December 2020 Direct Selling News

VOLUME 16 / ISSUE 12

DECEMBER 2020

REFLECTIONS OF DIREC T SELLING IN 2020

A YEAR LIKE NO OTHER, AND A FUTURE TO STRIVE FOR.

F E AT URE / FULFILLING OUR PURPOSE BY JOHN ADDISON FEATURE / SPU 20 YEARS AND STILL GIVING COMPANY PROFILES / EIGHT 2020 SUCCESS STORIES

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C O N T E N T S D E C E M B E R

2 0 2 0

FE AT URES

SPU 2020: Growing Forward B Y SAR AH PAU LK Fulfilling Our Purpose B Y J O H N AD D I S O N

36 70

SPOTLIGHTS

What We Make It

A Look at Eight Direct Selling Companies on 2020 Featured: Arbonne, Le-Vel, MONAT, New U Life, Prüvit, Pure Romance, Scentsy and Total Life Changes B Y B E TH D O U G L AS S S I LC O X

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36 ONE VOICE

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NE W PERSPEC TIVES/

Strategic Gifting: Generosity Can Be An Important Part of Your Brand B Y TO N Y J E ARY

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IN EVERY ISSUE 6-7 AD INDEX // 9 FROM THE EDITOR // 11 INDUSTRY NEWS // 30 FORWARD THINKING // 85 DSA MESSAGE // 86 VENDOR DIRECTORY //

DECEMBER 2020

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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

46

C R E AT I V E D IR E C T O R

Julio Garcia SENIOR ART DIREC TOR

Susan Douglass ART DIREC TORS

COVER STORY

REFLEC TIONS OF DIREC T SELLING IN 2020

A look at 2020…What happened.

What did not happen.

What needs to happen in 2021.

Laura Castillo Jenny Paredes PRODUCTION MANAGER

Virginia Le COPY EDITOR

Peter Tepp BUSINESS DE VELOPMENT MANAGER

Melinda Bogoslavsky advertising@directsellingnews.com CONTRIBUTORS

J.M. Emmert David Lee Sarah Paulk Beth Douglass Silcox

BY D SN EDITORS AND CONTRIBUTORS

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DECEMBER 2020

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FROM THE EDITOR 2020…A year like no other and a future to strive for.

I

T IS December, and a time to reflect on what a year this has been.

And, oh what a year it was! While 2020 will be reflected as a year of adversity, challenges and a pandemic, it should also be noted as a year of renewed interest and growth in the channel.

In this month’s cover story found on page 46, we reflect on the impact of 2020. We examine: What Happened—the pivots, the innovations and the growth; What Did Not Happen—direct sellers and customers did not disappear but proved they were essential. We also give our outlook for What Needs to Happen in 2021.

To gain perspective and understanding about what’s around the corner for 2021, it seemed prudent to profile some 2020 direct selling success stories. Learn from Jean-David Schwartz at Arbonne, Drew Hoffman at Le-Vel, Stuart MacMillan at MONAT, Jeremy Wardle and Pat Berry from New U Life, Brian Underwood from Prüvit, Chris Cicchinelli and Chris Postler from Pure Romance, Dan Orchard from Scentsy and Scott Bania from Total Life Changes. On page 53, discover what these industry executives have to say about a year that delivered rapid growth despite less-than-optimal pandemic conditions.

We can’t highlight the successes of 2020 without featuring the 20th Anniversary of SUCCESS Partners University (SPU). “The spirit and purpose are the same,” says SUCCESS Partners Senior Vice President of Marketing and Publications Shelley Rojas. “Only, now, we can reach and involve so many more executives to gain from their deeper and broader perspectives, stories and experiences.”

SPU 2020: Growing Forward is the perfect title for this monumental event. More than 1,000 direct selling executives tuned in to their first all-virtual event. Turn to page 36 for the event wrap-up and some of the highlights.

It is always fabulous to learn from a master. On page 70, John Addison speaks to us on Fulfilling Our Purpose. He offers wonderful insight and direction to share the opportunity and the POSITIVE approach to the “people development” business.

One of DSN’s highlights of 2020 is our Customer-Centric Recognition Program. We feel it is essential to be a customer-centric industry where we build strong retail bases, and opportunity seekers will follow. Find the latest list of Customer-Centric Recognized companies on pages 26 and 27. If you have any questions or want to apply, visit DirectSellingNews.com/ccr/.

We are very thankful for our readership and our remarkable industry that helps so many achieve their dreams and goals. We wish you a very healthy and happy holiday season.

All the Best,

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

@directsellingnews

@DSNUpdate

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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.

FOR SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES, PLEASE CONTACT MELINDA BOGOSLAVSKY mbogoslavsky@directsellingnews.com

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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

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Natura &Co Announces Successful Closing of Follow-On Equity Offering

M A IN S T OR Y

TR A NSF ORM ATION C A PITA L RELE A SED THE SECOND DIREC T SELLING DIGITA L MOMENT UM R A NK INGS

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Herbalife Enters Hemp-Cannabinoid Skincare Market

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November’s Top 50 Momentum Rankings Are: 1 Mary Kay 2 Thirty One 3 Juice Plus 4 Epicure 5 Legal Shield 6 Young Living 7 Forever Living 8 Maskcara 9 WorldVentures 10 LimeLife 11 Mannatech

ransformation Capital releases the second TCAP Direct Selling Digital Momentum Rankings. October’s release resulted in considerable feedback and we are excited to have generated so much excitement from the Direct Selling Community.

Tupperware Brands Awarded U.S. Patent for NASA-Tested Product

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35 Reliv 36 New U Life 37 eXp Realty 38 NewAge 39 SEACRET 40 Shaklee 41 BHIP Global 42 ARIIX 43 Elepreneurs 44 Pampered Chef 45 Kannaway 46 Hegemon Group International 47 Neo-Life Global 48 Scout & Cellar 49 LifeVantage 50 Ibuumerang The intent with the momentum rankings…

To read the full news feature, scan the QR Code, or visit http://bit.ly/DSNQR

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12 PRÜVIT 13 OPTAVIA 14 Nature’s Sunshine 15 Yoli 16 USANA 17 Usborne Books 18 Chalk Couture 19 PartyLite 20 Valentus 21 Sunrider 22 Neora 23 Primerica 24 Youngevity 25 Red Aspen 26 PrimeMyBody 27 Tranont 28 Rain 29 Team National 30 Nu Skin 31 Kynect 32 IM Markets Academy 33 Vasayo 34 Norwex

D E C O G N I Z E

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Consumers are not only receptive to using technology, they’ve come to expect it. To succeed in this environment, businesses will need to innovate to meet their needs.

— V I N N I E S C H O E N F E L D E R , C T O o f C a p T e c h

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

Recent Expansions P M - I N T E R N AT I O N A L E N T E R S B E L G I A N M A R K E T Since its market pre-launch of PM-International Belgium in the beginning of 2020, the company has registered around 110 percent increase in sales in this market—a rapid development that resulted in the Grand Opening of PM-International Belgium.

N E WA G E E X P A N D S T O B R A Z I L

“We see a growing interest for our products and industry in Belgium,”

NewAge, Inc. has expanded operations to Brazil, one of

said Ton van Ravesteijn, general manager of PM-International Belgium

the six largest direct selling markets in the world.

and Netherlands. “We are offering a fully online way to work. What our

“The building of the Brazil market is yet another important

distribution partners value about us is that we offer an extra income

step in our strategy to bring our products and brands through

opportunity with no risk, the freedom to work whenever and wherever

our omni-channel strategy to emerging markets around the

you want and a lot of fun while you build your success.”

globe,” said Brent Willis, chief executive officer of NewAge. Fred Cooper, CEO of ARIIX commented, “Expansion to NewAge’s global market footprint was one of the great

BELGIUM

opportunities that we wanted to provide for our reps, and I am excited to see it happening so quickly.”

