More news from the Amway/Quixtar Team front.  I have believed from the beginning - even before I received my informal legal education - that the Amway/Quixtar non-compete and non-solicitation clauses secretly slipped into the distributor contracts were unconscionable.  It seems that every judge who hears both sides of the argument agrees with the distributors and not with Amway/Quixtar.  With the latest ruling from Honorable Judge Don Bush in Texas  - it is five judges in four separate states who have ruled on different portions of the Amway/Quixtar contract being unconscionable, invalid, or illusory.  How much longer does Amway/Quixtar plan on fighting this Quixotic adventure against the basic principles of contract law?  This should have been settled before the first lawsuit and only required a little statesmanship from the Amway/Quixtar managers.

Let me supply an analogy to explain what an illusory contract is that I believe is very similar to what Amway/Quixtar has attempted with their contract.  If you bought a car from a dealership and don't pay cash you will have to sign a contract with terms to buy the car over so many years.  You buy a car and sign a contract and begin faithfully paying the monthly bill.  After the contract terms are up, you decide you will buy a new car from a new dealership.  No big deal since you have followed the terms of your contract and have followed it in full.  To your surprise, you get a threatening letter from the first dealership stating that you are not allowed to buy or even look at any other dealership.  You tell them that was not in your contract and you have paid the contract in full and are going to buy a car from another maker and dealership.  The first dealership then sends you a copy of your contract with the first provision that states the dealership reserves the right to change the contract at will and will inform you when they do.  The dealership tells you they changed the contract and you now have a non-purchase and non-shopping clause in your contract.  You insist that you never agreed or signed a contract with that garbage wording.  They tell you that you must follow your contract and they have plenty of lawyers to force you to.  You are horrified that you are bound to clauses that you never agreed to and the only argument the dealership retorts with is that you signed it and should have had a lawyer present.  The dealership states that by publishing the new terms of the contract in the Dealership News (that you have never read!) - that this is sufficient for them to change the contract at will.  This would be a prototypical example of an illusory contract!

In order to be a valid contract - both parties must sign a agree to follow the provisions.  By placing a provision in the contract that allows Amway/Quixtar to change the contract at will - it makes the whole contract illusory.  What is the use of signing anything since it can be changed at anytime?  It binds the distributor but does not bind Amway/Quixtar.  The Amway/Quixtar lawyers are not ignorant of Contract Law 101, so my assumption is they placed this clause in the contract to change it as they see fit to control the distributors.  I am a business man and do not do business this way.  When I sign a contract I expect it to bind both sides and never would sign nor teach others to sign a contract with this invalid and illusory provision.  This was the moral dillemma the IBOAI Board faced and 40% of the Board did something about it.  When the Devos & Van Andel families changed the contract from Quixtar to Amway and said they would force all Quixtar IBO's to join Amway - I realized that Amway/Quixtar fully intended to enforce the added illusory contract provisions that were stacked in Amway's favor.  This is against standard contract law and why it has been rejected by 5 judges in 4 states.  Something had to be done in my opinion - I refused to represent values and behaviors that ran against the core principles that I teach and desire to model in my life.

This has been the bone of contention since the dispute began.  I do not feel it is moral for a company to force people to get into Amway against their will.  We never agreed to non-competes and signed a Quixtar contract with no non-competes.  How can you force all the these people to have non-competes and get on the Amway train without a choice?  We live in America not communist East Germany and it is time that the Devos and Van Andel families tear down this illusory wall!  I ask that you quit threatening former IBO's just because you have more money and desire power and control over their futures.  It simply isn't right and no amount of bullying by your Amway/Quixtar lawyers will change my mind. 

I humbly but firmly request that the leader of the Devos and Van Andel families step up to the plate and do the right thing.  Admit that the contract is illusory and leave the former IBO's alone.  They do not want to be in business with you and you should not and cannot force them to be against their wills.  I am surprised that Dexter Yager, Bill Britt, Jim Dornan, Joe Markiewicz, John Crowe, Dave Dussault and the IBOAI are not insisting that the illusory contract provisions be changed.

Doug and Steve, this is not a publicity stunt.  I am sincerely asking you to stop your lawsuit crazy lawyers and read the contract yourself.  I don't believe you would recommend your own families to sign a contract with illusory provisions so why are you suing me because my conscience will not allow me to recommend potential distributors sign illusory contracts?  I tried to reason with your management team of Jim Payne and Mike Mohr, but was terminated for not backing down on the moral issue of the unconscionable and illusory provisions. 

