This week the Network Marketing community has been humming with news, rumors and facts. First came the breaking news that Neways former founder Tom Mower was suing The Trump Network. Then Rastelli Direct breaks the news they have launched a a private ventage of wines. I met with Green Organic founder Paula Scarcella and learn Cowboy Joe Schroeder have come out of retirement and joined her company. Then The Limu Company founder Gary Raser breaks the news that The Limu Nation has broken records in the USA and Japan!

This weeks Network Marketing News!

You can read all about it, in the article I just wrote by clicking here!

The Limu Company is up 400% over January 2011 for Enrollments!

U.S. Daily Sales U.S. Daily Sales Up 350% over January 2011!

Japan Daily Sales Up 250% over January 2011!

Rastelli Direct is breaking their own records month after month, due to their “Never Back Down” attitude to business. With the reputation for excellence of their parent company Rastelli Food Group, they have once again brought to their field force a first in network marketing… Read the full report here!

When I got the news Cowboy Joe Schroeder was coming out of retirement to join Paula Scarcella over at Green Organics, the first word I spoke was WHY? Well instead of pondering it to long, Paula was able to get Joe to contact me and give me the real scoop before all the rumors started. Read thee full report here!

Two of my constituents Ty Tribble of MLMBlog.net and Ted Nuyten of Home Business Organization reported this week that The Trump Network aka Ideal Health was in trouble and could be going down fast due to top distributors leaving and Tom Mower suing them.

I searched the net and could not find one document, showing where the lawsuit has actually been filed with the IN THE FOURTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT IN AND FOR UTAH COUNTY, STATE OF UTAH which causes me to wonder if Tom Maower or one of his crew leaked the potential filing with Ted Nuyten knowing he is located in the Netherlands.

So I reached out to Peggy Brochman, top leader at The Trump Network and here is what she told me… Click Here!

The Limu Company Founder Gary Limu Reveals Massive International Growth Through The Limu Nation!

The real beginning of influence comes as others sense you are being influenced by them – when they feel understood by you – that you have listened deeply and sincerely, and that you are open.” ~ Stephen Covey

What is empathy and what makes it so powerful ?

It’s the ability to step into another person’s shoes and see/feel their reality from their perspective. It is the primary building block of compassion and compassion is what really brings down the wall of resistance.
Effective listening skills are important in every aspect of life to be able to get your message across. Both at work, at home and in social situations, the ability to listen well is as important as to be able to present well. This also equally applies in leadership, management or a team member position.

Listening is important as this increases your understanding of the thoughts and motivation of the other person. Knowing what motivates the other person is key, so that you are able to present your message within that context, which is the most effective strategy in recruiting people into your business.

There are a few tips that will help significantly in improving listening skills.

1. Listen With Empathy

It is common for people to listen with intent to answer. There is nothing wrong with this as this is what discussions and conversations are about.

The ability to respond better in a discussion can be significantly improved by just adding a slight twist to this. Listen with intent to appreciate what the other person is saying from his or her point of view. For those few moments, do not focus on how you want to respond.

When you have understood the other person’s views, then respond with your views. Reply in a way that shows empathy to what you have just heard.

Empathy is defined as the identification with and understanding of another’s situation, feelings and motives.

This does not mean that you are accepting the other person’s views and opinions. It just means that you have given your consideration and will try to understand a possibly different point of view.

First, this is important because you may not have fully understood a situation and can potentially draw an incorrect conclusion. By getting new information, you may change your mind on how you may respond.

Secondly, when the other party knows that you are listening to what is being said, this person will respond in a similar fashion when you speak. People appreciate you when they know that you give your full attention to their opinions and views.

2. Ask The Right Questions

Asking the right questions has much more of an impact in getting people to open up in discussions and also for you to get a much better understanding of any situation.

Too often, people have a tendency to talk based on their understanding of the situation and what they think is best.
It is important to ask clarification questions first. But, you must avoid asking questions that will result in “yes” or “no” answers. Start with broad based questions that will lead to descriptive answers. This will result in you getting information that you may not have thought of.

Asking pointed questions to get “yes” or “no” answers is best used when the other person is not giving a precise answer when one is required.

The other point to be aware of when asking questions is to ask for clarifications when general statements are made. For example, if the person says that there are some issues to be handled, ask for the list of issues.

