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Amway Co-Founder Jay Van Andel Dies
AP via Fox News ^ | 12/7/04 | Unknown

Posted on 12/07/2004 1:04:29 PM PST by Pest

Amway Co-Founder Jay Van Andel Dies Tuesday, December 07, 2004 GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Jay Van Andel (search), the co-founder of Amway Corp. (search) who helped parlay neighborhood soap sales into a billion-dollar business and later became a leading philanthropist for conservative causes, has died.

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; News/Current Events; US: Michigan
KEYWORDS: amway; greatman; jayvanandel; obituary
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For the academically inclined among you, there is an interesting paper on the socialization aspect of Amway in: Michael G. Pratt (2000) The Good, the Bad, and the Ambivalent: Managing Identification Among Amway Distributors, Administrative Science Quarterly, Vol. 45, No. 3, Pp 456-493.

I read this paper in a doctoral seminar. The laughter and derision amongst the young, snotnosed doctoral students regarding the Amway distributors examined in the paper was really quite sad.

While one may hold whatever opinions of Amway that one wishes, the people I've met selling Amway were all regular people trying to make some extra money to support their families. I don't see anything laughable there. Perhaps if these kids had actually had to feed a few mouths and pay some bills before going to grad school, they wouldn't be so dismissive of the efforts of regular people.


81 posted on 12/07/2004 10:03:47 PM PST by radiohead (Will work for post-election tagline.)
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To: Salvation

Thanks for providing such a detailed response. How am I misinformed? And by the way, how come when Amway slugs pitch to new victims now, they never mention Amway?


82 posted on 12/08/2004 5:19:12 AM PST by usafsk ((Know what you're talking about before you dance the QWERTY waltz))
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To: fedupjohn

Huh? Do you think all this rah-rah sales BS was invented by Amway? The tapes are echoes of all the Norman Vincent Peale writings from the mid-90's. Everyone from Amway to Tony Robbins use the same lifted verbiage. Your confusing the "positive thinking" stuff with the business. The Amway business model was not viable as pitched, but rather was a pyramid scheme for the jewel-heads above. When even that didn't satisfy their greed - since most of the distributors churned out after the promises didn't pan out - they started to put in the tapes, etc.

I could care less about your "accomplishments". On a forum like this anyone can fabricate such details to embellish their story. Address the facts of the failed Amway business model, not your affection for positive thinking literature.


83 posted on 12/08/2004 5:25:10 AM PST by usafsk ((Know what you're talking about before you dance the QWERTY waltz))
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To: usafsk

Well, that would be because many people won't listen if they think it's Amway, cause they have their mind made up already. But if it is presented to them differently, they keep an open mind. Amway has great products. We were in for about 5 years, we made zero money, but we did learn a lot of other valuable things that have helped us in our personal lives, and our other business ventures.


84 posted on 12/08/2004 2:28:15 PM PST by cccellar
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To: valuesvaluesvalues

I don't understand why someone would have so much vile and disgust for this man. Is it his wealth? Well, there are other people who are millionaires and billionaires that don't use their money for good things and I don't see anyone picking on them. Mr. Van Andel was a Christian man, who was blessed wonderfully by the God that he served.


85 posted on 12/08/2004 2:31:25 PM PST by cccellar
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To: Yaelle
He was a very good man and likely would have laughed at the joke.

RIP Mr Van Andel.

86 posted on 12/08/2004 2:34:06 PM PST by Harmless Teddy Bear (Interdum feror cupidine partium magnarum europe vincendarum)
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To: usafsk

The truth about AMWAY is ugly. The entire wealth of the founders and their top recruiters was built not on the sale of products, but of inspirational tapes and books they produced. Giving away some of his ill-gotten gains might have eased his guilt, but the guy made enough on others gullibity and insecurity to fatten up the camel he's got to ride through the eye of the needle.

And what is the matter with making money off of books and tapes?


87 posted on 12/08/2004 2:34:08 PM PST by cccellar
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To: usafsk

AMWAY is to business as Scientology is to religion.


I was a member for 5 years, while what you say may be true of some Amway dist. it's not true for the whole. There are bad things in every organization.


