Kevin Guest, USANA Chairman & CEO, wrote an article for the February issue of Personal Excellence, a publication of HR.com.
In the piece titled “Using Love, Harmony, and Kindness to Increase Productivity,” Guest explains how teams working together with more love and harmony increases productivity and happiness.
February, the month we celebrate love, is the perfect time to increase harmony in all aspects of life, Guest writes. Where harmony is high, productivity rises, and happiness is at record levels.
About the Publication
Personal Excellence aims to promote personal and professional development based on constructive values, sound ethics, and timeless principles. HR.com assists in developing human resources professionals. The organization’s global community features close to 2 million HR practitioners.
https://www.kevinguest.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Kevin-Guest-Logo-White.svg00Tim Haranhttps://www.kevinguest.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Kevin-Guest-Logo-White.svgTim Haran2022-02-09 11:27:012022-02-14 11:44:55Kevin Guest on Harmony and Productivity in HR.com Magazine
Today we celebrate Job Action Day. Established in 2008, the day is intended to empower and inspire hard workers who dream of achieving more.
Out of sight does not have to mean out of mind, yet that’s exactly what can happen with employees working remotely during the pandemic. I regularly engage with leaders in 24 countries around the world, and those who have stayed top-of-mind implement five key practices to stay relevant and connected.
Job Action Day is a day of empowerment. It’s an opportunity to examine your career and discover your passion.
Job Action Day: 5 Ways to Stay Relevant at Work
Here are five key steps you can take to stay relevant and improve during the pandemic.
1. Take an Ownership Mindset
In reality, you are the owner of your career, which means you have to look out for your own advancements, growth, and opportunities. Because no one is more interested in your job than you, acting with an ownership mindset means you’ll be “all in” when facing projects.
2. Develop Strong Opinions & Know How to Share Them
Bosses are looking for would-be leaders who have solid opinions and who know how to share them.
As a boss, I surround myself with those who will bring perspective to the conversation — something the rest of us may not even consider. It’s imperative for today’s workers to make themselves informed, to weigh options, form opinions, and share them with bosses. That’s part of what helps us rise to higher levels.
3. Adapt Virtually & Master Technology
When COVID hit, the world shut down. But those who adapted virtually and mastered technology didn’t skip a beat.
You have to know your tech tools, implement the best ones and connect with the right people to get the job done. When you master the tools, you will be in conversations that matter and meetings that forward key issues.
4. Use Your Voice to Increase Visibility
Using one’s voice allows employees to increase their visibility and influence others with impressive perspectives.
Early on in my career, I learned to use my voice. Research shows that our tech-savvy generation has come at a cost: many people would rather communicate through devices than have human-to-human interaction. That will limit your influence, so you have to use your voice in-person and virtually at the right opportunities. Speak up. Share. Listen, and provide perspective to stay visible.
5. Expand Your Personal Development
Many employees now have more discretional time that was spent commuting or in non-productive meetings. Use that newfound time to improve skills and to learn new ones. Then train coworkers through mini-workshops. That instantly sets you apart as a leader, as one who is improving, and as an executive who is getting noticed by those around you, especially by your bosses.
These timely steps can help employees stay relevant to bosses and secure a solid standing for future growth.
I shared these thoughts and more in a news release that went out on Nov. 1, 2021.
Designed to help others find keys to successful careers and life, All the Right Reasons reveals 12 principles for living a life in harmony. All proceeds from sales of the bestseller are aimed at feeding two million meals to hungry children. Available on Amazon, each book sold provides 40 meals through The USANA Foundation.
https://www.kevinguest.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Kevin-Guest-Logo-White.svg00Kevin Guesthttps://www.kevinguest.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Kevin-Guest-Logo-White.svgKevin Guest2021-11-01 13:59:232022-03-09 15:39:43Job Action Day: 5 Points to Help Improve Your Career
Recently, on Oct. 10, we observed World Mental Health Day. As you know, self-care became top-of-mind for me over the last several months. As the world focused on mental health, I shared six key actions I believe can help bring balance during the ongoing pandemic.