By asking the right questions, you will get the other person to think through and quite often, you will be pleasantly surprised that the other party will actually arrive at the same conclusion as you.

Find out what people are dissatisfied with in their lives. Find out what they want to improve? What their goals are? Ask about their past? Get to know if they have done similar things before and what their experience was.

3. Be Patient

Listening with empathy and asking the right questions are techniques whose value can be easily appreciated, but actually doing these are not easy. You need to tell yourself to patiently listen. Basically, you need to tell yourself to “keep quiet” when the other person is talking.

It is much easier for most of us to just tell people what we think as soon as it comes to mind. Listening and holding on to what we want to say needs a lot of patience. This needs a conscious decision and effort.

4. Show Right Body Language

How often have you been in office discussions and meetings where someone is checking their email as you are talking with them? Or looking at their watch every few minutes.

Such body language indicates that you are not really interested in what the other person has to say. If you are busy, then set another time for the discussion, when you can pay attention.

During the conversation, you can slightly lean forward and maintain a comfortable eye contact with the person.
Where appropriate, taking notes is a good indicator that you consider the points being made as important. This also helps as sometimes it is difficult to remember all the points made.

5. Summarize

Summarizing a discussion or conversation is a good indicator of whether you have listened well. This is important in the event you have incorrectly understood the points made, then summarizing to confirm understanding is a great technique to avoid disagreements as you express your point of view.

In a work environment, making notes is an important step to be able to summarize. If you have made the notes, then summarizing can be done fast and precisely. If not, you will stumble through based on what you remember of the conversation and will not be effective.

Take notes in point format, so that summarizing is easy. Another tip is that when you have your own thoughts on a particular point, make a note of that as well.

This is important because you will want to speak out your thoughts and ideas. But, remember..you are supposed to listen first. If you do not bring it up immediately, you might forget. Noting this down helps you to remember to bring it up later. By writing it, you also do not need to worry that you will forget the point.

If you have not been using the above techniques of effective listening, it will prove to be a little difficult when you start using them. However, when you use these techniques and realize that you are more effective in achieving your objectives in discussions and meetings, you will know that it is well worth your effort and you will find your success in your business improves tremendously.

Make sure you check out Best In U. Their goal is to become THE leading Digital Company in Network Marketing and check out the preview of their new video platform thats on the site

In this week’s MLM News Report, I cover Zeek Rewards, 21Ten, LIFE, Scentsy, Avant, Neways, Ambit Energy, an update on Robert Dean’s break from Limu and must more as I report from the TEAM Major in Columbas Ohio.

Best In U Success Minute

“You have probably all heard this story about goal setting

The story, as told by consultants, goes like this: In 1953, researchers surveyed Yale’s graduating seniors to determine how many of them had specific, written goals for their future. The answer: 3%. Twenty years later, researchers polled the surviving members of the Class of 1953 — and found that the 3% with goals had accumulated more personal financial wealth than the other 97% of the class combined!

Whether true or not the importance of goal setting in your MLM business is irrefutable…

You’ve probably heard the phrase: failing to plan is planning to fail.

This applies to every aspect in life and very much so in your network marketing business.

The secret key to network marketing and MLM goal setting is to be SMART, where:-

S = Specific

T = Timely

When you take a far reaching goal and break it down to specific tasks, your goal setting becomes very clear and accurate about what you are going to do. When you measure your progress, you stay on track and reach your target dates within a time frame. With that you will know for your self whether your goals are realistic and attainable.

In network marketing and MLM goal setting, you must also have a long-term goal and short-term goals. Your long-term goal is what you ultimately want to achieve. Whether it is to have a six figure income or to build an organization of 10,000 people, your long-term goal is the ultimate destination where you will be.

Make sure you visualize your goals and make them as specific as possible. Many people create vision boards where they not only write them down but also create a picture board of their goals…You need to share your goals with those close to you. Put yourself out there and tell people your intentions

Your short-term goals on the other hand is ‘how’ you will achieve your long-term goal. This is where you devise a map in extreme detail and accuracy, where you break down your monthly goals into weekly goals and break down further your weekly goals into daily goals. You will need to figure out your daily marketing tasks and how many new prospects you need to generate in order to achieve your ultimate success.

Have your long-term goal to keep you motivated. Know that it is there and plan your daily marketing tasks to bring you closer to it. Focus, be consistent and persistent. Spend time on your network marketing and MLM goal setting. This will bring you a lot of clarity and aspiration to acquire your ultimate success.