BR A ZIL

FR ANCE

PAMPERED CHEF OPENS IN FR ANCE Pampered Chef recently expanded into France and has future expansion plans on the horizon.

“We have a long-term strategy of international expansion that’s about more than just entering new countries,” explains Treanor. “It’s about the opportunity to enrich more lives around the globe. This fall, we announced Pampered Chef’s expansion to France. This is Pampered Chef’s third market in Europe, with Germany (2000) and Austria (2019). We are highly motivated to continue our expansion in these markets and beyond, which is exciting.”

HONG KONG ZINZINO L AUNCHES IN HONG KONG Sweden-based Zinzino recently entered the Asia market with the opening of business in Hong Kong.

“We expect a lot from the Asian market, and this is the reason why we acquired VMA Life with direct selling operations in Hong Kong, Thailand, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia end of 2019,” said CEO Dag Bergheim Pettersen. “This is truly exciting, and we are ready to begin a new chapter in our company.”

Zinzino is a direct selling company with a focus on test-based, scientifically proven nutrition and health products. It currently operates in 35 markets.

S U B M I S S I O N S / Is your company adding new markets or offices? Tell us about it! › pr@directsellingnews.com

1 2 D I R E C T S E L L I N G N E W S |

DECEMBER 2020

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

directsellingnews.com /category/news/

News in Brief

Natura &Co: Successful Closing of Follow-On Equity Offering

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atura &Co announced to its shareholders and the market in general the successful closing of its public follow-on offering.

This transaction increases the Group’s international shareholder base, with strong support from existing shareholders as well as new investors. It increases the liquidity of Natura &Co’s ADSs, allows the group to optimize its capital structure through deleveraging and enables key strategic investments that will accelerate growth over the next three years, primarily: • The Avon integration and turnaround • Digitalization of the business • Geographic opportunities • 2030 Commitment to Life agenda

Roberto Marques, Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors and Group CEO, stated: “We are very pleased to have successfully completed this capital raise, which we believe attests to the strength and attractiveness of Natura &Co and the relevance of its strategy. Our share offering was the largest SEC-registered transaction by a consumer products business this year, and the largestever in the consumer space in Latin America. The capital increase will allow us to build on our current strong business momentum and accelerate our growth by advancing on our strategic priorities, while also optimizing our balance sheet.”

Herbalife Announces Formation of ESG Committee

T

he Board of Directors of Herbalife Nutrition Ltd. announced the formation of an ESG committee (environmental, social and governance) of the Board of Directors.

This decision was made given the importance of leading in the areas of sustainable, socially responsible and ethical practices.

Over the past 40 years, Herbalife Nutrition has been changing people’s lives with great nutrition products and by creating a supportive community that inspires customers to embrace a healthier more active lifestyle. The integration of ESG-related topics that focus on building thriving communities and promoting shared well-being aligns with the company’s overall mission.

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“The formation of this new committee underscores and reaffirms Herbalife Nutrition’s commitment to continuing to improve communities around the world as a leading global corporate citizen,” said John Agwunobi, chairman and CEO of Herbalife Nutrition.

The Committee will be chaired by Herbalife Nutrition board member Michael Montelongo.

DECEMBER 2020

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Rodan + Fields Releases New Brand Campaign

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odan + Fields recently unveiled a new brand campaign: “Look At You Now.” Based on insights from Rodan + Fields Independent Consultants, brand ambassadors and entrepreneurs who share and sell the award-winning skincare, and valued Customers, “Look At You Now” celebrates the transformation the global community experiences with Rodan + Fields.

The essence of the campaign builds on the founders’ mission of life-changing skincare: giving people the best skin of their lives and an opportunity for all. “Look At You Now” brings to life the brand’s purpose-driven DNA of visibly transformational skincare results, self-confidence, as well as

the personal growth and empowerment that Customers and Consultants experience.

“Together with our Consultants, we have built a unique and powerful brand. Hearing the transformational stories from both our Customers and Consultants and learning about the lives that R+F has impacted is both inspiring and empowering.

With ‘Look At You Now’ we are not only sharing these stories but also celebrating the powerful connection of the entire R+F Community,” said Diane Dietz, president and CEO.

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

directsellingnews.com /category/news/

New Avon Opens Studio 1886 in Los Angeles

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ew Avon is opening its first in-person, completely immersive experience center called Studio 1886, paying homage to the year the leading social selling beauty company was founded.

Studio 1886 is located at 515 Shatto Place in the vibrant Koreatown neighborhood of Los Angeles. The grand opening will include the implementation of extensive in-store processes and training to ensure a safe environment for all guests.

“We are very excited about this new chapter and are proud to create a unique space for our Avon community to connect and celebrate their love of Avon,” said Avon CEO Paul Yi. “Studio 1886 will showcase Avon’s growing commitment to bringing customers and Avon Representatives the top trends and innovation in beauty while driving engagement.”

Studio 1886 will be accessible to both Representatives and the community where they can learn, play, train and rediscover the beauty of Avon.

In addition to products, Studio 1886 will provide a hub of community engagement for learning and education. Avon Representatives and customers will have direct access to Avon’s top educators for skincare, color, personal care and more. Carefully crafted training sessions and events will be offered regularly and will be designed to elevate knowledge from tips and tricks to choosing the best products for your personal skin concerns. Representatives will learn how to consult with customers, provide solutions and overall build their Avon businesses.

ARIIX Launches New Skincare Line for Reps, By Reps

Herbalife Enters HempCannabinoid Skincare Market

W

ith forecasted growth in the global skincare market projected to reach $183.03 billion, and the global beauty and personal care products market anticipated to reach $716.6 billion by 2025, the launch of Lucim creates a new and exciting way for ARIIX Representatives to connect with prospects and customers with products that are in-demand.

“We were obsessive about finding the perfect balance between product safety and efficacy,” said ARIIX Chief Product Officer Deanna Latson. “We partnered with our Reps to understand what they wanted, researched and implemented the most advanced skincare technology, and integrated everything we loved and learned from NuCerity and Jouvé. We didn’t set out to just create a new skincare brand but to revolutionize the skincare industry.”

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H

erbalife Nutrition recently introduced Enrichual, a new line of topical skincare products formulated with hemp-cannabinoids.

With the launch of its Enrichual line, the company enters the rapidly growing hemp-cannabinoid market. The Brightfield Group forecasts U.S. sales in the market to reach $12.4 billion by 2023.

“The cannabinoid market is a new space for us and we’re excited that Enrichual inspires consumers to practice self-care and nurture their body and mind,” said Ibi Montesino, senior vice president and managing director of North America.

“The Enrichual products are formulated with broadspectrum cannabinoids, rich botanicals and essential oils nurture and restore the skin, and make it an experience for all the senses,” said John Heiss Ph.D., senior director of Worldwide Product Marketing Innovation.

DECEMBER 2020

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Tupperware Brands Awarded U.S. Patent for NASA-Tested Product

T

upperware Brands announced the issuance of a U.S. patent for PONDS, a device designed to grow vegetables in low earth orbit with minimal maintenance.

“We are proud to have received a patent for the unique and novel design of PONDS,” said Miguel Fernandez, chief executive officer of Tupperware Brands. “With this patent in hand and with the work of our teams on this project, we are now exploring ways to capitalize on the science behind this innovation and use that knowledge to enable consumers around the world to reduce their impact of single-use plastic and food waste through the use of our environmentally responsible products.”

The patented design focuses on a unique creative scientific challenge—watering plants in the absence of gravity. As such,

Tupperware took inspiration from the natural way plants absorb water through capillary action.

“This recognition is an emblem of the innovation that this brand has represented for nearly 75 years,” said David Kusuma, vice president of Product Development and R&D at Tupperware Brands. “We chose this project because we are confident we can use this understanding and technology for the future development of Tupperware products.”

Medifast Ranks Second on FORTUNE’s Annual 100 Fastest-Growing List

M

edifast, Inc. announced it was ranked second on FORTUNE Magazine’s list of the top 100 Fastest-Growing Companies.