We are firm in our belief that 'right makes might' and we will not back down on the sacred issue of our God given American rights.  Doug Devos tear up this illusory contract and compete in free enterprise like your dad - Rich Devos - taught in Selling America!  God Bless, Orrin Woodward

Look at this website!  What a fantastic company I represent in MonaVie.  When you go out and do the work (I recommend 20 personals in each binary leg) and go Black Diamond - MonaVie will give you a once in a lifetime cruise every year!  People dream of a cruise like this once in a lifetime, but MonaVie provides exotic trips around the world to all of its Black Diamonds and above.  We are excited to be going on this cruise and invite you to go Black Diamond to come next time.  We know you can do it. Laurie and I, Chris and Terri, and Tim and Amy are all taking our children as part of their history lessons.  I never had a history class like this when I was growing up.  Just one of the many perks for leading teams.  God Bless, Orrin Woodward

Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona is located in the northeastern part of Spain, 90 miles south of the French border. People from all around the world enjoy visiting this city for its individuality, cultural interest, and physical beauty. When Hans Christian Andersen visited in 1862, he remarked that Barcelona was the "Paris of Spain." You're likely to agree. The city is a major cultural center with a fascinating history. Everywhere are archives, libraries, museums, and buildings of interest, plus superb examples of modernist and Art Nouveau décor and architecture.

Nice (Villefranche), France

Villefranche is your gateway to the one-of-a-kind French Riviera, home to Monte Carlo, Cannes, and Nice. Shaded by jagged mountains touching deep-blue shores, Villefranche offers sunny beaches, sophisticated resort cities, quaint red-roofed villages, and spectacular views.

Florence (Livorno), Italy

Livorno, in the Tuscan region of Italy, is ideally situated for exploring some of the most beautiful cities in Italy, including Florence and Pisa. Florence is most noted as the birthplace of the Renaissance. Highlights include impressive piazzas and an incomparable fifteenth-century skyline, sure to offer charm and an unforgettable experience.

Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy

Civitavecchia is the gateway to all the magnificence of the ancient city of Rome. Whether it's the Forum, the Sistine Chapel, the Pantheon, or St. Peter's Basilica that sparks your interest and intellect, Rome is home to a lifetime's worth of historical, architectural, and spiritual sites. Depending on traffic, the drive from Civitavecchia to Rome takes approximately an hour and a half. 

Naples, Italy

Naples is not only picturesque; it's also one of the world's greatest cultural centers, filled with extraordinary works of art and architecture in the classical Greek and Roman styles. Several interesting tours are available of the city itself and the fascinating places that lie just outside of Naples. While you're in the area, you'll want to visit Pompeii, one of the most famous excavation sites in the world. A thriving city 1,900 years ago, it was devastated by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. when 30 feet of volcanic ash and pumice stone covered it. 

Santorini, Greece

They say that the sunsets in Santorini are the best in the world. From the Caldera you can see breathtaking views of the volcano and neighboring islands, and to the east, miles of dark sandy or pebbled beaches. Everywhere you look, you will see small domed churches and remnants of days gone by. As you pull into the harbor, you will be awestruck by the 1,000-foot-high cliffs that rise from the sea. 

Athens, Greece

High above pulsating modern Athens, the serene Acropolis reigns as it has for 25 centuries. Gaze on the timeless majesty of the marble-columned Parthenon. Down in the city, snap a photo of the colorfully costumed Evzone guards at Constitution Square or go shopping for silver jewelry, bright flotaki rugs, and other souvenirs.

Dubrovnik, Croatia

The massive city walls of Dubrovnik enclose tall medieval houses and marble-paved squares. Inside the walls lie hidden treasures like the Sponza Palace with its elegant courtyard and elaborate stone carvings; the Church of St. Blaise;the cloister of the 14th century Franciscan Monastery; and Stradun, the city’s main thoroughfare.

Venice, Italy

A city of beauty and art, Venice boasts the world-famous Grand Canal, which is lined with old palaces of the Venetian aristocracy; for centuries the gondola, a flat-bottomed boat propelled by a single oar, was the most common method of transportation in Venice. Saint Mark’s Square is the center of the city and its most popular tourist area. At the eastern end of Saint Mark’s Square lie Saint Mark’s Cathedral and Doge’s Palace, the two most imposing structures in Venice. In the rear of the Doge’s Palace is the famous Bridge of Sighs, which connected the palace with public prisons and was the route by which prisoners were taken to and from the judgment hall.

