November is a time when we often reflect on what we’re grateful for. More often than not, what first comes to mind isn’t a thing. It’s a person. The family who always shows up, a friend who checked in, or maybe a mentor who believed in us before we believed in ourselves.
It turns out there’s a reason those relationships feel so good. A growing body of research suggests that social connection is one of the most important factors in how we live, and possibly how long. Researchers have even started using a simple phrase to describe it: connection is medicine.
In this blog, we want to talk about something you can’t put in a bottle: the people around you.
What the research says
Scientists have been studying the link between relationships and health for decades. Here are a few findings that stand out.
Relationships may matter more than we think as we age. The Harvard Study of Adult Development has followed participants since 1938. When researchers looked back at what predicted who would be healthy and happy at 80, relationship satisfaction at age 50 was a stronger signal than cholesterol levels. Study director Dr. Robert Waldinger puts it simply: “Everybody needs at least one solid relationship.” (Harvard Gazette)
Connection may help the body manage stress. Researchers believe good relationships help regulate stress. Without people to lean on, the body may stay in a low level “fight or flight” mode over time. (Harvard Gazette)
Health experts around the world agree: people need people. In 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory on loneliness and isolation, noting that a lack of connection is associated with higher risk of heart disease, dementia, depression, and early death. (AHRQ summary of the advisory) In 2025, the World Health Organization reported that about 1 in 6 people worldwide are affected by loneliness, and that social connection “can protect health across the lifespan.” (WHO)
Of course, time with friends isn’t a substitute for medical care. But it’s a good reminder that the people in our lives are part of how we take care of ourselves, right alongside how we eat, move, and rest.
Connection is part of the NeoLife Difference
Most people find NeoLife through our products. What surprises them is everything that comes after: the Promoter who becomes a mentor, the event where you meet someone who just gets it, the friendships that grow from one shared goal.
This year gave us so many of those moments. Here are a few of our favorites, and how you can be part of what’s next.
Leadership School
This year, NeoLife leaders gathered at Brassfield Winery for Leadership School, where CEO Kendra Brassfield and VP of Field Development Ashley Peebles shared what it means to lead within our community. Some of the best moments happened between sessions, as leaders swapped ideas, recharged, and strengthened relationships. Relive it in the photo album or highlight reel.
Join us next time: To everyone working toward their seat: we’re cheering you on, and we hope to celebrate with you at the next one. Learn how to qualify.
VIP Fly-In
In August, we welcomed our very first VIP Fly-In guests to NeoLife’s International Headquarters in Santa Clara, California. Promoters brought prospects for a half day of product sampling and time with leadership and members of our Scientific Advisory Board. There’s a special kind of energy sitting at a table with the leaders who carry NeoLife’s vision and hearing it from them firsthand. Over lunch and long conversations, guests got to feel it for themselves.
Join us next time: Learn more about our VIP Fly-In and how to join the next event.
Impact Summit
Impact Summit 2026 had so much to celebrate: sessions with our Scientific Advisory Board, an exciting product launch, and a recognition night honoring our NeoFit90 Champions, Rising Stars, President’s Team, and World Team. But ask anyone who was there, and they’ll tell you the room itself was the highlight. People who had cheered each other on from miles away all year finally got to hug, swap stories in the hallways, and jump to their feet for one another’s wins. You could feel it the moment you walked in: a room full of people fired up, inspired, and genuinely glad to be together, and it’s the reason so many of us leave already counting down to next year.
Join us next time: Somewhere in that room next year is a friend you haven’t met yet. We hope you’ll come find them at Impact Summit 2027. Register now »
NeoLife Vacations
This year, our Bahamas earners traveled from Miami to the islands, and while everyone spent their days exploring CocoCay and Nassau in their own way, we made sure the whole group came back together every day.
Every evening, earners gathered for dinner with NeoLife corporate executives, trading stories from the day, and those dinners quickly became a highlight of the trip. On our final night, everyone showed up to the Wigs Ahoy Party in their boldest, brightest wigs, danced together to the new NeoLife Anthem, and squeezed onto the ship’s staircase for one big group photo. It’s one thing to celebrate your success. It’s another to celebrate it surrounded by people who know exactly what it took to get there.
Join us next time: Next stop, Aruba in 2027. Learn how you can earn your spot.
Watch the highlights from Vacations 2026 »
This Thanksgiving, reach out
Some of the most meaningful connections happen in the smallest moments. A message that says “I was thinking about you.” A thank you to the person who helped you through a hard season. An open seat saved for someone who might be feeling on the outside.
We’re so grateful for each of you, and we can’t wait to share more moments together.
Sources
- “Work out daily? OK, but how socially fit are you?” Harvard Gazette, February 2023 (Harvard Study of Adult Development).
- U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory, Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation, 2023. AHRQ summary
- World Health Organization, “Social connection linked to improved health and reduced risk of early death,” June 30, 2025. Link
- “The Little Things,” Endeavors, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Dr. Sara Algoe’s gratitude research).
