Would you like to have a conversation with top experts from a global company in your area of interest…manufacturing, R&D, marketing? If so, do we have a surprise for you!

Last week, Amway Talent Acquisition’s Facebook corporate careers page piloted its first guest-hosted Facebook discussion. During the conversation Jim Brundidge, director of manufacturing at our Nutrilite Lakeview, California, operation, discussed manufacturing and labor trends and shared insights gained in his almost 35 years at Amway.

The pilot went so smoothly that our Talent Acquisition group plans to do it again.

From R&D and manufacturing to supply chain and business services, Amway has more than 20,000 dedicated subject matter experts who serve our distributors and want to change the world. We call them employees – and they’re ready to engage in discussions that benefit their functions, industries and global communities.

So check out Amway’s Talent Acquisition page at www.facebook.com/amwaytalent and join us in the next conversation, and stay tuned for future Facebook discussions with Amway industry experts.

Our guest blogger is Jon Brickner, of Amway Talent Acquisition.

Editor’s Note: This blog post originally appeared on the Amway Answers blog.

Last month a study published by the British Medical Journal stated that women who had never taken a calcium supplement had a greater chance of a heart attack after taking calcium as part of a seven-year clinical trial.

However, women who had taken calcium supplements before the study began had a lesser chance of a heart attack, and a lesser chance of dying from any cause after taking calcium as part of the trial, suggesting that calcium conferred greater protection the longer it was taken.

What was this study?

The Bolland et al. study wasn’t a randomized trial, but an after-the-fact look at the results of almost 40,000 post-menopausal women from a previous study, the seven-year Women’s Health Initiative Calcium and Vitamin D study.

What are the reactions?

Typical of initial mass media mentions, Woman’s Day stated online categorically that “post-menopausal women who took calcium supplements had a 13- 22% increased risk of heart attacks” – which doesn’t tell the whole story.

On the flip side, the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) has called the study flawed, and called for a balanced view. Other mass media channels also have taken a moderate tack, for example the Los Angeles Times on April 20th:

“Calcium supplements appear to slightly raise the risk of heart attack, a new analysis suggests. But the data, from postmenopausal women who took supplements over seven years, are far from conclusive. So don’t throw out the multivitamins just yet – or those calcium supplements that many women take for bone health.”

An accompanying editorial in the BMJ itself called the Bolland study flawed, and also noted the findings of “extended survival” in the group of women who were calcium users.

The chart below summarizes the effects of taking calcium (compared to placebo) in women who had either never supplemented with calcium before the study started, or had supplemented with calcium at some point in their lives before the study started. The asterisk * over the first red bar on the left shows the worrisome results: women who had never taken a calcium supplement before the study showed a (statistically significant) 16% increase in the risk of heart attack after taking calcium as part of the study. There wasn’t any effect on the risk of a death from any cause (first green bar).

By contrast, the double asterisks ** over the second set of bars shows a significant 12% and 16% reduction in risk of heart attack and all-cause mortality respectively, in women who had been or were calcium users prior to the study’s initiation.

As John Hathcock, Ph.D., of CRN has said of calcium and vitamin D supplements, from this study “it appears the more you take, the better off you may be.”

Why the confusing findings?

Such a mix of results is par for the course in these kinds of studies which reanalyze huge datasets from old clinical trials. The study authors speculate that the higher risk of heart attacks in women who had never supplemented with calcium could have been because of a sharp rise in blood calcium levels; which does give rise to the notion that first-time post-menopausal calcium users should be instructed to “start low, go slow.”

But, as the authors acknowledge in another part of their paper (page 8), calcium acutely increases serum concentration by only a modest amount. There is yet no clear hypothesis for how these results could have been obtained. On the other hand there are plenty of possible statistical explanations. In typical prospective clinical trials, subjects are randomized evenly to comparison groups. Potential confounding factors that could muddy interpretation are, as far as feasible, controlled for. This type of retrospective study could only make after-the-fact comparisons. Were women who had never in their lives taken a calcium supplement different in other ways (apart from calcium supplement use) than women who had taken calcium supplements or were doing so before the study? And could such a difference account for their negative reaction to calcium supplementation? The dataset does not allow the teasing out of causal factors; in clinical terms, these findings are associations, “A with B”, that do not necessarily reflect real-world, causal, “A leads to B” relationships.

