I am Amway Global. Are you?

I just finished reading a post by Chuck Lia about the business transformation we're going through. He praises the company for the journey we've begun, but points out areas where he feels we need some more work. One of those concerns is continuing use of the curiosity approach and the damage to our reputation that it causes.

When a prospect asks an IBO what business is being presented, they have the right to a straight answer and, in fact, many of the programs we've put in place over the past year or so are all about providing those straight answers.

Last year, when we introduced the Quixtar Business Opportunity Brochure (QBOB) to replace the SA-4400 as a mandatory document prospects must see when being shown the plan, we did so to ensure no person joining this business was unclear about what they were being asked to join and knew what activities would need to happen in order to earn income, especially in the short term. I think the QBOB does a good deal more, but its basic role is to provide a basic snapshot of the business opportunity and the information people need to make an informed decision.

The current ad campaigns and sponsorships like Tina Turner's tour and the YMCA, meanwhile, help in another way. These promotional campaigns will primarily help IBOs who proclaim to the world that they are indeed Amway Global IBOs. At the San Francisco National Spotlight event, I heard numerous testimonials from IBOs about people who called them to find out more about the business or the products because they saw the ads. This wouldn't happen unless people knew they were in our business. 

The same thing's true for products.  If people don't know you sell Nutrilite and Artistry products, our promotional efforts won't help you. For instance, check out a recent review of Artistry Time Defiance Illuminating Essence.  Or the one provided for Artistry Essentials Soothing Creme. When one of your friends reads the positive reviews, she should know that you sell Artistry so that she can give you a call.

I have received more calls this summer than ever before. Now that our ads are appearing and we're announcing sponsorships, people with ad space, services and events to sell are all hitting me up -- because they have seen in public places that I manage advertising, PR and sponsorships for the company.  (HINT: You will get swifter response if you submit proposals to Advertising@Quixtar.com or Sponsorship@Quixtar.com).  The point is, people know how to get hold of me. Do they know how to reach you?

Old Amway Ad

Just saw this 1971 Amway ad for sale on eBay.  Better hang on to the ads appearing in magazines like Newsweek and Fast Company and Money so that you can cash in on Amway Global nostalgia sometime in 2045. 

WOOD TV8 Article

National Spotlight Recap

Wow, what a great weekend in SF!  The city was beautiful, as always, but a little chilly.  That's OK, though, because it meant you didn't get too overheated walking around.  My on-foot travels including climbing up Russian Hill from the Marina side and walking down the famous Lombard St. curves. What a great workout (something I don't get enough of)!  I also visited Jeff and Julie in their cute little cottage in the Castro.  Although I cabbed it there and didn't have to manually climb it, it's one of those streets that appear to be something like a 45 degree angle. I did walk down the street to get to a busier street to catch a cab back to the hotel, though, and you have to be careful you don't get going to fast ... you might not stop in time when you reach a cross street. 

Spotlight was the true star of the weekend.  Talking to thousands of IBOs about the Amway Global ads (do you call them "Now You Know" or the "Hello My Name Is .." ads .... I alternate), I was thrilled that so many IBOs were reporting great things. Many IBOs came up to the booth to tell Nick and I that friends and acquaintances who knew they were in the business were approaching them after seeing the ads to ask for more information. That's fantastic!

Of course, that only works if your friends and acquaintances and neighbors know that you're in the Amway Global business. People were sharing their creative ideas for making that happen. For instance, bumper stickers featuring the "Hello My Name Is ..." look and feel.  Great idea!   Window stickers!  Magnets that go on the sides of your car!  Business cards!  All capitalizing on the ad campaign.  I certainly shared those thoughts with a few others the moment I made it back to GR.  Nick was taking a lot more notes than I about the experiences of IBOs related to the ads, so he might have more on that soon.

There also was a lot of excitement to receive the 2-minute and 4-minute opportunity videos that are coming in the August mailing within the next few weeks.  These videos are great ways to provide a broad perspective on the business as part of a business meeting, and they're coming to IBOs free from the company along with the Achieve mailing.

