International Convention

2008 MonaVie BELIEVE International Convention Recap

At the closing of MonaVie’s International Convention in 2007, MonaVie Founder and President Dallin Larsen promised distributors that the 2008 version of Convention would be “bigger and better.” Dallin wasted no time making good on that promise, as the 2008 MonaVie BELIEVE International Convention in Salt Lake City, Utah, kicked off with the announcement that MonaVie has been made an Official Juice of the Boston Red Sox.*

Keeping with the theme of this year’s Convention—BELIEVE—Dallin spoke of some of the things he believed when he launched MonaVie. “I believed that when we started this company we’d attract world-class athletes,” he said. “This partnership with the Boston Red Sox shows that we’ve done just that.”

As the day’s events unfolded, that announcement proved to be only the first round of fireworks for what was in store. Vice President of Product Management Jeff Graham would have the weekend’s biggest announcement just moments later.

* Major League Baseball trademarks and copyrights are used with permission of MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.

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MonaVie Pulse

Jeff began his presentation by reviewing MonaVie’s product mission statement to combine super foods with superb science to create superior products. He then electrified the room by announcing the newest member of the MonaVie family—MonaVie Pulse. With MonaVie Original providing the foundation for the company, Jeff described MonaVie Pulse as another pillar of MonaVie’s construction to go side-by-side with MonaVie Active.

Dr. David Boorman, who practices cardiology, internal medicine, and interventional cardiology in St. George and Salt Lake City, Utah, supported Jeff’s speech with his vast expertise in the fields of cardiovascular and heart health. Dr. Boorman explained that cardiologists are outstanding at repairing clogged arteries, but they’re inadequate at promoting healthy lifestyles and good nutrition to maintain good hearth health. That’s where MonaVie distributors and MonaVie Pulse come in.

“It’s really easy for me to endorse MonaVie Pulse,” Boorman said, “because of its heart healthy components.”

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New Business Building Tools

The audience barely had time to catch its breath before Vice President of Marketing Wayne Moorehead introduced to them brand new business building tools. The new Gain the MonaVie Edge brochure features cutting-edge photography from MonaVie distributor and professional sports photographer Tom DiPace. Highlighting some of MonaVie’s greatest current and former professional athletes, Gain the MonaVie Edge is one of the finest sales tools in all of direct selling.

Momentum (available in the U.S. market only) is a motivational and informative DVD that offers valuable insights from some of the company’s top executive distributors as well as Dallin Larsen. Momentum also contains bonus footage of Dallin’s inspirational speech filmed at MonaVie’s 2008 Orlando Super Regional. Success from Home magazine spotlights MonaVie, its distributors, and all the wonderful things that our company is making happen.

Next, Wayne was joined onstage by the MonaVie Cannondale cycling team. Donning vibrant red MonaVie Pulse biking gear, Matt Ohran, Bart Gillespie, Tinker Juarez, Sue Butler, Bryan Alders, and Mitchell Peterson shared the results they’ve experienced with MonaVie Active in their daily regimens.

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The MORE Project

While Wayne stirred distributors with the fresh marketing materials that will benefit MonaVie, Sergio Ponce, the MORE Project director in Brazil and Katy Holt-Larsen, executive director of the MORE Project, touched everyone’s hearts with a video presentation on how MonaVie is benefitting others.

The video portrayed the tragic conditions in which the underprivileged families in the slums of Brazil live. MonaVie, through the donations of its distributors, has the opportunity to break the cycle of poverty in this area of the world by providing education and restoring dignity to these destitute people who have next to nothing.

Performer David Osmond put the exclamation point on the morning session, singing a song he wrote for the MORE Project entitled “Be the Change.”

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Friday Afternoon and Breakout Sessions

In the afternoon session, Dr. Alexander G. Schauss, the lead scientist in the Natural and Medicinal Products Division of AIBMR Life Sciences, spoke to the crowd about recent studies involving MonaVie products. One of these studies, which was published in the September 24, 2008, edition of The Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, verifies the ability of MonaVie Active’s antioxidant-rich formula to help protect cells from oxidative damage. To view these clinical studies, visit MonaVie.com/science.

“Products with a Purpose”
Distributors then dispersed for breakout sessions. Jeff Graham, together with Dr. Penny M. Kris-Etherton, conducted “Products with a Purpose.” Their presentation was arguably the most sought out among distributors because it focused on MonaVie Pulse. Dr. Kris-Etherton, a cardiovascular nutritionist, outlined the American Heart Association’s recommendations to decrease risk of cardiovascular disease: (1) Consume an overall healthy diet. (2) Aim for low LDL cholesterol levels. (3) Aim for normal blood pressure. (4) Aim for normal blood glucose levels.

“Each of these recommendations includes eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables,” Dr. Kris-Etherton said. “This is where MonaVie fits the bill perfectly, especially with its plant sterols,” which studies suggest play a key role in lowering cholesterol.*

* Foods containing at least 0.4 grams per serving of plant sterols, eaten twice a day with meals for a daily total intake of at least 0.8 grams and as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease. Two servings (4 ounces) of MonaVie Pulse contain 0.8 grams of plant sterols.

