Paul Myhill Publishes Joe McCord Letter on Facebook

Paul Myhill Puts Future in Hands of God

McCord Letter To Bill Driscoll re:Paul Myhill 2005
McCord Letter To Bill Driscoll re:Paul Myhill 2005

The Letter from Joe McCord to Bill Driscoll

Bill Driscoll and Paul Myhill:  co-inventors of the Protandim Recipe

Paul Myhill, one of Protandim‘s creators has this past hour published a letter which reveals certain facts that Lifevantage wish to smokescreen.

58 minutes ago, Paul Myhill said, as a way of admission, his future is in the hands of god….

For those that haven’t heard of it, Protandim is a plant based tablet that has unproven effects, but for which the MLM company Lifevantage make innuendo-based fantastic claims.

LazyMan and Money has a fantastic take on the whole scam.

Myhill In Hands Of God, says, My reputation, integrity, credibility and character - All are in God's hands.
My reputation, integrity, credibility and character – All are in God’s hands. – Myhill

In short, it’s snake oil, and a scam, just like many others from that cesspit of free market capitalism, Utah.

  • We’ve seen Google Treasure Chest for which Pacific Webworks and their promoters have been doubly hammered by Google and the FTC.
  • We’ve Canadian seen Jesse Willms who has been hammered by Google, Oprah and the FTC yet ran many affiliates through Utah.
  • We’ve seen near neighbours Monavie.  Same crap, just waiting to get the FTC knock on the door.  This is LazyMan’s take on them.  It’s scary stuff. – n.b. Monavie went bust, defaulting on a near $200m loan, back in 2015….  Make what you will of that but for me it just proves tghe total scamminess of the whole MLM thing.

Roll on the FTC.  They’ve got to weigh in on these sharks soon.


Paul Myhill's Open Letter On Facebook
Paul Myhill’s Open Letter On Facebook

Rather than a comment, (which isn’t so taggable and relevant within search engines), here’s Myhill’s open letter (open – geddit?  – in the fullest meaning of the word).  Text follows below.

OPEN LETTER TO MY DEAR LIFEVANTAGE FAMILY

Needless to say, the company and I are not on good terms right now. Quite frankly, Doug Robinson’s email to the LifeVantage distributors is fraught with error and misrepresentation. In fact, he gave very little attention to me personally on this matter, hardly exchanging a word with me concerning it. He simply didn’t have the time for me.

It is very well documented that the company was founded on a pledge to give shares, and a percentage of profits, to the charitable cause that it helped to start – rescuing orphaned and abandoned children from being abused, exploited, trafficked and enslaved. This was my “Why?” for joining Bill Driscoll in starting LifeVantage in the first place . . . and it is a cause that he graciously took on as his own and championed also. I’m sure he’s getting many hugs in Heaven as a result of the 15,000 children who are free from slavery today because of our work together.

I will be more-than-willing to make public all that documentation, especially since it was all public information to begin with. This charitable pledge was also the basis for which I assigned my invention (not Dr. McCord’s invention!) to LifeVantage. As soon as Bill and I assigned the patent to LifeVantage the pledge was sadly taken out of company materials, almost immediately. I naturally felt quite betrayed. Again, I can provide full documentation supporting this and it can be easily verified in the public record – through company press releases, investor presentation materials, SEC filings, etc. My resignation letter was also a matter of public record and alludes to the fact that this pledge – which was foundational to the company and my very involvement in it – needed to be kept, otherwise it would represent a promise broken to the original founders and all of LifeVantage’s stakeholders. The erasing of the pledge from company materials was the main reason for my departure, which the original Board and transition management team can certainly attest to. I was quite the thorn in their sides, constantly verbalizing the need to keep the pledge. As such, there is no disputing the existence of the original commitment. It’s simply undeniable.

I have been quite clear in my communications with LifeVantage management that the company still owes the charity now known as Traffic Jam 100,000 shares as part of its original pledge to match the Founders’ donation of shares to that same charitable vehicle. This amount was supposed to match Bill Driscoll’s gracious donation of 100,000 shares that came in a couple of months late. I’m sure if he were alive today he’d be greatly disappointed that the company never followed through on that commitment . . . and other commitments. Bill and I had our differences, but I also owe it to him as my brother-in-arms to get his shares matched, as he fully expected would be done when he made his generous gift in the first place. I owe it to his memory and legacy. And I owe it to his family – to see more children rescued because of his gift and defense of the pledge.

Despite the implication made in Doug’s letter, I never approached the company to ask anything for myself. In fact, it was David Brown who suggested that I become a “Goodwill Ambassador” for the company with a job role that would give me a greater platform to share the “correct” company history and bring attention to the fine work of the Traffic Jam Campaign. It was through that process that compensation (as with any job) was sought to channel to Traffic Jam. I have quite a few emails that show that this compensation was for the purpose of supporting the work of Traffic Jam. I’m on record multiple times stating that I gave everything away . . . and would give it away again.

It is with great sadness that I write this on the eve of my Birthday – not exactly the “gift” I was hoping for . . . or hoping to give. Since 2008, I have been pleading with the company to correct its marketing materials – to reflect that Joe is not the “Inventor” or “Creator” or “Scientist behind” Protandim; that Protandim wasn’t “developed after 40 years of research;” and that it didn’t consist of a “laundry list” of 40 ingredients that Joe whittled down to the current formula. This is all simply untrue. I’m sure the company will try to put some sort of further spin on this now and try to convince people otherwise, but the truth is the truth and will always come out in the end. Darkness can’t hide from the light.

The CORE botanical formula I forwarded to Joe included the current five botanicals, plus one additional one – all in the EXACT same proportions/weights as the current formula (all 1/3 of the original to get it into one pill), but with Milk Thistle subsequently bumped up at my suggestion. The other ingredients were part of an “all-in-one” (multi-formula) addition to that CORE botanical formula that I developed. Given such indisputable facts (and that the initial patent was filed one month before we even met Joe), how am I NOT the creator? How is Joe THE creator? The simple email record, and even a letter from Joe himself, clearly show that the current company communications are downright false and misleading . . . and, in the eyes of many, perpetuate an ongoing fraud – one that the SEC and FTC should be made aware of.

I initially stated that “nobody lied,” desiring to give this current management team the benefit of the doubt and chalking it to human error and the discontinuity of company management in general. But then, month after month went by with the same erroneous materials still being widely distributed by the company, despite their own admission to me that Joe isn’t the creator. These same materials are on the company website TODAY. I just don’t get how a company can keep doing that, with full knowledge that the materials are sending the wrong message to current and new distributors. Many times I wrote emails (which I’d be happy to share with you) and each time nothing was done to take down the offending materials.

I’ll be glad to once again share that whole “Protandim Development History” with you, which is backed up by meticulous documentation, the full email record, plus personal notes and commentaries. It spanned over 20 blog entries. I’m an “open book.” I had nothing to hide. I shared it all.

I’m sure, though, that if I were to re-post Protandim’s development history, the company would claim that I was then “giving away company secrets” and would once again try to silence the true history of the product’s creation – MY creation of Protandim – that occurred for almost ten months before I even met Joe. The reality is that the company misrepresentations have gone on for so long now that they have no choice but to try to silence the truth. Just you wait and see. I can almost hear the “cease and desist” letter being typed up right now. And I can almost picture the new “watered-down” version of the history that the company will now come up with.