Treat your MLM business as if you just invested 100K in a franchise. If you treat it like a business and set your goals while frequently monitoring your progress and making the appropriate tweaks as needed…you will be successful and realize your goals and dreams.

Best In U’s goal is to become the leading digital Company in the Direct Sales Industry and become one of the elite Billion Dollar Company’s.

What are your goals?”

“Our belief in what Life Shotz can do for you is unwavering. We spent years researching our formula to ensure that what we created would make a difference on a cellular level. Our next step was to prove it for you.” – 21Ten 2012

We enlisted the best facility to help us do that.

Brunswick Labs, a leading international analytical testing facility since 1997, performed a blind study of Life Shotz along with five other competitive products. All five competitive products are from the health and wellness category. Based on their marketing and composition, these products should have performed on these tests. The lab scientists were blinded from knowing what products they were testing. Each test was conducted on live human cells to show the potential results in our everyday lives.

In the 15 year history of Brunswick Labs, the leading clinical lab in the country, no product has ever scored this well. On three out of the five tests, none of the competitor products even scored. On the other two tests, the closest competitor scored a high of 9% of the Life Shotz score!”

You wouldn’t know it by looking at Tim and Poni Altvater now, but on a fateful summer evening in 1994, their lives were changed forever when the unthinkable happened. “As a young family, just starting out together in life, everything we knew was suddenly turned upside down for us when we were hit by a drunk driver,” Tim Altvater said. “We had devastating injuries, small children to care for, a sudden loss of all our income, and a long and draining insurance battle to deal with.” Read their story here!

Zeek Rewards are taking a proactive position in working to guarantee they have done all they can do to stay out of the gun sights of the regulators by hiring some of the TOP Guns of the Direct Selling profession. Below is a glimpse of the team working with Zeekler aka Zeek Rewards.

MLM Compliance Attorney – Kevin Grimes

MLM Attorneys – Gerry Nehra and Richard Waak

Dr. Keith Laggos

The Direct Selling

Direct Selling Association Companies In The News

- Ambit Energy is working to facilitate self-employment opportunities for U.S. veterans recently home from Iraq and Afghanistan through participation in the “Self-Employment Opportunities for U.S. Veterans” campaign, sponsored by RJ Yanni & Associates, a consulting firm out of New York. Should this fundraising campaign be successful, it will provide subsidies to veterans to start their own, independent businesses with either Ambit Energy or FamilyIQ, a human services company. The campaign’s goal is to raise $75,000 in first-round financing to help veterans with the start-up costs of these businesses, from which up to 1,000 veterans per month will be able to enroll as independent registered agents of either company for the next year.

- Scentsy has introduced a new brand, Velata, featuring a patent-pending silicone dish on an electric warmer paired with Belgian chocolate to create a fondue experience. The new brand will be available in North America in May 2012. The company also announced it is extending its flagship Scentsy Wickless brand to include Layers by Scentsy, through which customers can build a signature scent, and has introduced customizable scented greeting cards that can be purchased and mailed through an online store called Sincerely Scent. Layers by Scentsy and Sincerely Scent will be available to customers in North America beginning in March 2012.

Neways Completes Refinancing Outside Of Bankruptcy

These two new announcements from Avant could be the game changer among Top tier companies competing for a very tight be lucrative pool of sales and marketing talent. Their new funding program and the car program seems to put them at the forefront of their niche.

Avant Announces New Funding For Members

Avant Announces Innovative Audi Luxury Car Program

21Ten as they enter into their second year has once again raised the bar for other network marketing companies in 2012 by enhancing the LifeShotz formula, and taking their compensation plan to all new heights.

I was a fly on the wall of the 2012 kickoff call, and talk about electricity flowing. Even before the call started 21Ten reps were calling in from around the globe waiting to hear the exciting news, and they were not disappointed.

What continues to amaze me with 21Ten is the love the corporate team has for the field, and the love the field have for the corporate team. They truly work together to create a culture which is unique to any other direct selling company I have reviewed.

Checkout this video to learn a little more about the 21Ten passion!

21Ten Improves Formula of LifeShotz

Rod Cook, the MLM Watchdog sounded the alarm this week on the FDA once again coming after nutritional companies. As a community we need to take this seriously and follow Rod’s advice… Even Senator Orrin Hatch has weighed in on this issue.

