From the Left to the Right: Rich DeVos’ Junior Achievement Speech

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Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Rich DeVos, Co-Founder of Amway Corporation, Part IV: "Nobody is Just an Anything"

Transcribed in 2011, Written : Aug. 2013, Jan. 29, Feb. 12 and 19, 2014

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Continued from Part III, posted on January, 29, 2014.

Amway Co-founders Rich DeVos and Jay VanAndel

I tried to sell Amway products once, but because I am not an effective salesman, my efforts failed. However, while trying, I purchased some motivational tapes from the company. I didn’t like many but I loved one of them. I learned a lot from it and listened often. One of the two founders of the Amway Corporation, Rich DeVos, spoke in front of a group of about 1,800 young people at the 23rd annual Junior Achievers conference sometime in 1966. You may object to his attitude, and DeVos might not say things the same way today, but the message is “boss, man!”

Last time I ended Part III by saying that Mr. DeVos appreciated the work of the garbage men (now known as ‘sanitation workers’) who came to his house. Here’s his depiction of when he met them one morning… and more…

Rich DeVos, Part IV:

Selling America, by Rich DeVos.

…I had an interesting experience because - - I like garbage men. You wouldn't believe that. Yeah, you can tell that… I’ll tell you that.

But I went out… For four weeks in a row… This fellow comes by at 6:30 in the morning… Because I wanted to meet him I said, “Hi, how are you this morning? I just came out to tell you I appreciate your coming…”

He looked at me and he said, “Are you just getting up, or are you just coming in?” (laughter) He wasn’t sure…

I said, “No, no, really – I just came out to say, ‘hello.’” I said, “I appreciate your coming by."

[To the kids in the audience] Now, if you don’t think you appreciate his coming by (your home) you just let him skip you a couple times. (laughter) You’ll find out how important he is in your life. (laughter)

Inspirational quote, by Rich DeVos.

You know about the fourth time I went out there I said, “I'm just coming out to say hello again. I really mean it. I appreciate your coming. Do you realize how important the work is that you do? What it does for the sanitation of this community? How it protects the health and well-being of all the people?

And he says, “Well, I’ll be damned!” (laughter, then applause)

[To the kids in the audience] Now, I don’t like to use that language, but I portray to you his attitude. He said, “I’ve been picking up garbage for years, man. Nobody ever told me that!” (mild laughter)

And, I’d say to you, “Isn’t it too bad that a fellow American, who’s doing what he’s able to do has had no one tell him how important his work is?

Rich DeVos, a winner’s smile.

He [the man picking up garbage] says [to Rich DeVos], you know, “You’re one in a million.” (To the audience:) Well, I don’t want to be one in a million, and I ask you as you go on to positions of leadership to join me in a crusade of respectability for all your fellow Americans. And I hope you go on to college and get a Ph.D. or whatever it is you’re seeking. But I hope you'll always remember that it doesn’t make you better than the next guy. – It gives you greater responsibility.

I marvel at the Ph.D. who works for us, and he’s a wonderful man. I look at the chemist we have and I notice how helpless they are when it comes to emptying the wastebasket.

And then I look at the people who come to work and [they] work on the line and I look at the school bus driver. Well [some people say], “he’s just a bus driver.” And the other people say, “Well, he’s just a businessman.” “He’s just a salesman.” Will we eradicate the word ‘just’ from your vocabulary? Nobody is just an anything! He’s a man or a woman doing what he knows how to do best. That’s the real sign.

Dare to Battle - Rich DeVos.

So, if a guy fixes your car, remember to greet him. Remember to thank him. And if all of us will begin to do this, we can change America. We can break down the barriers between, (in a sarcastic tone:) “I’m better than you.” There’s too much of it! So, let’s join me in the crusade. Let’s remember that the little things [we do and say] make a difference.

This is the end of Part IV

ANTI-AGENDA 21 WEB SITES

Democrats Against Agenda 21

Stopping the UN in the Southwest

Please enjoy my previous posts related to U.N. Agenda 21:

From the Left to the Right - Agenda 21 Post #1, 2/28/12

From the Left to the Right - Agenda 21 Post #2, 3/27/12

From the Left to the Right - Agenda 21 Post #3, 4/17/12

From the Left to the Right - Agenda 21 Post #4, 7/10/12

From the Left to the Right - Agenda 21 Post #5, 10/30/12

From the Left to the Right - Agenda 21 Post #6, 12/04/12

From the Left to the Right - Agenda 21 Post #7, 01/08/12

From the Left to the Right - Agenda 21 Post #8, 06/12/13

From the Left to the Right - Agenda 21 Post #9, 06/18/13

From the Left to the Right - Agenda 21 Post #10, 06/26/13

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Rich DeVos, Co-Founder of Amway Corporation, Part III

Transcribed in 2011, Written : Aug. 2013 and Jan. 29, 2014

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Continued from Part II, posted on August 15, 2013.