Captain Bill caught and released this big boy snook right underneath our dock.   Who wants to get free and go fishing? God Bless, Orrin Woodward

Chris Brady and I are now moving most of our blogging to the inside of the Team site.  If you are on the MonaVie Team, you will see in the upper left hand corner our blog.  Click enter and you will see the latest and greatest thoughts from both Chris and myself (and some guest bloggers).  There is so much value being added to the Team site.  Look at this list being rolled out over the next several months.

1. Personal Homepage for MonaVie Customers - A $9.95 value included in the website cost.

2. Chris and my blogs - A $? value included in the website cost.

3. Streaming video teaching leadership and MonaVie specifics - A $? value included in the website cost.

4. VoiceCom replacement in the Business Center (Coming soon) - A $24 value included in the website cost.

5. Automatic tracking of CDOW packages per distributor (Coming Soon) - A $? value included in the website cost.

6. A list of all the MonaVie opens and seminars plus speaker biographies - A $? value included in the website cost.

7. The Calendar Companion to track your schedule and plans - A $5 value included in the website.

All of these features and functions with a total customer value of around $50 per month are now (or soon will be) available from the MonaVie Team Business Center for only $9.95 per month!  This is the best value proposition ever offered on the Team.  With the improved functions and features on the Team website plus the lower cost (33% price reduction) on the bundled CD packs - The MonaVie Team is now the best value proposition out there for aspiring MonaVie distributors.  I am very proud of the work that Bob Dickie and his entire staff have done to provide World Class content at a World Class value!   Plus you can order the website without the tools or order tools without the website.  We are giving the distributors the choices necessary to build their own business with the tools they desire!  More details coming on the MonaVie Team blog on the password side of the MonaVie Team Business Center.  God Bless, Orrin Woodward

As I am out building my new MonaVie business, I am asked many questions about why 40% of the IBOAI Board made a stand against Amway/Quixtar and resigned from their business.  I realized that many have never heard the full story.  On August 9^th, 2007 we decided to resign from Quixtar and Quixtar subsequently terminated us. On August 10 we were sued by Quixtar.  The lawsuit put a restraining order on Chris Brady and myself (and our wives) that eventually became an injunction for over seven months.  Seven months is a long time to not communicate about the future directions and plans for a leader, but I followed the law and did not violate my injunction.  This left many questions unanswered and created an environment where rumors flew and many leaders mistakenly jumped at the latest rumor.  I don’t blame the leaders as this was a completely new environment that had never happened before.  The leaders had no direction and could not communicate with many of their mentors.   I wish to share the facts from my side so that we can put closure on this portion of the story and focus on our future.   I will repeat the questions that I have received and then answer each question.  These answers will serve as closure and after this post I plan on focusing on my future enterprises and not continue to rehash the past.  Leaders learn from the past, work in the present, and stay focused on their futures!  Here are the questions.

1. What was the main reason for no longer being with Quixtar? – We challenged Quixtar and were terminated for doing so.  The number one reason that I no longer could continue with Amway/Quixtar is their unwillingness to confront the big rocks that were preventing their North American business from growing.  The Amway business hit 1 billion dollars in sales in 1980 and is lower than that today in 2008 even after inflation.  By refusing to fix a broken business model, making promises without keeping them, replacing managers constantly, providing no vision and lastly changing the name back to Amway – I lost confidence in the capability and willingness of the Amway managers to fix the North American business.  Boasting about sales in China, Korea and Russia is only a convenient way to not confront reality for a 28 year slump in North America. 

I have never built the business for just my personal results and with the changes I saw in the new Amway transformation – I became convinced that we would be part of North American slump over the next 5 years.  I still believe I live in the freest country in the world and did not feel I should be threatened to go into the new Amway against my will. 

I did not have to have my own business and joining with MonaVie is more evidence that I would have gladly stayed with Quixtar if they would have fixed their business opportunity.  Asking people to stay in a business that has not grown in 28 years and justify this action by slipping in non-competes against the wishes of the majority of the field IBO’s is unacceptable behavior in my opinion. 

