Alegory of the Band of Brothers

May 28th 2008

I write this message to the thousands of Team Members that make Agel so great.

My friends –
You may wonder why I address you as such when most of you Team Members have never seen me or heard of me in your life. My name is Ken Danielson and I manage the distribution and shipping of customer orders; you know, the shipping guy that helps make sure your Agel products are properly prepared, packaged and shipped on time. Before that, I managed the customer service team of whom Jeremiah Bradley now manages. I’ve seen your names come across my desk and have seen your names travel across my warehouse conveyor dozens of time. I know you. I’ve imagined each of your successes. I’ve dreamed of your adventures and thought fondly of your struggles to achieve, to progress, to succeed. I’ve shed tears with some of you who have lost amazing prospects; I’ve felt your hurt when you thought you had enough volume for a rank advancement but in the end fell just short. My heart aches when I receive returned shipments to my warehouse marked “REFUSED” or “please return, I don’t want to be a part of Agel.” I’ve been on the abusing end of complaints and accusations; people have yelled at me and called me names. I’ve been chided by Team Members for not performing up to their expectation. And yet, I still approach you with the affectionate term”friends. “

I have been part of the Agel Corporate team for nearly two years and during that time I have seen some of my beloved colleagues leave Agel – I’m guessing, for greener pastures, for more money, a nicer car, a new powerful title. I, too, feel a sense of responsibility to provide for my family, which includes my wife and our four children. Though my sense of duty to my family is always my priority, how and where I choose to be employed to fulfill that duty is nearly equal in my list of number one priorities. You see, I did not join the corporate side of Agel to fulfill a life-long dream of success and to meet monetary goals. I’ve never been in Agel for myself. It has always been about others namely you, it has always been about the idea Glen shared with us and Agel as a company. I have believed that Agel can be the greatest network marketing company in existence. I’ve spent years manufacturing software that never bettered anyone’s life. I’ve spent nearly two decades building patriot missiles for Desert Storm” creating spy satellites, space shuttles, and other weapons of mass destruction. But it wasn’t until I came to Agel that I felt truly proud of what I do. I am creating a better way of life for tens of thousands of people. I help people live healthy and find wealth. I continue to pursue this dream of making Agel the greatest through putting into practice the most incredible key to building success in any organization – whether it be a business or a family.

I am building a bond of brotherhood and sisterhood among my coworkers. Team work with a common goal and with similar passion.

I’ve always believed in what Glen and Craig and Darren have tried to do – bring health and wellness to the world in the most unique vehicle called gelceuticles. When I met the executive team this association became cherished and rubbing shoulders every day with these gentlemen proved to be an added bonus for being employed at Agel. With these gentlemen I have forged a bond of brotherhood. I hope that you sense this unique bond that they have formed between themselves because this is the same spirit of love they have for each of you. It is what ties us so closely together, where belief in their vision and leadership has sparked passion in a mission that now involves all of us. If these gentlemen whom I just mentioned fail to establish and solidify this bond of brotherhood, this work will become tedious, toilsome, and unproductive. Let me illustrate this point through sharing with you a powerful story from American history.

My dad was a WWII war veteran. He served in the U.S. Navy. Let me share with you briefly one of his favorite stories. I quote: “Some years ago, Stephen Amrose wrote a book describing the experience of a company of paratroopers during World War II. The army was developing a new kind of warfare the world had not seen before. They were training men to parachute out of planes--often behind enemy lines and at immense personal peril—to attack, and to meet strategic objectives critical to the overall success of the war effort. “Easy Company” of the 506th regiment, 101st Airborne Division, was one of those groups. Formed from hundreds of volunteers, the men began their training in 1942. They had been told that their training would be harder than any other in the military. In fact, it was so challenging that two out of three men couldn’t make it and either dropped out or were assigned to a regular army unit leaving just 140 men to perform these difficult missions. The night before D day, Easy Company parachuted behind enemy lines. Their assignment was to take out a battery of artillery guns. But in the chaos of the drop, only 12 of the 140 men were in position to carry out the mission. Nevertheless, they knew that if they didn’t take out those guns, the allied soldiers storming Utah Beach would suffer heavy causalities from the artillery. To make matters worse, the guns were manned and defended by more than 50 elite enemy troops who had dug a series of trenches about the battery, heavily fortifying it against any kind of assault. In one of the most well-executed and heroic operation of the war, 12 men of Easy Company assaulted the position, routed the enemy, and destroyed the artillery guns.”

One of the reasons these men signed up for this special, yet dangerous duty, is because they knew they would be associating with the very best. They didn’t want to be caught in a battle with someone who was too scared to act, who was not in shape, who might have not paid attention to specific training that will save their life, who was not inspired to win.

The genius behind direct marketing is that you too, can choose the very best to join your team. You are not forced to work with someone you don’t know or have never met. You can build your own dream team. To build that amazing team you need to first step up and lead.

You who are reading this today will be the future Agel leaders in your communities. One of the key tasks you will face is to establish this spirit of brotherhood and sisterhood among those who work side by side with you. Without this sense of loyalty, sacrifice, and love, your work will not only be less successful but will also be much less rewarding. It is interesting that some people just rise from the masses with a natural ability to lead. They inspire people and bring out the best that is in them. They have the ability to infuse people with vision that transcends their own lives and inspire greatness within them. Average leaders used the carrot and the stick to motivate those around them. Great leaders communicate a vision that captures the imagination and fires the hearts and minds of those around them. Average leaders inspire people to punch a time clock. Great leaders inspire industry and passion. You can get people to work by using threats or by promising rewards. But if you want to create a band of brothers or sisters, you must inspire those who work with you and encourage them to give their all in a great cause. Building Agel is a great cause.

If someone were to ask you who we are as a people, what would you say?
I would tell them, “I am Agel and that we (Agel) are not in the direct marketing business trying to attract people, but rather, we are in the people business offering a way to change people’s lives through marketing an amazing product.”

I remind myself daily by quoting to myself this simple phrase: “This is my company and I am responsible for creating greatness here!

It is time for us now to step up and create a legacy of greatness. We must start by building a band of brothers and sisters that feel this mutual love and trust for one another to further the vision of Glen’s. I am a changed man because of my band of brotherhood forged with great leaders that you have come to know as the Agel Executive Team. I know you; they know you and you are our friends. We are Agel.


Thanks for a great two years.


Ken Danielson