Dear Friends,
It's 5:45 a.m., and I've been thinking about all of you for several hours now. I feel like a little kid on Christmas morning who can't wait to jump out of bed and see what is under the tree! I'm just so eager to be able to put into words exactly what I am feeling right now, and to tell you how incredibly proud I am of all of you. This is a very special time in our Company's history and I want to make sure that we are all very conscious of what is happening right now all around the world with Original Goji Juice. I simply could not wait another month to write my year end Holiday message, so here it is, a bit earlier than usual.
History is unfolding before our eyes. Original Goji Juice is quickly becoming the most talked about and successful product in the functional beverage category. The records we have shattered in 2005 are simply stunning. Even though we have come to expect record month after record month, it does not make it any less spectacular, and continues to add to the legacy of this nutritional miracle. and opportunities is this:
Record-Shattering October!
October is a very special month to us because it was on October 10, 2003 that we launched the most important breakthrough in our Company history, and perhaps in the entire nutritional industry: Original Goji Juice. And October 2005 was once again our biggest month in Company history by a wide, wide margin! Worldwide sales of Original Goji Juice were up more than 3 times from 12 months ago! Yes, more than triple our October 2004 record sales. That now makes 24 consecutive months of record growth since our October 2003 launch.
Each month over the last two years, I have tried to paint a picture for you of how unusually fortunate we have been. But sometimes I wonder if any of us truly realize how lucky we are right now. As a member of the Board of Directors for the Direct Selling Association, I have the unique opportunity to sit side-by-side with the leaders of some of the biggest and best companies in our industry, including billion-dollar companies like Avon and Mary Kay. During breaks in the formal meetings, we get the opportunity to network with each other. In a conversation I recently had with one of the giants in our industry, I mentioned our growth pattern the past two years. This top leader looked at me, and as a smile crept slowly across his face he said, "Wow, that's remarkable. It's scary to think where you will be three years from now!"
Scary is right, because we are just getting started and are in our infancy! We have just scratched the surface of where we are going! What is occurring right now around the world with Original Goji Juice is not "business as usual." It's not "normal." Normal successful companies are thrilled with growth of 10-15 percent a year. We're growing like that each month - double-digit increase on top of double-digit increase compounding month after month after month!
Original Goji Juice is literally becoming a worldwide phenomenon...a movement that is crossing all boundaries...a movement that will have a greater impact on the health and well-being of the people on this planet than any other movement to date. The story of Original Goji Juice is unfolding and all of you are the main characters of this one-of-a-kind bestseller that is doing great things for humanity.
Here is another indication of how far we have come. Sales of Original Goji Juice were more than 20 times higher in October 2005 than they were in October 2003, the month we launched Original Goji Juice. Twenty times higher! And how about this statistic: two years ago, we had 23 Ambassadors in our Company. Two years later, we have over 350!
But here is our greatest accomplishment this month, which I think truly puts into perspective the enormous international opportunity that Original Goji Juice represents. This month marks the first time in our history that we have four markets in the world that are exceeding seven-figure monthly sales of Original Goji Juice! Yes, in addition to the United States, we now have Australia, Canada, and Puerto Rico that have hit this magical, monthly number. Our hats are off to the remarkable Leaders in these markets. They are the pioneers who have paved the way and set the standard for those yet to come. We are so proud of all of you!
Seven-figure monthly sales in four markets is truly an indication that Original Goji Juice is a product that is so unique and so universal, that it crosses all ethnic, cultural, and religious boundaries. It tells us that our international opportunities are limitless. It tells us that we have only scratched the surface of where we are going. It tells us that Original Goji Juice will become a billion-dollar worldwide brand in the next 3-5 years!
Daddy, Nemo Is Here!
I have been blessed with four wonderful children. Jessica, at age seven, is our oldest. When she was just four, we had an eye-opening experience that gave my wife Tricia and me the most aggressive form of goose bumps we ever had! Let me tell you what happened.
I often walk around our neighborhood for exercise. On occasion, I would bring Jessica in a carriage as I walked. Once or twice, we saw a friendly woman walking her dog Nemo. Jessica was fascinated by Nemo, but also a little afraid of him because Nemo was a very large dog.
Several months had passed since we had last seen Nemo. I was putting Jessica to bed and just about to turn out the lights in her room when she said, "Daddy, Nemo is here." I looked at her with a kind smile and said, "Jessica, Nemo's not here. It's bedtime, honey."
She did not back off. "Daddy, Nemo is here!" I said, "Okay baby, whatever you say. Good night, I love you." I was just leaving her room when the front doorbell rang.