“Building Your International Business”
“Building Your International Business” was led by Graden Jackson, general counsel; Doug Whitehead, associate general counsel; Doug Allen, vice president of international development; and Varlin Law, vice president of international sales. Their session provided clarity on MonaVie’s markets and how distributors can begin building businesses in those markets.

Varlin first explained that MonaVie is fully open in three countries—the United States, Canada, and Brazil. All other markets do not yet enjoy all the benefits of the MonaVie opportunity.

“Your distributorship gives you the right to distribute only in our fully open markets,” Varlin explained. “We don’t want to jeopardize the future of MonaVie by distributing in areas where we’re not fully open.”

Doug Whitehead provided helpful dos and don’ts for distributors wanting to build their businesses internationally. Doug said such distributors should do the following:

  • Get legal and tax advice before building your business in another market.
  • Read the Policies and Procedures for the market in which you want to do
    business.
  • Use country specific enrollment forms when sponsoring.

    In contrast, Doug advised distributors against doing the following:

  • Importing products (distributors should make product orders country specific).
  • Using non-compliant business building tools.
  • Selling products in a country that you’re not a resident of (distributors should
    only sponsor residents of another country).

    “The future of MonaVie relies heavily on how you, the distributors, open new markets,” Varlin said. “To achieve Dallin’s vision of becoming a $20 billion company in 20 years, we need to grow globally.”

    Later that night at the Awards Recognition Dinner, guests were introduced to MonaVie’s new Chief Financial Officer Devin D. Thorpe. They also enjoyed a private show from comedian Brian Regan.

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    Erik Weihenmayer Inspires All

    Keynote speaker Erik Weihenmayer absolutely stole the show on Saturday and brought the audience to its feet several times with his gripping speech about having the vision to believe. Erik, the only blind man in history to reach the summit of Mount Everest, blended humor with sage insight to tell his remarkable stories of conquering adversity since losing his vision as a freshman in high school.

    “In order to achieve greatness, we’ve got to square off with adversity,” Weihenmayer said. “We don’t find a way to win despite adversity; we find a way to win because of adversity.”

    Describing his ascent to the peak of Mount Everest, connected to the rest of his team by a single rope, Weihenmayer counseled distributors to think of their organizations as rope teams. It’s with people who share your vision that you will find success, he said.

    “It didn’t matter how experienced or independent I was,” Weihenmayer explained. “I knew what would get me to the top of Mount Everest was the people I surrounded myself with.”

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    Upping the Dosage on Recognition and Rewards Programs

    Also on the final day of Convention, Dallin recognized distributors onstage. Black Diamond documentaries featuring Kathleen Deggelman, Andre and Penny Walton, Mark and Tami Crawford, Chris and Terri Brady, and Kelly and Jill Bangert were shown. New Black Diamonds Eric and Rebekah Gutman, Calvin Becerra and Casey Chavez, Steve and Sheree Burton, as well as Japan’s first Black Diamond Kyoko Akiyama were also welcomed onstage.

    Going above and beyond merely acknowledging success onstage, Dallin introduced a few new upgrades to MonaVie’s rewards program. When a distributorship hits Royal Black Diamond, they and two couples will be picked up by Dallin and Karree Larsen in the new MonaVie Jet. In the luxurious company jet, all will fly to a dinner and a play in Los Angeles, San Francisco, or New York City.

    Upon achieving Presidential Black Diamond status, distributorships can use the MonaVie suite at Atlantis, a resort and casino in Paradise Island, Bahamas. Imperial Black Diamonds will be rewarded with a vacation to Greece where they’ll sail the Greek islands in a 100-foot yacht.

    Dallin also announced two new ranks—Double Crowne Black Diamond and Triple Crowne Black Diamond. Those who advance to Double Crowne Black Diamond receive a $2 million check, while Triple Crowne Black Diamonds collect $3 million from MonaVie. The rank of Triple Crowne Black Diamond also earns distributors a spot in the Virgin Atlantic Space Program. With these new incentives and rewards, MonaVie is literally taking distributors out of this world.

    As our company’s founder and president is often heard to say, when you are blessed, you are obligated to become a blessing. MonaVie distributors have taken that message to heart. For that reason, MonaVie has implemented the Doing Good in the World award. The inaugural Doing Good in the World Today award went to none other than Sergio and Silvia Ponce whose efforts with the MORE Project set the bar for becoming a blessing to those we interact with.

    Another new award announced at Convention is the Top Star Maker award. Ten of MonaVie’s most proficient Star makers were honored with crystals commemorating their accomplishment.

    Lastly, the MonaVie Millionaire Club was introduced on Saturday. Since MonaVie’s inception in January 2005, 40 distributorships have earned $1 million in income. That’s nearly a new millionaire per month!*

    Dallin closed Convention with one final announcement. Over the course of the 2008 MonaVie BELIEVE International Convention, distributors raised nearly $1 million for the MORE Project.

    “To me, that speaks to the heart of MonaVie and the culture of this company,” Dallin exclaimed. “This is our time to shine. Together, we are taking this company from success to significance.”

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    * View the MonaVie Income Disclosure Statement.