The past decade has given life a whole new meaning for Collette Larsen and her family. In 1994, the single mother of five faced a mountain of medical bills and needed to work at home to care for her children. Her two youngest daughters, Lexi and Sharlie, were critically ill with Cystic Fibrosis (CF). Lexi had recently undergone a double lung transplant and, due to complications, was in a medically induced coma. Doctors had discussed putting Sharlie on the transplant list as well. With her attention on her daughters, Collette needed to look at sources of extra income. “That is the day I decided to do USANA as a business,” she recalls.Zachary Ross was in South America when his mother got involved with USANA. But upon returning to the States, he decided to concentrat on his education. “I was thinking that after graduating I would become a Spanish teacher,” he explains. Zachary’s plans changed however after he made a trip to Australia with his mother. USANA had just opened in that country, and Collette and her children spent six months there. “I kind of got a crash-course training from my mom,” he remembers. Today, Collette and Zachary lead Larsen Global Alliance and are 5-Star Diamond Directors.
Although he is still passionate about teaching, Zachary turned to USANA as a means to give his family the quality lifestyle he desired. He and his wife, Kelli, live in Southern California, where she is able to be at home with their three children.
Coincidentally, the country in which this mother and son created their business relationship has almost become a second home to Collette. She often travels throughout Australia. In fact, last year she and her adoring husband, Richard Mazey, spent their honeymoon touring Australia and New Zealand, stopping to speak at USANA ANZ Fun in the Sun events.
Business and family are not Collette’s only motivations, however. Her seemingly limitless energy is spent on a myriad of interests. She swims, takes classes in gourmet cooking and flower arranging, spends time at the beach, and is an avid reader. She is also extremely grateful for the time she can dedicate to volunteer work and charities. A couple of years ago Collette had the “life-altering” opportunity of traveling to Uganda where she was able to work with AIDS orphanages.
But fundraising as a member of the board of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is the interest closest to Collette’s heart. After losing her daughter Lexi to CF in 1995, Collette remains hopeful that more advanced treatment options will be discovered, and that someday CF will stand for “Cure Found.” In 2005 Collette served as the chairperson for the primary fundraising event held in San Diego—The Breath of Spring Gala— where records were set with the amount of money raised. “So many members of USANA came out and supported us,” Collette proudly states. “It was so wonderful to see how much people really care about finding a cure for CF.”
Both Zachary and Collette are thrilled with where their USANA business has taken them, especially where family is concerned. As they continue to create priceless memories with their growing family, they never stop working hard and dreaming big. As Collette has often said, “A dream that’s too big is just the right size.”