I began to get a very strange feeling, so I darted downstairs to the other side of our house and opened the door. As soon as the door was just partway open, Nemo ran past me, up our stairs and straight into Jessica's room! Nemo had never been to our house before or even on our property. Nemo's owner said she was incredibly sorry, but big Nemo literally dragged her up our driveway and straight to our front door! She said it was the strangest thing she had ever seen Nemo do and he had never done anything like this before.
We both ran up to Jessica's room and there was Jessica petting Nemo with a big smile on her face. She looked at me and said, "See Daddy, I told you Nemo was here."
It is a truly unique occurrence to be able to look into the future with great accuracy. Fortunately, it becomes more possible when the current state of affairs makes it very easy to determine what is to come. Such is the case with Original Goji Juice. By looking at what has happened to Original Goji Juice during the last two years, it becomes self-evident what is to come.
Let me give you a snapshot of where we are now and how clear and bright our future is. You see, even with our incredible history-breaking growth, our greatest accomplishments are yet to come and our greatest rewards are yet to be received.
A Product for the Ages
I have never heard of a product in my life that has had such a great impact on the lives and health of so many people. The nation's leading nutritionist, agrees, saying that in his 40 years of teaching others about natural healing, he has never seen a product that produces the results that Original Goji Juice does.
It is now clear that the Himalayan Healers who first discovered the benefits of the goji berry thousands of years ago, and the Chinese Herbalists who considered the goji berry to be their most important food for the human body, were right! It does have a uniquely positive impact on virtually every aspect of human health, unlike anything we have ever seen.
Science continues to back up the historical usage of the goji berry with 66 independent studies now published proving its benefits. One of the most exciting parts about the ongoing research is that more and more studies on the goji berry are being published each year. Eleven were published in 2004 and 5 more have already been published in 2005! These studies cover many aspects of health including skin health, vision improvement, enhancing the immune system, and many, many others. But don't just take my word for it - you can view abstracts of these studies by going to www.pubmed.org and typing in the Latin name for the goji berry, Lycium barbarum.
Through the years, we have seen a number of different companies offering beverage products. Some of these products are based on interesting folklore, but are not backed by real science. Others have decent science, but no historical usage (and they often have an unpleasant taste). Our product is different, unique - truly a category creator. Why?
There are four powerful reasons. First, this is a product whose results are SELF-EVIDENT! It quickly becomes apparent to anyone who drinks Original Goji Juice that it has added value - often very immediate and very direct. Everyone experiences it, so you don't have to keep re-selling it. Second, the goji berry has incredible historical usage dating back 4,000 years! It is shrouded in Himalayan and Chinese legend and from it's discovery in the Himalayas to the present day, those who know of the remarkable goji are awed by its unmatched health-promoting powers. Third, there is significant third-party science proving it works. Fourth, Original Goji Juice tastes absolutely delicious! The true test? Even children like it! My kids ask for it every single day (and I bet yours do, too).
I have never, ever seen a product combine all four of these important success factors: great results, great history, great science, and great taste. That is why I can say with such confidence that Original Goji Juice will be a billion-dollar brand in the next few years.
One other indication of how blessed we are with Original Goji Juice is the amazing free press we received in July. I think sometimes when the news is always so good, we take additional good news for granted. Do you realize that one of the biggest and most respected newspapers in the world, the Los Angeles Times, did an unsolicited article on the goji berry in July? Have you ever heard of that happening with any other company? Seriously, have you? I certainly haven't. I have never heard of any of our competitors getting this sort of free, positive publicity, and certainly not in the Los Angeles Times or anything close in reputation to that.
This sort of thing just does not happen every day. We did not contact the L.A. Times, or have any communication with them whatsoever. Yet, on July 18, 2005 the headline in the health section read, "Lycium May Repress Some Can cer Cells."
Think about that for a minute. One of the world's largest, most respected newspapers, with a circulation of more than a million people, wrote an unsolicited, extremely positive article on the goji berry! If that is not an indication of destiny playing a significant role in our quest to take Original Goji Juice around the world, I don't know what is.
Partners in Success
Without question, the driving force of our success has been our phenomenal field leadership. And I want you to know that Kevin and I, and our entire Team, are absolutely committed to treating our Leaders better than any other company in the Direct Selling industry. Period.
First, we believe Leaders should be rewarded financially for partnering together with us and making Original Goji Juice a billion-dollar worldwide brand. As such, our compensation plan offers a level of rewards never before offered in Direct Sales.
Recently, I had a fun conversation with a top Leader who has been in Direct Selling for many years and really has his pulse on the industry. He told me that a number of the top leaders in competitive companies have told him that our compensation plan is so perfect that they are literally begging the owners of their companies to just flat out copy our compensation plan!
