MLM News Report covers Youngevity, 21Ten, MLM distributor complaince, the MLM energy sector, a distributor position for sale at Gana Excel and much more for the week fo January 6th, 2012!

Weekly MLM News Sponsor: 21Ten – Rip. Shake. Live

Steve & Amy Machado advance their 21Ten business.

It’s time to go cruising Steve and Amy Machado, because you two just advanced to Master and reserved your seat on the Life Shotz Caribbean Cruise!

Janine Avila also has much to say about Steve and Amy advancing:

“Every once and awhile, you get to work with a dream couple. That is what it has been like working with Steve and Amy. They are enthusiastic, coachable, smart, funny, credible, appreciative and gutsy. I was told by both of them when they enrolled, they would see how it goes as long as I didn’t ask them to speak in front of a group. Today, they speak in front of the room often and with a powerful grace.” Read The Full Story!

These days, it takes more than sparklers and kazoo-playing monkeys to attract customers to your business. Luckily, 21TEN has Melissa Gulbranson on their team. With 10-plus years in the network marketing industry, she’s the brains behind the 21TEN’s strategic marketing and branding campaigns for both corporate and Distributor initiatives.

Cover Story: The Big Shift: The Next Great Generation Has Arrived – by Marilynn Hood

The millennials—the first generation to come of age in the 21st century—are also known as Generation Y, or simply Gen Y, because they follow on the heels of Generation X. Whatever you call them, they now comprise the entire 18- to 32-year-old young professional demographic.

This group is easily the most important marketing concern to come along in decades, and by 2017 their spending is expected to surpass that of the boomers. As Jason Dorsey, The Gen Y Guy® speaker and consultant, points out concerning his generation, “We are the opportunity!”

Entrepreneurs tend to emerge more from the ranks of the young than from those who are older, and with good reason. There’s all that vim and vigor of youth. They typically don’t have much wealth, and many haven’t yet started their families. That means most of them don’t have much to lose, and even if they do, so what? They have the rest of their lives ahead of them.

Generation Y’s streak of entrepreneurial tendencies runs even wider and deeper than that of previous generations. The relative peace and prosperity of the economic times in which they were raised has allowed education and technology to flourish. Rather than their parents having to struggle to survive, as was the case for several of the previous generations, Gen Y has been raised in households that, by and large, have been afforded the opportunity to thrive.

So how has Gen Y been generating its own employment? Freelancing or contract work has appealed to some, allowing them to be in control of their own work schedule. Gen Yers have also started new businesses at a much higher rate than that of any previous generation. And why not? Their entrepreneurial tendencies are strong, and with brains in their heads and their parents still paying for the shoes on their feet, they have the confidence to strike out on their own. Read The Full Article!

From the Direct Selling Association

Robert Goergen, Jr., has been appointed President, Direct Selling Group, and President, PartyLite Worldwide. Robert succeeds Anne Butler, who will assume the new role of Senior Advisor, Direct Selling Operations and Business Development.

Scott Halverson has been appointed Vice President of Marketing and Business Strategy for Lifemax.

Dr. Joel D. Wallach, founder of non-member Youngevity, is the 2011 recipient of the Klaus Schwarz Commemorative Medal. This award, sponsored by the International Association of Bioinorganic Scientists, recognizes the work of pioneers in the field of trace element research. (Read More)

MLM Companies In The News

New Beauty magazine released its second-annual 2011 New Beauty Choice Awards. Nu Skin’s ageLOC Future Serum was named “The Best Anti-Wrinkle Serum” and Proactiv, a three-step anti-acne product from Rodan + Fields Dermatologists, was named “The Best Overall Acne Fighter”. New Beauty magazine recognizes the best products in the health and beauty industry and winners are determined by the votes of thousands of New Beauty magazine readers, as well as top beauty experts and the editors of New Beauty.

Neways has officially launched its new Korean office, showroom, products and business opportunity. The company is also moving forward with preparations to open in Thailand later this year.

Nu Skin has broken ground on its new Greater China Innovation Park in Shanghai, China. The approximately $50 million, state-of-the-art complex will serve as the headquarters for the Greater China region and feature anti-aging research and development laboratories, as well as manufacturing facilities, meeting spaces and green areas.

Primerica announced it will host approximately 5,000 of its current and prospective independent representatives at the Metro Toronto Convention Center this weekend. This meeting will be the first of six events across Canada in 2012.

Scentsy’s Charitable Cause Program recently donated stuffed animals to pediatric patients at Marian Medical Center in Santa Maria, Calif., in an effort to provide the children with a brighter Christmas. The company’s Charitable Cause Program selects two charitable causes each year to support and sells a Scentsy product to benefit them.

Shure Pets has suspended its direct selling business. The company will continue to process orders and arrange for shipment through the end of January 2012.

