Now Appearing in an Extended Engagement! Join Dave Robison as he takes you into his world and his daily life of reviving a stand-up comedy career. Prepare for side trips exploring Public Relations, marketing and business ethics. Enjoy some frequent detours describing his observations on life. Read the exploits of this self-proclaimed Renaissance-man and blooming blogger as you go
On The Road With Dave.
About Me
Name: Dave Robison
Location: Mobile, Alabama, United States
From Mobile, Alabama comes Dave Robison, a confessed Internet-aholic, middle-aged-married-man, who's generally a nice guy--he just has one or two issues.
Stand-Up Comedy by Dave Robison is available for corporate events, college campuses, and nightclubs.
Some of my readers may know that I first began "On The Road With Dave" with frequent commentary about Multi-level Marketing and in particular the Amway Corporation and it's then spin-off company, Quixtar. I was a frequent reader and commenter and later contributor to the website, Quixtar Blog. Quixtar Blog was sometimes a site where critics of MLM would gather to vent and rant about their experiences with Amway and Quixtar and other MLM companies. I provided "pro" arguments about the business and debated quite a few critics.
Shortly after Quixtar's launch back in 1999, (and I will always believe in part due to The Quixtar Blog) Amway Corporation began a concerted effort to build a web presence and began producing blogs of its own authored by various Amway/Quixtar staff.
One such blog, The Real Quixtar Blog was originally authored in pseudonym by a guy named "Kia". (Know it all) Later Kia, announced he was Robin Luymes, Manager of PR and Editorial at Quixtar. I liked Robin from the very beginning. He was making strides to write his blog with some authenticity and included personal stories, opinions, and events on his homefront as well as "corporate" PR writings and answering hundreds of questions in comments. When Amway Global decided to drop the Quixtar moniker and revert back to the Amway brand; Robin dropped The Real Quixtar Blog moniker and became "SuperDu".
SuperDu was an even more personal blog than corporate-ese and Robin excelled even more. I liked the slant of SuperDu even more. Then last year, I met Robin Luymes while on a trip to Prague to discuss blogging with some Amway PR folks. Robin was an excellent host, told some great stories, and I could see how he was genuine in his writings, because he was genuine in person. He was "real".
Last month, Robin left "SuperDu" and Amway Global. "SuperDu" is scheduled for what Amway Global calls a "sunset". You should pay it a visit, before it comes down.
But, the sun is not setting on Robin Luymes. Robin has launched a new website at Luymes Public Relations, LLC; complete with a new blog discussing Public Relations among other things.
Robin says,
"In this blog I expect to share about my views and experiences as a PR professional. That will include my opinions on best practices for the public relations profession, including use of social media by organizations. I likely will talk about my personal life as well, especially how that relates to my profession and my business. Many of my posts will draw upon past experiences, including those with Amway Corp., my employer for nearly 18 years, and as a reporter for the Grand Rapids Business Journal before that."
I want to wish Robin best of luck in his new endeavor and to let him know I'm rooting for him and, oh yeah; I'll be adding "Luymes Dot Com" to my "Links I Like"
I don't write much about the Amway Global company anymore, because I'm no longer affiliated with the company and its products. But I still stop by and read the numerous blogs on the "Internets" that keep up with the happenings at the Amway corporation and the activities of its Independent Business Owners(IBOs).
Sadly, my main resource for Amway controversy and discussion, Quixtar Blog, has sat dormant for many months; although I recently checked in at the Quixtar Blog Discussion Forum and found that conversations are still being carried on, despite Quixtar Blog's owner, Eric Janssen's absence.
Recently, I tried to pay a visit to the "Speaking Of Amway" site ran by IBO, Chuck Lia. Chuck had written and moderated the Speaking Of Amway" blog for about a year when I left Quixtar/Amway. I had maintained a link to the blog under the MLM section of my "Links I Like" in my sidebar. Chuck had been kind enough to link back to "On The Road With Dave" at his blog.
Chuck always opened up his blog entries with "Speaking of Amway"....and then he would include a question about that entry's topic.
Shortly, after I had dropped out of the daily Amway conversations, Chuck had been inviting guest columnists to write at his blog. It would appear that the site is now dead. Links to the site turn up a "Page Can Not Be Found" message and searches for the site only reveal cached pages with just text, minus any template style.
I suppose I could have missed the last entry announcing the site's demise, but a short search of other Amway-related blogs turned up no evidence that the end of "Speaking Of Amway" was covered by any of the other usual bloggers on the subject.