If you take the time to read my original letter to Doug Devos and my follow up letter to the IBOAI board, you will see that Product Value was the key concern.  I don’t mind selling luxury cars as long as you provide a value story for me to explain why they are paying more for the car. If they can buy water for a buck everywhere else then someone would need to explain why they should buy water from me exclusively for 2 bucks.  If there is a value story that explains the higher cost then I am happy.  Repeatedly I asked Doug and the Board for value based products.  The interesting point is that in the UK, Amway was able to lower the prices of their product by 2/3’s and still make money.  What kind of margins do you think the founding families were making if they can lower the price 66% and still make money?  This only proves they were not providing value based products.  Value = Worth/Cost.  To have a good value story you either raise the worth by providing feature/functions/benefits or lower the cost by reducing the sales price.  Amway/Quixtar did neither and the First Circles getting started suffered the consequences of Amway’s lack of leadership.  

By reading the letters, you will see that I offered to reduce my bonuses either in the Quixtar plan or by reducing the tool prices to help the First Circle.  Amway refused every suggestion in my Doug Devos and IBOAI letters and I (and others) became a Pariah for daring to question 28 years of no growth.  In MonaVie, we have been able to help the new people (First Circle) grow fast and make money.  We also have been able to lower the cost of the tools since we can make money from the marketing plan.  By my calculations, the performers in MonaVie make between 3 to 6 times more for less work.  I did not demand Quixtar be the Wal-mart of the internet, but I did ask them to have a workable business model so we could grow to 1 million people.  Over dinner, Jim Payne (Quixtar Managing Director and Amway VP) told me directly that he did not want us to build a million people team.  This was devastating to my long-term goal and dream.  This is the same Jim Payne who later told me that we were paying too much money to Team affiliated leaders in our profit sharing plan.  I can only assume that Amway/Quixtar was embarrassed by its own deficient pay plan.  I told Jim that Laurie and I had come too far to give up on making a difference in the lives of a million people.  He said that I would have to change my goal and settle for less.  I am not a settle for person and decided I must reach the families to talk directly to them and see if they felt the same way.  I believe strongly in loyalty, but not to the point of killing my whole team. 

When Amway did not produce even 10-15 value based products and instead announced they were going back to Amway – I knew the end was near.  The Board did an emergency meeting (the first time in nearly 50 years) to discuss our concerns with the Amway change.  Amway refused to discuss the concerns and plowed ahead with their initiative assuming that if they showed up to the meeting that they placed a check mark in the “We heard you” column.   Isn’t it interesting that the types of changes that we had been asking for in the United States were forced upon Amway in the UK? 

We came in on August 9^th with the best plan that legal counsel provided us to reach a settlement.  We genuinely desired to walk away peacefully and have our initial proposal to prove it.  Quixtar lawyers were the ones who blew past our standstill agreement, did not even counter offer our proposal and “fired” us after we had told them we were resigning.  Amway/Quixtar is the one who announced to the world that we had started a competing business even though they knew we hadn’t.  I told them on August 9^th that we hadn’t and wouldn’t do anything until we had reached a settlement with them.  To this day I am confused on why they would do such a thing.

2. Why did you choose MonaVie since this is not a Wal-mart strategy pricing plan?

MonaVie has one of the best value stories on the market.  The word of mouth marketing on users of MonaVie is incredible.  I have given a bottle to numerous individuals and explained some of the benefits.  After they use the product for a week they typically become the biggest advocates of the MonaVie product.  Wal-mart has 93% of Americans shopping at its stores in a given year.  In order to accomplish the value proposition that Wal-mart has we would need to reach our first goal of 1 million.  My goal has never changed.  I wanted to reach 1 million people and then see what type of value propositions we could do with a 1 million people community.  Amway/Quixtar fired themselves by stating they did not want the vision we had chased for years.  Laurie and I had even promoted a Wal-mart of the internet model on their 2003 Quixtar Live stage!  I did not change my goal, but Quixtar changed theirs and told us they no longer wanted our vision.  Not only did they do this, but they said you are not free to leave without being sued.  I refuse to be bullied by anyone and their threat only made me more committed to never represent their company again! 

