The Beachbody 400

No it's not a NASCAR race!

We recently celebrated a milestone here at Beachbody... Last week we crossed the threshold of our 400th full-time Beachbody employee, plus we're celebrating having over $400MM in annual revenue in 2010!

In order to handle Team Beachbody's growth, we are constantly adding to our ranks, recruiting top talent in every area of the company. Once upon a time, all our employees fit in one single office. (We fit into a Volkswagon, for that matter)

Now, we are over 400 employees strong, working together to support you as you build your Coach business and we make our Core Purpose a reality!

Beachbody President and Co-Founder, Jon Congdon and I gathered the "Dudes" at headquarters to celebrate the milestone:

Senator Gillibrand Visits Beachbody

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) visited Beachbody headquarters today to discuss issues relating to the trend of obesity and its effects on our country.

You may be aware of her amazing work on behalf of the people who worked at ground zero immediately following the attacks on 9/11. While much of the government had been at a standstill for weeks, in the final days of the year, Ms. Gillibrand got things done.

Our discussion centered around strategies to motivate people to make exercise and proper diet a part of their lives, issues surrounding childhood obesity, and the prospect of making preventative lifestyle choices more affordable.

She's an impressive person (plus an actual Slim in 6 success story, and I am told her sister's doing P90X!) and she is a real force for positive progress in the U.S. Senate on the issues to which Beachbody is committed.

When Will They Learn? Piracy Doesn't Pay!

You'd think people would support an organization committed to helping people, rather than rip us off. Alas, the piracy continues. But the good news is, so does our commitment to enforce our rights and the rights of coaches who work so hard to end the trend of obesity by helping people succeed with our programs!


"Trevor! We found another one... Call legal!"

Yes, Beachbody just received another judgment of $80,000 plus attorneys’ fees against an individual in Louisiana who was selling counterfeit P90X. Add that to a recent judgment we were awarded for $35,000 and that makes over $115,000 against counterfeiters this month!

Oh, let's not forget about the $2.15 million judgment I told you about in November.

We are not messing around, because every dollar recovered goes to support the sustainability of this business and new product development so we can truly help as many people as possible.

Each month, our Legal and Anti-Piracy teams investigate hundreds of reports of counterfeiting of our products, from large-scale operations to the onesy-twosy "I only burned it for a friend" folks.

Beachbody simply will not rest when it comes to protecting its valuable products and their contribution to a business that needs resources to further its cause of ending the trend of obesity.

Huge credit to our entire Legal and Anti-Piracy Teams who are dedicated to tracking down and nailing the counterfeiters and pirates out there who think it's okay to steal these programs!

To report any pirated or counterfeit Beachbody products, please email:

piracy@beachbody.com

Tony on Tour!

We're all so proud of the release of Tony's book. He's worked long and hard to make this happen, and it's no small feat to get the kind of pre-orders he has - thanks in large part to support from Beachbody customers and coaches. It just shows you that Tony is unique, and people want to know more!

Some have asked me if this is a Beachbody product. This isn't a Beachbody product but we are giving it our full support! Rodale books and Tony did this together because we have no expertise in making great books or in distributing them and we all wanted Tony to maximize the potential of this project.

But that doesn't mean we won't be taking advantage of Tony's book tour to make sure his fans have even easier access to "the man."

Here's your chance to work out live with Tony as he tours the country promoting his new book "Bring It!"

Register now for Tony Horton's Bring It! Book Tour 2011!

He will be touring the country promoting his new book - meeting, greeting, signing books and of course, making you sweat!

Work out live with Tony and (time permitting) get your copy of Bring It! signed! Just click on the links below to register now for the city nearest you and reserve your spot!

• If you're a Coach and you already have a copy of the book, then BRING IT with you - you can attend the event for FREE - just make sure to register online!
• If you want to reserve a copy of Tony's book and have it waiting for you at the event, you can purchase it for $20.00 when you register online.
• Feel free to register and bring as many guests as you want. It's only $20.00 per guest, which gets them admittance to the event, plus a copy of the book!
  

Whether you're just coming to workout with Tony or you want a copy of the book and want to get it signed after you sweat, be sure to REGISTER ONLINE.
(Space is extremely limited, so reserve your spot NOW! Yes, people will be turned away once it's sold out!)

