Just two months ago, George Schiaffino had 42 associates on his team—not bad at all. Sixty days later, his customer count reached 1500.

“If you do the opposite of what the masses do, you’ll probably win,” Schiaffino explained.

Schiaffino speaks with remarkable confidence, almost as if he knows something you don’t. And maybe he does. No stranger to blazing his own trails, Schiaffino started his own real estate company, Execuhome. In the depths of the recession, his business has grown from one agent, to 450 agents in seven different locations. While other agencies were closing their doors, he was opening up shop.

Schiaffino first heard of Viridian when one of his agents personally presented the benefits Viridian has to offer. Despite the fact he was already operating a successful business of his own, Schiaffino went to work, expanding his Viridian business immediately. He found it so easy to do—he could run both his real estate business and his Viridian business at the same time.

“The economy is set up properly for Viridian,” Schiaffino said. “Viridian is a unique model, and the leadership is incredibly supportive. All the right elements are in place.”

Schiaffino attributes his rapid growth to his strong support system, a solid team and a superior product. He is extremely hands on, and devotes a large part of his day speaking with people on the phone. In addition, he schedules two to three meetings a day for in-person training. A self-described “dinosaur” when it comes to computers, Schiaffino emphasizes the importance of interpersonal relationships.

“It’s essential to join, and then build, the right team,” Schiaffino said. Speaking of his own team he added, “I am building a mighty forest—one tree at a time.”

Although he spends the majority of his time building his business, Schiaffino loves helping others become financially free. He recognizes Viridian as, “the ultimate stimulus package for folks who want to generate a recession-proof income.”

He firmly believes it can be a good fit for just about anyone.

“We have an associate who cares for an ill-relative at home,” Schiaffino said. “Viridian provided a business opportunity that is really helping this individual.”

Viridian Associate Paul Schaffer from Danbury, Conn. has his finger on the pulse of the NEW American dream—baseball, the environment and saving money.

Schaffer recently held a celebrity fundraising breakfast (featuring former Yankee pitcher Tommy John) that covered all three of these dreams. As treasurer of the Danbury Westerners of the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL), Schaffer utilized Viridian’s fundraising program to provide the team a residual source of income that has proven very beneficial.

“Even Red Sox and Yankees fans can agree—this a good thing,” Schaffer said.

Schaffer has a sharp eye for a good thing. Once he understood the power of the Viridian fundraising program, Schaffer was unstoppable. He saw from the beginning that the program was different from anything he had seen; it was easy to understand, and had a powerful potential to help the team earn much-needed funds.

And once he built it, people came. Over 400 baseball fans attended the fundraising breakfast. Along with the good food, fans learned how they could have a triple positive impact—support the Westerners, help save the environment and save money on their utility bill.

Schaffer’s work with the breakfast and other innovative marketing techniques ensured that the Westerners were the first non-profit organization to reach the rank of Marketing Professional with Viridian Energy.

Schaffer felt networking was a natural fit for the Danbury Westerners because it was something they were already doing. At every home game, the team honors other not-for-profit organizations through a pre-game announcement, an inclusion in the game-day program and sometimes even letting them throw the first pitch. For Schaffer, it’s really about getting the word out any way he can, especially since he believes so strongly in Viridian’s product.

Independent Associate Chris Catania introduced Schaffer to Viridian. Immediately, Schaffer was impressed to meet a sponsor that would never abandon him. “We’ve had deals in the past where sponsors signed up for a year and then forget about us,” Schaffer said of traditional fundraising efforts.

Schaffer suggests other non-profits should follow this three-part recipe for success:

1. Make sure you understand and believe in the product
2. Have a committed group of volunteers
3. Always be available to provide support

As for Paul Schaffer and the Danbury Westerners, they’ve helped their fans reduce their bills, received financial support for themselves, and helped Viridian grow.

Thanks in large part to Viridian independent Associates and staff, the New Jersey shoreline is a cleaner, safer, and healthier place—for both people and wildlife. More than 120 volunteers from around New England turned out to participate in Viridian Energy’s quarterly Sustainability Initiative local event. Viridian partnered with CleanSafeH20, a non-profit organization based in New Jersey, to organize the event. A non-profit organization, Clean Ocean Action, also participated.

Working the shoreline along Sandy Hook, N.J., Viridian volunteers collected, catalogued, and hauled away large amounts of plastic water bottles, household trash, beach chairs, lost fishing gear, smoking debris, and other types of washed up or littered debris that damage the safety, wildlife and beauty of the New Jersey Shore.

“This quarter’s event was incredibly successful,” said Michael Fallquist, president and CEO of Viridian. “Viridian Energy is committed to improving the communities we service. Cleaning up marine debris and other beach trash is not just about doing something good. It’s about keeping our communities livable. It’s amazing to see our customers and independent Associates putting good old-fashioned hard work, creativity and resources into making a difference. A special ‘thank you’ to all who participated.”

The event, planned by Viridian independent Associate Henri Aymonier, was attended by Viridian executives and corporate staff, more than 50 Viridian independent Associates, student volunteers from the College of New Jersey, members of the Shore Boating School, and members of the New Monmouth Baptist Church. In addition, some inspired beach-goers got up from their spots on the beach and chipped in when seeing the good work being done by the Viridian crew.

“As a life-long boater, it always stressed me to see garbage in the water, so I decided to do something about it,” Aymonier said. “When Viridian offered to support the event, I jumped at the chance. With their help, the turnout today is really great.”

“This event truly fits into my idea of what is eco-sensible,” said Read Murphy, Viridian independent Associate and member of Clean Ocean Action. “Viridian is demonstrating its corporate responsibility. They are not just talking about it, they are doing it.”

Watch for the next Viridian Sustainability Initiative-sponsored event, so that you can attend and help make a difference. We look forward to your participation!

Don't miss the biggest and best corporate event of the year at PowerUP! 2010: The 1st Annual National Viridian Network Convention. It's time to celebrate, learn from each other and kick up the voltage. You won't want to miss the speakers, training, networking, business building and good eats we have planned for you in Atlantic City. Be sure to register BEFORE September 24th to qualify for the early bird discounts! We'll see you there!