Doug mentioned in his letter that I found the company response unacceptable. Well, one of those unacceptable conditions was that I sign a new set of releases (to silence me telling the true Protandim story again) and that I pull down my “LifeVantage / Protandim Founder’s Page” on Facebook which, of course, would be in addition to my blog that was already pulled down. Do you see the common theme here? Silence. Silence. And more Silence. I’m a high-justice person who stands for truth and integrity and, despite the company trying to buy that silence by offering for Traffic Jam to be featured at convention, I told them that I couldn’t in good conscience do that. I’m not signing away my voice. My “Founder’s Page” stays. My voice stays. And my appeal to get the company to meet its commitments . . . stays.

Do you want a company of integrity? Well, then, don’t let them silence the truth any more. Protandim wasn’t an “idea” that Bill and I took to Joe. It was a full formula that even Joe stated in a letter was almost at its “final embodiment.” And the company’s charitable pledges to Traffic Jam wasn’t an “idea” that I just came up with. It was represented in multiple press releases and SEC filings and collateral materials. If you don’t believe me, go to EDGAR and check yourself for at least the SEC part of it.

Ever wonder why the company took down all the archived press releases? Because it backs up what I’m saying and what I’ve been asking, not for myself, but on behalf of trafficked and enslaved children.

Given the erroneous wording in Doug’s email, I can only assume now that the company has chosen the issue of the 100,000 shares to try to discredit me – making it sound like I’ve been making selfish and unreasonable demands of the company – while at the same time trying to discredit the true history of Protandim’s development. Doug, of course, fails to mention in his email that the “great deal of material” that I posted on the Internet concerning “my view” of that development was 1.) Taken down by me as a sign of “good faith” and 2.) Was only posted in the first place after I reached out to the company multiple times beforehand – with no response.

I’m not sure how Doug can call it “my view” of Protandim’s development anyway, considering that it included hundreds of emails (that were copied or sent to dozens upon dozens of people) as well as a number of other source documents that were widely circulated. It’s not just “my view,” as demonstrated by the substantiated, well-documented evidence. Of course, if the company has its way, you probably won’t see any of that document and you’ll just have to accept Doug’s words that it was simply “my view” of events. Where was Doug during the development of Protandim? Who is he to challenge the clear evidence? Can he not see the patent was initially filed a full month before Joe even came into the picture? Does he not see whose name is on the patent?

For months, I’ve taken steps of “good faith” and have expected the company to do the same – to act in “good faith” to take down the erroneous marketing materials that were propagating that Joe was the inventor/creator of Protandim. Sadly, the company never reciprocated. The 100,000 share issue, unfortunately, has now become the easy point of contention that allows LifeVantage to not have to give credit to me for my invention. By making it so public and contentious, LifeVantage now has a convenient excuse to not have to include Bill and me in our rightful place in the company history. Something that should have been celebrated can now be easily swept under the rug because I’m the “bad guy” with “unreasonable” expectations who asked the company to honor its commitments. It now allows them to feel better about themselves somehow – for so long being negligent in getting the real story about Protandim’s development out there; for so long casting me in a “false light” by commission and omission; for so long keeping up the erroneous materials to the point of malice and great hurt.

Company of integrity, Doug says? How about keeping its original promises to match the founders’ shares to rescue children? How about keeping its original promises to give 10% of pre-tax net profits away for children and related humanitarian causes? How about filing an 8-K correction notice with the SEC every time the erroneous message of Joe being the “creator” went out? How about the promise to correct the development history while at the same time keeping up the offending materials that lead people to believe Joe was the inventor? How about David’s promise to “make it happen” for me to have a “Goodwill Ambassador” role with the company, to help further the purposes of Traffic Jam? How about the company’s constant encouragement for distributors to use the copyrighted material of ABC News for commercial purposes? How about all those big distributors who came over with down-lines allegedly “stolen” from Zrii? How about ALL the mentions of diseases when it’s clearly not permitted in the marketing of a supplement?

Integrity? Company of integrity? Actions speak louder than words.

This is a very sad day for me folks. The “petition” that Doug mentioned in his letter was merely me throwing up my arms in bewilderment and wondering why on earth the Board wasn’t fulfilling the matching pledge with a measly 100,000 shares when the evidence was so clear that 100,000 shares were missing (Believe me, I was asking for these shares long before the recent run-up in price). Even a math flunkey could see that the numbers didn’t add up and 100,000 shares were still owed. Instead of bringing the match to completion, with an amount of shares that pales in comparison to the fat stock options the executives are getting, they chose to make this big issue out of it. It could have been a cause for celebration. Instead, the company has chosen to create yet another public relations nightmare. I didn’t ask for that. They did it. And I’m baffled by it.

I started off with 5 million shares. Why on earth would I make all this fuss about 100,000 shares if it were not true? I’m a man of principle and the principle-of-the-matter is the shares are still owed. Gosh, by their reaction, you’d think I asked for the moon.

I merely responded by saying that I would put out the public information and ask distributors to let their voices be heard – for integrity and common sense. But somehow that’s now something portrayed as me being devious and destructive. Hello? Why would I try to destroy the stock of the company I’m trying to get shares from? Hello?

Conversely, I don’t believe the LifeVantage Board has acted in its fiduciary duty in this matter. I believe they are acting in a destructive manner. Why on earth would they bring about such a disruptive episode in the midst of such growth and promise? The missing shares are soooooooo obvious that they are missing from the match. I gave 200,000 shares. Bill gave 100,000 shares. the company gave 200,000 (matching mine) and, hello again, Bill’s shares didn’t get matched. 100,000 shares missing. You don’t need a mathematics degree to figure that one out. Why would the Board put so much at risk – the airing out of this laundry – instead of just issuing the shares to help rescue kids?! And celebrating it!

. . . Unless, of course, they were needing something to make me look “bad” or “unreasonable” so they don’t feel so bad about the incorrect company communications about who invented the product. And to release themselves from an obligation to correct that history in a way that celebrates Bill’s and my involvement.

. . . Now they can just quietly remove the “creator” tag from Joe and hope that nobody notices. Just like they did when they removed the “inventor” tag from him.

Doug’s letter concludes by asking distributors to not get involved in anything that “disparages” the company. Wow. I asked the company to honor its commitment with a measly 100,000 shares to stop 11 year-olds from getting raped 20 times per day; to stop 7 year-olds from having to shoot their parents before being forcibly conscripted into a child militia. Now, if any distributor goes along with supporting what is clearly in the public record, and honoring their own conscience to see the pledge fulfilled for children such as these, they are in violation of their distributor’s agreement. Seriously?

Looks like the strong arm of silence rearing up again.

My apologies for rambling on in this open letter. Obviously I’m a passionate person – the same passion that brought Protandim into being in the first place. And, obviously, I’m quite upset right now – not just by these events, but how they’ve now been represented in Doug’s email.

Unfortunately, it’s the distributors and the children who lose out because of the Board’s baffling conclusion and Doug’s irrational choice to send out his email. Quite wreckless, if you ask me. Certainly not acting in the best interests of the shareholders. They turned a public relations celebration into a public relations nightmare.

I apologize to all of you that it has come to this. It certainly wasn’t my intention.

I want you all to know that I love you all and do indeed wish you the best. I will STILL use my “Founder’s Page” on Facebook as a place of encouragement and, given this recent turn of events, as a place of clarity and truth.

Blessings,

Paul


So there you have it.  Since this time, Myhill has been sat on by Lifevantage (as it turns out a kind of double-blackmail) and then stated that the shares were the thing to buy.  Following this, Lifevantage have made public pronouncements about their charitable donations to Myhill’s charitable organisation(s) and there’s now, apparently,  a kind of Machiavellian sweetness and light between them.