What Should I Do?

As the BMJ Editors as well as the CRN have recognized, this study has produced more questions than answers. The BMJ Editors conclude with a reassurance that several large studies have shown that calcium with or without vitamin D, in combination with medical treatment of osteoporosis, reduced risk of mortality in men by 28% and in women by 38%.

Another reasonable conclusion, one which is in line with the entirety of the literature on the long term benefits of calcium with or without vitamin D, is that long term supplementation with calcium is a good idea.

Daily dietary calcium requirements range from 800 mg to 1500 mg depending on life stage. As Dr. Robert P. Heaney, a bone expert, has pointed out, most women don’t get enough calcium, so the time to start supplementing if you’re not getting enough from your diet is now.

Editor’s Note: This blog post originally appeared on the Amway Answers blog.

At Amway, one of our best and biggest assets is the 500 plus scientific professionals that work for us worldwide. Their backgrounds and expertise includes chemistry and biochemistry; micro- and molecular biology; industrial design; food, nutritional and material science; horticulture and plant science; chemical, manufacturing, electrical, mechanical, quality and package engineering; mathematics and statistics; toxicology, pharmaceutical sciences; clinical research; physics and more.

In addition, we gather the expertise of a number of credible third party individuals and organizations from around the globe when we need to.

We reached out to internal and external experts after we read that consumers fearful of radiation exposure in Japan, the United States and other countries were purchasing surplus amounts of products containing potassium iodide. We wanted to confirm that Nutrilite products, exclusively from Amway, should not be offered up as a way to protect people from the adverse health effects of radiation exposure.

There are a few facts related to this issue that are important for all Amway audiences to understand:

First and most importantly, Nutrilite products are for general nutrition and health use and will not prevent any adverse health effects from radiation exposure.

To be more specific, both our Daily and Daily Free Multivitamin/Multimineral and Double X Vitamin/Mineral/Phytonutrient contain 150 micrograms of iodine. This is 100% of the nutritional daily value recommended for ongoing use, but the amount of potassium iodide recommended for adults after a radiation emergency is much higher. In fact, it’s 130 milligrams (not micrograms!) per day, according to one source.

Second, those 130 milligrams would need to be taken within three to four hours of exposure. Amounts taken after that time frame have not been clinically proven to reduce the risk of thyroid cancer in people who have inhaled or ingested radioactive materials.

Finally, this doesn’t mean you can’t be a positive source of information to your friends, family, coworkers or others with concerns. Please know that there is very good information about the current situation in Japan – including what to do in the event of a radiation emergency – on the Center for Disease Control website. Recommending Amway products is not one of them, but you can certainly remind others to be wary of some deceptive marketing phrases – that we don’t and never would use – like, “miraculous cure,” “secret ingredient,” “easy fix” and “ancient remedy.”

This is a time to be caring, not careless.

Editor’s Note: This blog post originally appeared on the Amway Answers blog.

My preschooler now has homework.

The assignments are basic: Write the names of two of your friends. Draw a triangle and color it green. Write the letter “G” seven times.

The assignments are also “optional” and I think we all know what that means. My translation? If he doesn’t do his homework – and his friends do – they will be more prepared for kindergarten than he is. So each night, we spend time doing this “optional” homework.

In the Amway business, retailing products is a little like that. In most Amway markets, distributors are not required to retail. However, if they want to make money and earn a bonus, they do have to. That’s right. Distributors do not make any money unless they sell products. They need to sell products to customers (not to themselves or other distributors) to make money.

Amway is unique in that we don’t have monthly sales quotas in order for distributors to remain in our business. After all, there are months in life that are harder than others. There are college degrees to finish; family matters to tend to; vacations to take without worry. We think it’s important that activities like trying out our products, attending events and taking online learning courses help define a distributor just as much as selling product does.

Unfortunately, this may have have caused some people to believe that, “You’ll never have to sell anything.”

Not true.

First of all, our distributors should want to sell. Selling products is a requirement to receive bonus money and is an important part of a profitable Amway business. It’s also great practice for presenting and “selling” the Amway opportunity to others. Product sales improve the awareness and favorability of the Amway brand – people who try our products generally like them. And if they like them, they’ll buy them again.