Some thought the pandemic wouldn’t last this long. Others are predicting it will last until 2025. Regardless, we need even more self-care to make it through, to ascend higher, and to help others.
Six Actions to Benefit Mental Health
Get a Good Night’s Sleep
Nourish Your Body
Exercise Regularly
Limit Screen Time
Engage with Others (and the World Around You)
Explore Nature
Getting 7-9 hours of sleep each day, listening to your body on timing to eat nutritious food, and dedicating yourself to regular exercise are the first areas of focus for self-care. These actions, I believe, will bring a noticeable sense of balance and harmony.
The next three action items place the focus squarely on ourselves. Studies show we spend an average of 4.2 hours per day in apps. The screen time works counter to finding personal balance and calmness.
Nearly everyone is suffering from fatigue with endless virtual meetings that fill our days and devices that pull us into our screens for hours on end. It’s important to unplug, minimize screen time, be more mindful of how long we’re on devices, and look up to engage with other people, nature, and things around us.
If a person feels anxiety over device separation, it’s important to talk to someone. Whether it’s a professional therapist or trusted friends, they can help us see a new perspective and rekindle healthy hobbies, such as a walk outdoors.
I learned firsthand growing up in Montana that spending time in nature is therapeutic. It’s obvious we are natural beings and while in such surroundings, we can almost feel ourselves uniting with nature. Look at this step as an escape, even for an hour, to fields and mountains, which can enrich our soul and quickly bring back balance and harmony.
Simple acts like these get us away from the crowds and allow us to spend solitude time to think and take personal inventory. That level of solitude time will likely become your favorite time of the week.
Learn More
Designed to help others find balance, my book, All the Right Reasons, reveals 12 principles for living a life in harmony. All proceeds benefit The USANA Foundation.
World Mental Health Day, first recognized in 1992, is an international day for global mental health education, awareness, and advocacy against social stigma. It’s led by the World Federation for Mental Health, a global mental health organization with members in more than 150 countries.
I shared these thoughts and more in a news release that went out on Oct. 10, 2021.
https://www.kevinguest.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Kevin-Guest-Logo-White.svg00Kevin Guesthttps://www.kevinguest.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Kevin-Guest-Logo-White.svgKevin Guest2021-10-11 15:15:142022-03-09 15:39:55World Mental Health Day: 6 Actions to Maintain Balance During Pandemic
Kevin Guest, USANA Chairman & CEO, wrote an article for the August issue of Scotsman Guide — Commercial Edition.
In the piece titled “Learn First, Then Teach,” Guest explains how mentorship can pay dividends for mortgage companies. He advises that employees who seek out mentors often become the company’s next generation of leaders.
Seeking out at least one mentor, Guest says, should be the first step for mortgage brokers looking to advance their careers. “All industries — and especially the real estate finance business — are relationship-based,” he says.
About Scotsman Guide
Scotsman Guide has provided commercial mortgage originators with invaluable resources that help them grow their financing networks and stay informed about market news, trends and data for more than 25 years.
https://www.kevinguest.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Kevin-Guest-Logo-White.svg00Tim Haranhttps://www.kevinguest.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Kevin-Guest-Logo-White.svgTim Haran2021-08-03 09:43:032021-08-03 09:43:03Learn First, Then Teach — Kevin Guest in the Scotsman Guide
The following is excerpted from a news release sent on July 15, which is also “Give Something Away Day.”
Winston Churchill is credited with saying, “You make a living out of what you get. You make a life out of what you give.” Many people enter relationships for what they think they can get instead of what they can give. If we were to focus more on giving than getting, the return would be enormous.
Coming out of the pandemic is an excellent time to simplify our lives and to share with others who might not be as fortunate. I see no downside to giving something away to make a difference in the lives of others.
