Many years ago I had my first Subway sandwich in Arizona. It was great to see this concept. I always thought it would be a good business. A friend of mine even met the owner. After reading this I like them even more. This type of attitude will help rebuild confidence during these interesting times.
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Today it's Wear it Pink day. All you need to do is wear pink and make a donation to Breast Cancer Campaign. The Distributor Services group wore a lot of pink things! The top three pink wearers were Bianca with 57 things, Monica with 41 and Sandra with 25.
Oh! And a special mention to Olivier for the pink princess sash.
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As Simon and Garfunkel (or for you youngsters out there - the Bangles) sang:
"But look around, leaves are brown
And the sky is a hazy shade of winter"
Well today it was the first snow of the winter season. Maybe the only snow of the season. From my office window it does look like a nice day though...not much haze.
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To celebrate the success of Jouko and Mallu Saarinen we took them out to a nice dinner in Helsinki. They are great people who have a wonderful place. See a post from last year where they treated me to a smoke sauna and a dip in a frozen lake!
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Another great time in Turkey with a great group of people. See the photos for more of the flavour of the day.
I went to the Successful selling conference today and a guy called Larry Winget was one of the speakers. I've seen him before and like his style. He was talking about "The Secret" and commenting on how trainers intimate they have the secret of success. Well have a look on Amazon.
The image on the left is from the US version (over 5,000 books about sales and marketing secrets) and the right the UK version of Amazon. So what's the secret?
It's been a while since the last post and many things have happened, both professionally and personally. I'm sorry for the delay for not posting things and I am now back in the driving seat. So watch out for updates to this site and see what has been going on.
From one week to the next the excitement does not stop. So, straight from the UK meeting Dr Naidu and I went to Moscow for the 2008 convention. We met up with Bob Richards, Vitaly, his staff and over 1,000 other people. It was great. Lots of prizes won, awards given and we all said thanks to everyone for making Russia a huge success. It was great to see old friends and meet new ones.
Afterwards the party really got going. Before the first course was finished nearly everyone was dancing or taking pictures of Bob, Dr N, Vitaly, me and themselves. It was another really fun night.
For my pictures click here
I think it's important for everyone to hear what Dr Naidu, Curtis Bennett and Sharon Weinstein have to say. So we arranged for them to speak to our office staff this afternoon. Unfortunately Dr N was held up, but Curtis wowed everyone and Shoron added extra impact.
Dr Naidu, Curtis Bennett and Sharon Weinstein captivated the audience. It was incredible to hear them. I think everyone came out of the meeting knowing we had the best products and a successful business. Though many might not fully understand the technology behind the products we all felt comfortable that it works and helps others.
I did think we were going to run into some problems as a race was held for 13,000 women on this Sunday. The roads all round the hotel were blocked off, and with nearly 700 people coming to see you that can be a little worry. I decided to have a look (and get a coffee) - hence the pictures of the runners. Everyone was in good spirits and the roads opened about two hours before we were due to start.
Click here for the pictures of the event
As I said in my tweets and on Facebook, this was a great day. Around 800 people all inside - it was really hot that day - soaking up the information and creating a lively event.
Thanks to everyone involved who made this a day to remember.
Here are the photographs for the Friday before the event.
Here are the ones when the event was actually on, Saturday 6th.
Nearly 800 people spent the day listening to some great people (no not just me) in Germany. Pictures and video will be available when I get home as I have trouble uploading it. So check back here in a day or so time.
For updates of the tour check out my twitter page or look at the right hand side of this blog.
Today is Paris and about 650 people are looking forward to hearing from Dr N, Curtis and Sharon.
Here is a real life example of how positive (or negative) thinking affects us.
The economy has been in the news a lot. I notice that from one day to the next feelings change. These are published and then all sorts of hell breaks loose.