The bottom line? Selling can help people in the Amway business make more money, faster. Selling is a vital skill to a career in almost any field, and our business is no different. It makes our distributors eligible for bonuses; gives them experience in mentoring up-and-coming distributors they’ve sponsored; and most importantly, creates a more stable foundation for success.

It’s just like the homework. Will my son get kicked out of preschool if he doesn’t do it? No. But are there rewards for doing it, including passing on to the next grade level? Absolutely!

Editor’s Note: This blog post originally appeared on the Amway Answers blog.

I think it’s cool that my first name, Cynthia, means “Goddess of the Moon.” I’m neither a goddess nor an astronaut, yet it just seems to fit. I don’t think Heidi or Molly or Jenna would work.

The name that fits our business? The Amway business opportunity.

We’ve heard our business called by many other names. And frankly, they just do not fit.

Examples that we’ve heard – and that we consider deceptive – include the following: private franchise, wholesale buying club, virtual mall and tax shelter (one we particularly hate).

We’ve also heard Amway business opportunity meetings called things we don’t like or endorse, including “a financial seminar,” “ground floor investment opportunity” and even job interview.

Don’t get us wrong. We know that the name “Amway” triggers different reactions based on people’s history with, or perception of, our company. In inviting prospective distributors to talk further about their interest in becoming an entrepreneur, we don’t have the expectation that “Amway” will be thrown out in the first sentence.

But once it gets down to business, we do expect that. Once a person has said they want to earn a supplemental income, or help others become more financially stable, the transparent – and simply the right – thing to do is tell people that the opportunity they are considering is one powered by Amway.

So, if you hear us being called Heidi or Molly or Jenna instead, kindly let us know. We know this practice is diminishing, but we’d like to see it demolished.

Editor’s Note: This blog post originally appeared on the Amway Answers blog.

One of my favorite movie scenes of all time is in A Christmas Story, when Ralphie fantasizes that his essay on Santa bringing him a Red Rider BB Gun earns an “A-plus-plus-plus-plus” grade from his teacher.

We didn’t get the name from Ralphie or Miss Shields, but Amway North America does have an “A+” program, which stands for Accreditation Plus. A+ ensures that all Business Support Materials (BSM) content is consistent with Amway Quality Assurance Standards that approved providers of BSM must abide by.

In the US and Canada, only approved providers are authorized to sell or promote BSM to Amway distributors (called Independent Business Owners in these markets). It’s our quality assurance program. Requirements for becoming an approved provider include:

• Take a training course on what should, can and definitely can not be part of business support material content.
• Submit their training and motivational materials for our review and final authorization before they can be sold or distributed.
• Their ability to sell or promote BSM is contingent on signing a uniform agreement and complying with all A+ program requirements.

The purchase of BSM is optional, and probably one of the most important things that A+ approved providers must do is let new IBOs know that. They also need to let them know that within their first 90 days, all BSM materials purchased can be returned for a full refund. This includes event tickets.

And one of the most important things that A+ approved providers can’t do is suggest that the opportunity is anything other than the Amway business opportunity. It can’t be suggested that it’s a job. A buying club. A tax shelter. It can’t be suggested that the Amway business opportunity guarantees an income for life.

There are other requirements, too. We’re committed to the accuracy and transparency of these materials, and so are the approved providers. We don’t want anyone to be misled by a brochure or video that isn’t authorized by Amway, or in line with our beliefs of how this business opportunity can and should be presented. If you have questions about a specific BSM, please contact us at 616-787-6712.

Business Support Materials are an important part of our business in some parts of the world. They have a place in helping people achieve success – not only in Amway, but in life. We applaud Amway North America for paving the way and adopting A+.

Editor’s Note: This blog post originally appeared on the Amway Answers blog.

My grandmother is 92 years old. Although she lives in the dollar-using United States of America, she still says “Look after the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves.” My mom, who never dealt in British currency, prefers, “A penny saved is a penny earned.”

No matter your idiom of preference, there is always a time to save and a time to spend.

We are a company that lives and breathes entrepreneurship. A few of our online critics have accused us of turning a blind eye to training our distributors about the expenses involved in starting, managing and growing a successful Amway business. We take issue with that.

