Aloha... Here we come!

Each year around this time we encourage people to submit their before and afters from Tony Horton-trained programs like Power 90 and P90X. People submit photos, success stories from one to ten pages long, weight loss and inches statistics, and even home videos for consideration as we put together the group we'll invite to our annual success celebration in Kauai, Hawaii.

Sept 1st is the deadline for the 2005 trip, scheduled for Oct 15th to the 21st, and the next batch of inspiration is starting to come in with some impressive results: We're seeing 100 lbs weight loss stories, couples succeeding together with Power 90 and P90X, people getting off anti-depressants, grandmothers "crushing it" with P90X, physical rehab success, washboard abs, muscle makeovers, and even some kids who have taken matters into their own hands to get themselves in shape where their school fitness programs weren't doing the trick. Like I said, inspiration. These are the stories that will inspire a whole new set of customers to "get it", to stop cutting corners and to do the work, follow the diet plan, and get the results.

This year I am particularly interested in seeing what kind of abdominal transformations we get, and am hopeful we see a family or two send in their information for consideration. (There happens to be a cable network that wants to cover the trip if we happen to feature a family success story!)



We don't do this trip as a "carrot" to get people to use the programs they bought from us. It's actually a very efficient way for us to gather testimonials from authentic success stories. And it's extremely efficient to do it in one location, one that is conducive to motivating future potential customers to want to achieve their own "Beachbody" success; and that ideal setting is the beaches of Kauai.

Pure Kauai manages the events and activities while we are on the island. It always includes a variety of hikes, outrigger canoeing, kayaking, and of course a bunch of workouts with Tony Horton. The meals are generally healthy, although I've seen things migrate to the hotel bar often enough to know that this doesn't qualify as a pure Kauai "health vacation".

This trip is a lot of work for our team. In fact, what we thought would be a perk, is actually exhausting for the staff. That's because there is a lot of pressure to make sure the guests have a great time, but that we also get great testimonials. It's heavy lifting. But it's so worth it.

No matter how much work it is though, the most gratifying aspect of the week is not the moment I set foot on the beach at the Sheraton, or get a morning run in at sunrise along the coast, or see the 360 degree vista from the top of the Sleeping Giant. For me, the Hawaii trip is an annual touchstone, a chance to learn first hand how our programs can touch people's lives. All year long we get success stories that inspire us. But they come in amidst the operational, customer service, and other challenges of running a business day to day. But when I finally get a chance to sit across from customers and hear how they succeeded with our programs and their own determination, everything we do seems so worth it.

And with that in mind, I look forward to this year's celebration, and to meeting a diverse group of people who had what it takes to get the most from the tools we offer. Aloha!