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Jonee Woodard Named Modere Head of Global Operations

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Modere Inc. announced that Jonee Woodard is the company’s new vice president of Global Operations.

Woodard joins Modere with 20 years of progressive experience in global supply chain management, from manufacturing to procurement, inventory, logistics and fulfillment. She began her career as the Operations and Physical Distribution Manager for a top retail department store chains in the United States. Before joining Modere, she held domestic and international operational positions, including chief operations officer and vice president of Operations for consumer brands, health and wellness, skincare and beauty companies in the direct selling channel.

Asma Ishaq, chief executive officer of Modere, said of Woodard’s appointment, “The robust presence we are currently enjoying in 42 international markets requires a skilled leader with the experience and foresight to develop and manage operational strategies in a fast-growth environment. As we continue to grow those markets and launch others, Jonee Woodard presents as the best candidate for this critical role. She is experienced, astute, performance-driven and collaborative, and I believe she will make a very welcome addition to our management committee and team here at Modere.”

“I am honored to join the management team at Modere and to add my expertise in operations at this key moment in time as the company experiences growth across its markets,” commented Woodard. “It’s an exciting time to be at Modere and I am eager to contribute to its further success.”

 

 

Direct Selling Caucus Requests Relief for Direct Sellers

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Bi-partisan members of the Congressional Direct Selling Caucus sent a letter to leadership in the House and Senate requesting relief for direct sellers in the next stimulus package to be passed by Congress.

Led by Caucus Co-Chairs Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC) and Rep. Marc Veasey (D-TX), the letter was signed also signed by Caucus members Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), and Rep. Darren Soto (D-FL).

The letter requests that future packages aimed to help direct sellers recover from the global pandemic include:

  • Waive self-employment taxes on all 1099 filers for one year
  • Increased tax credit or allowance for telework or work-from-home expenses (including business startup and operational expenses) that can be claimed by self-employed individuals or companies incurring expense to enable their employees or contractors to work from home
  • If an independent contractor accesses temporary expanded benefits under the CARES Act, this cannot be used in future actions to determine employee status

Direct Selling Association President Joseph N. Mariano said, “We thank Reps. Hudson and Veasey as well as members of the Congressional Direct Selling Caucus for requesting these priorities in the next stimulus legislation that will help millions of individuals across the United States. Inclusion of these provisions in future legislation will help new and incoming salespeople navigate the negative impacts of the global pandemic.”

 

For a copy of the letter, click here.

Young Living’s Mary Young Named 2020 CEO of the Year

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Young Living Essential Oils announced that Co-Founder and CEO Mary Young has been awarded Utah Business magazine’s 2020 CEO of the Year award.

The CEO of the Year award recognizes Utah CEOs who stand out above the rest by embracing innovation, adopting sound business strategies and building up a track record of proven success.

“Mary is a powerhouse,” said Kelly Case, the Young Living executive team’s chief of staff. “I’ve worked for Young Living for close to 20 years, so I got to watch as Mary’s strong business mind-set helped Young Living grow into the successful organization it is today. She uses her role as CEO to empower and to be a champion for those around her.”

Under Young’s leadership, Young Living recently celebrated its 25th anniversary by launching its 5×5 Pledge initiative; unveiling its Global Headquarters in Lehi, Utah; dedicating nearly 12,000 acres to the D. Gary Young Wildlife Sanctuary in memory of Young Living’s late founder; and earning a place as one of the Direct Selling Association’s top companies in the U.S. In addition to overseeing a successful global company, Young spends much of her time overseeing many philanthropic projects sponsored through The D. Gary Young, Young Living Foundation. These projects include rebuilding and restoring schools in Nepal, helping survivors of human trafficking, providing schooling and scholarships to children in Ecuador, raising funds for firefighting and reforestation efforts in the wake of the Amazon fires, and much more.

“It’s a real honor to receive this award,” said Young. “For me, it’s not so much about change or evolving the business. It’s about instilling the basics of good business practices: honesty, integrity, and working together toward success. When you believe in what you have and what you do, the focus is to grow what you have. Educating on the many facets of our mission is the biggest opportunity imaginable as people search for a path to a healthier lifestyle and a way to help others.”

