TriVita Cooperative Marketing

CEO Michael Ellison and his wife Susan are at their ranch in Colorado for a few days of well-deserved rest and relaxation. I am thrilled and extremely grateful to have the privilege of sharing my thoughts with you on Michael’s Blog… Terry Newsome, National Sales Director. 

I was sitting at my desk last Monday morning reflecting on the all of the amazing stories and activities from my “GOS” weekend at the Kierland Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona. Ironically, I had just finished reading Michael’s latest blog reflecting the highlights of the 2009 Galaxy of Stars when my cell phone rang. I listened; said “thank you very much,” and then the magnitude of the call hit me like a ton of bricks. I had just been given the awesome privilege of writing Michael’s blog for Monday, October 12, 2009. I was honored beyond measure and absolutely thrilled to say the least. 

 I strongly agree with the scripture Luke 12:48: “To whom much is given, from him much will be required,” so naturally I want to be a good steward of Michael’s trust by selecting a topic that would have the most impact on loyal Affiliates like you who read Michael’s Blog every week. I am grateful for the opportunity to share my thoughts about the tremendous impact the 2009 Galaxy of Stars is having on our Affiliate community, including the details regarding the “transformation” of our newest Presidential Director Cody Ramsey and his new passion for helping others experience wellness with Nopalea. 

Every year, without exception, TriVita’s Sr. VP of Sales and Marketing, Marcus Ellison and his team deliver a first-class Galaxy of Stars event. And just when you thought the Galaxy of Stars theme and format could not get any better, TriVita “stepped up to the plate” and delivered a life-changing, emotionally charged event this year that far exceeded everyone’s expectations. 

From a production standpoint, the event was perfect in every way. Marcus and his brother, Luke Ellison, (President of GDF Productions, Inc.) added a new dimension to this year’s event by featuring a series of high definition video clips throughout the event on a massive 40 foot screen. It was a sight to behold! In fact, Michael Ellison truly inspired all of us when he closed his compelling Friday morning message with the music video “Do it anyway” by Martina McBride.  

However, as powerful as the GOS video presentations were at the event, none of us could have anticipated the powerful impact of the two “live” Nopalea product testimonials on Saturday morning. In fact, we continue to receive hundreds of emails and phone calls expressing their gratitude. Many Affiliates firmly believe that it was the best event in the 10 year history of TriVita. Almost without exception, the top “take-aways” from the 2009 Galaxy of Stars were the inspirational Nopalea product testimonials from Cody Ramsey/Melissa Myers and Don Wade/Kimberly Jansen (more about Don and Kimberly in future blogs).  

As a TriVita “Million Dollar Club” Member, Cody has experienced tremendous financial success with TriVita over the past eight years building primarily with the MAP program as he pursued the “business opportunity” pathway. That strategy changed for Cody a few weeks ago at the most unlikely place. “My favorite fast-food restaurant is Sonic” Cody admitted, “and over the years my wife Marty and I developed a friendship with a young server named Melissa. One day I asked Melissa about the bright red ‘burns’ all over her arms and scalp. She told me that she had suffered from acute psoriasis for many years.” Cody then realized that Melissa had chronic inflammation (of the epidermis) and that Nopalea might be able to help her.  

Cody decided to “pay it forward” by giving Melissa a bottle of Nopalea. “Melissa rolled her eyes at me” Cody remembered, “but she said that she would try Nopalea…”  She went on to say that she had already tried every prescription pill, powder and steroid cream you could imagine and nothing had really worked for her. 

Cody was determined to make a difference in Melissa’s life and strongly recommended that she take the Nopalea Wellness Challenge by consuming a “loading dose” of three to six ounces of Nopalea every day. Cody followed up with Melissa on the third day and even gave her a second bottle of Nopalea after her first week on the product. It was at that point that Melissa’s life would begin to change forever! “I was so excited for her!”  Cody explained “I could see that Nopalea was helping to reduce the inflammation within her body and the psoriasis was rapidly disappearing! Melissa and I were BOTH truly amazed at the results!”  

Cody’s presentation at the event was compelling and after sharing Melissa’s inspiring story, he asked her to join him on stage. Melissa and Cody were full of emotion as they embraced after a standing ovation. For the first time in many years, Melissa was able to wear a sleeveless blouse in public without anxiety and without being embarrassed. Her psoriasis was almost non-existent and had been reduced down to a few small patches near her elbow and forearm. She was overwhelmed with emotion and gratitude. Melissa’s genuine tears of joy had a major impact on all of the lives she touched at the event as she shared the intimate details of her amazing Nopalea story. For me, it was an inspiring moment in time that I will never forget.  For CEO and Founder Michael Ellison, he saw the mission of TriVita and his global vision of taking wellness to the world take a giant step towards becoming a reality. In his closing remarks immediately following Melissa’s life-changing story, Michael shared his gratitude… “For 10 years I have dreamed of helping people like Melissa and Kimberly experience wellness to fulfill their life purposes. Today was a special day for all of us.”   

In closing, I can tell you with absolute certainty, that the life that was impacted the most during the 2009 Galaxy of Stars was not the life of Melissa Myers or even Michael Ellison… it was the life of Cody Ramey. During my follow-up phone interview with Cody he revealed… “I knew that Nopalea was making a difference in the lives of countless others. I just never realized the impact Nopalea would have on MY LIFE until I saw Melissa’s life-changing wellness experience. Michael Ellison was right – the Law of Reciprocity is a powerful reality. Melissa ‘gave back’ something to me that money can’t buy. Her story has given me a real sense of purpose for my life, and I can honestly say that I have been transformed. I no longer lead with TriVita’s business opportunity; my NEW passion is to help others experience wellness through the power of Nopalea! I have never been more excited about the future!”  