But whatever:   the business is still a snake-oil pyramid scheme founded on flawed and discredited “science” and promoted by MLM-hopping get-rich-quick wide-boys.  For more on these recent developments and a fuller history of investigations into the topic, see a few of LazyMan’s postings here:

…….I won’t steal any more of Lazyman’s thunder and there much, much more on his site.  But from top to bottom, the volunteers and employees of all the charities financed by Myhill and/or Lifevantage should examine their hearts and ask themselves;

What value is there to a charity when it’s financed from deception?

So what if Myhill has had his photo taken with Elton John or whoever.

So what if Myhill plugs;

Paul Myhill Entertainer Plugs
Paul Myhill Entertainer Plugs

“Meetings getting scheduled with Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake, Justin Bieber, Slash, Myles Kennedy, and many more. The TRAFFIC JAM Campaign (Stop Child Trafficking & Slavery) will be rocking this summer!”

Our Prime Ministers and Presidents are often photographed with the pariahs of the world.  Elton is one of the world’s biggest self-publicists and spend-thrifts.  So is Gaga.  So, so what?  There is no validation there.

It’s still a charity founded on deception.  It may have good aims.  It may be correctly financed and regulated –  though Vogel has shed great doubts over this (See here, here, here, here and here).  But it is financed by a pyramid scheme based MLM using a product with no proven benefit as the bait on the hook.

When the PR folk at Lady Gaga, Timberlake’s et al label’s get wind of the deceptions surrounding Myhill, will the charity campaign still be a-rockin’?  Will all of Zoe Hamilton’s (a loyal Myhill fan/worker/volunteer?) networking work be for naught?  Let’s see.


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Comments

15 responses to “Paul Myhill Publishes Joe McCord Letter on Facebook”

  1. Ray avatar
    Ray

    Putting all of the LifeVantage company’s history and drama aside, I would like to focus on my main concerns as of present. I agree with the general scientific criticism that in order for Protandim to survive with integrity in this marketplace it will need more human clinical studies to substantiate the multitude of claims being made mostly from consumers of the Protandim product.

    The claims coming from consumers of the product are astounding. When doctors become users or even distributors themselves the case becomes even more interesting. How far can we go ignoring this? In either case, we need more human clinical studies. Less opinion and more data. It’s just too easy for people to make themselves well by taking something they think helps them when what’s really helping them is their belief. The power of belief to improve health deserves its own studies.

    Of greatest value to me at this point is the demystification of the current antioxidant multi-billion dollar industry. If the free radical biology I have been researching holds merit, we have a revolution in how we approach the battle against oxidative stress. I don’t believe there is much disagreement about oxidative stress and its role in disease processes. PUBMED has some 60,000 plus papers published on this. And while there are necessary roles for free radicals to play in cellular health, I believe the consensus has arrived at a less is better conclusion at this point. We are quite literally rusting from the inside out with age.

    The research also suggests that the body has its own endogenous antioxidants (Superoxidedismutase (SOD) being one of them). This SOD and its companions is quite a bit more effective than traditional antioxidants like VitC. Apparently we could never consume (without drowning in it) enough antioxidants to neutralize the oxidative stress of a normal human being, let alone a performing athlete. This alone is alarming. There is a multi-billion dollar industry selling us all on the notion that if we take in the right amounts of antioxidants we will be healthier. I’ve even seen antioxidants advertised in baby diapers! There’s a multi-billion dollar industry either lying to us or acting out of ignorance and so many of us, myself included, have bought into it.

    Now the question for me is can triggering the production of SOD (superoxidedismutase) and the body’s other endogenous antioxidants help us in the fight against oxidative stress? Is there anything we can consume by food, drug or some modification of behavior that upregulates the production of those endogenous antioxidants? I believe this is Protandim’s primary claim. But until we see more evidence in the research on live human beings across all races, ages and ethnicities, it will be hard to discern efficacy. All we have are claims, some of them very heart felt and obvious to those taking Protandim and those surrounding them that something has in many cases been associated with dramatically positive changes in health and over a relatively short period of time.

    I for one hope we’re on to something here. That all this research leads to a more effective way of reducing oxidative stress. In the meantime I’ll start taking less of the traditional antioxidants like VitC and start experimenting with Protandim. Just in case. Just in case it comes out that it really is helping. I haven’t seen anything anywhere that it hurts people. So this is just really cheap medical insurance that probably does at least a little bit more than our insurance policies to maintain our health. No harm done in a $480 a year health insurance premium right? I spend easily more than that in going to movies with the family ($10 a pop now!, not to mention the popcorn and soda), sitting back with Netflix at home ($7/mo)and a few rounds of bowling or miniature golf.

    I thank everyone here for their contribution to the truth. It’s the only thing that will set us free. Keep digging, keep scrutinizing, keep insisting on nothing but the best research, the most honest sharing and the highest integrity.

    1. Strangely avatar

      Raymond D. Mata, you cybershaman, the whole point of this exercise actually IS to closely examine LifeVantage’s company history and drama, so let’s not put it aside, shall we?

      • I don’t actually care a toss about oxidative stress, superoxides, free radicals or redox signalling.
      • There actually IS evidence that Protandim has hurt people, both biologically and financially. 98% are worse off and showing no health improvements. Some have had digestive issues [I’m being polite here] from some of the ingredients. Some ingredients actually cause harm to those with heart problems and on certain medications.
      • There actually IS scientific disagreement about the relative merits of oxidative stress and disease – check the literature and the words “may” & “perhaps” pop up an awful lot. Nothing has been categorically proven in humans.
      • Protandim has NO primary claim – it cannot claim anything since they have proved nothing.

      In short Ray, you’ve wasted several minutes of my life with your pointless warblings, all to conclude with your supposition that chucking $480 p.a. of your money on an unproven concoction, “just in case”, as you said! Your thinly disguised protandim promo is just tosh.
      Seriously Ray, how many other things are you taking, just in case? You are on a fool’s errand, following a dangerous agenda. It’d be far better for you to shut up, eat well and go for walks or whatever.

      This topic is about the shady dealings that cluster round Lifevantage like flies round shit. It’s here to inform people of the facts that the company repeatedly tries to disguise. It shows and re-shows the financial collusion, dodgy science that has happened but primarily , the above letter and exchanges from a few years back that the company would rather were hidden.
      I won’t accept any further promos on protandum here. Stay on topic.

  2. Rosanna avatar
    Rosanna

    Hello I’m sorry you didn’t run with your invention if you made the product 10 months before why didn’t you fight it then now your telling us that this don’t work for many diseases I’m stage three liver condition and its helping me my cousin is stage 1 dialysis and its helping her so how can you say it’s don’t help? Are you upset because you didn’t patent your finding and someone else jumped the gun? Now you want to air all the bad of Protandim! If you made the find then you would be liable if this is a scam. Is that what your saying the product Protandim is not helping sick people with many different diseases? Or you up set because you sat on your find and gave to another person to look at, and him knowing what he had been investigating for years and you say different. So what now your saying Protandim don’t work and its a scam than you being the founder of this mixture of herbs they are herbs right, or is that a lie too? Wouldn’t that make you liable as well as Joe McCord the scientist? So your a scientist too? I dint read all you had to say cause it sounded like your upset! I would be upset too. But like you said it will all turn around and if this is a scam then the company life vantage would have many suits on their hands, cause I m hearing many people say how it’s helping them, so what’s the down fall of being on Protandim if you invented it?

