What’s in a Name?

What’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 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

opportunity for millions of Distributors and consumers around the world. A TOTAL LIFE is a life that evolves goals, transcends expectations, and fulfill dreams.

PM-INTERNATIONAL

PM-International stands for PremiuM—from the beginning to the end—and has for almost thirty years. Premium products help us live in a holistic way. For us, premium implies the appearance, the offering, the way you care for and treat your customers, and your business. For Rolf Sorg, CEO & Founder PM-International, “It’s the complete picture.”

RODAN + FIELDS

Rodan + Fields is named for our co-founders, Dr. Katie Rodan and Dr. Kathy Fields, women dermatologists and product developers of two, $1 billion-plus brands, with a unique perspective on the importance of entrepreneurialism. The company is deeply committed to advancing their vision to change lives by empowering entrepreneurs through our direct sales model.

SENEGENCE

SeneGence derives its name from the terms Senescence, meaning the process of aging, and Intelligence, meaning the ability to obtain and apply knowledge.

SHAKLEE

Our founder is Dr. Forrest C. Shaklee, inventor of the first multi-vitamin supplement in the US.

THIRTY-ONE GIFTS

The company’s name comes for Proverbs 31, an inspirational passage for founder Cindy Monroe. Both the name and the proverb describe a virtuous woman as someone who exhibits hard work, wisdom, encouragement, and care for others. Because of these qualities, she is worthy of reward, honor, and praise.

TRAVELING VINEYARD

Inspired by a Pampered Chef party he attended in 2001, Rick Libby envisioned a unique business model that would bring the authentic winery experience into living rooms across the country with exclusive, high-quality wines marketed by a network of passionate, energetic, and independent wine consultants. The name Traveling Vineyard was born—literally the perfect fit for bringing the wine tasting experience to you.

USANA

USANA Founder and scientist Dr. Myron Wentz turned to classical languages to name the company. The name USANA means combines the Greek word eu meaning true and the Latin word sana meaning health.

ZURVITA

Zurvita, a word with Latin roots, means the risen life. To us, this meaning of the name embodies hope, the promise of a new life, and the desire to foster a place where we can provide a new beginning to many.