Melaleuca recently completed construction on two major projects—a 37,000-square-foot powder plant and a 223,000 square-foot manufacturing and shipping facility—an indication of the company’s continued growth and expansion.

“Since we opened our doors in 1985, Melaleuca’s vision has been to build a business to last a lifetime,” Melaleuca CEO Frank L. VanderSloot says. “These two projects are investments to ensure that this vision becomes a reality.”

This spring, Melaleuca completed work on its mammoth 223,000-square-foot state-of-the-art Distribution Center in Knoxville, Tenn. This new facility’s completion will allow the existing 170,000- foot production and distribution center to narrow its focus to production. Using a 365-foot enclosed tunnel, the older facility will produce the products and then transport them to the new Distribution Facility to be packaged and shipped. Where the existing facilities were shipping more than 300,000 packages per month to locations east of the Mississippi River and in eastern Canada, the new facility will be capable of shipping three times that amount when fully staffed—900,000 packages per month!

Two-thousand miles from Knoxville and just a few hundred feet west of the Distribution Center in Idaho Falls, Idaho, the new 37,000-square-foot Powder Plant is already bustling with energy as employees formulate, mix and package Melaleuca’s powder nutrition products. In March, the plant began producing Sustain® Berry, Lemon, and Orange on-the-go packets and canisters; Attain® Chocolate, Strawberry and Vanilla shake packs; and ProFlex™, Access® and FiberWise® drinks.

With the plant’s opening came dozens of new staff positions that are welcome in a tight job market. Already known as one of the largest and best employers in Southeast Idaho, Melaleuca uses the new Powder Plant to employ researchers, machine operators and other manufacturing and production personnel. Melaleuca didn’t borrow a dime to complete the two projects, which, together, cost more than $26 million.

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This recipe is a healthy pasta sauce that is tasty and loaded with antioxidants and protein.

I pair the sauce with any type of whole-wheat pasta. It is delish!

I usually enjoy this meal the night before my long runs (20miles).

Ingredients

1 can Muir Glen diced tomatoes (the basil-garlic flavor)
1 can Muir Glen tomato sauce
A couple spoonfuls of tomato paste

1 small can sliced olives
A splash of red wine (optional)

To taste:
Basil
Oregano
Thyme
Ground rosemary
Rubbed sage
Salt
Black pepper

Olive oil
1 small onion, diced
Garlic to taste, minced
3/4 – 1 lb. lean ground buffalo or turkey* (optional)

Instructions

1. Mix together tomatoes, olives, alcohol, and herbs/spices in a saucepan, tasting frequently. It helps to rub the herbs in your hands before adding them to release flavor. Set to simmer on a back burner.

2. Fry the onions in olive oil until soft. At this point, if you’re using a small frying pan, add them to the sauce. Otherwise, you can leave them in.

3. Fry the garlic for a little bit in olive oil (not much!). Then add the ground turkey or buffalo (marinate the buffalo/turkey for 3/4 hours in sauce with molasses, soy and garlic (and a touch of Horseradish).

4. Drain off grease if necessary (I use lean meat because I don’t like draining off the garlic-flavored olive oil) and add meat and garlic to sauce.

5. Simmer as long as you like. Check for flavorings before removing from heat.

Notes: You could also add mushrooms or other vegetables, although I wouldn’t add much without cutting back on the meat or leaving it out.

*Buffalo and turkey are much leaner meats than traditional hamburger

www.ShalaneFlanagan.com

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The queen of U.S. distance running, Shalane Flanagan has a résumé like no other: Four American Records, a half-dozen National Championship titles, one amazing Olympic Bronze Medal performance, and, as of three years ago, a love for Melaleuca products. She’s known for dominating performances on the U.S. circuit and on tracks the world over.

What is it like being the fastest American woman over three miles? What’s it like being a professional runner? In the interview that follows, Leadership in Action finds out what Shalane thinks about running, winning, eating, Melaleuca products and coping with success and failure.

In Brief:

Favorite Books?

“Bridge to Teribithia, The Secret Garden, Lord of the Flies.”

Favorite Color?

“Green—I’m Irish, it’s the color of my uniform, and it’s Melaleuca’s main color.

Favorite Dessert?

“Pastries, cookies, scones, chocolate, and anything that goes with coffee.”

Favorite Movie?

“’Meet Joe Black’—I love the story of the father-daughter relationship.”