    1. Strangely avatar

      @Rosanna – I haven’t a clue what you’re on about, but from the sound of it you’re saying Protandim helps people. How, exactly?

      1. Curious!!! avatar
        Curious!!!

        She’s getting YOU and what you have said/quoted Paul Myhill as saying confused and mixed up….You may want to color code this stuff as to cut down on all the confusion. My question is: if LifeVantage/Protandim took down LazyMan’s negative post about them, why, pray tell haven’t they attacked you? Is it possibly because your post has helped them in some way????

        1. Strangely avatar

          @Curious: My take on the LV/LM affair is that it was a two-way thing with both parties having to back-track somewhat, at least, that’s what Greg says here:
          https://strangelyperfect.tv/13524/lifevantage-terminates-and-sues-major-distributor/#comment-15024
          Why they haven’t attacked me is probably something to do with cost-benefit ratios since I can’t see how I’m promoting their cause.

          Richard Feynman. Now there was a fellow, heartily missed. Common sense, straight to the point.
          Bearing in mind the quasi-religious fervour in which LV and others from Utah promote their products coupled to the laughable science that surrounds the hype giving them all an aura of authority, consider some of Feynman’s quotes:

          “Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of doubt.”

          “If you thought that science was certain – well, that is just an error on your part.”

          “If science is to progress, what we need is the ability to experiment, honesty in reporting results—the results must be reported without somebody saying what they would like the results to have been—and finally—an important thing—the intelligence to interpret the results.”

          This third one is crucial to this exercise.
          Firstly, the fuzzy science that is used around this and other products. This starts with Myhill and Driscoll in a kitchen.

          Secondly, the intelligence to interpret results.

          For the second point, (and assuming that the miniscule science is interpreted at all), the fact that someone may have difficulty in understanding the issues around MLMs in general is that MLMs deliberately throw a swathe of pseudo-jargon from each of their hydra-like orifices and then wrap it all up in a belief system.

          Thus in trying to explain it, it IS complicated. There is no way round it. It’s in their interests to keep it sounding both pseudo-sciencey and homely, all mumsy and we-know-besty and for users to not have to worry about annoying things like details and accuracy.

          Again, quoting Richard Feynman:
          “Hell, if I could explain it to the average person, it wouldn’t have been worth the Nobel prize.”

          Take this down a notch and you can see the issues at play here.

          Colour-coding what is the well-designed comments system in WordPress (which runs this website) would create issues for colour blind people – this is why I use black font on a white background. If people comment outside of the threads making it hard to follow specifics, well whose fault is that?

  3. Strangely avatar

    Darlene.

    You cannot cherry pick rights and wrongs.  I asked you to re-read the Noble Eightfold Path, now do so as you obviously have not done so since you’re still caught in a whirl of inward annoyance.

    You cannot cherry pick the Noble Eightfold Path likewise.  It is a solid, seriously thought out core, thought out millennia ago by an ordinary man searching for the truth of things.   By these means he became extra-ordinary.  The SGI uses this Buddhism, because, paraphrasing Sensei, Richard Causton and others, “within the ancient words from different times and places are values that are directly relevant to us in our modern world”.  It’s up to the individual to accept the reality of the gods and devils on the Gohonzon, but the metaphors these represent by the words and actions of ourselves on our own (and others’) lives are clear enough.

    Like a comic only being as good as his last joke, everyone’s standing anywhere, which includes the SGI, comes from their thoughts, words and actions, with the latest being paramount in affecting one’s karma.  How else can the phrase 3000 realms in a single moment be relevant or valid?   Being a long time member (e.g. a fortune baby, a senior leader, etc) carries no kudos, if that was your implication.  Being part of a multi-million dollar business carries no kudos.   Being helped with your health issues carries no kudos.

    I just consider you wrong in your support for Myhill’s activity.

    Considering the analogy I threw to you, your own “just cause”, the puppy mill thing.  I heartily agree with the sentiment and cause – that’s not the issue.

    Consider, would you be so supportive if an anti-puppy mill organisation existed that was financially supported by Columbian drug runners (say)?   Compare to when you initially said,

    “…I don’t believe anyone needs to examine anything. Paul Myhill regardless of how he gets the money to fund his charity…”  [my emphasis in bold]

    Read carefully what I said and not what you think I said.  Breeding puppies is legal, is it not?    Yet on Twitter you said,

    “Pet stores that sell puppies support puppy mills. Join me and pledge not to buy anything from stores that sell puppies”   [my emphasis in bold]

    Obviously, from your blanket statement promoting a blockade of legally run pet shops I didn’t pull out the link describing industrial breeding methods and thus you totally misunderstood when I said,

    “In your terms, this is the same as blocking someone earning an honest living just because you think their methods are wrong!”

    That is the whole essence of my comment. The hypocrisy.

    It has nothing to do with the rightness or wrongness of caring for orphans, but wholly about the hypocritical stance of Myhill getting his money from a pyramid scheme which has done nothing but suck money from ordinary people.  The duplicity has extended to good people like yourself, deluded completely by the fantasy science and a myriad of “testimonials” in lieu of real, hard, tested, repeatable, science.  The “fact” of oxidative “stress” is brought up like a golden axiom when the real truth is that the scientific community is very dubious about the “stress” part of it at all – we need oxygen to live, after all.  We’d be a lot more stressed without oxygen, wouldn’t we. 😉

    The company foundations and frauds are bad enough, but Myhill has twisted and turned his story and connection to Lifevantage so much that the bad karma attached to him will take a lot of shifting.

    Myhill is using transferable misery to further his philanthropy.  Really, the means do not justify the end which is what you’re trying to say.  I urge you, again, get out of it.  There are plenty of decent home businesses in which you can  partake without being part of this smoke and mirrors charade.


    As for your comment about privacy…..?  Really.  Get real girl.  If you don’t want to be seen;

    • don’t be on Twitter,
    • don’t be on Facebook,
    • don’t send emails to people you don’t know.

    The T&C of my website and my motives are plain to see.  I’ve infringed none of your privacy, just hurt your ego.  It was your actions that brought you here.  I didn’t seek you out.  BTW, I found you in 5 seconds….think on that.

    If I’ve hurt you then I’m sorry for the hurt, but how else am I to help and speed up the process of self-awareness and protect others from similar misfortune?  Maybe Myhill will see it for what it is?

    Don’t ever get Buddhism mixed up with anything else.  It is what it is – a way to live.  If your life doesn’t fit the advice given all those millennia ago, change your life, change yourself.  Don’t try and fit life now into the path written down long ago as it won’t work.  As a big example, those Buddhists working within the military-industrial complex as defined by Eisenhower need to seriously look at themselves.  The US economy depends on it with all the sad ramifications that this brings to the Buddhist view.  Here in the UK, it’s similar.  If certain ways of living were “bad” in Shakyamuni’s time, they are still bad now because deep down under the veneer of our modern world we are the same people with the same humanity.  This is what is meant by the phrase “never seek this Gohonzon outside yourself”. 