See below for the tour schedule, locations and registration links.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011 - Long Island, NY
Melville Marriott
1350 Old Walt Whitman Road
Melville, NY 11747
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
http://www.regonline.com/thlongisland

Thursday, January 6, 2011 – Atlanta, GA
The Westin Peachtree Plaza
210 Peachtree Street NW
Atlanta, Georgia 30303
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
http://www.regonline.com/thatlanta

(And maybe you can combine this with your Jan 8th coach kick-off!)
Saturday, January 8, 2011 – Las Vegas, NV
J.W. Marriott
221 N. Rampart Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89145
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
http://www.regonline.com/thlasvegas

Monday, January 10, 2011 – Dallas, TX
Grapevine Convention Center
1209 S. Main Street
Grapevine, TX 76051
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
http://www.regonline.com/thdallas

Tuesday, January 11, 2011 – Phoenix, AZ
Sheraton Crescent Hotel
2620 Dunlap Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85021
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
http://www.regonline.com/thphoenix

Saturday, January 15, 2011 – Arlington, VA
Sheraton National Hotel
900 S. Orme Street
Arlington, VA 22204
10:00 am – 2:00 pm
http://www.regonline.com/tharlington

Saturday, January 22, 2011 – Santa Monica, CA
Fairmont Miramar Hotel
101 Wilshire Boulevard
Santa Monica, CA 90401
10:00 am – 2:00 pm
http://www.regonline.com/thsantamonica

Tony is gonna Bring It! to the bookstore and beyond, so don't miss your chance to start 2011 of right.

Here's to a healthy, Happy New Year!

This Is The Job We Do

It's not easy to make fitness and health a priority. Our lives were not constructed to make it a priority. But this is what we do - it is our job as part of Beachbody and Team Beachbody. It is our job to live a healthier lifestyle, make healthier choices, and help others realize that they can do it too.

For me, since I was a kid I have been ambitious. I actually used to fantasize about running a bank from my very first desk. I can remember that desk like it was in front of me now. I used to dream of decorating my entire house in office furniture I loved the idea of working so much. When the other kids in school brought book bags and backpacks to the first day of 4th grade, I proudly displayed my black briefcase, complete with pens, pencils, band aids, and note pads. It surprised me that I was the only ten year old who carried a briefcase to school.

I am certain that my story, while freakish, is similar to your story, and the story of most people: There's something you would rather be doing than exercising and planning how to eat so you are healthier. Heck, it could even be this very business we do at Team Beachbody that upstages your ability to stay active!

But that has to stop. For me. For you. And if for us, then step by step, person by person, for the country.

Why do I think we have a problem with the national debt and economy in this country? Because we put consumption above consequence and taking care of ourselves. Why do I think we have a hard time getting our kids to eat healthy and stay active? Because we have been trained to maximize personal productivity and gratification rather than maximize vitality. Why do I think we are dealing with polluted water, air and soil? Because we can't expect a population that cares so little about its own personal health to care more about the external environment. And in a country where we should be living longer and healthier lives with the most amazing medical advances in the world and plentiful food and water, our life expectancy is actually going in reverse.

Need proof? According to a new report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics, the life expectancy for Americans has already fallen by about a month after steadily rising for years. Yes - fallen. unreal.

A baby born in 2008 will live to be about 77.8 years old, which has dipped since its all-time peak of 77.9 years in 2007, according to a preliminary report released Thursday.

(As written on AOL by Catherine Donaldson-Evans.)

So here's my point. We have spent a lot of time talking about building your business, personal opportunity for wealth creation, and the importance of overcoming fear and excuses to get out there and build your business. Today, I need you to think less about your business for a minute, and more about your health, and the health of the people around you. That is what this is about - and it MUST include you (and me) to be authentic.

If people around you are anything like me, they are less than pleased with the state of their fitness right now. Work won again. It happens to me every year, and I just don't feel as strong or fit as I want to be. I am not going to hang my head in shame about that, because I did some great work. But I am also not going to live my entire life for the future or as a slave to ambition. I absolutely am making my own health and the positive state of mind that comes with it a priority.

Right now you have a window of opportunity to make your commitment for 2011 and speak to everyone around you for the next 8 days. Orders received by December 21st should be delivered by January 1st in the continental US.

So now is the time to commit to fit clubs. Maybe even start a Facebook fit club, with the goal to help your immediate circle of friends - not the hundreds you have collected. but the people who are REALLY friends - the ones who you know you you can support, and invite them to work with you and keep each other accountable with once a week check-ins on Facebook. Encourage them to join the Team Beachbody club and log their workouts into WOWY so you can have a chance every day to win money. Post the WOWY winner in YOUR social media as if YOU are the one running the contest! Set a goal with your circle of friends for each month for the first three months of the year for a certain number of workouts and to report to each other when you hit milestones. Stay connected - not to talk about Mafia Wars and Farmville - but in helping each other achieve the lifestyle change that we all need to get more out of life and to feel better about life!

