Hi Orrin. Please forgive me here, this was the only way I knew to get this to you. Here is an email I received about 10 minutes ago and it's really got the wheels turning. Before TEAM came into my life, I would've deleted this and moved on my merry way. I can't do anymore! It's time. Isn't this a great idea? Your thoughts?--------------------------

Write it on the back of your envelopes...

Pay back is fun!!!!! WRITE IT ON THE BACK OF YOUR ENVELOPES or front!

WE THINK THIS IS A GREAT IDEA. WE'LL START WRITING IT ON THE FRONT OF OUR ENVELOPES, TOO, Including Bills.

You may have heard in the news that a couple of Post Offices in Texas have been forced to take down small posters that say 'IN GOD WE TRUST,' The law, they say, is being violated.

Anyway, we heard proposed on a radio station show, that we should all write 'IN GOD WE TRUST' on the back of all our mail. After all, that's our National Motto, and it's on all the money we use to buy those stamps. We think it's a wonderful idea.

We must take back our nation from all the people who think that anything that offends them should be removed.

If you like this idea, please pass it on and DO IT. The idea of writing or stamping 'IN GOD WE TRUST' on our envelopes sounds good to us . WE'RE HAVING A STAMP MADE TOO! Heck, let's use it as our signature on e-mails too!

It's been reported that 86% of Americans believe in God. Therefore, we have a very hard time understanding why there's such a mess about having 'In God We Trust!' on our money and having God in the pledge of Allegiance.
Could it be that WE just need to take action and tell the 14% to "sit down and shut up?"
If you agree, pass this on, if not, delete!!! BUT REMEMBER IF YOU DELETE THIS, that's 1 reason why this world is in the mess we're in now BECAUSE WE SIT BACK & LET IT HAPPEN!

Read the whole story..
http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/outrage/motto.asp

Back on topic, I would hope the Australia loyalty letters are not true.

This is a quote posted from thetruthabout..

Q: Is Amway opening Business Centres as 'shops' to bypass IBOs

A: We are and will remain a business opportunity company. Our Business Centre strategy is NOT about opening "shops" and bypassing you, it's about improving Amway's image and reputation with a bricks and mortar presence and building a sense of local community across all lines of sponsorship.

I wonder how long it will be before Business Centers are in the US

It reminds me of Exodus and God hardening Pharaoh's heart while Moses cries out, Let My People Go. I have friends from Australia and they say Amyway is more detested there than in the US. Not sure how anyone is growing there. My prayer is that if the IBO's chose to exit Egypt, that they don't have to suffer the price that you and Team had to pay. Or if they do, that God repeats history and covers Pharaoh's army with the tides of justice. My prayers are with them.
Rick in Cincy

I don't have photoshop on this computer so this isn't as cleanly done as my normal photoshop work, alas it will have to do for now. Enjoy!

Orrin, (I am warning you this is a long message :)

All I can say is WOW! That excerpt is truly disheartening! To me the unfortunate thing is that many of the people involved with the A/Q business have had to come face to face with the consistent shocking shortage of morals displayed overtime by company execs/ leaders and are probably scared to death to take any action on the promises of truth. I truly believe, just as you do Orrin, there are many great people involved with that business, but as a Servant Leader I am so sick and tired of all the manipulation. To me there are 2 major differences between motivating people and manipulating people. One you move for mutual advantage and one you only move for your own advantage. Basically the A/Q corporate motto has turned into “sit down, shut up, don’t ask questions because that would mean you are being disloyal, do exactly as we say, don’t think creatively, and oh by the way…..we “love ya” so build YOUR business (which we can take at anytime)!” I guess when you inflict that type of thinking into an organization you really don’t need to hold yourself accountable for anything, do you? There is no win-win environment that can come out of an environment like that. It is impossible. However, a win-lose culture can result or even a lose-lose culture can result especially if enough people have been taken advantage of because in the end no-one can win!

