Pathway of a Clinical Trial At this very moment, scientists are suited up in lab coats and goggles, working hard to improve Synergy WorldWide’s product offering and product efficacy in The Hughes Center for Research and Innovation.
Efficacy is a word that is often used when discussing product formulations, and its meaning describes exactly what Synergy WorldWide’s focus is: creating products that are scientifically proven to work. An efficacious product is one that does precisely what it was intended to do, and Synergy products are intended to help you live life fully with a complete and trusted health system.
“It is one thing to say that a product works, but it’s another to say there is proof that a product works,” said Dr. Joseph Lamb, The Hughes Center’s medical director. “Because of this lab, you will be able to sit down with a business partner and tell them about our unique ingredient combinations, about how these products weren’t just created by three guys in a meeting room with a few medical books and limited funds. Our goal is to deliver valuable products and product information to as many groups as possible.”
Without testing products on human subjects, it’s impossible to know how effective the products are, which is why the Hughes Center’s clinical labs are imperative to the future development of Synergy WorldWide and its product line. The process leading up to performing a clinical trial is extensive and requires months of preparation. Take a walk through the clinical process that scientists execute as they work to prove that Synergy products are among the best in the nutritional supplement industry.
The Idea
All clinical trials begin with a lightbulb moment. When the clinical teams develop a substantial idea based on the most important nutritional and health needs of the modern world, they begin combining safe ingredients and performing self-studies. When the research team discovers a formulation that they feel confident about presenting, they meet with the independent review board composed of company executives and personnel from various company departments about whether this product makes sense from a business perspective.
The Protocol
Every clinical trial needs a clear set of directions. Questions including “Who do we recruit and test? How many subjects do we need? How old are the subjects? Are they generally healthy enough to participate? How do we instruct subjects to take the product? What information do we want to collect?” The protocol goes through several drafts and is questioned in detail by several company departments. Dozens of additional questions—“Is the study unique? Is it ethical? Is this the best subject demographic?”—are asked as these departments consider how influential the trial will be to Team Members who are looking to market the product with clinical proof. After these questions are finalized and organized into a protocol, the protocol is sent to an outside review board (IRB) for input and approval.
The Subjects
Based on the protocol’s final instructions, the clinical team begins searching for the correct group of subjects. Often, subjects are recruited within the walls of the Synergy WorldWide and Nature’s Sunshine office buildings. When a more specific group of subjects is required, the clinical team will seek the help of the marketing team to publicize the study and recruit the target demographic. When the group is selected, each participant comes into the lab for an initial meeting where the trial objective and product usage is explained and screening lab work is conducted to ensure the subject is healthy enough to participate. The subject may come back multiple times throughout the trial period to report results or once at the end of the trial period, depending on the study.
The Data
Thousands of data points are compiled over the period of a clinical trial including physical samples. A study of 20 subjects can produce more than 560 individual samples. These samples are then kept in two freezers that are large enough to store more than 45,000 samples per freezer. The samples are kept at -80° Celsius to maintain each sample’s integrity. The clinical team will use additional testing groups within Synergy and NSP’s scientific teams to evaluate the collected specimens using a number of tests. For example, a bioavailability study shows the degree and rate at which a potential product ingredient is absorbed into the human body. Measuring nitric oxide levels in the blood indicates whether or not a subject is getting proper nutrition. An Endopat is a non-invasive test to assess cardiovascular health and risk factors. These are examples of literally hundreds of test that may be performed to assess the safety and efficacy of a given product.
The Conclusion
When every specimen is analyzed, study results are compiled and evaluated for statistical significance. The clinical team must measure the new product’s impact and determine whether or not it is ready for the market. Every detail carried out in a clinical trial is in anticipation of these results.
The findings that emerge from The Hughes Center’s clinical labs have the potential to cause rapid growth in Synergy’s markets, and thanks to the knowledge of brilliant scientists, the information they can uncover is limitless. Only through the innovative research conducted at the Hughes Center can the true potential resting in Synergy’s proprietary formulations be unlocked.