Favorite Melaleuca product?

“I use the Access™ Bars religiously, the Karamel Kruncher in particular. It satisfies my chocolate craving.”

Favorite way to spend your spare time?

“I’ve been really into cooking lately. I try to make healthy versions of my favorite foods.”

LiA: Thanks for taking the time to talk with us, Shalane.

Shalane: It’s my pleasure.

LiA: My first question is, how did you get started running?

Shalane: Well, both of my parents are runners, so it seemed like running was just normal. It was a daily routine, like brushing your teeth. Being active was a major part of our lifestyle. Later I was really in grade school when I got specifically into competing. We’d have to run a mile for a physical fitness test, and the girls would get lumped in with the boys. I just remember beating every boy. That was highly motivating. The boys thought I was cool because I beat them, so I got some positive attention that way.

LiA: So do you think that was a result of your genetics—you have the running gene—or were you good at it because you were so active with your parents?

Shalane: I’m definitely genetically predisposed to being a runner. Both of my parents ran professionally; my mom was one of the first women to earn an athletic scholarship to Indiana State. The genes were definitely helping. I had some natural, raw talent, but now I’ve had to really work to become a top-tier runner.

LiA: Tell me a little bit about that work. What do you do every day?

Shalane: I switched coaches in the last year because I have aspirations of running a marathon. I needed to change my training situation to do that. I’ve been morphing into another athlete, and it’s been slightly painful because I’m running a lot more. It’s very hard on my body. Getting mentally and physically adapted to it has been challenging. We’re laying the foundation for a marathon this fall (I can’t say which one yet). A lot of preparation has been going toward that. The training is a really long, hard effort to get my body adapted to that marathon pace. Before, my long run was 13 miles, and now my long run is 21 miles. I’m more tired than I’ve ever been this past year just getting used to it.

LiA: So why the marathon? Why make the jump?

Shalane: The marathon, to me, is the ultimate test in terms of distance running. It’s so tough. No one’s really meant to run 26.2 miles. So to achieve that, regardless of how fast you run, is unbelievable. In terms of just looking at the rest of my career goals, I have an Olympic medal, I have a few national records, so the only thing left for me is to win a major marathon on U.S. soil—specifically Boston or New York. It’s extremely tough to do.

It’s cool because in the marathon, my dad can run the same race I’m running. Thousands of people get to experience the same thing on the same day.

LiA: Your mom held the marathon world record at one point, if I recall correctly. There’s a goal for you: You’ve got to beat out mom’s record, right?

Shalane: I hope to!

LiA: A statistic came out recently that said more women are competing in running events than men. What do you think about what’s happening with running in the United States right now?

Shalane: I read that statistic as well. I think our society in general is becoming more health conscious and valuing wellness more. Because running is a sport you can do solo or with a group, it’s natural that women are attracted to it. In my experience, women like to work out in groups. Also, it’s a really simple sport—all you need is time and shoes. It’s a simple way to get in your daily exercise and lead a healthier lifestyle.

And it’s getting bigger on the competitive scene as well. My teammate, Chris Solinsky, just took the American record to 27 minutes in the 10,000-meter event. He’s also the heaviest person ever to do that, so we tease him about that. It’s cool to see him out there pummeling the skinny guys on the track. In the U.S., everyone’s striving to break down barriers. People are, to borrow a term from my coach, they’re “ponying up” and putting in the work. There’s a certain degree of, we want to be respected and feared on the international track. We want to be legitimate threats. It’s kind of cool that world champions now know who I am and recognize me. To me, that’s a great compliment.

LiA: Surely you have friends who aren’t world-class runners. So what do you say to people who say, “I hate running—I’m so sick of hitting the pavement”?

Shalane: Running can be a painful sport, particularly when you’re starting out. And I’ve experienced that because I’ve had to come back from injuries. Once you get to a certain level of fitness, it becomes more enjoyable. The best places to run are obviously not on the roads. A trail system would be more ideal. I find that if I run with someone else, and we chat through the run, it goes by much quicker.

Also, running is a good bang for your buck as far as working out is concerned. My husband, Steve, he runs with me so he can eat whatever he wants. [Laughing] No, seriously, Steve is a huge help. And I also train with the men on our team out here. It’s always nice to run in a group.

LiA: Was this your childhood dream? Did you start out saying, “I want to be a professional runner”?