This is truly sickening to me because many of the people that are just sitting back and allowing this to happen are some of the people that I used to look up to. I have learned many principles from them that have enriched my life, but the difference is that I have decided to incorporate and practice them in my life, not just use them for lip service. These so-called “leaders” used to always talk about having courage to stick up for truth, but I am just wondering why they haven’t stood up to this type of behavior? This could very well be a finest hour moment for many of these so-called “leaders”. Instead many of them are not meeting these needs of the hour or displaying the courage this situation is requiring so the result will cause them to lose their leadership uniqueness. Romans 12:8 says “if you are given the gift of leadership, LEAD with all diligence.” There is a whole group of people that are asking “Why does it have to be like this?” YOU, “so-called leader”, need to step up to the plate and start leading with a heartbeat for others instead of thinking about yourself. Stop this “all about me” mindset and start engaging in a “all about we” mindset. Focusing too much on yourself is a lot like sitting to close to a television; the closer and longer you sit in front of the TV, the worse your vision becomes. I believe way too many people that are in leadership positions have allowed their applause and edification mean way too much more than their performance, responsibility, and contributions!

Following this type of behavior so closely over the course of 10 months has been very interesting. It has brought out the best in me, but it has also brought out the worst. One thing is for sure though: it has been a tremendous learning experience. There have been so many leadership lessons people can learn NOT TO DO from this type of behavior. I have waited for the appropriate time to share these lessons learned. Here are just a few lessons I thought I would share with everyone. Keep in mind this is not a degrading post, but it is a based upon certain actions and decisions that have been carried out by particular people within “an” organization.

1.PEOPLE ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN PROFITS – This is a huge lesson. Too many people are more concerned with the harvest they reap instead of the seeds they sow. I have always been a huge believer in if you give your best to others unconditionally; you will always get the best from them. People that reverse this lesson and value profits over people, expect to get the best from others without first giving. It does not work that way! It all boils down to a question of motives. Do you manipulate people for your advantage or do you motivate others for a win-win advantage? The first is a “self-serving” question and the second is a “serving” question. People that are self serving always try to control others in order to squeeze as much as they can from people for their own benefit. People that are serving always sow seeds that empower others to help them see what they could become for the persons benefit. They empower others to stop sitting on the premises of their potential and to start standing on the promises of their potential. There is a huge difference!

My challenge for people is to sit down and perform a honestly and realistic “check” on your current association with an organization or group of people to see if you are a part of a self-serving or serving agenda. Ask yourself: “Is the organization or group of people I am associated with Self-Serving or Serving?” I have provided a simple checklist for you to easily formulate an answer to this pivotal question.

Organizations and Leaders Who Are Self-Serving

Exist for themselves
Hoard Power
Influence through Position
Want power over people
Give themselves the benefit of the doubt
Have a Scarcity Mentality
Place blame
Focus on their Rights and Entitlements
Focus on their resume

Leaders Who Are Serving

Exist for others
Teach and Empower Others
Influence through Relationships
Have power with people
Gives others the benefit of the doubt
Have an Abundance Mentality
Take Blame
Focus on their Responsibilities and Contributions
Focus on their legacy

***The first duty of any effective leader is to build and empower other leaders!!

Self Serving Leaders and Organizations:

Organizations and leaders that are self-serving are always doomed for disaster. It might not happen today or tomorrow, but rest assured it will happen. Why? Think about it; doing the right or wrong thing continually compounds over time. When things go bad, it is usually the result of not addressing situations or problems over a long period of time, which eventually, the organization or leader will reap the harvest of being bad over a long period of time!

One of the easiest ways that you can tell if you are dealing with a self-serving organization or self-serving leader is to give them feedback. When you give feedback to them they shoot the messenger! They don’t want to hear it because they are positional type thinkers and your feedback, to them, indicates you don’t want them to lead. When that happens they will try to protect their position and typically degrade your ideas or feedback because they stopped leading their business and started managing it! Typically self-serving organizations or leaders stop innovating and learning, which leads to complete and total ineffectiveness. Many teams their organization becomes completely unrelateable to the trends of today because they are focused too much on the past. They have “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it mindset” and that will always 100% of the time get any leader or organization into trouble. How about this: If it isn’t broke, break it and see if it can be done again better.” Remember: after a broken bone heals, it is stronger than ever before. That is exactly what I mean about losing the desire for innovation and learning. John Wooden said “It is what you learn after you know it all that counts.”