I was impressed (again) by the size of the Hispanic groups at this event. And all audiences were HUNGRY for information and for training seminars that were offered.  I truly respect all of the IBOs who attended for taking advantage of this free opportunity to learn more about their business. That commitment to personal development is a step in the right direction. 

I also was pleased to see so many people wearing the "I Donated to Easter Seals" stickers, provided when event attendees made their donation upon entrance at the Moscone Center. I haven't heard how much was raised yet, but it looks like this weekend was a good one for our friends at Easter Seals!  It was a great weekend for me, too, although I will admit to being a little tired after getting back just last night.  I will sleep well (again) tonight!

SF National Spotlight

I am looking forward to meeting thousands of IBOs over the next few days while working the National Spotlight here in San Francisco.  Yesterday I had to get up at 3:30 a.m. Eastern so I could make the 5 a.m. flight out of GR to get here, so I didn't really cruise around much yesterday. 

I did see my college friend Jeff, whose career is taking off in new directions again.  He hosted a conference yesterday about starting your own business, called Start.  Of course, his conference was more about starting tech-oriented businesses and getting Venture Capital.  Or not, and how you can succeed anyway.  I now wish I had gone to his conference so I could have taken notes and blogged about it.  Oh well. I went to the "after party" of the conference, which was held in the old "firehouse" in Fort Mason right on the San Francisco Bay.  Very cool.  Then, afterwards, a smaller group went to dinner at a restaurant that was the officer's club at the Presidio.  Also way cool.  As were all the people at the table, of course.

In addition to Jeff, who writes, speaks, starts companies and led a major project for Google but is now on his own to start "the next thing," there was a screenwriter, a guy who has founded a couple very well-known social media tools, a lady who's been with Flickr since before its founding, and more.  So talented and creative.  I hope it rubs off on me! Of course, I am always excited to talk about what I do too and explain how our business works when given the opportunity.  They're always interested, because when you think about it, the way social media and the Quixtar/Amway Global business work are not too different. Well, other than the fact that we sell products and pay markups and bonuses.  I guess I'm saying that the way people enter our business through existing IBOs is like social media ... spreading virally through people who use and like a particular application.  In this case, our business!

Gotta go. Hope to see some of you later today, and more of you tomorrow here in beautiful San Francisco. 

A Global Mobile Biz

Yes, we all know that Amway is global. Yesterday I had some pretty interesting conversations internally about how to best support a mobile strategy. After all, IBOs may be building home-based businesses, but it's not like all the work is happening in their homes. 

In the past year I have to admit I've become a bit of a blackberry addict. I always vowed I wouldn't go there, but it's hard not to "just check my email" when it's so easy to do so from just about anywhere. Like, while waiting in line for an attraction at Disney. I will never hear the end of that one from my family. 

Kari, Amanda and Dillon Having Fun.  Me, checking email

OK, there's always the potential to abuse any new technology. Everything in moderation, right? 

Mobile technology is rapidly improving. Speed is getting quicker. Devices can hold so much more data and do so many things now. Coverage is near universal (although I have to admit that my hopes aren't very high for good coverage at the cottage up north this next week). 

I really don't know much about the iPhone initiative we read about this week, but it sounds very exciting for us and for IBOs. Imagine whipping out your iPhone and showing a potential customer a video about Nutrilite to prove a point. Or quickly checking your business volume while sitting at an airport terminal on the last day of a month. Or reviewing your downline organization and sending emails. What are the "killer IBO apps" that Amway Global needs to develop? I'm excited for the potential this represents for our business and for IBOs. 

Busy Summers @ Quixtar

My parents were both immigrants from the Netherlands, and I still have many uncles, aunts and cousins who reside there. I admit that the distance between us means we're not very close and don't communicate often. I did visit there as a teen and of course have seen all of them when they've travelled to North America. They all have travelled here multiple times, and when they're not traveling here, they're going on vacations in the south of France or Spain or in the Alps. Europeans, at least those in Holland, take their vacations very seriously.