U Design Jewelry is teaming up with the Super Basket of Hope program and the 2012 Super Bowl by donating 7,000 “Hope Necklaces.” The necklaces will be included in baskets given to critically ill children and families at hospitals in each of America’s 32 NFL cities, and are delivered by NFL team players, coaches, alumni and other regional volunteers.

USANA recently announced Olympic Pro Snowboarder Lindsey Jacobellis and Alpine Skier Nolan Kasper as its newest brand ambassadors. Both athletes are members of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA), with which USANA announced a partnership last year. As brand ambassadors, Jacobellis and Kasper will represent the company publicly and help educate consumers about the value and importance of using supplements that are safe, effective and manufactured to the highest quality.

XANGO recently partnered with Operation Smile Foundation to provide 100 free surgeries to correct the cleft lips and palates of children in the Tak Mae Sot district of Thailand. The young patients were the children of farmers who grow mangosteen, the source of XANGO’s success.

From the Direct Selling Education Foundation

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.”

MLM Yoli News XanGo suing former top distributors, Evan Kopelson, Julie Booz, JHBLifestyles, Robin Van Der Merwe, Edgar B. Jones and Yoli Founders Corey Citron, Brookside Management, Michael Prichard, Robby Fender, Professional Marketing, Daren Falter, Value Direct Marketing.

Now the reason I find this a hypocritical move on the part of XanGo is because their own history is not clean.

Back in 2003 Tahishin Noni (Noni) settled their lawsuit in a sealed agreement so we do not know the outcome. But from reviewing the suit we do know it involved breach of contract, stealing proprietary secrets and much more…

Here’s a great article on the settlement.

And in June of this year, the Supreme Court of Utah rulled in favor of minority shareholders who sued XanGo for Breach of Fiduciary Responsibility. Read it here!

In both of the above cases, the suits were or are very high dollar suits. In the case of the against the Yoli founders and distributors, it’s hardly worth bickering over.

Now please don’t get me wrong. $2,000,000.00 is a lot of money for the average reps. But we are talking about a multi-million dollar launch.

I hate to see these kind of suits because it doesn’t help the distributors in either company nor the image of our profession.

Let’s just pray this gets settles fast, so both companies and their distributors can continue to grow and not be distracted.

And, as a favor to me and the rest of the profession, I would like to ask the yoli distribors and the xango distributors to just go build their businesses and not try and belittle each other over this crap.

Never Give Up,

Troy

Breaking MLM News, the several former XanGo top earners Pre-Pre-Launch Yoli.

You read it right this is a Pre-Pre-Launch. Although I have not seen a Pre-Pre-Launch before, I do think it’s a great marketing campaign.

The six founders are Robbie Fender, Daren Falter, Corey Citron, Rick Eisele, Bobby Jones, Michael Pritchard.

I listened to the Yoli Pre-Pre-Launch call and although there are many rumors that these guys are raiding the XanGo company, and that Corey Citron has violated his Non-Compete, I can tell you it was made very clear on the Pre-Pre-Launch Webinar that XanGo reps were not welcome on the site.

Now, that will not stop any of the lawsuits that might come up, but it does show good faith on the Yoli Founders side of things.

Overall I believe these guys are launching a very cutting edge company, with a new technology in the MLM arena.

There are many rumors of them owning 6 patents with over 300 more pending. I’ll be researching that information tomorrow at the U.S. Patent Office website.

Keep your eyes on this company which officially launches in January of 2010.

Never Give Up,

Troy Dooly

XanGo’s announcement on the new California “Tax Withholding Bill” will effect all MLM distributors if it it becomes law. Thank you Bob Freeze – V.P. of XanGo Corporate Communications for sending out this great advice.

Read the below email and follow the directions. This is for every Distributor in the Network Marketing profession.

CA Withholding Tax

Dear XanGo (All MLM Distributors) Distributors:

The California Assembly passed SB 17 on a majority vote yesterday (June 28th) which contains a provision for a 3% withholding on independent contractors. If this bill becomes law, XanGo (ALL Network Marketing Companies) will be required to withhold 3% of your monthly check and remit this amount to the state.

We are voicing our strong opposition to this bill because, if enacted, it will decrease the size of your monthly checks and create substantial administrative burdens and expenses for XanGo (All MLM Companies). Throughout history, across the country, direct sellers as well as other independent contractors have been exempt from withholding taxes because many of their expenses are deductible. This legislation sets a dangerous precedent that other states and even the Federal Government could follow.

If you share our concerns, please voice your opposition to this bill ASAP by contacting the Governor and Senate President Pro tem Darrell Steinberg and let them know how you feel. A sample letter appears below for your convenience, but your communication will be most effective if you use your own words. Contact information for the Governor and Senate President also appears below.

