March 2021 Direct Selling News by directsellingnews

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VOLUME 17 / ISSUE 3

MARCH 2021

J. Stanley Fredrick

LEGENDS

L es sons 50 Year s in the Mak ing C E L E B R AT I N G S I X L E G E N D A R Y I N D U S T R Y L E A D E R S Rick Goings

Jerry Brassfield

FE AT URE / DSN CELEBRATES 200TH ISSUE

FE AT URE / THE ULTIMATE GIG COMPA N Y PROFILE / EPICURE: GOOD FOOD REAL FAST

Rudy Revak

COMPA N Y PROFILE / Larry Thompson

FARMASI: ATYPICAL INTERNATIONAL EXPANSION

John Fleming

With Gratitude to Our Direct Selling Clients and Partners for Making Exigo the Established Global Leader.

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THE I N D U ST RY AWA R D S J O I N

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1 2 T H A N N U A L D I R E C T S E L L I N G N E W S G L O B A L C E L E B R AT I O N VIRTUAL EVENT - MONDAY, APRIL 19, 2021 8:30 PM – 10:00 PM (ET)

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C E L E B R A T E !

Unveiling the leading direct selling companies in the world achieving more than $100 million in annual revenue Celebrating Customer-Centric Companies that are leading the way toward a customer-centric future for the channel Recognizing the 2021 Best Places to Work in Direct Selling Finding out who will claim this year’s coveted Bravo Awards: Bravo Growth awards (Domestic and International), Bravo Leadership award and a new Bravo Global Good award for companies leading the way toward meaningful global responsibility. Honoring industry Legends with more than 50 years of experience in the channel, including Legends honoree and host, and DSN Contributing Editor, John Fleming And so much more!

H O S T S STUART JOHNSON Stuart has served the direct selling industry for more than 35 years as sole founder and CEO of SUCCESS Partners and Direct Selling News. His passion for the channel encompasses a broader commitment to build and connect the direct selling community through exclusive industry events such as Direct Selling University and Direct Selling News Global Celebration.

JOHN FLEMING John has set the standard in sharing the direct selling story with professionalism and commitment. A member of the Direct Selling Association’s Hall of Fame, the Direct Selling Education Foundation’s Circle of Honor, John is also the very first recipient of the DSN Bravo Lifetime Achievement Award and in 2021 is an honoree of the elite Legends group.

Save the date and make plans now to attend this virtual event for an unforgettable evening designed to celebrate, inspire and motivate! This event only takes place once a year and is open to all. We are excited to announce that with the support of our event Partners and Sponsors, we are presenting this must-attend virtual event for free. Registration is not required. To watch the broadcast, simply visit dsng100.com on April 19 at 8:30 p.m. (ET). To nominate your company for the Global 100 List, visit dsnglobal100.com. Submission deadline: March, 15, 2021

C O N T E N T S M A R C H

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FE AT URE

200th Issue: Reflections on a Milestone B Y PATR I C IA W H ITE The Ultimate Gig

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SPOTLIGHTS

Epicure

Farmasi

Epicure: Good Food Real Fast B Y J EN N Y VE T TER

Farmasi: Atypical International Expansion

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Better Customer Centricity in 2021: 5 Lessons From Industry Leaders B Y MA X P EC H ER S K Y I

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Advice Matters B Y TO N Y J E ARY

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IN EVERY ISSUE 6-7 AD INDEX // 15 FROM THE EDITOR // 17 INDUSTRY NEWS // 36 FORWARD THINKING // 93 DSA MESSAGE // 94 VENDOR DIRECTORY //

Serving the Direct Selling and Network Marketing Executive Since 2004 A SUCCESS Partners Company

FOUNDER AND CEO

Stuart P. Johnson CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

John Fleming EDITOR

Patricia White editor@directsellingnews.com C R E AT I V E D IR E C T O R

Julio Garcia

48 COVER STORY

LESSONS 50 Y E A RS IN THE M A K ING

Celebrating Six Legendary Industry Leaders.

SENIOR ART DIREC TOR

Susan Douglass ART DIREC TORS

Laura Castillo Jenny Paredes PRODUCTION MANAGER

Virginia Le COPY EDITOR

Peter Tepp BUSINESS DE VELOPMENT MANAGER

Melinda Bogoslavsky advertising@directsellingnews.com CONTRIBUTORS

David Lee Sarah Paulk Lisa Robertson Beth Douglass Silcox Jenny Vetter

BY D SN EDITORS AND SARAH PAULK

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ACTIVE CORPORATE DIRECT SELLING EXECUTIVES, EVENT PARTNERS AND CURRENT DSN ADVERTISERS TO ATTEND.

Direct Selling University is still dedicated to the betterment and advancement of our channel and the executives that lead it. So, why the name change? We wanted to put the focus where it belongs: on the entire channel that has provided so much to so many. And, best of all, with the support of our event Partners and Sponsors, we are presenting these game-changing, educational and inspiring events at no cost to you. That’s right—you and your teams can attend both events, the DSN Global Celebration and Direct Selling University FOR FREE! Register today at DSU2021.com for five jam-packed days of the most prestigious, inclusive, comprehensive and exciting content and awards in direct selling. And, as an added bonus, registered attendees will have unlimited replay access after the broadcast. It’s the best way to catch speakers you may have missed, re-watch your favorites or share relevant content with your team.

SPE A K ERS ROW I

KINDRA HALL, AUTHOR, SPEAKER & SUCCESS CHIEF STORYTELLING OFFICER WAYNE MOOREHEAD, MARKETING, BRANDING AND DIRECT-TO-CONSUMER INDUSTRY EXPERT

ROW II

STUART JOHNSON, Direct Selling News, NOW Technologies and Transformation Capital, CEO MELODIE NAKHLE, Amway, MANAGING DIRECTOR EUROPE, SOUTHERN AFRICA, AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND SUZE ORMAN, New York Times #1 BEST-SELLING PERSONAL FINANCE EXPERT AUTHOR & SPEAKER

ROW III

GLORIA MAYFIELD BANKS, Mary Kay, #1 ELITE EXECUTIVE NATIONAL SALES DIRECTOR TYLER WHITEHEAD, Nu Skin, PRESIDENT WEST REGION JOSH ELLIS, SUCCESS, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

ROW IV

ORVILLE AND HEIDI THOMPSON, Scentsy, CO-FOUNDERS & CO-CEOS TRAVIS GARZA, Plexus, PRESIDENT, SALES & MARKETING

ROW I

JACK FALLON, Total Life Changes, FOUNDER & CEO RITA DAVENPORT, AWARD-WINNING SPEAKER, AUTHOR & FORMER PRESIDENT OF ARBONNE

ROW II

DAVID VANDERVEEN, It Works!, SR. EXECUTIVE OF INTERNATIONAL STRATEGY AMBER OLSON ROURKE, Neora, CO-FOUNDER & CMO MIGUEL FERNANDEZ, Tupperware, CEO RAYNER URDANETA, MONAT, CEO

ROW III

CANDACE MATTHEWS, Amway, CHIEF REPUTATION OFFICER HEATHER CHASTAIN, Shaklee, PRESIDENT & CSO RUSS FLETCHER, Xyngular, CEO KATY HOLT-LARSEN, Kyäni, PRESIDENT

ROW IV

MAURICIO DOMENZAIN, Immunotec, CEO DEBBIE BOLTON, Norwex, CO-FOUNDER

ROW IV

LOGAN STOUT, ID Life, FOUNDER & CEO RUTH TODD, Nu Skin, SVP, GLOBAL PUBLIC AFFAIRS SINAN TUNA, Farmasi, CEO

ROW I

MICHELE GAY, LimeLife by Alcone, FOUNDER & CEO GLENN SANFORD, eXp World Holdings, FOUNDER & CEO | SUCCESS, CEO ALEXY GOLDSTEIN, NewULife, CEO AMI PERRY, NOW Technologies, VP BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

ROW II

JILL BLASHACK STRAHAN, Tastefully Simple, FOUNDER & CEO MICHAEL “HUTCH” HUTCHINSON, InCruises, FOUNDER & CEO RAY HIGDON, Rank Makers, CEO & BEST-SELLING AUTHOR

ROW III

GARRETT MCGRATH, ANMP, PRESIDENT LYNNE COTE, Princess House, PRESIDENT & CEO NATHAN MOORE, Mary Kay, PRESIDENT, NORTH AMERICA JASON DORSEY, GEN Z AND MILLENNIALS SPEAKER, EXPERT & RESEARCHER

ROW IV

AMELIA WARREN, Epicure, CEO NOAH WESTERLUND, NOW Technologies, SVP BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT RANDY MATTHEWS, Juice Plus+, VP, GLOBAL COMPLIANCE & SERVICE CENTERS

DSU WEEK APRIL 19–23, 2021 | 1PM - 3PM DAILY (ET) DSN GLOBAL CELEBRATION MONDAY, APRIL 19 | 8:30PM - 10PM (ET) ALL EVENTS ARE VIRTUAL

50 LEGENDS

This year’s event will also be the release of an exclusive Legends Interview Series, produced by

HONOREE &

Direct Selling News. Honoring industry titans with

HOST

more than 50 years of experience in the channel and hosted by former DSN Publisher and Editor and honoree, John Fleming. These prerecorded

JOHN FLEMING

interviews will be an amazing and insightful glimpse

Avon and Direct Selling News

into the past, present and future of the channel. Roundtable discussions will be combined with thoughtful one-on-one conversations where each of these elite leaders share their wisdom, insights and experience.

ROW I

RICK GOINGS, Avon, Tupperware RUDY REVAK, Xyngular, PUREhaven

ROW II

LARRY THOMPSON, Herbalife, PM-International JERRY BRASSFIELD, NeoLife International STAN FREDRICK, Mannatech, Wine Shop, Saladmaster, Colesce Couture

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FROM THE EDITOR A Look Back, A Glance Ahead and Excited for Now!

INCE ITS inception, Direct Selling News has stuck to its mission to serve the direct selling community of executives with information and news based upon journalistic standards that have enabled us to tell stories that need to be told. In publishing our 200th edition, we recommit to the future with the same foundational principles and values that brought us to this wonderful place, whereas the direct selling channel now appears to be positioned, perhaps, better than ever before to be an opportunity to deliver diverse products and services to customers through the affiliation of independent contractors who add value to the customer experience. Please see our feature article celebrating our 200th issue on page 42. Being a part of this issue’s cover story Legends: Lessons 50 Years in the Making is a true highlight of my career. Listening to the interviews of Jerry Brassfield, John Fleming, Stan Fredrick, Rick Goings, Rudy Revak and Larry Thompson was exceptional and inspiring. You can read the highlights of these interviews beginning on page 48. I encourage you to register and tune into the video series being presented at our upcoming Direct Selling News Global Celebration and Direct Selling University. The Ultimate Gig feature interview with John Fleming found on page 62 is another must read. “The direct selling model has a tremendous opportunity to be recognized as an ultimate form of gig work,” explains John Fleming. This article highlights the research and the story of John’s latest book, Ultimate Gig, which is being released this month by Emerald Publishing U.K. On page 70, discover the latest happenings at Epicure, and get a taste of their mission to bring good food real fast by providing healthy ingredients and offering the ability to help people eat well. “We help people bridge the gap between the desire to be healthy through eating well and actually doing it,” remarks CEO Amelia Warren. In 2019, Farmasi launched an Atypical International Expansion into the U.S. and brought with it a 70-yearold international legacy. “We are one of the few companies in U.S. direct sales that is actually not American based,” explains CEO of North America Sinan Tuna. Farmasi has been named the fastest-growing direct selling company in Europe. Read about Farmasi’s plans on page 78. At DSN, we have so many exciting things happening right now. Find the latest list of Customer-Centric Recognized companies on pages 34 and 35. If you have any questions or want to apply, visit DirectSellingNews. com/ccr/. Check out our very popular Digital Momentum list on page 32. We are rolling out a fresh, new website in one month. Just in time for the upcoming DSN Global Celebration and DSU events, which we hope you will join us for. So, stay tuned for the exciting new happenings. At Direct Selling News, we endeavor to be a source, resource and thought leader for the entire direct selling channel. So, if you have a suggestion, a need or an inspiration to share, please reach out. We would love to hear from you. All the best,

PATRICIA WHITE | EDITOR | PWHITE@DIRECTSELLINGNEWS.COM FOLLOW US ONLINE:

@directsellingnews

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COMING APRIL 2021! BEST PLACES TO WORK IN DIRECT SELLING

Last Year’s Best Places To Work

PRESENTED BY DIRECT SELLING NEWS

DIRECT SELLING IS THE ORIGINAL PEOPLE BUSINESS. Measuring field engagement is critical to any company’s success, but the field is only part of the people equation. Once again, Direct Selling News has partnered with HR technology company Quantum Workplace to celebrate the important role direct selling companies play as employers in the marketplace and to identify the best of the best when it comes to creating engaging work environments. The Best Places to Work in Direct Selling will be featured in a special publication distributed in our April 2021 edition.

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IN THIS ISSUE

T HE MON T H IN NE W S A F F E C T IN G O UR C H A NNE L

Leading Off

Nu Skin Sustainability Efforts Save 21 Tons of Plastic in 2020

M A IN S T OR Y

SOCI A L SELLING’S RE V ENUE BOOS TING COLL A BOR ATION

inding new ways to connect with customers has been the key to success for companies in the midst of an isolating pandemic. The lack of foot traffic in stores and in-person gatherings has been crushing for many industry categories. Still, those who have survived and even thrived are the ones who have learned how to tap into existing mobile and online connection points.

Herbalife and LA Galaxy Team Up

PM International Sales Reach $1.7 Billion

Transformation Capital Financial Analysis

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Prior to the pandemic, Avon, part of the Natura &Co Group, turned to a learning platform called FUSE to help address the learningrelated issues they felt were impeding business goals. In January, after onboarding 45 of their 50 markets, and 18 months of the partnership, Avon announced the databacked benefits of their new mobile platform approach to education and training: Representatives who used the platform with medium (three to four times per month) or high frequency performed up to three times better than

those who did not. “We analyzed different metrics such as completion rates, consumption of content and levels of interaction, but the data very clearly showed that it was the frequency with which our beauty entrepreneurs were coming back to the Fuse platform that made the biggest difference,” said Avon’s Digital Experience Manager Andy Stamps. “This is where we saw the really dramatic uplifts in business performance. It was definitely a jaw-on-the-floor moment.” The options for platform … To read the full news feature, scan the QR Code, or visit http://bit.ly/DSNQR

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T H E Y S A ID I T !

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D E C O G N I Z E

Within this virtual landscape, mobile platform technology has become an increasingly attractive solution to the challenge of social selling in a socially distant world. Most direct selling companies offer a mobile app to accompany their product brochure. Still, some are taking this mobile

approach even further, offering training content, interactive communication, behavior-based reminders, enrollment and sampling through the app.

It’s essential for companies to provide a simple and accessible tool to their distributors. — N O A H W E S T E R L U N D , S e n i o r V i c e P r e s i d e n t o f B u s i n e s s D e v e l o p m e n t f o r N O W T e c h n o l o g i e s w w w . d i r e c t s e l l i n g n e w s . c o m 1 7

I N D U S T R Y N E W S For full article visit

directsellingnews.com /category/news/

News in Brief

Beachbody and Myx Fitness Go Public in Merger

LuLaRoe Settlement with State of Washington Attorney General’s Office

eachbody LLC and Myx Fitness LLC, an interactive cycling provider and strong competitor with Peloton, announced they will go public in a threeway merger with a firm affiliated with former TikTok executive Kevin Mayer. The combined value of the company is expected to total $2.9 billion. Supported by a private investment of $225 million by institutional investors, The Beachbody Company will now become the umbrella parent company for three separate brands: Beachbody On Demand, Openfit and Myx. The merger will be listed on the NYSE as ticker symbol BODY.

uLaRoe entered into a settlement agreement with the Office of the Attorney General of the State of Washington. The lawsuit was filed by the Attorney General’s Office on January 23, 2019 against LuLaRoe and three individuals, and alleged that LuLaRoe was operating as an illegal pyramid scheme. This recent settlement specifically states that none of the defendants admitted liability or violation of any laws, and was reached after more than 40 depositions and over 175,000 pages of documentation from LuLaRoe were obtained. “Given the expenses LuLaRoe incurred in defending this lawsuit, it made sense for LuLaRoe to pay the settlement we agreed upon,” said Mark Stidham, LuLaRoe’s Chief Executive Officer. As part of the settlement, LuLaRoe will pay the State of Washington $4,750,000 for “costs and reasonable attorney’s fees incurred by Washington in pursuing this matter, monitoring and potential enforcement of this Consent Decree, or for any lawful purpose in the discharge of the Attorney General’s duties.”