In fact, I've been told that things pretty much slow down across the country because everyone's on vacation in the summer. That might be an overstatement. While I know the pace may slow down for some in the summer, it seems like most summers at Quixtar have been hotbeds of activity.  Although I am probably taking more vacation this summer than I have in many years, I have been busier at work than ever before. We went to Florida back in June so my six-year-old son could have his first Disney experience, and next week we're off to our cottage rental on Crystal Lake about an hour north and west of here.  We've gone to the same cottage for the past decade or so, but this will be the last time we go to this particular cottage because its owner is selling (and, unfortunately, it's priced way beyond our means!).

While the family lazes by the lake I will be back here a few days next week because there are so many projects progressing at breakneck speed. You have been to or heard about the National Spotlight events. You've seen the Amway Global brand ads and, depending on where you live, you may have seen some of the direct response ads.  By now you've probably heard we are Presenting Sponsor of the Tina Turner Live in Concert tour. More announcements are coming about partnerships, events, and promotional activities. I know I've said that many times this year, but finally all the work is getting to the stage where we can announce the results.

I am SO excited about the direction we're headed and the work that we're doing. I am THRILLED for the opportunities all of these promotional efforts represent for our IBOs. These programs are designed to raise awareness, educate, and create favorability so that, when IBOs reach out to prospects, they stage is set for a meaningful dialog.

I encourage people in our business to examine each of these initiatives -- the ones we know about and the ones still to come -- to determine how best you can leverage them to reach your prospects, start a dialog, discover their needs, and introduce your solution(s), whether that be ARTISTRY Time Defiance to go after age lines or a business opportunity to help deal with stressed credit lines. Our broad promotional programs only come to life when you activate them with your personal approach. That's what makes our business model so powerful. Combining the corporate support we can provide with the personal touch you bring to the marketplace.

I hope you all have a great weekend and enjoy a little downtime. And then I hope you're ready to get busy.  There's a lot more coming and each announcement brings you another tool to reach out to people in your community. 

My Dad & Social Media

A few weeks ago, when I was vacationing in Florida, I got a call from my dad. For some people, this is a common occurrence. For me, this is a rare treat. Little did I know how rare (and treat) this was!

Let me go back in time a little.  Two Christmases ago, a couple of my nephews (who are computer engineers) set my dad up with a computer. I don't think he really knew what to do with it. He will turn 80 this year. He would say things like, "I don't have time to monkey around with something like that."  Well, I give him credit, because he took a course offered at the local school to learn internet basics. 

I remember his first email to me. It was probably two sentences long. Most of his emails to me are just a few short lines. Some people would say, "Well, I prefer to communicate on the phone, too.  Email is so impersonal." And my response would be, "Well, my dad doesn't call me either."  OK, here's my confession. I don't call him all that often either. But if we do talk on the phone, it's more likely that I did the dialing. There was a point just a few months ago that I tried to call him a bunch of times but couldn't get through. I think I now know why.

Anyway, my dad did start reading this blog when he first got online. Eventually, that wasn't his only foray into social media. A few months ago he met and began regulary chatting with Frances, a lovely lady in Washington. Eventually, I guess, they developed feelings for each other and my dad (using one of my brother's frequent flier miles) traveled to meet her. The call to Florida a few weeks ago was to let me know they're getting married.  This Saturday.

I knew they were discussing this, because they had told me this after my dad's visit. It was still a little bit of a shock, though. Don't get me wrong. I'm very happy for my dad and for Frances. My mom passed away five years ago and my dad's been lonely. He has friends, but I guess he's the kind of person who just wants to share life with someone else. He really didn't like wandering around his condo by himself. My three brothers and myself have all moved away. My sister remains in Trenton near him, but she has a busy life too. So, I'm glad he's found someone!

But on the internet? I think there's still a stigma attached to online dating, but frankly I think in circumstances like my dad's, the internet is a boon. How cool is it for someone with limited options in his small hometown to meet someone who is a great match and who also wants to enjoy their golden years with someone else?

Frances introduced herself to me via email and shared with me (and my brothers, I assume) her feelings for my dad. I responded (and googled her ... her name came up on a community website as did some images of her artwork ... seascapes, if I recall correctly). My dad also sent an email the other day to let us know he had arrived in Seattle safely, had met with the pastor, and was going to get a marriage license. At this rate, he will be on Twitter within the year.

