Kevin Guest on KXYL Radio
Kevin Guest, author of All the Right Reasons and USANA CEO, is interviewed on Texas-based KXYL radio on Feb. 15, 2019.
Media
The following are select media placements and appearances featuring Kevin Guest, author of All the Right Reasons and Executive Chairman and CEO of USANA Health Sciences.
For the latest information, be sure to follow Kevin on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, and YouTube.
Media Appearances
Kevin Guest on the Beyond Confidence Show
Kevin Guest, All the Right Reasons author and USANA CEO, joins Divya Parekh on her Beyond Confidence show to discuss his journey from being a rock star in Nashville to becoming a billion-dollar company CEO.
You’ll also hear how a CEO can be integral in instilling values in organizational culture. The interview originally aired on The Women 4 Women Network on Dec. 31, 2018.
Kevin Guest on The Pitbull Patti Show
Kevin Guest, author of All the Right Reasons and USANA CEO, is interviewed by Patti Stueckler for The Pitbull Patti Show in December 2018.
During the 35-minute interview, he shares several principles discussed in his book — and talks about playing live with Ozzy Osbourne and interviewing Gene Simmons of KISS. Listen to the full interview.
Media Placements
Kevin Guest on How Self-Care is Needed During the Pandemic
Below are some thoughts on the importance of self-care during the pandemic. A version of this article originally appeared as part of an article I wrote for On Point Global News.
Kevin Guest, author, CEO, and musician, performs on stage pre-pandemic. He believes strongly in the importance of self-care, especially during the pandemic.
I’m a big believer in learning from past experiences. As I reflect on 2020, I came to the realization that prior to the pandemic I didn’t take care of myself nearly as much as I should have.
Self-care is critical to living a balanced life. But I didn’t do it.
After years spent taking care of others, 2020 became the year that I finally slowed down. I took time to focus on myself. I thought about things that caused me stress and I learned how to manage them more effectively.
Even more, I really dove into my own mental health, which is such a vital part to truly be healthy.
4 Practices for Better Self-Care
In a recent article for On Point Global News, I identified four self-care practices that I believe will greatly boost balance and energy.
1. Step Into Nature
I learned as a kid that spending time in nature rejuvenates a person. We are natural beings, and when we’re surrounded by nature, we feel ourselves uniting with nature. Time spent there will enrich our souls and help bring back balance and harmony.
2. Breathe and Notice
Close your eyes and name out loud the things you hear, whether it’s near or in the distance. As you continue for one minute, breathe in deeply, slowly and naturally. Realize how this simple practice brings you into the current moment. Breathing clears your mind of concerns in the past or future.
3. Slow the Roll
One benefit of adjusting to the pandemic is slowing down our schedules. Slowing down might even allow us to sleep a little longer. Make time for this important self-care practice and allow yourself to sleep fully each night. Set up a regular schedule for sleeping and stick to it.
4. Value Relationships
I say it often (because I believe it’s true!): Nothing is more important than relationships. I challenge you to reach out to others just to see how they’re doing. Listen to them. Ask questions. Show genuine interest in them. I learned that this value not only sets your day in order, but it also attracts team members who are ready to do the same.
When it comes to self-care, working from a place of harmony allows us to benefit all around us.
All the Right Reasons: 12 Timeless Principles for Living a Life in Harmony is available on Amazon. All proceeds feed hungry children, with each book purchase providing 40 meals. A version of this article originally appeared on the On Point Global News website.
Country Music Star Influences Global CEO
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:
- Passion
- Hard work
- 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.
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:
- Pursuing your passion
- Working hard to improve your skills
- 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.
Kevin Guest Shares Tips to Increase Value in Post-Pandemic Job Market
Below are some thoughts on what bosses and employees can do now to increase their value in a post-pandemic job market. A version of this article originally appeared as part of a news release.
“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.”
— Kevin Guest
With coronavirus vaccinations imminent, many U.S. workers suffering from pandemic anxiety want to better secure their employment when the pandemic ends. However, studies show job security and financial concerns are the significant predictors associated with anxiety and depression.
To confront anxiety, answers lie in what bosses and employees can do now.
Bosses have a profound effect on the morale and calm environment for employees. Recent studies show a boss’ servant leadership style makes it easier for employees to deal with anxiety related to the coronavirus pandemic.
Research published in the Journal of Applied Psychology concluded employees work better if bosses acknowledge employees’ emotional suffering, work to empower employees, and emphasize serving in the community.
3 Tips Post-Pandemic
Here are three things I believe workers — and bosses — can do now for a better post-pandemic future:
- Build on the power of relationships
- Prepare now to improve valuable skills
- Never give up in striving to achieve your goal
No. 1: Build on Relationships
Wherever I speak, people have said the Dorothy Principle I cite in my book, All the Right Reasons, has made an instant impact on their lives because it illustrates that knowing others’ names, such as a cleaning lady named Dorothy, can lift self-esteem. 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.
No. 2: Improve Valuable Skills
Improving work skills is perhaps never more important than now. Many years ago, Styx’s Tommy Shaw inspired me, who sang and played guitar anywhere he could — even in bowling alleys and nightclubs.
When Tommy Shaw was playing in an Alabama bowling alley bar, the band Styx was frantically searching for a lead vocalist. Someone influential with Styx had heard Tommy sing in Chicago and thought he might be a good fit. They listened to his demo tape and were impressed with his vocal range. They changed Tommy’s life forever when they invited him to join Styx, a global powerhouse in the music world.
What if Tommy hadn’t been ready when Styx called? That level of preparation is what we all must do now to make ourselves more valuable to our employers and future employers.
No. 3: Never Give Up
A 22-year-old Rwandan woman hunted by killers illustrates my third recommendation.
After Rwanda’s genocide in 1994, Hutu fighters hunted Immaculee Ilibagiza, who fled for protection. However, even with killers outside her window calling her name, she stayed positive. Ultimately, she was rescued, traveled to Rwanda’s capital, and applied for a United Nations job for weeks with no luck.
Convincing herself she could master English, which would increase employment opportunities, Immaculee hand-drew a computer keyboard on cardboard and spent hours learning how to type. With determination to learn English, countless attempts to get the U.N. job, and positive self-talk, she was eventually hired.
It’s that level of persistence and positive self-talk that can carry us to higher ground. These traits can help us plow through any obstacle — even this pandemic. Not once did Immaculee tell herself she couldn’t do it, even though everything she learned was new and difficult.
These patterns of behavior can make us all better prepared to endure to the end of the current pandemic. They can also prepare ourselves for a solid future post-pandemic with higher levels of harmony.
All the Right Reasons: 12 Timeless Principles for Living a Life in Harmony is available on Amazon. All proceeds feed hungry children, with each book purchase providing 40 meals. A version of this article originally appeared as part of a news release.
