Back in August when Amway launched the Positivity Project, our goals were really pretty simple: We wanted to inspire people to spread the positivity message by sharing their positive stories with the world.
I’m still astounded by all of your responses. Whether it was a random act of kindness, or a public display of happiness, or even your lifelong passion for a specific charitable cause, you’ve shown us – and the world – the power of positivity in so many ways.
Last night, the ten Positivity Contest finalists, along with a handful of Amway employees and Amway Independent Business Owners, were the special guests of composer (and Amway spokesperson) John Tesh during his traditional annual Christmas concert in Hagerstown, Maryland.
The concert itself was wonderful. Seeing John perform his exceptional music live in concert is amazing.
But the highlight for all of us was when John invited the ten finalists to stage, and announced the winner of our Positivity Contest – Caitlin B.!
Caitlin’s positivity experience actually began on a particularly bad day. She decided to turn it around by doing something nice for a stranger. “I wrote ‘You Are Beautiful’ on a sticky note and stuck it on a bathroom mirror,” she said.
Sounds too simple, right?
But Caitlin’s note went viral, and OperationBeautiful.com was born – a site dedicated to spreading positivity and hope through random messages such as the one Caitlin left on that bathroom mirror. Thousands of notes have been sent to the site, which is now an international movement.
Caitlin plans to use the $10,000 Positivity Contest “pay it forward” grant to combine her message of positivity with the need for girls to have a healthy body image. “I plan to donate the money to Girls On The Run, which helps girls ages 8-10 build self esteem through running,” she said.
Caitlin says the $10,000 will help provide funds for more than 75 disadvantaged girls to participate in the program, which culminates in girls showing off their new mental and physical strength by running a 5K. I participated in Girls On The Run two years ago and I am looking forward to running for the 2nd time with my youngest daughter next spring.
Sometimes, as in the case of our Positivity Contest winner, the simplest idea is the best.
Like positivity itself: A simple, yet very powerful, idea.
At Amway, we’ve given the power of positive a new shade of green, with sustainable, eco-positive business practices that extend from our headquarters in Ada, Michigan, to our affiliate markets around the world – and, of course, to the 6,400 acres of farmland we own in the United States, Brazil, and Mexico.
For some people, it’s a surprise to learn Amway owns farmland. And many are unaware we use sustainable farming practices to grow some of the plant ingredients used in NUTRILITE® products.
Truth is, our tradition of sustainable farming dates back to the early 1930s, when Nutrilite founder Carl Rehnborg began his first experiments with nutritional supplements, made with plant ingredients grown the way nature intended.
Carl was a true visionary. In his extensive nutrition studies, he realized the value of plant foods right away. He understood that plants give us benefits we don’t get from other food sources. And he set about concentrating those nutrient-rich plants, so that his multivitamin/multimineral products would be packed with as much nutrition as possible.
Fast-forward 70+ years or so.
Today, we continue to honor Carl’s vision and mission on all four Nutrilite farms.
We use natural methods to control weeds, insects, and predators.
We research the best natural ways to build soil health and plant nutrition. Like compost, for example. If any of you compost at home, imagine your efforts expanded many times over. Now you have some idea of the magnitude of composting we do on our farms.
Nobody told us to do it this way. Check that – no one, except Carl Rehnborg. And we were wise to listen to the man and become the first company to market multivitamin/multimineral supplements in North America.
Today, NUTRILITE is the only global vitamin and mineral brand to grow, harvest, and process plants on our own certified organic farms. And we are the world's leading brand of vitamin, mineral, and dietary supplements.
Not just employees or Independent Business Owners, either.
-Scott Andrews, CEO of ARRiiVE Business Solutions.
-Lori Deschene, founder of Tiny Buddha and inspirational blogger.
-Karl Staib, founder of Work Happy Now!
-Sue Stebbins, CEO and founder of Successwaves International, L.L.C.
-And Stacey Weckstein, founder of the Mom Renewal Project.
What about Yasmin Davidds, best-selling author, consultant and empowerment specialist.
