TEAM (MonaVie)

TEAM, formerly known as Team of Destiny, is a leadership development company founded by Orrin Woodward and Chris Brady in 1999 in Michigan. TEAM is an acronym that stands for Together Everyone Achieves More.
Woodward and Brady are former IBOs (Independent Business Owners, a.k.a. distributors) of the multi-level marketing company Quixtar, as well as members of the board of directors of Quixtar's IBOAI (IBO Association International, representing Quixtar IBOs). After having built successful Quixtar businesses, Woodward and Brady created TEAM as a training company to help Quixtar IBOs in their business. TEAM and Quixtar ended their relationship in August 2007. This was accompanied by a series of lawsuits from both sides, as well as the exit of Woodward, Brady and several other high level distributors, from Quixtar.
Name and terminology
According to the TEAM's Better Business Bureau entry, its officially incorporated name is Signature Management Team, LLC and was created on March 1 1999 as a limited liability company. At that point, the company referred to itself as Team of Destiny. TEAM joined the Better Business Bureau on August 22 2003. On November 1 2004, the name was officially changed to TEAM by founder Orrin Woodward. In the audio message that announced this change, Woodward reasons that calling the organization TEAM makes referring to teams within TEAM simpler and more cohesive. Some bloggers have noted that searching the internet for the term "TEAM" returns far fewer results related to the organization than "Team of Destiny", making it more difficult to find information from sources other than TEAM itself. Other sources refer to TEAM as a Line of Sponsorship (LOS), a Professional Development Program (PDP), or an Amway/Quixtar Motivational Organization (AMO/QMO). Such organizations are typically started by an IBO after reaching a high level of success in their Amway/Quixtar business. Their purpose is to supply Business Support Materials (BSM) in the form of tapes, CDs, seminars and meetings to IBOs. Other examples of such organizations include Britt World Wide and Network 21. Woodward achieved the level called executive diamond (EDC), and Brady founders diamond in their Quixtar businesses. They were on the IBOAI board of directors prior to their exit from Quixtar.
Business Methodology
Training
TEAM offers books, compact discs, videos, meetings and mentoring. While TEAM members receive mentoring for free, members must pay for entrance to the TEAM section of their website. Media such as CDs and books and meetings also carry a fee, but are optional. Membership with TEAM is by invitation only. While prices are not listed on TEAM's website, the price to register on TEAM's website is $60.00 per year. Enrollment in the monthly leadership training program is optional. As of September 13 2007, the monthly leadership training program is approximately $80. As of 2004, three CDs costing $6 each
Recruitment
TEAM members contact people they already know and introduce them to TEAM. Potential new members are able to go to a seminar, listen to CDs, or read books written by TEAM members to determine if they are interested in becoming involved with the organization.
Building Depth
When TEAM was affiliated with Quixtar, it organized its members' downlines by growing depth before width, a practice sometimes called stacking. TEAM members argue that depth building increases stability and ensures that all members receive the proper mentoring by being mentored by the person above them in depth.
Relationship with Quixtar
As of September, 2007, TEAM is no longer associated with Quixtar. Members now refer to TEAM as a Leadership Development Service Provider.
Controversy
In addition to controversy over Quixtar, TEAM has received criticism from the media and blogging community concerning suppressing information, and tax deductions.
As of August 2007, the "Product Showcase" on TEAM website's main page showed XS Energy Drink, a Quixtar product. However, in September 2007, the product showcase removed the drink image and description and displayed a featured book instead, due to TEAM's separation from Quixtar.
Tax Deductions
Business ownership is one important distinction between a TEAM member and a traditional salesperson. With ownership comes a different set of tax rules. TEAM has advertised this as another incentive to joining the organization. Since IBOs work from home, and TEAM encourages members to travel to meetings and purchase products for personal consumption, business owners must be aware of what can and cannot be claimed as a business expense for tax purposes.
Response to Criticism
TEAM founders Orrin Woodward and Chris Brady have been quick to respond to criticism.
On March 15 2004, Orrin Woodward sued vocal TEAM critic Scott Larsen. While the suit was dismissed in 2005, the reason behind the dismissal is not known, and the court proceedings have been sealed. Material specific to TEAM on Larsen's website has been removed.
In connection with this case, Wikimedia Foundation was issued a subpoena on 6 December 2005, to send to Orrin Woodward's lawyer all records submitted to .com and/or Wikimedia Foundation from January 1, 2002 concerning the terms "Team of Destiny", "Team", "Orrin Woodward" and/or "Chris Brady" including but not limited to: all records, documentation, emails, and/or electronic information, and correspondence.
In Leading a Consumer Rebellion, Brady warns newcomers to "Expect resistance."
Learning to expect resistance was an important lesson. When you decide to step out and pursue success, in anything, there will be detractors. There will be people who shine doubt on what you are doing. As a matter of fact, negative resistance will be inversely proportional to the size of the undertaking: the bigger the dream, the bigger the critics. Believe it or not, some are staunchly opposed to almost everything you hold dear in life. If you are for freedom, there are those who want to take it away. If you believe in saluting the flag, there are those who want to burn it. The list goes on indefinitely. This is where success becomes a battle; because to create anything, to take a stand on anything, requires change, and the only people who like change are babies! —pp.104, 106
Later, in a section entitled "Critics are wrong," Brady writes:
The simplest way to overcome these obstacles is to realize that critics are cowards. Critics are spectators. Criticism is the death-gurgle of a non-achiever. While the peanut gallery is busy saying something can't be done, a few leaders with courage are busy doing it. This business has been no different. Every step of the way, with every innovation and advancement, there were those saying it couldn't be done, or that it had already been tried, or that it wasn't legal, or something or other. —pp.106, 108 and that Woodward and Brady had stated their intention to start a new MLM. Woodward, Chris and other IBOs have filed a class action lawsuit complaining that Quixtar prices are not competitive and that Quixtar admitted this problem in meetings with IBO leaders. The lawsuit seeks relief from the non-competition and non-solicitation rules in Quixtar distributor contracts, so that IBOs have the freedom to continue with Quixtar or to pursue other business opportunities
The lawsuit was dismissed on October 4, 2007.
In October 2007, Quixtar filed a suit to obtain the identity of 30 anonymous people who created blogs and posted YouTube videos critical of Quixtar. This was done with the stated belief that some of these websites and videos are engineered or directed by Woodward and TEAM.
Many Independent Business Owners (IBOs) associated with TEAM have opted to resign from their Quixtar IBOships and abide by the six month waiting period.

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