Do you hear me? It is important to shift into health mode. That's what we are about. It's important that we turn up the decibel level in our meetings and conversations. Start building commitments now. And as you share with people, ask them to help you spread the word, whether they are coaches or not.

I had an interesting experience yesterday when I thanked a friend of the family for an email she sent out to all her contacts. She is not a coach, but she was nice enough to send a note talking about how much she loves Shakeology to her entire email database, suggesting people order from her girlfriend who is a coach. Her note blew me away because it was purely about helping people.

If you know people who love Shakeology, or any of our workouts, if they don't want to be coaches, ask them to send a note like this out to their contacts with a link to your website so you can help more people benefit from the products that we all believe in so much!


Here's the letter she sent:

Hi all! I hope everyone is well and getting ready for the holidays... 2011 is just a few weeks away (gulp!). The point of this email is 2-fold:

First, I wanted to let you all know about the best shake on earth because I think you would love it! Those of you close to me know that my husband and I have had one of these shakes every single day RELIGIOUSLY for about a year and a half. My son drinks it and loves it too. We can not say enough about how much we love it and are obsessed with it! The amount of whole-food sourced vitamins, minerals, vegetables, grains, roots, you name it, that are in this shake is phenomenal. Even my naturalist dissected it and tested it on patients and said he's never seen anything like it in over 20 years of practice. The cell rejuvenation, the weight loss, the amount of good ingredients (something like eating 6 salads)... it is like the healthiest meal you can have. It is so delicious too, by the way. It's the total busy mom drink- it gives me so much energy, I am loading up on tons of good stuff, and it takes away my sweet tooth.

Anyway.. I wanted to share my secret treasure with all of you since I think it's something that you would really love. I am not selling it (although I'm so obsessed with it that it sounds like I do!)... but if you guys do order it (or anything else through Beachbody... P90X, dvds, etc.) then PLEASE go through my friend _______. I will put her link below. She is one of the most wonderful people on earth, and a phenomenal single mom of two little girls. If anyone deserves the support it's her. I would love everyone to drink the shake regardless, but if you are going to buy it you may as well support a deserving dear friend at the same time!! Also, feel free to forward this to anyone who may want to know about it. The more people the better! It's like passing along the gift of health! ;) This is the link to use: Myshakeology.com/_______

Love,

____________

I am asking you to recommit to your fitness and generate 5 sales between now and December 21st - get 5 people to commit to their health program by Tuesday 12/21. Talk about how easily and effectively Shakeology can help them get back on track for them and their family. And make sure you are committed too!

This is the job - We need to live healthier lifestyles, and we need to help other people realize that they can do it to. It's not hard - but it's also not impossible!

I am not willing to accept a lower life expectancy for my kids. And I am not willing to build my business at the expense of how I feel physically. This is a big deal. Nobody but WE are talking about this with this kind of ferocious caring for the real fundamental well being of people.

All the tools are in place. Team Beachbody has what we need. The social media utilities make it easier than ever to connect with people and stay accountable. We have the best fitness and nutrition products in the world. But we have to make it a priority to do it, and talk about it, and invite others to do it with us.

Let's ask our friends and families - if they don't want to be coaches, would they help us get the word out ? Now is the time to get started. 2011 is the year to succeed.

Let's get excited about how good it feels to move and eat better and take care of ourselves. You are an ambassador of vitality, and I am proud to work with you.

Beachbody Adds SVP of Team Beachbody Global Sales

Jeff Hill Beachbody’s New Senior Vice President of Team Beachbody Sales


Santa Monica, CA – December 2, 2010 – Jeff Hill was named Beachbody’s Senior Vice President of Team Beachbody Global Sales today. Mr. Hill joins the company as one of the most celebrated and sought after sales executives in the direct selling industry.

“The addition of Jeff Hill is a significant milestone for Team Beachbody,” said Beachbody CEO Carl Daikeler. “Our search for a field sales leader who fit the culture and ethics of Beachbody resulted in us getting the one executive we wanted and the one executive others said we couldn’t get. Jeff has the experience and the desire to help people succeed, which will take Team Beachbody from 43,000 coaches today to more than 1,000,000 in the coming years.”

