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Company Profile
- Founded: 2005
- Headquarters: Lehi, Utah
- Executives: Founder Kenneth Brailsford and President and CEO Rodney Larsen
- Products: Weight management, liquid nutritionals, energy and performance, and skincare
Moringa oleifera packs a powerful punch. In fact, Moringa,
a tree that produces green leaves, seeds and fruit, is rich in multiple
nutrients. According to the National Center for Biotechnology
Information (NCBI): “It has an impressive range of medicinal uses with
high nutritional value. Different parts of this plant contain a profile
of important minerals and are a good source of protein, vitamins,
beta-carotene, amino acids and various phenolics.” Native to the
Himalayas, Moringa oleifera is the superfood behind the success of a super company—Zija International.
It comes as no surprise to anyone that health and wellness is big
business. In a world where the population is getting older, but where
individuals are refusing to age as their parents and grandparents did, a
focus on health, energy and vitality has become a part of the culture
of not only the United States but also countries around the globe.
Companies that have been able to meet this growing demand for products
that promise health, wellness and vitality are poised to capitalize on
the demand, while serving up positive benefits for a growing market.
Zija’s motto is “Life Unlimited,” based on a four-pillar concept
that encompasses nutrition, active lifestyle, financial freedom and
personal development.
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Zija International is one of those companies. Started
in 2005, Zija has a presence in more than 30 countries. In 2012—its
best year to date—it achieved more than $100 million in revenue, and it
currently has more than 100,000 independent distributors worldwide in
dozens of countries. “Revenue numbers are expected to jump dramatically
this year,” says Rodney Larsen, President and CEO of Zija International.
Zija’s motto is “Life Unlimited,” based on a four-pillar concept that
encompasses nutrition, active lifestyle, financial freedom and personal
development.
Talented Founder—Committed Leadership
The company’s success has been astounding, certainly driven by the
growing global demand for health and wellness solutions, but there’s
more to it than that. There are plenty of companies attempting to
capitalize on the growing focus on health and wellness—not all have been
successful. What’s the key for Zija?
 Ken Brailsford |
 Rodney Larsen |
“A big part of the reason that we’re successful is
because of Ken Brailsford, our founder,” says Jarom Dastrup, Director of
North American Sales with Zija International. Brailsford was no
newcomer to the direct sales model—he had formerly led other
organizations to success before retiring. But he didn’t stay retired for
long.
Brailsford had long been interested in pharmacology, and his interest
was piqued when he watched a documentary about a plant, actually a
tree—
Moringa oleifera—which is native to the Himalayas and
renowned for its high levels of vitamins, minerals, vital proteins,
antioxidants and omega oils. It is, according to the company’s website,
“the most nutrient-rich plant ever discovered.”
Brailsford’s interest drove him out of retirement and led him to
consult with scientists and researchers, including Russ Bianchi, a
scientist and food formulator, to create ways of capturing and
delivering the benefits of Moringa through a wide range of products,
such as supplements, energy drinks, teas and even moisturizers and oils.
Brailsford has become known as the “Father of Herbal Encapsulation”—he
was the first to deliver herbs via capsules back in the 1970s. His prior
direct sales experience includes co-founding two other companies, and
he was also the publisher of
The Herbalist magazine.
Still, despite his passion for the products—and his many years of
experience in direct sales—Brailsford is not solely responsible for the
company’s phenomenal growth. It takes a team. In fact, it takes a large
team of leaders, staff and distributors to drive success. Ryan Palmer,
Zija’s Vice President of Sales, also credits the company’s success to
its founder, but points to a very strong leadership team, including
Larsen, who leads this team day to day.
Research and development has been another critical component of the
firm’s success. “Our Director of Research and Development, Dr. Joshua
Plant—it just worked out that his last name is
plant—graduated
first in his class from Harvard Medical School with a Ph.D. in
biomedical sciences and currently works to formulate our products,”
Larsen says. “He puts a lot of time, effort and research into how to get
the most out of not only the Moringa plant we use, but all of the other
ingredients we choose to put in our products.”
And of course, there are the distributors. Their value is recognized
and supported through a focus on technology and training that takes
advantage of a combination of both legacy and new technology solutions
to enhance productivity and drive sales.
Zija has a strong focus on its distributors, recognizing the critical
role they play both in selling the products and in ensuring positive
customer experiences.
 Different parts of the Moringa tree are rich in multiple nutrients. |
 Moringa seeds |
Training and Technology Drive Services and Satisfaction
“We take our recruiting process very seriously. We realize that
people are putting their names on the line and devoting their time and
energy to building a business or acquiring customers.”
—Jarom Dastrup, Director of North American Sales
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“Too often people quit this business because it’s harder than they
thought it would be,” says Palmer. “They want it to be easier or faster.
Don’t ever wish for it to be easier, rather know that you need to
become better; once someone realizes this, personal development can come
into play. We try to be there to provide as much personal development
as possible to our distributors so that they can become better.”
This commitment starts at the beginning of a distributor’s journey
with Zija. “We take our recruiting process very seriously,” Dastrup
says. “We realize that people are putting their names on the line and
devoting their time and energy to building a business or acquiring
customers. If they’re not given the right information and they go to
build their business based on the wrong information, it will eventually
come back to bite them—and bite us.”
Zija has developed an app that provides distributors with information and training focused on four key areas, says Dastrup:
PR1ME90 weight management shake
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- Nutrition. The app provides key
information about the product line and helps educate distributors on
what sets Zija apart from other similar products in the industry, along
with recommendations on healthy recipes and different protocol to help
customers achieve their desired health goals.
