What's Your Group Culture?

Last month, we shared some ideas from a great book we recently read: How Will You Measure Your Life? by Clayton M. Christensen. He writes about different principles that can make companies, groups, and even families more successful. One of these principles is a group culture.

Christensen quotes former MIT professor Edgar Schein: "Culture is a way of working together toward common goals that have been followed so frequently and so successfully that people don't even think about trying to do things another way. If a culture has formed, people will autonomously do what they need to do to be successful."

A real group culture doesn't happen immediately. Instead, it comes about as team members work together, solve problems, and figure out what works best for the team as a whole.

As 4Life distributors working to build a successful group, there will be times when challenges or problems arise. How you handle such challenges will help define your role as a leader and develop your group culture. In short, you'll determine what's most important for your group, and help everyone reach their goals.

Christensen writes that a group culture will emerge, whether or not you make a point to develop it or not. So, what do you want most for your group? How do you want your team members to work together? We hope you'll make a conscious effort to put in place a group culture that your whole team will embrace and build upon for individual and collective success.

Here are a few photos of great 4Life groups at Convention 2012: Passport to Freedom!

The Taste of Success

While visiting with Platinum International Diamonds Juan Rosado and Damaris Zapata in Florida a few weeks ago, Juan showed us his Maserati. We even got in it and went for a spin! It is always so wonderful to see 4Life distributors fulfill their dreams through working hard and building successful businesses.

We're sure that when Juan was working the night shift as a security guard years ago, he never dreamed that he would one day drive such a beautiful sports car. But even more importantly, Juan and Damaris can enjoy the satisfaction of knowing that they have helped, and continue to help, thousands of other people fulfill the same type of dreams. It is so great to witness the dream of fulfillment of our distributors!

Bianca gets ready to take Juan's Maserati for a drive.

Also during our visit, Juan shared his special energy drink with us. He calls it "La Bomba" and he told us we could share the secret recipe with all of you. Try it! It's delicious!

La Bomba
1 oz ReZoom^®

1 oz 4Life Transfer Factor^® RioVida^® Tri-Factor^® Formula
2 Energy Go Stix^® (berry or citrus)
1 lime (completely squeezed)
4 oz water
ice

Damaris, Juan, Bianca, and David enjoy a taste of "La Bomba," Juan's special energy drink.

Thank You!

Platinum International Diamonds Juan Rosado and Damaris Zapata with David and Bianca Lisonbee

Recently, we had the opportunity to visit with Platinum International Diamonds Juan Rosado and Damaris Zapata in their beautiful home in Florida, USA. Their home was filled with such a warm and happy spirit. It is always so wonderful to spend time in the homes of our distributors.

Juan Rosado and Damaris Zapata with their girls Marianny, Aracelis, and Brianny

Their daughter, Marianny, wrote a beautiful note for us and she said that we could share it with you. Her sentiments sum up the great faith and gratitude that are typical of so many 4Life family members. Thank you so much for your faith in us and your passion for the 4Life products and 4Life financial opportunity.

Spotlight on Gold International Diamond George Fei

Congratulations to new Gold International Diamond George Fei from California, USA! George has been a committed 4Life distributor for several years and we are so grateful for the successful worldwide business he has built. Congratulations on all you have achieved, George!

I was raised in Taipei, Taiwan. I came to the United States to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree at California State University in Food Science and Chemistry. From there, I started my own bakery and worked as a certified pastry chef.

I was initially attracted to 4Life because of the unique health support that 4Life Transfer Factor^® provides and the way in which it helped my whole family. I decided to learn more about the network marketing industry so I could successfully market 4Life products.

I was truly moved by the message that BIG Convention 2010 Keynote Speaker Christopher Gardner shared. In the movie inspired by Christopher's life, "The Pursuit of Happyness," he encourages his son to "protect your dreams." After hearing that, I knew that having a dream was just the beginning. My dreams can only come true when I learn how to protect them.

When I share 4Life with others, I feel that I'm providing two critical things that everyone wants to find: the key to supporting health (4Life Transfer Factor) and the key to achieving wealth (the 4Life financial opportunity). In building my business, I work to learn what others need and provide them with the solution, all with a humble attitude. I use three critical ingredients to build my business: discipline, priorities, and alignment.

Discipline: Set in place a systematic method and work daily to manage your business.
Priorities: You can do anything you want, but not necessarily everything.
Alignment: Get everyone in your group on the same page to minimize wasted resources and create a foundation for getting things done at a high level of productivity.