Click here to tour the Hughes Center for Research and Innovation Click here for more articles from this summer’s eMagazine
On Friday, August 7, Synergy WorldWide will be holding a company-wide staff meeting. So that all employees can attend, Customer Service and the Synergy store will close early.
Hours will be as follows:
Customer Service
8:00 AM – 12:00 PM (MST)
Synergy Store
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM (MST)
Please contact Customer Service at (801) 769-7800 before that time if you have any questions.
Elite Honors Spotlight: Pauline Kehoe
Since the launch of the Elite Honors Club and the Go Elite Promotion, North America Team Members have adopted Elite Honors principles, applied them to their own businesses, and taught others to abide by the same business building structure for increased success.
Pauline Kehoe, a Bronze from Iowa, is a Five-Element Acupuncturist—a healer that seeks out the most exceptional health products to help her patients. In her short time with the company, Pauline said Synergy has changed her life and she will be a long-term ProArgi-9+ advocate. Her advocacy so far has led her to sign up many customers and distributors since joining Synergy in April 2015, and her work ethic landed her in the Elite Honors Club. In addition, she maintained her Bronze title, earning her $150 through the Go Elite promotion.
“Elite Honors has pushed me to give an extra effort to make a few more calls or send a few more emails each month. Just last night, it prompted me to reach out, and it resulted in a new Team Member! The distinction Elite Honors provides to focus on both customers and Team Members is key, because supporting people’s needs builds relationships and teams. A preferred customer experiencing amazing results is someone who can become an incredible referral source or an enthusiastic Team Member.
There is nothing better than sharing a product that literally changed my life, my husband’s life and the lives of many friends and colleagues. The results are staggering. When I hear about them it warms my heart and gives me chills. I have a great respect for Synergy and how supportive they are of their independent distributors. Never before have I been a part of a DSA company that has created a business structure that truly fosters growth and opportunity the way that Synergy Worldwide has.”
Click here to learn more about Elite Honors and the Go Elite promotion.
Amazing men and women participated in the SLMsmart 90-day Challenge beginning February 2015. Participants all over the United States dedicated themselves to take big strides toward healthy living. Synergy WorldWide was honored to provide each participant with the necessary tools for healthy, maintainable weight management. The Challenge results were life-altering, and the challenge participants’ success with SLMsmart will motivate many around the world to tackle their weight management goals.
1st Place Winner:
EVA MILLER of Delta, Colorado, was the SLMsmart 90-day Challenge grand prize winner! This mother of eight lost more than 58 pounds and 22% of her body weight.* Eva completed the Challenge alongside her husband Pete, and as a couple they lost a combined 90 pounds and 78 inches.
“When I heard about Synergy’s 90-day Challenge, a desire to take control of my life was ignited. I set out on a journey determined to reach my goal of actually becoming fit—to build muscle and see a transformation instead of just being less fat. It wasn’t always easy, but I strictly followed every workout provided by the 90-day Challenge and incorporated Synergy’s life-changing products every day. The SLMsmart Shake, ProArgi-9+, e9 and Body Cleanse became staples during these three months. Aside from the number on the scale, I saw a transformation in my physique. I finally saw muscle I never thought I had! And most importantly, I feel good in my skin. I have my confidence and energy back, and I feel like a new person inside and out. My life has turned 180 degrees and I couldn’t be more grateful to Synergy for providing the medium to get me to where I am today. This is the first step in not only changing my life, but hopefully helping many others do the same.”
Since the launch of the Elite Honors Club and the Go Elite Promotion, North America Team Members have adopted Elite Honors principles, applied them to their own businesses, and taught others to abide by the same business building structure.
