Ten years ago, on Tuesday, June 27, 2000, I arrived in Salt Lake City after a 21-hour drive, to attend my first USANA Health Sciences International Convention, five days after enrolling as an Associate. My road buddy, Mario Buscio went to stay with his friends from Quebec, while our sponsor, Deanna Waters, invited me to stay with her group in her two-bedroom suite. My fabulous mentors included Patti Tweed, a Registered Dietician & Andrea Cantin, a Dentist. I knew I did not have to be a health professional to be successful in USANA, but I was definitely in good company! It was interesting to hear that neither of them had learned very much at all about nutritional supplementation in school, yet both had compelling stories of how USANA’s products had made a difference for them & their families. For both Patti & Andrea, USANA was filling a void, because nowhere else, could they find such credible nutritional information, based on latest research.
After making everyone my homemade pasta, I got a call from Lynn, back in Winnipeg. It was our first time speaking since I had arrived. I told her how I was in “USANA Immersion!” We had plugged-in to a fantastic community of like-minded, health-conscious people, who all had positive experiences using the products, the USANA LifeMasters & Dr Denis Waitley audios were informative & inspiring & hanging around with our mentors, Dave & Deanna Waters had many benefits & we were having fun.
Lynn had some exciting news. She said she had felt more energy for the past few days & the only thing she had been doing differently was taking the USANA Essentials, which we began on Friday night. She said she had just returned from cycling to my parents’ place in St Vital & to her parents place in Garden City. Both are suburbs of Winnipeg, at opposite ends of the city. The round trip would have been about 32 kilometres or 20 miles. She was amazed that she did it & she felt great! "You did what?!" I said. This was no small feat for most people & it was especially huge for Lynn, since she usually fell asleep whenever we drove to a friends’ place, during a movie or while reading a book! I was accustomed to her constant fatigue & here she was, being a manic cyclist!
For myself, I don’t know if it was the adrenaline, the coffee or the USANA Essentials, but I was also feeling pretty good, after pulling an all-nighter on the drive to Salt Lake City. Whatever it was, I was now on a mission to learn more about USANA & the new products we were taking. The next day, Deanna was to be speaking at a Women's Conference, to start the USANA Convention, so it was time to power-down for the night. This was going to be an awesome time & I was pumped! We had definitely made a fantastic life decision to jump into USANA with both feet!
Showing posts with label Ten-Year Journey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ten-Year Journey. Show all posts
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Road Trip to my First USANA Convention
Ten years ago, on Monday, June 26, 2000, I picked up my new friend, Mario Buscio, in my 1995 Honda Civic si Coupe & we began our road trip from Winnipeg to Salt Lake City. I got to know Mario pretty good during this time & he shared his story of how he got started with USANA Health Sciences, Inc.
Mario had been dealing with Fibromyalgia for quite some time & when his wife, Sonia Blanchette, & Deanna Waters suggested he try the USANA products, he nearly threw Deanna out of his house! He was bitter, because he thought he had tried everything & he was sure nothing would help his chronic pain. He finally agreed to take the products, just so that he could prove that they would not work! Despite his negativity, he ate his words, as he soon felt better & after about 3 weeks, with the approval of his doctor, he stopped taking his pain medication. Two years later, all Mario had with him on the trip, besides USANA supplements, was a bottle of Tylenol, just in case. During our trip, he never opened the Tylenol & said it was like a crutch he didn't want to use. It was great to hear Mario's perspective as my wife, Lynn, had been on medications for Lupus for several years.
We made the trip in about 21 hours, with the help of the wraps Lynn had made for us, plenty of water, carrot sticks, fruit & USANA Nutrition Bars. I had also packed a supply of USANA Essentials, while Lynn kept some for herself, for the week I would be away. Mario had a nice little stash of USANA supplements, in addition to the Essentials - he said that CoQuinone & Proflavanol were his best friends! We also had an assortment of USANA LifeMasters audios, most of which were interviews with successful USANA Associates & health information from doctors on USANA's Medical Advisory Board & USANA scientists. We also had some good personal development audios from my favourite, Dr Denis Waitley. My Honda Civic was our Rolling University!
After about 12 hours, Mario said he could take over driving for a bit. I agreed & I tried my best to fall asleep quickly, because we had a full day ahead of us. After what seemed like only an hour, I'm not sure what happened, but Mario said he was just too tired to continue. I wasn't ready for that! He pulled into a gas station & I downed a huge coffee, got another for the road & got a big bag of nacho chips to power me through to Salt Lake City! I know - wrong nutritional choice, but I had to stay alert & get us there in one piece! Every year since then, we have flown to the Convention & if I were to drive again, we would either book a hotel mid-way, or ensure we had 3-4 drivers, to do it safely. With Mario conked out, I focussed on the road ahead, both literally & figuratively. This trip, if we made it, could be the first big step forward in our life. I have to say, that Butte, Montana is a beauty, with stunning views of the valley from the mountain-top homes!
Please note that these statements & products are not intended to cure, treat, diagnose, mitigate or prevent any disease. Here is a sobering word on testimonials from USANA Science Information Services at http://www.usana.com/dotCom/difference/science:
In general, testimonials are considered unreliable as scientific evidence and are not a worthy substitute for scientific validity. There are currently hundreds of randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled studies that indicate a strong correlation between diets rich in antioxidants from fruits and vegetables and a decreased incidence of chronic degenerative disease. This significance continues to be investigated through carefully validated scientific research. USANA continually reviews recent scientific literature and incorporates its findings, along with in-house laboratory research and clinical studies, into product development and design. This comprehensive approach to product development provides our Associates and Preferred Customers with comprehensive, balanced, safe, and effective nutritional formulas.