FORTUNE’s 2020 100 Fastest-Growing Companies list measures and ranks corporations by revenue growth rate, EPS growth rate and three-year annualized total return for the period ending June 30, 2020.

As the second fastest-growing company overall, Medifast ranks among other industry leaders such as Netflix, Etsy and Amazon.com. The company ranked No. 1 within the Healthcare sector and exclusively owned the Health and Wellness industry category.

“At a time when consumers are prioritizing their health and demanding a better solution, OPTAVIA’s unique, holistic approach is resonating,” said Dan Chard, chief executive officer of Medifast. “We are determined to offer the world lifelong transformation, one healthy habit at a time and this recognition shows that we are well on our way.”

Kannaway Enters CBN Market

M

edical Marijuana, Inc. announced that its subsidiary Kannaway® has officially entered the U.S. cannabinol (CBN) market with the release of two new CBN isolate products.

Not to be confused with cannabidiol (CBD), which has gained significant popularity over the past few years, CBN is another non-psychoactive cannabinoid found in the cannabis plant. Like the company’s full-spectrum CBD products, Kannaway’s CBN products are derived from all-natural hemp.

“Though it may be too soon to predict the growth potential for the CBN market, analysts at the Nutrition Business Journal predict that the sleep supplement market will grow 30.1 percent this year,” said Kannaway CEO Blake Schroeder.

“We intend to continue to stay up-to-date with the most recent discoveries in cannabinoid research and offer our customers the latest, most popular ingredients available in sleep science and other categories.” DSN 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

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

Insights

directsellingnews.com /category/news/

News Impacting Our Channel

Shifting Consumer Preferences Amidst COVID-19

C

apTech conducted a survey to better understand how consumer purchasing behaviors, perceptions and needs have changed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The survey also explored the impact technology, incentives and innovation have on people’s decision to choose one retailer or purchasing method over another. Recruiting was based on 2010 US Census data for region, sex, household income and age via Cint, and was executed in September 2020.

Prioritized Spending is Here to Stay: Consumers are indicating a permanent shift in prioritizing their spending on essentials and saving money.

• 34 percent are purchasing more essentials and 36 percent are purchasing fewer nonessentials.

• This trend will likely continue, with nearly half indicating they want to purchase only items they need after COVID-19.

Right Now, Safety is Top of Mind: Discounts and convenience that prioritizes safety like free shipping, curbside pickup and physical store modifications also have big impacts.

• 56 percent of respondents said that discounting/waiving shipping/delivery fees and increased safety measures were the most influential on whether they gave a company their business.

• 51 percent of respondents said that free curbside and in-store pickup was also influential in their purchasing decisions.

• Consumers’ purchasing decisions are also influenced by whether or not businesses protect their employees (78 percent) and help the local community (76 percent).

Customers Are Adopting New Technologies: Consumers are more open to trying new and different activities, brands, and technology. Increased interest in new technologies is driven by a desire for enhanced safety.

• 59 percent indicated that a business offering unique or innovative solutions is influential or very influential on their purchasing decisions

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• Many want to continue using technology post pandemic; 77 percent want to continue online shopping, 58 percent want to continue communicating with a company using online chat for customer service, and 52 percent want to continue paying for products or services using a smart device.

“Consumers’ spending preferences have changed dramatically in just a few months, and it’s very likely these habits will continue to change,” said Vinnie Schoenfelder, CTO of CapTech. “Consumers are not only receptive to using technology, they’ve come to expect it. To succeed in this environment, businesses will need to innovate to meet their needs.”

The survey was conducted in September 2020 using a statistically significant national census-based population sample via SurveyMonkey. It is representative of the general U.S. population. DSN

DECEMBER 2020

11/18/20 1:43 PM

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11/18/20 1:43 PM

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

Executive Announcements JACK SPITZER, Plexus, Chief Financial Officer Plexus Worldwide announced the promotion of Jack Spitzer to chief financial officer.

Spitzer has more than 25 years of experience across various areas of Finance, including leading financial transformation, building high-performance teams and managing the financial risks of major companies. He has served as senior vice president of finance at Plexus since August 2018.

“Jack embodies Plexus’ core beliefs of being trustworthy, honest, reliable and responsible, which is why we know he’ll excel in the CFO position,” said Christopher Pair, president of Operations and International at Plexus. “Jack has proven to be an exceptional leader at Plexus and his vision for enhancing our financial department has demonstrated his importance to the team and our business.”

TROY MOHR, Vasayo, Senior Vice President of Global Operations Vasayo announced it has appointed Troy Mohr its senior vice president of Global Operations.

Mohr comes to Vasayo with more than three decades of experience in operations and manufacturing in both the private and public arenas.

“It’s great to be a part of a product-driven organization that focuses on the science of advanced delivery technologies in the health and wellness industry,” said Mohr. “I’m excited to join Dallin Larsen, Daniel Picou and the entire team at Vasayo in building a global legacy company.”

“Troy has a tremendous amount of operational experience and an intimate understanding of our business model, and we are very excited to have him join Vasayo,” said Picou, Vasayo’s co-founder and president. “His depth of knowledge is incredibly valuable, and his team will play a major role as we scale and grow this company all over the world.”

IRVING HOLMES WONG, Avon, Managing Director—Asia Pacific and GM, China Avon announce that Irving Holmes Wong has been named managing director, Asia Pacific and general manager, China.

Wong will report to Angela Cretu, chief executive officer, and join the Enabling Leadership Team.

“China and the whole Asia Pacific market are extremely important for us, and we see significant growth opportunities and untapped synergies as part of the Natura &Co family,” said Cretu. “Irving is a purpose-driven leader who brings outstanding professional value and a deep understanding of the region. I am confident that Irving and the Asia-Pacific team will unleash the potential of this region and capture the growth opportunities with a locally relevant Open Up and Grow strategy, tailored to meet their consumers’ needs.”

“I am thrilled to join Avon and Natura &Co,” said Wong.

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DECEMBER 2020

11/18/20 1:32 PM

MICHELLE SANFT AND LOLY HLADE, Ruby Ribbon, Chief Operating Office/Chief Financial Officer and Chief Marketing Officer Ruby Ribbon announced Michelle Sanft as the company’s new chief operating officer and chief financial officer, and Loly Hlade as its new chief marketing officer.

With a 25-year career in financial management, operations and strategy, including executive experience in social-selling channels, Sanft will play a pivotal role as the company continues its growth phase via an expanded network of independent Stylists.

Hlade will lead Ruby Ribbon’s brand marketing and communications as well as product development and category expansion efforts.

“I am thrilled to welcome both Michelle and Loly,” said CEO Clint McKinlay. “They are best-in-class executives, leaders and brand builders who will be key to our next phase of growth. Their passion for our company’s mission and for developing and offering stylish and inclusive products for our customers has allowed them to make an immediate impact and become cherished leaders to our expanding national salesforce of women entrepreneurs.”

WILLIAM THOMPSON AND DAVID BRISKIE, Youngevity, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Investment Officer Steve Wallach, CEO of Youngevity, stated, “We appreciate Youngevity announced that William G. Thompson accepted the dual role that Dave Briskie has played for YGYI as the position of chief financial officer of the company and as a president and CFO of YGYI for so many years. We look result resigned from the Board of Directors of the company forward to seeing the impact he will have on our business and as a member and chairman of the Audit Committee. while focusing on his role as president, and now CIO, of our In connection with Thompson’s appointment, David S. company.”