Michelle Duncan, a Silver from Indiana, was one of the Team Members who attended Business Builder Conference and left with a determination to jumpstart her business by following the Elite Honors structure. She went home and pushed through a few pending customers and distributors, and she made it! She worked incredibly hard during the weeks following BBC to achieve the Elite Honors title and and we are so appreciative of her efforts.
“When I came back from BBC I was able to use Elite Honors as a way of swaying my potential distributors’ and customers’ decisions to join. It also helped them decide whether being a customer or distributor would be best for them. I love that the Elite Honors and Elite Health concepts can be simply and clearly presented and that they work together.
I love that Elite Health makes recruiting customers and distributors more straight forward. When I first ordered Synergy product I didn’t know what to order. Now, I can ask what a potential customer’s health interests are, which, ultimately, will help recruit customers and help me become Elite Honors qualified. The way that Synergy is structured, and the way Elite Honors is structured, shows me that they know if they focus on helping business builders, that help will bounce back to them in the future.” Click here to learn more about Elite Honors and the Go Elite promotion.
Synergy WorldWide’s parent company, Nature’s Sunshine Products (NSP), was recognized by the Direct Selling Association (DSA) as one of the 20 largest direct selling companies in the United States based on 2014 U.S. net sales.
DSA President, Joseph N. Mariano, presented Nature’s Sunshine Chairman and CEO, Gregory L. Probert, with the award at the DSA’s annual meeting in San Antonio, Texas.
“This award is a testament to the great work of our tremendous Synergy Team Members and NSP distributors, and the support that our corporate team provides them,” Probert said. “We have a 43-year history as an innovator and industry leader in the health and wellness sector, and we’re excited to add to that legacy by growing both Nature’s Sunshine and Synergy to new and even greater heights.”
According to the DSA’s 2015 Growth & Outlook Report, the wellness category represents the largest major product group within the direct selling channel, growing from 21.4% in 2007 to 30.1% in 2014.
“It’s no surprise that wellness products continue to lead the direct selling channel,” Probert added. “And with our focus on innovative, science-based, premium quality products, Synergy WorldWide is well- positioned to take advantage of these trends as more people understand and pursue the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.”
“I want to congratulate Nature’s Sunshine and Synergy WorldWide not only for their longevity and track record of success, but also for their devotion to their distributors, customers and the DSA,” Mariano said. “By working together with industry-leading companies like these, we continue to ensure that ethical business practices and customer satisfaction are priorities in the marketplace.”
Every summer, Synergy leaders look forward to an inspiring weekend in picturesque Park City for Leadership Academy. The presentations, activities, food, and company, will renew your love for Synergy WorldWide, and instill the passion necessary to carry out a strong year. Every Synergy WorldWide event is designed to build leaders and fortify belief.Make attending Synergy’s qualification events a high priority and you will be amazed by what follows.
This year’s Leadership Academy qualifiers share what qualifying for Leadership Academy did for them and their business:
Eddie Pula, Hawaii
“The event was incredible because we had the opportunity to have our New Zealand leaders there to experience Synergy first hand. In the past couple of years our New Zealand team only had the Synergy experience through me and Pearl Executive Marty Holker. The trainings were amazing! There were many ‘Aha!’ moments and I can take those lessons to my team. This was my second time attending Leadership Academy and I still felt that I came away having learned a lot. It may have been information I’ve heard before, but like the old saying goes, ‘When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.’”
Chuck Pinnell, British Columbia, Canada
“My wife and I really enjoyed it and found it valuable on a couple fronts. Synergy Founder Dan Higginson’s presentation was motivating, inspiring, and comforting, because I understood how much thought he put into the company when he created it. I am confident now that I have long-term stability with Synergy. There was a relaxed nature to the event. There wasn’t a lot of hype or false motivation. I appreciated the down-to-earth, real nature of it. The people with Synergy are real and easy to talk to, and everyone is very helpful.”
