Frank VanderSloot speaks to BYU-Idaho business students

REXBURG (Scroll) — Melaleuca executive chairman and Ricks college alumnus, Frank VanderSloot, addressed BYU-Idaho students on Thursday in the Taylor Chapel.

The Business Management Society and Marketing Society hosted this rare event.

VanderSloot has been ranked as one of Idaho’s most influential leaders. Melaleuca was rated by Forbes Magazine as one of America’s Best Midsize Employers in 2023 and Vandersloot has been awarded for his humanitarian efforts by organizations like the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army.

In his presentation, VanderSloot shared several life lessons based on his experience as a successful business man, including personal advice for entrepreneurship, product innovation, leadership and more.

The topic that was most emphasized in his speech was the significance of having a testimony.

“I am the son of the living God. You are sons and daughters of the living God. That changes everything. Once you understand that you are a son or daughter of God, then you know you have great value in His eyes, and we should have that kind of value to each other,” VanderSloot said. “Therefore since you are a son of God and a daughter of God, you have power within you. This testimony thing (is the) most valuable thing you got.”

VanderSloot continued with encouraging words to the students attending.

“You can do anything. You can withstand anything. You can meet any challenge. You can choose to be and do anything that you want to do. When I understood that, my vision of my life changed, my vision of myself changed,” VanderSloot said.

VanderSloot dubbed many of his life events as “turning points,” making him everything he is today, including joining The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at age 16, serving for two and a half years as a missionary in the Netherlands, growing up in northern Idaho with his family who struggled financially and much more.

“(If there is) anything that I could teach you kids: Don’t spend money. If you want to have a bright future, dont live ahead of yourself now. Don’t live off a credit card. It will destroy your life. You want to be the guy receiving interest, not the guy paying it. Because you will pay double, triple. You wait until you can pay cash for it. That’s what my father taught me.”

Students scribbled notes as VanderSloot shared advice throughout the presentation. One student shares the insights she got from his speech.

“I just think it’s really cool that he focused a lot on how the gospel influenced his life,” said Emily Crain, a junior studying finance. “I feel like a lot of people expect them to talk about the career, not how the spirit or the gospel impacted their life, so I think it’s really cool that he really focused the majority of what he said on what he thinks impacted his life.”

VanderSloot also shared his beliefs on what it takes to be happy.

“I believe the only way to be happy in life is to live within the boundaries that you know are right and wrong. You know what those boundaries are. What I’ve learned is when somebody lives outside the boundaries of right and wrong, you can’t be happy. You decide who you are,” VanderSloot said.

He also emphasized the importance of receiving an education, not only through degrees but in the real world as well.

Quoting the Prophet Joseph Smith, VanderSloot said, “Teach them correct principles and let them govern themselves.”

VanderSloot continued with his point saying, “You can’t do that without some life experiences. You be the best employee you can be. You find out what your employer wants to do and then you try to help them do it and in the process, I believe you’ll be rewarded.”

To conclude his speech, VanderSloot gave advice for the students moving forward in business and marketing careers.

“By ourselves, we can’t accomplish much. When we get people to follow us, we can accomplish so much more,” VanderSloot said. “Be someone who cares about folks. Be a student of what you’re doing. Understand what you’re doing. The learning is in the details. In business, it’s always the tiniest details. It’s not the big stuff; it’s the little stuff. Do the little stuff well.”

Business Management Society President Kaiya Kissel and Vice President Jace Wheeler presented VanderSloot with an award, expressing their gratitude on the behalf of the society for his presentation.

VanderSloot provided Dominos pizza for the attendees outside the chapel after his presentation.