3. Why didn’t you just start your own MLM and do the Wal-Mart model?

I did not start nor team up with any other MLM to start the Wal-mart of the internet because we are not even close to the numbers necessary to pull off this model.  We must grow our numbers and that is why August 9^th happened.  Amway was not interested in me growing numbers and talking about a model that they had rejected.  I have found a home in MonaVie where I am free to pursue my million people goal.  In the process of doing this, I am keeping my eyes on the future and have teamed up with a visionary leader in Dallin Larsen who will help me accomplish our vision.  A million people goal has been and is the first objective.   Quixtar asked me to settle for less than a million people so I had to fire them as my partner even if it meant millions of dollars in legal bills.  I made a commitment to too many people with Quixtar’s knowledge and assent to change the deal on them.  Wal-mart took 30 years to develop the buying power to achieve their current success.   The best leaders and the best companies have long-term goals, but they know that decades are involved in the accomplishment of these goals.  I think some of our leaders were so excited about the goal that they forgot the long-term aspects of it.  If this goal excites you then build in the present so we can get the numbers capable of achieving it!  I strongly believe that Dallin is a partner with the vision to help the MonaVie Team achieve a million people goal.  I know the landscape on our future will look different when we have accomplished our million people goal.

4. Why didn’t Team just stay leadership only and not join any MLM?

The Team never intended to be a stand alone general leadership-only business.  We were limited to that role during our non-compete and followed all the rules even though we vehemently disagreed with them.  I was a consultant in the past and know better than most people the difficulties associated with being a leadership consultant to Corporate America.   The Team will provide a CD series (LLR) that will be general leadership for anyone wishing to learn leadership techniques in any field.  But our main focus will be in building communities and Having Fun, Making Money and Making a Difference.  My desire was not to own my own MLM.  I can take that or leave it.  My desire is to provide an environment and an opportunity for people to learn, grow and apply leadership to a specific business and fulfill their leadership potential.  I am and will remain a community builder on my way to one million people.  John Maxwell states, “A dog who chases two rabbits catches none.”

5. What does the future hold for you and the MonaVie Team community?

I dream of building a group of people who love one another, serve one another, edify one another, and celebrate one another’s success.  I believe that society has lost a sense of community and that the MonaVie Team can play a major part in bring community back to the forefront.  I believe by leading with a great product that we extend our arms wide open to bring nearly anyone into the business.  When we get them in the business then we can work with them and expose them to the best leadership training out there.  Many more people will listen to CD’s and learn principles of finances, leadership, parenting, faith, people skills, etc. if we are signing up 8 times as many people as previously.  The future is on to a million people and continuing the virtuous cycle that has already started.  The tool price has dropped 33% and can go down further as we grow numbers, serve people, and teach others how to lead through our MonaVie Team leadership training. 

6.  What if I don’t agree with the direction of your vision?

Laurie and I have never, nor ever will hold people against their will in our businesses.  If you are not happy and feel you can lead better - I encourage you to develop your own life plan.  I will not bad mouth you or try to throw obstacles in your way.  I believe in a person’s right to freedom and will be proud of your success even if it means you need to go elsewhere to accomplish it.  My lifetime goal has always been to provide the right information to help enhance people’s lives.  I love what I do and am proud to be in the MonaVie Team where I have partners to help me achieve my long-term dream. 

I have shared the questions and answered them openly and honestly.  I wish I could have shared this much earlier.  I will close with one of my favorite sayings - the late Michigan coach Bo Schembechler had a sign above his office door that read, “Those who stay will be champions.”  Bo knew that achievement in any field takes sweat equity, setbacks, focus, and discipline.  He also knew if the freshman stuck with his plan that he would produce champions on and off the field. 

Laurie and I have proven our commitment to this cause and with God’s grace will advance this dream to make a difference in people’s lives.  We will also refine our leadership training to prepare the next generation of leaders to increase the scope of influence to the world.  I believe the same as Bo - Those who stay will be champions.  God Bless, Orrin Woodward

It is Friday and many MonaVie distributors are hitting their end of the week goals.  This is the best volume week yet on my MonaVie Team and we still have the rest of the day.  Are you in business and running towards your goal?  You cannot hit a goal that you didn't set.  I am running for mine and I wish you all the success you deserve in hitting your goal!  Let me know if you have hit a new level today.  God Bless, Orrin Woodward

Update:  Congratulations to all the new pin winners this week.  So many ran to the last second and accomplished their highest pin levels and checks yet!  I love team work and I love the servant attitudes displayed by the MonaVie Team leaders.  You have played the game well.  Celebrate today and set the goal to help someone else achieve next week what you accomplished this week.  I am very proud of all of you.