Click Here to Learn how you can take action today!

The DSA Association Government Relations Activities Focus on Federal Independent Contractor Issues

There was a flurry of federal regulatory activity related to independent contractors this week, starting with a ceremony Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis hosted at the Department of Labor to commemorate signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The MOU is a part of efforts currently underway to stop employers from misclassifying staff simply to avoid providing employment protections. Additionally, IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman stressed that the Service will not be launching new investigations regarding worker classification violations.

The President’s Plan for Economic Growth and Deficit Reduction was also released this week. The plan proposes authorizing the IRS to provide standards for proper worker classification—independent contractor vs. employee—and require employers to change the status of those who are currently improperly classified to the appropriate category. This proposal is similar to the Administration’s recommendation from its budget released earlier this year.

“The independent contractor status of direct salespeople is the cornerstone of our industry,” stated Dean Heyl, DSA Attorney & Director of Government Relations. “Although direct sellers are classified as statutory non-employees under Internal Revenue Code Section 3508 for employment tax purposes, DSA remains alert to the obvious focus the Administration is placing on independent contractor issues.”

Vemma Nutrition Company Honored in 2011 ACE Awards – Vemma Ranked 33rd Among Private Companies in Arizona!

09.21.2011– Scottsdale, AZ — Vemma Nutrition Company was ranked 33rd in the top 50 revenue generators in Arizona at the Arizona Corporate Excellence Awards. The invitation-only awards ceremony was hosted last night at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts and attended by executives from the leading private companies in the state.

Now in its 17th year, the 2011 ACE Awards recognizes corporate excellence and provides a platform to developing an increasing sense of knowledge-sharing and community among private companies in Arizona.

Salien Liles – Limu 50K

For three years, Salien Liles was content to just drink LIMU Original™ — never realizing what she was missing by not pursuing the business. Now she knows!

You can’t blame her too much, really. Many people in her position would’ve done the same thing. After all, she did have a pretty sweet gig in the medical field — a full-time job that paid her well. And yet, she kept hearing her family’s voices in her ear. “They said I needed to get serious about this opportunity,” Salien says. “And if I would treat this like a million dollar business — I wouldn’t regret it. I can’t begin to tell you how right they were.”

About two years ago, their words finally began to sink in. “I had a huge amount of credit card debt,$15,000 and it was only getting bigger,” Salien says. “And I wanted to get free from that burden. But, to be honest, what really motivated me was going on the President’s Dream Trip!”

So the 26 year old kicked her business into high gear … and within three month’s time, the results were phenomenal. Salien did in fact go on the coveted, all-expenses paid Dream Trip — truly a life-changing experience. “We never heard the word ‘no’ on that trip,” Salien says. “I never want to miss a Dream Trip from here on out.”

In addition, the young woman no longer faces a debt-filled future. Her credit cards are completely paid off. And best of all, by the end of the year, her part-time Limu earnings had exceeded her full-time income in the medical field! Debt free Salien fired her boss and now, as the youngest 50K member in the Limu family She’s free to travel when and where she wants — without worrying about cost. Just this past summer she spent 8 days in Cabo San Lucas, a week in Pigeon Forge, Tn and 10 days on an Alaskan cruise.

“As a patient advocate in my job, I would listen to people’s problems all day, but I often feel helpless. With Limu I share the opportunity of a lifetime to help people enrich their lives. That’s a very powerful place to be,” she says. “I’ve always wanted to help millions of children around the world, and now I know this business can help me make that happen.”
Salien Liles

Willie & Una Faye Earnest

“Willie started taking Original Limu™ before I did, to improve his health. Within 3 months he saw better results than the doctors were able to produce in years! When I tried the product I also got tremendous results and we realized this was something we needed to start sharing with everyone.

“We were able to build a bigger part-time TLC income than we were earning from our full-time business! We’ve paid off debts, bought a new car, and we’re helping our local church build another church out of state.

We no longer have to watch our pennies and we’re building our savings for the future. “We thank God for Original Limu™ because it has not only helped us physically, but it also allows us help other people improve their quality of life too. TLC has been a financial blessing. We recently sold our business and now can travel and share Original Limu™ and the TLC Opportunity around the country full-time!”