Briskie was appointed chief investment officer of the company To fill the vacancy left by Thompson’s departure from and resigned as the company’s chief financial officer to allow YGYI’s Board of Directors, the company appointed Daniel Thompson to assume the full-time role of YGYI’s chief Dorsey to the Board of Directors. financial officer. Briskie will retain his title of president and as Youngevity also announced the appointment of chief investment officer will continue to maintain relationships MaloneBailey, LLP (“MaloneBailey”) as its new independent with YGYI’s current shareholder base and will work to expand registered public accounting firm responsible for auditing its the shareholder base of YGYI. financial statements. w w w . d i r e c t s e l l i n g n e w s . c o m 2 1

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

WENDY WANG, Mary Kay, Chief Commercial Officer, Asia-Pacific Region Mary Kay Inc. has appointed Wendy Wang as chief commercial officer in the Asia-Pacific region.

“We are honored to announce the appointment of Wendy Wang to this senior leadership position,” said KK Chua, president of Mary Kay’s AsiaPacific Region. “Her passion to see women’s lives enriched throughout Asia and expertise will be invaluable as we continue our steadfast mission of enriching women’s lives. Wendy is a visionary leader who possesses the strategic global business acumen and proven track record to effectively navigate today’s ever-changing beauty industry landscape.”

As chief commercial officer, Wang will develop and drive the implementation of commercial strategies for the Asia-Pacific region.

She will collaborate with regional leadership to ensure alignment of overall corporate objectives and lead the regional team to support sales, marketing, business technology and operations in each AsiaPacific subsidiary.

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RYAN NAPIERSKI, WFDSA Advocacy Committee Chairman Nu Skin President Ryan Napierski has been appointed chairman of the Advocacy Committee for the World Federation of Direct Selling Associations (WFDSA).

“We look forward to benefitting from Ryan’s leadership and ability to develop innovative strategies and programs that are forward-looking and produce results,” said Tamuna Gabilaia, WFDSA executive director and COO. “To thrive in the new economy, companies must prioritize their human experience, which is an area where direct selling companies have always excelled,” said Napierski. “As our industry adapts to economic trends and new consumer behaviors, we feel a responsibility at Nu Skin to shape the future of the direct selling industry by constantly striving to better serve the needs of global consumers as well as those seeking opportunity and empowerment. As a world federation of direct sellers we touch tens of millions of lives every day, and we want to take every opportunity to be a force for good.”

KRISTI HUBBARD, Younique, Chief Executive Officer Kristi Hubbard, Younique’s president since July 2020, has been appointed chief executive officer, a transition envisioned at the time she joined the company.

Derek Maxfield, Younique’s founder, will continue to set the strategic vision for the company as chairman of the Board of Directors and executive director. As CEO, Hubbard will lead the operations of the company and define the next era of transformation for Younique, which is known worldwide as a cosmetics and social-media-based direct sales pioneer. Hubbard will also be appointed to Younique’s Board of Directors.

“In the relatively short time Kristi has been with Younique she has quickly demonstrated the depth and value of her experience as a direct-selling executive leader,” said Maxfield. “Kristi is highly collaborative, engaging and a strong, strategic leader. Her transition to the CEO role has come even more quickly than I expected, which is a reflection of Kristi’s capacity and talents. I am particularly impressed with her engagement with our Presenters and her expertise in understanding the differentiators that make Younique impactful.” DSN

T y t

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DECEMBER 2020

11/18/20 1:36 PM

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11/18/20 1:37 PM

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

Transformation Capital October Sees Slight Decline for TDSI.

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RANSFORMATION CAPITAL reported that October was a relatively strong month for direct selling for most of the period until market-related weakness drove the stocks lower over the last week.

According to the investment banking and business development firm, the Transformation Capital Direct Selling Index (TDSI) decreased slightly (-3.4 percent), as compared to a decline of -4.6 percent for the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA). The TDSI has advanced an impressive 40 percent since the beginning of March, as compared to a more modest increase of 4.3 percent for the Dow. L ARGE-CAP STOCKS During the month of October, three large-cap stocks—Nu Skin, USANA and Tupperware—exceeded expectations On October 28, before the market opened, Tupperware Brands Corporation (NYSE: TUP) reported financial results for the third quarter of 2020, that seemed to take

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everyone by surprise. While Transformation Capital has been reporting bullishly on TUP’s turnaround in recent months, the results were ahead of its optimistic expectations. Following the announcement, the stock gapped up 25 percent at the market’s open, and advanced as much as 40 percent higher during the session, before closing the day up 35 percent on 10X average trade. TUP’s climb continued through the end of the week, despite some significant downward pressure from the markets. To put the Company’s surprising results in perspective, consider this.

The third quarter of 2020 represented: the highest quarterly revenue the Company has achieved in 6 quarters; the first time in 36 quarters that the Company has reported double-digit YoY revenue growth; 42 percent YoY growth in the North American market, which is the highest growth rate experienced since 2002.

11/18/20 2:08 PM

The Company appears to now be managed exceptionally well with the new management team, just installed in April, making significant progress in growing the business, while also reducing debt and cutting costs.

Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE: NUS) pre-announced third quarter 2020 financial results on October 1, which included revenue well head of internal guidance and analyst expectations. The mid-point of the announced revenue range of $700-$703 million represents a YoY increase of approximately 19 percent. The following day the stock gapped up 9 percent, and Nu Skin remains one of the leading performers among the large-cap group.

Following the end of the month, NUS formally announced third quarter results and increased guidance for the full year 2020. Continuing a trend identified months ago, the Company’s strong performance was driven by 83 percent YoY growth within its America’s/Pacific reporting segment.

USANA Health Sciences, Inc. (NYSE: USNA) finally broke out of the extended downtrend that the stock had been in since mid/late July, and advanced 2.7 percent over the course of the month. Transformation Capital saw no particular reason for the weakness in the stock, and USANA’s third quarter results, reported on October 20, proved the investment firm correct. Over the next three sessions, the stock traded approximately 10 percent higher, before falling off slightly into the end of the month along with the general markets.

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

SM A LL-C A P S T OCK S Small-cap stocks among the tracking set again showed some weakness over the course of the month.

“The fact of the matter is that we are in/are entering a significant period of uncertainty within the markets,” said Stuart Johnson, CEO of Transformation Capital. “As investors look to balance their portfolios to adjust for this risk, smaller, lightly traded and less liquid companies often carry a disproportional amount of this burden.”

Defying this trend, New Age, Inc. (NASDAQ: NBEV), rose an impressive 35.3 percent during October.

Beginning early in the month, NBEV has been on a strong, upward trend driven by some significant up days on above average trade. The Company is set to close its merger with ARIIX, originally announced in July, at the end of November.

Educational Development Corporation (NASDAQ: EDUC), a new addition this month, declined slightly during the month (-0.8 percent), but has posted impressive gains of 226 percent since the end of February 2020.

The Company, an educational children’s book publisher and marketer, operates the direct selling company Usborne Books, which accounts for most of its revenue.

Pandemic-related trends have had a significant upside impact on the Company’s business.” 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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Direct Selling News is excited to present the Customer-Centric

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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

DECEMBER 2020

11/18/20 1:25 PM

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

experiencing impressive growth and deserve recognition and acknowledgment for their S

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efforts. With evolving consumer expectations and regulatory scrutiny, customer‑centric equals U

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success for everyone—distributors, direct selling companies, and the channel as a whole.

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O G N I The DSN Customer-Centric Recognition Program acknowledges these companies.

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11/18/20 1:26 PM

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DECEMBER 2020

11/18/20 1:27 PM

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11/18/20 1:27 PM

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

LET’S HAVE A CHAT

Why the rise of chat and messaging apps are an excellent fit for the direct selling culture.

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HAT AND MESSAGING apps are outpacing every social media platform in daily usage growth. People continue to change the way they communicate online. It might be a perfect fit for the direct selling industry to build a customer base and corporate-to-field communication.

W H AT ’ S H A P P ENING As chat and messaging apps continue to evolve to support multi-media and group chats, the most popular platforms are attracting billions of users. According to Statista, Facebook-owned WhatsApp leads with 2 billion users, while Facebook Messenger has roughly 1.3 billion, WeChat with 1.2 billion, and Telegram with 400 million. WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger are growing 30 percent year over year, while WhatsApp users have doubled since 2016.