Terry Newsome

Cody & Melissa

While CEO Michael Ellison is away working on the new Nopalea TV infomercial, I am honored once again to write on his behalf and share the amazing story on Melody Carpenter.

 Terry Newsome, National Sales Director.  

When Sr. Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Marcus Ellison, interviewed Melody Carpenter on camera after Michael’s Sonoran Bloom Tour Event in Charlotte, NC, he knew her compelling Nopalea story would make a real difference in the lives of countless others – and for good reason.  During the interview, Melody revealed that her life had been transformed and she had a burning desire to “pay it forward” by sharing her Nopalea story with everyone she meets. Today, Melody continues to experience wellness thanks to Nopalea and is truly grateful to be living a life with real purpose. 

I was fortunate enough to have been in Charlotte for the Tour Event on May 12, 2009 and watched Marcus interview Melody. I was inspired beyond measure. In fact, Melody’s life-changing story was so “moving” that it was featured in the July 2009 VitaJournal. A few weeks ago, Marcus asked me to travel to Charlotte on October 28, 2009 to capture Melody’s updated wellness journey for a feature segment in TriVita’s new Nopalea TV Show. 

I arrived at the Renaissance Hotel in Charlotte with the television production crew to find Melody Carpenter, Affiliate Robin Schappert and Director Tina Gonda overwhelmed with anticipation and excitement. During the interview, Melody shared the details about her family life; “We absolutely love our life here in Denver, North Carolina” explained Melody who lives with her husband Greg and their eleven year old son Caleb. “This is God’s country, and we love all of the outdoor activities we can do as a family,” Melody went on to say. One of Melody’s true passions in life is to enjoy horseback riding with her son Caleb. “For years, my son Caleb and I would spend several days every week enjoying long, peaceful horseback riding together for hours at a time” she explained. “We really enjoyed that quality time together and developed a special bond that cannot be expressed in words.”  That all changed for Melody in 2002 after she had major surgery. “I collapsed three vertebrae in my neck and needed a metal plate and screws to repair the damage,” she recalls. “The doctor told me that it would take over 18 months before I could start riding horses again. I was devastated.” 

For several years, Melody tried physical therapy, medications and everything she could to get “back in the saddle” again riding horses without pain. “I tried everything you could imagine to get rid of the pain, inflammation and headaches… although nothing seemed to work. But then my good friend, Tina Gonda, shared Nopalea with me in March of 2009 and my life began to change” says Melody. “Thanks to Tina and Nopalea, I could feel a huge difference in three weeks, and I was virtually pain-free in just five weeks! I am so grateful for Michael Ellison and TriVita for developing such an amazing life-changing product.” 

Today, Melody Carpenter is living a healthier, more active, pain-free lifestyle and enjoys horseback riding again on a regular basis with her son Caleb. “I can’t even begin to tell you how much it means to me to be able to spend quality time with my son riding horses like we used to without pain,” explains Melody. “TriVita and Nopalea have given me my life back with a real sense of purpose. I am dedicated to helping others experience wellness, and that’s why I am passionate about sharing Nopalea with others.” As a direct result of her wellness experience with Nopalea, Melody is “paying it forward” and building a successful TriVita business. With the leadership example and help of Directors Mark and Tina Gonda and the “Charlotte Team,” Melody’s group list continues to grow every month. “I am absolutely thrilled with the growth of my group here in Charlotte. My parents, my sister and even my sister’s daughter are all with me in TriVita” she explains, “…and our group has grown to over 110 Members and new Affiliates in just the past few months.”  

Melody is quick to tell you that the secret to her recent success is the Share and Earn Program and 3-step Success System. Melody has embraced the “Law of Reciprocity” Michael wrote about in his book and the “pay it forward concept.” In fact, she promotes the Gift of Health and Nopalea Wellness Challenge everywhere she goes. “I try to talk to three to five people every day about Nopalea and The Nopalea Wellness Challenge no matter what. I have already sent out over 60 Gifts of Health, and I love The Nopalea Wellness Challenge because I love talking to people about the difference Nopalea is making in their lives. It also gives me the opportunity to share what Nopalea did for my pain and inflammation. I have now personally enrolled eight new Affiliates to date and that is just the beginning.” 

After the film crew left the Renaissance Hotel, we headed over to the weekly Team Charlotte Luncheon where I had the privilege of sharing a few words with the Team and their guests. The turnout was excellent and I was extremely impressed with all of the Nopalea testimonials that were shared during the luncheon. Everyone was thrilled to hear that we were able to capture Melody’s life-changing story for the Nopalea TV Show and video e-mail system as her story has had a significant impact on many of the attendees – and will continue to make a difference in the lives of countless others! 

The next morning, I spoke with Presidential Director Bryan Wirth. As he and I reflected on our past experiences working with Team Charlotte, we were reminded that the recurring theme and the adhesive that bonds this group is their passion to help others experience wellness. Thanks to Melody Carpenter, now all TriVita Affiliates can share her compelling story with others through our new video e-mail system and the Nopalea TV Show; and I can tell you with absolute certainty that no one is more thrilled to be a part of your success than Melody Carpenter and Team Charlotte!

Terry