 

Why Working Virtually Is Great for Businesses

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(This article was written by John Caplan and appeared on forbes.com.)

During this unprecedented global health crisis, many companies around the world are operating remotely to protect employees and prevent the spread of the coronavirus. With a vaccine still in development, this new way of working will likely continue for the foreseeable future. While it takes some getting used to and comes with its own challenges, there are exciting opportunities.

The biggest opportunity is that your business does not need to be limited to the immediate geography of where you’re located, meaning you can connect more extensively with customers, partners, and opportunities around the world. A virtual sales call with a client halfway around the world used to sound like a crazy idea, but today it has become common practice. Finding a new supplier of raw materials for your business from a top producer in Italy used to be something only big companies with travel budgets would do. Not anymore. Working remotely is a great equalizer and has opened new channels.

Working remotely may also be a key to globalization. Our U.S., Europe, and Asia local teams are working from home, so we are all quickly learning that we really are just one big team. The disappearance of office walls and satellite locations removes any “us versus them” mentality or sense that the people you are physically closest to are the ones you should be most aligned with. This global team unity is a powerful silver lining of how we’re working and thinking today, and it’s just one example. Advantages like this are already transforming the way we do business, helping us achieve new levels of proximity, understanding, productivity, and innovation. To start unlocking them for your own business, follow these eight strategies as you manage your teams.

  1. Be transparent.

The further apart we are, the more easily mistrust between co-workers and business partners can develop. If people are out of the loop or have partial information, their productivity and happiness decline. Make a deliberate effort to integrate people into the decision-making loop by hosting regular virtual town halls, video conferences, and virtual office hours. Regularly sharing information, goals, and metrics about your company’s strategy and personnel decisions will make the entire team feel respected. By keeping communication channels open, employees will understand how much you value them. This will help them become more invested in your business, and meetings will be less about updates and more about inclusive, productive collaboration. Now is the time for over-communication, openness, and transparency. Even if you think you’ve already said something, say it again.

  1. Be human.

Keep in mind that part of being transparent is being human. Go ahead and talk about yourself as a person, not as a worker. Does your dog want to make a Cameo on a Zoom call? Does your partner want to wave hello? Go for it! This openness will allow colleagues to support one another on a more personal level and ultimately build a more unified and resilient workplace culture.

  1. Simpler is always better.

We like to say, “no gray areas,” because every degree of complexity introduces risk to a business. Misinterpretation can drive disconnection and poor outcomes. So as you’re setting objectives, focus on prioritizing activities that create clear customer value. It’s best to accomplish only one or two goals at a time and then go deep on them to build shared understanding. This kind of focus and communication always wins.

4. Earn value.

As we all connect and collaborate more over Zoom, Ding, Slack, and Microsoft Teams, it’s hard to have visibility into all that is going on, including who is doing what and who is happy, productive, and making an impact. It’s especially difficult for a leader of a team to align with and support the team. One of our core values is “trust makes everything simple,” and that means both trust within our company and for small-and-medium-sized businesses to do business globally. To help set a tone for a culture of enhanced trust, be humble. Think of coming to work every day as a reset, and try to earn credit—with your team, customers, and partners—by the end of each day. Help your team be productive, no matter what it takes.

  1. Set a clear goal.

Establish a single, clear overarching goal for your team—and then resist the urge to micromanage. Do that, and you will demonstrate your confidence in your people, which will ultimately inspire creativity and maximize productivity. This is crucial while people aren’t commuting, have the ability to reallocate time and are more flexible and available than ever before. Now is the time to invent solutions and uncover opportunities.