Nu Skin Sustainability Efforts Save 21 Tons of Plastic in 2020

u Skin announced it has completed its goal, set in 2019, to assess, score and improve the environmental impact score of its top 20 products. The company’s initial changes are estimated to have saved at least 16.5 tons of paper and 21 tons of plastic during 2020. The company’s previously announced sustainability efforts are also on track for completion, including evaluating 100 percent of its products for improved environmental impact score by the end of 2023 and ensuring all packaging will be

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recycled, recyclable, reusable, reduced, or renewable by 2030. “During 2020, we listened to our sales leaders and customers and worked closely with them to understand their expectations when it comes to sustainability,” said Ritch Wood, Nu Skin CEO. “By including them in the process of developing our sustainability strategy and with their cooperation on what they hope to see in a sustainable future, we believe our sustainability strategy will lead to impactful changes.”

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I N D U S T R Y N E W S For full article visit

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The Avon Company’s Flagship Product To Be Sold in Retail Stores

t a recent event, The Avon Company announced that one of its flagship products, Skin So Soft, will be released for sale in retail stores. “At The Avon Company along with our parent company LG H&H, we feel strongly that these new partnerships will support and build upon our already strong consumer awareness,” said Susan Small, Public Relations Manager for The Avon Company. “This will provide an opportunity to reach new audiences with our industry leading breakthrough and award-winning products. We remain committed to our strong direct selling community of hundreds of thousands of Avon Representatives while embracing our 135-year history of empowering women.” Skin So Soft launched in 1961 as a bath oil and was later introduced as a bar soap and after shower smoother. The Skin So Soft product line now includes a variety of oils, body washes and lotions and has become an iconic part of the Avon product line as the company’s number one selling body care brand.

Southwestern Family of Companies Announces New Business Addition

outhwestern Family of Companies announced the addition of a new business, Southwestern Legacy Insurance Group. This new expansion will offer clients an avenue to protect their financial legacy through final expense insurance. “Southwestern Legacy Insurance Group is a great addition to the Family of Companies and another step in our mission to have a positive impact on the lives of our clients,” said Dustin Hillis, CEO of Southwestern Family of Companies. “We already have a strong team in place helping clients but we are also actively recruiting new agents who want to serve the marketplace in a positive way.” Southwestern Family of Companies is a diversified international conglomerate of 20 companies.

Herbalife and LA Galaxy Team Up

erbalife Nutrition and the LA Galaxy announced the launch of an immersive ARIA 360 AR fan experience. The “LA Galaxy Experience” is a first of its kind for any Major League Soccer team. “We are thrilled to work with our partners at LA Galaxy to offer this up close and exclusive experience,” said Ibi Montesino, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, Herbalife Nutrition, North America. “We’re excited that this unique activation will provide fans with access to Galaxy players, who will share nutrition and healthy lifestyle best practices–which are cornerstones of Herbalife 24 sports nutrition.” The experience will give fans an opportunity to engage with LA Galaxy players Efrain Alvarez, Julian Araujo, Joe Corona, Sacha Kljestan, and Ethan Zubak, 2 0 D I R E C T S E L L I N G N E W S |

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and learn about proper sports nutrition while being inspired to “find your inner athlete.” “We are excited to roll out this new innovative technology that allows soccer fans far and wide the opportunity to lose themselves in this immersive experience where they can tour the stadium, interact with players, hear the roar of the crowd, and go up against the pros in a virtual soccer match,” said Chris Klein, LA Galaxy Club President.

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FTC Strengthens its Penalties and Power in 2021 Appropriations Bill

Longaberger Launches Live Video Shopping Platform

n a subsection of the more than 2,100-page 2021 Appropriations Bill, a brief but powerful segment titled “COVID–19 Consumer Protection Act” granted the Federal Trade Commission the authority to swiftly penalize companies for FTC violations for the duration of the public health emergency created by the pandemic. The subsection states: “For the duration of a public health emergency declared… as a result of confirmed cases of the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID–19), including any renewal thereof, it shall be unlawful for any person, partnership, or corporation to engage in a deceptive act or practice in or affecting commerce in violation of section 5(a) of the Federal Trade Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 45(a)) that is associated with— (1) the treatment, cure, prevention, mitigation, or diagnosis of COVID–19; or (2) a government benefit related to COVID–19.” With the empowerment provided by this new COVID-19 Consumer Protection Act, the FTC can now seek first-time civil penalties for what they deem to be claims of treatment, cure, prevention, mitigation or diagnosis of COVID-19. In April of last year, the FTC published a press release announcing it was sending warning letters to multi-level marketing companies who had made false or hyperbolic health and earnings claims related to the coronavirus.

PM-International Sales Reach $1.7 Billion

M-International, a European-based direct selling company, experienced a 54 percent increase in sales in 2020. The company’s total sales reached $1.7 billion, up $600 million from the previous year. PM-International was founded in 1993 and surpassed the $1 billion benchmark last year.

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ongaberger announced the launch of Longaberger LIVE, an interactive streaming digital platform that will give viewers access to exclusive décor and lifestyle products. Hosts of the streaming content will offer product education and engage with viewers as they shop. The monthly Longaberger LIVE is hosted by Rachel Longaberger. “By honing in on our digital-first approach, we expect that these live stream shows will improve monthly sales by 25 to 33 percent,” said Robert W. D’Loren, Xcel’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Longaberger LIVE is part of the company’s strategic efforts in the vertical of social selling and plans to use live video shopping and selling through well-known hosts and mega-influencers to enhance customer experience.

Jeunesse Celebrates $8 Billion in Global Sales

eunesse Global has reached $8 billion in cumulative worldwide sales. The eleven-year-old company surpassed the $1 billion milestone in 2015, and reached the $5 billion mark in 2018. “Reaching this milestone is the result of the hard work and dedication of the Jeunesse family of employees and distributors around the world,” said Chief Visionary Officer Scott Lewis. “Despite 2020 presenting unique challenges, we were able to reimagine key aspects of our business to support their efforts. For us, this number represents more than a milestone achieved. It’s a reflection of the positive impact we have been able to create together, and a representation of a vast number of lives enriched around the world.” DSN

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I N D U S T R Y N E W S

Executive Announcements

ANDREW CLARKE, Regal Ware, Senior Vice President of Saladmaster’s North America Division Regal Ware announced it has appointed Andrew Clarke to the role of Senior Vice President of Saladmaster’s North America Division. Clarke joined Saladmaster in 1992 and grew his business to become the second highest performing dealer in the world at one time. In 2014, Clarke returned to the Saladmaster home office in Fort Worth, Texas and led the Middle East Region to the #1 growth market in the European, Middle East and Africa Division. Clark has also served as an Area Vice President in the North America Division. Wayne Fritz, who formerly held this position, will transition to a newly created global training role.

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DANIEL TAYLOR, 4Life, Vice President of Business Intelligence and Analytics 4Life has promoted Daniel Taylor to the role of Vice President of Business Intelligence and Analytics. Taylor has been with 4Life for 20 years, beginning his career in 2001 in the company’s warehouse before being promoted to Supervisor of Manufacturing in 2004, the Manager of Europe in 2007, Director in 2010 and Senior Director over 4Life Latin Markets in 2013. “Daniel personifies the opportunity for growth that 4Life offers employees,” President and CEO Daniel Lee says. “Daniel has gone from Laborer to Vice President of Business Intelligence and Analytics, and he’s been on the bus for a long time. As with each of his seats in the past, his new role as Vice President represents the right seat for the occasion.”

DAVID VANDERVEEN, It Works!, Senior Executive of International Strategy It Works! announced that David Vanderveen joined the company in February as Senior Executive of International Strategy. Vanderveen’s role will focus on continuing the company’s international expansion and growth. “David has over 20 years’ experience in the direct selling industry and is known and respected worldwide,” said Kindsey Pentecost, It Works! Chief Marketing Officer. “We’re looking forward to seeing what we can accomplish together with our established international markets and future expansion!”

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I N D U S T R Y N E W S

DASHA SMITH, Beautycounter, Board of Directors Counter Brands, LLC, the parent company of Beautycounter, named Dasha Smith as an Independent Director of its Board, and will be the fifth woman to join the board. Gina Boswell will now serve as Chairwoman. Smith is the Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer for the National Football League and has executive experience from previous roles in large entertainment corporations and investment advisory firms. “Dasha is known as a strategic operator who engages and grows top talent and highperforming, dynamic, and diverse leadership teams,” said Beautycounter Founder and CEO Gregg Renfrew. “As Beautycounter continues to lead the next generation of beauty through our safer products, sustainability, transparency, and community, I am thrilled to have someone as experienced and talented as Dasha join our Board. Boswell, who joined the company’s Board of Directors in late 2019, will begin her new role as Chairwoman effective immediately.

STEPHEN SKIDGEL, inCruises International, Global Sourcing Director inCruises International has created the new role of Global Sourcing Director specifically for travel industry veteran Stephen Skidgel. Skidgel has more than three decades of travel industry experience and has held multiple senior leadership positions. “Stephen is an amazingly likable and capable leader who has a wealth of knowledge in the cruise travel business, and in finance, technology and entrepreneurship,” said Michael Hutchison, CEO of inCruises. “His world-class character and background make him an incredible asset to our team and Membership Club.” Skidgel currently oversees global product sourcing and executive relationships with major cruise lines. The company believes aligning these key roles under the management of one leader will allow for greater collaboration and success for the expansion of inCruises’ Membership Club.

AMY HUMFLEET, Arbonne, Chief Marketing Officer Arbonne International has appointed Amy Humfleet as the company’s new Chief Marketing Officer. Humfleet brings two decades of experience within the marketing and product innovation category, and has held leadership roles in both the direct selling industry and with well-known beauty and wellness brands. “Amy is a true innovation leader in both marketing and product, with a strong passion for organizations that are committed to prioritizing people and the planet,” said Jean-David Schwartz, Arbonne CEO. “We couldn’t be more excited to have Amy join Arbonne. She has a proven track record of bringing new products from concept to market successfully and implementing sustainability initiatives in the fast-paced world of beauty and wellness. Her skill set is ideally suited to telling Arbonne’s mission of empowering people to flourish through sustainable healthy living.” 2 6 D I R E C T S E L L I N G N E W S |

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I N D U S T R Y N E W S

KRISTEN CUNNINGHAM, LifeVantage, Vice President of Field Development LifeVantage announced Kristen Cunningham will join the company as the new Vice President of Field Development. Cunningham built her career in the direct selling industry, serving as a leader in the field, then taking on a number of corporate roles that focused on developing and launching systems to increase company enrollment. “We are looking forward to having Kristen on board at LifeVantage,” says Chief Sales and Marketing Officer Justin Rose. “Kristen not only brings experience and the right skill set to this position; she also brings a unique understanding of the challenges distributors face in the field.” Cunningham’s new role will include partnering with team leaders in the U.S. and Canada to help them develop a more proactive approach to their revenue goals and business plans.

STEVEN R. FIFE, LifeVantage, President & CEO LifeVantage Corporation announced Steven R. Fife as the company’s President and Chief Executive Officer. Fife will also serve as a member of the company’s Board of Directors. “Steve is a highly experienced and accomplished executive with a deep understanding of our business and a clear vision for the future,” said Garry Mauro, LifeVantage Chairman of the Board. “Steve has been instrumental in the growth and success of the Company since joining as CFO in 2017. As we conducted our search over the past several months it became clear that he was the ideal candidate to lead the Company as CEO going forward.” Fife has served as the company’s Interim CEO since September, 2020 and brings more than three decades of financial and leadership experience. The company’s leadership announced it has begun a hiring search for a new CFO, and that Fife will continue in this role as well until a replacement is found.

S. MARK NICHOLLS, Sharing Services Global Corporation, Chief Financial Officer Sharing Services Global Corporation appointed S. Mark Nicholls Chief Financial Officer. “We are pleased to have Mark join our executive team and look forward to the strong financial management, MLM and international experience that Mark brings to the company, especially as we expand into international markets,” said John “JT” Thatch, President and CEO of SHRG. Nicholls has served as a tax and accounting consultant and senior financial leader within the direct selling industry as well as publicly traded manufacturing and engineering firms, and has extensive taxation experience. “I am honored to join the talented team at SHRG and excited to participate in the international expansion of the company,” Nicholls said.

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EDDIE HEAD, MARC ACCETTA & APRIL PRICE, Seacret Direct, President, Director of Training and Vice President of Sales, North America Seacret Direct named Eddie Head as President and Chief Business Development Officer for the company worldwide, appointed Marc Accetta as Direct of Training and announced April Price will be the new Vice President of Sales, North America. Head brings career experience in the direct selling industry, including previous executive and c-suite roles, which will inform and influence his new task of helping the company continue to flourish globally. “Eddie adds another layer of talent to our HQ staff in order to bring us up to speed and take us into the next level,” says Izhak Ben Shabat, Founder and CEO of Seacret Direct. “With Eddie and the HQ team in place, Seacret Direct is positioned to serve a burgeoning global community of agents who share the Seacret lifestyle. As we step into the next decade, we plan to bring innovations, opportunities, and experiences to our community worldwide via Seacret, the Lifestyle Company.” Accetta brings more than three decades of experience in the industry, including training platform design. “Marc’s training will be a foundation for our continued global growth. It is another way we deliver on the lifestyle company–by building skillset and mindset for success,” says Ben Shabat. Price brings career experience in both the field and corporate side of direct selling. “We are so happy that April has joined the Seacret family,” says Ben Shabat. “She brings exactly the right energy, passion and experience for the field that we were looking for in this important role in the company, leading one of our most important markets.” DSN

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I N D U S T R Y N E W S

Transformation Capital Strong January Performance Drives TDSI to All-Time High

VOLATILE MARKET month ended with strong gains for direct selling stocks. The Transformation Capital Direct Selling Index (TDSI) rose 18 percent during January, as compared to a loss of 2 percent for the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA). January’s strong performance drove the TDSI to an alltime high of $95.65, with 11-month gains of 112.3 percent, as compared to a much more modest increase of 18 percent for the DJIA over the same period. Six of the seven large cap stocks drove performance over the course of the month. Tupperware Brands Corporation (NYSE: TUP) was the exception, declining 7.1 percent during January, but rising 955.4 percent overall since the end of February last year. The majority of the tracking set within private companies once again returned to sequential revenue growth in January. Approximately 65 percent of respondent companies grew revenue as compared to the prior month, now marking nine out of the last 11 months with sequential growth. The average private company within the tracking set grew revenue 48 percent in January as compared to January of last year. This points to the positive momentum generated over the pandemic period, but it is important to remember that this comparison is to pre-COVID numbers. Year-over-year comparisons as 2021 progresses will be illuminating.

LARGE CAP STOCKS Tupperware Brands Corporation (NYSE: TUP) declined slightly over the course of the month (-7.1 percent) after setting a 52-week high on January 11 ($38.59). This is likely due to consolidating action following impressive gains over the last several months. TUP is expected to report full year 2020 financial results on March 10. Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE: NUS) presented choppy trading action with a general upward trend, and ultimately rose 5.9 percent during the period. The stock now stands 141.9 percent above its February, 2020 closing price. NUS set a new 52-week high on both January 7 and January 20 and continues to trend upward despite some volatility. Herbalife Nutrition, Inc. (NYSE: HLF) traded with noticeable volatility, ultimately rising 6.1 percent for the month and now trades 57.5 percent above its February closing price. While HLF has underperformed NUS, the two stocks seem to be somewhat similar, and HLF also set a new 52-week high on January 6 and 7. Medifast, Inc. (NYSE: MED) returned to an upward trend rising 19.5 percent for the month, leading to an 11-month performance of 193.4 percent and new 52-week highs on each of January 7, 20, 25, 26 and 27. MED has

been a leading performer within the large cap tracking set, driven by strong growth in revenue and earnings. USANA Health Sciences, Inc. (NYSE: USNA) closed the month with gains of 7.3 percent and now stands 25.2 percent above its February, 2020 closing price. After setting a 52-week high of $92.26 on July 21, the stock has lagged the rest of the large cap set. The company announced fourth quarter net sales totaling $310.5 million, with fiscal year net sales increasing 7 percent year-over-year to $1.135 billion. eXp World Holdings (NASDAQ: EXPI) rose an additional 68.9 percent over the course of January. The stock now stands 1,015 percent above its February 2020 levels. The stock rose 17 out of 25 trading sessions during the month with upward volume continuing to significantly exceed down volume. EXPI is now the largest company within the large cap set with a market capitalization of approximately $7.5 billion. On January 19, the company announced a two-for-one stock split, by way of a stock dividend. The next day, the stock ended the session nearly 16 percent higher. Primerica, Inc. (NYSE: PRI) rose 4 percent over the month and now stands 26.4 percent above its February 2020 levels and has performed well since displaying some significant weakness in late October 2020. SMALL CAP STOCKS Small cap stock performance was mixed, with four rising, four declining and one flat. Medical Marijuana, Inc. (OTC: MJNA)was a notable exception, rising 54.7 percent during the period and now stands 78.7 percent above its February, 2020 levels. Parent company Kannaway derives the majority of its revenue from its direct selling business. MJNA has continued its upward trajectory following the end of the month.

