NOVEMBER 30, 2020
Learn about BEMER: An Interview with CEO Albert Bosch
Curious what BEMER is all about? We sat down with BEMER North America CEO Albert Bosch to learn about his background and where he sees the company heading in the next few years.
What motivates you to get out of bed every morning?
I’ve got personal motivation, and then I have professional motivation. I truly enjoy life, and I spring out of bed daily to see what I can accomplish and whose life I can touch. I also get up because I have a wonderful wife of 25 years, three amazing kids, and a loving family that keeps me grounded and gives me purpose. Professionally, I get up because I love what I do. I know that at BEMER we impact people’s lives both from a health perspective and from a personal wealth perspective. All of that motivates me and drives me so I can be a better leader as well as help our staff and Independent Distributors become the best possible version of themselves.
Do you have a quote you live by?
I have a couple in mind, but my favorite is as simple as “Carpe Diem.” I’m all about getting up and making the most of every day. I’m always so grateful to have another day ahead of me. You never know what life can bring, but I wake up and ask myself, “How do I make today the best possible day that I can? If it’s meant to be, it’s up to me!”
Another quote I live by is “1% better.” That’s all about going to bed and knowing that I had some incremental growth in my day, whether it was physical, mental, or emotional. I like to end the day knowing that I was productive and generated forward momentum. It’s that sense of opportunity and then a reflection at the end of the day of accomplishment. 1% may not sound significant, but this habit compounded daily over time is a real game changer!
Some days are better than others, of course, but that’s how I start and end my day and it brings me peace, resolve, and continued drive.
You’ve been in the direct sales industry for a long time. Why did you join BEMER, specifically?
After completing my Masters in International Business at Thunderbird in Arizona, I wanted to live and work abroad to best leverage my Spanish background and strengths. Fortunately, that came true and my first role with a top 10 Direct Sales company took me to Mexico, which seeded in me a passion for working in a global environment and for the people in this industry and its unique channel of distribution.
For me, my passion for direct selling became something that I grew into. Most of us take that first job out of school for reasons like money, but it quickly became much more than that for me. I found a career where I wanted to get up and go to work every day! I really fell in love with direct selling when I saw how we could change people’s lives through the gift of personal development, improved health, and wealth.
I joined BEMER after meeting our founder Peter Gleim, and hearing his story and vision for expanding BEMER to every home and barn in the world. Human health is at an all-time low, and because a reduced or impaired microcirculation can have complex health consequences, BEMER is an effective method to positively influence vasomotor function of the smallest blood vessels and thus lead to improved microcirculation. At BEMER, I love hearing customer and Distributor stories and seeing how we are helping them improve their lives through better circulation and improved health.
What are some of the challenges that you feel direct sales companies face today?
As an industry, we definitely have more opportunities than challenges, but let me address a few ‘speed bumps’.
One clear challenge is the perception some have of ‘direct sales’. Some equate the industry to shady businesses and pyramid schemes, mostly coming from specific companies/individuals that have tarnished the industry’s reputation. Yet Direct Selling companies in the US have a combined revenue estimated to top $66 Billion in 2020, and with the DSA, FTC, and strong companies playing by our rule book, the industry’s reputation has strongly improved.
Another challenge is compliance. There’s a lot of pressure when it comes to the claims companies and their independent field representatives make, and you have to be very careful with what you say and how you say it when it comes to product and income claims. Again, this is also a positive as it helps companies self-police and regulates the industry to keep us all honest.
I definitely see more opportunities than challenges. With COVID-19 changing the way we do things this year, many direct sales companies have thrived. In the past it used to be a really high-touch business where you had to see clients face to face, in homes, businesses, coffee shops, or wherever one could meet… but with social media and a younger generation coming up, we have a whole new way of thinking about things. We can now leverage social media and technology to our advantage, ensuring we stay connected and build meaningful relationships, adding value to our customers and Distributors in creative high-tech, high-touch ways, all with a simple GO business model you can manage from anywhere in today’s gig economy.
How do you see the direct sales industry evolving over the next 10 years?