HO W DID W E GE T HER E ?

Many experts believe the popularity of messaging apps is riding the coattails of the text explosion. Texting used to be cumbersome and limited on mobile phone plans, but most plans now include unlimited texts. According to TextRequest.com, Americans sent about 350 texts a month in 2011, but monthly estimates now range close to

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DECEMBER 2020

11/18/20 2:10 PM

MESSAGING APPS

BY THE NUMBERS 36 percent of people who use messaging apps have at least two messaging apps.

“

Emails can die in an inbox, but messaging opens a back-andforth and on-going dialogue. This can offer invaluable insight for customers and distributors.

3,000 messages. Today, 39 percent of businesses use some form of text messaging to communicate with their consumers, and 53 percent of marketers already use mobile messaging as part of their marketing strategy, says a SnapDesk report.

W H Y I T W OR K S Texts and messaging, according to Spectrm. io, has surpassed phone calls as the leading form of communication, especially among millennials. Some of the key reasons: 1. Q uick response times (90 percent of text messages are opened within three minutes) 2. E ngage in multiple conversations at once

20% WhatsApp for Business has 5 million users.

40M By 2021, WeChat is predicted to have 674 million monthly users.

36% Messaging apps have overtaken social media platforms in the number of active monthly users by 20 percent.

5M 40 million businesses are active on Facebook Messenger.

674M

20M

Businesses and users

By 2020, messaging

$15

apps will have an average revenue of around $15 per user.

66%

exchange 20 billion messages on Facebook Messenger monthly.

66 percent of consumers are more confident about making a purchase when a company is active in messaging apps.

(Sources: Spectrm, Hubspot, KommandoTech)

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3. Messages are instant and often send notifications when sent 4. Most messaging apps enable a richer media experience than traditional texting 5. Texting and messaging have multigenerational appeal (not just for the younger generations) Unlike most social media platforms, which are often a one-to-many experience, chat and messaging apps offer a one-to-one experience. This allows brands to meaningfully communicate and connect with individual customers. Companies use these platforms to cultivate conversation and relationships.

Chat functionality now gives users more options to share images, video clips, gifs, and search for old messages.

Conversely, emails can be a disjointed and often lonely experience. Emails can die in an inbox, but messaging

opens a back-and-forth and on-going dialogue. This can offer invaluable insight for customers and distributors.

W H Y I T M AT T ER S F OR DIR E C T SEL L ING “The bottom line is that as marketers, we need to be turning our attention to the same places customers (aka people) are turning theirs. And a look at the trends makes clear one of those places is mobile devices—specifically, the messaging apps that continue to gain popularity at a staggering pace,” states a post on LinkedIn’s Marketing Solutions Blog.

One of the key advantages of the direct selling industry is creating and fostering relationships, whether it’s between corporate and the distributor field, or between distributors and customers. AdWeek says 68 percent of consumers prefer communicating with businesses

MESSENGER PEOPLE’S

TOP 5

3. IMAGE AND REPUTATION

ADVANTAGES OF MESSAGING APPS 1. ONE CHANNEL Unlike social media, messaging can be used as an all-inclusive service channel. You don’t need multiple channels if you can do it all on one channel—especially if that one channel is your customer’s favorite.

2. PRIVACY Customers don’t have to worry about anyone seeing their private information, including the messaging company itself. Messaging apps with end-to-end encryption offer data protection so secure that you can discuss any type of customer service issue with no worries.

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You can handle customer inquiries in a more efficient and personal way on an appropriate channel, ensuring they’re happy with the solution.

4. SPEED AND AUTOMATION Messaging apps are a much easier platform for offering speedy communication. The conversation with one customer always remains within one conversation, even if they write to you several times in a row.

Additionally, it’s easy to automate messaging app communication. You can start small with pre-set answers, enabling your customer service agents to respond to customers with just one click.

5. POPULARITY Messaging apps not only have more users than traditional social media, they’re also growing faster and offering more business potential. In 2017, messaging apps were already more than 20 percent bigger than social networks.

DECEMBER 2020

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“

The more engagement we create, the more we see improvements in customer retention and distributor rank advancement.

— D A V I D L I T T , E L E P R E N E U R S V I C E P R E S I D E N T OF DIGITAL S TR ATEGY

via messaging. That should be good news for the channel. Many direct selling companies are already using these platforms as their primary avenue of communication, sharing weekly training reminders, infographics, event announcements, encouraging messages, short videos, product news and much more.

DIR E C T SEL L ING E X A MP L E S Elepreneurs, known as the Happy Coffee Company, has adopted messaging platforms as a regular part of their field and customer communication.

Corporate leaders still use other forms of communication, but Facebook Messenger evolved into a preferred platform for their community.

“We have a very dynamic business with many events, promotions, new product launches, and special customer offers,” says David Litt, Elepreneurs Vice President of Digital Strategy. “We communicate regularly with our field leaders, distributors and customers via Zoom, text, social media, and email as well as push notifications on our phone app. The more engagement we create, the more we see improvements in

customer retention and distributor rank advancement.”

No matter what platform Elepreneurs uses to maintain communication, the goal is to build a culture of acceptance and authenticity without over-polished corporate messages. “We try to meet people where they are,” David says. “Some people are active on social media, some prefer text, and others prefer email.

Many messages include a call-to-action, while others include a fun GIF or emojis. The more personal (and non-corporate) our communications feel, the easier it will be for our audience to relate. Importantly, we also provide marketing tools for our distributors to share information with their customers directly.”

Velovita, a company that pre-launched this past spring and already operates in four countries, regularly uses Telegram to communicate with its distributor field. Messages include short videos, training reminders, infographics, links to live videos, promotional announcements and more. Corporate executives regularly send short videos with updates or sometimes just encouraging messages. DSN

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

MUST READS STILLNESS IS THE KEY Author: Ryan Holiday (Portfolio, 2019)

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yan Holiday, bestselling author of The Obstacle is the Way and Ego is the Enemy, draws on Stoic and Buddhist philosophy to show why slowing down is the secret weapon for those charging ahead. All great leaders, thinkers, artists, athletes, and visionaries share one indelible quality. It enables them to conquer their tempers, avoid distraction and discover great insights, achieve happiness and do the right thing. Ryan Holiday calls it stillness—to be steady while the world spins around you. In Stillness is the Key, he outlines a path for achieving this ancient, but urgently necessary way of living. Very important knowledge in this overwhelming time.

FANOCRACY: TURNING FANS INTO CUSTOMERS AND CUSTOMERS INTO FANS Authors: David Meerman Scott and Reiko Scott (Portfolio, 2020)

F

rom the author of New Rules of Marketing & PR, this is an inventive guide to converting customer passion into marketing power. Leading business growth strategist David Meerman Scott and fandom expert Reiko Scott explore the neuroscience of fandom and interview young entrepreneurs, veteran business owners, startup founders, nonprofits, and companies big and small to pinpoint which practices separate organizations that flourish from those stuck in stagnation. They lay out a road map for converting customers’ ardor into buying power. For anyone who seeks to harness the force of fandom to revolutionize their business, Fanocracy shows the way.

HAVE A LISTEN

ENTRELEADERSHIP with Daniel Tardy (Ramsey Network)

H

osted by Daniel Tardy, the EntreLeadership Podcast features lively discussions and tips on leadership and business by some of the top minds in the business, like Mark Cuban, Seth Godin,

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Jim Collins and Simon Sinek. With nearly 400 episodes, you are sure to find content that connects you in the areas of communication, culture, goals, growth, leadership, money, people and time. DSN

DECEMBER 2020

11/18/20 1:38 PM

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SPU 2020

Growing Forward

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DECEMBER 2020

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More than 1,000 direct selling executives tuned in to SUCCESS Partners University’s first all-virtual event.