I laughed when I heard that for two reasons. First, it's flattering to hear that top leaders in our industry believe we have achieved "the perfect compensation plan." Second, I can just see the expression on the owners' faces when they look at our compensation plan and think, "How in the world can they pay out THAT much money!"
It's true - our payout to our Leaders is extraordinary, and it got even better with the recent enhancements announced in August. Why do we pay out so much? The answer is simple. Kevin and I believe we are all partners in success. Without you, we would not have a company. You are working around the clock to build your Organization and to bring the good news of Original Goji Juice to millions of people in the world. Kevin and I want to share the abundance with those who are truly living out our mission of serving others. We believe with this abundance mentality, we can all succeed together and truly make the world a better place.
The second area where we will continue to excel as a company is in the area of rewards and recognition. Our Ambassadors are the key to our business growth and future success. Do you know that already this year we have set a new record of 267 new advancements to the Ambassador title?! This is simply stunning.
A Company of Service
One of our greatest accomplishments this year has been our charitable-giving program.
In 2005, we have made sizeable donations to the following charities on your behalf, touching the lives of thousands of children:
Special Olympics
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
Save the Children Tsunami Relief Fund
The Hole in the Wall Gang
Father Chris Riley's Youth Off the Streets
Starship Children's Hospital Auckland
Salvation Army Children's Home
Boys & Girls Club of Bellevue, Washington
Children's Hospital of San Diego
Children's Wish Foundation
Holston United Methodist Home for Children
Ronald McDonald House
Walter & Connie Payton Foundation
New Horizon Ministries
Children's Hospital at Scottish Rite
Alpha Center for Women
Hogar Fatima, Inc.
El Paso Center for Children of Teen Mothers
Children of the Night
Kids Cancer Care Foundation of Alberta
Thank you so much for your commitment to helping children around the world. We will continue to contribute in many meaningful ways to the world at large with a special focus on our children.
Our Commitment to You!
I wish you could walk around with me for a few days and participate in the planning meetings and strategy discussions that are taking place to shape the future of our Company. We are committed to constant and never-ending improvement, and we are working night and day to take Original Goji Juice around the world with you!
Our Home Office expansion has been nothing short of breathtaking. In an effort to support our growth and prepare for our remarkable future, we have hired a number of highly-talented new Team Members since the beginning of the year for key positions, including: Chief Operations Officer, Vice President of Sales, Director of Human Resources, Director of Global Development, Director of Marketing, Assistant Controller - International, Australia/New Zealand General Manager, Manager of Purchasing, International Development Project Manger, Supervisor of Customer Service, Copywriter, Executive Administrator, Systems Architect, Web Designer, Web Developer, Receptionist, Paralegal, and In-House Recruiter.
We've also hired 11 Order Entry Representatives and 8 Customer Service Representatives in addition to more new Team Members for the Mail & Fax Department, Phone Sales Support, and the Distribution Center. Finally, we are currently in the process of filling 30 more important positions by the end of the year to support each of you and our incredible growth!
I've also been traveling quite a bit to support our growth. Last week, I had a breakfast meeting in one city, hopped on a plane and had a lunch meeting in another city, and then got on another plane and had a dinner meeting in a third city! The very next morning, I drove two hours to a fourth city for yet another meeting. We are on the move right now - opening new offices and countries, looking for additional vendors, and interviewing potential new Team Members.
Just two weeks ago, Kevin and I were in Phoenix, Arizona for the Grand Opening of our West Coast distribution facility. This means that for those west of the Mississippi, you will be getting your product faster than ever before! This facility will be fully operational by the end of November.
International Expansion Plans
While North America represents our largest and fastest growing market, internationally, we have had a spectacular 2005. We believe the entire world should be benefiting from the miracle of Original Goji Juice so our expansion plans are extensive. The following countries were opened for business with enormous success in 2005:
Antigua/Barbuda
Trinidad/Tobago
Bahamas
St. Martin/St. Maarten
St. Kitts & Nevis
St. Lucia
And, we're not stopping there! Macau, Brunei, Bermuda, Anguilla, Barbados, and St. Vincent are set to open within the next 90 days.
For 2006, the prospects for international expansion appear brighter than ever before. We anticipate opening a number of new countries that will allow us to serve literally hundreds of millions of more people. On our radar screen for 2006 are the following countries: Belgium, Costa Rica, Curacao, El Salvador, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Ireland, Jamaica, Netherlands, Panama, Taiwan, Thailand, and United Kingdom.
Aggressive plans are already in place for 2007. We already have the ball rolling in Japan, Brazil, Italy, Poland, India, and Malaysia. And for those really planning ahead like we are, we are already looking into Korea, Russia, Ukraine, Chile, and Argentina for 2008.