Shalane: I thought more, “I want to go to college and compete in college, and if I don’t find another passion besides running, I want to keep pursuing that.” My primary goal was always to graduate from college. But yeah, in my high school yearbook, they have these prophecies of what everyone would become, and a lot of students would write, “I want to go to college and have a family.” All I wrote was “Olympics.” From a young age, that was a big dream of mine was to go to the Olympics.

LiA: So you didn’t set out to get a medal from the start?

Shalane: It’s so hard to medal at the Olympics—everything has to come together perfectly. It’s one day and one race. Even if you are the best, sometimes you might not receive a medal. Making it to the Olympics seemed much more attainable for me at the time.

LiA: But then when you did medal in the Olympics, you really didn’t have your perfect race at all, did you? There you were a few days before the race, suffering from food poisoning and unable to sleep at the U.S. training camp. That’s not exactly the ideal way to spend your race week.

Shalane: That was a lesson to me that there’s really no perfect preparation—you just have to rely on your years of work. Even on the final days leading up, you really have to rely on your mental state. You have to fall back on the work you’ve done. I was just happy to actually be on the starting line. I wasn’t expecting to have the perfect race.

LiA: Tell me about the race—what was it like?

Shalane: It was kind of surreal just because I was so sick. I wasn’t very nervous, because I was sort of in a daze. I was just happy to be there and trying to just live in the moment and enjoy the experience. I felt like I had nothing to lose. I listened to my body and ran exactly what I was capable of running. I think that’s what allowed me to run my best. Not until the last few laps did I realize what I was about to accomplish, and that’s when I started to get nervous.

LiA: So you crossed the line, and all the cameras started flashing. What did you think at that point?

Shalane: I just couldn’t believe that it came together. Anyone in sports visualizes that great moment, that great shot. Every athlete visualizes that unbelievable moment. You think about it and you daydream about it, and you think, “I don’t know if I’ll ever attain that.” Then when it actually happens, you try to savor every minute of it, but it’s just such a blur. Having that euphoric moment, though, is highly addicting. You just want to achieve that success again.

LiA: What motivates you when things aren’t going well?

Shalane: I think about those moments when things have gone well. Everyone goes through moments when things aren’t perfect, but just persevering through it helps you realize there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. When you have success again, you know it’s all worth the pain.

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As Nashville faced the worst flooding in Tennessee history, Melaleuca Marketing Executives pooled resources to aid those in need.

Thirteen inches. Who knew a mere thirteen inches could leave about 2,600 people homeless on the streets, cause 42 (out of 92) Tennessee counties to be declared national disasters and take the lives of 21 people? Just 13 inches—that’s all it took for the banks of the Cumberland River to unleash its muddy water into the streets of the music capital of the world, Nashville, Tenn., and forever alter the lives of thousands of people.

Downtown Nashville is seen following flooding from the Cumberland River on May 5, 2010. Nashville received over 13 inches of rain over the weekend causing flash floods that has killed at least 18 people and forced the evacuation of Nashville landmarks like the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Grand Ole Opry. UPI/Terry Wyatt

Rhonda and Michael Hendrix were among those people whose lives changed due to the flood. They didn’t lose their home, but their basement flooded, ruining many of the power tools Michael, a contractor, used to earn a living.

“I lovingly called this his ‘man cave,’” says Rhonda. “All of his tools, saws, equipment, his pool table, and even office furniture were floating in brown, murky water.”

"You never know until you're faced with something of that magnitude. I can't imagine where we would be without Melaleuca" - Rhonda Hendrix, Executive Director III

But things got especially bad when the water reached chest depth and kept rising. The Hendrixes worried the flood would rise to the main floor and ruin their entire home. The basement was salvageable, but the whole house would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to rebuild, and they were just one year away from paying off their mortgage.

“When we realized that the water might come into the main floor,” says Rhonda, “my husband looked at me and said, ‘Okay, we need to start carrying things upstairs, but we can’t carry everything, so what do you want to take upstairs?’ I just thought, ‘Here we are, working so hard to pay off everything and we’re about to lose it all.’”

Fortunately, the water did not inch its way up to the main floor. Instead, it gradually started to subside and the Hendrix family gave a sigh of relief.

The view from Executive Director III Rhonda Hendrix's deck

For the first few days, their only means of transportation was a boat. They had no electricity for five days and no cell phone service for 10. And, because they didn’t live on a flood plain, the Hendrix family didn’t have flood insurance. Fortunately, what they do have is a strong, residual Melaleuca income of $9,664.41 in May.