It used to be very heavily dominated by the top 20 or so companies—the “big players” like Amway, AVON, Herbalife, and Tupperware—but I’ve seen more consolidation and smaller start-ups step up over the past decade. We’ve seen some lose market share or merge with other companies, and I think we’ll continue to see more of this in the future.
The second trend I see is more diversification of products. Back in the day, it was a pretty consistent marketplace breakdown of cosmetics, health & wellness, and durables like housewares. Now, health and wellness have become a much bigger category, and there’s more of a desire for consumable products because they support a recurring income stream. An example of new trends in consumable products is the boom of CBD oils and accessories.
Another trend is a shift away from rapid geographic expansion. China used to be a panacea; almost half of the global $180 Billion in sales used to be in Asia, of which nearly 80% of that was in China. After China went through a few industry/government regulatory changes, and especially with COVID-19 this year, I’m seeing more companies that want to grow deeper roots in the markets where they’re already dominating, pausing their global expansion efforts for a greater focus in their home or main markets.
What is BEMER’s elevator pitch?
The human body runs most efficiently when our circulation is at its best. So, great health is a combination of habits and how we fuel our body with nutrition, emotional stress, sleep, exercise, and more. In that, another element to enhance your circulation is through our BEMER technology. It’s kind of like a life bio-hack. The “fountain of youth” may not exist, but it’s more of a combination of activities that leads to optimal living. When you add BEMER to your healthy lifestyle, you’re that much closer to living your best life!
Our bodies are dependent on more than just air, food, and water. We are designed to live in harmony with the natural rhythms of nature. When we are not aligned with healthy lifestyles that are vital to maintaining balance, dysfunction and disease can ensue. With BEMER, a patented signal is transmitted into your body that targets the functional part of your circulation, the microcirculation. BEMER allows your blood flow to travel more efficiently through your body, improving circulation and optimizing your sense of health and overall wellness. Think of it as exercising your cells from the inside out.
What would you say makes BEMER unique?
I always start with the people, because I’m a big believer that when you talk about a company, you’re talking about people first, product second. So I think about the sales force that distributes our product and the culture that exists in the home office among the staff that supports the field. Our culture here at BEMER is all about helping others live their best life. This comes through the benefit of our technology and the benefits of our business opportunity, which help people grow, be more confident, earn some income, build a team and live an overall more abundant life.
When I think about the technology and what’s unique about BEMER as a product, I’d say it’s our IP (Intellectual Property). It’s that patented waveform and signal that is different from all the other products on the market, and that’s truly what makes us unique. It is not only the BEMER product itself, It’s the people that educate our customers on how to leverage BEMER for optimal living.
As a leader at BEMER, what are you most looking forward to as you drive the company forward?
For me, again, it’s the opportunities. When I started, I had no idea who BEMER was. As I learned more, I was intrigued by the product and it was a great intersection with the health and wellness space which I am passionate about.
We have a health crisis in America, we’re not very good about taking care of ourselves and our healthcare costs are out of control. BEMER is about being proactive; we don’t cure or diagnose diseases or conditions, but we can become part of the “self-help” revolution. If you want to live healthier and have better circulation, you can add BEMER to your daily regimen and you’ll see improvements in your mobility and your comfort levels. This is something worth sharing and with our vision to get a BEMER in every home and barn, I am confident we are on the path to be a force for change in improving global health.
Are there any new ideas for the company that you’re working on that you can share?
We’re starting to see a North American business that is growing in its autonomy. We’re becoming more independent, as well as building a leadership team and a staff that’s now beginning to develop our long-term plan and vision. One of the challenges with being a European company is that we want a one-size-fits-all plan, but part of our responsibility now is to adapt to the American and Canadian lifestyles. We’ve had some setbacks in 2020 with the FDA, but we have clarity now on what we need to do next and we have a clear path forward.
By 2022 we’ll also have new product innovations which will raise the bar within our category. We have a new head of R&D, there are management changes taking place to improve the leadership here and at the home office, and we’re also expanding into Asia.
Ultimately I see greater independence and growth for our Americas business, I see product innovation, new market expansion, improved training and technology to support our independent Distributors, and technology that will further lead to a healthier more active lifestyle.
