John J. Blair is senior vice president of NSA, LLC, and the chair elect of Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN). In 1992, Mr. Blair spearheaded the decision by NSA to enter the field of nutrition, based on the revolutionary Juice Plus+ concept—concentrated powders from juicing a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, berries and grapes and drying the juice at low temperatures. JuicePlus+ quickly became the dominant product in the whole food based nutritional market. Since then and until recently, Mr. Blair has managed the development of the global manufacturing team that produces the entire Juice Plus+ product line. He also managed the worldwide clinical research effort that underscores the efficacy and credibility of Juice Plus+ products. NSA is an industry leader in its commitment to independent, published, peer-reviewed, clinical research as the foundation of its marketing message. After earning an undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College in 1968, and an MBA from UCLA in 1970, Mr. Blair worked on the audit and consulting staff of Price Waterhouse & Co. in the Southern California area. From 1979 to 1984, Mr. Blair managed the successful turnaround of Yokohama Tire, North America. From 1984 to 1989, he was a managing director of Geneva Corporation, a pioneer firm in middle market M & A services. He is a frequent speaker on the subject of nutrition, product focused clinical research, fitness and wellness to audiences all over the world, including at numerous medical conferences.

Health E-Insights: What is the JuicePlus+ concept?
Mr. Blair: JuicePlus+ is essentially juiced fruits and vegetables in a capsule. It was introduced in March, 1993, and to our knowledge was the world’s first whole food based nutritional support product. There are three JuicePlus+ blends, orchard (fruits), garden (vegetables) and vineyard (grapes and berries). JuicePlus+ is made by juicing a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, berries and grapes, and drying the juice using a proprietary, low-temperature process into concentrated powders. The powders are then blended with a few other nutrients and encapsulated. The encapsulation provides a convenient delivery form and eliminates taste from the equation. Surveys show that most people supplement to fill perceived gaps in their diet. We know that the biggest gap in the modern diet is the displacement of the ever-increasing daily-recommended servings of fruits and vegetables with packaged and processed foods. The primary consequence of this trend is a decrease in dietary intake of the thousands of phytonutrients that are available from fruits and vegetables. JuicePlus+ provides these phytonutrients in concentrated form and fills the gap between what we should be eating on a daily basis and what we actually do eat.

Health E-Insights: How do you feel your company has changed since you first came on board?
Mr. Blair: I joined NSA almost 23 years ago. At that time the company was a classic, opportunity-driven MLM. The primary sales focus was recruiting new sales reps who purchased inventory in their opening package. Almost all customers were distributors, so there were very few retail sales outside the system. The majority of our sales reps were men who worked in offices, or used to. Since Juice Plus+, the NSA sales model has undergone a major transformation. Today, we are a customer-driven, science-based direct sales company with a health and wellness focus. Our company’s mission statement is inspiring healthy living around the world. More than 85% of our sales are outside the system to true retail customers who are not part of our sales network. Most of our sales reps are now women, many of them moms on a mission to help families everywhere eat better as part of a healthy lifestyle. Almost everyone purchases based on an automatic reorder, continuity program.The primary goal of a JuicePlus+ sales rep is new customer acquisition, not recruiting new sales reps. Sales reps do not carry any inventory. All products are shipped directly to customers fresh from our warehouse. Our public meetings are about health, wellness, fitness and the importance of whole food nutrition. Often these presentations are delivered by health care practitioners, including MDs. All of our product claims are based upon an impressive body of independent, peer-reviewed, published, randomized clinical research. To our knowledge, it’s the most comprehensive clinical research program for a branded product in the history of our industry. In summary, our company has undergone a major transformation since the introduction of JuicePlus+.

Health E-Insights: Where will the most significant growth occur in the company in the next few years?
Mr. Blair: Although we are currently in over 20 countries, I believe our most significant growth in the next few years will come from continued international expansion. We have a small, growing presence in Japan. We are just about over the goal line for product approval in China. Korea and India are also interesting potential markets where we do not currently have a presence.

Health E-Insights: As a senior corporate executive, what keeps you up at night?
Mr. Blair: When it comes to our products and our company I actually sleep pretty well. Probably the issue that concerns me the most is the possibility of the creation of additional unnecessary government regulations. I believe that the current industry regulations are adequate. What we need is stronger enforcement activities by the FDA to stop the outliers in our industry who do not follow the rules, and hurt us all in the process. Additional regulations will only harm the majority of responsible companies in our industry and limit consumer access to great products. Stricter FDA enforcement will help the responsible companies in our industry, because it will help to weed out the minority of companies who are bad actors and market products that are not produced in accordance with the law. This is one of the reasons that NSA is an active member of CRN.

Health E-Insights: Has there been an influential person in your career?
Mr. Blair: I have been blessed by having great mentors at several key stages in my career. However, the person who stands out the most is Jay Martin, founder and CEO of NSA. Jay is a legend in the direct sales industry. He’s a modern day Will Rogers—a great storyteller and humorist. Jay took me under his wing 25 years ago and taught me a great deal about direct selling, everything from the customer’s perspective, to the things that motivate salespeople, to the critical elements of a fair and effective compensation plan. Jay is also a very generous and collaborative person. He models true servant leadership that is not always present in corporate America.

Health E-Insights: Do you have an approach to healthy eating?
Mr. Blair: I have always had a healthy appetite, and I have been married to a gourmet cook for over 44 years. I guess I would have to refer to myself as an omnivore. We try to eat a healthy balanced diet at home, including lots of fruits and vegetables on a daily basis. But almost half the time I am not at home, instead travelling and eating in nice restaurants. I pretty religiously avoid fast food. The best solution is portion control, because everything on the menu usually looks good. Despite good intentions, however, it’s just not possible to always eat as healthy as I should. That’s where supplementation comes in, and of course, JuicePlus+ is my foundation for nutritional support. With all the impressive clinical science performed on the product, I know that I am healthier because I take it every day.

Sheldon Baker is well known for creating nutraceutical brand marketing and public relations campaigns. For Health E-Insights interview consideration, contact him at Baker@CentralValleyTalk.com. And follow him on Twitter @NutraInk.