Where would we be without a special group of self-sacrificial leaders known as mothers?  I am so thankful to have been blessed with a mother who taught me:

1. The difference between right and wrong.

2. The courage to speak the truth.

3. The value of work ethic.

4. The peace that comes from doing your personal best.

5. Charity for those less fortunate.

6. Respect for a job well done.

7. Quitting was never an option when the cause is just.

8. The need for personal responsibility.

9. Never to play the role of a victim.

10. To dream big dreams.

Thank you Mom for teaching me these things and much more.  Thank you for being an example for me to know what I wanted in a wife.  I have been doubly blessed to have found and married Laurie Woodward.  Jordan, Christina, Lance and Jeremy thank you for being a beautiful mom for them.  On this mother's day, make sure you thank your mom for carrying you for 9 months and serving you when you were helpless to serve yourself.  In today's age this should never be taken for granted.  Happy Mothers day to all of the moms out there who willingly surrender their time, money and self to raise their children.  God Bless, Orrin Woodward

Dallin Larsen, the Founder of MonaVie will be speaking in Columbus, Minneapolis, and Phoenix at the June Majors!   MonaVie is the fastest growing MLM in the industry with tens of thousands of people joining the MonaVie business every week!  Dallin is a visionary owner that is called a distributor CEO because he believes in treating the distributors with respect and honor.  Dallin states, “We believe that when we take care of our distributor leaders that the distributor leaders will take care of our business.”  What a simple and yet profound statement.  I am convinced that Dallin Larsen is the leader capable of fulfilling his vision of a $20 billion company in 20 years.  MonaVie is ahead of schedule and accelerating quickly!  Don’t miss the major near you as we will have a MonaVie spokesperson at every location and Dallin Larsen personally at three of them.  It is a great time to be in business and a blessed time to be in MonaVie.  Stay tuned for more exciting announcements and achievement levels!  It is time to each one reach one your MonaVie Team tickets!  God Bless, Orrin Woodward

Life is not always about goals and leadership.  When the right day hits, I love having the freedom to go fishing.  Having Captain Bill Howard always ready with one of the three boats makes for an exciting day of fishing.  The weather was a beautiful 85 degrees and hardly any wind.  Only 2 foot waves on the Atlantic.  We went trolling with the Team Fountain boat using bubblers and hooked into four fish.  Here was the best one a twenty plus pound Wahoo!  Wahoo is some of the best tasting fish in the world.  Time to get free and come join me for some fishing on the Atlantic.  God Bless, Orrin Woodward

The amount of top performing athletes that are using MonaVie Active to enhance their recovery times and handle the aches and pains of athletics is astounding.  I have personally seen member of the New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, and Olympic track stars using the MonaVie Active product.  Why?   Every athlete at this level of competition is looking for that slight edge.  MonaVie gives these top performing athletes the slight edge they are looking for.  The athletes are not only using the product, but sharing the benefits of the product with others.  Here is another example of a top performing athlete - Eric Wynalda - from the sport of soccer who is seeing major improvements in his athletic performance through using MonaVie.  If it is good enough for world class athletes, it is good enough for me.  Another reason I am proud to be a distributor of the world class products for MonaVie!  God Bless, Orrin Woodward

Wynalda joins Bakersfield Brigade

By Joe Curley (Contact)

Friday, May 2, 2008

A familiar face will line up against the Ventura County Fusion when the second-year soccer club opens its second Premier Development League season against the Bakersfield Brigade tonight at Buena High.

Westlake Village's Eric Wynalda, a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame, passed a physical Thursday and was cleared to join the Brigade tonight, seven years after the end of his playing career.

"People are going to be a little bit freaked out," said the 38-year-old retired U.S. international. "They're not going to expect this."

The Westlake High product played in three World Cups, held the U.S. men's national soccer team's career goals coring record for more than a decade and netted the first goal in Major League Soccer history for the San Jose Clash.

Since retiring in 2001, Wynalda has been most visible in his former position as an ESPN soccer analyst. But he's also begun coaching youth soccer while continuing to play in adult leagues.

He credits this "comeback" to the fruit drink Monavie, which is based on the South American acai berry.

"My life since I retired was the managing pain from 11 surgeries," said Wynalda. "Ever since I've been drinking that stuff, I haven't taken one Advil.

"I've been playing all weekend for a year and a half now."

How Wynalda fares against a youthful Fusion backline that could feature Brazilian Henrique de Paula, Joe Buppert of Santa Barbara City or Brad Rusin of UCLA has become an interesting storyline tonight.

"I feel good, I feel healthy," said Wynalda. "I feel like I'm somewhere in my 20s again, rather than 38 years old."