This is a summarized report; for more information, please contact info@transformationcap.com.

Nature’s Sunshine Products, Inc. (NASDAQ: NATR) continued its strong performance, rising 7.4 percent to now stand 95.7 percent above its February, 2020 levels. The stock has traded consistently higher since the company’s financial results announcement in early November. New Age, Inc. (NASDAQ: NBEV) rose 16 percent in January and now stands 51 percent above its prepandemic levels. The company’s fourth quarter and full year financial results will be the first to include its merger with ARIIX, which was finalized in November 2020. S H O R T I N T E R E S T D ATA A N A LY S I S AND FORECASTS Short interest has generally declined across the industry since the markets reached their mid-March COVID-19 induced lows. The last month saw a net increase from 3.4 days to cover to 3.6 days to cover. The number of sell-side analysts maintaining “buy” and “hold” ratings on industry stocks increased slightly, while the number of analysts recommending investors “sell” industry stocks continued to decline. Approximately 97 percent of analysts covering industry companies had “buy” or “hold” ratings on those companies as of the end of the year, with nearly 60 percent being “buy.” LOOKING AHEAD “From a high level, we expect the first half of 2021 to continue the same trends we have seen over the last several months, including continued year-over-year growth within the domestic markets,” says Stuart Johnson, CEO of Transformation Capital. “We believe that fourth quarter performance will be strong on a year-over-year basis, as well as guidance for the first quarter. However, we will be very interested to see and analyze full year guidance from the industry’s larger companies as the higher comps set in the second through fourth quarters of 2020 come into play.” DSN

TRANSFORMATION CAPITAL, LLC is a boutique investment banking, business development and corporate finance advisory firm primarily focused on the direct selling vertical, as well as ancillary businesses. Located in Dallas, Texas, Transformation’s core service offerings include both buy and sell-side M&A advisory, equity and debt financing, as well as joint venture and partnership opportunities. For more information please visit our website at: www.transformationcapital.com

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D IRECT S ELLIN G N EWS

Digital Momentum Rankings Direct Selling News in partnership with Transformation Capital presents the third Direct Selling News Digital Momentum Rankings monthly list. The purpose of these rankings continues to be to evaluate and acknowledge the companies experiencing significant growth in their online presence within the last 30 days.

Components

The list represents months of analysis across the three core pillars of social media marketing: web traffic & SEO analysis, Facebook activity, and Instagram activity.

Eligibility

A company is included in the Direct Selling Momentum ranking when it has an active website, at least one active social media account, and at least 50,000 followers or fans for a single account (Facebook or Instagram). As noted, our initial ranking methodology focuses exclusively on three primary drivers of online presence: web traffic, Facebook activity, and Instagram activity. We’ve aggregated roughly a dozen metrics from these three sources and assessed their change over the last thirty days in an attempt to measure the growth in a company’s online audience, or momentum. A brief explanation of our proprietary methodology follows.

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Web Traffic & SEO

We analyze basic web traffic statistics as a measure of general interest. These statistics seek to measure the number of individuals searching for, visiting, and clicking on links that direct them to the company’s domain. This domain includes the corporate website and (in most cases) the company hosted web pages for individual distributors. We analyze the number of third party sources referring internet users to the company website, as well as the number of associated keywords, branded phrases, or marketing jargon (hashtags, slogans, etc.) that are popular across the web. Assessing the change in these metrics over time creates an estimated increase or decrease in demand for the company across the web.

Facebook & Instagram Activity

We gather a collection of metrics intended to measure thirty-day changes in both volume (count) and quality (engagement & communication with) of followers. Assessing the change in behavior on Facebook is a valuable tool in determining a brand’s social value.

Instagram Activity

We focus on the thirty-day change of our metrics as a measure of social attention, or momentum, assuming a significant change in attention indicates changes in social interest and brand awareness.

A Note on Facebook vs. Instagram

Given varying target markets and consumer profiles, companies seem to often focus on Facebook or Instagram, rather than both. To ensure appropriate credit is given to the correct outlet, our metric analysis and momentum calculation consider which platform appears to be the primary for each company. If a company has 20,000 Instagram followers and 80,000 Facebook fans, all Facebook-related metrics will be weighted at 80 percent (80/100) of the total weighted social media metric score. All Instagram-related metrics will be weighted 20 percent. Few companies do not have an active official Instagram account, and so their social media metric is based 100 percent on Facebook. There are no companies in the list for which an official Facebook profile does not exist.

THE FEBRUARY DIGITAL MOMENTUM INDEX is here! The full 100-company list saw increases in average monthly fan/follow growth and engagement across both platforms (Facebook and Instagram). February saw an average increase in web traffic. January’s publication received significant international attention, and we are expanding our social media tracking globally. March’s Digital Momentum Index will contain both U.S. Domestic and Global International rankings! Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and we have had dozens of great conversations about the rankings and the industry’s use of social media. We are excited to expand the report globally and look forward to continued learning with industry experts. # COMPAN Y NAME

FEBRUARY ’S

TOP 50

MOMENTUM R ANKINGS ARE:

# COMPAN Y NAME

1 PRIMERICA

2 6 RE VITALU

2 MONAT

2 7 PRINCESS HOUSE

3 MEL ALEUCA

2 8 LE-VEL

4 COLOR STREE T

2 9 RODAN + FIELDS

5 PLE XUS

3 0 MASKCAR A

6 MODERE

31 NU SKIN

7 X YNGUL AR

3 2 MARY K AY

8 IT WORKS!

3 3 AVON (LGHNH)

9 SCENTSY

3 4 CABI

10 LEGALSHIELD

3 5 DOTERR A

11 YOUNIQUE

3 6 ZURVITA

12 OP TAVIA

3 7 LIMELIFE BY ALCONE

13 TUPPERWARE

3 8 YOUNG LIVING

14 PAPAR A ZZI

3 9 CHALK COUTURE

15 E XP RE ALT Y

4 0 MARKE T AMERICA

16 BE AUT YCOUNTER

41 NEOR A

17 PART YLITE

4 2 JAFR A

18 LUL AROE

4 3 USBORNE BOOKS

19 BE ACHBODY

4 4 PAMPERED CHEF

2 0 NORWE X

4 5 TOTAL LIFE CHANGES

21 WORLD FINANCIAL GROUP

4 6 YOLI

2 2 MATILDA JANE

4 7 SHAKLEE

2 3 PARK L ANE

4 8 USANA

2 4 PRÜVIT

4 9 HERBALIFE

2 5 ARBONNE

5 0 4LIFE

For more information or questions, submit your inquiry to preston@directsellingnews.com.

This is a summarized report; for more information, please contact info@transformationcap.com.

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The CCR Program is based

solely on a company’s customerto-distributor ratio taking into consideration the following definitions:

Distributor—someone

who DOES have a distributor agreement in place n

Customer—someone who

DOES NOT have a distributor

Be Customer‑ Centric Recognized.

agreement in place n

Active is defined as each

customer and distributor must have made a product purchase

Direct Selling News is excited to present the Customer-Centric Recognition (CCR) Program to celebrate companies that are leading the

during the last six months. Active

way toward a sustainable, customer-centric future for the industry. Qualifying

customer and distributor counts

companies utilize business models that boast high customer-to-distributor

are limited to those in the U.S. and Canada.

ratios and prioritize customer sales.

Companies must have been in business for at least one year and have a minimum of $5 million in annual revenue. Qualifying companies must attain: 5:1 up to 10:1 for Gold status and 10:1 or more for Platinum status. ®

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Companies who wish to learn more or submit a CCR Program Application can go to www.directsellingnews.com/ccr/ or contact editor@directsellingnews.com

IRECT SELLING COMPANIES with a strong retail base of satisfied customers are

experiencing impressive growth and deserve recognition and acknowledgment for their

efforts. With evolving consumer expectations and regulatory scrutiny, customer‑centric equals success for everyone—distributors, direct selling companies, and the channel as a whole. The DSN Customer-Centric Recognition Program acknowledges these companies.

GOLD

/ 5:1 up to 10:1

P L AT I N U M

/ 10:1 and above

MONAT GLOBAL

A CN

NEORA

BHIP GLOBAL, INC.

PERFECTLY POSH

IT WORKS!

TOTAL LIFE CHANGES

KYNECT

LE-VEL

LULAROE

NU SKIN, INC.

SCENTSY, INC.

F O R W A R D T H I N K I N G

GOING HYBRID

Event Strategy in 2021 is Becoming a Little Clearer

EVENT TECHNOLOGY NEEDS IN 2021

VENTS ARE at the core of the direct selling industry and vital to building culture and retention. The past year has undoubtedly thrown major curveballs to events, and certainly to event planners. Many companies were forced to shift from in-person to virtual events. Still, hybrid events are predicted to significantly rise in popularity and necessity as event coordinators try to navigate an uncertain 2021. Marketing firm Bizzabo surveyed more than 400 event and marketing professionals to better understand the future of in-person, virtual and hybrid events. The survey discovered unique benefits and challenges such as pricing strategies, budgets, engagement and logistics. While 72 percent of event organizers plan on investing in hybrid, just 24 percent said they have ever invested in hybrid experiences. Three-fourths of respondents said they pivoted events to virtual in 2020, and 47 percent said they canceled events. A little more than one-third said they plan on resuming at least some type of inperson events by spring 2021. Just 2.8 percent said their event strategy had not been impacted.

V IR T U A L BENEF I T S A ND CH A L L ENGE S The Bizzabo survey shows that most virtual event organizers have not partnered with an outside production services company (62.6 percent), and 65.5 percent expected their budgets to decrease in 2021 due to COVID-19. Those are two of the main factors in the shift to virtual events, and respondents said the top three benefits of virtual events are: • Reaching a wider audience (80.2 percent). • Easier to land great speakers (39.5 percent). •T he ability to generate more leads, sales and convert more customers (20.5 percent). Planning and conducting virtual events certainly comes with challenges. Survey respondents selected Networking and Engagement as the top two challenges. Slightly more than 3 6 D I R E C T S E L L I N G N E W S |

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Bizzabo’s “The Evolution of Events” report that features a survey of more than 400 event and marketing professionals revealed these top-five technology needs for planning and hosting events in 2021:

1. Tools to engage my virtual attendees  71.5 %

2. A hybrid solution that can

manage both my virtual and in-person events  59.4 % 3. Tools to connect my sponsors and attendees both virtually and in-person  50.6 % 4. The integration of virtual solutions into my event management software  41.4 % 5. T he integration of virtual solutions to my marketing or sales tools  39.8 %

50 percent selected Differentiation (difficulty creating unique and memorable experience for standees) as a challenge. Other notable challenges included Logistics (virtual events require different skills and resources), Sponsors (more difficult to provide valuable opportunities for sponsors) and Impact (more difficult to connect with customers). W H AT IS A H Y BR ID E V EN T ? In short, hybrid events combine elements of in-person and digital components. With the right planning and goals, it can bring the best of both. A hybrid approach gives attendees the option to attend the event at a distance or safely in person at a location that may not be able to host as many people as it would under normal circumstances. It is an excellent problem-

solver for those who can’t or do not feel comfortable attending in person. “With the rise of virtual and the upcoming adoption of hybrid events, there will be a need from marketers and planners for consistent technology,” according to CVENT. “As events have moved into a digital channel, event execution requires a new blend of planning and marketing mindsets and skillsets, not only to maximize their reach but to capture the data and insights that will increase their value.” Even with the rise of hybrid events, the Bizzabo survey shows that more than three-fourths of event planners have never hosted a hybrid event, and 71 percent admitted they have a clear understanding of what a hybrid event is. Still, 97 percent expect to see more hybrid events in 2021. “In our view, nothing beats face-to-face interaction, but we have all learned to adapt and embrace the positives. The hybrid format not only offers people the choice of a remote or in-person experience, but also promises to be a more sustainable, inclusive, and profitable option as we move forward,” says a report by The Castle Group, a public relations and event-planning firm. DSN

“

The hybrid format not only offers people the choice of a remote or in-person experience, but also promises to be a more sustainable, inclusive, and profitable option as we move forward. — T H E C A S T L E G R O U P , p u b l i c r e l a t i o n s a n d e v e n t planning firm

THE CASTLE GROUP’S GUIDE TO

HOSTING HYBRID EVENTS SOCIALLY DISTANT SOURCING Plan for additional space needed in your venue to safely distance attendees and allow for alternative event formats (picnic instead of lunch buffet). A socially distant reception requires a minimum of 12 square feet.

BEYOND STREAMING The virtual side needs to be as engaging as the in-person event. Consider layering in a virtual platform to act as the venue for remote attendees. Interactive events can host engagement opportunities from one-on-one video chats to 3D exhibit booths.

SAFETY & SECURITY Both in-person and virtual experiences require different safety measures. Cleaning and required use of personal protective equipment should be adequate for in-person locations. Digital platforms should have complete data security for the company and attendees.

IT INFRASTRUCTURE Work closely with your venue and streaming service to ensure you have the appropriate bandwidth, connection speed and a practiced redundancy plan.

FOOD & BEVERAGE Plan for more plated, chef attended and individually prepared meals. You can also expect to be using lots of packaged/disposable items—not good for the environment but important for health and safety at this time.

GREAT GIVEAWAYS Give attendees items that will be useful during the event and create a sense of community between those at home and in-person. Think branded PPE, custom cocktail mixes that reflect what the live event is serving, wearables that will be seen in social media posts, etc.

SCALABILITY The virtual aspect of hybrid allows you to reach a much larger audience. If it fits your goals and strategy, you may consider publicly streaming your events on a social media platform such as Facebook Live to really catapult your message.

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F O R W A R D T H I N K I N G

INNOVATION

Mary Kay Apps Give Customers Virtual Makeovers

S DIRECT selling companies continue to look for ways to leverage growing technology to create unique customer experiences while building loyalty, virtual reality and augmented reality are among the hottest trends. According to a Statista report, the augmented reality and virtual reality market are scheduled to reach $72.8 billion by 2024, compared to roughly $12 billion in 2020. Mary Kay’s Skin Analyzer and Mirror Me Apps use augmented reality and filters to give customers a real-time virtual makeover. With the Mirror Me App, they can try hundreds of preset color combinations or makeup artist looks for eyeshadow, lipstick, foundation, eyeliner and other products. Customers can virtually test out various colors, products and looks to see what they look like on their face before they buy, creating a fun, personalized and interactive experience. They can even save and share 3 8 D I R E C T S E L L I N G N E W S |

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looks they create on social media or text them to friends. Customers or Mary Kay Beauty Consultants can use the rear-facing camera on friends to accurately place makeup on different parts of the face, allowing them to be makeup artists on the go. “Use our twist-on augmented reality to find your most fabulous face from the comfort of your couch or on the go by swiping through countless color combinations on your face, eyes and lips,” the app description says. “The Mary Kay Mirror Me App uses your phone’s camera to apply makeup trends and color products the same way they look in real life—no mess made and no photo upload necessary!” After customers find specific products they like, they can add them to the in-app shopping bag or share what they like with their Beauty Consultant. Looks and creations can be saved or altered for future purchases.