Hill brings more than 20 years’ experience in corporate leadership and sales. He has led sales at some of the industry’s top health and nutrition companies. Most recently, he served as Senior Vice President of Global Sales for Tahitian Noni International where he guided sales activities in multiple international markets as well as in the US. He was President of Shaklee’s International business in Northern California and began his direct selling career as Senior Vice President of Sales for Melaleuca. In his seven years at Melaleuca, Jeff was recognized as the driving force behind the company’s dramatic growth (now nearly $900 million in sales).

Evidence of his abilities to foster a collaborative team environment focused on training and personal development, Hill served in leadership positions as Managing Consultant at Covey Leadership Center and Area Vice President at Franklin Covey, working with Fortune 500 companies at executive levels. Hill began his career in a private civil law practice. He holds a Juris Doctorate from the McGeorge School of Law at the University of the Pacific in Sacramento and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Brigham Young University.

“Team Beachbody is the first direct selling company to offer its independent distributors brands that people ask for by name. P90X® is a national phenomenon,” said Team Beachbody Managing Director, Brett Blake. “Now with Jeff leading our sales organization, I believe we can have a significant impact on helping all of our distributors financially while ending the trend of obesity that plagues the US and dozens of countries around the world.”

About Beachbody, LLC

Founded in 1998 by Carl Daikeler and Jon Congdon, Beachbody, LLC, operates Beachbody.com , and TeamBeachbody.com. The Santa Monica, California-based company is the creator of the nation's most popular fitness and weight loss solutions including P90X®, Insanity®, Brazil Butt Lift®, Slim in 6®, Turbo Jam®, Hip Hop Abs®, and Power 90® among many others. Beachbody® programs combine challenging DVD-based workouts with easy-to-follow diet guidelines, nutritional supplements (including its breakthrough health shake called Shakeology®, AKA “The Healthiest Meal of the Day”), and an unparalleled customer service and peer-support system.

In fact, Beachbody has expanded this support system through TeamBeachbody.com, which includes a network of thousands of independent "Coach" distributors as well as a dynamic online support and fitness community. The company's beauty business includes brands Timeless Secret® and Derm Exclusive®. The corporate mission is to help people achieve their goals and enjoy healthy, fulfilling lives.

Beachbody #43 Fastest Growing Companies in LA

Beachbody, LLC was just named as one of the 100 Fastest Growing Private Companies of 2010 by the Los Angeles Business Journal!

We were ranked at #43, thanks to our 61.9% growth in revenue from 2007 to 2009! The Los Angeles Business Journal generates the list annually, ranking the top 100 by revenue growth from 2007 through 2009, evaluating the privately held companies that are headquartered in Los Angeles County.

Our exponential growth and continued success is due to the incredible people who work hard every day to achieve the short and long term objectives we set, and believe me, we don't set those goals low! And of course the most exciting area of growth is thanks to our network of Team Beachbody Coaches!

Together, we are helping people achieve their goals to lead more healthy fulfilling lives by creating products and promotions that inspire people and give them the tools they need to live healthier. And it's that act of reaching out to people and sharing our programs and tools which drives the real change.

Our Game Plan strategy calls for sharing the benefits and strategies we advocate with 2 people a day. Each person you connect with, each Coach you sign up, each order we receive, each customer who discovers the truth means we are moving forward toward our goal of 1,000,000 Team Beachbody Coaches helping 100,000,000 customers.

Thank you Beachbody and Team Beachbody for the work you do and I look forward to celebrating many more milestones with you!

Stop The Presses! Bloomberg Businessweek Profiles Beachbody!

More Beachbody in the press!

Big things are happening for Beachbody...and Bloomberg Businessweek is taking note!

(It's a good thing I renewed my subscription or else I might have missed this!)

Check out the article that came out today -
Beachbody: Thinking Beyond The Infomercial!

It Does NOT Pay To Steal P90X!

Proof again that it doesn’t pay to try to rip off Beachbody. Beachbody recently received a default judgment in excess of $2.1M ($2,150,000.00) against a counterfeiter. Several months ago, Beachbody began investigating a resident of New York, and learned that this individual had been dealing in counterfeit Beachbody products, selling more than 125 units of P90X. When we went after him, his lawyer foolishly told us to take a hike and asked us what we would really do.

Not being a company to allow its amazing products to be ripped off and then told to take a hike, we filed a complaint in the United States District Court seeking damages and injunctive relief. The judge noted the willful infringement and awarded Beachbody $2.15 million in damages to send a message (and even threw in an addition $5,600 for attorneys’ fees). We intend to enforce the judgment and send a message that Beachbody will not tolerate any theft of our intellectual property.

