Simply the Best Seat in the House
2008-02-12 17:10
Sunrider International
As a Sunrider employee, it's always a pleasure and a privilege to have the chance to listen to Dr. Tei-Fu and Dr. Oi-Lin Chen in person, something that normally I only get to do once a year during Grand Convention when I work onsite and attend various events. So I was excited when I was asked to attend a special meeting held at SR HQ last Thursday. The meeting involved North American Business Leaders and Drs. Chen getting together to discuss various business matters, and as Dr. Chen said, "to improve communication and get everyone on the same page."For the meeting, I was asked by my manager, Wendy Teng, to take notes for future articles; but during the course of the meeting I found it difficult to do, as I'd become so engrossed in what the Chens were saying that I'd sometimes forget to put pen to paper.
Dr. Chen has always impressed me with his charisma and confident yet engaging personality. He's a business visionary who's able to infuse his talks with a down-to-earth practicality and a natural sense of humor, making any topic accessible and entertaining (even the stuff dealing with calculation formulas!). It doesn't matter what country or culture you come from—when Dr. Chen speaks, you want to listen. I can see how people around the world have been attracted to Sunrider with such a dynamic spokesperson and leader at the helm. 
What struck a chord with me at this particular meeting was Dr. Chen's message about the importance of having the "courage to change." He gave examples how great leaders throughout history had the courage to change, to get out of their comfort zones, and make tough, sometimes unpopular decisions that paved the way for innovation and growth. Dr. Chen not only initiates change, but also embraces it when he believes it'll benefit the lives of Sunriders. Having the courage and dexterity to adapt to changing circumstances and the willingness to learn from experience, and even from other companies, are attributes of his that I think have contributed to Sunrider's continuous growth and success spanning over 25 years.
Mrs. Chen always amazes me with her boundless energy and incisive intellect. She's always ready for any question an attendee might throw at her. And her ability to orchestrate a meeting, to say nothing of Grand Conventions and her global company, is remarkable. She's the ultimate multi-tasker in my book.
At the meeting I saw how she's able to cultivate success in business builders through her organized presentation of the Sunrider marketing plan and by sharing her expert business advice; but most of all I think she helps people maximize their potential through serving as an inspirational role model. Sure, Sunrider provides lots of excellent materials and marketing tools that provide guidance and the blueprints for success, but through experiencing Mrs. Chen, you get a real-life example of how to challenge yourself and go after your goals.
Mrs. Chen always amazes me with her boundless energy and incisive intellect. She's always ready for any question an attendee might throw at her. And her ability to orchestrate a meeting, to say nothing of Grand Conventions and her global company, is remarkable. She's the ultimate multi-tasker in my book. At the meeting I saw how she's able to cultivate success in business builders through her organized presentation of the Sunrider marketing plan and by sharing her expert business advice; but most of all I think she helps people maximize their potential through serving as an inspirational role model. Sure, Sunrider provides lots of excellent materials and marketing tools that provide guidance and the blueprints for success, but through experiencing Mrs. Chen, you get a real-life example of how to challenge yourself and go after your goals.
Attending the meeting also gave me the chance to meet some of the Business Leaders and to see them in action (Mrs. Chen sometimes likes to put people in the hot seat, in a good-natured way). Watching the leaders made me realize that although there was an undeniable diversity of backgrounds, ages, and personalities, there was a common denominator that made them all distinctly "Sunriders"—they all exuded an almost tangible passion for the Sunrider business. Hearing them tell their incredible success stories almost made me feel like switching from working at Sunrider to working in Sunrider, as an IBO. For the time being though, I like using the SR gym and working in the great environment at SR HQ too much to change just yet.
Thanks for your time; I need to sign off now to see if I can make sense of my meeting notes.
Bob Seawright
Marketing Dept.
Sunrider Corporate Office