I am not going to the wedding (two of my brothers are going to represent the Luymes clan); we will be joining a family celebration with the newlyweds in my hometown in Canada in early September instead. My wishes for Frances and my dad are that they will enjoy a beautiful day on Saturday and that their marriage will be a happy union that chases those "lonely bugs" away. 

Meanwhile, I marvel (again) at the connections and possibilities that the internet provides to all of us.

Independence Days

Since I was born in Canada, I grew up with "Dominion Day" and, later, "Canada Day" on July 1.  That was the first half of my life. The second half, so far, has been here in the U.S.  It's Independence Day, right? Why does everyone just call it the Fourth of July?  Why not call it by name?  We don't call Christmas the "25th of December."  We don't call Thanksgiving "November whatever it is this year-th." 

Independence should be proclaimed, rather than hidden by a number. Independence is valued here in the U.S. like nowhere else in the world, probably including Canada, which has always been proud to part of a greater Brittania.  Officially, I'm still a Canadian (which is what I still tell people when they ask if I'm a Democrat or a Republican). But as time goes on and my accent disappears, I become more and more American. I guess I just need to bite the bullet (but not literally) and do the Citizenship test thing. I think I'm past the draft age anyway.

When I first came to the U.S., I thought Americans were perhaps a little silly in how much they waved their flag.  Coming from a smaller (population-wise) country, America seemed so full of itself. Now that I've been here for more than 20 years, when I go back to visit family in Canada I now think maybe Canadians wave their flag (and wear it) even more than Americans ... maybe it's just a matter of perception, or maybe the equation really has flip flopped (along with the value of each nation's dollars) during the past few decades. Anyway, now I know why Americans were waving their flag so much. This IS a great country (despite what many people now say) built upon great principles.

Today I view myself as more American than Canadian, probably the way my parents came to view themselves as Canadians after immigrating from the Netherlands in the 1950s. They still were proud of their Dutch heritage and rooted for the Netherlands in international sports events, the same way I now have two countries to be proud of (although I tend to root for Canada more only because of their underdog status, even when it's hockey and they're not the underdog at all). 

I tend to like movies like Braveheart and The Patriot that celebrate "independence from tyranny."  The funny thing is, growing up in Canada, which remained loyal to England during the Revolution here in the colonies, the history we were taught was probably a little different than what was taught here. In fact, my childhood home was on the "Loyalist Parkway" and I first went to "Loyalist College" -- both honoring the formerly American colonists who remained loyal to the crown and landed on the Lake Ontario shores of Prince Edward County, just south of where I grew up on the Bay of Quinte.

While Canada's independence from Great Britain happened much later than America's, it was no less real. It was a lot more peaceful, to be sure. I think, in the end, the two countries have arrived at pretty much the same place -- free, democratic societies, with fair laws, tolerance for different viewpoints, and unlimited opportunity. Perhaps different tax scales. While many Americans have sought a better life north of the border (or said they would if political races didn't go the way they wanted), I would guess that more Canadians have moved here to seek a better life, given the fact that only a few countries like Mexico, China, Vietnam and Germany rival Canada as the origination of U.S. immigrants.

Anyway, it's time to go home for the week.  We have the Fourth off (that's Independence Day, by the way) as well as the Seventh (that's "Extra Day for Alticor Employees Day").  To Canadians, I hope your Canada Day was sunny and bright and warm. I hope you enjoyed the music at the bandstand and the pancakes at the community breakfast and the fireworks near downtown. To Americans, I wish you the same tomorrow. Celebrate your independence! Celebrate your freedom and the great country you live in! Celebrate the promise of what's to come, without dwelling on what hasn't been.

Re-entry

I came into the office this afternoon to ease my re-entry. I'm not supposed to be back until tomorrow from vacation, but we made the strategic decision to drive from Orlando to Grand Rapids non-stop, which put me in my bed sometime between 3 and 4 a.m. and allowed me to sneak into the office this afternoon, where I've been greeted by some happy faces, piles of newspapers, magazines and email, a red blinking light on my phone, and a sea of red in my email inbox. And, of course, several unposted blog comments (which are now posted!). 