This is just one of literally hundreds of investigations and complaints that Beachbody undertakes each month as part of its anti-piracy efforts, and hopefully will convince other counterfeiters that Beachbody simply will not rest when it comes to protecting its valuable products. We want the entire piracy community to know that will do everything possible to prevent counterfeiting, and will continue to take action against those that deal in counterfeit Beachbody products. Huge credit to our entire Legal and Anti-Piracy Teams who are dedicated to tracking down and nailing the counterfeiters and pirates out there trying to steal all of our hard work!

To report any pirated or counterfeit Beachbody products, please email: piracy@beachbody.com

Total Wellness Transformation: Hank's Journey - Back In the Game

Welcome To Hank's Journey: Total Wellness Transformation - Diary Of A 50lb Weight Loss

Hey, everyone, it's Hank here! I'm finally starting to feel human again. I'm still resting and repairing and on the road to full recovery, but I feel a whole heckuva lot better this week than I did the week before. So good, in fact, that I have been able to ease myself back into working out.

I'm following the advice of everyone - my doctor, friends, YOU - and being careful not to overdo it. I can't afford a relapse. I can actually feel my body readjusting and recalibrating itself as we shift gears again. I had to take a little break, but now I'm back in it to win it.

I'm still enjoying my beloved Shakeology for breakfast and lunch, plus some healthy, high protein snacks at regular intervals. I'm aware that I am actually reprogramming my metabolism, among other things, so it's essential to keep fueling my body as it repairs and gets back into the groove of things. I'm making sure I give it fuel throughout the day so it doesn't go into starvation mode and hold onto what I'm working hard to lose.

As for working out, I'm not pushing myself or getting crazy. It felt great to get back into that routine. Mostly some good cardio and light resistance training. I got a little overzealous my 2nd day back and got a little dizzy and had to remind myself not to push too hard, but other than that, it's been good. I'm a little sore, but it's good soreness - the kind you earn.

I'm still eating a high protein meal in the evening (mostly grilled chicken or pork) and it's funny how the old cravings are not there anymore. When people at work have giant cupcakes or go out for fast food or have Halloween candy out on their desks, it feels good not to be tempted. Frankly, I'd rather have some apple slices and a handful of raw almonds instead because I know it's giving me what my body needs, as opposed to stuff that might taste good in the short term but provides no nutritional value.

So that's this week's update. Thanks to Carl and all the Team Beachbody Coaches for the encouraging comments and support. I was on the bench for a bit, but now I'm back in the game and pushing ahead. Looks like it's working, because I'm down nearly 4 pounds!

Total Wellness Transformation: A Slight Delay

Just when you think you're hitting a stride and things are going well - BAM! Reality strikes, and the universe put the beat-down me. This entry is going to be brief because, well, I'm sick. Not sniffles or common cold sick - that's kids' stuff. I'm sicker this week than I've ever been. I'm major league, can't get out of bed except to go to the freezer to get an ice pack sick.

This past Sunday, I got what I thought was food poisoning. Nasty stuff. I've spent the past 5 days barely able to keep down fluids, weak, delirious and pretty much bed-ridden. It escalated to the point that I was concerned that it was something serious.

After two visits to the doctor, three prescriptions and gallons of water, Shakeology, and organic chicken broth, it turns out it's nothing life-threatening - just some nasty virus that kicked my butt. I'm not used to missing work or letting illness slow me down, much less stop me in my tracks, so that week was a lesson, as well as an exercise in humility and patience.

Wise counsel explained to me that I am undergoing a lot of transition right now. Changing the way I eat, incorporating exercise, etc. - all of it requires adjustment and time. I've been told by my doctor, my friends and my boss that I am allowed time to heal and that I should allow myself this time without beating myself up over it.

It was pointed out to me that this is a sign of the true evolution I am undergoing. So although I am physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted, I am looking at this as a gift of sorts. It reminds me I need to listen to my body and ensure that I am caring for it on all levels. And it forces me to keep things in perspective.

As I plan my return to solid food over the coming days, I am excited to get back into working out. Unfortunately, there will be a slight delay, due to one of the meds I was given. I can't work out or engage in anything too physical until the course of meds is complete...because one of the side effects is that it can cause severe tendon damage. In fact, it can cause the Achilles tendon to "detach". WHAT?!? As the pharmacist explained the warnings to me in the most serious tone, I started to feel defeated. But then I caught myself.

"Marathon, not a sprint." This is just a slight delay and I'll be back in the saddle soon.