  1. Embrace diversity and celebrate innovation.

Out of chaos and disruption comes opportunity for small-and-medium businesses. We are experiencing 20 years of business and digital transformation packed into just a few months, and employees at every level have newfound freedom to exercise their ingenuity and solve problems in compelling ways. As a leader, be intentional and vocal about encouraging and rewarding this inventive mindset. Use this moment to lean into digital and global opportunities and open paths for all members of your team to contribute creative thinking and make new connections. Don’t resist the change, go with it. Say yes. It’s only when we welcome diversity of people and ideas that people can innovate freely.

  1. Results > Hours.

This is not the time to micromanage or be strict about hours, face time, or protocol. People all over the world are now navigating disruption and change in their lives. You may not know it, but members of your team may be struggling with their responsibilities, like taking care of kids or worrying about the health of elderly parents, all while trying to demonstrate their value and do their jobs. If you notice that your team member is not available on-call or on-chat 15 hours a day or responding immediately to every message, let it go. What matters first and foremost is their physical and mental health, their family, and their ability to drive business outcomes.

  1. Always be listening, learning, and growing. 

As the world changes and as all businesses more fully go digital, there is fresh opportunity everywhere. For example, since people are accustomed to using technology to collaborate, you can leverage that experience into helping your customers. Ask them what they need. Our team has invented new ways to engage with our customers, such as daily webinars for our sellers that teach them how to add customers globally, and launched virtual trade shows that match buyers to the right supplier. We’ve also debuted Transformer Talks, a Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn Live series where we interview leaders, such as celebrity chef and advocate Tom Colicchio, to tease out insights that small businesses can use to chart a path to success in the face of today’s unique challenges. All of these initiatives were invented in response to this moment, to help those who use our services bridge to the next decade.

As we continue to navigate through the pandemic and beyond, businesses that actively lead with transparency and humanity—with a focus on collaboration and innovation—and who embrace a global and digital mindset, will be the ones that inspire their people and their customers.

 

Direct Selling Australia Announces 2020 Industry Awards Winners

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Direct Selling Australia announced winners of the 2020 DSA Industry Awards at the first-ever virtual ceremony, attended by industry leaders and peers.

The awards recognize the achievements of member companies that are transforming the lives of those seeking flexible and meaningful ways to earn an income.

“The awards aim to empower independent direct sellers, fuel business processes and make our world a better place,” said Gill Stapleton, CEO of Direct Selling Australia. “The awards have one thing in common: they promote direct selling as a business channel that helps create better lives.”

Categories for the 2020 DSA Industry Awards included:

  • Partner Award: The winner was The Events Authority for their ongoing service to the industry, producing a measurable impact on the growth and development of an active DSA member company. The Events Authority has a long-standing relationship with Nutrimetics, PartyLite, Mannatech, Herbalife Nutrition, Arbonne, Norwex, Scentsy and Isagenix.

 

  • Distributor of the Year Award: The winner was Penny Inches, PartyLite Regional Leader, for embodying the principles of the DSA Code of Practice while building a successful business. As a result of the pandemic, Inches recognized the traditional direct selling model would not work due to travel restrictions and pivoted to connecting electronically, teaching her team how to run digital parties and to thrive online.

 

  • Product Award: The winner was LeRêve for describing a specific product that empowered and energized the sales field into action. The Bio-Scientific Skincare collection created excitement and helped distributors grow their business. LeRêve developed a natural skincare collection that could compete with the best international brands. Through utilizing local talent and resources they produced 10 high-quality, all-natural, products which ’ticked all the boxes’.

 

  • Story Award: The winner was Isagenix for demonstrating excellence and creativity in effective Australian marketing to key field people for their #StayHomeStayHealthy campaign. For world leaders and civilians alike, March 2020 brought unchartered territory. With a pandemic sweeping the globe came a new normal for individuals and businesses. Isagenix created online workshops, product spotlights and limited edition launches, virtual events and business training.

 

  • Custodian Award: The winner was Norwex for dedicating themselves to achieving a high standard of excellence in embracing sustainability throughout its business. Norwex dedicates themselves every day to achieve a high level of excellence in embracing sustainability. In fact, sustainable practices and products are what make up the backbone of this company. Their mission is to improve quality of life by radically reducing chemicals in our homes.

