It’s no secret that one of the perks of success in Amway is that we send our distributors on business and incentive trips to some of the world’s most beautiful locations. But just as often, we simply bring them home – to our World Headquarters in Ada, Michigan, a community of 10,000 residents that is also home to rivers, working farmlands and a historic town village.

When they visit, they share their stories with employees, who frankly, never tire of hearing about who they are and how they’ve built their Amway business. Employees consider this a privilege, and we hope our Amway Insider readers will, too.

A few days ago, Founders Council member Wonbo Shim told us that when he was a mechanical engineer in California, he was relocated to Minneapolis, Minnesota, with no say in the matter. That’s when he realized, “my life is not mine,” and started his Amway business.

During that same employee meeting, Deidre Sala told us that when she was a young girl, her mother bought fruits, vegetables and Amway products from a small truck that drove through her tiny town on Australia’s Gold Coast. Naturally, her first thought when someone approached her about the Amway business was, “but we don’t own a truck!” She soon learned what it actually takes to be an Amway business owner – no truck necessary!

Igor and Valeria Kharatin, Ukranians, shared, “We both started our careers as teachers, but now, we have our own school.” Igor and Valeria used their profits from Amway to set up a school teaching sportsman-like conduct to young athletes.

And to wrap up that day’s meetings, Foo Howe Kean, an Amway Founders Council member from Malaysia said, “They say opportunity never knocks twice, but for me, it did.”

He was shown the Amway compensation plan once, but was unsure if was for him. That second ”knock” came from the former chairman of the Dental Association of Malaysia, a friend of his at the time. Foo joined Amway 35 years ago. Since then he has also started Amway businesses in China, Indonesia, Taiwan and Thailand.

Perhaps Deidra’s husband Mitch summarized how we all — employees and distributors alike — often feel. He said, ”We all become slightly better people than we were when we joined [Amway].”

As a health and beauty company, Amway employees get to be brand ambassadors of wellness, something that was recognized recently when Amway was honored at Michigan’s Governor’s Fitness Awards with the Outstanding Healthy Workplace award.

Amway was one of four finalists selected in the category among many nominees throughout the state of Michigan. Nominees were judged on criteria that included wellness programs and resources, policies and benefits, measurements of success, leadership support, community involvement and accolades.

Spend some time on Amway and Nutrilite campuses and you’ll notice the commitment to wellness. Employees are encouraged to stay active and achieve their physical and nutritional best through the Optimal You health and wellness program. This program offers nearly 40 physical, nutritional and emotional wellbeing resources, including a financial incentive for maintaining good health.

It’s those qualities that the Governor’s Council recognized. And it’s one more way that we are committed to Optimal Health.

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Today Amway’s parent company, Alticor, announced record sales of USD$11.3 billion for 2012. 

That’s a huge accomplishment, driven by the strength of our NUTRILITE™ brand, which accounts for 46 percent of product sales. The introduction of eSpring™ in China in 2012, the company’s biggest product launch ever, and the restaging of the ARTISTRY™ beauty brand, created excitement and generated strong sales. First-year sales of eSpring in China are expected to top USD$500 million.

Those are impressive numbers.  But we calculate success another way:  The strength of  the millions of Amway distributors operating their own businesses in more than 100 countries and territories, supported by more than 21,000 employees worldwide.  They are drawn to our business to earn extra income and create more flexibility and work/life balance. When they achieve, we achieve. 

That’s why in 2013 we’ll fuel their success through USD$335 million in investments in manufacturing and research and development expansions in the U.S., China, India and Vietnam.  We’ll continue to create innovative products in nutrition and beauty.  And we’ll find new ways to support our distributors doing business wherever they are.

Congratulations to our distributors and employees on another record year.  Thanks to you, we have a “strength in numbers” that creates success.

With more than 3 million distributors worldwide providing “word of mouth marketing” for our business opportunity and brands, what’s the role of marketing for Amway?

To make it easier for our distributors to sell our health, beauty and home products to their customers. 

Candace Matthews, Amway’s Chief Marketing Officer, recently met with Forbes.com and other media to talk about how marketing efforts support our distributors from Australia to the Wake Islands.

