Strengthening Local Youth

Restaurant owners Mike and Vivian bradford were working all the time. They loved their restaurant, and they loved their 35 employees. But the time they were devoting to their business was getting in the way of family. They just weren't seeing enough of each other or their children.

Weekends and holidays (when most people are with their families) were the most demanding. But because Mike and Vivian were the owners, they had some flexibility. "We would pick our kids up from school," Mike recalls, "but we would just have to bring them back to the restaurant until we closed." In the back of their minds the Bradfords were looking for something else.

TAHITIAN NONI® Juice was just the change Mike and Vivian needed—they just didn't know it. Mike had tried the product and noticed that it made a difference for him. Then he and Vivian started drinking it consistently, and their regular customers noticed a difference in both of them. That opened up an easy way for them to tell their story.

"We didn't start it as a business," Vivian says. "We didn't understand multi-level marketing. We were just in it for the product, and it snowballed!" Before long, Mike and Vivian's checks were making up the difference during slow restaurant months.

"The freedom of our Tahitian Noni® business gave me the time to take care of my mom. I can be there when she needs me."

Still, it was a sacrifice when they decided to shut down the restaurant to work their Tahitian Noni business full time. Vivian remembers, "We had hired some of the youth in the community to help them develop skills they would need later in life—they were becoming responsible men and women."

But the Bradfords knew their family needed them more. "We went from having a family-owned restaurant to having a Tahitian Noni family," Mike chuckles.

The couple now enjoys the true flexibility their Tahitian Noni business brings. Mike and Vivian have more time for each other and for their 10-year-old daughter, Albany, and their 17-year-old son, Desmond. They have the freedom to work from home, travel, and enjoy their holidays together. "That was a big deal to us," says Mike.

Vivian was especially grateful for more time freedom when her mother was diagnosed with cancer, just shortly after the restaurant closed. "The freedom of our Tahitian Noni business gave me the time to take care of my mom. I can be there when she needs me," Vivian explains.

Mike and Vivian say that they're helping more people now than they ever could have through their restaurant. But the Bradford's aren't just talking about the people who experience the healthful benefits of TAHITIAN NONI® Juice. They've also found a new way to help their community's youth.

Being an IPC has allowed Mike, a basketball lover, to coach three AAU (Amateur Athletics Union) basketball teams. They're called Team Noni, with a ninth-grade team, a tenth-grade team, and a 17-and-under team.

Mike is with these kids four to five days a week for practices and games. His real purpose in coaching is to foster personal development. "I stress values with these kids," Mike says. "They come to practice on time. They learn responsibility, not just as it relates to the game, but we talk a lot about looking out for each other. They keep their grades up, too, and help out at home. We teach communication and teamwork. We tell them they can achieve anything they want; basketball is just a tool. We just couldn't have influenced the youth to this degree with our restaurant."

Team Noni also gives Mike and Vivian the opportunity to tell their Tahitian Noni story. "People ask us all the time what noni means," he says, "and we tell them it's a gift from God, just like the children on the basketball teams are."

Mike is now in his second year of coaching, and his teams are growing. With 30-plus kids, volunteer coaches, and parent involvement, the organization is what Mike calls "one big family." He explains, "It's not just that the kids come and play ball. We have picnics where the families come with the team. Parents support the kids."

"We teach communication and teamwork. We tell them they can achieve anything they want; basketball is just a tool."

Mike and Vivian's son Desmond is one of the athletes, and he has benefited from the Team Noni experience as much as anyone. He's become more focused on looking out for his younger sister, and he's more focused on continuing his education. "He got himself into college without any prodding from me!" Vivian beams.

Desmond is also a walking testimonial of TAHITIAN NONI® Juice. He takes a flask to every game, and the interest is spreading to other team members. "They drink TAHITIAN NONI Juice, they eat the Soft Chews, and they advertise Tahitian Noni International on their uniforms. We're building future IPCs!" Vivian laughs.

The Bradfords love seeing their work with AAU and Tahitian Noni pay off. "When you see people improve, that's priceless," Vivian says. "This company has allowed us to create relationships that are priceless as well. Our Tahitian Noni business is a family. It's not 'This is my business,' or 'This is your business.' It's one big family. That's huge."