 

  • Giver Award: The winner was Herbalife Nutrition for providing a measurable impact on the Herbalife Nutrition Foundation. Herbalife Nutrition Foundation (HNF) is the philanthropic arm of Herbalife Nutrition. HNF is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving children’s lives by helping provide nutrition programs to vulnerable children. In Australia, HNF supports five Casa Partners: The Infants’ Home in NSW, Sunshine Butterflies in QLD, Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation in WA, Power Community Limited in SA and Lighthouse Foundation in VIC.

“I am impressed by the level of innovation and creativity demonstrated by the 2020 DSA Industry Awards winners. On behalf of the Association, I would like to congratulate this year’s winners on their outstanding achievement,” said Gill.

Direct Selling Australia has been the leading representative body for direct selling in Australian retail for more than 50 years. It represents and supports more than 50 direct selling companies.

 

 

Tupperware Announces Retirement of Outstanding 4.750% Senior Notes

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Tupperware Brands Corporation announced the expiration and final tender results of its previously announced offer of outstanding 4.750% Senior Notes.

The “First Offer” was to purchase for cash up to $175 million aggregate principal amount of its outstanding 4.750% Senior Notes due 2021 (the “Notes”) that were validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) at or prior to 11:59 p.m., New York City time, on June 23, 2020 (the “First Offer Expiration Time”).

The company also announced the early tender results of its previously announced offer (the “Second Offer” and, together with the First Offer, the “Tender Offers”) to purchase for cash up to the Second Offer Maximum Tender Amount of Notes that were validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) at or prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on June 23, 2020 (the “Second Offer Early Tender Time”). The Second Offer Maximum Tender Amount is $175 million aggregate principal amount of Notes less the aggregate principal amount of the Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) pursuant to the First Offer and accepted for purchase in the Second Offer.

For more information, click here.

Plexus Launches Kids Essentials Collection

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Plexus Worldwide announced the launch of its Kids Essentials collection—the MegaKids Microbiome™ and the newly reformulated XFactor Kids™ supplements.

This extension of Plexus’ XFactor Kids provides parents with an easy way to help supplement nutrient gaps and support growing, healthy kids.

MegaKids Microbiome helps to ensure kids two years and older receive the beneficial nutrients for healthy brain and eye function as well as cognitive development. The daily supplement is enriched with one gram of gut-healthy prebiotic fiber and a blend of brain-nurturing ingredients, Vegetarian DHA, Lutein, and Choline.

XFactor Kids is a supplement—a multivitamin and probiotic in one chewable aimed at children ages two and up. It contains 13 essential vitamins delivered in bioavailable forms that are easily absorbed. The probiotic, Bacillus subtilis, helps to decrease digestive discomfort, reduce occasional diarrhea or constipation and support intestinal yeast balance.

Herbalife Signs LA Galaxy’s Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez to a Multi-Year Sponsorship

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Herbalife Nutrition signed LA Galaxy striker and Mexican National Team member Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez.

As part of an exclusive multi-year sponsorship deal, the company will serve as his official sports nutrition partner through the 2023 MLS season.

“We’re thrilled to be Chicharito’s exclusive sports nutrition partner. His commitment to nutrition, fitness and the community aligns with our values and commitment to helping people live healthy active lifestyles,” said Jesus Alvarez, senior vice president, managing director of Mexico, Herbalife Nutrition.

As his official sports performance nutrition partner, Herbalife Nutrition will provide Hernandez with access to the company’s Herbalife24® line of sports performance products, which are NSF Certified for Sport®, as well as its other health and wellness products like teas, aloes and products for targeted nutrition to help fuel him in his efforts to optimize his performance on the field.

“Balanced nutrition is such an important part of a player’s performance.  I am excited to work with Herbalife Nutrition and its nutrition and sports experts to develop a personalized plan to make sure I achieve the proper nutrition and hydration needed to compete at the highest levels,” said Hernandez.

The sponsorship also includes supporting joint community partnership initiatives, sports nutrition education and the company’s marketing initiatives.