“My husband didn’t work for almost the entire month of May,” says Rhonda. “We were able to rely on the residual income [from Melaleuca] and the money we’d saved from my Melaleuca business. We worked together to remodel our home and not worry about finances.”

Financial stability is not the only way Melaleuca helped the Hendrix family through this trying time. Rhonda says they received a lot of support from the Melaleuca team, especially National Vice President Johnny Morigson and Regional Manager Evan Mann.

“How many companies support people in the field like that?” asked Rhonda.

The Hendrix family was not the only family blessed by Melaleuca during the flood. Executive Director JoAnn Goodman was acting as event director for the Nashville Launch when the storm began. Though a truck ran into her car and caused $15,000 worth of damage during the storm, the hotel the Launch was held at was far enough away from the flood damage that the 80 Melaleuca builders who attended were safely out of harm’s way.

Though it was devastating for JoAnn to lose her brand-new Mercedes that was featured in the May Leadership in Action, she put her sorrow aside and helped those in worse conditions. She met a woman who didn’t even have enough money to pay for shoes so she could attend her child’s graduation. JoAnn collected clothes and shoes from her friends and presented them to the devastated woman.

“These people weren’t poverty stricken, and, all of a sudden, everything was taken from them,” says JoAnn. “I can’t complain at all about having a damaged car because many people lost everything they had.”

Though she wouldn’t wish to go through this disaster again, JoAnn believes that it brought everyone closer together. She says it was wonderful to see everyone step in and help those in need.

Thousands of people were evacuated and 2,000 homes were destroyed or damaged by the flood. Nashville Mayor Karl Dean says it will cost an estimated $1.5 billion to cleanup and repair the city.

“Unless you’ve been through this, you can’t even imagine what we’re going through,” says JoAnn. “A lot of people lost their jobs. A lot of people lost everything.”

Yet for Melaleuca Marketing Executives—even those who watched their lives wash away in the disaster—there is hope for the future.

“You never know until you’ll be faced with something like that,” says Rhonda. “I can’t imagine where we would be without Melaleuca.”

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When tragedy struck the Caribbean nation of Haiti, relief efforts came swiftly and effectively, but they didn’t reach everybody. Thousands in Haiti remained without supplies, without medical treatment, and even without a warm place to stay for the night.

Knowing this, a small group of benefactors—business owners, contractors, stonemasons and doctors—went to Haiti to make a difference for one small community. And with them, they brought boxes marked with the leaf and drop of Melaleuca—first aid products, soap and nutritional products—little things that make a nightmare a little more tolerable.

They visited an area that hadn’t seen the gentle hands of the Red Cross, that hadn’t received the aid or assistance the other communities had. This small group used their expertise to build homes for 20 families and to administer first aid and relief. They worked side-by-side with Haitians, locals, and brought the tools they needed to make a difference.

Their efforts didn’t make the nightly news or get noticed, but to the families in that forgotten corner of Haiti, they meant everything!

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=38SxUjTylWA

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Changing the Lives of Children Half a World Away

Six-year-old María “Gisela” is an energetic little girl with a beautiful smile. Her face emanates the love that she has for life and for those around her. Gisela is always one of the first to greet the Santa Lucia volunteers at the door with a big hug, excited for the chance to tackle the activities they’ve brought for the day.

Gisela came to The Santa Lucía Children’s Home with her younger sister, Janeth, in November 2007. Over the last two years, Gisela has adjusted well to the transition. She is learning how to open up and share her emotions. The nuns are quick to point out that Gisela is a wonderful sister to Janeth as well as to the younger children who live at the orphanage. When asked if she considers herself a good big sister, she said, “Yes, because I hold [Janeth’s] hand so that she doesn’t fall.” With that explanation, we think so too!

A few months ago, Gisela started kindergarten and she loves it. Her favorite subject is art, because she enjoys painting and drawing. She also likes to learn English and works on pronouncing new words everyday. She doesn’t mind doing her homework, especially when it involves working with numbers. Fortunately, Gisela has the orphanage’s house mother, Anita, whom she calls her hero, to help her with her homework whenever she needs a little guidance.

