Gratitude

I am guessing the great Bloggosphere is filled with Thanksgiving lists of gratitude... and mine won't be any different...

I am one lucky guy, most of all because of the people that surround me, friends and family alike, especially a five year old named Ava. I am so grateful I have taken the time to get to really know her, because by doing so, I have gotten to know myself.

And I am so grateful for the people at Beachbody who maintain a culture of creativity, productivity, and fun. Everyone who walks into the place seems to say how impressed they are with the spirit and energy of the office.

I am grateful that the company we created, and the products that we distribute, have attracted the type of customers we call "the MyBeachbody Community". Honestly, it would not be fun to go to work if we didn't get to share in the smiles and successes of our customers. The community is where we get to hear what our work does for people - the important stuff. Sure there's the little issues of the business model we need to iron out. But when you hear about adults getting off diabetes and cholesterol medications, young women conquering eating disorders, kids crawling out of obesity, all with programs we distribute, it makes you swell up with pride. It gives me the perspective of what these programs mean, and reinforces our discipline to stay on task.

And for all of that I am grateful and more excited than ever for what is ahead of us.

Thanks to everyone of you!

Who is buying this stuff?

Big news! Looks like you can go ahead and sell your Power 90 on ebay. Return your Turbo Jam. Drag your treadmill and other equipment out to your next yard sale. Turns out, if you want to lose fat and inches fast, there is no need to exercise or eat right according the makers of the Velform Sauna Belt, MZ Direct Response.

"Will exercise give you fast results?... Not a chance!"

"You'll immediately see results with no effort!"



And from their website: "The Amazing new Velform Sauna Belt helps you to sweat away unwanted fat, eliminate cellulite, lose weight and ease muscle pain - all while sitting in the comfort of your own home."

Who watches that guy take the Sauna Belt off and believes he got those abs with that thing? And is the couple hundred bucks the model received for this shoot worth more than his self-respect? I just don't get it. This infomercial has climbed through the ratings chart from its recent debut, up to the top 15. Their media buyers are out-bidding other infomercial marketers to place the Sauna Belt show in prime media. They are positioning themselves for an enormous rollout in 2006. And from what we have heard, there are already knock-offs in development. So not only will you see ads for this one, there will be three or four copycats on the air promising results of "one inch in one hour". Does that media agency care so much about making their commission on this client that they are willing to further tarnish the already strained perception of the infomercial medium? And do the stations that accept this kind of advertising really care that little about their viewers? This business can be remarkably productive for generating customers, but not for long if the leaders in the industry as a whole don't use professional discretion.

"But how can they afford to even market this product?" you ask. "Haven't we already learned not to buy this stuff?"

Guess not... Because people are buying it. A lot of people are buying it. People didn't learn from the hundreds of thousands of units of "Ab Stimulator" belts sold three years ago which then got yanked off the market by the FTC. People didn't learn from the "Ab Roller craze" and subsequent "Ab Roller garage sale" craze years later.

No matter how many times the morning news shows and Oprah pronounce that the only healthy solution is "exercise and portion control", there will always be consumers looking for a short-cut, even if it's insane, and there will always be a new fast-buck company willing to scorch the earth under an entire industry for a one-off hit. That's the environment Beachbody is operating in. But we will not be deterred. We will always pursue solutions that work. We will always preach a message of a healthy lifestyle.

Look at this book shelf at a nearby Barnes & Noble. That's over 25 titles, each promising THE ANSWER to your weight loss needs. Each with its own unique twist, each with a promise of being the last book you'll ever need.

Different strokes for different folks. That's why we have multiple brands and solutions at Beachbody, from ten minutes a day, to six weeks, to 90 days and more. As long as the message is clear, and based on proven healthy principles, the innovation will continue. But they are all rooted in the same basic premise that you need to both exercise, and improve your diet choices.

One of the reasons that we adopted the "Decide. Commit. Succeed" motto is that it's important to carefully "decide" when choosing the solution that's right for you. Don't just follow the latest hot one you read about in People Magazine. Choose something that makes sense for you. If it doesn't make sense to you, then it's not for you, because you'll lose faith in it quickly. It has to make sense!