For Jeff Hooks, Absence Made the Heart Grow Fonder

From the very start, Jeff Hooks knew that Vemma would be big … and as a friend of BK Boreyko and Tom Alkazin, he had a great vantage point. Jeff was a Vemma pioneer and part of the foundation of the company even prior to the launch in 2004. Jeff was excited and committed to the product and opportunity.

But after several lucrative years earning over $2,000,000, and even after being promoted to Royal Ambassador, he left Vemma for other ventures. But in just a few a months, “I started to realize that was a big mistake,” Jeff now recalls. “I wasn’t having a lot of fun with my new venture. The grass wasn’t greener and it still needed to be mowed.” So Jeff reconnected with BK and restarted his Vemma business from the beginning. Today, having rapidly advanced to Star Executive, Jeff calls his absence a “self-inflicted lobotomized sabbatical” that he is thankful was reversed! (Read the whole story)

Other Companies In The News…

3000BC HOME announced it has secured $500,000 in Series A capital, which will be sufficient to carry the company to profitability. The company is seeking an additional $1 million to fund the growth to follow.

4Life posted a record 22 percent increase in sales and a record-breaking number of new distributors for the month of August.

Discovery Toys has partnered with Booster Juice, a juice bar chain in Canada, to provide educational toys to sick children in Children’s Hospitals across the country. The companies hope to raise $30,000 this year, impacting more than 15,000 sick children who stay at these hospitals every year.

Herbalife has made a joint commitment with the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition’s Future Fortified campaign to help millions of women and children around the world access the essential nutrients they need to lead healthy, enriched lives. Herbalife will be providing an initial donation of 20 million MixMe packets to the campaign to advance its goals.

Immunotec announced the closing of financing with TD Bank Group for $3.45 million. The new financing, including an operating loan for up to $1.25 million and a committed term facility of $2.2 million, will replace in its entirety the existing credit facility and demand loan that was in place with another financial institution.

LifeVantage announced entertainer Donny Osmond has become a spokesperson for the company’s flagship product, Protandim.

Longaberger will conduct a Horizon of Hope and You event in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month on Oct. 1, 2011, at the Longaberger Homestead. A make-a-basket fundraiser will be featured, and a portion of the proceeds will go to breast cancer research and awareness. The event will also feature a number of activities including a 5K fun run, a children’s fun run and a one-mile walk.

In other company news, Longaberger CEO Tami Longaberger visited Huntington, W.Va., as part of her Dreams Live Here Tour. The evening included meeting Tami for photos and autographs, a live basket-making demonstration by a Longaberger craftsman, door prize drawings, a presentation on decorating tips for fall and the holidays and more.

Primerica is consolidating its headquarters, currently spread across 10 office buildings, to a new complex in Gwinnett County, Ga. The nearly 350,000-square-foot location will be ready in April 2013 and will help Primerica streamline operations while providing room to expand.

Regal Ware will celebrate 100 years of making cookware in Washington County, Wis., on Sept. 24 during its Celebration of a Century event. The company has been crafting high-quality stainless steel and cast aluminum cookware in the U.S. since the founding of its West Bend Cookware Division in 1911.

Scentsy is raising money for the Ronald McDonald House Charities through sales of its Scentsy Buddy, Sasha, a $30 brown bear that comes with a choice of Scent Pak. The bear will be available through February 2012 and 100 percent of the proceeds will be given to the charity.

Team Beachbody recently received two Moxie Awards from the Electronic Retailing Association (ERA). The company was named Marketer of the Year, and won in the Best Long Form, Sports & Fitness category for its Turbo Fire video. The ERA Moxie Awards celebrate the top campaigns in direct response marketing.

Team National’s Accelerate Your Dreams bus tour has raised more than $20,000 for the company’s charities of choice. The bus crossed 9,000 miles in 30 cities.

XANGO launched its 10th year of business last week by revealing an updated brand identity and a new product line, including skincare and nutritional supplement products. “Today’s launches signify a period of renewal and leadership for XANGO,” said CEO Aaron Garrity. “Our commitment to innovation and category creation began when we brought mangosteen to consumers worldwide with XANGO® Juice. Nine years later, we continue to set ourselves apart with our focus on creating products that help achieve complete wellness by pairing the mangosteen with the world’s most celebrated botanicals. These new offerings complement our existing roster of premium, functional products to give consumers what they desire: quality, natural products that are effective, safe and sustainable for our bodies, the environment and the business growth of our distributors.”

