Help The USANA Foundation Reach its Goal

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We are nearing an important deadline. The USANA Foundation, which strives to provide immediate and long-term food relief for those in need, is seeking to raise enough money by Sunday (Feb. 28) to provide 250,000 meals globally.

The initiative began at the start of 2021 and is an ambitious one. Yet, it’s a target we know we must hit.

Already, the campaign’s raised a significant portion of its goal amount. But we’re not there quite yet.

Every donation, no matter the size, helps to provide potentially life-saving food and nutrition to families around the world.

Thank you to everyone who’s contributed to this important cause. If you’ve yet to donate, or if you’re able to donate additional funds, I encourage you to do so.

Click to Donate

An Important Goal

As Chairman and CEO of USANA, I believe strongly in our vision of creating The Healthiest Family on Earth.

The USANA Family stretches globally — far beyond the markets we serve and those who benefit from our nutritional supplements. It includes the individuals and families whose lives have been helped thanks to your donations to The USANA Foundation.

Since 2012, The USANA Foundation has provided more than 57 million meals and over $23 million in aid. We couldn’t do it without your generosity and ongoing support.

“I am so grateful for everything the USANA Family does to make an impact in the lives of families around the world,” says Brian Paul, president of The USANA Foundation. “It’s so awesome to see the generosity. We have a big goal, one that will make a significant difference for families who have been struggling. I know we can reach this goal if we really come together.”

Please join me in supporting The USANA Foundation’s 250,000 Global Meals initiative by making a donation before Feb. 28, 2021. And please share this article with friends, family, and professional colleagues who would like to make a difference.

Note: A version of this article went to email subscribers on Feb. 24, 2021. Are you on the list?

Country Music Star Influences Global CEO

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A country music superstar influences a global CEO to power through pandemic pressures. The relationship offers lessons for everyone during COVID-19. The following is adapted from a news release published on Feb. 2, 2021. 

“After inviting country music superstar Collin Raye to perform at our company’s annual convention, I was invited by Collin himself to perform with his band on tour,” said Kevin Guest, author, musician, and CEO of USANA Health Sciences. “Collin said he saw my passion for music and wanted me to tour with his band part-time. I was astonished, thrilled, and terrified all at once.”

USANA’s full-time chairman and CEO was reminded of three aspects that can help today’s workers through the global pandemic:

  1. Passion
  2. Hard work
  3. Performing

A Passion for Music

“I had a passion for music from an early age,” Guest said. “My dream as a kid was to become a rock star, to play music for adoring fans, maybe even to be heard on the radio. Creating, composing, and performing music was my passion.

On stage at the 13th Annual HealthCorps Gala in New York on April 16, 2019.

Kevin Guest performs with Collin Raye at the 13th Annual HealthCorps Gala in New York on April 16, 2019.

“I daydreamed for hours, imagining myself on stage in front of tens of thousands of screaming admirers who loved my music. That dream was a driving force in my life, so performing with Collin Raye was a dream come true.”

Guest writes in his bestselling book, All the Right Reasons: 12 Timeless Principles for Living a Life in Harmony, that his parents loved music so much his dad bought a piano before buying a car and rode a bike to work with Guest’s mom on the back of the bike on trips to the store.

The indelible lesson on Guest was “when you really want something, make it happen,” which Guests dubs “The Piano Principle” in his book.

“I really wanted to make this happen, so I worked my heart out to be flawless. It was Collin’s career and product I was presenting on stage,” he said. “I spent hours learning the music and honing my skills. Although I love to play music, that was hard work. And I honestly wondered if I had bitten off more than I could chew.

“So, instead of relaxing after working a full day at USANA, I learned how to play every one of Collin Raye’s songs.”

Get On Stage & Perform

Guest writes, according to psychology professor Angela Duckworth, extraordinary success is a combination of passion, perseverance, and grit, which she says is far more important to achievement than natural talent and is a better predictor of success than virtually any other quality or measurement.