Let me stress that these plans are aggressive, but we believe that they are smartly aggressive. As we continue to investigate entering these new markets, and as the laws, regulations, and governments in various countries change, we may be forced to speed up or slow down our timetable, as prudence would dictate. Some countries may have a delayed launch while others may launch sooner than anticipated. Please be patient. We want to open these countries for long-term success so you can continue to build your business with confidence. We are 100 percent committed to diligent planning and preparation before launching into these incredible markets. We've seen far too many companies launch international markets in a haphazard fashion with less than spectacular results. We are learning from the mistakes of those who have gone before us so we can avoid these strategic errors.
We also have been offering additional support to our existing markets by hiring our first-ever country General Manager for Australia and New Zealand, and by opening a Service Center in the Philippines with an office manager and staff.
Our 2 Secret Weapons!
Speaking of support - as a company, we are committed to hosting Field meetings. We have had Corporate Meetings in each of the following locations:
United States: Atlanta, Baltimore, Bristol, Chicago, Colorado Springs, Danville, El Paso, Ft. Lauderdale, Honolulu, Knoxville, Los Angeles, Maui, New York City, North Haven, Pittsburg, Savannah, Sioux Falls, St. George, Tampa, and Youngstown
Australia and New Zealand: Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, and Auckland
Canada: Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, Saskatoon, and Toronto
Philippines: Baguio and Manila
And...
Antigua, Bahamas, Puerto Rico, St. Maarten, and Trinidad
As you can see, we are on the move! And our commitment for 2006 is to get out there to support you even more! I believe we have two secret weapons that no other company in our industry can come close to matching.
Share the Secret!
Since the historic launch of Original Goji Juice on October 10, 2003, everything we have ever said about our Company, our opportunity, our vision, and our future has come to pass. We talked about record-setting growth, making an incredibly positive impact on people's lives around the world, and unprecedented rewards for our Leaders. We talked about global excursions to beautiful exotic locations, rapid international expansion, and working together as a team to bring the good news of our product around the world.
All of this, and more, has happened. But let me share a little secret with you...we have not yet even scratched the surface of reaching our full potential! We are a small fraction of the size we will be in a few short years. Can you imagine - just a small fraction! We are just beginning to enter a new era of growth and dream-fulfillment that will make our current level of success simply pale by comparison.
Not only do I know that in the next few years Original Goji Juice will be a billion-dollar brand name, touching the lives of millions of people around the world, I also believe that we will one day be one of the largest and most successful Direct Selling companies in the entire world. Original Goji Juice will be recognized worldwide as one of the world's premier brands.
And the exciting part for you is that you can look into the future armed with facts that irrefutably support the conclusion of where we are headed.
Consider this:
- An Inc. 500 Company 10 years old, financially strong, completely debt free and just beginning to enter momentum.
- Sales have tripled in last year.
- Twenty-four straight months of record growth.
- A product that the world's leading nutritionist calls "the most important product for health, wellness, and anti-aging that I have seen in 40 years!"
- Proprietary formula. Can't be copied.
- The product is only two years old in the marketplace. Delicious tasting - even kids love it.
- Featured in one of the world's largest and most respected newspapers, the L.A. Times.
- Sixty-six scientific studies.
- Extremely lucrative, seamless, residual income based compensation plan that is the envy of the industry.
- Average Marketing Executive check has more than tripled in last 24 months.
- Eighteen new countries launched in first 24 months.
- At least 24 more countries to be launched in the next 24 months.
- Company investing millions for growth and infrastructure.
- A significant charitable-giving program making an impact around the world for our most precious asset, our children.
- Greatest growth right around the corner.
- Experienced, caring, long-term-thinking Corporate Leaders.
And you can be a part of this incredible Family, working together to make the world a better place.
As partners in our success, we are offering you the opportunity to be a part of something truly special - a Company that is focused on personal growth, social commitment, financial freedom, and health and well-being. We want you to join us as we travel the world to exotic locations learning from each other, exploring and renewing our spirits.
Sit back and think about where you want to be one year from now. Make a decision and stay on the course.
The most exciting part is our future. And our future is extremely bright!
As I have told you many times before, I truly we believe we have the best Marketing Executives in the world!
You have invested in us your hopes and dreams, and for many of you, the yearning desire that this will be the last time you ever have to build a home-based business.
My promise to you is that we won't take you for granted.
We won't stop valuing you.
We won't stop listening to you.
We won't stop dreaming with you or stop working hard to make those dreams a reality.
Together, we will all be an incredible voice of unity and an unmatched vehicle of good for so many people throughout the world.