The First 125 to purchase my new training video “Becoming a Person of Excellence” at The Network Marketing Advocates will receive:

Your personal flash drive will include the following:

- Becoming a Person of Excellence – This is the first in the new E.P.I.C. Video Training Series.
- Socialnomics – 8-part audio series.
- The Secrets to Succeeding in Network Marketing – 19-part audio series.
- Your Roadmap to Success – 10-part audio series.
- The Other 8 Hours – 8-part audio series.
- Social Marketing Directory (eBook)
- The Network Marketing Chronicles Vol. 1 (eBook)
- Think & Grow Rich (eBook)

Free For The First 125 Subscribers!

- Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway – 8-part audio series
- How To Lead The Seven Most Difficult Personalities – 7-part audio series
- Success vs. Significance – 6-part audio series
- The most Significant Ingredients For Success – 7-part audio series
- Whatever It takes – 5-part audio series

Order your now!

What follow are my personal observations on the subject of commissions on sales aids. This article should not be construed as the rendering of legal advice. Companies and distributors needing specific counsel in this area should retain an attorney skilled in direct selling law.

The conventional wisdom followed by the vast majority of companies is to pay no commissions on sales aids. What follows is the reason “why”: Although no specific state or federal law prohibits paying commissions on sales aids, if the company gives independent contractor representatives an incentive to recruit more representatives, and that incentive is greater than the incentive to sell products and services to consumers, that is exactly what those representatives will do.

The few companies paying some form of commissions on sales aids, and who in my view are not at risk, have that portion of their business a VERY SMALL portion of their total business. I believe 15 percent or less is very small and defensible, as long as there are

no other regulatory issues. Also, the commissionable sales aids are always optional, and never a requirement of participation in the income opportunity. Read On…

DSA September 1st, 2011:

Inc. Magazine announced its list of the top 500 and 5,000 fastest-growing companies. Direct selling member companies included on the top 500 list were Scentsy (no. 85) and Ambit Energy (no. 390). Direct selling member companies included on the top 5,000 list were LifeWave (no. 721), YOR Health (no. 1611), Team Beachbody (no. 2314), 5Linx (no. 2419) and Isagenix (no. 4150).

Tastefully Simple Makes SBA Top 100 for 2011

Company Name:
Tastefully Simple
Location:
Alexandria, MN

In 1995, Jill Blashack Strahan founded Tastefully Simple on what she calls “a dream and a shoestring.” She bootstrapped the business with $6,000 in personal savings, a $10,000 investment from partner Joani Nielson and a $20,000 Small Business Administration loan.

The company started in a shed with no running water or air conditioning, using a pool table as the packing station. Jill was the company’s first employee and sales consultant, and during the first three years, she didn’t take a salary.

Today, Tastefully Simple is a direct sales company featuring over 60 easy-to-prepare food and gifts.

Tastefully Simple has become a $100 million company in the Inc. 500 Hall of Fame with over 22,000 consultants nationwide and over 340 team members at its headquarters.

Fred Squillante | DISPATCH

About the company
THIRTY-ONE
Headquarters: 231 Commerce Blvd., Johnstown, Ohio
Employees: 1,500 employees and an independent sales force of nearly 40,000
Sales: Not available; company is private (Read On)

The Direct Selling Association Provide Member Companies With Health Care Program For Independent Distributors.

While many distributors are drawn to direct selling because of the flexibility and versatility the industry offers, a key factor in enabling distributors to take on full-time endeavors is access to health insurance. As many households continue to endure layoffs and long-term unemployment, thousands of part-time distributors are seeking coverage for their families.

By partnering with DSA, your company can not only provide families with this crucial service, but you can also increase the loyalty of your distributors as they gain access to an invaluable resource while maintaining their independent contractor status. Read More…

A recent study conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture* and published in Atherosclerosis, demonstrated a MonaVie acai juice to have significant cardio-protective properties in an animal model. The MonaVie juice exhibited cardio-protective effects by reducing free radical cell membrane damage (lipid peroxidation), boosting antioxidant enzymes, and inhibiting pro-inflammatory cytokine production. Read More…

NEW YORK (TheStreet) — Nu Skin (NYSE:NUS) hit a new 52-week high Thursday as it is currently trading at $39.38, above its previous 52-week high of $39.35 with 212,586 shares traded as of 10:17 a.m. ET. Average volume has been 725,400 shares over the past 30 days.