For example:
Day 1 - reports that consumer confidence is low
Day 2 - oil prices drop
Day 3 - retail results indicate no recession
Day 3 - oil prices go up
Day 4 - a government official has a bad nights sleep and announces "recession will hit hard"
Day 5 - currencies plunge
Day 6 - rumours that interest rates must rise
Day 7 - currencies rise
Day 8 - Business owners are now saying it's not as bad as the government makes out.
Day 9 - the stock market rises
and so on and so on.........
We seem to be on a roller coaster ride that affects our daily lives based on the feelings people have about the future. The issue here is that good things happen if we are confident and positive about the future. The future will happen and our feelings today shapes what will happen tomorrow.
So do not think about the doom and gloom. Be happy!
Sometimes things are so obvious I forget them. I had a conversation with a Consultant about the Kasai range. It's a great product range and we are looking at introducing new bottles. However, the conversation was about Purple Berries and how good it was. I had a bottle on my shelf, unopened. I opened it, smelt it and WOW!!!! I had forgotten how great it smells. Try it! I've inflicted this on a few people in the office and everyone seems to like it. It's one of Janne's favourite products. You can even taste the berries when you put the capsule in your mouth.
Goodness the natural way.
Since we were in Paris and had a nice location we took the time to film a number of people for the next Rhythm DVD. Here are some pictures behind the scenes.
Oh what a great time in Versailles. I can't say too much here as we have not yet announced who won what to the general public. However have a look at some of the photos at over here. I thought the speakers were great. The energy, excitement and commitment was truly inspiring.
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It's good to see some alternative ideas to make this planet a bit better. So trust our friends in the Netherlands to come up with "green" roads. Also it's based on a Japanese invention .... Read this for more information.
Volatile Organic Compounds(VOCs) are in a lot of products which we come into contact with in our everyday lives. We've mentioned them in the past when talking about the Air Power5 Pro. However, a new report was published the other day which triggered a memory. I remembered my children saying they did not like the smell of a new car. Children have none of the preconceptions adults have and are instinctively right a lot of the time (so my kids tell me). So I took it that the smell was bad. Little did I know how BAD it was. Have a look at this report to see the emissions we stew in, when in our cars. Also the emissions from child seats, and these are meant to protect our little treasures. Research conducted in 2005 found that Japanese cars can contain up to 35 times the limit set for VOCs. 
Also, I discovered this. Over 100 chemicals are released into the air from our shower curtains. Now combine that with the chlorine found in the air from water vapour, and it makes a really unhealthy cocktail.
I'm off to buy a gas mask....though that'll probably emit something nasty!
Looks like a "natural" solution to work tops is causing problems. You might think your kitchen is safe because you have natural stone worktops. However, read this and think again.
Just shows how we need to think when creating a Wellness Home. Not all natural solutions are good.
Read the message below about the science of Nikken? Want to see this in Paris? Well, sorry, you cannot. All the tickets have been sold. We are also selling quickly in the Nordic markets, so get tickets while you can....
They do work!!
How often have you heard that from someone who has experienced Nikken's technologies for the first time? I remember experiencing the power of the products many many years ago. I was playing golf with senior members of Nikken in Irvine and I strained a muscle. A Magboy was used on the sore spot, then I hit one of the best shots of my life. I had some more twinges and needed further work with the Magboy. The pain cleared up and I finished playing. The affect it had was hard to describe, but the effect was a revelation. I've tried to replicate the amazing shot again, but without pulling any muscles. Well, I've not won the Open. However, I can replicate the effect of Nikken products time and time again.
We should not wait until we have a problem before taking action - like I did. Now days, people want more proof about how the technologies work, or at least have a level of comfort they do work well, before making a decision. If you know anyone who has these doubts then get them to the next tour in September. At the Science of Nikken Tour everyone will leave knowing how powerful our products really are. So don't miss it - tickets for the French meeting have nearly gone.
Just noticed this article about sleep. Nothing we didn't know, but useful information anyway.
If you have teenage children and they sleep a lot, you know it's good for their school grades..
Yet another great meeting with some German leaders. Again interesting insights into how we can improve and grow.