Please take a moment to make your voice heard in Sacramento! Ask Governor Schwarzenegger to veto this bill!

Sincerely,
Bob Freeze
vp – corporate communications

The following is the Governor’s contact information:

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916-445-2841
Fax: 916-558-3160

To email the Governor, please click here

The following is Senate President Pro tem Darrell Steinberg’s contact information:

Senate President Pro tem Darrell Steinberg
State Capitol, Room 205
Sacramento, CA 95814

To email the Senate President Pro tem, please click here

SAMPLE LETTER:

Dear [ ]:

Withholding on independent contractors, like me, a XanGo Distributor, would place a large burden on my family. Unfortunately, once again, the California Legislature is considering an independent contractor withholding proposal.

[Tell your personal story in your own words] I have been a XanGo Distributor for more than [Insert the number of years you have been working with your company] years. Originally, I enrolled with XanGo because I liked the products and wanted to earn some additional money. Now my family depends on this extra income to supplement our budget.

I am not opposed to paying my share of taxes, but it makes no sense to me to send the state my money and then have the State send it back to me when I file my tax returns. I need every dollar I make to run my business. I have to pay my business expenses from the commissions I earn. While I of course support the need to pay taxes, withholding up front on taxes I may never really owe will cause severe cash flow problems for me. My business is already difficult enough. If you burden us with more administration and paper work it only serves to make the business more difficult and less attractive and therefore it will be more difficult to grow my business.

In the end, the State will not end up with any more money. If you do consider a withholding proposal, I request that you exempt direct selling companies like XanGo.

Please do not sign any budget resolution that contains independent contractor withholding for direct sellers. It would hurt my family and my business as well as tens of thousands of others in my occupation.

Sincerely,
XXX

Take action today!!!!!!!!!!!

Never Give Up,

Troy Dooly
The Maverick Leader

On August 13th Sharon Unkefer (Wife of Sherman Unkefer Top XanGo Leader) went home to be with her Lord in Heaven.

Here is the email Sherman sent:

Dear Friends, Family and Xango Team Members,

I have forwarded herewith the last e-mail which was sent from Sharon to our organization, in which she stated the following; “In the past, writing a newsletter or announcement was easy for me, my fingers flew quickly across the keyboard as thoughts transformed into words… Today, it’s a little more difficult, and I don’t quite know where to begin, and I hope you will be patient and indulge me as I try to deliver this message.”

Today is indeed the most difficult message I have ever written! At 8:40 AM this morning, August 13th, Sharon passed into eternity to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. While all of us are deeply saddened by this great loss; nonetheless, we feel a sense of relief as the tremendous pain and suffering she was undergoing has ceased, and she is now in Paradise with her Lord and Savior, with every tear and care wiped away. Now, perhaps, she can finally get busy completing her book, “My Life in Dog Years.”

We are being inundated by flowers sent by her loved ones throughout the world, for which we are grateful; however, what would be of greater interest to Sharon would be for those of you who would like to offer something in her name to make contributions to the two charities that were close to her heart.

The first charity that Sharon and I have been involved with is Arizona Lutheran Academy, a Christian high school positioned to serve students in the Phoenix, Arizona area. As an evangelistic outreach, we have participated in funding ten scholarships to deserving students that would otherwise not have an opportunity to attend a private Christian School. For those who would like to show their sympathy, please remit checks to Arizona Lutheran Academy and send them to our address and 7119 E. Shea Blvd., Scottsdale, Arizona 85254.

Sharon’s 2nd charity is The American Society for The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, ASPCA, 424 E. 92nd Street, New York, New York 10128, www. ASPCA.org. As many of you know, Sharon was an enthusiastic dog lover, owning 13 dogs, one of which she rescued during the last two weeks of her life.

There will be a small Funeral Service for Sharon at our church, Paradise Valley Lutheran Church,14845 North 40th Street, Phoenix, Arizona 85032-5252 at 3:00 PM, Saturday, August 16th. The attendees at this service will be friends, family and Xango Team members. The capacity of our church is somewhat limited, with seating for 125. Therefore, for those of you around the country and other parts of the world, who would like to show their respects to Sharon, there will be a memorial held during the time when she had planned to address the audience at our “Learn to Earn” event in Salt Lake City, Utah, at the Salt Palace on Sunday, November 9th, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, the day following the Xango International Convention that will be open to one and all.
Click Here to order Learn to Earn Tickets

While we are undergoing deep sadness as a result of Sharon’s untimely passing, we, nonetheless are comforted by this passage:

John 11: 25: Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

“Yes, Lord,” she told him, “I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.”

I wish to thank each and every friend, family member and Xango distributor who has been supportive of our struggle to save Sharon’s life through their thoughts, words and prayers!

God Bless,
Sherman Unkefer