    Time and again I’ve seen good people with good intentions deluded in some way by misunderstanding what these words actually mean.  I used to live in Somerset, near Glastonbury….   Many mix up Buddhism with the latest fad, be it crystals, dream catchers, incense burning, spirits, holistic healing, wellness, bells and nice shiny candle snuffers.  Some think the chanting is magic, like in Harry Potter.     The reality is that none of it matters – only the way you live your life.  For Protandim I choose to put up, rather than shut up since the latter way harms people and thus sitting on my hands doing nothing is not for me.  Granted, I’m not reaching concord with Myhill or Lifevantage; how could I since they are doing wrong on several counts?  But I’m not being divisive.  If everyone could see the harm done to thousands deluded by easy money the LV model would wither on the vine.  This is my own, “right view”.  It’s also a timely moment for me to utter “Right speech”.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noble_Eightfold_Path

    1. Strangely avatar

      Guess you know by now or at least you should
      There is no volunteer for the common good
      Still waiting for the saviour to appear
      He’s not here

      And no one’s coming down to save your soul
      You’re the only ones who can assume that role
      But your minds are empty and you’ve lost control
      To the ones who sell you dreams
      To fill that hole

      Some of us I know seem to have much more
      Born with a key to every door
      The distribution of fortune seems unfair
      Same everywhere

      But those who have they just want more
      Using other peoples weakness to increase their score
      Oh, do you really know who you’re working for
      It’s not for one another and that’s for sure

      Guess you know by now or at least you should
      There is no volunteer for the common good
      Still waiting for that saviour to appear
      He’s still not here

      And no one’s coming down to save your soul
      You’re the only ones who can assume that role
      But your minds are empty
      And you’ve lost control
      To the ones who sell you dreams
      To fill that hole

      http://youtu.be/HjEgjMIHy7c

  4. Darlene Horvath avatar
    Darlene Horvath

    What a misfortune that you don’t even know me yet can say I am deluded.  I am curious did I not private message this all to you?  Or did I as I am doing now put it on your blog for all the world to see?  What is your true motive and what do you have to personally gain in all of this?  If I had something to gain or if I felt privy for the world to see I would have shared it for eveyone as you have.  I have to say that you say so much I disagree with.  And then you obviously spent a little time trying to find me on sites like twitter to see if you could use something I posted against me and then to state something like “You yourself point out wrongness in the world, because on your twitter page you plea for an end to puppy mills and for people not to buy from them.  In your terms, this is the same as blocking someone earning an honest living just because you think their methods are wrong!”  For you to think someone is earning an honest living by hurting innocent animals for their own gain is just as horrific as saying people are making an honest living by using innocent people as slaves for sex.  Maybe you are for sex trafficking and that is why you want to slander Paul Myhill.  I am not quite sure but I what I do know is that I am going to bring this to one of my leaders in the organization and ask them for guidance to help me understand why someone like you, a Buddhist, would use a blog to hurt people and not to truly use it for true humanity.  That being said I thank you for the dialogue and thank you for teaching those about this Buddhist practice.  I hope they gain knowledge and not misunderstanding.

    Darlene

     

  5. Strangely avatar

    Darlene.

    You are deluded.  While your intentions may be good, the Orwellian double-speak from Lifevantage has got to you.

    My karma is not affected adversely by talking negatively about something or someone that harms the vast majority of people.  Take Hitler, for example – am I to forget the 100 million who died because of his confused ambition just because he made the wonderful autobahns and the People’s Car (Volkswagen) and thus say Hitler was a wonderful man?

    Likewise, for Myhill and Lifevantage.  99% of distributors lose money for no other reason other than from the fuel of selfish greed to better themselves, because, as we all know,

    Protandim and other LifeVantage products are not intended to treat, cure, prevent or mitigate any diseases. Statements made on this web site have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and should not be used to treat any diseases.   – Source Protandim Website

    Protandim fixes nothing.  Yet this money (or at least part of it), apparently finances his orphan stuff?

    Which is it to be Darlene?  Can you not see it?  Please revisit the Noble Eightfold Path which will help you.  Or check out https://www.thebigview.com/buddhism/eightfoldpath.html for more succinct definitions…

    From these, you’ll see that Myhill, despite his apparent good works, is doing it all wrong.

    He’s fudged information, switched stories, taken, hidden, come to allegiances, all with a business whose core is rotten because of its pyramid scheme basics and the deviant obfuscating ‘science’ cobbled together by its colluding management team.  (Yes really, nearly half of the subjects used in the much quoted, very small, ‘sciencey test’ were on the board or worked for Lifevantage!)
    Please check out https://www.protandimscams.com/ and actually read the words, read through the referenced links, digest fully – and you will see this truth.

    And because he’s using rotten money which has hurt people in its gathering, his current actions continue to be debased and devalued. You do understand ‘value’, don’t you?  The meaning of Soka Gakkai is “Value Creation Society” after all.

    You cannot create real value by harming others, it’s a basic precept not only of Buddhism, but just about every other way of living on the planet.

    Also, I did not say that all home-based businesses are pyramid schemes. You did. I just said that many MLM businesses are, especially those founded or run from the home of scams, Utah.  It’s a basic feature of the double-speak that you’ve picked up from Lifevantage and the other things you’re involved in.

    • All I see is lots of MLM businesses being a scam, not all of them.
    • I see lots of MLM selling wonder cures, not all of them.

    In this site I helped pull down in my small way the Google Money Tree/Treasure Chest scam, which was an MLM home based business “opportunity”, as they called it.  It purported to make one rich by selling website information and the means to get more participants.  See me here.  The business collapsed because of its shaky foundations, not because of lack of effort of the participants.  The parent, Pacific Webworks, has struggled to stay above water as they’ve had to acquiesce to onerous court orders and agreed charges.

    You see, Darlene, like near neighbour Monavie (they even used the same car park until one moved building!), Xingo and others, all of these scams promise health and/or wealth and to cure all manner of diseases and conditions. Monavie has used exactly the same claims as Protandim, yet it’s just preserved fruit juice.  Just like you, above, when you said “ I have seen first hand many positive health related experiences with this Product“, they’ve made illegal  claims about curing all sorts of stuff – yet mysteriously, no-one actually has seen verifiable, documented, proof of it!

    So which is right? Are they all right? Do they all fix you and cure you from everything? Do they make everyone wealthy and healthy?  Of course not. Get a grip.

    Their primary aim is to recruit more distributors – a key component of a pyramid scheme where the only folks to benefit are those in first. Some, (this includes both Monavie and Protandim) have top distributors flitting from business to business, taking their downlines with them.

    • What sort of ethical business model is that?
    • How much truth can you place in the efficacy of products when the top folks flit and fly like vampire bats from cow to horse to sheep? (oh yes they do, have done, and continue to do.)

    Take a guy from your own Protandim plug site, https://www.mylifevantage.com/livelongerbetter   Here, you’ll see one Tyler Daniels promoting the product for you in the video.

    Yet mysteriously, ’twas only in 2009 that this so-called top seller was promoting Zrii!  This post and the linked court documents show that people like him flit from one MLM to the next, taking their downline with them.  You have no chance of such emulation because guys like this started years ago.

    Here is the quote from Orwell’s 1984 itself:

    “The power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one’s mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them….To tell deliberate lies while genuinely believing in them, to forget any fact that has become inconvenient, and then, when it becomes necessary again, to draw it back from oblivion for just as long as it is needed, to deny the existence of objective reality and all the while to take account of the reality which one denies all this is indispensably necessary. Even in using the word doublethink it is necessary to exercise doublethink. For by using the word one admits that one is tampering with reality; by a fresh act of doublethink one erases this knowledge; and so on indefinitely, with the lie always one leap ahead of the truth.”

