Article from Success from Home Magazine:

The Cunninghams were on divergent tracks when they first heard about USANA. For John, improved health piqued his interest, while Susanne considered the business opportunity. Eleven years later, their paths have long since merged to appreciate both benefits. Married for 24 years, their pre-USANA lives were typically middle class-each going to their respective jobs by day and returning at night to tend to home and family.

Susanne always had the entrepreneurial spirit. Although she owned a thriving fundraising business working with schools and nonprofits to raise money for their projects, she also regularly took advantage of sideline opportunities when they came along.

John, on the other hand, refers to himself as a former "corporate guy," whose father received frequent job transfers when John was a child. “We moved a lot," John says. "I wanted stability, so l looked for a career where I could put down roots and have security." I le pursued a career in the IT industry and worked in a corporate office for 13 years.

"I always liked the responsibility and cutting-edge aspect of the IT industry," he says. "Although there was opportunity for growth- in both job and income-it was always going to be dictated by others. And there was also the corporate politics. You always have to play that game."

Susanne loved the freedom of self-employment. "I liked setting my own hours and goals and achieving without much direction," she says. “Of course, I had to work harder to achieve more, hut the opportunity was relatively unlimited."

In March 1995, a former business associate of Susanne's called and asked her to "take a look at something," she says. With Susanne's business, John's work responsibilities and raising their three boys, the Cunninghams were happy-hut busy--and couldn't imagine taking on anything else. "Still, I knew it took courage for my friend to extend the invitation. so out of respect I went to take a look.''

The couple joke about John's final parting words as Susanne walked out of the house that Saturday morning. "Don't buy or sign anything," he said. She didn't, but was intrigued enough to bring the information home for John to peruse. And after a few days of prodding, he did. Within about 45 minutes of looking it all over, John agreed to do it.

But John was giving nods to using the product. "I was 36 years old and had some health challenges," he says. "Nothing threatening at all, but I did understand the value of taking nutritional products. Here was a product developed by an immunologist and microbiologist who seemed to have figured out a unique way for people to stay healthy. Why not do it?"

Susanne's reaction was a little different. “I considered myself relatively healthy and wasn't thinking along those lines at all," she says. That's if you don't count low energy, fatigue, aches. pains and headaches, which I thought were a normal part of being an adult with a busy life."

She says that, even if she had a brain block about the concept that she might benefit from better health, she was always motivated for a business opportunity. This is what captured her interest about USANA, but that wasn't the case for long. "Eleven years ago, the trend toward the philosophy of prevention when it came to health wasn't as pervasive as it is now," she says. "There was just enough information available in the media, however, that I was aware of a switch in the public mind-set from waiting for a problem to preventive treatment."

Knowing prospects would ask about her experience with the products, Susanne knew I she needed to he able to talk about it, so she started using them a long with John right away. "I was happy when the checks started coming in the mail" she says. "But I was really jazzed when I started to feel better.” And it didn't take long for John to start sharing his experience with other people," Susanne says. "That's really how he became part of the business, too."

The couple now works the business "independently, but as a partnership," she says. "There are no set roles---we both take part in sponsoring, prospecting, training and development." John notes the two have different styles and occasionally a prospect or team member responds more to one than the other. "It comes in handy to have the ability to utilize different skill sets, or expertise, to help our team grow."

"Susanne was an independent entrepreneur before and had a better understanding of how this could go," John says. "Being the corporate guy, I didn't want to have to do anything else after working my eight- or nine-hour day. I didn't understand the big picture at first, but I do now."

In the beginning, John says he was happy to make enough money from selling USANA to pay for the products they were using. 'But it's way beyond that now," he says. "The biggest thing is that I left part-time parenting behind When you work the corporate life, you only see your kids it couple hours a day anti the weekends. Now I'm here and involved in their lives. We still have some of the same challenges, but I'm here."

"We've traveled more as a family," Susanne says. "And I've even been able to take the boys individually on 'mum-and-son tripe.' A lot of parents don't get to have that chance to spend time with one child at a time. We've treasured that."

The Cunninghams stress that you don't succeed in this business by yourself. They thank their treasured mentor, the late Ron Dowhey, for all his wisdom and support. They plan to honor his legacy by continuing to focus on their team. "The most powerful thing is the people," Susanne says. "It's pretty cool to work in an environment where the relationships are what make the success."
Deamer's USANA Site