“What we’re trying to do now is build awareness about not only Amway the company and the business opportunity, but also our major brands like ARTISTRY and NUTRILITE,” Matthews explained in one of two videos posted at Forbes.com. “We are in essence greasing the skids so that when distributors are talking to people about the products or the opportunity, the awareness is there and it makes it easier for them.”

This week ArtPrize, the world’s largest open art competition, was the setting for a program that allowed kids from low-income families to “take strides” to see the some of the 1,517 pieces on display – and help them create their own works of art.

The first-ever Mayor’s ArtWalk was an opportunity for 55 middle school students to join Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell on an educational and awe-inspiring walking tour of ArtPrize.

For some of the students, the ArtWalk was their first opportunity to see ArtPrize – by foot or otherwise.

For their art teacher, a $2,500 donation from Amway will provide resources to help these budding artists make strides in their own artistic development.

As arts programs have suffered dramatic budget cuts in recent years, donations like this help give students the tools they need to learn and create. 

And maybe even inspire a future ArtPrize winner!

Amway World Headquarters will be closed in celebration of the U.S. Labor Day holiday on Monday, September 3, and reopen on Tuesday, September 4.

We wish our employees, distributors and their families safe travels over the holiday weekend.

Summer vacation is all about fun and play for kids.

But for some parents,  the last days of summer are hardly carefree as they worry about paying for back-to-school supplies for their children.

That’s where Stuff the Bus comes in.  A coalition of West Michigan businesses and non-profit organizations,  the effort aims to outfit 3,500 backpacks for area middle school students with the supplies they need to succeed.

To do that, West Michigan residents were asked to donate new folders, pencils, pens, rulers, notebooks and erasers at Kent County Fifth Third Bank branches. The items were stuffed  in backpacks donated by Fifth Third, along with personal care items from Amway.

This is the third consecutive year has gathered “stuff” to help kids go back to school with everything they need.

The Amway Center is a prime destination,  home to the NBA Orlando Magic and host to internationally-acclaimed artists, sporting events and shows. Those who haven’t made it to Orlando may have seen the 2012 NBA All-Star Game or other Amway Center events that have been broadcast all around the world.

This exposure is inspiring to our distributors and has helped millions of  people get to know our brands and products, Amway Chief Marketing Officer Candace Matthews recently told  Direct Selling News.

“You can see the Amway name from the air, on the ground from blocks away, and throughout the complex,” Candace said in the interview with DSN. “Orlando is a global destination and the Amway Center is a major family entertainment venue, just like Disney World and Universal Studios. And when events at the Amway Center are broadcast to a global audience, they bring our name to potential customers and inspire pride in our distributors all over the world.”

To learn more about what’s coming up at this prime destination, visit www.amwaycenter.com.

Photo by Ben Tanner

We’re excited that Amway Chairman Steve Van Andel has been elected vice chairman of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions.

It’s his second time to serve at the top level of this organization, as he was chairman from 2001 to 2002. And it’s a position his father, Amway Co-Founder Jay Van Andel, held as well.

According to U.S. Chamber President and CEO Thomas J. Donohue, Steve and the Amway family embody the value of entrepreneurship and the freedom to take risks.

“In order for business to grow and create jobs, you need an environment that encourages creativity, innovation, hard work and opportunities for people to succeed,” Steve said in his recent speech at the U.S. Chamber’s CEO Leadership Series. “This is the way we need to approach business if we want long-term growth and prosperity.”

Five years ago, Amway and KaBOOM! started a partnership to provide more children with safe places to play.

Four days ago, more than 300 community members and Amway volunteers teamed up to build a playground at D.A. Blodgett - St. John’s Home – an organization dedicated to providing homes and hope for children and their families.

The playground is the 14th built by KaBOOM! and Amway, the 10th built in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and one of more than 150 playground builds KaBOOM! will lead across the U.S. in 2012.

Amway President Doug DeVos and leaders from KaBOOM! and D.A. Blodgett kicked off this Amway One by One project with motivational words that stayed with us all day long. You could feel the energy build as people were dancing to the music and sweating from the heavy lifting. A heart-felt dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony reaffirmed each person’s role in making this dream a reality. 

Building this playground brought hundreds of laughs and smiles, and it will be responsible for many more to come.