BY

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S A R A H

P A U L K

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F

OR TWO DECADES, SUCCESS PARTNERS UNIVERSITY (SPU) HAS BEEN LEADING AND

HOSTING SOME OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL AND IMPORTANT CONVERSATIONS WITHIN THE DIRECT SELLING INDUSTRY. What began as an intimate gathering with less than a dozen people in the room in 2000 turned into an annual two-day event hosted in Plano, Texas, where more than 500 direct selling executives flew in from around the globe to share their

“

At least ten companies are on track to double their sales this year, some in excess of $400 million.

—STUART JOHNSON, SUCCESS Partners Founder and CEO

growth strategies and Stuart Johnson, Founder and CEO of SUCCESS Partners, served as host.

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DECEMBER 2020

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THE INDUSTRY’S NEWEST AND MOST ADVANCED DIRECT SELLING SOFTWARE

SUPPORT ANY SIZE COMPANY ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD

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813-277-0625

As the event evolved over the years to meet the needs of its attendees and the changing landscape of the economy and workforce, the gathering’s founding purpose remained the same.

“The driving mission of SUCCESS Partners University is to provide direct selling company executives with relevant insights, learnings, and best practices for growth and success in today’s channel,” says SUCCESS Partners Senior Vice President of Marketing and Publications Shelley Rojas.

And in a time when much of the industry has moved to virtual platforms for its events due to the pandemic and shifting protocols for safe meeting practices, it is fitting that SPU 2020 would continue its evolution to follow suit, replacing its large in-person conference with a virtual format, featuring 40 industry experts and thought leaders. Although the information was presented in a contemporary way, the event’s traditional principles continue unchanged.

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“The spirit and purpose are the same,” Rojas says.

“Only, now we can reach and involve so many more executives to gain from their deeper and broader perspectives, stories and experiences.”

A L L-V IR T U A L F OR M AT Switching to an all-virtual platform for the first time was not planned for the event’s 20th anniversary celebration, but the pivot to this unanticipated milestone has unlocked new options and benefits that were previously inaccessible.

“Going virtual has allowed us to curate more speakers, more insights, more inspiration and more takeaways than ever before!” Rojas says.

In addition, the usual information-packed two-day event was transformed into a multiday experience distributed in shorter time blocks, to accommodate the busy schedules of executives who were still on location, manning operations and the day-to-day demands of their businesses.

“The caliber and volume of content have increased in step with the length of the event,” Rojas says. “We broadcasted two hours per day over the span of five days to make it as convenient as possible for the executives attending.”

This new virtual format also opened the door to an abundance of speakers whose schedules had previously

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“

The driving mission is to provide direct selling company executives with relevant insights, learnings, and best practices for growth and success in today’s channel.

—SHELLEY ROJAS, SUCCESS Partners Senior Vice President of Marketing and Publications

DECEMBER 2020

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THIS

NE W V IR T U A L

F O R M AT prevented them from participating. “It is more convenient for speakers to participate virtually as well, rather than in-person so this year was our most impressive content yet,” Rojas says.

RECORD-SET TING POTENTIAL In a year when companies have been defined by how flexible and innovative they can become in the face of unprecedented challenges, SPU 2020 sought to shine a light on ways the industry has triumphed, and new pathways to continue that success.

“The theme of SPU 2020 is Growing Forward,” Johnson says. “So many industries have endured huge financial setbacks and massive sales losses during the pandemic, and yet many companies in our channel have enjoyed strong, sustained growth. It’s incredible what is possible when change isn’t an option.”

The possibility of growth in the face of powerful obstacles and setbacks is a topic many of the event’s speakers–a group of 30 direct selling executives who

ALSO

OPENED THE DOOR T O AN

A B U ND A N C E

OF SPE AKERS WHOSE SCHEDULES H A D P R E V I O U S LY PRE VENTED THEM FROM P A R T I C I P AT I N G .

(continued on page 44) w w w . d i r e c t s e l l i n g n e w s . c o m 41

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EXECUTIVES AND THOUGHT LEADERS

O

pening the event was Johnson, who executives repeatedly described as one of the industry’s greatest advocates for the last three decades. With statistics and data from his research and surveys of 80 direct selling companies gathered

during the course of the pandemic, Johnson offered key themes seen in the most progressive, growth-focused companies and highlighted the record-breaking momentum the channel now possesses. This enthusiasm was mirrored by the executives and leaders who followed him, who shared insights and data without regard to competition, in a mutual mission of driving the industry toward a more successful future. Here are some highlights of the event.

estate planning and wills after sharing his personal experience with the unpredictable and tragic.

JOHN ADDISON, Founder, Addison Leadership Group reminded executives that they are beacons who have the potential to feed dreams and starve doubts for their staff and customers, but only when they focus on their own growth and character.

KINDRA HALL, Best-Selling Author & Chief Storytelling Officer, SUCCESS Partners talked about why stories matter and how the strategy of storytelling can accelerate success for distributors of every level.

MÄGNUS BRÄNNSTRÖM, CEO & President, Oriflame explained how meeting the expectations of customers and brand partners is an essential building block for gaining the most valuable commodity of every business today: trust.

LES BROWN, Motivational Speaker & Author spoke about the three power steps everyone should take right now, including developing a ritual to feed the mind, upgrading your method of communication, and creating collaborative, achievement-driven, supportive relationships.

faith over fear as the company radically pivoted its strategy from a party plan to an all-virtual online business.

NICK JOHNSON, President, Coach & Client Experience, OPTAVIA explained how integrating the insights and research gained from four different distribution channels allowed the company to refine and sharpen their strategy.

ERIK COOVER, Chief Visionary Officer, Isagenix explained how saying “yes” to everything created an identity complex that they overcame by clearly defining who they are and where they’re going as a company.

JOHN LICARI, Chief Operating Officer, Total Life Changes pointed to staying focused on simplicity and the fundamentals of retail, sampling and recognition as the steadying force that will keep companies thriving during an uncertain and changing future.

LORI BUSH, Founder & CEO, Solvasa described her many experiences growing direct selling startups into category market leaders, and the importance of building highperformance environments that are also great places to work.

JOHN FLEMING, Consultant, Author & DSN Contributing Editor offered research and statistics to explain the impact of the gig economy on the future of direct selling and how this inflection point in time offers a unique opportunity.

STUART MACMILLAN, President, MONAT Global called leaders to do good while they are doing well, insisting that including others in gratitude initiatives and helping make life beautiful for others makes it impossible for haters to hate.

CHRIS CICCHINELLI, President & CEO, Pure Romance spoke about the impact of connection and choosing

TRAVIS GARZA, President of Sales & Marketing, Plexus braved the difficult conversation of the importance of

JOHN MAXWELL, New York Times Best-Selling Author & Leadership Expert illuminated the five daily

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essentials every executive should focus on: personal growth, interpersonal connection, intentional mindsets, leadership skills and the significance of adding value to the lives of others.

GARRETT MCGRATH, President, Elepreneurs explained how to reorganize virtual meetings for maximum connection and communication by approaching them like a field leader instead of a corporate executive.

ANDREW MCWILLIAMS, Founder & CEO, Revital U focused on the importance of creating a sample cycle that drives the repeat behavior of sampling and closing sales, and illustrated how the mindset switch of giving the business away through samples, rather than taking someone’s time, can make all the difference.

CINDY MONROE, Founder & CEO, Thirty-One offered advice for younger companies, reminding them to share their story and to be mindful of their fixed costs, and shared lessons learned about choice fatigue and the importance of expectations.

RYAN NAPIERSKI, President, Nu Skin encouraged leaders to aspire to greatness and lean into the future, rather than embracing the past, by being customer-obsessed and meeting consumers in the digital-first world where they live.

MICHAEL NEIMAND, Division President, Beachbody revisited how Beachbody transitioned to direct selling and how remaining myopically focused on customers and their results has been the key to their growth.