Hernandez began his career in 2006 and soon after became the first Mexican player to join Manchester United, scoring 20 goals and winning the Premier League in his debut season. He is Mexico’s all-time leading goal scorer, having represented Mexico at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup, the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the Copa América Centenario, the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Beautycounter, Sephora Team Up

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After a successful pop-up strategy with Target back in 2016, Beautycounter wants more and Sephora will provide the opportunity beginning next month.

The agreement includes a digital-first launch of 11 products, including best-selling items such as All Bright Vitamin C Serum and Overnight Resurfacing Peel. After the online-only campaign gets underway on July 7, the products will debut in all Sephora stores in August. The campaign will run through October.

According to Sephora, the agreement dovetails with its customers’ desire for clean beauty. Artemis Patrick, Sephora’s executive vice president and chief merchandising officer pointed out that Beautycounter is a leader in the space.

 

8 Social Media Hacks for Small Businesses

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(This article was written by Alex Sixt and appeared on entrepreneur.com.)

Social. Media. These two words have made you either jump for joy or curl up in a fetal position in your pajamas at the overwhelming nature of these platforms. Either of these reactions are probably the reason you’re here: either you love everything about social media or the mere thought sends you into a panic-induced sweat.

Like it or not, it’s here to stay, and in these social distancing times, social media is more important than before to the success of your business. Taking on the responsibility of managing your social media accounts can be both an exciting venture and a terrifying process, especially if you’re working from home like many throughout the world. Have no fear, I’m here to tell you that you’ve got this and to give you a few pro-tips.

The good news is that you don’t have to be a celebrity or a household name—even if you’re not a Kardashian, you can build a great following and get more attention for your posts. There are plenty of little-known hacks that can upgrade your social media game and boost your business’ following especially during a time when it is vital to stay connected to your virtual community. Many platforms have acknowledged the hardships that small businesses are facing during the coronavirus COVID-19 crisis, and have developed features to aid these users to expand their reach across social media.

These features can be a fantastic addition to your toolkit, but there are plenty of other ways to reach new audiences that don’t have to involve an expert understanding of the algorithms or hours of your precious time. I’ve pulled together some of my favorite, essential hacks that can help you build your business’ social media presence from home.

1. Get on a schedule.

You may have heard the old adage that “content is king.” If that is true then scheduling software can be considered the court jester that makes living in the kingdom fun and also slightly easier. If you’re like me, you’d prefer to not be glued to your phone or posting content manually hour after hour, during lunch, and in the middle of the night.

The perfect solution: social media management tools. There are a variety of apps that give their users the ability to schedule content ahead of time and free up your schedule while saving you from the hours that manual posting can take. Depending on your specific needs, there’s likely an app or tool that will be the perfect fit for your management style, and most provide more tools—such as analytics—that will give you the opportunity to monitor your social media from one dashboard.

2. Don’t underestimate the power of a hashtag.

Hate ‘em or love ‘em, hashtags can be an excellent way to reach new audiences on social media. It’s easy to get carried away with them and tack on the maximum amount to every post, but don’t get lost by thinking too broadly. Using popular hashtags such as #love or #summer may put you into the mix of other related posts, but there is another type of hashtag to consider when targeting audiences who are already interested in your industry: niche hashtags.

For example, a wedding business in San Diego, Calif., should consider using #sandiegowedding in addition to widely used hashtags such as #wedding, to reach a more local audience.

But hashtags don’t have to be restricted to just your posts; add them to your profile’s bio, as well. Instagram recently added the ability to add clickable hashtags to your bio, making your page more searchable and leading followers towards branded content on social media.

3. Boost blog traffic by promoting them on social media. 

Blogs and online articles are an excellent way to build your business’ online community and keep followers engaged. So, if you haven’t considered starting one, go do that now! Whether you’ve just started one thanks to my advice or already had one up and running, that’s great, but don’t stop at simply posting your content to your own site.