Nu Skin has a market cap of $2.3 billion and is part of the consumer goods sector and consumer non-durables industry. Shares are up 27.5% year to date as of the close of trading on Wednesday. Read On…

Draft Guidance for Industry: Dietary Supplements: New Dietary Ingredient Notifications and Related Issues

Back to Dietary Supplements Guidance

Contains Nonbinding Recommendations
Draft-Not for Implementation

July 2011

This guidance is being distributed for comment purposes only. Read On…

FDA’s New Sneak Attack on Supplements

Just before the July 4 holiday weekend, hoping to limit media attention, the FDA dropped a bomb on dietary supplements. Don’t let them get away with it! A new Action Alert.

On July 1, the US Food and Drug Administration issued draft guidance for complying with the New Dietary Ingredient (NDI) notification protocols contained in the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA). Ever since DSHEA was enacted in 1994, supplement manufacturers have had very little guidance on what counts as an NDI and when or how to send an NDI notification. The government has arbitrarily ignored or enforced this section of DSHEA, doing as it liked, without spelling out the rules. Read On…

The Application…

FDA unleashes end game scheme to outlaw virtually all dietary supplements formulated after 1994

(Natural News) In the wake of hundreds of dietary supplements recently being outlawed across the EU, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has quietly unleashed a regulatory scheme that, if fully implemented, could ban virtually all dietary supplements in the USA that were formulated after 1994. Read On…

FDA’s scheme to outlaw nearly all nutritional supplements created after 1994 would destroy millions of jobs and devastate economy

(NaturalNews) Yesterday we reported on the FDA’s new scheme for outlawing nearly all nutritional supplements formulated after October, 1994 (http://www.naturalnews.com/032912_F…). That was just the beginning of this story, because a detailed analysis of the proposed new regulation reveals extremely disturbing revelations that would absolutely gut the nutritional products industry if these regulations are put into practice. Read On…

GET THE TARGET OFF YOUR BACK

MLM Compliance VT is an organization dedicated to Multi-Level Marketing and Compliance Training.
With world wide reach for companies and organizations this platform will ensure that you comply while you thrive. Read On…

Hey all be on the lookout Monday for some new sponsorship and advertising opportunities here on MLM News Desk!

This week, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley signed a bill into law which, among other provisions, contained specific language to exempt direct sellers from unemployment compensation coverage. This language ensures that individual direct sellers are properly defined as independent contractors and was added at the direct selling industry’s request after a two-year effort to educate regulators and legislators.

Thanks to Anne Crews (Mary Kay) for traveling to South Carolina to work on this effort, as well as the other member companies that provided support. This is another great government relations victory for the direct sales channel.

DSA will continue to seek this language in other jurisdictions. Similar exemption language is already law in more than 30 states and at the federal level.

As I reported earlier this week AMA Nation the marketing arm for Public Power LLC, has basically stopped their direct selling arm. Well I want to explain a little deeper. The company assets (key word assets) were sold to a new power (watch for the article this next week), and when this took place Public Power LLC, refused to continue paying the distributors on all the customers they have brought to the company. The count I have found is somewhere between 200K and 500K customers were brought it to the company by distributors. I’ll be reaching out to Public Power for their side of the story this week.

WARNING TO COMPANIES AND DISTRIBUTOR!

This week I watched some interesting threads over on FaceBook as distributors promoted their specific companies. During one read, I reviewed a video created by a top leader in a solid company. BUT… In the video were quotes from Warren Buffet, Bill Gates among others. However, none of the quotes provided the specific date, TV show or publication where the quote could be found. Most regulator organizations will view this as hype intended to entice a person to join your opportunity. Please be care and do not use unsubstantiated quotes.

Ranked #44 by US News as one of the top colleges in the nation, Bethany will be offering the first ever degree in Network Marketing! Len Clements and Rod Cook first broke this story this week! Unlike other colleges who allow leaders in network marketing to teach evening classes with not accreditation, Bethany will now offer a marketing degree with an emphasis on network marketing. I am proud to say I have been asked to help facilitate with the online portion of the teaching.