MARY KAY’S

MIRROR ME APP

SKIN ANALYZER APP

The Mary Kay Skin Analyzer App helps customers better understand their skin and which products might be best for them. A phone’s camera scans the face using facial skin recommendation technology. The app uses augmented reality to analyze categories such as uneven skin type and tone, skin texture, undereye appearance and wrinkles. Customers can tap each category for more details and recommended products based on their skin analysis. The “Your Regime” section shows a customized product recommendation, and like the Mirror Me App, results from the analysis can be shared with a Beauty Consultant for further guidance. Customers can continue to the Mirror Me App to

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The Mary Kay Skin Analyzer App helps customers better understand their skin and which products might be best for them. see what the recommended products look like on their face. Products can also be added to the virtual shopping bag for a complete product testing and buying experience. Different colors can be swapped out later. DSN

CONTACT SALES payquicker.com/DSN solutions@payquicker.com

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F O R W A R D T H I N K I N G

MUST READS ADDISONISMS: QUOTES TO LIVE BY Author: John Addison (Addison Leadership Group, 2021)

eaders are in-demand. Luckily, people were born to be leaders. John Addison knows that every person has strengths in leadership, and every person deserves to have their strengths encouraged. Take a peek into John Addison’s mind to see what inspires his view on leadership every day. Addison’s long tenure at Primerica and his world-wide keynote speaking career is peppered by his memorable quips. In Addisonisms: Quotes to Live By, the reader can expect a healthy dose of John’s own words and a robust section of quotes by others that continue to inspire him daily.

TRIBE OF MENTORS: SHORT LIFE ADVICE FROM THE BEST IN THE WORLD Author: Timothy Ferriss (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2017)

im Ferriss, the #1 New York Times best-selling author of The 4-Hour Workweek, shares the ultimate choose-your-own-adventure book in Tribe of Mentors. This book is a compilation of tools, tactics, and habits from 130+ of the world’s top performers. From iconic entrepreneurs to elite athletes, from artists to billionaire investors, their short profiles can help you answer life’s most challenging questions, achieve extraordinary results, and transform your life. Tribe of Mentors contains practical and tactical advice from mentors who have found solutions. No matter your challenge or opportunity, something in these pages can help.

ARMCHAIR EXPERT Hosted by Dax Shepard (Apple Podcasts)

rmchair Expert is a weekly podcast hosted by American actor, director, and writer Dax Shepard and Emmy-nominated Monica Padman. Each podcast features Shepard and Padman interviewing celebrities as well as journalists and academics about “the messiness of being human.” This podcast is an exploration of other people’s stories. Hear the stories of people like astronaut Scott Kelly, Dr. Susan David, Matthew McConaughey, Jon Bon Jovi and former director of the CIA John O. Brennan. You will learn about and celebrate the challenges and setbacks that lead to growth and development. DSN

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A Look Back. A Glance Ahead. C elebr a t ing DSN’s

200 T H

ERE at Direct Selling News, we are quickly

approaching our 200th issue. That means that for the last 17 years, we have been researching, reporting and curating important industry news and trends. To that end, we’ve profiled hundreds of executives and companies; compiled thousands of statistics; and chronicled countless trends, regulatory concerns and technical innovations. We’ve been here through the inevitable ups and downs and given our readership the insights and information they need to weather the storms or ride the waves. Over the years, we’ve also highlighted some of the newest names and brightest thinkers in personal development, technology and entrepreneurship. In short, we’ve been a constant touchstone for direct selling and the executives that lead it—and for that, we are very proud.

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From day one, it has been trusted and valued. — PAUL ADAMS

M A R K ING A N IMP OR TA N T MIL E S T ONE Now, as DSN reaches this important publishing milestone, we wanted to pause for a moment and reflect on what the channel means to us and what we mean to the channel. What do we do best? What do we need to do more of? How can we better serve the entire channel now and in the future? DSN was the brainchild of Stuart Johnson, DSN’s Founder and CEO. Because of the scope of the channel as well as the scrutiny it garners, he recognized a need for a global industry publication targeted exclusively to direct selling executives— and, as an entrepreneur, Stuart decided to fill it. From the beginning, Stuart’s vision for DSN was to provide an up-to-the-minute, easily accessible resource to busy direct selling executives—a tool industry decision makers could always rely on as they led a channel that was constantly growing, evolving and adapting to shifting market needs and emerging technologies. Stuart understood that DSN could help shape and edify the channel and—in turn—improve the lives of the millions of people involved with direct selling worldwide, whether 4 4 D I R E C T S E L L I N G N E W S |

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200 in the corporate office or in the field. And he built a thriving publication that has managed to both lead and follow as situations and circumstances dictate. From the beginning, DSN has been a prominent voice and standard bearer for the channel. M A IN TA INING A L E G A C Y I only recently took over the reins of DSN, so I knew that as we looked back on what the magazine has accomplished, I needed to enlist the help of the people (and mentors) who have led the magazine over the past 17 years. I reached out to Stuart as well as Paul Adams and John Fleming. Each of these industry titans played a pivotal role in the development, launch and success of DSN. I asked each of them for their thoughts on what DSN has accomplished in the past; how we serve the channel now; and how we can best move forward in the future. Paul Adams, Founder of the Adams Resource Group and early Direct Selling News contributor, looked back on the early years of the publication fondly. As he explains, “From day one, it has been trusted and valued. Direct Selling News has always provided a place for executives, suppliers and experts to share their observations and ideas with others—all for the betterment of the channel.” He is proud of his role in the publication and still admires how DSN continues to evolve and improve. “I may be a bit biased, but I cannot imagine a way to measure the positive impact Direct Selling News has had on our industry,” he shares. “It was created for all the right reasons, and it was something I knew we could all be proud of.”

Paul also fondly remembers the decision to provide the publication as a free resource. “Of course, I thought Stuart was crazy for wanting to give DSN away for free to any and every corporate executive,” Paul laughs. “But he was right to do so. DSN was created to do something good—and it has!” John Fleming shared that his primary purpose for DSN, as the former Editor and Publisher, was to focus on

_______________________ World Class

RECOGNITION For World Class

PERFORMANCE

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As we move toward our next 200 issues and beyond, our core principles and values remain the same: positive, proactive journalism that brings you relevant information and insights. a new form of positive journalism that would help to inform, educate and inspire. “I wanted to celebrate the best of who we are as direct sellers,” John explains. “And more importantly, examine who and what we could become.” During his tenure, John was always mindful of the industry’s reputation. He was acutely aware that direct selling faced unique challenges created by those who either misrepresented or misunderstood the business model. And, under his leadership, DSN was always selective about who and what it covered. While John kept DSN laser-focused on direct selling executives, he was also mindful of the academics, business leaders, government officials and even regulators that might read it. In fact, at one time, John made sure every member of Congress was on DSN’s mailing list. “I wanted people outside the channel to know all the good things happening inside the channel.” John was proud to provide an invaluable tool that honored what direct selling does best and offered solutions on how it could always get better. “We always operated with integrity and respect.” While Stuart Johnson was happy to look back upon the history of the publication he founded, he was most excited about what the future holds. “When we launched DSN, it was to provide information and insights to direct selling executives,” he shares. “There wasn’t anyone doing that at the time. Our channel can face tough regulatory challenges and sharp spikes of both growth and decline. I felt there was a real opportunity to share best practices and insights in a targeted way.” Stuart recognizes that while the need for DSN is still important, there are ever-evolving ways to deliver the information it curates. “As we grow forward, we are embracing fresher forms of media such as podcasts and video series to make sure we remain an engaging and relevant resource for the industry.” DSN is also launching a new digital subscription format and a more robust presence on social media. The website is being revamped to allow for more late-breaking news and 4 6 D I R E C T S E L L I N G N E W S |

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information. “Our goal is to be more timely—to become a daily resource for direct selling executives,” Stuart says. “The print publication will continue to offer deep dives and sound research while we begin to be more proactive on fast-breaking news and developments on the web. We want our subscribers to read and engage daily with us on DirectSellingNews.com as well as on our social channels.” Additionally, this year marks the 13th annual DSN Global Celebration. This is the most highly anticipated awards and recognition industry event of the year. Stuart also shared that DSN will host Direct Selling University going forward. Held virtually this spring from April 19-23, DSU and the Global Celebration are free to all direct selling executives and will offer educational and motivational content designed to inspire and encourage growth in the channel. MODERNIZING OUR APPROACH Today, it is my pleasure to continue to guide the publication— building upon our past; reestablishing our foundational objectives; and—most importantly—setting a vision for how we approach our work and how we continue to bring you the ideas, insights, best practices and insightful stories you’ve come to expect from us. It’s obvious that the direct selling model is going through a great period of innovation, transformation and redefinition. The work we do at DSN has never been more important or timely. MAKING A DIFFERENCE As we move toward our next 200 issues and beyond, our core principles and values remain the same: positive, proactive journalism that brings you relevant information and insights. Additionally, we are refreshing the look and feel of both our print and online presence, and I can’t wait to share these new platforms with you. I believe you will find the new DirectSellingNews.com to be easier to navigate, more timely and more robust. Our content strategy will continue to keep you first and foremost in our minds. Here’s to another 17 years! DSN

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LEGENDS Dir ec t Selling L egends:

L essons 50 Year s in the Making

W I T H M O R E t h an 5 0 y e ar s o f e x p er ienc e e ach , si x indu s t r y

le gends s h ar e t heir memor ie s , k no w le dge and in sigh t t o o f f er a unique glimp s e in t o t he ch annel ’s p a s t , pr e s en t and f u t ur e .

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HERE IS A DEPTH OF WISDOM that comes only from lived experience, and for six industry legends, that wisdom feels infinite. In this exclusive Legends Interview Series, produced by Direct Selling News, Jerry Brassfield,

John Fleming, Stan Fredrick, Rick Goings, Rudy Revak and Larry Thompson share candid anecdotes about what drew them to the business model and offer powerful wisdomfilled memories that can serve as inspiration for young entrepreneurs eager to match their historic ambition and achievements. As the industry faces challenges today, it is powerful to remember that these problems, although unique, are not new. There have always been obstacles, and as these legends generously share their knowledge, we’re given a peek behind the curtain into what it was like to endure some of the most earthshaking tumults the industry has faced—from customer behavioral changes to the introduction of the internet. Through their personal retellings, it becomes clear that the innovations and triumphs of the past can also be a powerful guidebook for the future. Within their stories is also a shepherding voice, reminding us that although we see their victory laps, there were also years filled with tenacity and grit as they learned the fundamentals of the business. Today, as leaders who ascended to the highest levels of power, charisma and success, the legends are honest about their foibles, rocky starts and the failures that made them stronger. That generous spirit and commitment to help others lives in the memories and words they share and offers authentic advice for those seeking to follow in their footsteps. Register for the upcoming Direct Selling University to see the extensive roundtable discussions and thoughtful one-on-one conversations with each of these elite leaders. After the broadcast, the videos and a podcast of the series will be available at DirectSellingNews.com.

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LEGENDS

Jerry Brassfield Jerry Brassfield is the Founder and Chairman of NeoLife International. Brassfield started his career in network marketing at the age of 19 and within eight years was worth $5 million—an especially hefty sum for 1967.

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RASSFIELD’S VISION for a company that would reflect his own personal values while providing long-term stability for future generations led to the creation of GNLD, the global health and wellness parent company of his many brands. In addition to his passion for the direct selling industry and helping others cultivate success, Brassfield is an accomplished entrepreneur with fruitful ventures in restaurant chains, auto dealerships and real estate. What inspired you to get involved in a direct selling business? The product line. I suffered from severe asthma as a young boy, and my mother had introduced me to some very basic nutritional products because we didn’t have inhalers and instant relief for asthma attacks in those days. By the time I was 19, I was a believer in nutrition. I saw the product line of that first company, which was NutraBio, and I joined. When did you decide direct selling was the right choice for you? I saw lives being changed—some very slightly and some dramatically. I saw who I was—my self-improvement and having confidence in myself—growing, and I started to believe more and more in this direct selling model. That increases even today. I’m totally convinced it’s a good thing for people. What are a few of your most memorable moments? When I took Golden Products to South Africa, the authorities came and shut down the meeting, saying we needed a permit to host a public meeting where the “Europeans and non-Europeans” would be in the same room. I just kept my principles intact and didn’t yield to this apartheid system. After a year or so, friendships formed. When we had a

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Who’s your neighbor? Everybody. If we can stick to that, our future is bright. —JERRY BRASSFIELD

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large convention, we had all these different tribes that came together happy and celebrating. The South African government sent people down to look at this and said, “How do you get all of these people in the same room without them killing each other?” We became a model to break through that. What is your outlook for the business model?

I believe it’s a very positive outlook. More regulation is a very good thing because all industries that mature have to go through a period of being regulated. That’s why I’ve incorporated into my companies around the world this belief: Love your neighbor. Who’s your neighbor? Everybody. If we can stick to that, our future is bright. It isn’t the marketing system or direct sales that cause problems. It’s abusing what you have, making it sound better than it is for the quick buck rather than building up and helping people and encouraging and loving them, and keeping the relationship alive for the rest of your life. It’s up to us. What advice would you like to share with our audience? I think the industry will improve a lot faster if we not only police our own organizations but that of our competitors as well. Let’s police what we say. Let’s let people know we’re a force for good. Let’s stick to our principles. Let’s love our neighbor.

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LEGENDS

John Fleming

John Fleming has been one of direct selling’s most consistent and strongest advocates. His successful career as a distributor led him to a corporate role with Avon Products, Inc., followed by the distinguished title of Publisher and Editor-inChief of Direct Selling News for nine years. 5 2 D I R E C T S E L L I N G N E W S |

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LEMING WAS inducted into the Direct Selling Education Foundation Circle of Honor in 1997, and was honored as the first recipient of the Direct Selling News Lifetime Achievement Award. In retirement, Fleming has devoted his time to researching the gig economy. His book, Ultimate Gig, which explores the history and potential of the gig economy, will be released later this year. Fleming was interviewed by Stuart Johnson, Direct Selling News Founder and CEO. The two are long-time friends and colleagues who built Direct Selling News together, with an emphasis on advocacy and positive journalism that continues today. What inspired you to get involved in a direct selling business? I was inspired by authenticity. I’ll never forget because at the time, I never, ever considered direct selling to be a part of my life. My sponsor was so authentic and passionate and became one of my best friends. He was a school teacher with a family, and he was also working a part-time job in this business model where the masses could participate and it could be a way to add value to life. Quite frankly, he changed my life, so I’m very grateful. When did you decide direct selling was the right choice for you? I remember that year distinctly when the earnings from the direct selling business, part-time, were about three times what I was earning in the architectural firm. That was a defining moment for me because I was working in the office of Mies Van der Rohe, recognized as one of the three masters of modern architecture. I was so proud of my architectural career, but I also wasn’t earning enough money. I took a sabbatical from architecture and decided to do direct selling full-time. I was beginning to understand that I was learning a lot by working in the direct selling model. I was learning about people, passion and purpose, and about how to hook those things together. In architectural school, we learned how to design buildings, but this business taught me how to design a life.

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I’ve always been a believer that this channel of distribution is one of the finest forces for good on planet Earth. —JOHN FLEMING

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What are a few of your most memorable moments?

The architectural concepts that had been so entrenched in my thinking process— the concept of less is more—began to kick in. We focused a lot on reducing complexity into simplicity in architecture and at Avon, we really had the opportunity to put that into play on a major scale and transform that company at a very significant moment in time. We built a new form of Avon, which became a billiondollar business within a multi-billion-dollar company. That’s a memorable moment for me. What is your outlook for the business model? I’ve always been a believer that this channel of distribution is one of the finest forces for good on planet Earth. I see a very optimistic, growing future. The channel has a great opportunity to reduce complexity to simplicity, and as we do that, we are going to become more appealing than perhaps ever before. When you look at the evolution of the model, we did go through a period where perhaps we became a bit too complex. I’ve been around long enough to say that from observation. History is very, very important and we can always learn a lot from it. What advice would you like to share with our audience? We’re using technology now as well as anyone, and we can use technology in a more personal manner than anyone else. The dependency on physical presence is going to yield to the digital economy, so digital presence is where we need to be. And we’re going to be better and better at it.

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LEGENDS

Stan Fredrick

Stan Fredrick co-founded Colony House and Colesce Couture. He is a majority shareholder of WineShop at Home and Custom Fit Bra Company. Stan is also a founder and partner of Blue Ostrich Winery and Vineyard.

