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formed. He was
among the very first
Nutrilite Distributors sponsored by Ja-Ri Corporation. At that time, Ja-Ri
was little more than two young men selling
Nutrilite® products and a big idea from
the trunk of a car. Walter saw the enormous potential in their idea.
Walter worked closely with Jay and Rich as they built Ja-Ri Corporation into
a regional company with thousands of business partners. His
early experiences deepened the strength of his belief that unrestricted opportunity
was the key ingredient to the company's growth. When circumstances
threatened that opportunity, he joined together with Rich, Jay, and the other
AWA founding members to draft the original Sales and Marketing Plan,
which guaranteed unrestricted opportunity.
From the Association's inception through 1976, Walter served as President of the AWA (now
the
Independent Business Owners Association International) for all but one
year. Under his guidance,
the Association embraced its charter to serve as
an advocate for the business owner. Largely through Walter's efforts, the
IBOA International built the very close working relationship with
the Corporation
that continues today.
To
honor Walter's contributions, in 1990
the Association voted him the inaugural member
of its Presidents Cabinet. Walter died in 1993.
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More than anything else, unrestricted opportunity first attracted Walter
Bass to the direct marketing business venture that Rich DeVos and
Jay Van Andel presented to him. Fittingly, it was also unrestricted opportunity
that Walter championed so successfully during his tenure with the
American Way Association (AWA).