88 posted on 12/08/2004 2:35:36 PM PST by cccellar
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To: Awestruck

Well at least a couple of people on here aren't afraid to tell the truth...the man was no saint.. just calling yourself a Christian does not make it so. He will have a lot to answer for before the Lord.

It sure isn't our job to judge the man...........i'm sure he was just as much of a saint as anyone else. What's his sin? Being rich?


89 posted on 12/08/2004 2:37:46 PM PST by cccellar
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To: VOA

I'm not saying Amway was bad, per se.
But some bad outcomes were part of it's offspring.

Well, that sounds natural............a business with millions of distributors............there would naturally be some with no scruples.............but not Van Andel's fault.


90 posted on 12/08/2004 2:39:37 PM PST by cccellar
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To: Radioactive
Your idea of multi level marketing shows that you are ignorant of what it is. If you really want to see what a pyramid is... Look at how your boss bills out your hours. He's at the top and makes all the money. You are somewhere underneath him getting the scraps.

Typical multi-level marketing propaganda.

Have fun in your world....I'm making the big bucks in mine......and not having to spend hours in traffic. I'm an MLM'er and have many people in my downline that make more than I......and I love it!

You'd be the first MLM'er I've ever met who made money.

91 posted on 12/08/2004 2:46:26 PM PST by jude24 (sola gratia)
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To: cccellar

Please consider the business section of your local bookstore, the library, or maybe a local business owner/mentor next time you need some learnin' on business. You'd save a lot of time and money compared to the Amway MBA you earned over 5 years.

And if you consider the time well spent, I'd say you still didn't learn enough. Good luck, regardless.


92 posted on 12/08/2004 3:04:26 PM PST by usafsk ((Know what you're talking about before you dance the QWERTY waltz))
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To: usafsk

>Since we're on the scams topic, all the Kiyosaki fans<

I have a friend who thinks this guy is the end all of business. I would love to be a fly on the wall when she opens the link (I'm going to send her). She lent me his book. What a phony.


93 posted on 12/08/2004 3:20:32 PM PST by Darnright
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To: Darnright

Kiyosaki is one of the most careless of these dregs. His book is filled with blantantly illegal methods of tax avoidance and stock trading. His misunderstanding of fundamental accounting is laughable. I hope your friend is self-aware enough to take the information Reed gives seriously.

Reeds website should be a first stop for all of the wayward and gullible who get caught up in these bogus fads. The FTC should force all of these bozos to reference in their adds..."Before ordering, you may wish to review this website for information on our program".

Shame, but Barnum was right.


94 posted on 12/08/2004 3:23:54 PM PST by usafsk ((Know what you're talking about before you dance the QWERTY waltz))
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To: jude24
You'd be the first MLM'er I've ever met who made money.

Yeah well I can show you many people who have made money.

It is the people who haven't the slightest notion on how to actually do a MLM business are the ones who complain about how "I never made any money doing that."

That is usually because they did not do the activity needed to generate the kind of business required to be sucessful.

I have a personal friend who just purchased a half million dollar home and has just received his bonus car...an Infinity G35.

I also know of a man who is making over $100K per month just from his downline.

And I can't complain......I just qualified for my bonus car and am on my way to retire in 5 years...when I'll be 53.

95 posted on 12/08/2004 4:51:00 PM PST by Radioactive
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To: fedupjohn


Multi level marketing is now being taught in Harvard business school.


96 posted on 12/08/2004 5:51:50 PM PST by Radioactive
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To: cccellar

Being rich is not a sin, but making money off the hopes and dreams of others is..


97 posted on 12/08/2004 8:13:52 PM PST by Awestruck (The artist formerly known as Goodie D)
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To: Bluegrass Conservative

You know thats just not right


98 posted on 12/10/2004 6:22:10 AM PST by Mikeleemi
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To: mict42
Jay will be burried today at Chapel Hill cemitary, just a flush to the ground marker with a bronze plack,with the family crest on it. very simple. He will be burried next to his wife. She died in Jan of this year. Shame on U.
99 posted on 12/10/2004 6:26:45 AM PST by Mikeleemi
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