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N 2001, FREDRICK became a board member and the second-largest beneficial shareholder of Mannatech. As an industry advocate for more than four decades, Fredrick served as Chairman of the Direct Selling Associations Board of Directors in 1987-1988 and Direct Selling Education Foundation from 1988-1990. He was inducted into the DSA’s Hall of Fame and the DSEF’s Circle of Honor. Stan has also received the DSN Bravo Lifetime Achievement Award. What inspired you to get involved in a direct selling business? My dad always told me, “Son, you’ve got to go to college.” But when it came time to go, he didn’t have any money to send me and said I needed to earn enough to go myself. I had $10 in my pocket, and my brother told me that he would show me how to sell pots and pans. He said, “I’ve made enough to buy a new car. You can make enough money to go to college, easy.” So, I followed him, and my first event was at 7:30 in the morning, downtown. He pointed to two girls walking to work and told me to go talk to them. And these two gals really got me off to a great start in direct selling. If they had treated me harshly, I might not be here today. When did you decide direct selling was the right choice for you? I guess somewhere along the way, I decided to make it a career. I can’t imagine life without direct selling. I can’t imagine being in any other business or any other industry. I started out wanting to be a teacher, and then I realized after a while, I did practice teaching. I taught young men more than teaching them how to sell pots and pans; I taught them how to be a good person and make something out of their lives. I’ve done much more good there than I would have or could ever do in a classroom.

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I taught them how to be a good person and make something out of their lives. — S TA N F R E D R I C K

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What are a few of your most memorable moments? When I first started, if you heard me stop that first girl on the street, you’d think I was born a stutterer because I was so scared to talk and be in front of people. But today, I’m able to talk in front of people and not have to worry about it. There are so many blessings from this industry—it’s hard to count them all.

What is your outlook for the business model? I believe direct selling being led by a bunch of entrepreneurs will always find a way to adjust to whatever the rules are, whatever society needs or wants because that’s what we do. We find products that customers really need, and we find a way to explain it to them. It may be standing on their doorstep, in front of a group at a party, or in front of a big group at a meeting—but we find a way. What advice would you like to share with our audience? I still use the fundamentals I learned selling pots and pans. If you want to learn to communicate with people, how to influence and persuade and lead people, then learn the fundamentals of direct selling.

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LEGENDS

Rick Goings

Rick Goings is Chairman Emeritus and former CEO of Tupperware Brands. During his successful career, Goings held a number of global senior management positions in Europe, Asia and the U.S.

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OINGS WAS an outspoken advocate in redefining business as something that served not only shareholders but all stakeholders, including customers and employees. Humanitarian and philanthropic efforts have been a central focus of Goings’ career, and he served as an engaged member of the World Economic Forum, the National Board of Governors for Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and was an inaugural Champion with United Nations’ HeforShe women’s initiative, where he was a founding member of the Leadership Advisory Council. What inspired you to get involved in direct selling? I never made a decision to get involved in direct selling. I got involved in businesses, and their channels of distribution just happened to be directto-consumer. After I joined the Navy, I started to understand human motivation and figure out what I was going to do with my life. In my senior year of school, my friend had an idea for a fire and heat detector and out of that, I created Dynamics, Inc. I had a 10-year run that was fabulous, but the federal government started giving away what we were selling, and I had to pivot. In my thirties, I created Fortunate Corporation and lost all the money I had made in my twenties. The most important business decision I ever made was when I joined Avon. When people ask me why I joined, I say, “Oh, I remember, I needed a job.” When did you decide direct selling was the right choice for you? There really was no epiphany moment when I decided this is what I was going to commit my life to. I’ve always had a way of knowing, “if this doesn’t work, do that.” I’ve been seasoned for that. When I’m introduced at commencements, and they list my accomplishments and honors, I get up and say,

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It’s how you deal with the failures and how you pivot from those that matter. —RICK GOINGS

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“I’m happy and blessed for all of those things, but let me tell you about some of my failures, the face-plants and the flops, because those will happen to you and those are what will make you.” I spent three months selling encyclopedias, and I never made a sale. There’s never been a more unlikely person to rise to CEO. It’s how you deal with the failures and how you pivot from those— that matter.

What are a few of your most memorable moments? One was five years ago with the Global Fairness Initiative, a nonprofit studying the effects of being involved in Tupperware. They found women moved from being lower class to middle class, and their attitudes switched from “I’m not good enough” to “I am good enough.” After three years of involvement, the number of women connected through computers or smartphones went from one-third to 70 percent. What is your outlook for the business model? There is a transformation occurring, and it’s not just driven by COVID-19. With the creation of internet technologies combined with disintermediation taking out everybody in-between the seller and consumer, I don’t think there’s been a sweeter spot for our channel of distribution. What advice would you like to share with our audience? Real success is helping other people.

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LEGENDS

Rudy Revak

Rudy Revak is the craftsman behind multiple highly successful direct selling companies, including Symmetry and Xyngular, which he founded in 1995 and 2009, respectively.

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S THE CHAIRMAN and Founder of Global Ventures Partners, an investment capital firm committed to creating opportunities for common people to achieve uncommon results, Bevak was instrumental in the acquisition and rebranding of PUREhaven in 2016. Born in Altusried, Germany and the son of World War II refugees, Revak is also the author of Iron String, the turbulent true story of a life affected by war. What inspired you to get involved in a direct selling business? It’s a pretty easy answer: opportunity. I was born in Germany as a refugee, and when I was five years old, we moved to America. I was raised on a chicken farm in New Jersey, so I didn’t have a lot of opportunity. After three years in the U.S. Army and 13 months in Vietnam, I used the GI Bill to go to college. I thought that would be the answer for me. One day, a stranger called and invited me to a business presentation. There were guys in nice suits at the front of the room, and the first thing they did was write $30,000 on a board, which had my attention instantly. It was quite an investment in those days to start—$3,117—and I came home excited to show my dad. Three weeks later, my dad came to me with a check for $3,117. They had no money, and he had put up his farm and his house for me. It still makes me emotional to this day. When did you make the commitment that direct selling was the right choice for you? For the first nine months, I was the most terrific failure in the company. Did I have some doubts? Boy, you bet I did. One of the benefits of that investment is that I could not let my parents down; I had to make it work. Jim Rohn was in the business with us in the beginning, and one of his basic statements was: “For things to change, you have to change—and for things to get better, you have

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Have a dream and be willing to go to work. — RUDY RE VAK

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to get better.” That stuck in my mind, and that same philosophy has done well for me over these last 50 years. What are a few of your most memorable moments?

I was doing well as an area coordinator in Baltimore and attended a conference by the leader of the Bestline company. Chuck Simmons, the International Vice President at that time, went to the front of the room and said, “If any of you in this room want to go international, let me know.” My buddy leaned over and, as a joke, said, “Hey, Rudy speaks German. Send his butt to Germany.” When I got back to Baltimore, my phone was ringing off the hook—this guy says he can’t find me fast enough to try to convince me to go to Europe. I became the sales leader and eventually the head of the German company for Bestline. From there, they sent me to Canada to build a Bestline business there and then Italy to do the same thing. Those were challenging days, but golly were they good days. What is your outlook for the business model? I remember when the internet became popular, and people said there wasn’t going to be any more direct sales. The internet was nothing but a tool that people used to share the opportunity and products, and I see that same thing today with social media. Yes, these tools make communication easier, but this business, in my opinion, never changes. It’s still a people business. What advice would you like to share with our audience? Have a dream and be willing to go to work. If your vision is big enough and it’s worth it, you’ll be willing to do the work.

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Larry Thompson Larry Thompson was once called “The Architect of Wealth Building” by The Wall Street Journal. With more than 50 years of experience in direct selling, Thompson, along with Mark Hughes, the founder of Herbalife, laid the foundation for what has become one of the largest brands in direct selling.

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HOMPSON IS also known to be a mentor and coach to Rolf Sorg, founder of PM-International, which achieved over $1.7 billion in sales last year. Nicknamed the “Mentor to the Millionaires,” Thompson continues to coach many of the industry’s leading companies and top network marketing professionals from around the world with the still-timely and relevant training concepts he developed more than four decades ago. What inspired you to get involved in a direct selling business? I didn’t know what a business model was. I was a long-haired hippie construction worker with no education and no self-confidence or self-esteem. I came to a meeting because it was held at the Hyatt, and I always thought it would be cool to drive in there and have them open your doors. I’d never been to a hotel in my life. When I got there, I could identify with the products; they were clean and organic and pure and kind of fit with the environment I was in as a hippie. I started doing the demonstrations and getting so excited about it. That’s what got me moving. When did you decide direct selling was the right choice for you? I knew right away. I couldn’t understand why anyone wouldn’t want to buy these products. I had no sales experience, but I did know this: I thought everybody should have these products. That night Jim Rohn and I joined at the same meeting Bobby Depew was leading. Jim is now known as a philosopher, and Bobby is the original network marketing strategist. That’s where I learned all of my stuff. They inspired me to be able to think I could do more and believe in myself.

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Make a decision. Do it now and get ahead of the curve. —LARRY

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What are a few of your most memorable moments?

That very first meeting where I met Bobby and Jim. They saw that extra desire in me, that extra willingness to work. They saw it because they had it in themselves. The second is working with Mark Hughes. Mark really THOMPSON influenced me because he saw things slightly differently than I saw them. If it had not been for blending the naivety and simplicity he had with the experience I had, Herbalife would not have been what it is today. Meeting those three people and working with them the way I was able to work with them and create what we’ve been able to create—in business, that’s it. What is your outlook for the business model? We had such a banner year last year. Just like in 1980 when everything changed with audience language behavior, it’s changed again, and we have to adapt. How can we be so naïve as to think that we don’t have to change as dramatically as other businesses have? Network marketing is competing in this gig environment, where there are 60 plus million people out there looking for the same thing I was looking for 50 years ago. What advice would you like to share with our audience? Your past does not determine your future. With technology, a day is now a week, and a week is now a month, and a month is now a quarter. Speed is of the essence. Make a decision. Do it now and get ahead of the curve. That’s what we did in Herbalife; that’s what PM-International did. DSN

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GIG Indus t r y v e t er an John F leming shar e s his G IG E C O N O M Y r e s e ar ch

and anal y sis in his la t e s t book .

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U LTI MATE G I G BY JOHN FLEMING

JOHN FLEMING HAS BEEN ONE of direct selling’s most consistent and strongest advocates. John’s experience, study, and research of the direct selling business model are extensive. In recent years, John has devoted the major portion of his time to research and study of the gig economy. In his soon to be released book, Ultimate Gig, John explores the attributes of the gig economy and the income opportunities available. John believes that independent contractors and micro-entrepreneurs will play an integral role in the redefining of one simple word…“work.” Writer, Sarah Paulk, and I were privileged to have a Zoom

interview with John—he shared his story, his research and his insights into this ‘ultimate’ time.

OHN FLEMING always wanted to be an architect—it was his dream. He worked in the office of the German architectural master Mies van der Rohe, where he learned to apply the basic principles of “less is more” advocated by Mies van der Rohe—how to strip complexity down to the essentials and design buildings without using facades that were not a part of the structure. It was a few years into his career, however, when Fleming realized that while plenty of mentors had spent time instilling in him architectural wisdom, no one had coached him on how to design a life. “When we design buildings, we complete the plan before we ever start construction,” Fleming says. “Someone would have helped me a lot if they had taught me those same principles about life.” These missing principles came to light after marrying, when Fleming and his wife realized that his full-time job as an architect plus her full-time job would not be enough to support them. “I wasn’t earning much money, but I was very proud,” Fleming says. “I had a big ego—I went to a great school, 6 4 D I R E C T S E L L I N G N E W S |

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I worked in one of the premier architectural offices in the world—and we can’t pay all the bills.” His solution came in the form of a direct selling business opportunity that he could work during the margins of his week. He almost overlooked it, assuming it was meant for his wife and not for him, but soon discovered it was a business they could share in common. “That was a big thing for both of us,” Fleming says. “She couldn’t speak architecture, and I couldn’t speak nursing.” Direct selling became his part-time job, earning the couple extra money to supplement their full-time incomes until the money coming in exceeded that of his architectural career, and Fleming knew he had found his new direction. Embarking on a successful career in direct selling, working as an independent contractor and then in corporate roles, Fleming found a new passion. Fleming spent 15 years at Avon, took early retirement, and almost immediately became engaged with industry leaders in a new observant way as publisher and editor of Direct Selling News—just in time to witness a massive economic shift.

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The direct selling model has a tremendous opportunity to be recognized as an ultimate form of gig work. —JOHN FLEMING

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The gig economy is really saying to us, No more excuses. —JOHN FLEMING

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P E R S O N A L I Z E D M A R K E T IN G M AY B E T HE NEX T BIG THING After serving Direct Selling News for many years, Fleming became interested in observing, researching, writing, and looking closely at shifts and trends. In 2015, the air was buzzing with the beginning of a gig economy explosion. Intrigued, Fleming commenced a multi-year study of employment trends, researching ways that work could be defined or redefined. In the new gig economy, there was less emphasis on résumés, titles, hierarchy, and more priority given to people who simply wanted to convert underutilized assets or extra time, into income earning opportunities. People were drawn to the flexibility and freedom, finding new ways to approach work, and by 2019, the number of people involved in the gig economy was hovering near the 60 million mark. The gig economy had whittled away the complexities and overhead of full-time employment and streamlined profit opportunities for micro-entrepreneurs. It was a mirror of the design strategy he learned through architecture: stripping away the excess can create something even more powerful. It was time to put his research, notes and career experience into book form. The result of Fleming’s efforts is The Ultimate Gig, a book being published by Emerald Publishing U.K., that illustrates the transformative power of micro-entrepreneurship in the workforce and clarifies the history and trajectory of the gig economy—the most significant labor revolution of the century. In methodical fashion, Fleming walks readers through the gig economy journey, simplifying the complexity of its beginnings, how technology influenced its rise, what attracts and motivates gig workers, the roles women play, primary research conducted on the gig economy, the challenges, and who the game changers have been. There is an epilogue. “When I started researching, women were estimated to be 33 percent of the gig economy, and 66 percent were men,” Fleming says. The gig economy, however, has grown and transformed rapidly, and Fleming predicted that the balance of participants between men and women would equalize. Armed with research led by Dr. Robert H. Peterson, John T. Stuart III Chair in Business Administration, University of Texas at Austin, Fleming found that his prediction has become

reality—the gender distribution is now an almost even split. “It is very important to understand the role of women in the gig economy,” he says. “Women have always appreciated flexibility and freedom in how work can be done.” There are many testimonials from gig workers included in several chapters in the book, including the complete story of a very successful direct seller who is legendary; however, her full name is not revealed in the book. “The story is what is most important,” Fleming says. In the book, Fleming personally interviews Amway CEO Milind Pant, USANA CEO Kevin Guest, Solvasa Beauty CEO Lori Bush, who was formerly CEO at Rodan & Fields, and Sheryl Atkins Green, CMO at Mary Kay. Fleming is quick to remind us that the book is not about direct selling—it is about the gig economy. However, he is also quick to remind us that the direct selling channel of distribution had to be included in a significant manner because it is probably the original form of gig work. Fleming explains how the emergence of culture-shifting platforms like Amazon, Shopify and Etsy has changed consumer expectations surrounding availability, customer service and delivery speed. The powerful artificial intelligence (AI) behind these platforms, Fleming describes, is the key to their exceptional customer service. Amazon, for example, is known for its two-day shipping and follow up texts or emails with a photo of the delivery sitting on the buyer’s porch as soon as a package is dropped off. This AI leveraging to turn a complex system of product fulfillment into a personalized interaction is what Fleming believes will be the next frontier for blockbuster companies and where the direct selling industry should set its sights. Fleming told us: “The direct selling model has a tremendous opportunity in front of it to continue to reduce complexity, get closer to the customer in a very personal manner. “I think through a better understanding of AI and data analytics, we can bring some of the most personalized marketing to the marketplace that consumers have ever experienced.” (continued on page 68)

Not Without Consequences HE GIG ECONOMY benefits today’s worker, but is it at the cost of future burdens? This emerging economy does not come without complications or consequences. Gig workers don’t possess the same stabilizers that traditional employment provides, like group health insurance, pension plans and retirement benefits. The question is now: Are we trading flexibility for future problems? “We have to better understand the responsibility that goes along with freedom,” Fleming says. “If I have the freedom to work and earn, that burden shouldn’t be on the person who created the work opportunity. The burden is on me.” Insurance providers are beginning to see how the shrinking employee base is affecting their product development, which has historically been created to serve employers. With the number of microentrepreneurs growing, insurance companies are now realizing they will be called upon to play an innovative role in solving this burgeoning problem. “When you think back to the industrial revolution, there were periods when labor unions had to step in to make sure employers were taking care of their employees,” Fleming says. “I see the possibility for a need in the future for a third party that mediates or brings forth the creativity to solve these problems. We need better healthcare. That’s not just a gig economy problem—that’s still an American problem.” There is no obvious answer to these concerns just yet. For now, regardless of a third-party hero, Fleming believes that the responsibility for these course corrections falls squarely on the shoulders of the gig worker. “I have to be compliant in paying my taxes and realize that every dollar I bring in is not mine,” Fleming says. “I have a responsibility to allocate some for taxes and some for my future benefits. I should save and invest more. Self-regulation has to kick in big time.”