Giving Feels Good
Polling a group of 30,000 American households showed that givers were happier than non-givers, according to a Social Capital Community benchmark survey.
There’s no question that when you buy a homeless person a meal, donate clothing or give away something, you feel uplifted, and that’s what this is about — lifting others up, including yourself.
When my four children were smaller, my wife and I would find someone to serve on Christmas Eve. Some years we served food at a homeless shelter; other years we selected a needy family and bought gifts for the children.
People matter more than things. We all work hard to achieve success, to arrive at some pinnacle of achievement — to have the perfect house, perfect family, perfect body. In the process, we fill our lives with stuff. Most people have more food, faster cars, fancier clothes, better health, higher incomes, bigger houses, and more conveniences than their ancestors had a hundred years ago.
Yet according to the World Database of Happiness, we are not any happier than previous generations. Studies show once we have enough income to comfortably meet basic needs, additional wealth has little impact on our happiness. We are really searching for inner peace, yet many of us don’t know how to find it.
Give Something Away Day
This year, I urge you to give something away and find harmony, happiness, and peace.
Because I believe relationships are the most important things we have, I urge others to even give a little more time to those relationships that matter most. For me, that’s with my family, friends, and colleagues. Without a doubt, time with them will be some of the most treasured experiences.
Proceeds from All the Right Reasons benefit The USANA Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides food and nutrition to help ensure impoverished children and families reach their fullest potential. The book is available here.
Living a life in harmony is critical to overall well-being. In honor of World Music Day, which took place on June 21, I shared three steps in which music can bring balance and harmony to teams reuniting at the workplace.
To run an effective workplace, companies need teams that work in harmony. With disharmony and discord, productivity stalls, and progress is hampered. That can cripple growth for the entire organization.
Lessons from music, however, can instantly remind workers about the value of harmonious efforts.
As I write in my book, All the Right Reasons, in music, harmony happens when notes blend in a way that is pleasing to the ear. When notes are out of harmony, their dissonant sounds are hard to listen to. Think of the last time you heard someone sing out of key or heard a jumble of incongruent notes. It’s horrible.
You’ve heard me say before that music is medicine for my soul. It’s such a powerful and important part of my life. It is for many others, as well. World Music Day, which got its start in Paris in 1982, celebrates music’s power to bring people together, transcend borders, and break barriers.
3 Steps to Harmony
With three simple steps, music can lift moods and unify teams.
First, if you’re feeling down, play a song that brings happy memories, which may be something from high school or college.
Next, sing your favorite songs out loud no matter who’s listening.
Finally, get with your team to sing a song together.
There’s nothing like live music to lift spirits, and when you are part of making music, it can boost your positive temperament even more. When you’re doing that with team members, I’ve seen it help people find common ground and form instant bonds.
Achieving Harmony Takes Work
Harmony in music doesn’t happen without hours of practice and each individual musician’s commitment to getting the music right. The same commitment is required in the workplace.
Whether someone plays in a band, sings in a choir, or performs in an orchestra, nothing is quite as exhilarating as achieving perfect harmony with fellow musicians.
A life in harmony means a consistent and honest arrangement of your values and a solid commitment to living those values day in and day out.
Throughout the pandemic, most workers have been operating remotely. So coming back into an office setting might be a bit clumsy at first. Working toward harmony, which means understanding others, sharing your positivity, and making a difference for the better, will be one of the quickest paths to restoring productivity levels teams achieved before the pandemic.
A version of the above article was distributed as a news release on World Music Day 2021 with the headline World Music Day Calls for Harmony. All proceeds from All the Right Reasons are directed to feed two million meals to hungry children. Available on Amazon, the book provides 40 meals for every single purchase.
https://www.kevinguest.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Kevin-Guest-Logo-White.svg00Kevin Guesthttps://www.kevinguest.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Kevin-Guest-Logo-White.svgKevin Guest2021-07-12 09:00:182022-03-09 15:41:10Lessons From Music to Achieve Harmony at Work
In June 2021, USANA Chairman and CEO Kevin Guest was elected to serve as Chairman of the Board of the Direct Selling Association (DSA). The DSA is a national trade organization for direct sales companies. Guest was elected by members of the Association and will serve a one-year term.
