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Applying New 3Rs Gets Workers through Pandemic

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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

Kevin Guest Holding the Hope Diamond 3Rs“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.”

Recalibration

The second “R” to recalibrate your life to align with your core values is a repeated theme in Guest’s book, All the Right Reasons: 12 Timeless Principles for Living a Life in Harmony.

“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

All the Right Reasons Book CoverGuest 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.

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.

Kevin Guest: 3 Keys to a Fresh Start in 2021

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I’d like to share the following article that went out to news organizations in late 2020.

Getting a Fresh Start in 2021

Making a fresh start toward success in 2021 requires three key decisions to forge forward no matter the past. The following strategies are based on principles in All the Right Reasons, a bestselling book by Kevin Guest.

“Few people dispute that 2020 has been one of the most difficult years in history,” Guest said. “But 2021 can become one of the best, especially when we apply solid principles that can move us forward.”

First Key: Learn From the Past

The Butch O'Hare Principle - Butch O'Hare - All the Right Reasons“The first principle is to learn from the past and move forward,” said Guest, who’s also chairman and CEO of USANA Health Sciences. “It’s something I was inspired to do from the life of World War II fighter pilot Butch O’Hare.”

O’Hare became the Navy’s first Ace of WWII and the first Naval aviator to be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Guest wrote in his bestselling book, All the Right Reasons: 12 Timeless Principles for Living a Life in Harmony.

“Butch O’Hare, for whom the Chicago O’Hare Airport is named, was the son of Easy Eddie, the famed attorney for Al Capone in the 1920s and ’30s, who was notorious for racketeering, bootlegged alcohol, gambling rings and prostitution in the Windy City,” Guest wrote.

“But Easy Eddie wanted a better life for his son, and his son, Butch, looked to the future instead of dwelling on the past and made contributions that saved countless American lives in the war. Believing in fresh starts is the key, and there is no better time for us all to do that than Jan. 1, 2021.”

Second Key: Help Others Who Are in Need

The second principle is to help others who are in need.

“Losing yourself in the service of others is therapeutic beyond measure,” Guest said. “That’s something that will bring untold benefits because it helps the giver and the receiver, who may be a coworker, friend, or even a stranger. The rewards of simple acts of service are immeasurable and something we need as we enter a new year and detach from the pandemic.”

Third Key: Never Give Up

Guest’s third principle comes from his grandfather, who taught his grandson confidence, courage, and commitment.

Kevin Guest Speaking“My grandpa was a strong influence in my life in Montana,” Guest said. “He loved to make things happen, not only in business but in life. He was full of enthusiasm and optimism, a real dealmaker.

“His favorite mottos were on a plaque on his desk: ‘You Gotta Fake It Till You Make It’ and ‘Go, Baby, Go.’ Those sayings have stuck with me and taught me that you have to give it your all for as long as you can. You have to be committed and see things through to the end. That’s when the magic happens.”

Leading a billion-dollar company in 24 markets worldwide, Guest applies the principles globally and expects to see a 2021 work environment bring successes for all who apply lessons from the pandemic, help lift others higher and energize their talents to make a difference for the better.

“Persistently implementing these patterns into our personal work habits can carry us to higher levels of personal success — especially as we enter a new year of opportunities like no other time in our lives,” he said.

All the Right Reasons: 12 Timeless Principles for Living a Life in Harmony, written by Kevin Guest, is available on Amazon. All proceeds benefit The USANA Foundation, which works to feed hungry children. Each book purchase provides 40 meals. A version of the above article was distributed as a news release on Dec. 29, 2020.