- Financial Freedom. A handful of lifestyle videos have distributors telling how they have achieved financial freedom through Zija.
- Personal Development. Videos and audio share Zija
leaders giving input on personal development designed to serve as
“personal development gems” for the day.
- Active Lifestyle. Videos show distributors living
an active lifestyle—what that means to them—along with tips on how
Zija products can help. For example, says Dastrup, “one of our products
that helps with energy may help someone who is into road cycling.”
Training for corporate customer support is also considered and
involves multiple tests for employees that help to make sure that
distributors have a very clear understanding and can use the tools
offered through the back office and on the replicated website that
they receive.
New hires are sent through a process for customer support, says
Dastrup. “We believe that they need to be properly trained on all of the
materials and tools that Zija has to offer the distributor force. As
they gain knowledge they can study for the tests and, as they pass them,
they will get a raise in pay,” says Dastrup. “The first test is basic
knowledge of the compensation plan, products and tools that we offer.
As a person passes each test they will move to a queue that may involve
more in-depth knowledge of the company.” Agents are recertified every 90
days to ensure they are up to date on any changes that may
have occurred.
This all comes back to taking care of the distributors. “We become
very interested in our distributor organizations as they’re growing,”
Dastrup says. “These are people who have many, many people in their
downline. When people are building at that level they’ve got to have a
very good understanding of how to move to the next range. So we have
that department to help them advance.” As he notes, when distributors
succeed the organization succeeds and “our products are being
shared exponentially.”
Technology also helps drive much of that success, and Zija is very
innovative in its approach to the use of technology to support
distribution of its products and the success of its distributors.
“We are constantly striving to stay on the cutting edge of technology
and provide a useful suite of tools for our distributors,” Larsen says.
“From Facebook tools to our unique replicated websites, and beyond, our
goal is to accelerate relationships and take advantage of social
media trends.”
Embracing Social Channels
The Zija Life Unlimited Mobile App includes back office access,
enrollment capabilities, personal development materials, an exercise
tracker, shareable media and Zija’s own social network.
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Beyond traditional legacy support systems, Zija has
recognized and is leveraging the power of social media technology to
help deliver its brand messaging and engage with consumers—both current
and potential customers. Its corporate Facebook page boasts almost
30,000 likes. Independent distributors also take advantage of the power
of social media through the use of their own pages. The Zija
International Twitter account has thousands of followers and is growing.
On LinkedIn, the Zija International page brings employees and
distributors together as yet another place to network. Zija has also
embraced some of the more recent entrants to the social media world,
including Instagram and Pinterest, where they have the opportunity to
share product photos as well as before-and-after photos showing the
dramatic results achieved by Zija customers.
Most recently, Zija unveiled its newest tool—the Zija Life Unlimited
Mobile App—which allows distributors to “take their business with them
wherever they go.” It includes back office access, enrollment
capabilities, personal development materials, an exercise tracker,
shareable media, Zija’s own social network and various ways for
distributors to share Zija with their contacts.
The app is available to all Zija independent distributors for a small
monthly fee. That fee will help fuel another important initiative
aligned with Zija’s commitment to providing support to those outside the
organization—including those who live in the region of the world where
they harvest their Moringa.
Giving Back
“We fully expect to keep thriving within the direct selling model
and continuing to flourish, even evolving and becoming more and more
technical, specialized and developed.”
—Rodney Larsen, President and CEO
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The organization is grateful for the power of the
plant that launched their company, and they’ve found ways to demonstrate
in a tangible way just how grateful they are.
Zija believes in giving back, Larsen says. “As a company, we have been so blessed.”
Recently the firm launched a charitable arm called The Zija Miracle
Foundation. “I had the opportunity in September to travel to northern
India, near one of our Moringa farms, and get things started,” Larsen
says. “We are beginning our efforts at an orphanage for elderly
individuals and children who have been abandoned. I was able to meet and
interact with the residents as well as hand-deliver supplies such as
stoves, mixers and bedding.” Profits from the company’s monthly mobile
app fees will be used to drive the charity, providing a way for
distributors to give back as well.
Distributors are, after all, the force behind the success of any
direct sales organization, and Zija is no exception. It’s something that
Brailsford’s years of experience have taught him and something he has
leveraged in building this organization.
Big Benefits from Direct Sales
“It really is amazing and comes back to Ken Brailsford’s being in the
industry for 35 years and knowing and understanding what’s worked, and
what hasn’t, and funneling it all into Zija,” Dastrup says. “He’s taken
the best of what he’s seen and put it into this vehicle.”
As a result, Larsen says, “We fully expect to keep thriving within
the direct selling model and continuing to flourish, even evolving and
becoming more and more technical, specialized and developed. There is a
lot of opportunity here for Zija to be successful.”
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US Economic news is looking brighter as manufacturing expands here though shrinking globally -- but the need for Zija energy hits every sector:
moms raising toddlers at home
moms in a demanding work force
dads working long hours
factory/mfg. workers
elders staying active and productive
young workers needing extra income and extra energy
and on and on it goes...
SHARE ZIJA WITH EVERYONE YOU MEET. The credibility articles above are a great tool to have in your notebook, and there are a wealth of great videos online that shine a light on the incredible Miracle Tree! Don't leave home without your tool kit!
Unlike the plants in previous contests that came from Africa, IT
originally came from Tamil Nadu. But you can now find IT grown in many
tropical areas of the world. 
Joel in fall, 2012 -- not bad, but better now! Joel's a w e s o m e! Go meet him somewhere this week!