We rented a condo in Orlando the past week and did the obligatory visits to Disney parks, Sea World and Cocoa Beach.  Jack, my six-year-old, braved thrilling rides and got his first real Mickey hug.  Conner and Dillon found many ways to make interesting noises in the van during long stretches of driving, which of course frayed my nerves and at times made me the "bad dad" who snarls at his kids. We ate at great restaurants (try Manny's Chop House in Winter Haven) and Kari and Amanda went antique shopping.  We sat at the pool a lot, and Conner and I got burned just a little (me because I couldn't reach my back when putting on the lotion and forgot to ask someone to get me when I arrived at the pool).

Yesterday, after getting a very early start and having my family sleep in the van behind me, we stopped at a Waffle House in Georgia for brekkie.  We don't have the WH up here in Michigan. We also don't have grits served up here very often.  It was a good cultural experience for the family.

My son Dillon is really into Civil War stuff right now, so we stopped at the Chickamauga battlefield museum just south of Chattanooga on the way back home yesterday. There's a "driving tour" of the battlefield with lots of great monuments to check out. I'd loved to have spent more time there actually walking the fields and woods with the boys.  But the two-hour break from driving was all we got.  We plan on doing some of the more eastern Civil War destinations in the future, but the Chickamauga tour was actually quite educational and interesting.  Even for Amanda, I think, who is not very much into that sort of thing. 

We drove through a lot of cities I've never been to, thanks to Garmin Nuvi. Because of the side trip to Chickamauga, we were thrown off our plans a little to return all the way home via I-75.  The GPS (we nicknamed it "Jenny") was bringing us up through Chattanooga from Fort Oglethorpe a different way than we had arrived.  I assumed it was bringing us back to I-75, but it actually was taking us out the west side of Chattanooga to I-24 to Nashville, where we were "re-calculated" to take 65 up to Indianapolis and 69 to 94 to 131 to GR.  Let's just say that by the time my thickness realized we were on a new path, it had become the shorter trip.  SO, we ended up going to Nashville and Bowling Green and Elizabethtown and Louisville (I've never been to any of these places, but they sure look nice from the freeway). We went through Indianapolis, which I have been to before.  And then through Fort Wayne, which looks really nice for a city you're passing at 75 mph at 1 a.m.  It seemed to be very popular with truckers, since so many of them were parked along the interstate there. In fact, at that time of night, you kind of feel like an invincible Mario Andretti passing semi trucks one after the other, with no other passenger cars challenging your road supremacy.

Ok. Enough of my road ramblings.  I'm back at my desk and wading through tons of communications coming at me from every direction (electronic, print, and in-person). Somehow, though, it still seems less stressful than navigating America by minivan with four kids in the back and the price of gas going through the roof. 

Touring America

And the winner is ... another company won the "Innovations" award at the DSA conference for a brand bus they used to crisscross the nation in support of their representatives. Which is ironic, for reasons that will soon become apparent.  I'm still proud that Opportunity Zone was a finalist and well-regarded by attendees.  That was readily apparent from the roundtable discussions I hosted where other companies continue to ask questions about how we were able to launch the Zone and how we are able to have these conversations on company-hosted space. I'm used to some IBOs coming up to me at Achievers or other places and striking the Kia pose when they see me, but it kind of blew me away when a communications from a competitor company did so.  Superdu!

Anyway, it was a great DSA conference and lots of good speakers presented and I met with some key vendors who have interesting ideas about ways we can better support IBOs with their services.  Of course, in almost all cases we already have vendors doing the exact same things the vendors at the conference offer (and sometimes we already work with the vendor presenting at the conference). 

Some of the booths at the DSA's expo were occupied by city convention bureaus, including St. Louis, Louisville, Fort Worth, Kansas City and Nashville. All of them have expressed gratitude for the business they generate from IBO-hosted events, and I let them know that there was potential that someday the company might host a regional event there too, which really perked their ears up.  They had no idea that we were on the road!  I told them that we have L.A., Greensboro and Orlando under our belts with another seven Spotlight events to go, and they were excited to hear that we might do this again in 2009. 