Rich DeVos

Many years ago my wife and I struggled to make ends meet. I thought that selling Amway products would work for us, and persuaded her to try it. While others succeeded at it, we failed miserably; we had trouble convincing others to buy. I don’t blame Amway, we simply didn’t possess the required skills. During our Amway experiment, we purchased several cassette tapes from the company at the suggestion of our sponsor. Most of them bored me, but a single tape stood out. I listened to it often and I’ve quoted it many times. One of the two founders of the Amway Corporation, Rich DeVos, spoke in front of a group of about 1,800 young people at the 23rd annual Junior Achievers conference. I believe this occurred sometime in 1966. His use of words may seem outdated, and DeVos might not express himself the same way today, but the message is “right on!”

Rich DeVos, Part III:

I gave a talk one day in a high school and I talked about smoking, you know. I’d made some comments about the fact that it’s an interesting thing that when you’re your age [young, like his audience], it’s real [inaudible] stuff [he means it’s cool] to smoke. And when you’re my age you’re a big shot if you can quit. Now, that’s an interesting thing. But I made some implications that I didn’t approve of smoking –

Co-founder Jay Van Andel, Steve Van Andel, current president Doug DeVos, and co-founder Rich DeVos

One young gal comes up to me afterward and she says, “I’ll have you know, I smoke.

I says, “You’re kidding.” She was a high schooler.

She says, “No, I do.” I said, “I don’t believe you.”

She said, “Really, I smoke.”

“Nawww,” I said. (laughter) “You don’t smoke, honey, the cigarette smokes, you’re just the sucker! Ya gotta remember that. (loud laughter, and applause)

I mentioned the fact that you’re the leader, you’re the comer, you’re the go-er, you’re the achiever. And as such, others will follow you.

DeVos and Van Andel with TV icon Walter Cronkite in 1986

But as you progress, and as you assume your roles of leadership, and as you excel, I want you to remember something. That one of the greatest problems we’ve got in America today outside the racial strife that’s going on [remember, this was during the 1960’s] and we all deplore – is the equal respect for each other.

One of the things any minority group is seeking is just respect me for what I am. Don’t give me any favors. I’m not asking for that. Most of them aren’t asking for that. They’re just asking for equal respect and equal opportunity. And, it’s all of us that are going to change that. That won’t happen by accident.

But you see, I see it happening between groups of people. Between classes of people as well as groups – and racial groups.

I’d give this guy the microphone, anytime.

And, so, the man says, “Well, I went to college.” Well, that’s alright, I hope you all go to college. I hope you all graduate. But you know about half the kids coming out of school aren’t going to go to college.

And, although you may have a greater responsibility because you have greater talent… As a man or a woman you’re not necessarily better than the ones who didn’t. I want you to remember that.

I want you to remember that, the next time that fellow comes by who picks up the garbage at your house. He’s a fellow American who’s using his talent to do what he can do. But he, too, is a part of the great mainstream of American life.

This is the end of Part III, and I’ll cover the amazing conversation he had with his garbage man in Part IV, next time.

ANTI-AGENDA 21 WEB SITES

Democrats Against Agenda 21

Stopping the UN in the Southwest

Please enjoy my previous posts related to U.N. Agenda 21:

From the Left to the Right - Agenda 21 Post #1, 2/28/12

From the Left to the Right - Agenda 21 Post #2, 3/27/12

From the Left to the Right - Agenda 21 Post #3, 4/17/12

From the Left to the Right - Agenda 21 Post #4, 7/10/12

From the Left to the Right - Agenda 21 Post #5, 10/30/12

From the Left to the Right - Agenda 21 Post #6, 12/04/12

From the Left to the Right - Agenda 21 Post #7, 01/08/12

From the Left to the Right - Agenda 21 Post #8, 06/12/13

From the Left to the Right - Agenda 21 Post #9, 06/18/13

From the Left to the Right - Agenda 21 Post #10, 06/26/13

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Rich DeVos, Founder of Amway, Selling America, Part II

Written : Jul. 31, 2013, previously unposted

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Continued from last week’s post.

