August 4, 2010
by Tony McKnight
MonaVie is the phenomenally successful direct seller of nutritional beverages made from unique blends of nature’s superfruits. The foundation of MonaVie’s juices is açai, the small Brazilian berry prized for its healthful properties. Complementing açai are 18 additional fruits—some exotic and some well-known—combined to deliver a one-of-a-kind source of nutrients and antioxidants.
MonaVie was launched in early 2005 by a team of partners with extensive backgrounds in the direct selling industry and with health-related products. The Utah-based company saw immediate success and is now among the fastest-growing in the direct selling industry. Cumulative sales topped $2.1 billion in 2009, and MonaVie now operates in 12 countries around the world.
MovaVie is not sold in stores. Instead, its products are available exclusively from independent distributors, a sales model that allows distributors to promote the beverages and live the dream of running their own businesses. With MonaVie’s rewarding compensation plan, distributors have multiple options for earning income through their immediate sales and the sales organizations they build.
“Direct selling provides a way for people to take control of their financial situations,” explains Dallin A. Larsen, MonaVie founder, chairman, and CEO. “It’s also the best way to reach consumers and show them the value of the product. A product sitting on a shelf doesn’t have the same promotional power as one sold through direct sales.”
Açai has long been revered by the people of the Amazon as a source of vitality and energy but was little known elsewhere. Now, health-conscious people worldwide have discovered the nutritional and antioxidant power of the dark-purple berry that grows on palms in the rainforest.
“Until MonaVie came around, I’d say açai had not been heard of by the vast majority of the population,” says Randy Larsen, MonaVie founder and vice chairman, and Dallin’s brother. “Through word of mouth, MonaVie has created the buzz.”
MonaVie founders Dallin, Randy, and Henry Marsh worked with medical and açai experts to develop the right taste and nutritional qualities for the blend. “We studied more than 150 fruits to understand how they would interact with açai, and what the perfect combination would be regarding flavor, color, and nutrients,” said Randy Larsen. “We chose 18 fruits, in addition to açai, and their synergy results in a premium beverage.”
The juice is now available in four formulas: MonaVie original, with its antioxidants and phytonutrients to help fight free radicals and maintain overall health; MonaVie Active, with plant-derived glucosamine to help support joint health; MonaVie Pulse, with added heart health benefits derived from plant sterols; and MonaVie (M)mūn, with Wellmune® for daily immune defense. The first three varieties also come in convenient gel options, perfect for travel.
“The reason everyone needs to drink MonaVie is because they’re not eating their fruits and vegetables,” said Marsh, a four-time Olympian and former American record-holder in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. “Our population is malnourished, and MonaVie is addressing that.”
In June 2009, MonaVie introduced a new product to the market: MonaVie EMV™—an all natural energy drink formulated to increase performance and concentration with a unique blend of antioxidant rich fruits and other revitalizing ingredients. www.monavie-emv.com
After only five years, MonaVie already has more than 400 employees and nearly one million distributors in the United States and abroad.
“We couldn’t have done it without Dallin. He’s the heart and soul, the best in the industry,” said Marsh. “We couldn’t have done it without the product. We couldn’t have done it without the great leaders in the field and the lucrative compensation plan that rewards their success. We couldn’t have done it without a giving back to a worthy cause (The MORE Project). We couldn’t have done it without the right timing. Everything has come together.”
As committed as MonaVie is to promoting health, it’s equally dedicated to creating opportunities for the people of Brazil. The company has become a leader in sustainable growing practices in the Amazon, where açai trees were being destroyed by poachers taking a small section known as the heart of palm. The popularity of açai has created a local industry where people desire to preserve the açai palm and harvest the fruit, which must be processed immediately to retain its potency.
“Thousands and thousands of açai trees are being planted every day, and families are being sustained,” says Dallin, adding that in 2008, MonaVie bought 15,000 tons of açai fruit, preserving a large area of the Rainforest.
MonaVie leaders are also passionate about the MORE Project, a charity improving living conditions for impoverished families in Brazil. In 2009, MonaVie, its employees, and distributors donated more than $2.3 million to The MORE Project. MonaVie pays all of the MORE Project’s administrative costs, allowing for 100% of donations to go directly to helping the people of Brazil.
The Acai Berry Company™ is the trusted source for MonaVie™ products and information since 2005.
For more info or to order visit: http://AcaiBerryCompany.com