To drive this point home lets use Tiger Woods as an example. A few years ago Tiger Woods was at the top of his game and he was winning championship after championship. Then he decided that he wanted to change his swing and everyone couldn’t understand why he wanted to do that because he was the best golfer at the time by far. But he wasn’t competing against others, he was competing himself. Always stretching and challenging himself to do better! In an August 9, 2005 article on ESPN.com called “Woods addresses questions about former self” he address this very point. "I don't want to go back to 2000," Woods said. "I want to become better than that. And that's why I'm making the changes, you know, to become better. Not to become worse, [but to] become better. I'm very pleased." He went on to say "When I had my nice run there in '99 and 2000 -- I won 17 times -- that was great, but it can always be better, right?" Woods asked rhetorically (no one would know such a feeling other than himself). "People ask me, 'Are you there yet?' No. You never get there. And that's the great thing about it. You can always be better the next day. That's how I look at golf and how I look at life. You can always, always be better."

Serving Leaders and Organizations:

Serving leaders and serving organizations feel they have been called to great responsibilities. Part of that responsibility is to empower people with them and to learn all they can to improve on step closer to their greater vision. When you give a feedback to serving leaders and organizations they want to hear about it. Often they say things like “thank you who else can I learn from, I never thought of that, thanks for bringing that to my attention.” In other words their desire to add value to others and learn is greater than their desire to earn. They do not get caught up in status, reputation, power, recognition, or success. They never get success confused with the rewards of success. In fact serving leaders and serving organization do 5 main things really well. Notice the acrostic!

Sow seeds that empower others
Embrace Multiplication over status
Reflect credit onto others
Value legacy over resume
Expand vision continually

In other words serving organizations and serving leaders value people over their profit. They know that if they sow enough good seeds with other people, the harvest is automatic!

2. A LEADER’S COMPETENCE DETERMINES THE POTENTIAL FOR AN ORGANIZATIONHere is a great article I found that drives this “Leadership Lesson” home! It came from the Leadershipnow blog. “Competence alone can’t make a leader, but it can undo one. While inaction is a prime problem facing many organizations (and individuals for that matter), there’s the very real possibility that one is doing the wrong thing. An incompetent leader has almost unlimited opportunities to be ineffective. Knowing what to do—professional competence—is vital. Being competent doesn’t mean that a leader knows how to do everything, but rather that they know what to do and how to get it done. Even the most brilliant leader who tries to go it on their own is setting themselves up for failure. A good leader will know where their strengths and weaknesses lie and thus know what kind of expertise they will need to surround themselves with.

Yet, competence is a critical part of the whole leadership picture. Socrates believed that the “one who clearly knows best what ought to be done will most easily gain the obedience of the others.” Competence engenders confidence in a leader. Competence, trust and loyalty are “inextricably intertwined” says In Extremis Leadership author Thomas Kolditz. “Leader competence is usually at the root of loyalty and trust problems.” He writes: “Most leaders have gotten to their station in life through their own competence, but that becomes lost on followers unless the leader’s competence is occasionally revealed by action.

Some leaders try to build trust and loyalty through social events such as golf or team-building activities, but loyalty and trust problems can’t be fixed with a trip to a rock-climbing school.

Leaders need to take the time and effort to show followers what they’re good at and why followers should be confident in the leader’s ability. Use care, however, never to upstage or embarrass someone else as you demonstrate competence. In the end, leadership is about the success of your people, not about you.”

The reason I have brought this lesson to the forefront is because I question the competence behind some of the rational and actions A/Q have displayed. This news you posted on the website Orrin further strengthens my belief in this lesson! Again that is not a cheap shot. When you know and practice principles it makes it easy to call it like you see it!