Wynalda, who lives in Westlake Village, has also recently joined Real California F.C. as its technical director, joining his Wynalda Soccer Academy with the Camarillo-based youth club.

"There's a pretty big buzz around here," said Tim Kelly, Real California's director of coaching

Congratulations go out to great friends and leaders John and Barbara Sims!  The just hit the elite Black Diamond level.  The average income for the Black Diamond level is $1,474,502 per year.  (Plus a trip to Hawaii, a 10 day cruise in the Mediterranean and a black Mercedes!) John and Barbara are experienced MLM’ers and are making nearly six times more income per month in MonaVie than they ever received in previous MLM's.  More evidence that MonaVie has the best reward for performance ratio in the industry!  The right product, the right compensation plan, the right people at the right time!  John and Barb are so humble and give all the credit away to their God, their mentors Randy and Val Haugen, and the incredible MonaVie team.  But we know that success at this high of a level only comes to people who practice daily habits of success.  John and Barb are successful because they focus on helping others become successful.  I love spending time with this couple as John is a philosopher of life and a modern day Abraham Lincoln.  Barbara is a phenomenal encourager and an incredible servant to others.  Together, they are an unstoppable team and are now receiving the fruits of their labor - one more couple who are accomplishing their goals and dreams on the MonaVie Team. 

In MonaVie one of the keys to the entire business is the weekly goals.  MonaVie has an incredible back office that gives you all the data you need at your fingertips.  I use the View my Tree and the P.E.A.R reports extensively. The goal every week should be to either go Star or break Stars in each of your personally registered trees.  By breaking Stars you are helping people qualify for multiple bonuses and set up power players.  Every week a serious business builder should evaluate his current level and his goal for the end of the week.  You build volume all week long until Friday at 2 am eastern when the weekly cycle closes.  Are you a Star?  Are you breaking Stars?  What is your goal for next week?  Star leads right into Star 500 and you begin moving up the pin levels and income levels. 

Marc and Kristine Milletello have focused on breaking Stars and are exploding.  They accomplished the Ruby pin and just missed qualifying emerald!  Ruby level is an achievable goal quickly by breaking Stars and the average Ruby makes $101,799.   Marc and Kristine hit this level in less than two months and had never passed founders platinum and $24,000 per year in over five years in their previous MLM.  They have increased their income by over a factor of 4 and actually hit one week of emerald qualification.  The average emerald makes $151,630 per year.  I told you that MonaVie had a world-class compensation plan.  Do you think Marc and Kristine are just a little fired up?  Marc has been the Coach of the Year in high school golf several times and Teacher of the year at the school where he is currently employed.  Kristine is a home-school mother of four beautiful children who are learning from her leadership example.   In MonaVie they are being rewarded for their servant hearts and attitudes! 

These are just two of many stories I will be sharing of the modern day heroes that deserve to have their success stories shared.  God Bless, Orrin Woodward

Here is a great story to make you think.  On this Sunday afternoon, take some time to reflect on your life and what aim or purpose is driving you.  Is life about the amount of money you can make?  Is life about the amount of power you can accumulate?  Is life about the amount of recognition you can receive?  Is life about having all you desires satisfied immediately?  Or is your life about sacrificial giving of yourself to others?   Don’t give a quick answer – analyze yourself and your true motives.  What you find may change your life forever.  Enjoy the story.

I Chose You

One Sunday morning during service, a 2,000 member congregation was surprised to see two men enter, both covered from head to toe in black and carrying submachine guns. One of the men proclaimed, "Anyone willing to take a bullet for Christ remain where you are."

Immediately, the choir fled, the deacons fled, and most of the congregation fled. Out of the 2,000 there only remained around 20.

The man who had spoken took off his hood, looked at the preacher and said "Okay Pastor, I got rid of all the hypocrites. Now you may begin your service. Have a nice day!" And the two men turned and walked out.

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God... and then wonder why the world is in the condition it is today.

Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says.

Funny how everyone wants to go to heaven provided they do not have to believe, think, say, or do anything the Bible says!

Funny or is it scary?

Funny how someone can say "I believe in God" but still follow Satan (who, by the way, also "believes" in God).

Funny how you can send a thousand 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing.

Funny how the lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but the public discussion of Jesus is suppressed in the school and work place.

Funny, isn't it? Funny how someone can be so fired up for Christ on Sunday, but be an invisible Christian the rest of the week.