What are the best cities for us to visit in support of IBOs?  If it were up to this blog's audience to decide where to go to best support your sales and sponsoring efforts, where would that be?  Let me know.  Right now, I'm putting in a vote for Grand Rapids.  Perhaps that's just because I'm ready to settle down for a minute and stay at home for a bit. No such luck.  On Monday we load up the van and head out to Florida for more than a week.

SO, between now and June 25, it is unlikely that I will blog.  Not impossible, but unlikely.  Kari looks askance at me when doing "corporate" things on family time.   :-Y    I hope your summer is getting off to a great start.  My last kid served his last half day of "time" yesterday.  My in-laws are in town to help us celebrate my daughter's high school graduation tomorrow (big Open House, you're all invited).  And then we hit the road.  No matter how busy it gets here at the company, it always seems to pale in comparison to how busy life can be with four kids ranging from 6 to 18.  Go figure.

Airports

I have spent a considerable amount of time in airports this past year. There have been a few times I've been fortunate enough to fly in one of Amway's corporate aircraft.  In addition to a great on-flight experience, the nice thing about flying corporate is the time savings.  Parking is right outside the doors of our hangar and there's no check-in process and security lines. Sometimes there are delays, but there are just as many times that we finish a meeting early and we're able to get in the air sooner than scheduled.  How often does that happen when flying commercial?!

At this point I'm daydreaming about corporate flights because I'm sitting in the terminal at Gerald R. Ford International, Grand Rapids' airport. My flight that was supposed to leave at 7 a.m. was cancelled, so now I'm not leaving til 2 p.m.  That leaves me here for several more hours. My daughter brought me here early this morning and went back home and to bed.  My wife worked last night and is sleeping in a little before taking kids to church.  In other words, being the nice guy that I am, I didn't want to wake them up to make the 20-minute drive each way to get me.  There's a Starbucks here and free Wi Fi so I'm all set to wait it out.

Before this past winter, I've never had anything more serious than a flight delay happen.  My luggage was delayed half a day once when I went to the Dominican Republic, but I survived.  This winter, however, I had flights cancelled twice while on the road. The first time left me stuck at O'Hare in Chicago, where I was able to get the last room at the Hilton built into the airport at 11:30 p.m.  Snow prevent us from taking off that day.  Then, a month or so later, after traveling back from Prague ALL DAY, I was stuck in Minneapolis overnight because it was too snowy in GR.  The worst part about that was that my early afternoon flight was cancelled and they put me on an early evening flight that was also cancelled ... by the time I had vouchers in hand and a room booked at the offsite hotel and all was said and done, it was too late to go to The Mall of the Americas, which I could see from my hotel window. I'd never been there, and that would have been just about the only redeeming factor of a forced overnight stay.

While I'm sitting here, I'm seeing others from Amway heading off to flights to go to the same destination as me. Their flight is not cancelled, but it's full.  So here I sit.  Waiting.  By the time I get there tonight, I will have missed a committee meeting and the opening event of the conference. Ugg. 

Ok... I have to keep reminding myself, free WiFi and a Starbucks ... free WiFi and a Starbucks ... it's OK that I'm still sitting here waiting for the airline that has charged us a pretty penny to fly like cattle in steerage to get me on a plane, because there's free WiFi and a Starbucks...

TV Ads Up and Running ...

But I haven't been watching a lot of TV, so I haven't seen one at home.  I've only got the ones online.  Here are the Amway Global "Now You Know" ads, version one, version two, and version three. The first is a 60, the other two are 30s. They're actually quite nice and feature a very recognizable voice.  Can you guess who?  Anyway, if you want to be surprised (sort of) while watching TV, the ad schedule is posted at Quixtar.com.  So is the local ad schedule for target markets across the U.S. 

I did watch TV last night.  A lot of it.  The Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins played into Triple Sudden Death Overtime and I stayed up til the bitter end early this a.m.  Detroit lost (sigh), depriving us of a home Stanley Cup celebration (unless it goes to Game 7, which would cause much nail-biting).  Detroit has a 3-2 lead in games, so they have two more opportunities to close out the series. 

