Enhancing and Restoring Safety & Quality Cultures - Dave Litwiller - May 2024...
Shawn Dahl's Early Years
1. Shawn Dahl - The Early Years!
From his earliest years, Shawn was instilled with the sense that hard work and an ambitious
spirit would result in a successful life. He would often consult others around him about what
they had learned about success as well as what has not worked for them. He learned very
early on that one of the best tools he could develop was the art of listening. This would
prove to be invaluable as he learned how to be a successful businessman and what not to
do when building a business. Things did not always go smoothly, but he learned quickly and
made changes when the situation called for change in direction.
Another character trait that was instilled in Shawn at an early age was persistence. Once he
found something that he felt would work, he would have a dogged determination and keep
going until he achieved success. He was also able to learn about the things that are really
important in life, a deep abiding faith in God, family values and developing genuine
friendships. It was with a good friend that he would later organize Online Business Systems
(OBS), the company through which he would build his Herbalife Empire.
Shawn also learned early on that it is important to evaluate things consistently and make
changes when your decisions are not working as planned. It was this ability to evaluate
himself and his company on a regular basis that would provide for more successful
directions. He would also develop the position of not allowing his business interests to
overtake a balanced life by always finding time for family as well as personal time. Exercise
and recreational activities would always be an important focus in he and his family’s daily
lifestyle.
Shawn Dahl's earliest foray into the business world was as a real estate agent in Vancouver,
British Columbia. But the ups and downs of the real estate business would make him re-
evaluate the security of trying to provide a steady income for a family with that type of
career. Family and security would become a very important aspect of Shawn's life -an
aspect that would require a more stable career. Through the example of Shawn's future in-
laws, he would recognize the potential that the Herbalife Corporation had in providing him
the lifestyle he desired.