In the meantime, I'm focusing on making sure I get the rest, nutrition and hydration I need to facilitate the healing. I'm focusing on the concept of total wellness - if I can't work out the physical side at the moment, I'll work out the mental and emotional aspects...and be grateful for the chance to do so.

I'm down a few more pounds (though I can think of better ways to accomplish it) and I look forward to getting back in the fight shortly.

Until next time,

Hank

The End of Product Partners?

What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, we call a butterfly. In this case, the caterpillar is "Product Partners, LLC" and as of today, it's getting it's wings. Welcome to the all new, Beachbody, LLC!

Time to let our corporate name reflect who we are, and be who the rest of the world has come to know us as: We hereby declare us, once and for all, Beachbody

Behind the scenes, nothing will change except our corporate name. It’s business as usual – only under the name that people see as the leader in helping people achieve their goals to lead healthy, fulfilling lives!

Over the coming weeks, we will be re-branding basic items such as stationery, labels, letterhead, parking spaces, the company blimp, etc. to reflect the new name. (Anyone know a good tattoo removal guy?)

But it’s official! We. Are. Now. Beachbody!

Fly little Beachbody, fly.

Total Wellness Transformation: Shakin' Things Up A Little

Welcome to the next installment of "Total Wellness Transformation: Diary Of A 50lb Weight Loss."

Thanks everyone for the show of support. It is true what they say about Team Beachbody! The support is what makes everything else work. Wait until you see what happened to me this week!

Like I said last week, I'm aware this is a marathon, not a sprint. It's gonna take time, effort and consistency. Which kind of stinks, because I'm the most impatient person I know. But things are not going to change overnight. This is a lifestyle change and ironically enough, one of the most profound changes I've made was also one of the easiest. I adopted the daily use of Shakeology®. I'm not a pitch man by any means but I will say this; it's already my secret weapon.

I have never been a breakfast person. Or a morning person, for that matter. Often, I would just start my day and go about my routine and then not even get around to eating until the middle of the afternoon when I realized I was starving. Of course, when this is the case, you rarely want the foods that are best for you, so you make unhealthy choices. Well, that was one of the first major changes I decided to make. So I started a new, healthy habit to help be break some long entrenched bad ones. I guess you could say I needed to shake things up a little - literally.

I have Shakeology in the morning so I can give my body the nutrients and fuel it needs. (I'm a Greenberry man, but am learning to appreciate Chocolate, as well.) Now, I "drink" my breakfast and I don't have that crash that causes the cravings that lead to such poor food choices. If it's a really busy day, I'll have another Shakeology for lunch so I can power through.

After using it regularly, I noticed subtle differences. I started feeling more alert in the morning, not so sluggish. I had more energy. I just felt better. I realized that for years, I had not been giving my body the fuel that it desperately needed. Basically, I was getting in the car and flooring it, even though there was very little fuel in the tank.

I had to go to a conference recently and I took Ziploc bags of Shakeology and my shaker cup so I could make it in my hotel room. While everyone else was lining up at Starbucks, bleary-eyed in need of their morning fix, I was drinking my shake as I ran to my morning sessions. And I felt good about it.

The rare days when I don't have it or I run out, I find myself craving it. My body is used to getting all the good stuff. Plus, it makes things a heck of a lot easier. It saves time. I don't have to think about what to eat and I am less likely to make a poor choice. Water, ice, a scoop of powder - done.

It's working, because by doing some cardio 5 days a week and some light resistance training and combining that with healthier eating habits and Shakeology, I'm already seeing success...I'm down 6.6 pounds. Time to celebrate with some Greenberry!

Until next time,
Hank

Beachbody Recognized For Awesome Customer Service

Beachbody® is known for our outstanding Customer Service. We take all Customer complaints VERY seriously and act quickly and decisively to address them. We're constantly striving to improve and though we love positive feedback from our Customers, it's always nice when you get a nod from the trade.

Smart Business Los Angeles magazine is highlighting our focus on the Customer in a cover story featuring our dashing Beachbody President & Co-Founder, Jonathan Congdon. Click HERE to read it!

We're On TV!

If you subscribe to DirecTV, I've got great news -- no more channel surfing through lame movies and reality shows when you want to watch great TV... there's always something to watch! Beachbody infomercials!

At least that's the way it is from 12AM to 12PM EST on Channel 341! Channel name: "BB" featuring daily Product Partners programming scheduled with WOWY promotion spots and other short for programming between each show.