JOHN PARKER, Chief Sales Officer & West Region President, Amway revealed three mega trends that are currently

E XECUTIVES AND LE ADERS SHARED

IN S I G H T S A ND D ATA

WITHOUT REGARD

T O COMPE TITION, IN A MUTUAL MISSION OF DRIVING THE INDUSTRY T O WA R D A M O R E SUCCESSFUL FUTURE.

reshaping the marketplace—an accelerated acceptance of digital, the popularity of personal wellness products, and the explosion of alternative income opportunities—and urged leaders to become the disruptors, not the disrupted, in a rapidly evolving industry.

MARK PENTECOST, Founder & CEO, It Works! Asked leaders to consider how they could reinvent and reload their company to suit the new and changing future of the industry while making a difference in people’s lives.

JONI ROGERS-KANTE, Founder & CEO, SeneGence reflected on how the industry’s history of resilience prepared them for the challenges of 2020 and encouraged leaders to show themselves grace as they stay true to their company’s founding principles and find a new rhythm.

SARAH SHADONIX, Founder & CEO, Scout & Cellar discussed how to create and communicate core values that lead people to not only follow but opt into your vision.

JAY SHETTY, New York Times Best-Selling Author and former monk explained how ancient wisdom married with modern neuroscience will take your business and life to the next level.

ROLF SORG, Founder & CEO, PM-International described how his German-based company approached the challenges of lockdowns and how companies can follow their example to prepare for the struggles ahead.

HEIDI AND ORVILLE THOMPSON, Co-Founders and Co-CEOs, Scentsy explained how they reset their initiatives to better align with their core values and the dramatic hyper-growth that has resulted from their allegiance to company culture.

JARED TURNER, Board Member, Young Living described how to create and maintain the power of momentum, including laser focusing on what differentiates you from your competition, creating a winning culture, and getting serious about strategy.

BRIAN UNDERWOOD, Founder & CEO, Prüvit encouraged leaders to maintain a beginner’s mindset as they strive to innovate in the marketplace, including not being afraid to break what is already working. w w w . d i r e c t s e l l i n g n e w s . c o m 4 3

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(continued from page 41) represent a combined $30 billion in annual revenue, more than 50 million microentrepreneurs, and, collectively, are projected to exceed $3 billion in growth in 2020 over the previous year—touched upon, joining renowned thought leaders like Tony Robbins, John Maxwell, Jay Shetty, Kindra Hall, Mel Robbins and Les Brown in encouraging industry leaders.

It may have seemed counterintuitive to focus on growth at the beginning of the pandemic, when the year continued to fill with uncertainty, but as the year comes to a close, the numbers are proving what few industry leaders could have predicted. “At least ten companies are on track to double their sales this year, some in excess of $400 million,” Johnson says. “In fact, we’re forecasting that 2020 U.S. direct selling revenue will far surpass the $36 billion record achieved in 2016.”

There are so many external factors that industry executives cannot control right now, but for the attendees of SPU 2020, learning how to move and grow forward together in spite of the uncertainty will create the healthiest and most profitable pathway forward for the direct selling channel. That resiliency may continue to lead future SPU events to include virtual components, but Rojas explains that the value of an in4 4 D I R E C T S E L L I N G N E W S |

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“

We’re forecasting that 2020 U.S. direct selling revenue will far surpass the $36 billion record achieved in 2016.

—STUART JOHNSON, SUCCESS Partners Founder and CEO

person experience can’t be fully replicated or replaced.

“We are already planning the 2021 event to be held in Plano, Texas on May 19-21, 2021,” Rojas says. “We hope to bring that human interaction and networking component back in 2021 while leveraging the power that virtual creates through curating more diverse content and with a larger group of presenters. Virtual does open up so much from a numbers and convenience standpoint, so we’ll aim for a healthy mix of onsite and online experiences, but the sharing and conversations and networking that happen off-stage are invaluable benefits and pillars of the event that simply can’t be replaced.” DSN

DECEMBER 2020

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2 0 2 1

SAVE THE DATE MARK YOUR CALENDARS. Our goal for the 2021 event is to bring you the best of both worlds: a combination of onsite (in-person) and online experiences.

MAY 2021 Wednesday 19 – Friday 21 Renaissance Dallas at Plano Legacy West Hotel Plano, TX

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A YEAR LIKE NO OTHER, AND A FUTURE TO STRIVE FOR.

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DECEMBER 2020

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REFLECTIONS OF DIREC T SELLING IN 2020

B Y

D S N

E D I T O R S

A N D

C O N T R I B U T O R S

R

EFLECTING ON 2020 allowed us to reach out to so many who make the direct selling channel one of the finest in the world and available to anyone looking to connect on a deeper level with the products and services they appreciate and love. It’s so much easier to represent and share a product/service/brand that you believe in. In fact, this is typically how and when someone responds favorably to a business opportunity and becomes a direct seller/network marketer.

Direct selling products and services represent diverse, broad and deep categories and fill many consumer needs and wants. When we think of Amway, we can easily identify the Amway Brand products and services. The same can be said of Mary Kay Cosmetics’ beauty and skin care products and so many others that have become legacy brands. The possibility of direct selling’s future is built on legacy brands, but going forward, it also lies in the hands of emerging brands. w w w . d i r e c t s e l l i n g n e w s . c o m 4 7

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s we started the research to write this article, it occurred to us to not only search for the stories that needed to be told about this industry, its companies, and how 2020 impacted them but also take a moment to become part of the story ourselves.

During the course of any year, we publish 12 monthly and 52 weekly publications, plus special “breaking news” articles. Consequently, Direct Selling News is a reservoir of information that serves as the kind of source necessary when reflecting upon a most challenging and amazing year. We are privileged to share our observations of a year we will long remember—for 2020 has been a year like no other in our lifetimes.

From our point of observation, the impact of 2020 can be broken into three pieces: 1. What happened.

2. What did not happen.

3. W hat needs to happen/Our Outlook for 2021.

S O …W H AT H A P P ENED ?

The direct selling model faced enormous challenges due to regulatory actions of recent years; continued, phenomenal gig economy growth; e-commerce consumer shopping preferences; innovative technologies; and a shrinking growth rate for the direct selling model both domestically and globally.

On top of all of this—before the end of 1st quarter—a global pandemic changed our world and our physical routines dramatically.

Party plan companies already faced marketplace challenges associated with less physical shopping at social gatherings known as “home parties.” People gravitated toward shopping on their “seats” instead of their feet. The convenience of shopping at any time from any place, via any device connected to the internet, 4 8 D I R E C T S E L L I N G N E W S |

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DECEMBER 2020

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W h e n a p p r o v e d b y t h e c o m p a n y , any word usage, may be used with the

11/18/20 2:07 PM

Secondary-tagline

C O V E R

S T O R Y

/

R E F L E C T I O N S

“

Direct selling companies proved they were nimble.

They moved faster and responded to challenges quicker than, perhaps, ever before.

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revealed dramatic shifts in marketplace dynamics and direct selling companies, overall, were playing catch-up. At the same time, the network marketing form of the business model reeled from regulatory challenges and actions that had these companies centered on compliance, revisiting compensation plans, and adopting customer-centric, product-focused business philosophies.

In 2020, the entirety of the industry—party plan, social selling, network marketing, social entrepreneurship—was in the same boat, rowing together not just for survival but the ability to thrive as an industry.

The pandemic forced new thinking, quicker thinking, speedier problem solving, innovation and yes…transformation. What had lingered as “some-day endeavors” within direct selling C-suite discussions for the past few years started to take shape and emerged very quickly. It was amazing to watch!

DECEMBER 2020

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“

Our outlook is an optimistic one based upon the many company executives we interviewed this year and the countless stories we brought to our readers about the channel in 2020.

S O … W H AT DID NO T H A P P EN ?

Direct sellers and their customers did not shy away or disappear. In fact, many companies featured in this issue experienced growth as they identified and met the challenges of doing business in 2020. They realized precisely how essential their products and services were —and their customers, independent representatives and companies reaped the rewards.