    You may believe in Protandim (this concept is beyond me I’m afraid, but you said it), so let’s see how long this lasts. Eventually the penny will drop and the truth of it all will be revealed.

    Myhill, like all of us, has his own life and Karma to back it up.  How he expiates it, is up to him.  However, it is our duty to point out the wrongness in people’s ways as best we can.  If I’ve used hurtful language, then I’m sorry and it’s me still learning the path.

    But don’t stop me doing it.  If something is wrong, I’ll speak.  Myhill’s actions now are still founded on a corrupt core.  If I see change, I’ll say, but I haven’t yet.

    Furthermore, do not ever drag Sensei’s name into this.  He has no part in the discussion and your introduction of him is another case of Orwellian double-speak.  No way are you comparing like with like, so stop it.

    On top of that, do not slander a Buddhist.  When you said,

    “But when you post the negatvies (sic) instead of the positives you are no better than those people that use to call Nichirin (sic) Daishonin’s Buddhism a Cult.”

    – you really have got the wrong end of the stick and do not understand this Buddhism or a correct way to live, very much, at all.  I repeat, it is our duty to point out and reveal the wrongness in people’s actions and the unjustness in the world.

    Please refer to my Hitler quip earlier – do we forget all the bad?  Really?  That is Hitler’s karma, going into the next lifetime, is it not?

    • Sure he can change, but that’s a lot of bad karma.
    • Sure, he may have done positive things, but he still has a lot of bad karma.
    • Sure, the dualistic nature of humanity is very readily apparent in his words and actions, but he still has a lot of bad karma.

    Myhill is not Hitler, obviously, and I’m not saying he is.  But the continuing use of ill-gotten gains to finance philanthropic ventures is his own self-slandering, in Buddhist terms.  Why should I not point this out?  You yourself point out wrongness in the world, because on your twitter page you plea for an end to puppy mills and for people not to buy from them.  In your terms, this is the same as blocking someone earning an honest living just because you think their methods are wrong!

    Chant all you like, but your own promotion and involvement in this activity does you no favours.  Get out of it.

    I urge you to read, and re-read Gautama’s key words.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noble_Eightfold_Path

    I’ve written this, paraphrasing your words, “…in the hope I’ve posted what will positively influence us to bring peace and humanity… “

    All component things in the world are changeable. They are not lasting. Work hard to gain your own salvation. Do your best.

    Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
    Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
    Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

    Rees

  6. Darlene Horvath avatar

    [Editor’s note (SP): two messages from Darlene concatenated into one]
    Part 1
    Hi Strangely Perfect…I am sure your name is somewhere here and I just overlooked it. I was wondering if you were friends with Paul Myhill and why you decided to post his information regarding Protandim on your page? I am also Buddhist with SGI. I am what you call a fortune baby and grew up in the practice. From the looks of it I am sure you are much more of a practicing buddhist than I am. Although one thing I learned through this practice is that negative thoughts or comments also reflect negatively on you. I do not know Paul Myhill personally but I am a distributor with LifeVantage and I have seen what this product has done for people regardless of what misunderstanding Paul and this company have had. I have seen him at LifeVantage events after all of the ruckus and for whatever reasons he and LifeVantage have reconciled. I haven’t looked further into your site I am sure it is very useful and informative but as a practicing Buddhist you should be putting your energies on the positive and not the negatives. Being brought up with SGI and prior it being called NSA (Nichirin Shoshu of America) there is always going to be controversy. Just as there was when SGI changed from NSA. Growing up with this practice has not always been easy because of the people that were always saying it was a cult. But when you post the negatvies instead of the positives you are no better than those people that use to call Nichirin Daishonin’s Buddhism a Cult. I believe in this Buddhism and I also believe in Protandim and LifeVantage and I also believe that Paul Myhill no matter what has happened looks to the future and not at the past. He has a great fight against human traffcking and I bless his heart and chant deeply for him to keep the fight going. He is fighting a huge army when it comes to human trafficking and he needs all the positive influence around him. So as a fellow Buddhist I hope you will post what will positively influence us to bring peace and humanity as Daisaku Ikeda teaches.
    Part 2
    As a fellow Buddhist I wanted to add a few things that I left out. I sat here and read more of what you wrote and am saddend how you slander Protandim, LifeVantage and Paul Myhill. I am not the buddhist I want to be today but I chant to hopefully become that in the future. If I was I may not care so much about how you hurt those by what you write. If I was a buddha with a higher lifestage I may dismiss it and say this is your own Karma that you need to overcome but I am not quite there yet so I do care and I do need to state what I feel from my heart and that is my Karma. It also may be our Karma that I found this site and am writing this to you. Not sure but I feel compelled to say what I have to say.

    You write “the business is still a snake-oil pyramid scheme founded on flawed and discredited “science” and promoted by MLM-hopping get-rich-quick wide-boys. For more on these recent developments and a fuller history of investigations into the topic, see a few of LazyMan’s postings” First of all I take this snake oil everyday and just as I and you have seen and heard many human experiences with this Buddhist Practice. I have seen first hand many positive health related experiences with this Product. I, as many Buddhist’s are in home based businesses which you call pyramid schemes. I as a Buddhist chant daily to overcome my own obstacles and to help those less fortunate. With this product I have helped many with health related issues that they were not able to be helped from medical professionals and I have also been able to help financially those in need because I have brought in money from this company. In both those respects I don’t discredit this product or this company as I don’t discredit this Practice. Call it what you would like but growing up I heard many people call this Buddhist Practice a cult and I don’t believe that either. As far as LazyMan I don’t know if I have ever read anything positive from him. Such a negative soul who we both should chant for!

    You also write “I won’t steal any more of Lazyman’s thunder” Please don’t. I don’t think this is at all what Daisaku Ikeda teaches us. I honestly don’t think LazyMan has any thunder to steal.

    You also write “But from top to bottom, the volunteers and employees of all the charities financed by Myhill and/or Lifevantage should examine their hearts and ask themselves; What value is there to a charity when it’s financed from deception?” REALLY? First of all I don’t believe anyone needs to examine anything. Paul Myhill regardless of how he gets the money to fund his charity has a huge hill to climb with Human Traffciking. Watch “The Whistleblower”. He is fighting diplomats, government officials that fund human trafficking. His battle is long and hard. Instead of slandering him you should be chanting for him to help eradicate Human Trafficking. I know my heart is in the right place and I chant to keep it in the right place. I don’t know Paul Myhill personally but doing what he is doing and knowing that his life is in danger everyday doing what he is doing that his heart has to be in the right place. So please chant for him.

    You also write: “So what if Myhill has had his photo taken with Elton John or whoever.” “Our Prime Ministers and Presidents are often photographed with the pariahs of the world. Elton is one of the world’s biggest self-publicists and spend-thrifts. So is Gaga. So, so what? There is no validation there.” And Daisku Ikeda is also photograped with people that are not always favorable in others eyes to promote peace and to spread the word of Nichirin Daishonin’s teachings. Paul Myhill may not be spreading the word of Nichirin Daishonin but he is meeting with people in hopes to help him raise awareness to Stop Child Trafficking and Slavery. He reaches out to those that have been blessed to help make changes, whether they do it or not, they have that power and ability to make change.

    So as a fellow Buddhist let’s chant to raise awareness and peace and not negativity and slander.

    As you know and wrote: The only thing in the whole universe that we can really change, is ourselves. And if someone is having a hard time, we can feel concerned for their welfare, but in the end, it is their hard time. Ultimately, everyone’s life is their own responsibility and my life is my responsibility, and mine alone.