This was an interesting meeting. It's the first time we've had leaders from Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Netherlands and UK together. A lot of information and experiences were shared. We met in wonderful Copenhagen...such a nice place.
Over the last couple of days the office was turned into a film set. Nothing too glamorous, just a few lights and a camera. Click here to see behind the scenes photos of the up coming new DVD to be released in August. It's SOOOOO different from the other ones we've done.
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Today we had Doug Braun from Nikken US over. Together with Abdurrahman, Vitaly, Janne and Phil we discussed what's happening at the end of the year and into 2009. Plenty of exciting ideas to help grow everyone's business.
Today we had dinner with Arpad and Zsuzsanna Bilibok, new Diamonds from Hungary. As new President Club members they are also spending a day in the office, being filmed for a future Rhythm DVD, having their pictures taken for magazines, web sites and maybe a bit of shopping. Also round the table is Janne(born in Finland, now living in UK), Gabrielle (Austrian), Abdurrahman (Turkish) and Doug (American). Vitaly (Russian) was missing due to visa issues related to football. We were in a traditional English pub having small tasters of wine from around the world - what an amazing time we live in. It does seem the planet is getting smaller.
I was going to the annual DSA conference, but my car decided not to work. The gearbox did not want to co-operate with the rest of the car and made screaming noises while dripping fluid everywhere. It was not well.
I took it to be repaired, but the cost of repair was too much compared to the cars value. So I now have no car. I had my car for 11 years, so it felt really sad to see it go. It held so many memories for me.
Still let's look forward and not dwell to much on the past. Turn every negative into a positive....Well here goes.
I was thinking of getting a new one soon, but cars are not my thing and I end up making no decision to change it. Now I have to make a decision. It's an interesting process to do something you just do not like doing...for me it's buying a car. No idea why I do not like it, I just do not. I like driving cars and the faster the better.
So do I buy a car now? No! I do not. I will walk and experience something new. The exercise makes me feel good. I notice the bad smells cars make, plus the noise and general aggravation they generate for people in them. I wonder how long I can go with no car....Well not quite no car, as I do have a second one which I can "borrow" if it is not being used. So I still drive, just not as much as I used to.
Off to walk to the shops now.
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Today was interesting. A reception was held at the House of Commons, hosted by Autism Speaks. This happens every year and is part of their activities to raise awareness. An all party Parliamentary group has been formed to help guide policy decisions. I'm please that politics are put on hold for some things.
I just love London, it's buildings and it's history. It's the second time I've been inside the House and it's soooo impressive. I recommend the tour to everyone - UK resident or not.
Nikken has a "Big Day" every year. This year over 300 people won a place to this inspiring event. The guest speaker was Claude Dalla-Palma from Switzerland, who gave a lovely account of his time in Nikken. Also new Diamond Distributors were recognised, new products and incentives were launched. It was great to see the company and the Distributors having such a great time. The few pictures here show the office team, the audience when I was speaking, Claude with a couple of Russian Distributors and our new Diamonds Alain Banon and Aline Pouchkova with Olga Fastova from marketing. For more picture click here
I was wandering through the streets of Istanbul and saw this spectacular selection of fruit on display. It looked like REAL fruit, not the homogenised versions I see in UK supermarkets. They were different shapes, sizes and colours - just like nature intended and as I rememeber from my childhood. Growing up with Italian influence I know what a tomato should look, smell and taste like - they just do not any more :(
Later, at dinner, a local person was complaining that fruit and vegetables do not taste the same to him as they did when he was a boy. A testament to mass farming that is hitting us all over the world. As food prices go up I fear this will only get worse. Now off to a local organic farm to see what they have.
To finish a series of events in a row I went to lovely Istanbul for the Distributors expo. It was a terrific event with around 600 people attending. This more than doubles the event held last year in June. In the pictures you can see the area outside the main hall, a line of new Silvers and our new Platinum Distributors. Turkey is an amazing place with amazing people.
