Our Culture Defines our Future

A company is defined by its culture. And culture determines the difference between a mediocre company, and a dominant, innovative brand like Starbucks or Zappos. Like I've said it isn’t just an entity, it’s a collection of people. Culture is so critical, that the collective passion of its employees, management team, and sales force is what decides whether it succeeds or fails.

Culture is contagious, too. When employees and team members adopt the correct culture, live it and breath it, the culture spreads. It’s not just the job of the CEO or the executive team; it’s everyone’s job.

Unfortunately the correct company culture rarely happens on its own, at least not the kind of culture that makes a significant impact. It has to be created. If you want some great examples of how to create a successful company culture, take a look at this Fast Company article titled Culture Eats Strategy for Lunch.

And that’s exactly what we’re doing at ViSalus. We’re creating our future, and by defining our culture, we’re defining how we will continue to change the world.

And here’s the ViSalus Culture Creed, put into words by wiser men than I:

Value #1 Be Inspired. Be inspiring.

“Inspiration and genius – one and the same.” -Victor Hugo

Value #2 Build trust through collaboration.

“I think it is in collaboration that the nature of art is revealed.” –Steve Lacy

Value #3 Be a good teacher and a better student.

“It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.” -Albert Einstein

Value #4 Think like an entrepreneur; be resourceful.

“Entrepreneurship is neither a science nor an art. It is a practice.” –Peter Drucker

Value #5 Challenge yourself.

“Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance.” -Samuel Johnson

Value #6 Seek simplicity.

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” -Leonardo da Vinci

What are you doing to change the system?

Guest Post

Darrell Scott, the father of Rachel Scott, a victim of the Columbine High School shootings in Littleton, Colorado, in 1999 was invited to address the House Judiciary Committee’s sub-committee. What he said to our national leaders during this session of Congress was painfully truthful. 

Since the dawn of creation there has been both good and evil in the hearts of men and women. We all contain the seeds of kindness or the seeds of violence. The death of my wonderful daughter, Rachel Joy Scott, and the deaths of that heroic teacher, and the other eleven children who died must not be in vain. Their blood cries out for answers.

I am here today to declare that Columbine was not just a tragedy - it was a spiritual event that should be forcing us to looks at where the real blame lies! Much of the blame lies here in this room. Much of the blame lies behind the pointing fingers of the accusers themselves. I wrote a peom that expresses my feelings best.

Your laws ignore our deepest needs,

You words are empty air.

You've stripped away our heritage,

You've outlawed simple prayer.

Now gunshots fill our classrooms,

And precious children die.

You seek the answers everywhere,

And ask the question "Why?"

You regulate restrictive laws,

Though legislative creed.

And yet you fail to understand,

That God is what we need.

How, another mass murder occurs in our country and the question is: “Will this change the political culture in Washington to implement tougher gun control?” We have heard all the rhetoric before and everyone is sick of it. Now, it is time to do something in the area of gun control and mental health. One out of every five children in the USA suffers with some form of mental illness. It is time for a meaningful nation-wide conversation about mental illness.

Some say there must be a federal ban on military-style assault weapons (AR-15) and the large ammunition magazines. They say we can no longer let the powerful gun lobbyists dictate what should be done. This now is the 13th mass murder in America this year. Total firearms murders in the United States in 2011 was 8,583. This year it is a staggering 9,146 compared to 11 in Japan, 30 in Australia, 35 in France and 41 in England and Wales, all which have strict gun control laws.

Maybe another question we should all ask ourselves: “Do these violent video games and violent movies contribute to the violence in our great country?”

President Obama the other night in Newtown, Connecticut, strongly stated: “We cannot tolerate this anymore.” It is easy to say, what can little old me do to make a difference? Nobody makes a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he thought he could only do a little.  That is exactly when apathy and indifference take over and we lose control of our own destiny. We can’t look to others to do it for us; we must be the catalyst for change. The idea of saviors has been built into our entire modern culture. We have learned to look to stars, politicians and leaders, thus surrendering our own strength, demeaning our own ability and causing us not to act.

Great social transformation such as the end of slavery, women’s and civil right’s movements and the end of colonial rule all began with public awareness and engagement. Political leaders followed rather then led. A few courageous and committed people brought about change. Gandhi’s most profound statement is so very true: “We must be the change we wish to see.”

Over one hundred fifty years ago (1857), British historian Thomas Macaulay made this dire prediction for America: “Your republic will be as fearfully plundered and laid waste by barbarians in the 20th century as the Roman Empire in the 5th century; with this difference, that the Huns and Vandals that ravaged the Roman Empire came from without, and that your Huns and Vandals will have been engendered within your own country, by your own institutions.”

I started this plea to you by asking, “What are you doing to change the system?” and I conclude it with asking you, “What will you NOW do to change the system?” We have lost our moral compass and must wake up before we lose everything.

GOD BLESS AMERICA BUT WAKE UP AMERICA BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.

The Sad Facts about Diet Soda

Fizzy diet drinks are certainly doing nothing to make you feel warm and fuzzy.

Diet soda is filled with genetically modified ingredients and, despite the "diet" part, doesn't actually help you lose weight, according to a number of studies suggesting that it contributes as much to weight gain as regular soda.

The newest diet-soda downer? Depression, according to a new study from the American Academy of Neurology.

The researchers tracked 263,925 people between the ages of 50 and 71. For a year, investigators measured participant consumption of beverages like soda, fruit punch, and coffee. A decade later, study enrollees reported on whether or not they had been diagnosed with depression in recent years.

Even after researchers adjusted for physical and social factors that could contribute to depression (age, sex, race, education, and physical activity, for instance), they saw a strong link between soda consumption and depression. People who drank it were 30 percent more likely to suffer from depression than people who didn't, and people who consumed fruit punch were 38 percent more likely to develop depression. Those who consumed diet versions of those drinks had an even greater risk of depression than those who drank sugar-sweetened drinks.

"Our findings are preliminary, and the underlying biological mechanisms are not known," explains study author Honglei Chen, MD, PhD, a tenure-track investigator in the epidemiology branch at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). "[But] they are intriguing and consistent with a small but growing body of evidence suggesting that artificially sweetened beverages may be associated with poor health outcomes."

Next time you need a pick-me-up? Consider one of these healthier alternatives (or one of our GO shots) for a refreshing boost:

Coffee. The soda-shaming study wasn’t all bad news. Coffee drinkers who enjoyed four cups per day were about 10 percent less likely to develop depression than their java-free peers. That’s no surprise, since coffee is rich in antioxidants and might even protect against diabetes.

Green tea. It delivers the caffeine kick you crave, plus a lot more. In addition to fighting cancer and lowering blood pressure, green tea is a natural brain booster: It contains an amino acid called theanine, which enhances mental performance, according Keri Glassman, RD.

Vi-Shake. Whip one up at night, and save it to enjoy at work tomorrow. Fruits and veggies are natural mood lifters, but so is chocolate—toss in a dark variety for a healthy helping of caffeine. Need some suggestions, check out some of these awesome shake recipes.