“I am honored for the privilege of serving this great organization, which plays such a crucial role in promoting innovation and integrity within the direct selling industry.
“I have worked in direct sales for more than 25 years, in which time I have seen tremendous growth in the industry; much of that growth is due to the leadership and guidance DSA provides its member companies.
“I would like to sincerely thank DSA members for giving me this opportunity to help further strengthen our industry’s foothold in the marketplace.” — Kevin Guest
https://www.kevinguest.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Kevin-Guest-Logo-White.svg00Tim Haranhttps://www.kevinguest.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Kevin-Guest-Logo-White.svgTim Haran2021-06-17 14:00:402021-06-25 13:21:05USANA CEO Elected as Chairman of the Board of Direct Selling Association
As nearly 70 percent of Americans feel we’re emerging from the pandemic, more workers will be expected to return to work. And that can cause anxiety.
Since May is Mental Health Awareness Month, I shared six practices to help workers ease back into an onsite work pattern.
We are social beings. The year in isolation threw off our flow of sociality. When we embark on a new normal world, many will likely be a bit wobbly as we ease back into the office socially. We need to go easy on ourselves because it will all work out.
1. Slow Down and Breathe
First, slow down and breathe to soak in the moments you’re experiencing now.
2. Practice Self Care
Apply a healthy dose of self-care by wrapping yourself up in nature and connecting with experiences that matter most to you, whether that be with friends, family, or yourself alone.
3. Believe in Yourself
Believe that you are good enough, that you can do it. If you don’t believe in yourself, lean on my grandpa’s teaching: ‘Fake it until you make it.’ That’s a great way to gain confidence and propel forward with any task you face.
4. Live in the Moment
Enjoy the time you have now and plan for the future with confidence. From my experience, planning for the future is exceptionally smart, but worrying about the future yields no good thing. I even have a clock in my office to remind me of this.
5. Serve Others
Lift another person up, look outside of yourself and see who can use your help, your smile, and even your simple greeting today. When we lose ourselves in the service of others, we find strength and purpose.
6. Exude Optimism
Convince yourself that everything will work out for you just fine. I’ve quoted a poem in my book called, ‘Things Will Work Out,’ which posits that when we look back at our lives, we will realize everything has indeed worked out. To continue that success, we should focus energy on current situations to ensure positive solutions. It’s a simple and powerful concept.
Applying such practices can help today’s workers ease back into post-pandemic office work and live a life today in harmony with one’s core values.
All proceeds from All the Right Reasons are directed to feed two million meals to hungry children. Available on Amazon, the book provides 40 meals for every single purchase.
https://www.kevinguest.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Kevin-Guest-Logo-White.svg00Kevin Guesthttps://www.kevinguest.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Kevin-Guest-Logo-White.svgKevin Guest2021-05-28 09:00:482022-03-09 15:41:206 Practices to Help Workers Ease Back Into an Onsite Work Pattern
Kevin Guest, USANA Chairman and CEO and author of All the Right Reasons, is featured in an article about mentorship on the Home Business magazine website on April 13, 2021.
“One of the undisputed secrets to my success has been following advice from mentors,” Guest says. “For over 20 years, Denis Waitley has been one of my mentors and dearest friends. His philosophy on winning and serving others rang true to me, and I have absorbed everything he has produced, which has taught me a tremendous amount about success.”
Read the full article on Home Business magazine’s website.
4 Steps to Finding an Influential Mentor
Identify qualities you want in a mentor — and find someone who has “walked the walk,” so to speak
Seek out a mentor and approach them. The worst thing that can happen is they decline.