3.CHARACTER, NOT REPUTATION, ALWAYS STAND THE TESTS OF TIME
A few months back I posted a response to an article you shared with us Orrin outlining the importance of character. I have to say that I have learned more about the importance of character from you than anyone else. Character is what has given the TEAM victory amongst the allegations (lies) that have been thrown at you. I had an opportunity to ask John Maxwell about the importance of character and here is what he shared with me. He said “Strong charisma will get you in the door with people, but it can never sustain your influence by itself. When it comes to lasting influence, nothing is more important than character." He went on further to say "Character is essential to ensuring that your leadership will always go the distance." I asked him "what is the difference between my reputation and my character?" (you can tell I was very naive:) He said "Your character is way more important than any reputation you will ever receive. If you decide to develop your leadership skills, you will always experience pushback from people. Remember that your reputation is based on external perceptions, and it can be swayed due to an allegation or unfortunate circumstance. However, character is built on internal decisions, and it remains rock solid amidst shifting situations." I thought that was unbelievable advice!!

Finally he ended the answer to my questions by taking more about character. He wrote about these 4 points in his book the "21 Indispensable Qualities of Leader", but brought them to life during our discussion. He said " a person that is strong in character benefits themselves in 4 major ways." In his great teaching style he gave me these 4 points that I will always remember.

1. CHARACTER SETS YOU APART.
2. CHARACTER CREATES TRUST.
3. CHARACTER COMMUNICATES CONSISTENCY.
4. CHARACTER PROMOTES POTENTIAL. - He said "When a leader's character is strong, people trust him, and they trust his ability to release their potential because he has taken steps to reach his own."
When you don’t do the right thing and settle for doing things right, you set yourself up for failure. Why? You put your trust in a process instead of moral absolutes.

4.PRIDE IS THE BIGGEST ENEMY OF PROGRESS
There is a saying that many of us are very familiar with: “pride comes before the fall.” Every single one of us have blind spots, that if not addressed and fixed, will not allow us to grow to our maximum potential. What is even worse than having blind spots is to be too prideful and be blind to the fact that you blind spots. There are two kinds of pride, both good and bad. “Good pride” represents our dignity and self-respect. “Bad pride” is the deadly sin of superiority that reeks of conceit and arrogance. When you look at the word pride, notice the middle letter is “I”. When you are full of pride on the inside, it makes you stiff, stubborn, and creates strife with others.

In a leadership newsletter I got from John Maxwell’s training company called Maximum Impact he talks about “The Problems of Pride.” He lists 9 major problems that I wanted to share with you. Here they are:

1. Pride Stops Us from Building a Team.

Prideful leaders readily contract “Superman Syndrome” and devalue the benefits of teamwork. They rely on their own prowess to solve problems and advance the organization. Blinded by their self-centeredness, arrogant leaders are unable to appreciate the strengths in others.

2. Pride Renders us Unteachable.

Leaders who are assured they know everything don’t bother about personal growth. Their ego convinces them that they have arrived, and they quit searching for life’s lessons in the people and circumstances around them.

3. Pride Closes Our Mind to Feedback.

Pride deafens us to the advice or warnings of those around us. As Stephen Covey has said, “It takes humility to seek feedback. It takes wisdom to understand it, analyze it, and appropriately act on it.” Without humility, we care about only one opinion—our own.

4. Pride Prevents Us from Admitting Mistakes.

The Duke of Wellington once haughtily drew himself up to his full height and thundered to one of his staff officers, “God knows I have many faults, but being wrong is not one of them!” Pride won’t allow for failure. The egotistical leader blames mistakes on others, justifies them as inevitable, or refuses to acknowledge them.

5. Pride Keeps Us from Making Changes.

Pride will cause leaders to pledge allegiance to the status quo rather than opening themselves to change; especially if the change alters a system they built. Since leaders have emotional equity in their own work, they will justify living with broken systems rather than changing them.