I determine my lifestyle not by how much I have, but by how much I can have. Dare to dream, work for it, and never give up!

George Fei

Escape to Fun, Knowledge, and Inspiration

For the past several years, we have enjoyed Great Escape+ trips with old friends and new ones. We love getting the chance to see you, congratulate you on your success, and thank you for your dedication to the 4Life products and financial opportunity.

One of the best things about Great Escape+ trips is that they're fun. The good thing about having fun is that it can also include valuable education and inspiration. The Great Escape+ trips are an opportunity to build friendships and travel to exotic locations, and they're also the means by which distributors can rub shoulders with leaders who can guide and teach them how to continue making their dreams come true. We hope you'll join your fellow distributors and escape to fun, knowledge, and inspiration for your 4Life business on an upcoming Great Escape+ trip.

We're excited about the new trips and locations recently announced, including a brand-new trip to South America!

2012 South America Great Escape+ trip
Cusco, Peru, with a visit to Machu Picchu
November 7–11, 2012

2013 U.S. Great Escape+ trips—new location
Hard Rock Hotel, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
March 10–14, 2013  August 21–25, 2013

2013 Eurasia Great Escape+ trip
Mediterranean cruise to Athens, Olympia, and Venice
July 13–19, 2013

2013 Southeast Asia Great Escape+ trips
Bangkok, Thailand
March 13–17, 2013

Bali, Indonensia
September 11–15, 2013

2013 South America Great Escape+ trip
Location and dates to be announced soon!

What Job Do You Do?

Recently, we read a great book entitled How Will You Measure Your Life? by Clayton M. Christensen. Clayton is one of the world's leading experts on innovation in business and in life. He is a professor at the Harvard Business School and a best-selling author. In this book, Clayton writes about principles which have made companies successful and he challenges his readers to apply those same principles to make relationships and families successful as well.

Clayton writes about the products and services a company offers and the process marketers go through to determine, "What job does this product do?" Clayton uses the example of a man who presented him with a collection of children's board games he had designed. Upon examining these games, Clayton came to the conclusion that there wasn't really anything special about them. It wasn't until the man shared that he was the father of young children who wanted to find short, fun games he could play with his children when he came home from work and didn't have a lot of time or energy to take on some of the longer, more complicated games they wanted to play. As soon as he understood the "job" that these games were designed to do, Clayton's entire outlook on their usefulness changed.

Think for a moment about the job you fulfill as a 4Life distributor. That answer may be a little different for you than for someone else. Perhaps you see your job as helping others support their health. Or, maybe your focus is to provide others with the opportunity to achieve financial freedom. Maybe your job combines both. Whatever it is that you do, it is important to identify your core purpose. By doing so, you will be more effective in getting the "job" done and enjoy greater satisfaction in fulfilling the purpose you have set out to perform.

Help 4Life Family Members in Russia

One of the great blessings of being a part of the 4Life family is that when fellow family members are in need—no matter where they are in the world—we are able to help them. The nature of life is that at one time or another, we will all find ourselves on both the giving and receiving ends of service.

Recently, our hearts have turned to our dear friends in Russia who have suffered due to massive flooding in the southern Krasnodar region. Almost 35,000 people have been affected after the aftermath of a large storm that dropped almost half a year's rainfall over the region in just two days. More than 170 bodies have been recovered; 160 people have been hospitalized. The photos of the destruction caused by the torrential rains and floods broke our hearts. We want to sincerely express our concern and condolences to our Russian family members at this time.

We were so impressed to learn that Russian distributors are reaching out to their neighbors. Their kindness, compassion, and resilience in this time of overwhelming stress are wonderful to witness. We are so proud to call them members of our worldwide 4Life family.

Once again, we have an opportunity to reach out and help those in need. We encourage you to donate to this worthy cause. Every contribution, no matter how small or large, will make a difference in the relief efforts. And, 4Life has pledged to match every dollar donated!

To donate to the relief efforts:

• Visit foundation4life.org.
• Call 888–454–3374 to donate over the telephone.
• Set up a bonus check donation deduction from  your 4Life account.

4Life's dollar-for-dollar matching program will continue through August 31, 2012. Watch for updates to this story on 4Life's Digital NewsStand, foundation4life.org, and on the 4Life and Foundation 4Life^® Facebook pages.