Are you laughing?

Funny how when you go to forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it to them.

Funny how I can be more worried about what other people think of me than what God thinks of me.

Are you thinking?

Will you share this with other people? Or not?

I picked you.

My instructions were to send this to people that I wanted God to bless and I picked you. Please pass this to people you want to bless.

I recommend everyone read the top selling book - Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Johnson.  Although the story line is simple – there are many profound lessons that apply to life and business.  How do you handle change?  Are you still searching for the cheese where it used to be?  Are you going to where the cheese is today?  God Bless, Orrin Woodward

In the turbulent corporate world it is important to anticipate, recognize, and understand change.  Who Moved My Cheese? is a book which describes how to deal with change. 

Who Moved my Cheese? is a story about how two mice and two little men look for cheese in a maze. The cheese pictures what we want to have in life, whether it is a small income or a life of luxury.  The maze pictures where we spend our time looking for what we want.  Some people are content with what they have and resist change, while others are constantly looking for new opportunities.

The mice are named Sniff and Scurry.  Sniff sniffs out changes early and Scurry scurries into action.  The two little men in the parable are Hem and Haw.  Hem denies and resists change because he fears that something worse will happen.  Haw learns to adapt in time when he sees that change can lead to something better.  Throughout the book these four characters search and jog through the maze, occasionally getting lost.

On their journey the four characters barely survive until they finally see the “light at the end of the tunnel” and proceed to eat lots of cheese and are very happy.  Then things begin to change.  Sniff and Scurry soon notice changes in their environment.  Hem and Haw, however, think they are “out of the woods” and take the cheese for granted.  These two develop a comfort level in their newly found stash of cheese.  Gradually the cheese begins to dwindle.  Sniff and Scurry are not concerned.  They see that the cheese is not going to last forever so they put on their running shoes and search for new cheese.

Meanwhile, Hem and Haw do not notice the dwindling supply of cheese.  They are not alert to what the future holds for them.  When all the remaining cheese is finally consumed, Hem and Haw throw two huge fits like little babies.  This does not bring the cheese back, yet they remain unwilling to search for new cheese.

Change occurs and Hem and Haw are left behind.  Hem is bitter and reluctant to leave the cheese station in order to find new cheese.  He is very stubborn.  He is too set in his ways to make the necessary changes.  He thinks he deserved the cheese, and wants the cheese to be returned.  He is not interested in searching for new cheese.  His old cheese is the only cheese he wants and he refuses to leave the empty cheese station.  Many people stick with old ways of doing things because it is too frightening or difficult to change with the times.

Haw begins to be concerned that they are spinning their wheels. For a while he hopes that the old cheese will return.  He is afraid of venturing back out into the maze, so he waits with Hem.  Finally, after being very hungry from the lack of cheese, Haw, out of desperation, decides to go search for new cheese.  This takes a great deal of strength for Haw to face his fears and to leave Hem behind.  On his journey Haw leaves several notes on the walls of the maze as he learns new truths.  A few of the writings are:

The more important your cheese is to you, the more you want to hold on to it.

Smell the cheese often so you know when it is getting old.

Movement in a new direction helps you find new cheese.

The quicker you let go of old cheese, the sooner you find new cheese.

Haw eventually finds his way to the new cheese. There he discovers Sniff and Scurry, who have already found the fresh cheese and have been enjoying it for some time.  Haw is sorry that he had not set out in search of the new cheese sooner.  However, he misses his friend Hem, who took himself too seriously.

This entertaining little parable is a quick read which illustrates that sometimes we get too accustomed to our cheese being in a particular place and fail to notice when the supply gets smaller or is about to disappear.  Then when we finally notice, we are often too frustrated to look for alternative sources of cheese, or else we eventually start looking while losing valuable time. 

Some people, of course, are more astute and prepare themselves for the inevitable after observing a dwindling cheese supply.  This book illustrates how some people foresee that they are going to need to make major changes in their lives.  Therefore, they start searching for new alternatives before the change actually has to be made.  When the change finally must be made, they are already prepared to take the appropriate actions.

This story is simplistic, but there are good philosophical points made throughout the book.  It points out these basic concepts:

1. “They keep moving the cheese.” (Change happens.)

2. “Get ready for the cheese to move.” (Anticipate the change.)

3. “Move with the cheese.” (Actually make the change.)

4. “Enjoy the taste of new cheese.” (Enjoy the fruits of change.)