

Last night's win means another game at the Amway Arena!

With last night's win, the NBA Finals go to at least five games -- and that means more exposure for Amway in the series!

The next two games are Thursday, June 11 and Sunday, June 14 at the Amway Arena in Orlando.

Are you keeping Score with Amway?

We're tallying the number of times people hear or see the Amway name during these games at the Score with Amway blog.  Come join us and guess how many times hundreds of millions of people in more than 200 countries will see and hear our name -- in 42 different languages!

We'll be posting our count for last night's game a bit later today.  Check the blog and follow us on Twitter and Tumblr.

Keep Score with Amway

Starting tonight and continuing through the weekend, the Amway brand is going to get a lot of exposure from Akron to Zimbabwe. 

That's because up to three of the National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals games will be played at the Amway Arena in Orlando, Florida.  Tonight's game, a match on June 11, and possibly another on June 14 will be broadcast to a global audience of hundreds of millions of fans in more than 200 countries.

That's a lot of eyeballs that will see our logo on the court and on signage on the scoreboard and elsewhere in the arena. 

We've set up a blog plus Twitter and Tumblr accounts to track how many times we see or hear the Amway brand during these games.  We're counting mentions from tipoff to final buzzer -- no pre or post-game commentary -- and want you to guess along with us.  Following each game our interns will review each game and count the mentions and see how close any of us were in calculating the exposure for Amway.    

Give us your guess.  Visit Score with Amway to take a poll or register your guess as to how many mentions Amway will get for each game or in total.  You can also follow @ScorewithAmway on Twitter or Score with Amway on Tumblr.   We'll post your guesses as comments to the blog or as followers on Twitter or Tumblr.

I'm thinking the total will be well over 700 for the three games, and 227 for tonight's game.  What's your prediction?

'Circle of Honor' Welcomes Doug DeVos

During this week's Direct Selling Association (DSA) annual meeting in Baltimore, the Direct Selling Education Foundation (DSEF) bestowed its highest honor on Amway President Doug DeVos, by welcoming him to its "Circle of Honor." 

The Circle of Honor recognizes leaders in direct selling who have made exceptional contributions to the foundation.  Doug was cited as  "a leader, a visionary, and a voice of reason for the foundation at exactly the right moment in time."

Doug was a member of DSEF's board of directors earlier this decade and served as the organization's chairman.  Today, he continues to help the DSEF achieve its mission by working with DSEF's International Grant committee. Doug's father, Amway Co-Founder Rich DeVos, was inducted into the "Circle of Honor" in 2001.

This is the latest recognition of Amway's long service to the Direct Selling Association.  Many Amway Corporation and Amway Global staff serve or have served on DSA or DSEF boards and committees to help increase understanding of our industry. 

Nifty 50: The final 10

We're coming to the end of the 50 Nifty Reasons to celebrate Amway's 50th anniversary.  Here's the final 10: 

41) Nutrilite broke the $3 billion sales mark in 2008.

42) Amway's first products were in the home care category.  Why?  As Rich DeVos used to say, "everybody needs soap."

43) Amway Japan celebrates 30 years in business this year, as Amway marks 50.

44) Before founding Amway, Rich DeVos and Jay Van Andel were successful Nutrilite distributors.  They purchased the company in 1972 and today Nutrilite is Amway's biggest brand. 

45)  Amway China, which opened in 1995, is the company's top market.

46) Nutrilite's farms are certified organic.

47) Artistry is one of the world's top five, largest-selling prestige brands of facial skin care and color cosmetics.  This is based on a Euromonitor analysis of global 2005 sales.

48) A world of opportunity...Amway operates in more than 80 countries and territories.  

49)  Amway makes more than 150 million units of soap, detergents, and cleansers each year.

50)  More than 3 million people worldwide are achieving through their Amway businesses -- Amway's greatest achievement.

It may be the end of our list of 50 reasons to be proud of Amway's 50 years in business, but it's by no means the end of our celebration of this milestone.

Amway's official anniversary is in November, which means we have months to celebrate and commemorate the achievements of this 50-year old business.

Nifty 50: 31-40

And the list goes on!

31) Nutrilite Health Institute brings together more than 100 scientists, researchers, educators, and others to collaborate on health and wellness research.

32) Opportunity for millions, employment for thousands...More than 13,000 people are employed by Amway worldwide.

33) Amway opened more markets in the 1990s than it had in the previous three decades.

34) In 2003, iCook replaced Amway's Queen cookware line.

35)  Amway is the top health and beauty brand in China.

36)  Amway has been a corporate partner with Easter Seals since 1983.  Over the past 25 years, Amway and IBOs have given nearly $30 million to the organization.

37) Amway Global IBOs are supported by staff and a warehouse at the 786,800 sq ft Spaulding facility. 

38) Within five years of its founding, Amway grew from being housed in Rich DeVos and Jay Van Andel's basements to occupying four warehouses and a 20,000-square foot office building.

39) Amway India has helped more than 85,000 visually challenged children in India through its donation of Braille textbooks. 

40) The concepts that are the underpinnings of the Amway business: Freedom, Family, Hope and Reward,  Amway's Founding Fundamentals.

Tomorrow, the final 10 in the Nifty Fifty! 

Nifty 50: 21-30

Today we reach and pass the halfway mark on our list of 50 Nifty Reasons to celebrate 50 years of Amway. 

21)  Amway's newest market, Vietnam, opened in 2008.

22) Well preserved....Amway launched the Artistry brand in 1968.

23) Amway had more than $8.2 billion in sales in 2008, breaking yet another sales record.

24) Amway is ranked 44th on the annual Forbes listing of America's Largest Private Companies.

25) Amway became the second corporate recipient of the United Nations Environmental Programme's Achievement Award in 1989.

26)  Amway's turning 50 and so are several of the founding distributor families that are still active in the business.  Among them, the Hansens, Victors, and Dutts.

27)  With the opening of the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel in 1981, Amway went into the lodging and hospitality business. 

28)  Globally, Amway has more than 65 R&D labs staffed by more than 500 scientists and other staff.

29)  Amway Hong Kong is 35 this year.

30)  Amway celebrated the first Diamond Distribuors, Jere and Eileen Dutt, in 1964.

Look for reasons number 31-40 tomorrow!