Chuck...if you are still out there....I want you to know you had a good site that gave voice to both advocates and critics of Multi-level Marketing and Amway and I'll miss ya. But, I also understand the challenges of keeping up a site on those subjects. It takes a lot out of you and takes you away from other things, even when you didn't want it to.
I'll be removing the link to the site, here at my blog. If "Speaking Of Amway" re-launches at some point in the future; let me know and I'll be sure to let my readers know.
This is a special edition of "On The Road With Dave" with a Multi-level Marketing focus. It's been a while since I've written anything regarding Amway and Quixtar; but it seems I have been pulled into a conspiracy theory at Doug Wead, The Blog
Doug Wead is a presidential historian, motivational speaker, author, and former Amway distributor. He recently wrote a few articles regarding MLM and Amway. As is the norm; on an Amway topic, "Tex", of Tex's Amway Global Blog, visited the blog and made some comments. Tex is currently commenting to a "David Black" at Doug Wead's blog and the comments are heated.
David Black has assumed wrongly that Tex and I are one in the same, and he has "exposed" me on the blog. Those regular readers to "On The Road With Dave" might find that ridiculous, but I'm giving Mr Black the benefit of the doubt that he just did not read far enough in his research that "exposed" me.
Mr Black wrote me an email, that said he had "fixed my ass" at the Wead Blog. I didn't know Doug Wead had a blog and had to do a search to find out what he was talking about. Mr. Black, let me assure you that I take the statement that I am a "Internet performance artist" that has created the personae of "Tex" as some kinda joke--as a compliment to my sheer genius; it is in no way the truth.
Here's my email response to Mr Black:
It took me a few minutes to figure out what you were talking about.
But I'm afraid you are wrong.
I did start the Tex's Amway Global Blog. Tex is a real person. Others have met him, including folks at Amway.
Tex spent many months commenting at a variety of Amway blogs and forums and was banned by many if not all.
I started the Tex blog to get his comments out on the web for judgement, approval or disapproval. It was announced at many blogs and their authors were and still are well aware of that we are two separate people.
Your theory that we are one in the same, would greatly disappoint Tex's wife and kids as well as my wife and kids.
I'm sorry, but there is no joke. You judge Tex by his own words. You judge mine separately.
Dave
I think the real joke is that the Internet can spawn such controversy.
As most readers of Tex's Amway Global Blog already know, the blog was started and written by yours truly, Dave Robison. I take comments made by "Tex" at other blogs related to Amway Global and Quixtar and add them as individual blog entries at "his" blog.
"Tex" then responds in the comments section and adds his points. In the beginning, I called it, "surrogate blogging".
Today, "Tex" has posted his very first official blog entry. He is now a full-fledged contributor to his own blog. While I will still be the blog administrator and will still make blog entries(and edit them); Tex now has the power to write an entry under his own moniker and publish it to his blog.
Congratulations, Tex, and welcome to blogging from the inside.
I just received word from Dino Baskovic, blog administrator for the Alticor Media Blog that the last blog entry for the Alticor Media Blog has been posted.
"In 2006, our public persona was divided among four companies – Alticor, Amway, Quixtar and Access. Going forward, however, we will do most of our communicating to public audiences under the Amway and Amway Global flags; continuing an "Alticor" blog seems out of place. So we'll lock up the place, flip out the lights, and pack the old threads and recipe cards in archives."
I always liked the Alticor Media Blog, even though in its early days, it was used to discuss Michigan politics and Amway's President, Dick DeVos' bid for the Gubernatorial seat in Michigan.
Later on, the blog pulled no punches with its commentary regarding terminated Quixtar-affiliated business owners. I recall many Independent Business Owners miffed over the tone of the blog entries. I, personally, read those entries with a smile on my face. I was thinking, "Finally, they are cleaning house".
I had the chance to meet Dino Baskovic while attending an Alticor conference in Prague. He's a cool guy, that I think has brought a lot of good to Alticor during his time with the company. Dino understands PR, Business, and the culture of being a MLM business owner. Since, the Amway Media Blog will continue, I can only hope that Dino will still have a hand in its direction.
And according to the last entry of the Alticor Media Blog:
"We expect it to remain a place for breaking news, public statements and straight talk. And the OZone blogs are of course alive and well. We hope you visit them early and often.
And away we go."
Okay, I'm sure somebody will say, "Just GO". But it won't be me.