Andrew and Nancy Burling Commit to Growing Fucoidan Direct Sales Company Lake Mary, FL — June 13, 2011 —Fucoidan Focused Nutrition Company LIMU continues to draw momentum in the Direct Sales industry as its organization of independent Members increases. Following a year of management additions, brand transformation, international expansion and sales incentives like BMWs, LIMU gives consumers many compelling reasons to start a home-based business. Recently, … (Read More)

Vi-Tell Wireless Offers No Cost Entry To Displaced Distributors & Companies

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to draw members’ attention to an industry that touches the
lives of many of our constituents: direct selling. Direct selling provides flexible and
convenient earnings and opportunities for over 900,000 of our constituents, 91% of
whom are women. Direct selling in Canada generates $2.2 billion in sales, almost $800
million in personal income and contributes almost $1 billion in taxes.
Direct selling companies give back to their communities, contributing almost $8 million
in charitable causes and that does not include the millions in contributions that individual
direct sellers make every year.
I encourage members to learn more about this dynamic and important industry at a
reception this evening with the Direct Sellers Association of Canada at the Government
Conference Centre.”

Xyngular is a company I have been watching for the last year or so. Over this time period I have shared a few concerns, none of which have anything to do with the ethics of the company or their leadership. The concerns were focused on the financial stability of the company and the single-line unilevel compensation plan they were using.

When they merged with another small direct selling company, it concerned me that the corporate monthly overhead, might be to much for the company to manage before they started to see momentum. However, they seemed to have overcome that concern.

My second concern, was the use of a “single-line, pay-line.” In reality this is just a good old unilevel compensation plan. But, when you add some of the bells and whistles to create the single-line marketing, some times the reps will over hype the whole concept. In this case, the concern was kept in check, and the company has started to attract some fresh young leaders.

One such leader is Lawrence Michael Young. Lawrence is the personal under-study of one of the most successful Noni leaders of all time. Over the years Michael matured and came into his own and realized that it was time to break apart form his mentor and go out on his own. This is sign of legacy building, and what true leadership is all about.

Michael Yanke has created one of the most unique direct selling companies I have seen in a while. Unlike the traditional direct selling companies, Michael has taken the same road companies like Vemma, Avon and Amway have taken. He has created a company where Generation X & Y along with their parents the world famous Baby Boomers all have something in common. Not only can they build a family business, they can all enjoy the My Life Share product line.

Rumor has it, that shortly one of the most recognized names in direct selling will be joining this company because of Michael and the uniqueness of the business itself.

Erik Laver, co-founder and former president of Send Out Cards has bought this company. Now that in and of itself is a positive move for this company. However, I do have a few concerns, which I do hope Laver will get a handle on.

Some very zealous Ximo distributors have used the phrase “Ximo has the Only FDA Approved Ephedra product.” The reality is that Ximo Health does purport to use the “only FDA compliant Ephedra formula.” If Laver can get the marketing under control, and overcome the negative marketing campaign funded by the large pharmaceutical companies over the last two decades, then maybe he will have a winner.

This is truly one to watch. Many folks loved Ephedra, and I personally do not believe all the negative hype around it. There are more folks who die each year from the misuse of prescription drugs, than the total of all deaths from the misuse of Ephedra. However, the band was in part due to over hyping and misleading marketing by a few greedy people.

Qivana is the sponsor for this week’s MLM News Report.

You Say You Want A Revolucion… Peter Lupus and Linda Swensen the founders and current officers of Revolucion and I met today for a conference call, and I must say some of the things they shared about their future product offering will truly give the average Revolucion Ambassador something they can be proud of.

A Social Networking Case Study: I am going to share an example of great using social networking to expand your network and build stronger and new personal relationships. Social Marketing Trainer, Ray Higdon tagged me in an article he wrote this week on gathering local leads, this video shares what happened next… Find out how Jess Perretti got mixed up in all of this.

LifeShare: Michael Yanke and his partners have launched a new and very interesting direct selling company… And it is NOT a health and nutrition company.

How Travis & Summer Flaherty Are Building A Legacy Without Hurting Your Teams Reputation In Direct Selling!

Max International seems to have had some form of meltdown both internally and in the field. What can we as direct marketing professionals learn from these situations, and how can we work together to keep this from happening in the future?

You can view some of the legal documentations here:
Case v. Max International lawsuit
After reviewing this lawsuit, I started researching how many other lawsuits are active between Max International, former Officers, other direct selling companies and former distributors and was somewhat shocked. For such a small company, they may have more active lawsuits, than companies the size of MonaVia.