Rich DeVos, co-founder of the Amway Corporation

Rich DeVos and Jay Van Andel started the Amway Corporation in 1959. Mr. DeVos is known for his powerful and positive style in delivering speeches. I once tried to sell Amway products but I am not a salesman, so I gave it up. However, one of DeVos’ best speeches has stuck with me throughout the years. It is a tribute to the American free enterprise system. I transcribed the speech a few years ago from the cassette tape I still own. It is outlined in this series, “Selling America.”

Rich DeVos:

…But you see, the thing we project, the attitude we show, has as much to do with it as anything. And so, I want to talk to you about Selling America. And I include the Canadians because I maintain you are Americans because we all live on the North American continent. (applause) And, we share a common system. (more applause which makes him pause again)

Amway co-founders Rich DeVos and Jay Van Andel.

I of course welcome you and I recognize you’re Canadians, and that we’ve taken words and say we’re Americans and you’re Canadians, but we all work under the same concept. And, that’s why the border goes unguarded. And that’s why we go back and forth so freely because we have so much in common.

But, when I ask you to sell America, I maintain it’s a part of a greater job. I want you to go out from this place to be successful. I want you to achieve. I want you to use the talents God has given so you can make a contribution. I want you to assume roles of leadership so you can take those people who don’t know that the opportunities are available to them – and make them see the light.

And, maybe all they’re waiting for is a word from you. And, you know sometimes that word is so simple. It goes like this:

“Hey John, you can do it!” And you know, maybe nobody’s ever told him that. You’d better think about that. You know, my dad used to say that to me. I used to say, “Oh, I can’t do this, I can’t do that.” And he’d say, “You say can’t once more, and I’ll knock your block right through that wall!” (mild laughter)

Encouragement, Rich DeVos-style.

So somebody kept saying to me as somebody has said to you – You can do it, you can do it, it does pay, you can get ahead, but you see those people never had it. Let me give you an example:

In your school right now there’s some girl or some boy who doesn’t dress quite as well as you think he ought to – but you’ve got your own little clique going over there in the corner, haven’t you? And so this poor soul who maybe is dressing as best they can walks by and somebody says (laughing at him), “Look at that.” (nervous laughter)

You don’t have to say any more than that, you know. They feel a little bad anyway that they can’t afford something better. But, you see, in that moment you helped to destroy that person. Because, you see, that little snicker might just have been the whole thing that broke that girl’s heart, or that boy’s heart. But a friendly word from you could have changed that whole situation.

Rich DeVos appeared on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post in 1982.

Some of you are decrying the fact that some kids in your school haven’t gone on and they’re dropping out… And you haven’t stopped to wonder the affect you had on the reason they dropped out. See, you’re the bright ones. You’re the leaders. You can afford some slop. And what I mean is that - so you skipped a day. But the problem was when you skipped you didn’t do it alone. You said, “Come on, John, go with us for a day, we’re going to this lake to go swimming. Oh, we’ll skip today. Well, when you came back it was alright, you caught up in a hurry, so you took a grade down that day – it was alright. It didn’t matter to you, but you know to John it might have just knocked the edge off it. And then he slipped just a little behind that day. He never quite caught up and when end of the semester came he flunked the course. Not because he wasn’t the greatest, because he wasn’t that smart, but he was making it until you taught him a habit that took him away. He couldn’t afford that day - you could. But you undermined his whole future because you taught him a bad habit that day.

Rich DeVos: ‘You can DO it!’

You see, the little things you do folks, affect the lives of people every day. There’s no escaping the impact you have on others. And certainly as the leaders in your community you’re just not one of the gang, you’re one they point to, they look to… And every word of encouragement can change the lives of the others with whom you live.

This is the end of Part II

ANTI-AGENDA 21 WEB SITES

Democrats Against Agenda 21

Stopping the UN in the Southwest

Please enjoy my previous posts related to U.N. Agenda 21:

From the Left to the Right - Agenda 21 Post #1, 2/28/12

From the Left to the Right - Agenda 21 Post #2, 3/27/12

From the Left to the Right - Agenda 21 Post #3, 4/17/12

From the Left to the Right - Agenda 21 Post #4, 7/10/12

From the Left to the Right - Agenda 21 Post #5, 10/30/12

From the Left to the Right - Agenda 21 Post #6, 12/04/12

From the Left to the Right - Agenda 21 Post #7, 01/08/12