Be candid with your mentor on your goals and dreams. Help them understand and make the most of their investment.
Follow the advice of your mentor. Make the most out of your investment.
Earlier this year, Guest wrote about mentorship on his blog. In 2018, Guest wrote All the Right Reasons, a book that includes 12 principles to living a life in harmony. Proceeds from the book benefit the USANA Foundation and its mission to feed hungry children. Each book purchase helps to provide 40 meals. Help us as we strive toward our goal of 2 million meals.
https://www.kevinguest.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Kevin-Guest-Logo-White.svg00Kevin Guesthttps://www.kevinguest.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Kevin-Guest-Logo-White.svgKevin Guest2021-04-19 08:30:082021-04-19 08:55:34Kevin Guest: Seek Mentorship in Pandemic
Applying New 3Rs Gets Workers through Pandemic, Global Author/CEO Says. The following is adapted from a news release published on March 17, 2021.
Applying the new 3Rs — resilience, recalibration, and relationships — will help today’s workers get through challenges brought by the pandemic, according to a global author and CEO.
Resilience
“The first thing to acknowledge is that every person who has made it this far through the pandemic is resilient, and that is a key strength that is going to carry us through to even greater heights,” said Kevin Guest, author, musician, and CEO of USANA Health Sciences. “Years ago, I met the most famous diamond in the world: the Hope Diamond. As I held this forty-five-and-a-half carat, deep blue diamond in my hands, it made me think of how resilient this rock is to have withstood the highly pressured environment in the earth.
“From about 90 miles deep in the earth, this rock was spewed out in a volcanic eruption, discovered, cleaned, polished, and prepared into a beautiful diamond. In a metaphorical sense, each one of us is a diamond, and through all of the pressures of the pandemic, we have strengthened our character and determination to make us unstoppable.”
“We have never been closer to the end of the pandemic than we are now,” Guest said. “Living in isolation is the perfect time to reconnect with your core values to determine who you really are, what life means to you, and what values will serve as your foundation going forward.
“In reality, most of us have never been given the gift of extended time to assess like we have now. Using this to determine what matters most to you is a huge life bonus. Recalibrating habits, thoughts, and daily duties to define who you are will benefit you and those around you for the rest of your life.”
Relationships
Drawn from a lifetime of networking and leading a global company, Guest cites the third “R” as valuing relationships.
“Nothing is more important than relationships,” said Guest, chairman and CEO of USANA Health Sciences (NYSE: USNA), a billion-dollar company operating in 24 markets worldwide. “Today I have friends and colleagues in countries and cultures around the world, and each is important to me. I learned long ago that treating others with the utmost respect and kindness is a key to success and makes life more harmonious for everyone.
“The pandemic has reminded us of things that matter most, and relationships with others is at the top of the list as we connect with God, family, friends, coworkers, and so forth. Over the last year, we have felt a loss of connection with others, and because humans are naturally social beings, relationship-building is one of the key factors that will help us emerge stronger from the pandemic.”
The 3Rs
Guest believes those simple patterns, the 3Rs, of behavior can help us power through the pandemic and lift each other to higher levels of harmony in life in a post-pandemic world.
“I’ve never seen Kevin make a selfish decision,” said country music star Collin Raye, who wrote the forward in All the Right Reasons and frequently invites Guest to play with his band on tour, including multiple times at the Grand Ole Opry. “He thinks of his family, his friends, and his associates at USANA and always tries to put others first.”
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.
https://www.kevinguest.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Kevin-Guest-Logo-White.svg00Kevin Guesthttps://www.kevinguest.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Kevin-Guest-Logo-White.svgKevin Guest2021-04-08 09:00:512022-03-09 15:41:37Applying New 3Rs Gets Workers through Pandemic
In the piece titled “Using Love, Harmony, and Kindness to Increase Productivity,” Guest explains how teams working together with more love and harmony increases productivity and happiness.