To increase traffic to your website, publish the post on your social media accounts. Try to schedule a few posts about your blog and include a clickable link to it, if possible (Facebook and Twitter have this feature, Instagram requires a bit of extra finesse to give links to users). This will help your users find your posts easily and boost your blog views – a win-win!

4. Partner with micro-influencers. 

Influencer marketing is a hot trend. It’s a type of social media marketing that involves product placement and advertising from social media users with a large following in a specific industry (influencers).

While that may sound intimidating, don’t worry; you won’t need a Kylie Jenner-level influencer (with her $1.2M per post price tag) promoting your product to do this. Think smaller, a-la the micro-influencer. These are influencers who have anywhere from 2,000 to 50,000 followers on social media and focus on a specific topic or niche market.

Partnering with micro-influencers gives small businesses the opportunity to tap into influencer marketing without the costly and often arduous task of promoting your products through top influencers. Try searching hashtags related to your brand (remember Hack #2?) and look for popular social media users that share a passion for your industry.

Once you’ve identified a few potential candidates, reach out to gauge their interest in working with your brand—some will work for cash, some will barter, some might accept product in exchange for posts. Find even one person who is passionate about your product or brand and you’ll be on your way to reaping the benefits of influencer marketing in no time.

5. Understand the ideal times to post.

To post or not to post, that is the question we’ve all faced when deciding whether or not to hit “publish” on our genius social media creation at 12 a.m. Unless you’re a celebrity with millions of global followers, it’s best to wait to figure out the best posting times for your specific audience. Each platform has a general time they suggest when most users are scrolling through—but beware of adhering to these guidelines—they’re very broad and no audience has the same habits.

To determine the best posting times for your audience, begin with making informed guesses as to time slots that could garner traffic, such as the morning and afternoon commute or lunch break. Pay attention to which times earn the most traffic, and tailor your strategy from there. Build it into your plan as you set up the scheduling strategy you learned about in Hack #1. However, this is not a one-time fix; holidays and major events such as the COVID-19 crisis can change your followers’ daily schedules. Pay attention to these changes as they fluctuate and adjust your social media scheduling strategy accordingly.

6. Focus less on vanity metrics, more on engagement. 

Vanity metrics, by definition, are considered the number of likes and followers you receive on social media. It’s extremely easy to buy into the idea that these are a true measure of your content’s success but, in reality, engagement should be the number one focus. Hundreds of likes on a social media post can show that your posts are performing well, but engagement such as comments and conversation will demonstrate that audiences are truly interested in your business’ services or goods and the information you share.

Many social media platforms offer free analytics tools that can provide insight into what types of content earn the most engagement on your page. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram all offer a free analytics tool that can help you to figure out what your audiences are really responding to. Similar to when determining posting times, experiment with content and constantly adjust to posting what your followers engage with the most.

7. Harness the power of Instagram Stories.

It’s time to add the Instagram and Facebook Stories feature to your toolkit. Instead of a standard post, Stories allow users to post photos or videos that appear at the top of your feed and disappear within 24 hours. They’re a goldmine for interacting with followers, gathering feedback, and promoting your business on social media in a fresh, fun way. Best of all, it’s free.

Try posting to your Story a few times a week and add things that viewers can interact with such as questions, polls, or other stickers. But beware of over posting—users will rarely click through dozens of Story posts from a single brand or account. Instead, try to keep it around 10 Story posts to share your content while keeping viewers engaged.

Need some inspiration? A great social media account to watch that nails the Instagram Story game is Colourpop Cosmetics. They are a perfect example of posting beautiful Stories that earn them feedback on products and content that their audiences want to see.

8. Check out new small-business Instagram stickers. 

In response to the hardship that the COVID-19 crisis has brought to many small businesses, Instagram has developed stickers to add to your Story. These stickers are designed specifically to bring your business more traffic.

When posting an Instagram Story, small-business users now have the option to add stickers that include buttons for purchasing gift cards, donating to a fundraiser, or ordering food. Each button allows users to link to a partner site, where they will be able to complete the action such as ordering food or donating money—helping to support your business with the click of a button. In a time where convenience and contactless purchasing is the new normal, these stickers can help to keep your social media community connected to your business (insert sigh of relief).