Mario had been dealing with Fibromyalgia for quite some time & when his wife, Sonia Blanchette, & Deanna Waters suggested he try the USANA products, he nearly threw Deanna out of his house! He was bitter, because he thought he had tried everything & he was sure nothing would help his chronic pain. He finally agreed to take the products, just so that he could prove that they would not work! Despite his negativity, he ate his words, as he soon felt better & after about 3 weeks, with the approval of his doctor, he stopped taking his pain medication. Two years later, all Mario had with him on the trip, besides USANA supplements, was a bottle of Tylenol, just in case. During our trip, he never opened the Tylenol & said it was like a crutch he didn't want to use. It was great to hear Mario's perspective as my wife, Lynn, had been on medications for Lupus for several years.
We made the trip in about 21 hours, with the help of the wraps Lynn had made for us, plenty of water, carrot sticks, fruit & USANA Nutrition Bars. I had also packed a supply of USANA Essentials, while Lynn kept some for herself, for the week I would be away. Mario had a nice little stash of USANA supplements, in addition to the Essentials - he said that CoQuinone & Proflavanol were his best friends! We also had an assortment of USANA LifeMasters audios, most of which were interviews with successful USANA Associates & health information from doctors on USANA's Medical Advisory Board & USANA scientists. We also had some good personal development audios from my favourite, Dr Denis Waitley. My Honda Civic was our Rolling University!
After about 12 hours, Mario said he could take over driving for a bit. I agreed & I tried my best to fall asleep quickly, because we had a full day ahead of us. After what seemed like only an hour, I'm not sure what happened, but Mario said he was just too tired to continue. I wasn't ready for that! He pulled into a gas station & I downed a huge coffee, got another for the road & got a big bag of nacho chips to power me through to Salt Lake City! I know - wrong nutritional choice, but I had to stay alert & get us there in one piece! Every year since then, we have flown to the Convention & if I were to drive again, we would either book a hotel mid-way, or ensure we had 3-4 drivers, to do it safely. With Mario conked out, I focussed on the road ahead, both literally & figuratively. This trip, if we made it, could be the first big step forward in our life. I have to say, that Butte, Montana is a beauty, with stunning views of the valley from the mountain-top homes!
Please note that these statements & products are not intended to cure, treat, diagnose, mitigate or prevent any disease. Here is a sobering word on testimonials from USANA Science Information Services at http://www.usana.com/dotCom/difference/science:
In general, testimonials are considered unreliable as scientific evidence and are not a worthy substitute for scientific validity. There are currently hundreds of randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled studies that indicate a strong correlation between diets rich in antioxidants from fruits and vegetables and a decreased incidence of chronic degenerative disease. This significance continues to be investigated through carefully validated scientific research. USANA continually reviews recent scientific literature and incorporates its findings, along with in-house laboratory research and clinical studies, into product development and design. This comprehensive approach to product development provides our Associates and Preferred Customers with comprehensive, balanced, safe, and effective nutritional formulas.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Our Journey Begins
Do you remember what you were doing 10 years ago?
At 11:00pm on June 21, 2000, we signed our application to be Associates with USANA Health Sciences Inc. We were impressed with the quality of the company, the products & the people we met, so we felt we had little to lose. After all, we had certainly done sillier things before, with regard to our health & in terms of our personal finances. We walked back home from our sponsors’ house, taking the scenic route along the river. It was a clear, star-filled evening sky & we were excited about this new chapter in our lives.
At 9:00am on June 22, 2000, I phoned my sponsor, Deanna Waters to say, "We are so excited, but we don't know where to start!" I asked her if I could shadow her, to see what she does on a typical day, in order to build a successful international business from home. She took us under her wing, helped us set goals & develop a business plan. First & perhaps most important, she helped us identify our dreams & the core reasons why it was important to us, that we accomplish them.
In order to accomplish the things you dream of in life, it is so important to have a good mentor. In Deanna, we found someone who seemed to believe in us, more than we believed in ourselves. Like peeling the layers of an onion, she helped us discover, for ourselves, that we could, indeed, get off of the life-work treadmill & start living!
Thus, our journey began…
Do you remember your dreams? Often they are pushed aside & give way to the day-to-day routines. In the next post, I will share with you, highlights from my day shadowing Deanna, 10 years ago.
At 11:00pm on June 21, 2000, we signed our application to be Associates with USANA Health Sciences Inc. We were impressed with the quality of the company, the products & the people we met, so we felt we had little to lose. After all, we had certainly done sillier things before, with regard to our health & in terms of our personal finances. We walked back home from our sponsors’ house, taking the scenic route along the river. It was a clear, star-filled evening sky & we were excited about this new chapter in our lives.
At 9:00am on June 22, 2000, I phoned my sponsor, Deanna Waters to say, "We are so excited, but we don't know where to start!" I asked her if I could shadow her, to see what she does on a typical day, in order to build a successful international business from home. She took us under her wing, helped us set goals & develop a business plan. First & perhaps most important, she helped us identify our dreams & the core reasons why it was important to us, that we accomplish them.
In order to accomplish the things you dream of in life, it is so important to have a good mentor. In Deanna, we found someone who seemed to believe in us, more than we believed in ourselves. Like peeling the layers of an onion, she helped us discover, for ourselves, that we could, indeed, get off of the life-work treadmill & start living!
Thus, our journey began…
Do you remember your dreams? Often they are pushed aside & give way to the day-to-day routines. In the next post, I will share with you, highlights from my day shadowing Deanna, 10 years ago.
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