    That being said Paul Myhilss life is his and his alone. His relationship with Lifevantage is their relationship and theirs alone. Don’t make it yours as I shouldn’t make this mine, but like I said I am not the buddha that I chant to be yet.

    No, the only thing you can change is yourself and the only happiness that you should be responsible for, is your own.

    But as you know chanting for others happiness also leads to your happiness. Its a selfless act of chanting for someone elses happiness.

    So I end with Nam Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo.

    Darlene

  7. Strangely avatar

    In the interests of completeness for the record, here are a few websites that I think may be “got at” to remove their content.  This is the first.

    Here is Myhill’s interview where he first claims his kitchen sink creation of protandim:- https://www.blogtalkradio.com/lifevantage/blog/2009/03/09/inside-protandim-the-paul-myhill-interview

    Inside Protandim: The Paul Myhill Interview
    by LifeVantage Network
    – Mon, Mar 9 2009

    Paul Myhill is Protandim’s primary inventor and co-author of its first peer-reviewed human study. We asked Paul for this interview because we have come to know him as a very exceptional man. In addition to his pioneering work with LifeVantage and Protandim, Paul is the Chairman/President of World Orphans, an organization committed to rescuing abandoned orphans in the furthest reaches of the world. His advocacy and passion for this cause is inspiring to many. Moreover, his Protandim income is given over entirely to his organization to further fund its work. We were delighted to have him answer our questions.

    Protandim Longevity: Very few people know more about Protandim than you. Can you talk to us about the process of developing Protandim and your working relationship with Dr. Joe McCord?

    Paul: I’m actually in the process of writing the “Protandim Story” in a comprehensive format and will be happy to share it soon. It’s a rather complex series of events that culminated in something that surprised us all, scientists and marketers alike. The short version is that Lifeline (now LifeVantage) had licensed a synthetic peptide that purported to up-regulate the body’s first line of defense against unhealthy aging and disease. This powerful defense system is comprised of the antioxidant enzymes Superoxide Dismutase (SOD), Catalase (CAT) and Glutathione Peroxidase (GPX). As it became evident to me and others that the peptide was problematic (confirmed when we first met with Dr. McCord), I set out on a personal mission to find a natural alternative. Few people know this, but my research work was actually separate from my role at Lifeline. Only later did I assign the formula/patent to Lifeline in exchange for additional stock in the company. The other principals in the company were quite skeptical at first (rightly so), but were eventually won over by the weight of the evidence.

    Initially, I spent evenings and weekends pouring over reams of general scientific studies related to SOD, CAT and GPX, as well as any natural herbal/botanicals that had even a slight notation in the scientific literature concerning an effect on these enzymes. In addition, I looked at plant extracts that had a relation to memory processing (you’ll have to wait for the whole story to understand why later.) I drew extensively from traditional Chinese and Indian medicine for further sources. I began to see patterns and comprised a list of over 30 potential candidates before focusing on seven core ingredients consisting of specific extracts of the various source plant materials. I had wished to also include various mineral co-factors and amino acid building blocks for the antioxidant enzymes, but this was later deemed to be unnecessary. I had also considered adding in multi-vitamin ingredients to make it an “all-in-one” daily pill, but we also determined that wasn’t a necessary approach either. We decided to instead focus on the core Protandim composition.

    Protandim Longevity: How did you finally come up with the end ingredients?

    Paul: The various ingredients were weighted in a formula based on what I thought the most efficacious compounds were. Quite frankly, it was partly determined by hunches and guesswork at that point. Dr. McCord ended up doing further research on the various elements and helped me to subsequently adjust the balances accordingly. We also threw out two of the ingredients during that time. To answer your question, the working relationship with Dr McCord and Dr. Nelson was fabulous. Dr. McCord is truly a genius with a remarkable history concerning the antioxidant enzymes, and yet he is exceptionally humble. In my opinion, his only interest in commercializing the product was based on his desire to see it positively impact the health and lives of people, not based on a profit motive (which there was no arrangement or promise of when he was enlisted to do the testing anyway.) In that respect, I view him as a kindred spirit more committed to humanity than to personal gain.

    Prodandim Longevity: Then what?

    What happened next was nothing short of amazing. I was confident that we were on to something, especially since the preeminent scientist in the field saw validity in the original research and composition, but I never imagined the type of results that we would eventually attain. I thought that maybe we’d impact oxidative stress levels by pushing out or decreasing the slope of the age/oxidative stress relationship, but I was very surprised to see that we practically flat-lined it (almost totally eliminating age-related oxidative stress levels).

    Rather than going into more detail, I believe there were two primary factors involved that helped Protandim come into existence:

    First, I think that because I’m not a formulary scientist (and had no formulation experience up until that point), I didn’t realize that it couldn’t be done. Big Pharma had tried and failed using synthetic approaches to get the body to up-regulate the enzymes. The nutrition industry had largely failed using supplement approaches (after all, that’s what they do) to try to get more of the enzymes into the body. Nobody had really tried (that I’m aware of) to employ a natural approach that causes your body to simply produce more of the good stuff internally. Because the core composition came from a very unlikely source – me – we initially decided to hide that fact for marketing purposes and instead rely on the impeccable background of Dr. McCord. However, I now feel the genesis of Protandim makes for an interesting story that provides a unique marketing angle in its own right.

    Second, I committed the formula to assist in rescuing and caring for orphans in the developing world. Orphan Lifeline (similarly named purposefully) was used as the non-profit vehicle for Lifeline to provide shares and contributions to see this mission occur. I also donated personal shares and income for this reason. Regardless of one’s specific beliefs or faith, we see the care of widows and orphans as a common priority across generations and cultures. I don’t think that’s a coincidence and I believe the development process and formula of Protandim were blessed accordingly.

    Protandim Longevity: You also co-authored the first peer reviewed human study with Dr. McCord. How important was it to understand and accurately document the scientific data behind the finished product?

    Paul: I documented the science behind all the ingredients when I originally put together the composition. Obviously all the other scientific data was gathered when the pre-clinical and human studies were conducted at the Webb-Waring Institute for Cancer, Aging and Antioxidant Research. Subsequent data is now being provided through a plethora of independent university studies.

    It was extremely important to understand the science behind the product and its results. Lifeline (LifeVantage) was established to be a credible, science-based nutraceuticals company. It was imperative for us (and remains imperative to the current LifeVantage management team) to have real products of proven efficacy. Let’s face it, there’s a lot of folks out there claiming to have “miracle pills” or anti-aging “silver bullet” solutions. Most are charlatans or yahoos and, unfortunately or fortunately depending on your perspective, that is the competitive market Protandim is involved in. We desired to be science-based from an integrity standpoint, but also from a marketing standpoint.

    Protandim Longevity: What do you think are the broader uses for Protandim and where would you like to see the research take you?

    Paul: A simple Google search of the words “Oxidative Stress,” combined with any disease name, is evidence of Protandim’s broader uses. Depending on what sources you view, scientists believe Oxidative Stress has some sort of cause-or-effect relationship to 100 to 200 different disease conditions. I believe LifeVantage’s current science program to encourage or promote issue-specific studies is a sound strategy indeed. Since Big Pharma (through its proxy, the FDA) doesn’t allow supplements to make any disease claims, I think it’s important for the scientific literature to make those claims for us. Most people can then make the connection and understand how Protandim can be a positive part of their health regime.