Brent Burnett, Utah
“I went with a few members from my team and Leadership Academy really created a fire within them. They really understand their ‘Why?’ After the event, we’ve already seen a lot of excitement with new leads. It was nice to have both young and old people from my team there because they gave me a fresh perspective on marketing Synergy products. Talking with this diverse group was really eye-opening for me. Leadership Academy is an event I want all of my people to qualify for so they can understand how they need to act as a leader and what they can do as a leader. It plants a seed within them that will get them to the next level. It’s a great opportunity to meet the corporate staff in person and to learn that you can’t help yourself if you aren’t helping other people.”
Margie Dean, Utah
“I received top-notch training in a beautiful environment. I loved Stew’s Go-Giver presentation and it was a great reminder that we will find our greatest success when we serve others. I loved learning more about the Elite Honors program and the path it gives us to follow so that we’ll have financial success. I loved seeing the Hughes Research Center where we are continuously researching to improve our products. I enjoyed meeting other Team Members and learning how they run their businesses. There was learning every day, but there was also time to relax. It was very well planned.”
Since the launch of the Elite Honors Club and the Go Elite Promotion, North America Team Members have adopted the principles, applied them to their own businesses, and taught others to abide by the same business building structure.
These same Team Members are now convinced that this is the most productive way to build a stable, profitable Synergy business, and see financial results quickly.
See what this Team Member had to say about his rewarding experience so far:
David Yost, Greenville, South Carolina
Star
“I joined Synergy on June 2, and enrolled my first distributor in the middle of June. The Compensation Plan combined with Elite Honors is great, and I’ve had a lot of experience with different plans in the past. All I’ve done so far is drip emails about the product and opportunity to my email list of 400-500 people. I imagine that being even more proactive than this and hitting it even harder will produce even greater results. I earned $420 in my first month with Synergy, which is 20% commissions, and normally, most plans don’t allow you to get paid that much at the lowest pin level.
Elite Honors is a solid starting point. All of the requirements are very attainable, and if you find that they aren’t attainable at first, they will be over time as you establish yourself in network marketing. Being Elite Honors qualified is the way to go. When I talk to people about my experience with this plan they are impressed by its potential and my commissions after such a short period of time.”
Since the launch of the Elite Honors Club and the Go Elite Promotion, North America Team Members have adopted the principles, applied them to their own businesses, and taught others to abide by the same business building structure.
These same Team Members are now convinced that this is the most productive way to build a stable, profitable Synergy business, and see financial results quickly.
See what this Team Member had to say about his rewarding experience so far:
Barry Petrina, New York
Star
“I enrolled in December 2014, and I’ve since decided to dedicate my life to this company.
At first, I was not productive because doing it ‘my way’ was not working. I called my upline, Cliff Rosang, who introduced me to Brian Holt. These two people have been instrumental in helping me. I can’t thank you both enough! By taking their advice and guidance, and having the attitude: ‘Alright, show me how to do it the best way,’ I became productive and sponsored several excellent distributors and customers. Many thanks to my upline, my customers, my distributors, and everyone at Synergy for making all of this possible.
My wife and I attended the Business Builders Conference in June 2015 where the Elite Honors program was launched, and I didn’t know if I could make it, but I knew this new recognition platform was a good idea. It was a good track to run on, so my wife and I went into recruiting mode and we made it! We signed up two new distributors, five customers and achieved the Star title in the same month. Achieving Star qualified us for the Go Elite bonus, which was added to our regular commissions. There is no company I know of that would offer such a great promotion! Synergy pays out 55% in total to the field and then adds bonuses that are not deducted from the Compensation Plan. They pay it out of their budget! It’s incredible! And the fact that Synergy does this helps me show people how great our business is.
We are going for Elite Honors and Go Elite again this month, and just last week my wife spoke to the owner of a restaurant where we were eating, signed him up as a customer and called in his order right on the spot. What a business! Prospects are everywhere!