What’s the common denominator among these nationally-known authors, life coaches, motivational speakers, and bloggers?
One word: Positivity.
These experts not only understand the power of positivity, they’re walking the talk every day of their lives – through their books, blogs, live presentations, and one-on-one coaching.
So, they all jumped at the opportunity when Amway Global invited these leading positivity advocates to take an in-depth look at our company, our people, and our Power of Positivecampaign through a day-long immersion last week here at our headquarters in Ada, Michigan.
We took them behind the scenes at Amway Global. Talked up the tremendous pride we share in our history, innovation, and corporate culture. Participated in one-on-one meetings and group events. Shared our commitment to world-class research, quality products, and environmental stewardship.
And, we highlighted details about the Amway Global Positivity Project, which invites everyone to tell us about the good things happening in their lives, by updating their status on our Twitter and Facebook pages.
Then, we invited these positivity pros to join us in the Positivity Project – and motivate their own audiences and readers to celebrate positivity as a very real way to improve their lives and communities.
Did we accomplish our mission? I’ll let our new advocates tell you in their own words, from our Twitter site and from interviews with them.
Work Happy Now founder Karl Stalb: Visited Amway's "Sprouts" garden for Boys & Girls Clubs – kids totally into planting vegetables, strawberries, perennials! Amazingly groovy!
Small business coach Karl Stalb told us, “Positive thinking helped me get to where I am now, and it’s helped me get others to improve their lives as well.”
The Positivity Project is an exciting movement-in-progress. We’re extremely proud to have these celebrated authors, life coaches, and motivational speakers carrying on the message of living a positive life to their audiences throughout the country.
Small business coach Karl Stalb told us, “Positive thinking helped me get to where I am now, and it’s helped me get others to improve their lives as well.”
The Positivity Project is an exciting movement-in-progress. We’re extremely proud to have these celebrated authors, life coaches, and motivational speakers carrying on the message of living a positive life to their audiences throughout the country.
Amway Global was a proud sponsor of the “POPS on Independence” performance on July 2, 2010, by the Philadelphia Pops, conducted by Peter Nero, in front of Independence Hall. I was privileged to participate in the event. Here’s a video, as well as a few excerpts from my speech on that very special day.
In 1959 when Rich DeVos and Jay Van Andel started Amway, life in America was much the same as it is today: The economy was weak, we were experiencing foreign threats, people were feeling uncertain, and anxiety was in the air.
But there’s something about the American spirit that lifted us up then, and continues to lift us up today.
At Amway Global, freedom isn’t just a word, but a guiding principle that drives us forward – giving us the hope and the belief that tomorrow will be better than today.
That’s the power of positivity.
This country was founded on that kind of unwavering optimism. And around the world, our business is driven by this positive outlook.
When we talk about positivity, we’re also talking about free enterprise – or, as we put it today, economic freedom. It’s about empowering ourselves to reach for our dreams.
Every one of us – young and old, rich and poor – should have the freedom to achieve their goals, big and small. After all, what’s more American than that?
The power of positivity: That’s what the Amway Global opportunity is all about
Our ad campaign, the Power of Positive, is everywhere you look, as
we spotlight the Amway business opportunity, our products, and the
positive impact we’re making in the communities where we live and work.
The Power of Positive is a natural theme for us.
After all, Amway co-founders Rich DeVos and Jay Van Andel were the
ultimate positive thinkers. And today, Amway people are doing positive
things to create positive change wherever we are in the world.
The
Power of Positive is featured in the publications and networks with the
viewers and readers that best match our target demographics.
You’ll
see the Power of Positive in the following media outlets:
Print •
Newsweek, June 14 issue (on sale June 7)
Online • CBS Sports, NBA Presenting Sponsorship, through June
15 • Fox Business, Think You’re An Entrepreneur?, Happy
Hour section sponsorship, through June 30 • Newsweek, Game Changers sponsorship, through June 30 • BNET, Sales Machine section, through June 30 • Time, World News week-long section, through June 13 • Bloomberg
Businessweek, Small Business section, June 11