And when I'm not watching the Red Wings, I should be running, right?! 

This weekend I leave for Phoenix, Ariz., to attend the annual national Direct Selling Association conference.  I've gone the past few years since I'm on the national Communications Committee and my area oversees our national affiliations (including U.S. DSA membership).  This year is a little special, however, since The Opportunity Zone is one of three finalists for the DSA's annual "Innovation Award."  The DSA hands out just a few awards each year.  We've won before for the company's community involvement, but never for innovation.  So, keep your fingers crossed! 

What makes O'zone innovative?  Well, it's something a lot of Direct Selling companies would like to do, but haven't yet because of internal barriers.  It takes a lot of internal sign-offs to create a place where people talk about all your dirty laundry.  (Today's blog post is brought to you by SA8 Premium with BioQuest laundry detergent from Amway Global. SA8 will take care of those nasty stains.)  Other major players in the Direct Selling industry deal with online critics and negativity just as we have.  Again, when you're in a person-to-person business involving tens or hundreds of thousands of people (from Avon to Mary Kay, Herbalife to Nuskin, Shaklee to Tupperware), you will have critics.  And as I've said before, if you've got something bad to say, you say it online these days. 

Anyway, I sure hope we win.  It will give me something to blog about.   :)

Running with Conner

OK, after the first week, I was down about 5 lb., mostly through cutting out most snacks and making some healthier meal choices. Oh, and a bit of running.  I've now done 3 miles a day for the last 7 days, except one day when I did the elliptical machine at the Alticor fitness center. 

I would like to set the goal of doing the Riverbank Run here in GR, which is the national 25K championship race (15 miles for most of us), but that requires a whole different level of commitment which I'd really have to make sometime late this fall.  A co-worker here ran it this year and started training seriously before Christmas (the run is in May). 

The BEST thing, however, is that this weekend I went running with my 14-year-old son Conner twice. He is finishing 8th grade and did X-country and Track (1600m and 800m) this past year.  He wants to try out for high school cross country this fall, but hasn't done the 5K distance in the past (Middle School cross country was 1.5 miles).  SO, we've talked about running together at least twice a week.  What's great about running with someone is that you push each other.  I noticed a huge difference between running with and without him.  Plus, you hold each other accountable.  And, in this case, what a HUGE way to bond with your teen son. 

I'm looking forward to getting back in shape and spending more time with Conner on the streets of GR.  Maybe we both can train for the Riverbank Run.  Hmmmm.....

Conner

No More Excuses

Annually Amway holds a "Weight Wars" challenge for employees, where teams (or, in the past, individuals) lose weight for six weeks and win prizes.  I joined a team this year because I am at the heaviest weight I've been ... ever. Well, I was last week.  Now I'm not.  Now I'm four pounds lighter than I was at my heaviest ever. 

I went running yesterday for the first time in months.  Winters in Michigan get in the way, but we have a beautiful indoor fitness center with lots of cardio machines, so that's not a good excuse. I did have ACL surgery last spring, but I've recovered long ago and really had not excuse.  We have been busier here at work than ever and I have accepted new responsibilities and I have had to travel alot and ... many other excuses.

My dad had a heart attack in his mid-40s.  I'm 43.  My dad had a belly.  Mine's coming along quite nicely.  There are many other similarities (except the fact that he had a heart valve defect ... but I doubt that had much to do with his attack) and I need to make the changes in my life that will keep me here for my family and friends and community and, for as long as they'll have me, my work here! 

So, no more excuses.  I will eat healthier.  I will excercise more.  I will adopt a healthier lifestyle.

Do you have excuses?  And I don't just mean about your health or weight ... but about whatever it is that you wish you had or wish you were or wish you could do or whatever. Today is the day to stop finding barriers and instead find openings.  Start turning closed doors into wide open passageways. 

I really am sore today after running three miles and doing weights.  But I will go back for more.  I have a weigh-in on Thursday.  :-)