    As far as broader uses are concerned from a line-extension perspective, I’ve always been an advocate of seeing Protandim made available for the pet market. All mammals are attacked by Oxidative Stress and the original pre-clinical study (before human studies were subsequently conducted) shows how mammals in general can benefit from Protandim. There is a strong trend for healthier foods and supplements for pets right now. Protandim, once it’s gained more mindshare and market share concerning its incredible results in general, should be able to participate in the developing pet-health market quite considerably, either as a standalone product or an additive licensed to science-based pet food/supplement manufacturers.
    Protandim Longevity: You’re an indefatigable advocate for Protandim. As a Protandim distributor myself how would you describe the opportunity with LifeVantage inside the product line?

    Paul: Yes, I’m a distributor myself, but my success in LifeVantage is ultimately linked to how well the company does. Therefore, I’m very happy to be a resource for anybody who has signed on to participate in the Protandim opportunity.

    Rather than give a detailed format as an answer to your question, I’d simply like to lay out the following precepts/understandings. I think the opportunity then becomes very evident.

    PROBLEM: As we breathe, oxygen free radicals attack our cells and cause damage leading to age-related conditions and the aging process itself. This damage is called Oxidative Stress and is similar to your body rusting from the inside out.

    PROBLEM: Traditional antioxidant supplements (vitamins and ‘super fruits’) can’t keep up with Oxidative Stress and can’t be consumed in enough quantities to truly make a difference.

    SOLUTION: Your body has its own powerful defense system of internal antioxidants (SOD, CAT, GPX) that are millions of times more effective than traditional antioxidants.

    PROBLEM: This defense system declines with age. In addition, SOD, CAT and GPX can’t be supplemented directly because they break down during the digestive process and are not absorbed by the body.

    SOLUTION: Protandim causes your body to naturally produce SOD, CAT and GPX at the cellular level, thereby enhancing your first line of defense against Oxidative Stress damage and aging.

    OPPORTUNITY: Protandim is now available for sale by independent distributors who want to get in on the “ground level” of something truly exciting and globally applicable.
    Protandim Longevity: You’ve committed 100% of your earnings to World Orphans. Tell us about the organization.

    Paul: Many people know that I led the outreach efforts of Lifeline (LifeVantage), especially through the Orphan Lifeline charity that I established. Orphan Lifeline still exists and does work in this area, but I now have the privilege of leading a much larger organization committed to this effort, World Orphans http://worldorphans.org/). It is a Christian charity that works across denominations to see the primary community-care solution (churches in the developing world) used to prevent, rescue and care for orphans in their immediate vicinity. With 143,000,000 orphans in the world, it only makes sense to partner with the care solution that is already present in the midst of these huge orphan populations. Again, regardless of one’s personal faith or belief system, this solution makes practical and logistical sense because these care agents are already there and are the first line of help and defense (much like SOD, CAT and GPX are already there as the in-place defense system against Oxidative Stress.) Bolstering this system of rescue and care is more strategic than trying to reinvent the wheel with our own infrastructures and programs. These churches already know their communities, know the at-risk or orphaned children, and have existing facilities, staff and volunteers.

    I continue to like the tie-in between Protandim and orphan work as, personally, the two go hand-in-hand for me. Protandim has the potential to directly alleviate a lot of society’s struggles against conditions that affect quality of life. Likewise, proceeds from its sale have the potential to literally provide life to millions of orphaned and discarded children. I like to think that my involvement with Protandim therefore means “Healthier Live Here; Kids Rescued There” as part of a comprehensive goal to better humanity overall. More information can also be found at my orphan blog at https://www.abandoned-orphaned.com. Some of this information there is troubling…but you have to understand the bad to understand the good.

     

  8. Rees avatar

    Interestingly and co-incidentally, the Google Analytics for search phrase almost exactly match for these two searches arriving at this website:

    Nothing more to say, except I thought people needed to know and it made me laugh.

  9. Strangely avatar
    eternal skeptic on Lazyman’s site relates that much of the information that Myhill released and that’s now been pulled by him, is now available through a group of disgruntled Lifevantage distributors as a Facebook page.
    So cat still out of the bag, huh?
  10. Strangely avatar

    No sooner was the cat out of the bag, then it was popped back in again!  Obviously the folks at Lifevantage (or at least those whose vested interests were affected) have got to Myhill.  On another Facebook page of his, Myhill states the following on this link (although how long it stays up is anyone’s guess):


     

    Dear LifeVantage Friends,

    In the interest of harmony and reconciliation, I have now unpublished my “LifeVantage / Protandim Founder’s Page” and have purged other online sources containing references to my “Open Letter.” I did this of my own accord to hopefully mend some of the hurts and rifts caused by the original company email and my strong emotional response to it. Both the email and my reply were widely distributed and I’m certainly sorry for the distraction and unease that they have caused everyone, both professionally and personally.

    I have no desire to spend my energies on dissonance and debate. Life is way too short and precious for that. I’m called to a greater purpose with my time and talents – as are all of you.

    The company and I have made positive steps towards one another and I’m extremely thankful for that. I truly mean it when I say I love LifeVantage. It’s my baby and I honestly wish it (and you) the best accordingly. With that said, I won’t be discussing the present issue, or any related or future issues, in any online forums from this point forward. I never wanted this to be aired out for public consumption and I’ll commit to never being a part of that unconstructive process again. You have my word.

    Please know that Protandim is the same today as it was yesterday. The product is a really-amazing, game-changing, life-transforming formulation of Divine provenance. There truly is only One creator. It is being presented to an eager world by a team of exceptionally-gifted, passionate distributors who are remarkable “change agents” blessing the lives of so many others.

    And, yes, I’m very confident the stock will quickly bounce back. Consider it a great buying opportunity next week – your chance to load up while it’s a little cheaper than it was before. Smart money is buying it right now, especially considering the additional exposure and confidence it will achieve at convention.

    I will also soon be consolidating my two Facebook profiles (including this one I’m posting with right now) under my “regular” Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/paul.r.myhill. Join me there if you wish, but please know and accept beforehand that I will not be using that forum to discuss LifeVantage/Protandim (history, medical/disease issues, company actions, anything else, etc.), other than to just offer words of encouragement to my friends in general. It is my personal page set up for friends and as a page to highlight the work of the Traffic Jam Campaign.

    I know that some of you “un-friended” or “un-liked” my profile or pages during this time. I totally understand that. I hope to be able to welcome you back, as a friend, not as the “Founder” of LifeVantage. Or more correctly, I hope you’ll welcome me back – in that new capacity as a friend and encourager.

    For those of you who stopped your giving to the Traffic Jam Campaign as a result of this mess, I implore you to not cause this to impact the freedom of children. There are plenty of great organizations out there who are rescuing kids from slavery. I’ll be more-than-happy to give you their names. Just drop me a message and I’ll forward a list to you. PLEASE re-channel your giving to one of these organizations, instead of discontinuing it for this precious cause altogether. I don’t want a single little soul to be adversly impacted because of these recent events and my part in them.

    I have been blessed by your kind words, and have also taken some of your strong criticisms to heart. Boy, you guys sure offered me some great perspectives. It only served to give me even more confidence in the stellar group of individuals who have come together under this common banner of life change. Thank you for that – for ALL the comments, both supportive and critical.

    I do mean it when I say that I appreciate and love you all!

    Humbly and Respectfully,
    Paul


    Handily, I’ve taken a screendump of the page which picks up a fair bit of the flap that has been generated by Myhill’s proof letter.

    It’s a jpeg!

     

     

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