If you’re worried about how to manage your social media during these strange times, you’re not alone. While it can seem like an overwhelming task to stay connected to your community despite being socially distanced, adding some of these hacks to your social media strategy can help you stay engaged—even from six feet away.  Your followers are bound to respond and engage and, in turn, support your business. Happy posting!

 

3 Team Building Activities That Are Still Fun Virtually

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(This article was written by Shelcy V. Joseph and appeared on forbes.com.)

Leaders around the world are struggling to connect with their employees, having to rely on communication tools like Zoom or Slack to stay in touch. Still, it’s possible to foster strong team relationships online and uphold a strong work culture that will keep morale and day-to-day productivity high. In fact, now more than ever, managers need to come up with fun creative ways to maintain authentic connections with their employees.

It’s true that technology doesn’t fully make up for real-life moments, but just because everyone’s working remotely, doesn’t mean you can’t still have fun with your team.

These ideas will get you started:

Host Virtual Happy Hours

Everyone pours themselves a drink then meets on Zoom. To break the ice, you can have each person say what they’re drinking and if applicable, how they made it. Take it a step further and ask your team about their drink of choice. You’ll be surprised to find out that you have more things in common!

Virtual happy hours are an engaging way to recreate the bar experience online and those signal the official end of the workday.

Schedule More Creative Brainstorms

These are my favorite team meetings as there’s generally no pressure to be right or even have a lot to say. The format is also pretty casual—someone shares a prompt and people volunteer ideas that may or may not be acted upon. No forced participation, just pure creative flow in an open space. While it may be different over Zoom, you can leverage features like the chat box to keep the conversation going.

These creative brainstorms can bring some much needed levity to your team and relieve stress.

Have Individual Check-in Meetings over Facetime

I call these the “how are you really” meetings, which can make everyone on your team feel cared for and supported—from having a space space to be honest and vulnerable. Just as an experiment, try changing up the medium of your one-on-one check-ins and use FaceTime for a more personal approach.

 

Soccer Players Compete in First Online Global Herbalife #AthleteCookOffContest

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Herbalife Nutrition announced the winners of its first online global cooking contest featuring professional soccer players from teams around the world.

The global cooking competition among Herbalife Nutrition-sponsored soccer teams launched on May 26 on the company’s Instagram account to encourage healthy eating and the importance of staying active. This virtual event, which reached more than 500,000 people, also helped spark some competition among company-sponsored athletes who had lost the ability to compete due to the coronavirus and engage sports fans around the world who longed to watch their favorite sports heroes compete.

Once winners were selected, grants were awarded on their behalf to their chosen charity. The LA Galaxy’s Gordon Wild created “Cozy Salmon” which won the chef’s choice award and a grant to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. Santiago Montoya of FC Millonarios won the fan vote with his “Formula 1 Power Bowl” recipe, and a grant to his chosen charity, Cardio Infantil.

“We are grateful to these talented athletes for sharing their creative recipes to encourage proper nutrition, which is fundamental to their lifestyles, and inspired by their desire to help a local charity in their communities,” said Dana Ryan, Ph.D., director of Sports Performance Nutrition and Education at Herbalife.

Competing soccer players included Sacha Kljestan and Gordon Wild of the LA Galaxy; Jaylin Lindsey and Gerso Fernandes of Sporting Kansas CityCSD Municipal; Cristian Arango and Santiago Montoya of FC Millonarios (Colombia); Danilo Guerra and Jeffrey Payeras of CSD Municipal (Guatemala); Dang Van Lam and Patcharapol Intanee of Muangthong United F.C. (Thailand); Mathieu Cordier and Labinot Haliti of Western Sydney Wanderers FC (Australia); Kenti Robles and Elena Linari of Club Atlético de Madrid Femenino (Spain); and, Vincent Sierro and Nicolas Bürgy of BSC Young Boys (Switzerland).