“The next step is to perform. To get on stage and take your best shot. Whether that be to your boss, your team, or to larger audiences,” Guest said. “That act alone makes the preparation real and helps a person improve. Working with Collin Raye has allowed me to play with and meet some of the finest musicians on the planet in some of the most famous settings in the music world.

“I’ve performed with Collin when we shared the stage with Brooks and Dunn, Keith Urban, Diamond Rio, and many others, even playing at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry more than once, something that would’ve never happened had I not taken these steps.”

Pursue Your Own Passion

With the pandemic influencing work and personal lives for months ahead, Guest recommends:

  1. Pursuing your passion
  2. Working hard to improve your skills
  3. Performing in front of others for accountability

“When you combine those three steps, you’ll find your work not only becomes more enjoyable, but you get better at doing the things you’re passionate about,” he said. “In these times, that may be the best way to find harmony and balance in a less-than-normal daily schedule.”

All the Right Reasons: 12 Timeless Principles for Living a Life in Harmony is available on Amazon. All proceeds benefit The USANA Foundation and its mission to feed hungry children. Each book purchase provides 40 meals.

Recognize and Celebrate Successes

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It’s remarkable what a difference a simple thank you can make. That thought came to my mind as I prepared today’s blog post. It’s the latest in our Engagement Series, and it highlights how important it is to recognize and celebrate successes.

Jeannie Price, USANA’s executive vice president of sales

Jeannie Price, USANA’s executive vice president of sales for the Americas, Europe, and Australia-New Zealand, recently gave USANA employees some ideas to help celebrate each other. It’s always an important thing to do, but even more so now that so many of us are working remotely.

“While we cannot control the ongoing progression of the pandemic,” she says, “we can hold fast to our company values of health, excellence, integrity, and community, as we navigate through our new normal.”

Price explains, and I wholeheartedly agree, that building on our values and culture is more important than ever.

“While the road to normalcy is unknown, it is important for people to know what is important here and now,” she says. “Recognizing people for their commitment to challenging circumstances gives employees a sense of what is important.”

6 Ways to Celebrate Employees

Here are six ways Price identified to recognize and celebrate employees in a remote workforce.

1. Celebrate anniversaries and birthdays

While in-person office celebrations have been temporarily suspended, we still have opportunities to create special, memorable experiences. Send an employee lunch, or mail a gift card to his/her home. Taking the time to send a personal note can be extra special. Organize a virtual happy hour and invite the guest of honor’s spouse and/or family to the event. This helps build a stronger connection with the employee and their family and the work team.

2. Recognize small milestone successes

In other words, don’t wait until a big project is completed to offer praise and congratulations. Set milestone markers and recognize an individual’s or a team’s efforts along the way. And then, once the project is finished, be sure to celebrate the achievement.

3. Show appreciation for the right behaviors

Do you have employees who are especially responsive, even when working remotely? Write them a personalized message that details how appreciative you are of their ability to remain attentive from their new home office. This will reinforce the value of communication throughout your remote team and motivate employees to continue building these behaviors.

4. Celebrate small acts of kindness

Paying it forward is such an important part of our culture. And right now, there are ample opportunities to help others. Many employees are doing small acts of kindness every day that we simply are unaware of. Everyone can search out opportunities to highlight these acts of kindness. We can showcase them not only as an opportunity to recognize but more importantly, to inspire others to do similar activities. It helps to foster emotional connections among team members.

5. Allow for peer to peer recognition

Being recognized by a peer can be very rewarding. Do your part to congratulate colleagues on their successes.

6. Tell the story

To maximize recognition, it’s important to tell the story and shout it from the rooftops. Deliver your recognition in a social setting, including special virtual meetings/calls. That way, peers get the opportunity to add on to the praise and make the appreciation even more special.

“Whatever your style of recognition, celebrate achievements,” Price says. “It will go a long way in fostering relationships and keeping us connected.”

To view additional articles in this series, please click here.