To be Elite Honors qualified is important. We recommend that everyone goes for it. Do your best and do not to let the task of prospecting scare you. And did you ever think of this? No matter who you are or what your background is, do you know what it is that all of you can do? Tell the truth. But, you must have a good truth to tell. And with Synergy, we have this good truth. All substantiated, documented, and bulletproof!
Synergy has so many good truths to tell it makes it that much easier to become Elite Honors qualified and achieve your goals. Everyone can do this, make money, and help a lot of people while you’re at it.
Try this experiment: take a blank piece of paper and a pen, close your eyes, and sign it. Now, look at it. I’m sure that even with your eyes closed you signed your name pretty close to the way you would with your eyes open, right?
Do you remember when you were in first grade and there were big block letters on large double-lined paper above the blackboard and how hard it was to learn to print them? And how about in second grade when the letters were now script? If someone would have told you then that one day would be able to sign your name with your eyes closed, could you have even imagined it? Probably not, but you just did it!
So, imagine this, one day you will be able to do this business successfully—with your eyes closed. Keep practicing and learning from the teachers in your upline, just like you learned from your teachers in school.
It was a privilege spending Leadership Academy weekend with this year’s talented qualifiers. The Chateaux Deer Valley in Park City, Utah, tucked high into the tree-covered hills, provided the perfect setting for qualifiers to relax, learn and be acknowledged for their successes. We were also lucky enough to have three qualified New Zealand Team Members fly to Utah for the event, and their presence made the event that much more special.
The weekend began over a delicious meal at Windy Ridge Cafe where the Team Members in attendance became acquainted. The first full day kicked off with a morning training session with Synergy’s top leaders in North America. From there, the group traveled to Nature’s Sunshine Headquarters in Lehi to tour the Hughes Center for Research and Innovation, and learned how Synergy products are developed, tested and then clinically evaluated. That afternoon, they also had the opportunity to give back through the United Way, a non-profit organization with a 100-year history of helping communities. The group assembled 144 art kits, including paint, crayons, coloring books, and more, that will be sent to school children who need an activity to engage in after school or during school holidays. Then it was time to head up to Sundance Mountain Resort’s beautiful open-air theater for the Bluebird Cafe Concert Series, which featured today’s big names in country music songwriting.
The final day began with an informative and inspiring training session featuring North America General Manager Shane Greer and Synergy Founder Dan Higginson. Lunch was served with some healthy competition at Jupiter Bowl for a fun afternoon. The event closed with an elegant dinner at the Stein Erickson Lodge where Team Members were recognized for their efforts in qualifying for Leadership Academy.
It was impressive to see these leaders’ commitment to the business as they shared Synergy’s message to those they met throughout the weekend’s festivities, and even recruited a few of these new faces as customers and distributors. Thank you to all those who made the effort to attend Leadership Academy! We look forward to our retreat to mountains next summer.
Efficacy is a word that is often used when discussing product formulations, and its meaning describes exactly what Synergy WorldWide’s focus is: creating products that are scientifically proven to work. An efficacious product is one that does precisely what it was intended to do, and Synergy products are intended to help you live life fully with a complete and trusted health system.
Every clinical trial needs a clear set of directions. Questions including “Who do we recruit and test? How many subjects do we need? How old are the subjects? Are they generally healthy enough to participate? How do we instruct subjects to take the product? What information do we want to collect?” The protocol goes through several drafts and is questioned in detail by several company departments. Dozens of additional questions—“Is the study unique? Is it ethical? Is this the best subject demographic?”—are asked as these departments consider how influential the trial will be to Team Members who are looking to market the product with clinical proof. After these questions are finalized and organized into a protocol, the protocol is sent to an outside review board (IRB) for input and approval.
When every specimen is analyzed, study results are compiled and evaluated for statistical significance. The clinical team must measure the new product’s impact and determine whether or not it is ready for the market. Every detail carried out in a clinical trial is in anticipation of these results.