Training new distributors to track, manage and even lessen the expenses related to their Amway businesses is important to us. Without giving too much away, here’s how we do it:

• Millions of Amway distributors have free access to a state-of-the-art, multi million dollar sales training program. Some courses are delivered in person; others online via the largest electronic Learning Management System we’ve ever had. The content in some courses comes directly from Amway; other content is delivered by people who sponsor others into the Amway business.
• One of the courses offered is “Basic Business Administration,” covering financial management and offering a number of easy-to-use templates.
• One of the templates we provide is an accounting journal for logging all financial transactions. We encourage distributors to record everything. We show examples of expenses, like purchasing catalogs and samples; making photocopies for a sponsorship meeting; paying for gasoline or cab fares; and even paying for their home Internet service.
• We are constantly developing new tools and courses. One of our newest, Analyzing Your Business, is a full-blown workshop designed to help distributors understand every aspect of their business. A big part of this? Entering and studying financial data – including expenses!
• We encourage distributors to take a close look at the profitability of their business; to compare different scenarios of spending and structuring to grow their businesses; and to find ways to reduce their biggest expenditures.

Good financial management can make a big difference between a successful Amway business and an unsuccessful one. We want all distributors to be successful, which includes being profitable.

That “blind eye” doesn’t exist. In fact, we’ve got a magnifying glass out – promoting and constantly improving on this category of training.

Suat Eman and FreeDigitalPhotos.net provided the magnifying glass image.

Editor’s Note: This blog post originally appeared on the Amway Answers blog.

In late November, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released a report that questioned the need for higher levels of Vitamin D intake.

Mainstream media picked up on it, and experts on both sides of the debate weighed in. Anytime the results of more than 1,000 published studies are considered, conflicting opinions will surface, so Marc Lemay, Ph.D, a senior scientist at the Nutrilite Health Institute who helped formulate Nutrilite Vitamin D3 plus K2, gave his honest assessment. We are republishing it, in Marc’s words, below:

What’s this about Vitamin D in the news?

The IOM recently updated the recommended dietary allowances (RDAs) for Vitamin D and Calcium, raising the Vitamin D to 600 IU per day (800 for those older than 70), which is three times higher than the previous RDA.

Then why do so many vitamin D supplements provide 2,000 IU or more per tablet?

Vitamin D first became well known in the 1920s for its effects on bone health when it was discovered that milk fortified with a small amount of vitamin D (100 IU per cup) could prevent the bone disease rickets in children. Later research showed that vitamin D has other important health benefits at doses far higher than that. There are many vitamin D scientists who recommend 2,000 daily IU of vitamin D3 for everybody age one year or older. Some scientists recommend more than that: The Vitamin D Council recommends that most people get 5,000 IU per day.

It is safe to take 2,000 IU every day?

As always with supplements, check with your doctor if you have a medical condition. The IOM states the Safe Upper Limit of vitamin D at 4,000 IU for persons age 9-69. A recent benefit-risk assessment by the Council for Responsible Nutrition found an even higher upper limit to be safe. My personal recommendation? Check with your doctor and get your current vitamin D level tested. A good level to strive for is 40-80 ng/ml (nanograms per milliliter), measured with a 25-hydroxy test.

Why would anybody take more than what the IOM recommends?

There is much evidence that vitamin D helps with more than bone health and that it plays an important role in multiple body parts and functions. The strongest evidence is that people with higher levels of vitamin D are at lower risk of many types of cancers, especially colon and breast cancer. This evidence is mostly laboratory and population-study based, meaning that no pivotal double-blind, placebo-controlled studies have established that link. Those studies would be too long, expensive and morally questionable to conduct.

How much should I take?

Talk to your doctor. The IOM and other health organizations make general, population-wide recommendations. Your doctor will make the right recommendation for you. For most people, 2000 IU per day is a good start.

A few other important considerations:

• Some people don’t need to supplement during the summer if they get regular sun exposure.
• Vitamin D works with other micronutrients, most notably magnesium. There is some suggestion in scientific literature that people who are high in vitamin D and low in magnesium are at higher risk for developing kidney stones. If you take extra vitamin D, it’s a good idea to supplement with magnesium.

How much vitamin D do you take?

I take two to three tablets of the 2,000 IU Nutrilite product once or twice a week. On weeks when I get to spend more time at the beach, I take less. I also get my vitamin D level tested, and it’s hovering near the lower recommended limit at 40 ng/ml.