6. Pride Encourages Poor Character Choices

Because of arrogance, ignorance, or a little of both, leaders start taking shortcuts that compromise their values. In their conceit, they think they’re above the rules or are too smart to get caught.

As flawed human beings, we all fall into prideful traps from time to time. However, failing to recognize the error of pride and change course will doom our leadership. Pride is a fatal character flaw and leaders that leave legacies have their character in tact. Leaders who fail to prune their pride will meet demise. That’s not a guess, it’s a guarantee. With pride, it’s not a matter of “if” we will fall, but “when.” There are no exceptions.

7. Pride Hinders Us from Reaching Our Potential.

For leaders to reach full potential, they must be aware of areas in which they can improve. Unfortunately, pride blocks honest self-assessment and prevents leaders from finding the path to better performance.

8. Pride Destroys Relationships.

The opposite of loving others is not hating others but rather obsessing over oneself. When we become self-absorbed, we cut ourselves off from the enjoyment of the relationships in our life. What I call, “The Celebration Principle” says that the true test of relationships is not how loyal we are when friends fail, but how thrilled we are when they succeed. If we can’t get excited about the accomplishments of our friends, we had better do some soul-searching.

9. Pride Distorts Your Perspective on Reality

Constantly viewing life through the lens of selfish ambition colors a leader’s outlook. Many problems in business are caused by the ego interfering with judgment. Choices that should be clear to the leader become clouded by an obsession with self advancement.” (Maximum Impact Leadership Newsletter)

So there you have it! Some of the lessons I have learned over the course of the past 10 months regarding the A/Q fiasco! Laurie Woodward said “the lessons will continue until the lessons are learned.” Lets make sure all of us learn from the mistakes of others. Sure am proud of this community! Sure do appreciate you Orrin!

Best,
Matt

Hey Orrin,

Did you know that Quixtar now has a tv ad?? I thought with MLM companies, you pay your IBO's for advertising!! WOW, I sincerely pray for those IBO's still involved with this company.

Here is the link for the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUTGuC_8CUc

In America, we have Mike Mohr running the show. In Oceana, it's Rumpelstiltskin!!!

Oh Quixtar,
In search of power
'Tyrant' be thy name.

Enterprise come,
under your thumb:
To pledge not, a sign of treason?

Give us this day
Freedom, in your stead,

and renew not your force
with oaths of illusory fealty.

Lead them not into resignation
but deliver them from your evil

For what was once the market & the future & the story
Now's never & never.

Amen.

STILL LOVE YOUR ARTICLES ORRIN.

JUST ONE WORD FOR AMWAY.
oblivion1: state of having lost conscious awareness 2:state of being forgotten

GOD BLESS THE TEAM
ON TO A MILLION
MonaVie for LIFE
Dave GBA

Hi Orrin,
I'm a quitter. I quit Amway. Started drinking MonaVie

Happier in FL

Orrin.........

We are STILL with you!!! Keep the pressure on, in demanding a response from the remaining Amway Diamonds and above to the Crowns! Keep shining the light into the darkness....only roaches scurry to the dark corners to hide when the light is turned on. It seems the remaining "Leaders" in Amway just can't face the bitter truth!! Still in it for themselves, till the end!!! I am very disappointed that Jody Victor will not come to the front line.....for his people.....Jody Victor delivered one of the most dynamic talks I had ever heard....it was incredible and changed my life....but now.....I wonder was it all a practiced magical act??? Now you see me....now you don't!! Jody and Kathy....it's not about saving AMWAY......it's about leading people who trust you to the truth!! LOOK AT THE FACTS..... Don't just keep giving them XS cool-aid and letting them die a slow death staying loyal to YOU.....For heaven's sake....surely you last remaining Amway kingpins can think for yourselves and come up with a plan to help your loyal followers!!! If you cannot find a way to fix Amway....then move your community through the Red Sea.......lead them to the Promise Land.....don't let them all die in the desert going around and around the same old Amway mountain for 40 plus years....just so you can look good and continue to collect your checks from Master!! It's probably too late for Dexter and Birdie....they want to go down in Amway Glory Days Fame and Flames. They are of course, in the lifeboat floating away from the sinking Titanic shouting, "Man the decks".....why do they really care how many people's dreams will never be realized....they have lived a fabulous life!!! Shame on them!! By the way....where are the Amway Diamonds and above hiding these days??? What DO they have to say?