I thought I would address a few concerns from readers and maybe ease the minds of current Quixtar-affiliated Independent Business Owners about what all this really means for myself and my blog, "On The Road With Dave".
First and foremost,
"Dave, if you ever want to sign back up, call me."
The idea and possibility of me signing back up is not that far-fetched. Over the past 25 years I was a card-carrying distributor for Amway twice and then, Quixtar. But, if I were to sign back up sometime in the distant future, I would initially contact my original sponsor for the opportunity to take me back. It's only fair for my former Line of Sponsorship because they invested their time with me, first.
I have no complaints with the people I was involved with. I still think that their "approach" to Quixtar was the most original and ethical concept I had seen in my MLM experience.
Second,
"Dave, you were a major advocate of the changes taking place with Quixtar and Amway Global, why weren't these changes enough to make you renew?
I'm still pleased with the roll-out of changes taking place with Quixtar and Amway Global. As I stated in my last entry; ultimately, procrastination led to my non-renewal. But, there is a bit more to the story.
At this time, my interests are taking me in a new direction and running a Quixtar business takes time. Say what you want about "it only takes 8-10 hours a week in your spare time"; I thoroughly disagree. Quixtar, Amway, Mary Kay, Monavie...all take more time than usually is presented by the businesses. Yes, you can make significant progress working consistently 10 hours a week, but achieving the "dream" requires much more. I can not make that time commitment in my life now. Maybe later.
The new changes taking place at Amway Global, including television advertising, increased transparency(but, not total, yet) and new accreditation practices are all a step in the right direction. If you've been a long time reader of mine, then you know it was always my desire to achieve a certain level of success with Quixtar, so that I could effect some change in policy at Amway from the "inside". Maybe, on some small level, my writings and opinions were a part of that change. I'm content to watch the rest of the transformation from the "outside", for now.
"So Dave, then why did you go to Prague on Amway's dime, if you weren't going to renew?"
Alticor and Amway invited me to attend a conference in regards to my blogging efforts about Amway and Quixtar. The fact that I was an IBO, was a plus, but not the total reason. I offered my opinions and experience about the online perceptions about Amway at the conference and how I dealt with them at my blog. My decision not to renew had nothing to do with that trip.
"Dave, we are here for you as you go through CD withdrawal and you heal from the brainwashing inflicted upon you by the motivational organizations. You are free from the cult."
Ummm...you obviously haven't been reading my blog for very long. I haven't listen to a motivational CD or book or been to a "meeting" in years. Quixtar and Amway are just a business that requires persistence and hard work with a balance of sales and recruiting and teaching some basic business and financial principles.
"Dave, now that you have quit Quixtar, can we expect you to become the newest critic of Amway? Will you be a "broke,loser, quitter?"
What does that pay?
The answer is simply, No.
"What happens to 'On The Road With Dave'?"
I'll still be here. I'll still be an advocate of multi-level marketing and even, Quixtar and Amway. Provided, they are done correctly and as a business, not a pep rally and a shill for motivational organizations.
I will continue to blog at "On The Road" and will still write about Amway stuff and offer up my opinions on MLM from time to time. It seems that the topic is in my blood now, and is expected from some people. Besides the topic "Amway" is always good for website traffic.
Oh yeah...simply because I'm no longer "Amway-heavy" in my blog content is no reason for all you Quixtar bloggers out there to take me off your blog roll. Even some of my "Prague Blogger's Five" aren't linking to me anymore. If you liked me as an MLMer and "Quixtarite" or "Ambot" then keep stopping by and reading. Occasionally, I'll try to make my other "adventures" controversial, so that you'll want to comment on it.
As you might recall I wrote a series of articles about quitting Quixtar back a few years ago. I set some goals; did not meet the goals, and eventually decided I really didn't want to quit Quixtar, but scaled back my activities in Multi-level Marketing and Quixtar. However, I did go on to travel to the Czech Republic last year at Quixtar's behest to speak at a Quixtar conference.
Since my initial writings about quitting Quixtar, many things have happened at Alticor Corporation and in the World of Quixtar and Amway. New policies about corporate transparency, a national advertising campaign, and the corporate decision to revert back to the "Amway" name on a global scale.
Another thing that also happened was my decision not to renew at the beginning of 2008.
I held off renewing with the knowledge that, basically I had until August 31 of this year to renew without leaving my current Line of Sponsorship and I was watching and observing "at a distance" the changes taking place within the corporation. I realized that my status as an "IBO" (Independent Business Owner)affiliated with Quixtar would be placed as "Inactive" on the corporate rolls until the end of August.