Aside from reading and arithmetic, Gisela also loves to be active. One of her favorite activities is to play outside with the other children and volunteers at Santa Lucía. Most likely, you’ll find her on the slides or swings at the home’s playground or on the soccer field with the other children.

Anita is grateful that Gisela is a wonderful helper in the home. She doesn’t have to ask twice for Gisela to sweep the floor or wash the clothes. What’s more, she’ll spend hours taking care of the smaller children to ensure they’re comfortable and happy.
Gisela says her favorite part about living at Santa Lucía is, “they feed me and help me grow.” She is especially excited when Anita makes her favorite food, noodle soup.

When asked what she wants to be when she grows up, Gisela has a couple ideas –being a good sister and eventually becoming a Santa Lucía volunteer. This way, she can help other children at Santa Lucía just like she’s been helped.
Gisela’s story is just one of the many at The Santa Lucia Children’s Home. Her life has been touched for the better in meaningful ways thanks to generous donations from people like you.

The Melaleuca Foundation invites you to support the children at The Santa Lucia Children’s Home by making a small monthly donation. Every little bit helps. Please join us in supporting these children by visiting www.melaleuca.org or by calling 1-800-282-3000.

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The baby boomer generation is turning 60, but the prospect of retirement is looking more frightening than ever before. With home prices dropping, nest eggs cracking, 401(k) plans collapsing, Social Security dwindling and pensions vanishing, retirees are now facing challenges they never anticipated. Those challenges aside, retirement packs its own host of roadblocks for those who want to leave the workforce. The cost of living is often more than most people assume, and few workers are able to retire with as much savings as they need in order to live comfortably.

“Everybody thinks your expenses go down when you retire,” says Senior Director Rita Canney. “My expenses stayed pretty much the same.”

For the solution to those problems, many retirees, Rita included, are looking to the same source of residual income that Elizabeth Lindberg discovered nearly 25 years ago: Melaleuca.

A 66-year-old nurse, Elizabeth enrolled with Melaleuca, Inc., in December 1985, just a couple of months after the company opened its doors.

“When I enrolled with Melaleuca,” she remembers, “there were only eight products and seven employees.”

Over the years, she built her business to Executive Director, and, as a consequence of that hard work years ago, she’s earned $1,163,253.51 to date from her Melaleuca business. In fact, she’s earned $3,366 per month on average over the past 12 months—a refulgent income compared with her $828 Social Security check.

“I know I couldn’t survive solely on my Social Security; my Melaleuca check is a secure retirement,” she says. “I lived during the Great Depression, so I know about financial hardship. If people want financial security, Melaleuca, I truly believe, is one of the best sources.”

Elizabeth Lindberg presents CEO Frank L. VanderSloot with an acorn at Convention 2005. Ninety-one-year-old Elizabeth Lindberg started her Melaleuca business at age 66. Twenty-five years later, she receives $828 a month from Social Security and $3,366 a month from her part-time Melaleuca business.

At Melaleuca’s 2005 Convention in Minneapolis, CEO Frank L. VanderSloot invited a then 88-year-old Executive Director Elizabeth Lindberg up to the stage. But once she came onstage, Elizabeth stole the show.

“I have something to give you, Frank,” she said. “It’s an acorn that you gave to me years ago. You told us, ‘Melaleuca is just a little acorn right now, but I have a vision that there will be a day when this acorn will grow into a great big oak tree.’

“Frank’s prediction has come true,” she says now. “Now, Melaleuca employs more than 2,800 employees, produces more than 350 products and is authorized to conduct business in 14 countries.” In the stories that follow, you’ll read how retirees are using that mighty Melaleuca oak tree to create fuller, happier lives and a greater sense of financial security.

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I’m really proud to have been part of Melaleuca for the past 15 years--it’s been unbelievable.  I know Melaleuca would not have developed into the company that it is without Frank’s leadership.  he’s a good man with a kind heart, and his leadership has built the culture of Melaleuca. And I’m really honored to know him.
Kim Cherveny
Melaleuca Corporate Director III

www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3FewVDiFkw

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This is a huge accomplishment for Melaleuca and for Frank. This company’s track record of success over the past 25 years is a reflection of his leadership, his vision and his passion for enhancing lives. It demonstrates the company’s stability and it bolsters our confidence in Melaleuca’s future.
Rafael & Monica Rojas
Melaleuca Corporate Directors V

www.youtube.com/watch?v=2986fmnS58U

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jx_JI-WH8AI

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