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The direct selling model has a tremendous opportunity in front of it to continue to reduce complexity, get closer to the customer in a very personal manner. —JOHN FLEMING

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DESIGNING YOUR OWN DESTINY Everyone has an underutilized asset, whether it’s a spare room, a car that sits in the garage, an underutilized talent that can be leveraged more effectively, even a hobby that can become an enterprise or extra time that could be better spent doing something productive. Couple these dormant opportunities with the looming disaster that over 60 percent of Americans ages 34-45 have saved less than $1,000, and the stage has been set for an entire generation of workers seeking supplemental income opportunities to explore the options which are greater than at any other time in our history! For employees who reside in the traditional hierarchical employment model, the track to the next level position that optimistically comes with a small percentage wage increase can be supplemented by engaging a gig. Fleming sees gig opportunities as a way to increase personal income whenever one desires with flexibility and freedom to boot.

Gig work includes freelance opportunities, and many talented people are taking advantage of the new possibilities. Through technology and digital platforms, gig workers can connect with customers/clients all over the globe. Some gig workers within this new economy are finding that working from phone is the new working from home. Less is more! “We can become the architect of our own destiny,” Fleming says. “The gig economy is really saying to us, ‘No more excuses.’ Age, past experience, inexperience, gender, or background are not barriers. Available time is not a barrier because the gig worker chooses the hours they wish to work. Professionals work gigs in between regular priorities. Women and men work when they want to between the activities that remain a priority—such as family. No matter what your past or present experience or inexperience, you can now find something you can do. There is no need to be constrained by the traditional 9 to 5 or the need to be present at a physical location.” When asked why someone should read the book, Fleming responded: “The objective in writing the book was to document what I was learning and make the information and the insights available to all seeking to add value to their lives. The gig economy is adding value to people’s lives. Simplicity is replacing complexity, and anyone can actually find a gig that aligns with their purpose, passion, and love for the assets of flexibility and freedom in how work can be accomplished. Gig providing companies are making it possible for anyone to master the investment of a few hours, or as many hours as one chooses, turning underutilized time into income-earning possibilities for the crowd, the masses, like never ever before. We are experiencing the transformation of work, and people from all walks of life are benefiting. Ultimate Gig tells a story about the gig economy and why everyone should be paying attention. Direct selling could very well be, or become, the ultimate form of gig work. All who read the book will gain a better understanding of the importance of independent contractor status, micro-entrepreneurship, and the attributes of flexibility and freedom in how work can be done. Those seeking solutions for life’s challenges may find answers. Those who have already embraced gig work will become prouder of their choice(s). Most importantly, many people contributed to this work, and I think our collective efforts will add value to the lives of others…” DSN w w w . d i r e c t s e l l i n g n e w s . c o m 6 9

Now What? If this is the question you keep asking, we can help. 70+ direct selling clients since 2015. 300+ years of direct selling experience.

The most sought after consulting firm in the industry.

Learn more at StrategicChoicePartners.com/NowWhat

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Epicure: Good Food Real Fast Epicure is the secret ingredient to healthy and quick meals. BY JENNY VETTER

HETHER YOU’RE BACK IN THE office or working from home, predinner chaos seems to be a constant in kitchens across the continent. The quick options are never healthy and

AMELIA WARREN

CEO

EPICURE FOUNDED:

1997 HEADQUARTERS:

the healthy options are never quick. Canadian party plan company Epicure

North Saanich, British Columbia

knows the secret to have both—and it’s all in the ingredients.

TOP EXECUTIVE:

Amelia Warren, CEO PRODUCTS:

Blended herbs and spices, meal solutions and time-saving cookware

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S O LV IN G T HE D INNE R D IL E MM A S IN C E 199 7 As a mother of two young children, Sylvie Rochette was all too familiar with the pressure to put something fast, healthy and delicious on the table every evening. Frustrated by the lack of wholesome seasonings and spices on her grocery store shelves, she started mixing her own blends. Soon her homemade alternatives to the highly processed mixes of the ’90s became the star ingredients of Sylvie’s evening meals. After several years of sharing her blends with friends and family and at farmers’ markets and trade shows, she launched Epicure as a direct sales company in 1997. Today, Epicure is the largest Canadian-founded party plan company, led by Sylvie’s daughter, Amelia Warren. “My mom was looking for ways to feed my brother and me—food that was healthy, fast, affordable, and most importantly, that we would eat,” says Warren. “That’s always challenging when you make this beautiful meal that you think is healthy and no one eats it.” Epicure has grown steadily from its launch in 1997, offering a constantly expanding line of signature spice blends and dip mixes, along with time-saving cookware. After leading the company as CEO for several years, Warren and her team shifted the company’s direction in 2014—a change that continues to guide Epicure to this day. 7 2 D I R E C T S E L L I N G N E W S |

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We help people bridge the gap between this desire to be healthy through eating well and actually doing it. —AMELIA WARREN, CEO

“We were always rooted in healthy eating, but over time we had become more of a company that helped people with entertaining,” she explains. “In 2014, we refocused the business on meal planning and launched our Good Food Real Fast mission, which is a focus on helping busy families take a meal from raw to ready in 20 minutes or less.” This back-to-basics pivot also included taking their ingredient list to a new level—gluten-free, peanut-free, mostly non-GMO and sugar and sodium conscious. Tasting parties became cooking classes, focused on teaching guests how to take a meal from raw to ready in 20 minutes or less.

This shift back to Sylvie’s original focus on fast, healthy meal prep paid off. Epicure has continued to grow organically across Canada, launching in the United States in mid-2019 and growing its consultant base by 60 percent from 2019 to 2020— even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. IMPROVING LIVES THROUGH GOOD FOOD The Epicure collection of products features everything busy families need to whip up fast, healthy, delicious meals at home. The focus of Epicure’s product offering is its meal prep products—single ingredient spices, blended herbs and

spices, mixes for soups and stews, dips, desserts and more. The selection of food-based items is extensive and always expanding, as the company releases new product collections throughout the year. To make preparing a meal with these ingredients even easier, Epicure also offers an extensive recipe database, kitchen tools, cookware, and silicone steamers. Everything Warren and her team does is meant to beckon families back into the kitchen for simpler, healthier mealtimes. “We help people bridge the gap between this desire to be healthy through eating well and actually doing it,” she says. “We make it easy, we make it affordable, and we make it delicious.” w w w . d i r e c t s e l l i n g n e w s . c o m 7 3

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We’ve always been rooted in the belief that to whom much is given, much is expected. —AMELIA WARREN, CEO

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Warren shares that Epicure’s mission is to better 20 million lives through good food—and that the products the company offers are only a part of that mission. “We’ve always been rooted in the belief that to whom much is given, much is expected,” she explains. “So giving back and being of service really is the core of our business. Instead of focusing on growth in terms of revenue or consultant numbers we focus on How many families have we helped eat better? How many people have we helped pay off debt? We always ask ourselves how are we being of use, and how are we being helpful, and how are we using our platform to give back?” Over 20,000 consultants across the U.S. and Canada are furthering this mission, leading cooking classes and sharing ways to make mealtime easier. Consultants join the company by signing up with an existing consultant and purchasing a business kit ($125 CA / $99 U.S.) Epicure offers a unique join option, in which an existing consultant can purchase a kit on behalf of a new consultant.

“Our onboarding process ensures new consultants make a strong connection with their sponsor, and the sponsor can begin supporting their success in the Fast Start program immediately,” explains Brick Bergeson, Chief Revenue Officer. Like many party plan companies, Epicure was faced with rapidly equipping the field with tools for virtual selling when the COVID-19 pandemic forced everyone to stay home. But Warren and her team did more than pivot to virtual party training. They supported both their consultants and customers with meal plans and products to help during quarantine, launched new giving initiatives and offered a selfcare program to encourage healthy at-home habits during that challenging season. “I think we do a good job of targeting what people are experiencing and doing our very best job through our community and our products, to be of use,” Warren shares.

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While the first year of business has been a huge success, we also feel we’re just scratching the surface in the U.S. —BRICK BERGESON, Chief Revenue Officer

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SERVING NEW OPPORTUNITIES With a rich history in Canada and a strong base of both customers and consultants already generating awareness of the brand across the border, Epicure’s extension into the United States was a natural one. “We announced that we were expanding into the U.S. at Epicure’s Annual Conference in August 2018,” Bergeson shares. “About a year out from our scheduled launch, we engaged the Canadian field to refer friends, family or contacts who wanted to be the first to join as a consultant in the U.S. market. We had hundreds interested and leveraged them to host cooking classes and invite friends. This was an exclusive opportunity to see, taste, touch and smell Epicure products as well as learn about the history of the company—all before the product was available for sale.” In addition to these initial test classes in the U.S., Warren and Bergeson completed a Pre-Launch Roadshow, sharing Epicure products in cooking classes across the country before officially launching U.S. operations in August 2019. The response has been tremendous. Epicure experienced an exponential increase in total revenue from 2019 to 2020, with U.S. sales now representing 20 percent of global sales. “Building on the incredible platform we’ve built in Canada, the first year of business in the US has been a huge success” says Bergeson “and we feel we’re just scratching the surface. The launch has also been a boost to the Canadian market as consultants have seized an opportunity to grow and expand in a new, untouched market with significant potential.” Warren is also pleased with the U.S. response and excited about the growth the company anticipates from its newly expanded sales footprint. She’s most excited to see Epicure’s mission of improving lives through good food reach a new audience. “One of the things I learned from my mother is again that mandate—the idea of to whom much is given, much is expected,” she reiterates. “That’s the reason to grow a business, the reason to do anything in this life is because it’s useful and helpful.” DSN

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Stuart Johnson, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of SUCCESS Partners and Direct Selling News, is a cofounder of the new firm. Transformation Capital’s experience and relationships are unmatched within the direct selling community.

SERVICES OFFERED INCLUDE: • Buy side and sell side M&A advisory • Equity and debt financing • Proprietary transactions • Joint venture and partnership opportunities • Institutional advisory

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FA RM ASI /

Atypical International Expansion Farmasi’s Successful Push West to North America BY BETH DOUGLASS SILCOX

ARMASI IS A START-UP like no other in the North American direct selling market. When it launched its U.S. beauty and skincare business in January 2019, it brought with it a 70-year-old international legacy.

Their roots run deep—first as a pharmaceutical manufacturer and

retail distributor, then later as the maker and retail distributor of beauty products—and their success stretched beyond their home in Istanbul, Turkey, into neighboring European countries. By 2010, competition for SKU placements on store shelves had them rethinking retail. Soon they took their established beauty brand direct

SINAN TUNA

CEO NORTH AMERICA

FARMASI L AUNCHED:

JANUARY 2019 US HEADQUARTERS:

Miami, Florida IN T E R N AT IO N A L HE A D Q U A R T E R S :

Istanbul, Turkey TOP EXECUTIVE:

Sinan Tuna, CEO North America PRODUCTS:

Cosmetics, Personal Care and Wellness

to the consumer.

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Starting at home in Turkey and later converting from retail in numerous countries, Farmasi transformed itself into a direct selling success story whose sales doubled year-overyear between 2012-2016. Rare is the circumstance that such a company as Farmasi would be considered a start-up, but indeed it is, now that their growth has pushed west to North America—representing an atypical international direct selling expansion. “We are one of the few companies in U.S. direct sales that is not actually American based. We were founded in another country and brought our business here and became very, very successful,” describes Sinan Tuna, CEO of North America.

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We are one of the few companies in U.S. direct sales that is not actually American based. —SINAN TUNA, CEO of North America

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P R EPA R AT ION A ND R E A DINE S S Brothers, Sinan Tuna and Emre Tuna, educated and living abroad for years, head up Farmasi’s global expansion, which started in the U.S. and has planned launches into Canada and Mexico later this year. Like their father and grandfather before them, preparation and readiness mark their journey so far. An intense, 18-month focus on infrastructure, IT, software, and global supply chain pre-dated any talk of global market targets. “We needed to be sure our factories were enough to supply all the countries…that our team was very strong—strong people with a global perspective that have lived in different countries,” says Sinan. With existing markets scattered across Europe and Euro Russian countries, Farmasi could have further saturated those areas. But, Sinan says, “Every country means more problems and time to spend fixing everything.” “Countries like the U.S., Germany, E.U. countries and probably Japan are much easier to expand our business because the rules are simple. The rules are there. The legislation is there. The regulation is there. Everything is written. You know, if you go by the book—which we always go by the book—then it’s easy,” states Sinan.

Low cost. High ROI. So Farmasi set its sights on big markets with even bigger This is NetSuite: potential and impact. They wanted to parlay language and cultural familiarity into an optimal global launch. Emre Tuna, vice president of CIS, E.U. and North America, had lived and worked in Transform the U.S. too. Everything added up to a U.S. launch. Shatter your limitations with the Since 2019, Farmasi has signed on more than 500,000 in the game-changing solution built U.S. They ship 300,000 orders per month and report monthly sales specifically for distributors. reaching $10 million. They quickly adapted to the changes brought on by COVID by optimizing e-commerce and offering distributors Engage a social outlet. And they’ve been known to fashion new warehouses Meet your customers everywhere in just weeks in order to answer customer demand. A $26 million through the power of omnichannel commerce. headquarters and distribution campus in Miami, Florida, to be complete in late 2021, should solve that issue indefinitely. Modernize “It’s going to make us completely ready for the next five years Leapfrog your competitors in America. The new distribution center will be large enough for with technologies built $1 billion in U.S. sales only and be able to ship all product to the for 21st century businesses. USA and Canada,” says Sinan. As for meeting product demands, Farmasi’s choice of Miami as its North American headquarters allows for direct shipping from its 2.5 million square foot manufacturing campus called FarmaCity in Istanbul. It is comprised of seven factories that create make-up, skincare, fragrance and homecare products, as well as packaging. “Our manufacturing plant is probably our number one strength. We are a baby company in America—a start-up—at the same time, we have a long legacy. Our manufacturing is ready to supply an amount four times more than what we are shipping now. We can easily grow around four times without huge investment in FarmaCity. That could put us in the top ten in the world in direct sales,” details Sinan. Currently, Farmasi is active in 26 countries, sells products in 125 countries, and has more than 4 million distributors worldwide. NETSUITE IS THE WORLD’S MOST They’ve been named the fastest-growing brand based in Europe, as DEPLOYED CLOUD ERP SOLUTION well as the third fastest growing direct selling company in the world. How Farmasi plans to reach that top ten pinnacle depends on Learn more at a briefing seminar at giving consumers more of what they want and that will include OF TAGLINED launching new, premium skincareUSAGE and make-up lines in the future. LOGOS One-tagline version of “Very high-quality packaging and very high-quality formulas are full color logo The tagline "AUDIT.TAX.ADVISORY" our focus for North America,” explains Sinan. only accompanies the logo in circumstances where context requires Coming products in the wellness and weight management space clarification about what Squire can do for current and potential customers will solidify their North American success and facilitate coming (the audience). expansion into Asia. “We need to make sure we are settled here For example, Squire.com and its Secondary-tagline subsequent webbe pages feature the one-for us to and have an amazing system. Then it will much easier tagline version (HIGHER version of full color expand in the world,” he says. PERSPECTIVE ONLY) of the Squire logo AUDIT · TAX · ADVISORY logo because the subpage content theand site provides adequate To that end, construction of athroughout wellness weight management context to visitors. factory is underway at FarmaCity, with projected completion On the other hand, if the team attends this year. DSN a national financial trade show where

netsuite.squire.com (801) 225-6900

Squire should differentiate itself from a neighboring financial software company, then trade show banners need to include the tagline, “Audit-TaxAdvisory.”