I never re-newed.
It's official. I can no longer log in to Quixtar.com and if I want to become an IBO again, I will have to register again with Amway Global. I procrastinated about quitting Quixtar, I procrastinated about renewing with Quixtar...so Quixtar made the decision for me.
Many of my readers will remember when I was super-active in Multi-level Marketing; I was(and still am) a big proponent of "community building on the web"...an early form of social networking and also of blogging.
Eric Jannsen of Quixtar Blog introduced me to blogging, and for that I'll always be grateful. But, Fred Johnston taught me how to start talking to people on a personal basis online, and making friends via the Internet. Fred also was my immediate upline in a MLM company that incorporated in 1999 called Quixtar. Quixtar was to be the online version of Amway by Amway. (Yeah, that ain't exactly how it was presented, but it's close enough.)
My blog is about a lot of things. Sometimes, it's been about Quixtar and Amway; sometimes it's been about my stand-up comedy; sometimes, it's about politics, or something interesting on the Internet. And sometimes, it's strictly something personal about me or a personal opinion.
Tonight, it is personal.
I've lost contact with Fred Johnston over the past year. I know his home state suffered some flooding many months back. The email address I had for Fred has given me no response. I've lost his phone number. When I "google" his name and his old screen name that he used on many Internet forums, the "searches" just take me to entries that are several years old or sites that list his invalid email address.
So, I'm putting out an All Points Bulletin here at "On The Road With Dave" for someone that reads here might also be a mutual friend of Fred Johnston.
Maybe, Fred might even decide to "google" his own name someday and my site comes up in the search and he might decide to drop by.
Back in the early 1980s when I was listening to several Amway cassette tapes a week, it was not uncommon that one of the tapes would have George and Ruth Halsey speaking to a crowd of excited Amway distributors about becoming Amway's first Triple Diamond Distributor. (Triple Diamond was a designation of a high level of achievement in building an Amway business)
From North Carolina, the Halseys had a "folksy", homespun, charming aire about themselves and they spoke like parents to the throngs of listeners. George often referred to his wife as "Momma".
As the first African-Americans to rise to notable ranks through Amway, they seemed to speak in a manner, that if they could do it, so could the listener.
Tex seemed to think that with George's passing, Amway Global and their critics would have one less "lying, cowardly kingpin" to deal with. And yes, I suppose over the past 25 years since I have heard a "George Halsey and Momma" motivational tape, that maybe George succumbed to the greed and avarice of promoting a motivational system beyond the intended purpose of helping other Amway distributors accomplish what he had done--but, I'd kinda like to have my one lasting memory of George stay the same.
My memory is George loved his wife. When he talked about her, he seemed to get nervous.
"Momma and me," (and then he would cough) "Momma and me," (maybe it was a stifled laugh) "we wanted it bad,"( maybe he was just clearing his throat)
It always seemed like George was going to say something "off-color" or slightly risque' and was trying to catch himself. I was never sure if the coughing and clearing his throat was a nervous speech pattern or something quite different. And then to cap it off--after finally finishing whatever innocuous story he was telling about "Momma and Me"; he would sorta giggle. Like, he wanted us to "catch the drift" he was trying to convey. That's my memory of George Halsey.
GREENSBORO — George Thomas Halsey, Jr., 72, went home to be with Jesus on Tuesday, September 2, 2008, at Moses Cone Hospital after a lengthy illness surrounded by his family and friends.
Funeral services will be held 3 p.m. on Saturday, September 6, at Mt. Zion Baptist Church, 1301 Alamance Church Road, Greensboro, NC 27406, with the Rev. George W. Brooks officiating. Burial will follow in Guilford Memorial Park.
Mr. Halsey was born on April 2, 1936, in Wilmington, N.C., to the late George T. Halsey, Sr. and the late Inez Halsey.
He was a graduate of North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University, music major where he became a member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. After graduating, Mr. Halsey had a full and exciting life. He was a Greensboro Police Officer then a claims adjuster for Nationwide Insurance Company. In 1975, he was introduced to the Amway Business. George and his wife, Ruth quickly became the first black couple in the history of the company to achieve the level of Triple Diamond. That achievement allowed him to travel all over the world, for pleasure and to motivate thousands. He was known for his big smile, bright eyes, loving and kind nature. He and his family were featured in the Ebony Magazine, Jet Magazine, Black Enterprise and several well known books spotlighting their achievements.
