The IBOAI® Board is proud to announce their support of Keeping the Beat, an ongoing Student Heart Screen Program. This program was recently established by Metro Health to raise awareness and educate students about Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA). Many students may have a hidden heart condition that if left undiagnosed, could lead to SCA. SCA is the leading cause of sudden death in young athletes during aerobic workouts -- and it can be prevented. Funds raised for this program will be used to emphasize the importance of early detection for heart conditions through free community heart screen events for local students in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area.

IBOAI has become a Heart of Gold sponsor, committed to making a difference in the lives of local children and their families. Upcoming Keeping the Beat fundraising and awareness events in Grand Rapids boast a football camp, basketball clinic, contests, and more. During these events and free screenings, the IBOAI logo will appear on T-shirts and promotional materials. 

This June at Forest Hills Northern High School in Grand Rapids, Metro Health will host the Jared Veldheer Football Camp in support of the Keeping the Beat program. Jared Veldheer is a 2005 graduate of Forest Hills Northern High School and was a two-time all American Football player at Hillsdale College. As offensive left tackle, Jared has started the last 43 games for the Oakland Raiders. During the off-season this past year, Jared has been working incredibly hard to be faster, stronger, and more agile for the 2013 season. He credits his increased focus on nutrition and eating well before and after workouts as contributors to his intensified strength and flexibility.

The Jared Veldheer Football Camp will take place on Tuesday, June 19 and is geared for kids in Grades 5 through 8. It will cover football fundamentals as well as the important topics of leadership, nutrition, strength, and conditioning. 

For more information on the Jared Veldheer Football Camp:  https://metrohealth.net/foundation/events/youthcamp

The U.S. Dream Academy held its "Power of a Dream" Gala, themed "Inspired to Dream" on Tuesday, June 4 in Washington, D.C. This annual gala benefits the organization's nationally recognized after-school programs for children and attracts the support of Hollywood celebrities, political figures, corporate executives, and community leaders to invest and raise awareness to help U.S. Dream Academy programs succeed in making a difference in the lives of at-risk youth and children of incarcerated parents. Attending this year's gala was IBOAI Chairman Kathy Victor and her husband, Jody Victor, U.S. Dream Academy Chairman, along with several other IBOAI Board members - Bob and Terry Andrews, Bill and Sandy Hawkins, Angelo Nardone, Greg Francis with his wife Jacquie, and Juanita Maldonado with her husband Antonio. IBOAI staff members and several Amway executives were also in attendance.

The special evening began with a lively pre-gala reception hosted by U.S. Dream Academy founder and CEO Wintley Phipps and Miss America 2013 Mallory Hagan. Following the reception, the gala officially opened with Wintley Phipps and Jody Victor recognizing the support and generosity of the many sponsors and contributors who made the gala possible. Wintley and Jody also introduced the hosts for the evening, Tony Award-nominated actress and singer, Sheryl Lee Ralph, and Emmy Award-winning actor, singer, and comedian, Wayne Brady.

Keeping the energy level and enthusiasm of the audience high, the U. S. Dream Academy's choir of children in Grades 3-8, the DREAMKids, led by Wayne Brady, entertained the audience with "The Reading Song" and "The Human Music Song". A couple of the kids even did an impromptu (and adorable) dance performance. The audience's thunderous applause and standing ovation when they finished indicated they were a big hit.

As a lavish dinner was served, guests were treated to a video of the past 15 years of U.S. Dream Academy's growth and work in making dreams come true. The extraordinary service and success was captured beautifully in the photography as well as the narration by Cynne' Simpson, Emmy Award and Edward R. Murrow Award-winning ABC News Anchor.

This year's honorees at the gala featured many well-known and respected individuals -people who make a significant difference in young people's lives with their philanthropic efforts. The President's Award was presented to the Honorable Alexis Herman, former U.S. Secretary of Labor, who Wintley refers to as "a true pioneer and adopter of The Dream." The Honorable Elijah E. Cummings was also recognized with the President's Award. Wes Moore, Author, Youth Advocate and U.S. Army Veteran was presented with the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Service Award for his commitment to helping children realize their dreams.

The incredible evening closed with inspiring musical performances by Wayne Brady and Grammy Award-nominated R&B star, Lalah Hathaway. But the inspiration didn't stop there. To complete the evening in grand style, Wintley was joined on stage by Wayne, Aliah, and Sheryl Lee in an amazing performance of "We Shall Overcome". A special night to remember; a remarkable organization to support for years to come.