I have close knowledge of the letter sent to more than just the Australian Diamonds. There have now been additional letters threatening "termination" rule 3.19 - based on "alledged" involvement in Monavie. No due dilligence, no facts, just alledged. It also stated in the letter that the names & phone numbers of your group are Amway intellectual property. You cannot use them for anything but Amway. We get tehm the people & they own them. IBOs of good standing for 20+ years are being terminated based on a rumour. Before you keep going in Amway you should think about the impact of your effort & how quickly your money can be cut off by the legal department.

Hi
The is an unconscionable conduct part of the trade practices act. Perhaps someone should advise the ACCC
Coo eee

Tony Greig is the Amway lawyer for Australia. He has sent letters to numerous Diamonds, Emeralds, Platinums (most of which are no longer qualified at the pin level they once had). The letters are the first step in the termination process. Michael Coldwell is the current CEO of Amway Australia, he sent a letter to the Platinums stating that Monavie will blow past shortly & it will only be a small group of Australian leaders who have chosen to be involved. I predict that the Amway turnover in Australia - which has sunk to an all time low of about $120 million (a high of $290 million in 1993 - gee the Amway model has lost just a little bit of ground since 1992) - will now plummet to below $60million in the next 12 months - as people who stay in Amway Australia continue to struggle with an antiquated compensation plan.

It has been a massive struggle for people to reach 21% in the past 8 years. Only those who focused on product sales have achieved anything. Of course theses sales orientated groups have had a slide backwards - as their sales team grew tired. No Diamonds from 2004 (there were 6 of them) have requalified at Diamond since. There are some Diamonds (like Roland & Jenny McGready) who qualified back in 1990 - that are no longer even qualified at the Saphire level.

Why would anyone want to be part of a business model where everyone they hear on the CDs & everyone that Amway promotes does not currently achieve the level that they are reported to be at. If you visit Amway headquaters in Australia - there are about 50 Diamonds on the wall pictured - less than 10 are currently Qualified (after 36 years of operation in Australia) and less than 5 are Q12 Diamonds. Why do the work that it takes to get there when with one letter, Tony Greig - Amway legal guy can turn the money tap off?

I know for a fact that one of the Diamonds on the Amway wall in Australia has been building another MLM for the past 4 years - undetected by Amway legal - now this Diamond sucks down money from Amway as well as the new venture. Well done to them for having the courage to break away.

The new Amway renewal letter to all IBOs has a picture with people holding signs that say "retain your rights" - "Earn your freedom", "sack your boss" - PLEASE WAKE UP! AMWAY IS PAST ITS USE BY DATE IN AUSTRALIA. PROSPECTS KEEP AKSING - PLEASE DON'T TELL ME YOUR OPPORTUNITY HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH AMWAY - THEN WHEN YOU SAY YES - OFF THEY GO. The answer to this problem - according to Amway Australia management is - change the reputation of Amway - so people will respect you when you say its Amway. We don't have enough lifetime to change the opinion of the public.

Now we know the truth over the past month. Amway will terminate business leaders of 20+ years experience with Amway at the drop of the hat. Leaving their groups without a leader who knows how to build it.

From the IBOAI blog website:

RUMOR: That there are new loyalty agreements for Australian Diamonds that neither they or their children can be in an other MLM.

"ANSWER: The rumor has no substance. Australian IBOs can be in Amway and as many other MLM businesses as they like. What they can't do is use their Amway business as a list for building any of the other businesses. IBOs who are in other businesses also will receive all bonuses and benefits under the Amway Sales and Marketing Plan but they won't be invited to invitational events where Amway shares its strategic plans with its leaders. We obviously would not share our plans with the representative of a competitor company. "