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].”

We welcomed more than 200 Founders Council members and other attendees to our World Headquarters this week, and we did it in grand style. Check out some of the photos on our Amway Facebook page. And if you missed the live stream of their arrival courtesy of our Amacam, the replay is available here. Watch for more coverage in the weeks to come!

The 2013 Founders Council began today in Grand Rapids, Michigan! Tomorrow we welcome them to our World Headquarters. Here are some fun facts. Did you know…

We are preparing to welcome about 200 members of our 2013 Founders Council to West Michigan next week, and for the first time ever you are invited to watch part of the festivities.

We will present a live broadcast of their arrival at our World Headquarters in Ada, Michigan. The one and a half hour live-stream will air on May 14th at 2:00 p.m. EDT via a special tab on Amway Corporate Facebook page.

Thanks to new technology – our Amacam – we are able to share all the glamour and excitement of the event with Amway distributors, prospects and friends around the globe.

The Amacam consists of three high-definition cameras (two inside and one outside) that will showcase the members as they arrive to walk the yellow carpet and be welcomed by hundreds of Amway employees.

Attendees to this year’s Founders Council group come from 15 different countries and include 11 new Founders Council members!

So, mark your calendar and plan to join us for the celebration. (How many of our top distributors will you be able to identify?)

Post by Gary Wade.

Our recently released Amway 2012 Global Corporate Social Responsibility Report is filled with amazing stories. We wanted to highlight one of them for you.

This video explains what happened in South Africa when we launched the Township Strategy, bringing the Amway Business Opportunity to the rural communities.

Here’s an excerpt from the report:

We used innovative strategies and alternatives to product sizing, pricing and bundling that resonated with individuals in these outlying communities. Physical presence and mobile marketing positioned the Amway Business Opportunity as viable and vital for this more financially challenged population.

In just three years, Amway South Africa has accomplished two significant results: increasing business and helping people to move up the economic ladder. Thanks to the Township Strategy, the Amway business in South Africa leapt by more than 200 percent and showed many low-to-middle class members of society a way out of poverty.

A distributor from Soweto featured in the video describes it like this: “From my personal experience, I can say that Amway is helping us to create real change in our lives, in our families, in our communities and across the world,” she said. “In previous years, Soweto was seen as nothing more than a holding area for cheap labor. … Now, Soweto is changing. And with Amway’s assistance our lives are changing. We are going up in the world.”

Watch the video to see the full story of empowerment.

YouTube Direkt

Amway’s Gen Y distributor force continues to leave their distinctive mark on countries around the globe, creating a social network that is paying off – literally.

Tamsen Sala, 24, of Queensland, Australia, is a thriving entrepreneur who understands the appeal of the Amway business for her generation. “This is a very flexible business,” Tamsen said. “You can work it full time or alongside whatever else you have going on. That’s very appealing to my generation.”

Tamsen is a second-generation distributor who started her Amway business in 2007 at age 18.  “I wanted the life my parents had and the life they provided me growing up,” she said.

“The business has offered me skill sets such as work ethic, discipline, people skills and goal setting. It also offers an environment of … positivity, which I haven’t seen outside the Amway business.”

The flexible business and her newly acquired skill set also helped her volunteer with a program mentoring teen girls.

“I try to be a positive role model and show them that they can be in control of their success,” she said. 

Tamsen is proof positive that Amway doesn’t depend on age or education, just work ethic and determination.

“The Amway products sell themselves and really appeal to my friends,” said Tamsen. Her personal favorites? The full line of ARTISTRY^TM cosmetics and XS Energy Drinks.

Post by Gary Wade

“Amway was founded on the belief that, by helping people improve their lives, they could make the world a better place.”

So begins the message from our Chairman Steve Van Andel and our President Doug DeVos in the Amway 2012 Global Corporate Social Responsibility Report released today.

The annual report highlights the many ways our company, its more than 21,000 employees and more than 3 million distributors make a difference in the lives of others.

That includes building homes in Latin America, providing water filters in Haiti, building libraries in China and adopting schools right here in the hometown of our World Headquarters.

Corporate Social Responsibility is built into everything we do: our people, our products and our performance.

 Steve and Doug credit their fathers for recognizing the potential in this business for making a difference.