About the U.S. Dream Academy

The mission of the U.S. Dream Academy is to empower children who are at risk of future incarceration to maximize their potential by providing them with academic, social and values enrichment through supportive mentoring and the use of technology. The vision is to create an army of young men and women with positive dreams for their lives, equipped with the tools to make those dreams a reality with the core values of faith, freedom, inspiration, and integrity.

The U.S. Dream Academy focuses on impacting the lives of children with incarcerated parents and children falling behind in school. The program, founded by renowned gospel singer Wintley Phipps, is currently operating in 10 cities nationwide. 

Worked on Improvements for all Product Training ... advanced sales training ... product knowledge.

BodyKey - sales strong.

• Customer Service developed a "war room" for answer specific BodyKey questions and issues ... working on more FAQs for site.
• Blender will be available for sale.
• Talking points will be shared regarding about soy isolate as well as gluten-free factor.
• More information will be added on the site regarding competitive advantages of Body key.

Launching in June - full Artistry Skin Care training guide - English, Spanish and French. This training guide will explain which products to use and how the products are different. Will include sales skills, close, scripts, and tough questions.

Beauty Launches - April - Lip Color Gift Sets
Brown automatic liquid eyeliner - June
Holiday Beauty Gift Sets: October 1 - December 31, 2013

MyPack Supplement Packs are going well.

XS Cola Relaunch in April

All Plant Protein in May

Larger size All Fabric Bleach & Tri-Zyme in May

Continue to work on Shipping/Delivery/Backorder Issues

New Mobile Technology, Redesigned Mobile Website Launching - New Amway Business App

Upgrade coming to the Virtual Makeover on the site

Track My Order button in Website Header in April

Enhanced Order & Delivery Confirmation Emails with links to tracking

Continue to look at how to make Social Media more effective for IBOs

Working on Search Option improvements

Discussed improved ways to communicate to the field

Reviewed future destinations & dates for Achievers & Diamond Club

Improvements for Legacy Diamond Pin Program

Looked at exotic locations for upcoming NAGC

Looking at ways to increase Sponsoring

The Legal & Ethics Committee of the IBOAI continues to work to secure long term success for all IBOs. L & E examines needs and opportunities to grow and protect every Independent Business. IBO Board Members are joined by numerous Amway Executives and Staff, G & O (Jody Victor & Bill Hawkins) and Board Counsel (Rick Abraham).
Your Legal & Ethics Committee is on duty and you can rest assured that your best interests is our agenda. Some of the topics discussed in March were:

• Continued to discuss responsibilities for Music & Video Copyright
• Worked on more tools for Succession Planning for IBOs
• Continued to pursue solutions for unauthorized online sales.
• Worked on an ABOB Update.
• Continue to work on increasing IBO Profitability

2013 is going to be an incredibly exciting year with tons of growth for all. Your IBOAI is dedicated to work in partnership with Amway Corporation to continue to make the business the best it can be for all IBOs!

The Saturday Celebration Dinner and Gala during Diamond Club in Maui was quite a "kick" for all! The fabulous setting took everyone back in time to an era when fashion and music became more upbeat, colorful, and energizing. Vibrant hot pink floral centerpieces graced each table and an "old 45 vinyl record" table decoration boasted the dinner and dessert menu. You can be sure the 50's spirit shimmered and shined all evening, thanks to the many IBOs donned in 50's-style outfits, an extraordinary swing revival band called Big Bad Voodoo Daddy that was "like crazy, man," and the incredible swing and rock 'n' roll dancing of the IBOs. You could tell the IBOs were "diggin' it" 'cause the smiles and laughter were plentiful and the dance floor was crowded!

This special evening featured many memorable moments. The Diamond Club Highlights Video presentation also proved to be a highlight during the gala. IBOs took great delight in reliving their wonderful and well-deserved week in paradise - everything from being greeted at the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua resort with leis to taking part in fun activities of their choice such as whale watching, kayaking, ATV riding, zip-lining, and golfing. The exciting, fast-moving video captured the magic of the Welcome Party, the Dine-Around gatherings, the Expo, and much more. It was truly an extraordinary week for extraordinary IBO Leaders!