Thanks to Marc LeMay and Joel Van Kuiken for making this post possible. The views expressed here are Marc’s and do not necessarily reflect an official position taken by Amway. Glass of milk photo by Filomena Scalise from FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

Editor’s Note: This blog post originally appeared on the Amway Answers blog.

This morning, I was singing along to the radio with my three- and four-year-old backseat passengers. As we drove past Amway’s world headquarters, one of our favorite songs about flying came on, and I was reminded of the many distributors I’ve met in the last five years who Amway has helped take flight – in their lives, businesses and their self-worth.

Then, I arrived at my work station to quite a different perspective on flying.  I opened the program I use to follow the online conversation about Amway to the following Tweet: “Oddest airplane seatmate greeting ever: ‘You don’t do Amway, do you?’ (Prior flight apparently featured a nightmare neighbor.)”

Next came, “So, if one were to wear an Amway t-shirt, one could avoid being bothered by fellow passengers?”

People can be clever – and sometimes I have to laugh. People can be cruel – and sometimes I want to cry. Either way, it begs the question whether Amway business owners are more agressive than any other businessperson who loves their product and is passionate about what they do. I seriously doubt it.

No matter what I think, I’ll still remind people that our Rules of Conduct,* in the “Responsibilities and Obligations of All IBOs: Professionalism” section, addresses this. So, if you think it’s a serious enough problem with someone, we hope you’ll let us know. The rules state:

• An IBO shall at all times conduct himself or herself in a courteous and considerate manner and shall not engage in any high-pressure tactics, but shall make a fair presentation of the Corporation’s products, services, and/or IBO Plan, when and where appropriate.
• An IBO never imposes himself or herself upon prospective IBOs or customers. At all times he or she is courteous and considerate of the prospective IBOs or customers and, if the prospective IBOs or customers indicate a desire to terminate a conversation/presentation, the IBO immediately does so and leaves the premises.

For an Amway business to take flight, customers are necessary. We want our distributors to find and serve them in a way that feels good to both parties, and we work hard to teach them how with free training online, via video and instructor-led. That’s just common sense that creates a smooth and happy landing for all.

* The link provided here is to the Rules of Conduct for Amway North America. Rules and enforcement procedures vary by market, but all are designed to create a fair business atmosphere for everyone involved. Also, the image in this post provided by photographer Arvind Balaraman from FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Editor’s Note: This blog post originally appeared on the Amway Answers blog.

When it comes to New Year’s Resolutions, I’ve been known to say, “resolutions, smesolutions,” taking a very Grinch-like approach to this widely shared tradition.

This year, I’ve decided two things. First, SMesolutions are necessary. Second, SMesolutions now stands for Social Media Resolutions. They’re needed for this blog and the other social media efforts that Amway is undertaking in 2011.

I like the way business communications guru Chris Brogan does it. Each New Year, he challenges himself, his clients and his readers to come up with three words – not full-blown resolutions, just words – that will serve as guiding pillars for the year’s efforts.

I’m taking him up on the challenge.

Many people who’ve responded to Chris have taken the alliteration path, choosing “life; love; liberty” or “contribute; connect; celebrate” as their three words. I couldn’t resist doing the same, but the words I’ve chosen for Amway Answers’ SMesolutions come from the heart. They are: 

Passion. More specifically, retaining it. Many of us are passionate about doing the right things to maintain, improve or repair Amway’s reputation. And to tell our story to the world, whether it opens us up to criticism or not. I’m one of the loudest voices online when it comes to this, but it can be too easy to let that passion take a day off. I’d like to be more vigilant about it. This blog is one avenue for doing that and when a week goes by with no post, it’s passion taking an unauthorized vacation.

Progress. Is total transparency always the best policy? This debate rages on in several industries and of course, in politics. I believe this: Not every detail about Amway can or should be shared, but you deserve to know our plans; views; the bases for our actions; our intentions; and our interpretations of relevant things happening around us.  Not everyone shares that belief. This year, I’ll get more passengers on that train.

Participation. We need more voices in this discussion. From inside, outside and around Amway. I’m open to your ideas for how to include more people. We have an opportunity to combat misperceptions and to educate on a business model that’s made a positive difference in so many lives around the world. It won’t be as simple as sending an invitation to people: they need a reason to jump in. Let’s spend 2011 giving it to them.

Welcome to 2011. I hope that passion, progress and participation make their way into your SMesolutions as well.