We're blacked out on Sunday’s 6:00a-12:00pm (necessary for bandwidth issues relating to NFL Ticket), but otherwise, sit back, and enjoy the direct marketing fabulousness with over 18 million other happy DirecTV viewers!

Happy Ten Year Anniversary Beachbody!

Ten years ago today, our very first customer, Hope Putnam, ordered Great Abs Guaranteed to launch what has now become the $400+MM a year leader in finding an end to the trend of obesity.

To celebrate the ten year milestone, we sent this crystal trophy to the employees, investors, friends, and parents who helped us get things off the ground, and got the entire company together to make the occasion with an official announcement this morning.

To add to the excitement, in this week's IMS report, the company which tracks the most aired infomercials of the week, Beachbody had three shows of the top five - a first in our history!

Yet it feels like we're just getting started. We've really just found our momentum, with the Beachbody network redefining healthy peer support, P90X redefining fitness, and Shakeology redefining nutrition.

The last ten years have been exceptionally exciting. But we have a lot of work to do to achieve our potential... Our best is still ahead of us!

Health -- The Whole Package

Beachbody has always been about a comprehensive approach to health, fitness and weight loss.

We've created breakthroughs like Power 90, Slim in 6, Turbo Jam, Hip Hop Abs and P90X. We made easting easier to decipher with the aid of Michi's Ladder. And now we're making great nutrition simpler than ever to achieve with the launch of Shakeology, a true state-of-the-art breakthrough in nutrition.

There's less than a month before we launch our premium health shake at Team Beachbody.com and its coaches. And I've been using it for over a year now, every day. And it is literally my favorite meal of the day.

Every time I drink Shakeology I enjoy a rich delicious shake filled with whole food sources of vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants, not some high-priced juice where the antioxidants have long since been destroyed. And because I am getting those antioxidants with a generous dose of protein and phyto-nutrients, my blood sugar doesn't spike and my body has what it needs to rebuild and clear out toxins.

Beachbody is making fitness accessible and fun. We're making weight loss easier to achieve. Now for anyone who wants to eat healthy, lose or maintain their weight, and feed themselves the kind of nutrition which maximizes cellular health and function, get ready... Shakeology is coming soon at TeamBeachbody.com and through our fantastic Beachbody coaches.

We've Finally Made It...

...into the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition! (Mom will be so proud!)

This year's swimsuit issue comes out officially on Feb 13th, and inside you'll find a full page ad for P90X, the #1 fitness program in the country right now.



They had a great ad rate, and we couldn't pass the promotion up!

So if you're not a coach yet, once you see our ad gracing the pages of one of the most anticipated magazine issues of the year, you might want to sign up to take advantage of all that promotion!

Economic Upturn and the End of a Trend

It's tough to watch the news these days and feel like there's anything you can do but grab a donut and wait for someone to hand over your share of a bail out package.

U.S. jobless claims have surged to 26-year high. And factory orders plummeted in December. The Labor Department said first-time claims for state unemployment insurance benefits rose to 626,000 in the week ended January 31, the highest since October 1982.

Almost 2.6 million jobs were lost last year, the most since 1945. The unemployment rate jumped to 7.2 percent in December, the highest in 16 years, and is expected to keep climbing. A new survey by the National Association for Business Economics depicts the worst business conditions in the U.S. since the report's inception in 1982.

The layoffs continue: Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, and Sprint Nextel, the country's third-largest wireless provider, said they each will slash 8,000 jobs. Home Depot will get rid of 7,000 jobs. GM will cut 2,000 jobs at plants in Michigan and Ohio due to slow sales. Caterpillar announced 5,000 new layoffs. Microsoft will slash up to 5,000 jobs over the next 18 months - it's first layoffs, ever. Intel will cut up to 6,000 manufacturing jobs while Goldman Sachs notified 3,200 employees that they have been laid off. Bank of America has plans for cutting 30,000 jobs across the globe in 3 years.

That's what you hear about on the news, but it's not the whole story. There is another story, one of hope, achievment, and enthusiasm. That story is being written by thousands of Beachbody coaches growing in number and momentum. They are the cavalry. They refuse to sit back and "take it". Instead, while the global economy has been unraveling, Beachbody...

> Recruited over 10,000 Coaches, as independent business owners

> Paid over $15 million in Coach commissions

> Increased staff by 66%, hiring over 100 people in 2008 to support the growth of the network business.

> Co-published Kathy Smith's Project: You For Type 2 with the American Diabetes Association in a combined mission to improve ADA fundraising to find a cure for the disease, help prevent diabetes and to improve the lives of people affected by diabetes.