“They made it their mission to be more, do more, give more. And more than a half-century later, we’re still emulating their powerful example. … We’re awed by how far we’ve come and inspired to keep becoming more, together.”

Read the full report here.

Amway is in the news quite frequently, and why wouldn’t we be? We lead our industry, have inspired millions, and win quality and excellence awards on a regular basis. We’re proud of those accomplishments, to be sure, but we’re also proud of what real distributors – current and former – have shared with us about their experience with Amway.

Are there critics of Amway in the online space? Absolutely – just like any other company. We care deeply about what’s said about us, and work hard to address the complaints we receive. But given that one of our cofounders wrote a book on positivity, it’s no surprise that we like to focus on that.

Below are some things about Amway that have been shared online, from former distributors both anonymous and identified:

• “I experienced a profound mental change. One moment I was an employee, and the next, I was an employee and a business owner. This was a monumental shift . . . you can read all you want about starting a business, but it’s different when you actually have your own business. . . it was something I couldn’t appreciate until I did it.”
• “Amway can help you learn to lead and work with people more effectively. It can also help you overcome fears such as public speaking or even talking to people.”
• “Amway provides a safe place for new business owners to grow and learn.”
• “I joined Amway in 1990 and left in ‘91. I never made money in Amway, but I met some decent people who were all dreamers – it was contagious and I learned how to believe – which is 4/5 of the battle. It was one of the most memorable times in my life . . . “
• “Amway was very beneficial to me and many people in my life. It is an incredible business for self-growth and I highly recommend this business vehicle to anyone who is looking for more in life.”
• “The Amway company is reliable . . . If you produce ‘x’ result, you will get paid ‘x’ compensation. Always! The only variables are a) who will you be learning from; b) how well will you listen to them; and c) how much work are you willing to put in?”
• “Not only do they help everyday average people open their own business, but they also help the world and local community.”
• “I spent 13-15 years in Amway and gained a whole new attitude in life, which is priceless to me. I may not be building Amway now, but from the things I have learned that I have applied to my life today and also to other businesses that we are building, I became the man I am today!”

Those are just a sampling of the ratings and reviews that give all of us something to write home about!

Today we spend 5 minutes with “Dr. B,” also known as Rohan Fernando. Rohan has worked in Quality Assurance for Nutrilite for 20 years.

His team tests our B vitamins for potency, making sure they meet our standards and do what we want them to do. And, if you’ve ever toured our Nutrilite Center for Optimal Health, you may have met him. He’s the one who shows the tour groups around his department.

When did you first know you wanted to be a scientist?

In high school I was strong in science and math. With math I thought I could be a CPA or something like that, which didn’t interest me as much; I wasn’t sure I wanted to deal with numbers all day. But I realized that science would be a broader field to pursue, so I studied microbiology and chemistry, which led me to my job here at Nutrilite.

What’s the funniest thing that’s happened on a tour?

Well, people see me in my lab coat and they think I’m a doctor. And people love to take pictures with me. When they go back and share their pictures, other people who come visit recognize me, and they’re excited to see me. It’s a good feeling. They call me “Dr. B” because I handle B vitamins. People feel they know me, which is nice.

What do you like most about your job?

It’s just nice to work for a company you believe in and can be proud of. I like to wear my Nutrilite logo gear out and about and have people recognize who I work for.

What’s the biggest change you’ve seen in the 20 years you’ve been here?

Our QA lab has really grown. It was 7,000 square feet when I started here in 1993. Now it has grown to 37,000 square feet.

What keeps you busy when you’re not at work?

I like playing basketball with my kids, and I’m into cars so I like going to auto shows. I stay in shape and jog every day. I preach staying healthy, so I need to stay fit. I enjoy exercising.

Although infographics weren’t so popular when Amway Co-Founders Jay Van Andel and Rich DeVos started their first business in the mid-1940s, we know they would appreciate this one.  They tried their hands at business at least seven times prior to distributing Nutrilite, the precursor to today’s Amway.

Their first venture together was a flight school called Wolverine Air Service. The second was a hamburger joint called Riverside Drive-Inn. They also started businesses renting canoes, chartering fishing trips, importing Haitian home accessories and selling wooden rocking horses and organic baked goods.

We’re glad they kept going. And in their honor, we’re always here for the millions of Amway distributors trying to build their businesses every day, too.  How many times will you try?