WHAT’S IN A NAME?
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hat’s in a name, indeed? In direct selling’s case, it’s a world of opportunity. We know who we are. Here’s the story behind the iconic names of our direct selling companies of today and tomorrow. ADVOCARE AdvoCare Founder Charlie Ragus created the company name as a shortened version of phrase, “Advocated Who Care.” AMWAY Amway co-founders Rich DeVos and Jay Van Andel combined the words American and Way to form the company name Amway. AVON David McConnell named his company Avon for the river that runs through Stratford-uponAvon, the town where his favorite writer, William Shakespeare, was born. CUTCO CUTCO’s name—unrelated to the word cut—comes from its parent company, Wear-Ever/Alcoa, then called the Cooking Utensil Company. Using the C from the word cooking, the UT from the word utensil, and the CO from the word company, the name CUTCO was born! 4LIFE RESEARCH The name 4Life Research is the brainchild of Founders David and Bianca Lisonbee. The 4 stands for the 4Rs: replenishment (nutrition), reinforcement (supplementation), rejuvenation (exercise), and reflection (mindfulness) . . . for life! The Lisonbees added the word
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Research to the company name to represent the hard science of creating, formulating, and manufacturing immune system products. jBLOOM Founder Jennifer Bonacorsi always loved the quote, “A flower does not compete against another flower. It just blooms.” The word BLOOM is defined as, “The greatest period of productivity and prosperity, cultivated for its beauty.” We want our Designers to be productive and prosperous while feeling beautiful inside and out. Jennifer added the “j” for jewelry, and it was a perfect fit! JORDAN ESSENTIALS Originally, we called ourselves Country Bunny Bath and Body to evoke a fun, mom’s day out. In 2007, we evolved as a company and changed our name to Jordan Essentials, inspired by Bible stories of crossing the Jordan River into the promised land, the baptism of Jesus, and the river’s path leading to the Dead Sea. Jordan is a good, solid name; Essential means you must have it! MARY KAY Originally named Mary Kay Cosmetics, Mary Kay Products, Inc. was named after its founder, the legendary businesswoman Mary Kay Ash. OMNILIFE The name OMNILIFE means TOTAL LIFE, representing a company founded in 1991 by husband-and-wife team Jorge Vergara and Maricruz Zatarain. The company creates nutrition products with leading-edge technology while providing an economic-growth