And of course, wrapping a piece of plastic and velcro around your waist doesn't make sense if you want to lose fat and inches and be healthy. Eating ONLY protein doesn't make sense. Popping a pill doesn't make sense.

I know Beachbody is not perfect. We have our own customer complaints. But never do we not get things resolved, and never do we actively set out to disrespect the customer. In case the folks at MZ Direct are reading this, as one businessman to another, wouldn't it be more rewarding to create wealth by helping people succeed and improve their lives? There's a lot of opportunity in the world. Choose the one that makes this a better experience for everyone, not the one that abuses the privilege for your own benefit.

What Am I Doing?

A few people have written to ask what my workouts consist of these days, so I figured I'd lay it out here.

With ski season approaching, my goal is to get my legs in shape BEFORE I get to the mountain, rather than to simply start skiing and wish I had gotten them in better ski shape ON the mountain.

While I have not set any specific travel plans yet, one of the best ski trips I've ever had was a boondoggle Jon Congdon, Tony Horton and I had in Aspen a couple years ago. (photo). It was a last minute trip and an absolute blast. From the small world department, we ended up running into Phil Jones and his wife Ashley from Pure Kauai who were in Aspen for the same weekend... totally random, and a lot of fun.

So - I am focusing on legs, butt, back (lower), and abs with a mix of upper body and cardio. Last night I did the new Power 90 Masters Series Plyo Legs. That's going to be a real staple to my training regimen for ski prep as I work toward getting in 50 hardcore leg workouts before I get to a mountain sometime in January.

If anyone wants to join with that motivation we could start a WOWY group. Let me know and I'll get it done!

The results are in!

As you might recall, in early October I mentioned how Thomas Haire, editor of the direct response industry's trade magazine "RESPONSE" had begun Power 90 to see if it could help him lose weight as promised in the infomercial.

Tom completed his 90 days last Saturday, and he let us know how he did:

Jon

I weighed-in Saturday morning (day 90) at 201, a total loss of 37 lbs. in 90 days. I went through the measurements the day before. I lost six inches off my waist and hips, and two inches off my chest and thighs. Toned up my arms about 1-1 1/2 inches also. The program worked wonders. You’ll see the before and after photos in the December issue Editor’s Note. My plan now is to get back into the gym, utilizing the circuit program I learned from the DVDs with free weights, while mixing in some of my own cardio with at least one day a week of the Power 90 cardio. Should continue working out about 5 days a week. As far as diet goes, I plan on splurging a little bit more than I did during the 90 days, but doing the program for those 90 days has changed how I see food and how I will approach my overall eating plan. I will definitely continue with the eating plan I learned from Power90. My goal now is to maintain my weight between 195-205. If I continue to see a loss, I could be convinced to shoot for 190, but my body type probably doesn’t allow for much more than that. It’s been an amazing, enlightening experience for me. I never would have believed I could accomplish what I did, and the program is so simple that, as long as you commit to it, you can’t help but do yourself some good. The thing I like about it the most from a marketing standpoint is that it is absolutely on the consumer to commit. The product delivers what it promises, but only if the buyer commits to the program. A buyer could never point the finger at the product and say, “This doesn’t deliver!”

Thanks so much!

Tom

Note: I happen to think Tom could get to his goal of 190 without a lot of extra effort, and I hope the word "splurge" doesn't back fire on him. According to some research, people who gain back five pounds or more are the ones who find themselves back on the slippery slope to gaining it ALL back, plus, plus.

A diet expert was in the office the other day and he said something that really nailed it: "You can do more damage in 3 minutes of eating than you can make up in three hours of exercise." While that might be an exagerration unless you're competing in a pie-eating contest, the point is clear: Weight maintenance requires lifelong eating habits that balance calories in and out. Splurging happens, but you can't let it creep into a three or four times-a-week habit. I think what's most important frankly, when considering the splurge, is that you remember how good it feels when you don't feel bloated, how good it feels when your clothes fit, how good it feels when you actually like your waistline. The splurge is much less appealing when you remember how much better "thin feels".