Treat the secondary tagline like it’s part of the logo but secondary in focus to

One-tagline version of white logo

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Despite everything, we should think people, not technology, and build a brand, not a label. —Robb Bruce, Director Marketing Communication at ASEA Global

2020

2020 CAUSED A REAL STORM in the global economy. In-person sales became one of those boats that was caught in the open sea, and it was hardest struck. But social media helped the industry recuperate and retain that personal touch direct selling is famous for. Marketing leaders from Amway, dōTERRA, ASEA, Reliv, and direct selling expert John Fleming came together to discuss customer-centricity perspectives for 2021 and share current practices. A customer-centric business strategy is based on understanding customers’ needs and putting them at the core of your business to build long-term relationships. Over the last five years, this has become the hottest topic, turning the customer-centric strategy into the only way direct selling companies and their distributors now have to serve customers. “Despite everything, we should think people, not technology, and build a brand, not a label,” stated Robb Bruce, Director Marketing Communication at ASEA Global. Everything that drives the evolution of customer centricity somehow proceeds from the expansion of technology. Innovations such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence, online payments, workflow automatization, data accessibility, and social media have drastically changed the way people expect brands to approach them. Offering end-users the best-in-class experience emphasizes the direct selling business model’s adaptability while increasing distributors’ repeat orders from their existing customers. This effort should remain a top priority as marketers have determined that acquiring a new customer is five times more expensive than retaining an existing one. 8 4 D I R E C T S E L L I N G N E W S |

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From the corporate perspective, it’s more about customer lifetime value than individual transactions. When so many brick-and-mortar retailers are closing their doors, direct selling is destined not only to survive but also to thrive. Here are five lessons to take away from the marketing experts’ discussion: LESSON 1 OFFLINE TO ONLINE MARKETING MIGR AT ION Most distributors were taught how to build their businesses offline, and now they have to develop modern online ecosystems. New distributors now need to grow their networks digitally, and it’s a corporate responsibility to provide support and actionable insights on that. Companies tended to focus on the distributor because they didn’t have proper capabilities. Today we have ENOUGH INFORMATION ABOUT THE END-USER, thanks to DIGITAL MARKETERS that play a vital role in collecting data. ~ John Fleming, CEO at Ideas & Design Group

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“Companies tended to focus on the distributor because they didn’t have proper capabilities. Today we have enough information about the end-use, thanks to digital marketers that play a vital role in collecting data,” says John Fleming, CEO at Ideas & Design Group. Today’s headquarter’s duty is to share social-media networking information with representatives for whom it is new. In turn, they should keep up with the younger tech-savvy marketers starting their careers in direct sales. LESSON 2 EMPOWERING DISTRIBUTORS TO NURTURE R EL AT IONS W I T H C US T OMER S Having empathy for the end consumer is the mindset dōTERRA is trying to encourage in its Wellness Advocates. The entire experience the customer has with the organization is the cornerstone of lifetime value. Imran Zaman speaks about how Amway focuses on social and mobile ecosystems in terms of education and content support. The #1 direct selling brand equips its distributors with templates to facilitate their online migration and new end-to-end experience.

What we are now doing at Amway is transition. We amplify and intensify our investment choices between distributor and customer. —Imran Zaman, Chief Digital & Marketing Officer at Amway

“What we are now doing at Amway is transition. We amplify and intensify our investment choices between distributor and customer,” explains Imran Zaman, Chief Digital and Marketing Officer at Amway Europe. LESSON 3 DEDIC AT ED EDUC AT ION Most people who become distributors do so because of the opportunity to position their business autonomously but still represent the brand they love. Top companies agree that it’s crucial to dedicate significant resources to educate their representatives about building future-proof relations with their brands’ end-users. ASEA, Reliv, and dōTERRA develop educational programs to teach their distributors compliance, storytelling, customer engagement, and retention. These programs are made available via webinars, certification courses, and programs. w w w . d i r e c t s e l l i n g n e w s . c o m 8 5

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If we can make things as easy as pushing a button, it’s going to help distributors in their customer acquisition. —Erin Koch, Director of Marketing at Reliv International

We have a tool for AUTOMATING OUR SOCIAL MEDIA presence that takes away from our Wellness Advocates and helps to ESTABLISH and REINFORCE their REL ATIONSHIP WITH CONTR ACTS. ~ John Dye, Senior Director of Marketing at doTERRA North America

LESSON 4 A U T OM AT ION Automation is what maximizes productivity on all sides of the business model. It helps adapt to representatives’ needs and provides a more individualized approach across educational, marketing, and management sectors. “If we can make things as easy as pushing a button, it’s only going to help distributors in their customer acquisition,” describes Erin Koch, Director of Marketing at Reliv International. 8 6 D I R E C T S E L L I N G N E W S |

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LESSON 5 SOCIAL MEDIA Over the last five years, social media has made a significant leap, with mobile interaction becoming a significant part of the customer journey. Social media marketing (and social selling) has exploded onto the scene, allowing distributors to expand their ecosystems. These online ecosystems are the launchpads for the smartest distributors to build communities, educate their customers, develop their personal brands, and grow their businesses. The mission is to find a way to provide representatives with an easy method to succeed on social. “We have a tool for automating our social media presence that takes the administrative task away from our Wellness Advocates and helps to establish and reinforce their relationships with contacts,” says John Dye, Senior Director of Marketing at dōTERRA, North America. CONCLUSION By educating distributors, assisting them in online migration, and providing easy to adopt tools, customer-centric companies fortify their relationships with end consumers. They embody a 21st-century direct selling business model that meets customers’ expectations, regulatory requirements, and companies’ sustainability goals. DSN

MAX PECHERSKYI IS A CEO & CO-FOUNDER OF PROMOREPUBLIC, A DISTRIBUTED MARKETING PLATFORM FOR MULTI-LOCATION BRANDS THAT LAUNCHED A SOCIAL SELLING SOLUTION FOR DIRECT SELLING BUSINESSES.

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E D Direct Selling News is excitedE to C present O G N I Zthe

Customer-Centric Recognition (CCR) Program to celebrate companies that are leading the way toward a sustainable, customer-centric future for the industry. Qualifying companies utilize business models that boast high customer-to-distributor ratios and prioritize customer sales.

Submit Your CCR Program Application Today.

The CCR Program is based solely on a company’s customer-to-distributor ratio taking into consideration the following definitions:

■ Distributor—someone

who DOES have a distributor agreement in place ■ Customer—someone who DOES NOT have a distributor agreement in place ■ Active is defi ned as each customer and distributor must have made a product purchase during the last six months. Active customer and distributor counts are limited to those in the U.S. and Canada.

Companies who wish to learn more or to submit an application can go to www.directsellingnews.com/ccr or contact editor@directsellingnews.com

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DVICE REALLY DOES MATTER. Learning from others who have gone before you not only helps you supercharge where you’re going; it also helps you avoid risks by learning from the mistakes others have made. Simply put, if you want different (better) results, you need new thinking. Learning strategically from the wisdom and insight of others helps you be more successful faster. In fact, it’s often the piece of the success puzzle that brings you the extraordinary results you could never have achieved alone. How are you doing at bringing strategic advice into your life? Jay Rodgers has been a true blessing to me as my business mentor for many years. Three or four years ago, I asked him why he continues to meet with me frequently and pour his advice into me. He said, “Often when you’re older, one of the things you want to do is give advice to people who are willing to listen and actually take action on the advice you give them—and you always take action.” Jay and I usually meet twice a month, and during our sessions, I take careful notes. Afterward, I send him an email listing in bullet format the advice and aha’s he gave me. That not only lets him know I was listening—it also gives him an opportunity to correct anything I may have misunderstood. Then the next time I meet with him, I share the actions I’ve taken on those items. Being a publisher, I asked Jay a few years into our relationship if he would consider co-authoring a book with me about mentorship. As we started digging in to write the book, we realized we needed to expand its scope since getting advice involves much more than just mentors. We came up with the title Advice Matters, and we wrote about the six places you can actually turn to in order to uncover blind spots and learn from others.

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MENTORS: Mentors help you see what you can’t see. Like Jay, they’re often at a point in their life when they want to pour back into others, and they will usually give you advice for free. Ideally, a mentor is strong in the areas where you know you are weak. People often ask me how to get a great mentor, and I tell them to find someone who has done (or is doing) what you want to do or who has accomplished what you want to achieve. If your values match theirs, they will often consider a connection. I have several mentors myself—mentors for health, parenting, and business—and I encourage you to do the same.

A COACH: Coaches are, in essence, paid mentors who will point out your key strengths as well as your blind spots to help you gain more clarity, and they often challenge you to find new perspectives and different solutions to achieve your goals. They help you focus. There are a couple of other significant differences between mentors and coaches as well. The exceptional coaches are those who have a toolbox—an arsenal of tools they have built over time that they can give you to speed up your learning and help you accomplish what you want to do. These tools could include books, articles, templates, checklists, videos, audios, helpful websites, and anything else that will help you in your pursuit of exceptional results. In fact, the bigger their toolbox, the stronger and more impactful they can be. The second difference is their connections (their Rolodex). The best coaches bring to the table a ton of other cool people they can connect you with who can open doors, share perspectives, and advance your results. 9 0 D I R E C T S E L L I N G N E W S |

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TRUSTED COLLEAGUES: There are, of course, many organizations you can join where you will find trusted colleagues you can turn to for advice. You can also look to the people around you or those you work with (zero in on five or ten of your best business friends) for a reciprocal relationship where you share ideas and insights or actually ask for input on certain things. I encourage you to be intentional in finding several trusted colleagues who can be valuable to you by trading insights and advice, giving you new perspective to see details and distinctions, and helping you go to another level of thinking.

PAID ADVISORS: These are people like attorneys or CPAs whom you actually pay for advice. I’m told there are approximately 3.9 million words in the IRS code, and most of us are not going to take the time to study it. However, good CPAs will not just have a good grasp of it; they will also be able to dig deeply into it to find the distinctions you need for your specific situations. Because of their knowledge and expertise, they can often uncover blind spots you may not be able to see that will help you with your tax strategy.

A D VI C E MAT TER S ! BY TONY JE ARY

RESOURCES: Generally, resources fit into three categories: audio, video, or a book. I think it’s safe to say that everyone who is reading this article is a big believer in using resources. If you’re in the direct selling industry, you’re going to read, watch videos, and study as many resources as you can, because it is a remarkable way to learn and advance your results. You can even pick up great ideas from people who died years ago who had a recorded or published work. Are you pouring enough resources like these into your mind so you can consistently absorb advice from some of the best experts in the world? Optimizing the use of resources is an excellent way to help you make the best decisions and constantly be refining the distinctions and principles on your belief window.

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SELF: You really can’t see your own blind spots. What you can see is patterns. If the patterns are working, you want to continue and double down on them. If the patterns aren’t working, you’ll need to reflect and see if you can make adjustments to get more of what you want. Giving advice to yourself, reflecting, and thinking through challenges and ideas is something most people don’t do enough of. So, there you have it—six specific things we wrote about in Advice Matters. I hope this simple article can have a great impact on your life. In fact, I hope it’s much better than just a perspective or an angle. I hope there are some aha’s here, or maybe even an epiphany or two, that could be lifechanging kernels of wisdom that could really impact you and your organization. DSN

MAINSTREAMING THE CHANNEL DSEF Fellows Make a Difference for Direct Selling Through their direct selling-related research, co-created teaching content, and case studies, nearly 250 DSEF Fellows from universities across the US are changing how direct selling is taught

“It has been a privilege to serve as a DSEF Fellow. I have been able to include multiple direct sellingrelated case studies in the fifth edition of a textbook on entrepreneurship and to complete multiple innovative academic and industry research projects. Each experience has resulted in growth and opportunity. The results have been clear and measurable. Dr. Caroline Glackin Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship Fayetteville State University

“As a DSEF Fellow, I was able to develop a teaching case that connected my research interest in effectuation and social entrepreneurship with the founders of Trades of Hope. As a bonus, many students were introduced to the direct selling distribution channel as an avenue for social entrepreneurship. Dr. Christine Mollenkopf–Pigsley Assistant Professor & Program Director in Applied Organizational Studies Minnesota State University, Mankato

and viewed. Here’s what they have to say about their partnership with DSEF.

“As a DSEF Fellow, I have access to a rich variety of teaching materials, including case studies, videos, peer-reviewed research, and teaching notes. These materials inform and complement concepts I discuss in the classroom, and help me keep my content current. By participating in DSEF-hosted functions, I’ve had the opportunity to network with the leadership of direct selling organizations from around the world, which has led to several top executives visiting our campus as guest speakers. Dr. Adam Mills Assistant Professor of Marketing Loyola University New Orleans

1667 K Street, NW, Suite 1100, Washington, D.C. 202-452-8866

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info@dsef.org

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Our Growing Community and Our Bigger Tent

n early January 2020, none of us could have foretold what the year would bring for society and the global community. DSA set our agenda: one that would continue to build direct selling’s reputation as a consumer protection champion. Events and education sought to uncover new opportunities for driving the direct selling channel’s rejuvenation through the embrace of emerging technologies, a transformed retail landscape, and the new way in which Americans work. Our efforts to fight on behalf of independent contractors in statehouses were primed. We knew not what we were about to encounter. As we look back, we see a stronger direct selling community and a growing number of companies coming into our Association tent. Demand to be a part of the DSA family has increased, and DSA has introduced new membership choices tailored to individual direct selling executives, as well as companies from outside the channel. As careers evolve, we routinely find that individuals who are currently independent agents but were once employed by a DSA member company still wish to participate in DSA activities to remain close to their peers and the channel’s developments. The new Associate engagement category allows these individuals to receive DSA research and publications, as well as register for DSA events and educational initiatives. Similarly, individuals currently employed by non-DSA member direct selling companies that are otherwise eligible for DSA membership often want to associate with DSA as individuals. The Affiliate engagement category allows these individuals to affiliate with the Association community as their company considers full membership for a year.

NANCY M. BURKE is the Vice President of Membership for the Direct Selling Association (DSA).

DSA’s new participant membership categories also include options for companies. As a service to those with international operations that are not planning to enter the U.S. market, Global Membership allows companies from across the world the opportunity to tap into the over 100 years of U.S. DSA experience. As a Global Associate, company executives will have access to all of the research services, educational resources, and networking opportunities enjoyed by full-active DSA members, as well as discounted registration for DSA event registration and unlimited access to the members-only section of the DSA website. As more companies—particularly organizations driving today’s technology—seek to protect an independent contractor’s ability to build a business on her own terms, they look to DSA as a leader. The new Corporate Affiliate membership enables nondirect selling companies to align with the channel’s efforts and benefit from the experience and insights gained after more than a century of work protecting independent contractors. By broadening our tent of inclusion and reaching beyond the channel to include organizations that, like us, fight to protect independent contractors, DSA gains an even stronger foundation for future growth. All of this is good news for the direct selling community. To me, it is proof that, even during times of unprecedented difficulties and shapeshifting challenges, our direct selling community’s shared values of community, home, and unity give us the instinctual ability to share our strength. We look forward to welcoming more companies and individuals into our tent to join in shaping the channel’s future and continue the fight to protect independent contractors. DSN w w w . d i r e c t s e l l i n g n e w s . c o m 9 3

LACORE PAYMENT TECHNOLOGIES

900 Wilmeth Road, McKinney Texas 75069

INFO@LAC O RETECHN O LO G IES . C O M

www.lacorepayments.com/

LaCore Payment Technologies is a payment platform designed to support direct selling companies globally. Our services include: Global connectivity to 150 countries in 50 currencies, including direct connectivity to most alternative payment types, secure tokenization, customized fraud solutions, including our proprietary Fraudhawk™, advanced reporting tools, and online dispute management.

C R E D I T C A R D / P AY M E N T P R O C E S S I N G

AccountingSuite tracks orders, inventory, and projects in the cloud. Our affordable Direct Seller Edition is perfect for individual sellers or companies may buy in bulk at a discount to include in a seller package to create another revenue stream.

C O M M I S S I O N P AY M E N T S E R V I C E S

ACCOUNTINGSUITE 600 California Street, 12th Floor San Francisco, CA 94108 888-328-8275 www.accountingsuite.com

COMPLETE MERCHANT SOLUTIONS

727 North 1550 East 3rd Floor, Orem, UT 84097 877-267-4324 www.cmsonline.com Complete Merchant Solutions (CMS) is a full-service US merchant account provider representing multiple banks. CMS safely and securely supports many types of payment processing for direct selling companies.