> Donated thousands of dollars for the care and feeding of orphans in Africa and the US.

> Developed multiple ground-breaking new products for release in 2009, including the "healthiest meal of the day", Shakeology.

> Celebrated the physical transformation of literally thousands of customers and coaches who sent in their photos and videos to show that our programs really work, and a healthy approach to diet and fitness is the best approach.

And we're just getting started.

We derive no pleasure from the state of the economy or the state of health and obesity in the US. Instead we are resolved to meet these challenges with creativity, enthusiasm, and relentless leadership. We are a committed to being the force behind the economic upturn and the end of the obesity trend by empowering the individual with the tools and support to succeed.

As we approach the Dream Extreme Summit in March, coaches like our founders continue to hold their own recruiting events to build momentum, and new coaches are working to recruit leaders to help us get the word out about Beachbody. All will be rewarded well for motivating people to get healthy and fit.


Beachbody and its coaches are on a roll, and this snowball is just getting started on a long steep slope toward enormous success. Get on board, and be a part of something exceptionally special, a true economic upturn and the end of a trend.

In Tough Times, Turn To Charity

There's an article in Business Week about how the financial crisis on Wall Street will have an enormous impact on charities who have relied on generous donations from banks and their executives for much of their annual budgets.

Time to get creative, because that money's not gonna be there this year. And the timing for some charities couldn't be worse. The America Red Cross is staring in the face of hurricane season with dwindling funds. Jonathan Aiken, a spokesman from the disaster relief fund says they have no choice but to borrow the money they need. But that creates a ripple effect; Borrow now, pay interest on that money later which makes it even harder to make ends meet.

I think our coaches have a resource. 200 million Americans need a solution to their health and weight issues. Why don't some of these charities enlist as coaches (we have special structure for 501(c)3 charities to make it economical -- coach relations has more info) and ask their supporters to become coaches downline from the charity and band together to raise money through our business opportunity while they get healthy?

One of the very first charities to get involved as a non-profit Beachbody Coach is the Tunahaki Foundation, a small charity focused on helping an orphanage in Africa. To date they have generated over $3,600 as a coach - and that is with fairly passive action. They mentioned it a couple times in newsletters, but otherwise have not leveraged the opportunity to mobilize their base of supporters to get in shape and help others in the name of helping the kids in Tanzania.

What about right here though? Is your PTA having any issue meeting its budget? We already have school PTA's who have signed up as coaches to raise money by selling healthy Beachbody programs rather than candy and baked goods.

I know many people like Perry Tinsley, Joey Petri, Blake and Angie Warrington, Milan Jensen and David Lewine are looking to leverage the upcoming release of the Kathy Smith's "Project: YOU! for Type Two" to raise money for diabetes-related charities.

In fact, I want to start getting people to sign up for the ADA's step-out walk, Sun Oct 26th in LA at http://www.diabetes.org/Teambeachbody. You can form your own team under Team Beachbody, sign up solo, and sign-up people who sponsor you as a walker. Kathy Smith herself will be leading the warm-up that day, and I'll be walking with my four-month old. (Sign in is at 7.30 am for the 9:00 am walk.)

Here's the bottom line to all this: Beachbody is spending millions a week in TV advertising to make effective products like P90X, Ten Minute Trainer, and Turbo Jam famous. People can buy them from Beachbody directly, they can buy them from you as a coach, or they can buy them from your favorite charity so they earn the 25% commission and you as a coach get the bonus. I know I would rather see the girlscouts motivating their parents and friends to get healthy with "ChaLEAN Extreme" instead of pushing boxes of cookies.

Who do you know that could benefit from Beachbody's healthy alternative to fundraising and community improvement? Why not mobilize that community to workout in the WOWY SuperGym to get healthy, and if anyone wins the $1,000 they split it with the charity? Or devote their personal transformation to that charity and compete for the $10,000 prize in the Million Dollar Body Game -- and then donate the prize to the charity! If I ran a charitable organization I would promote the money Beachbody gives away as if it were the charity's, and rally the population of supporters to "get healthy and help us meet our budget!"

With over 12,000 Beachbody coaches, I know some have connections to charities which you care about. Whether it's active participation to get people healthy the way we are doing with the ADA, or simply getting a charity involved as a coach and promoting the availability of these TV-promoted products in the charity's newsletter, every charity, church, and school who is looking to meet its budget and to have a positive impact on the health and wellness of its community should join as a Beachbody coach.