Wow! What an amazing three days in Oslo. The convention that Morten and Sissel (with the help of others of course) put on was really great. Distributor, corporate and external speakers did extremely well.
Oslo is a pretty place, but we managed only to see the inside of the conference centre. Still, that did not matter as the energy inside made up for it. It was so good to see new and familiar people again. Frederik was a fantastic host, Brian Klemmer reinforced the mechanism to get results, "Big Al" shared tips on how to get people interested, Bob Richards was inspiring, Rick - wow!!, Greg, Chris, Rune, Arpad and Suzanna, Siri, Erik, .... the list goes on. They were all great. It's a nice feeling to think we have so many of these type of people in Nikken - the world is a better place with you guys (and gals).
The tour continues to Amsterdam. Jerry continues to amaze, educate and entertain. The crowd was lively and fun as always.
This was the start of "Nikken on Tour" for April. The flight from London (terminal 5) was delayed by nearly 2 hours, so we really had to run to get to the meeting, set it up and then look relaxed and in control. Of course we did it. Jerry, Sven and myself had a good time - and judging from the amount of people who stayed behind so did the audience.
It's been a while since my last blog and a lot has gone one. In January we announced the plan for the next 6 months at Nikken. Well here we are in April and so far, so good. We have launched new nutritional products, new Air Wellness Power5 Pro and a better shower head. Despite increasing oil prices, we managed to reduce delivery charges in a number of countries. The new product catalogue was released, with redesigned price lists, on time. Finally, we have released product packs to help turning a home into a Wellness Home much easier.
The changes have been many and extensive. There are still a few things to roll out, like the new Demonstration Pack and Personal Web Pages. However, it's now time to stop changing and use these new things to create more Wellness Homes.
We have the Nikken Tour starting soon and we hope to see about 1,000 people in the 4 venues. Also the event in Germany in September is ALREADY sold out.
The convention in Oslo is going to be fantastic. We have lots of people from Norway, Sweden, Holland, Hungary, USA and many more, attending the 3 day event. The line up is amazing.
Good things are happening all over Europe. Do not miss out!
I am looking forward to these events and many more. I just have to remember to bring my camera to show you all the fun.
This is an interesting story an Hungarian man who never gave up, despite being in the Holocaust, going to deep south of United States in 1950s. Lessons for all of us.
On Valentines day, Sandra and Paul Gerrard broke a world record for hugging. They lasted 24 hours and 1 minute together. Yes they wore various Nikken products to keep out the cold and keep up the energy. Watch out for an interview of them in a forthcoming magazine.
This is the first time we have awarded this in Russia. It was won by Наталья Козупеева, or for those of you who cannot read Russian - Natalia Kozupeeva. She is a lovely lady who lives down south in Росто́в-на-Дону. I met her a couple of years ago when we opened the pick up centre. At the time she told me she would be doing great things and she was true to her word.
We announced this at Cafe Pushkin and invited a couple of other top leaders, who were also very close to wining, to join in the celebration.
WOW! The Nikken Humans Being More course is one of the things that makes Nikken so special. We had a very interesting weekend in Amsterdam with all the trainers, Distributors and company staff.
Thank you everyone - I had such lovely time. It was good to see you all.
Here are the photos
Time for another visit to Turkey. It's a great place and was made a little more special by the snow everywhere. Though cold the people were as warm as ever. I love the differences in each country. At the moment we are trying to get eNikken up and running. The basics do work now, however credit card processing is a challenge. Most countries have one credit card processor to deal with. In Turkey we have to deal with many processors. The effect is to have many credit card machines (the picture is from our office in Istanbul)....now imagine the complexity of programming all those credit card interfaces (yes they are all different!!). Still that will not deter us, it'll just introduce a little delay as we deal with the processors one by one.
WOW! What a great time. Instead of writing a lot about the place, people and weather..just have a look at some of my pictures to either remind you or see what you have missed. Either search Flickr for "Nikken Tenerife 2008" or
Click here
Thanks to everyone and see you all soon.
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