SQUIRE

PAYQUICKER

METRICS GLOBAL, INC

1329 South 800 East Orem, Utah 84097 801-515-0977 www.squire.com

400 Linden Oaks, Suite 320 Rochester, NY 14625 844-258-3006 www.payquicker.com

1160 N. Town Center Drive, Ste. 100 Las Vegas, NV 89144 702-757-9600 www.metricsglobal.com

For nearly 50 years, Squire & Company has provided financial excellence and NetSuite expertise for clients in the Direct Selling industry. We offer personal service, responsiveness, and expertise in all areas.

Instantly make secure and compliant global payouts to your distributors in local currency with PayQuicker’s fully customizable, client-branded solution. We offer secured bank accounts with prepaid debit cards, virtual cards and more—all through a single point of integration.

We are the industry’s leading payments partner, long-established advocate, and problem-solver. Our unified commerce & payments platform will connect you to a global marketplace, enable your international expansion strategy, and fuel your exponential growth plans. Let us show you how. Contact Us: info@metricsglobal.com

INTERNATIONAL PAYOUT SYSTEMS INC.

STRATEGIC CHOICE PARTNERS

540 NE 4th St. Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 866-218-4668 i-payout.com

More payment options in 150 countries via the most flexible and customizable software solution. Unbeatable pricing.

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Vendor Directory

2201 Long Prairie Road, Ste. 107-316 Flower Mound, TX 75022 407-891-9265 https://strategicchoicepartners.com/ SCP offers the most holistic consulting services specific to direct selling companies today. We’ve worked with more than 70 companies over the last three years alone, and served more than 250 years collectively in the industry.

NEXIO 727 N 1550 E, 3rd Floor Orem, UT 84097 1-877-551-5504 www.nexiohub.com Nexio manages the chaos of payments offering: • Faster roll out for distributors or partners • Simplifies payment processing for corporations Nexio does this by being integrated with the majority of back-office software solutions in the Direct Sales Industry.

World-class convention hotels in destinations around the world. Discover the magic of Disney for your meetings, events or incentives.

EXPERIENCE COLUMBUS 277 W. Nationwide Blvd., Ste. 125 Columbus, OH 43215 614-222-6121 www.experiencecolumbus.com

D I S T R I B U T I O N / F U L F I L L M E N T/ L O G I S T I C S

A 20,000-seat arena and 100+ unique restaurants surrounding our convention center makes Columbus feel custommade for direct selling conventions. With arts, live music and more, there’s always something to do in the capital of under-theradar cool.

AMWARE FULFILLMENT 4505 Newpoint Place Lawrenceville, GA 30043 678-377-8585 Sales@AmwareLogistics.com www.AmwareLogistics.com Handle fulfillment for 5 of the DSA top 100 companies. DSA member with 15 fulfillment centers, nationwide, for 1-2 day delivery to 98% of the U.S. Offering discount parcel solutions, kitting, same-day shipping, and a full menu of value-added services.

CANADA CARTAGE LOGISTICS SOLUTIONS

1615 Clark Blvd. Brampton, Ontario L6T 4W1 905-564-2115 x2 www.canadacartage.com/logistics Single Source Solutions, Order to Delivery B2C Solutions, On-Time Order Fulfillment, Real-Time Inventory Visibility, NHP Site Compliant, SOP/GMP Compliant, and locations across Canada.

A2B FULFILLMENT

GLOBAL ACCESS

150 Stewart Parkway Greensboro, GA 30642 866-843-3827 www.a2bf.com

9815 S. Monroe Street, Ste. 510 Salt Lake City, UT 84070 877-811-8108 www.globalaccess.com

Since 2001, a2b Fulfillment has been helping companies work smarter by outsourcing business support services, including order fulfillment, customer care, and valueadded solutions. Its same-day fulfillment philosophy ensures that customers aren’t waiting, and its one-call customer service resolution standard keeps them coming back.

International expansion expertise and technology and logistics solutions that grow clients’ businesses and brands around the world.

D I S T R I B U T I O N / F U L F I L L M E N T/ L O G I S T I C S

DISNEY DESTINATIONS P.O. Box 10,000 Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830-1000 321-939-7129 www.disneymeetings.com

D I S T R I B U T I O N / F U L F I L L M E N T/ L O G I S T I C S

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TO BE INCLUDED IN THE VENDOR DIRECTORY, CALL 1-800-279-5249

LACORE LOGISTICS 900 Wilmeth Road, McKinney Texas 75069 214-817-4802 www.lacorelogistics.com LaCore Logistics provides distribution and order fulfillment services. Our highly automated distribution center provides both domestic and international direct-to-consumer shipping solutions. We offer omni-channel fulfillment solutions ranging from marketplace fulfillment for leading marketplaces to businessto-business fulfillment for leading retailers.

STALCO INC. 64 Bakersfield Street Toronto Ontario M3J 2W7 647-367-2459 ext. 200 www.stalco.ca Stalco is your Canadian Distribution partner for all your requirements, including: regulatory approvals and management, importation (tracking and customs clearance), fulfillment (kitting, pick and pack, shipping), same day order processing, 2-4 day tracked delivery, and returns management.

VERST E COMMERCE FULFILLMENT

300 Shorland Dr., Walton, KY 41094 800-978-9307 www.verstlogistics.com

Verst offers robotic picking, 99% order accuracy, 6.5+M sf scalable warehousing space, air/rail-served, 1-2 days to over 85% of the U.S. Services include pick-pack, labeling, kitting, and custom packaging. Our Business Is… An Extension of Your Business

w w w . d i r e c t s e l l i n g n e w s . c o m 9 5 PMS 70% Black

PMS 7686

BARTHA 600 N. Cassady Avenue Columbus, OH 43219 800-363-2698 www.bartha.com Excite & ignite your direct sales force by using Bartha—the highest quality event production and staging company nationwide!

KATAPULT EVENTS 5840 Red Bug Lake Rd, Ste. 140 Winter Springs, FL 32708 407-915-9060 www.katapultevents.com Fresh. Exciting. Bold. Your field deserves the best and we help you deliver. Out-of-the-box creative production with experienced show management. We execute on budget and make you look AMAZING!

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MULTI IMAGE GROUP 1701 Clint Moore Road Boca Raton, FL 33487 800-523-2682 www.mig.cc A full-service event production company specializing in helping DSA’s tell their stories. Creativity + Technology = Unforgettable Experiences.

INCENTIVES/RECOGNITION

E VENT PRODUCTION

Choose Visible for efficient fulfillment processes and market-leading customer experience. Benefit from multi-carrier solutions, high-volume shipping rates, custom packaging, fulfillment, and a real-time inventory management system— with a 99.84% order accuracy rate.

E XECUTIVE RECRUITMENT

VISIBLE SCM 5160 Wiley Post Way Salt Lake City, UT 84116 385-355-8840 www.visiblescm.com

INCENTIVES/RECOGNITION

E VENT PRODUCTION

D I S T R I B U T I O N / F U L F I L L M E N T/ L O G I S T I C S

Vendor Directory E.A. DION, INC. 33 Franklin McKay Road Attleboro, MA 02703 800-445-1007 www.eadion.com Dion’s jewelry solutions are perfect for career path, sales & recruiting, corporate anniversaries and incentive travel recognition awards.

HANNA SHEA

FOSSIL GROUP

1835 W Chandler Blvd 103, Chandler, AZ 85224 844-344-7177 www.hannashea.com

901 S. Central Expressway Richardson, TX 75080 469-730-7619 www.fossil.com

Since 2007, Hanna Shea Executive Search has been the go-to search firm in support of the direct selling industry. Hanna Shea finds top talent for companies in need of building or improving an executive leadership team for organizational success.

Fossil Group is a global watch company specializing in the innovation and design of watches, wearables, jewelry, and leather goods. Our owned brands include Fossil, Michele, Misfit, and Skagen, and licensed brands, Armani Exchange, Diesel, Emporio Armani, kate spade new york, Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, Misfit and Tory Burch.

ATLANTIS PARADISE ISLAND

ROYAL CARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL

1000 S. Pine Island Road Plantation, FL 33324 800-722-2449 www.AtlantisBahamas.com/meetings Create lasting memories for your top producers. Reward & WOW them with a resort experience nestled in the world’s largest open air aquarium.

1080 Caribbean Way Miami, FL 33132 Royal Caribbean International’s Corporate Sales Team 800-529-6916 www.royalcaribbeanincentives.com ICONIC SHIPS. EPIC ADVENTURES. ULTIMATE EVENTS. Royal Caribbean® transforms events into the ultimate productivity paradise. Impress your attendees with epic venues, vibrant restaurants, onboard thrills and beautiful destinations.

40+ years of quality manufacturing of nutritional formulas specializing in capsules and powders. FDA registered and 3rd party UL certified facility.

SMART OFFICE SOLUTIONS, INC.

217 N. Westmonte Drive, Ste. 1007 Altamonte Springs, FL 32714 800-891-8601 www.SmartOfficeSolutions.com Your mobile strategy should be as smart as the phone in your pocket. Make a powerful statement about the value of social networks and personal connections with the SmartMobile app. Transform every share, text, call, and email into a positive sales and recruiting result.

S O F T WA R E / T E C H N O L O G Y S O L U T I O N S

3131 Story Road W Irving, TX 75038 972-518-9660 www.progressivelabs.com

MOBILE APPS & COMMERCE

PROGRESSIVE LABORATORIES

DIRECTSCALE 350 South 400 West, Ste. 225 Lindon, UT 84042 801-701-3285 www.directscale.com Scalable software for your company and your sales force that’s delightful and easy to use.

SUCCESS PARTNERS

SOCIALSALES.IO

DIRECTECH LABS

5800 Democracy Drive, Suite 100 Plano, TX 75024 800-752-2030 www.successpartners.com

2024 W. 15th St., Ste. F-324 Plano, TX 75075 214-659-1549 hello@socialsales.io www.socialsales.io

929 Colorado Ave Santa Monica, CA 90401 310-730-1246 CustomerCare@directechlabs.com www.directechlabs.com

Convert your social fans into paying customers. Our global SaaS platform includes the tools your sales force needs to succeed in today’s social selling environment. Scalable to fit any sized organization from startups to large global enterprises.

The AI-powered messaging and analytics platform. Be a better opportunity in the gig economy. Actionable dashboards and automated opportunities that get your field and customers engaged into measurable action anywhere in the world.

SUCCESS Partners is a full-service agency that creates strategies and solutions for direct selling companies to strengthen their brand, engage customers and boost their bottom line.

NOW TECH 5800 Democracy Drive, Suite 100 Plano, TX 75024 310-428-9936 www.successpartners.com GROW NOW! The SUCCESS Partners’ NOW app drives results for direct selling companies making it incredibly simple to connect, communicate and convert. A mobile system designed for maximum duplication that promotes customer acquisition activityNOW. Contact us for a demo today!

S O F T WA R E / T E C H N O L O G Y S O L U T I O N S

MOBILE APPS & COMMERCE

MARK E TING/BR ANDING

M A NUFA C T UR ING/ P R OD . DE V E L OP ME N T

TO BE INCLUDED IN THE VENDOR DIRECTORY, CALL 1-800-279-5249

BYDESIGN TECHNOLOGIES

EXIGO

9503 Princess Palm Avenue Tampa, FL 33619 813-253-2235 www.bydesign.com

1600 Viceroy Dr., Suite 125 Dallas, TX 75235 214-367-9933 www.exigo.com

Award winning SaaS solutions including Geneology Management & Commissions, Inventory, Replicated Websites, Premier Rep Tools, Branded Mobile App, Virtual Parties, E-vites, Hostess Rewards, Bookings, Social Sharing, Promotions, & Shopping.

The global leader in cloud-based Platformas-a-Service (PaaS) for direct selling companies. An open framework for billiondollar giants to startup companies. Exigo supports MLM, Party Plan and Affiliate models, operating in single global markets.

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Software & SaaS solutions for startup, emerging, and global direct selling companies. See our ad on the back cover.

INTERNATIONAL DIRECT SELLING TECHNOLOGY CORP.

MW2 DIRECT 2033 Gateway Place, 5th Floor San Jose, CA 95110 408-573-6310 www.mw2consulting.com/direct Combine the Magento Platform with powerful social and direct selling features available in the MW2 Direct platform. Solving Digital Transformation for direct selling with personalization, party management, influencer marketing, commission, analytics.

THATCHER TECHNOLOGY GROUP, LLC

1208 E. Kennedy Blvd., Ste. 222 Tampa, FL 33602 813-277-0625 www.idstc.com

55 Shuman Blvd., Ste. 350 Naperville, IL 60563 866-698-3848 www.thatchertech.com

Global Operations Management Software. Advanced Comp Plan Programming. Sales Force Backoffice & Automation. Web Site Design & Replication.

Thatcher Technology Group provides Sales Force, Compensation and Incentive Management Software for the Direct Selling Industry.

JENKON

XIRECT SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS

915 Broadway Street, Ste. 400 Vancouver, WA 98660 360-256-4400 www.jenkon.com From Startup to Enterprise, Jenkon provides Direct Selling companies an award-winning, scalable platform unifying the future of direct selling: Openness, connectivity, omni-channel and conversational marketing.

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686 E 110 S Unit 104 American Fork, UT 84003 385-448-1800 www.xirect.com Scalable software from startup to enterprise. Your delivery expert in Commissions Calc / Consulting, Replicating Websites, E-Commerce, Reporting, Promotions, Localization, Multi-Currency, and more- The Perfect Cloud-based Direct Selling Software Partner!

TOOLS, RECRUITING & TR AINING

INFOTRAX SYSTEMS 1875 S. State Street, Ste. 3000 Orem, UT 84097 801-431-4900 www.infotraxsys.com

TA X S E R V I C E S

TO BE INCLUDED IN THE VENDOR DIRECTORY, CALL 1-800-279-5249

S O F T WA R E / T E C H N O L O G Y S O L U T I O N S

Vendor Directory

SOVOS 200 Ballardvale Street, 4th Floor Wilmington, MA 01887 1-800-334-1099 www.sovos.com Save time and money with a smarter tax information reporting solution. Sovos solutions keep up with regulatory changes, perform TIN verifications, and automate your organization’s entire 1099 and 1042-S federal and state reporting process.

SUCCESS PARTNERS 5800 Democracy Drive, Suite 100 Plano, TX 75024 800-752-2030 www.successpartners.com SERVICES THAT SPARK GROWTH. From sampling and physical starter kits to digital marketing, we’ve got you covered. We serve by working alongside you to design, develop, and deliver solutions that benefit you, your distributors, and your customers.

Participate now at dsa.org/go21!

DSA’s 2021 Growth and Outlook market-sizing survey is now live! Participating will provide you and your colleagues with actionable data and insights to help you better understand market dynamics and industry trends, make better-informed business decisions, and give you a competitive advantage over those without it. In addition to helping you and your company grow, the resulting industry data, such as estimated retail sales, the number of direct sellers and customers in the United States, and economic impact broken down at the state level, allows DSA to advocate on behalf of the industry. We share facts from this research to important external audiences: federal and local governments, regulators and legislators, Wall Street, media, the DSEF academic community, and the general public. Your company’s participation in the 2021 Growth & Outlook Survey is vitally important. As a key benefit to participating in the Survey, you and your colleagues will receive the comprehensive results report at no cost, immediately after the report is completed.

To ensure that you receive this essential industry data and analysis, please complete the survey by the March 5 deadline at: dsa.org/go21

BEHIND EVERY 5-STAR CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

IS A ROCK-SOLID LOGISTICS STRATEGY AND FLAWLESS EXECUTION.

LACORE LOGISTICS is a customer-focused omnichannel supply chain solutions company that understands the unique needs of the direct selling channel, providing a variety of integrated services, including omnichannel and multi-channel order fulﬁllment, warehousing and transportation. OUR GOAL is to make your job easier, help you control costs and provide a superior customer experience—every time. Let’s connect to talk about your company’s needs. Together, we’ll design a supply chain strategy and solution customized for your business.

Go Next Level with Video Shopping In four short months, one client experienced: 230% Revenue Growth 22k+ New Users 358% Increase in Customer Acquisition Fun Simple

Engaging Branded

We Do Shopping Better. Learn The Difference. LET’S CONNECT | 310-428-9936 app@successpartners.com

801.431.4900 | infotraxsys.com

March 2021 Direct Selling News

Articles inside

200th Issue: Reflections on a Milestone