At a time when service gained extra meaning for consumers, direct selling companies via their independent contractors provided excellent products and services. They did so in a more personalized manner, despite shifting contact to the virtual realm.

Direct sellers became Zoom experts overnight…or at least it felt that way. Companies innovated quickly and adapted major in-person events into major virtual ones.

Attendance didn’t plummet. It went up!

Direct selling companies proved they were nimble.

They moved faster and responded to challenges quicker than, perhaps, ever before. Direct selling companies partnered with suppliers to keep supply chains operational—so customers could be served.

The results: growth rates for some companies—the likes we had not seen in quite some time—occurred second quarter 2020. Momentum shifted and COVID-19 has become an accelerant for the business strategist, while companies continue to work on keeping everything as safe as possible.

S O … W H AT NEED S T O H A P P EN ?

Our outlook is an optimistic one based upon the many company executives we interviewed this year and the countless stories we brought to our readers about the channel in 2020. The challenges we mentioned relative to 2020 were, for the most part, unrelated to the pandemic. They existed before, and they will still exist in 2021. What has changed the game—and will continue to do so in the future—is technology.

Artificial intelligence will play a larger role in helping us think faster and deeper. Robots will continue to replace human labor; therefore, people will continue to be replaced or displaced. The gig economy and all of its related labels will continue to grow at unprecedented rates. Once considered a phenomenon, the side hustle now appears to be more in keeping with a labor revolution. More and more people from all walks of life are attracted to micro-enterprise opportunities.

There seem to be solid reasons for the shift away from rigid, traditional, industrial labor to a labor force more interested in flexibility and freedom with how and when work can be done. The trends are apparent, and the research supports it.

It appears to us that the direct selling industry’s future is contingent upon what we do as companies.

How will we improve our relevancy in a more competitive yet far more receptive marketplace of people who are seeking and embracing microenterprise opportunities? Direct selling is often thought of as a unique and most personal sales channel.

We believe 2021 will be about us and the numbers of customers we can attract through micro-enterprise business owners supported by the efforts of direct selling companies. The coming new year will be what we make it—innovative and transformative. DSN w w w . d i r e c t s e l l i n g n e w s . c o m 5 1

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W

WE What We Make It

Inno v a t ion and Tr an s f or m a t ion B e y ond 2 0 2 0 .

BY BETH DOUGLASS SILCOX

T

O GAIN PERSPECTIVE and

a resurgence thanks to more people needing to

understanding about what’s around

store leftovers during the pandemic, marked

the corner for 2021, it seemed prudent

quadrupled profits of $34.4 million in the most

to profile some 2020 direct selling outliers. Here,

recent quarter and saw stock prices soar from

eight executives reflect on a year that sometimes

$1 in March to $28.80 per share in late October—

delivered unexpected and rapid increases in sales

want to ride this wave of sales through 2021.

and growth for their companies, despite less-

Here, they lay out how they intend to do that

than-optimal pandemic conditions that caused

using the insight of hindsight. They detail what

pain and recession-like contractions for so many

worked this year, what challenged them, and

other businesses.

how they coped with the unpredictability 2020

Beyond having in common the ability to adapt

consistently threw. They share what sustained

and be nimble, these companies are all driven by

them in strife and offer up advice to those feeling

products in demand by consumers and readily

the strain today. And lastly, they look forward

accessible via robust e-commerce platforms. And

through a pragmatic and transformative lens on

these companies, much like direct selling legacy

a 2021 that will ultimately be what direct selling

company Tupperware Brands—who experienced

companies make it.

w w w . d i r e c t s e l l i n g n e w s . c o m 5 3

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ARBONNE ARBONNE FOUNDED / 1980 HEADQUARTERS / Irvine, California TOP EXECUTIVE / Jean-David Schwartz, CEO PRODUCTS / Personal Care and Wellness

A

month’s notice. When you have passion along with a belief in your brand from your Independent Consultants and loyal clients, combined with highly engaged employees, you have a foundation on which you can build results.

C E O J E A N - D AV I D S C H WA R T Z O N 2 0 2 0

What obstacles or concerns did you face in 2020?

Jean-David Schwartz: Supply chain disruptions—along with strong sales growth—caused challenges in maintaining our inventory levels. Once again, we were fortunate to have the support from our Operations Team as well as the collaborative partnership from our parent company, Groupe Rocher, to help us identify and implement solutions. We worked hard not only to get the items back in stock but also to keep our field community fully informed so that they knew what to expect and could communicate that information to their clients.

What worked for your company? Were you somehow better prepared? Were there standout successes?

Were you more adaptive and flexible?

Jean-David Schwartz: Our field has embraced a virtual model for sharing Arbonne and has shown that they can leverage this to consistently drive sales results. They had been doing this successfully for quite some time, as many millennials chose to start an Arbonne business, and they have taught others how to maximize this communication channel. We also have an experienced, agile home office team behind the scenes who were able to transition our plans from an in-person global training conference to a virtual event with only a

How did your company cope with the unpredictable nature of doing business in 2020?

Jean-David Schwartz: Communication, in my opinion, is key. We transparently communicated with our Independent Consultants, Clients and Employees to ensure that they consistently knew what our plans were and what they could expect throughout the year. We have a strong belief that we do not want to only be the best company in the world, we also want to be the best company FOR the world, and our team works to live those values every day. When people know that you care about them and their families as individuals, this is where high levels of engagement begin. From there, proving

RBONNE CREDITS its growth during this tumultuous year to their incredibly passionate community of Independent Consultants, who represent the company’s line of botanicallybased skincare, nutrition, cosmetics, hair care and baby products in the U.S., Canada, Australia, U.K., Poland and New Zealand.

The company ranked #19 on the DSN Global 100 in April with retail sales of $672 million, and CEO Jean-David Schwartz says Arbonne’s sales field has exceeded forecasts for growth and product sales in 2020.

“We are fortunate to have very tenured leaders in the business who are committed to selling product to their Preferred Clients and Clients and helping to guide the growth of their teams as well as mentor their peers,” Schwartz says.

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Jean - David Schwar tz, Chief E xecutive Of ficer

DECEMBER 2020

11/18/20 12:42 PM

that you can be trustworthy through your actions is what helps to maintain their loyalty.

What is your plan to sustain the new business in 2021?

Jean-David Schwartz: We are always striving to improve and evolve our processes so 2021 will be no different. We are hard at work developing new products to launch that we believe will delight our consumers, as well as create new activation offers as well as training for our community of Independent Consultants. We have also been hard at work preparing to launch the first phase of an entirely new e-commerce platform that will empower our Independent Consultants to more seamlessly sell the products and share the business opportunity with more and more people. We believe in supporting an individual’s holistic well-being and creating an environment in which they can flourish. Our products and our business opportunity offer this to our entire community.

What sustains you and your company during times of strife? What advice would you offer to others?

Jean-David Schwartz: Our community and our values are what will always sustain us. We are very proud that we were able to announce that we had received B-Corp Certification this past January because this validates who we are as a company as well as our ethics. When you have a shared belief, you can all work together to support each other as well as to reach your goals.

Any insights for 2021?

Jean-David Schwartz: We hope that 2021 will continue to be another year of growth where we can leverage the learnings of the past few years, launch some new projects that will further inspire our community, and also continue to do good for the world. We will continue to transparently share the steps that we are taking to further our growth and to contribute back to our community. We believe the possibilities are limitless, and together with our incredible community we know that we can achieve almost anything. w w w . d i r e c t s e l l i n g n e w s . c o m    5 5

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LE VEL LE-VEL FOUNDED / 2012 HEADQUARTERS / Frisco, Texas TOP EXECUTIVES / Jason Camper and Paul Gravette, Co-Owners and Co-CEOS; Drew Hoffman, President PRODUCTS / Nutritional Health and Wellness

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USHING THE boundaries of science, technology, and overall health and wellness is at the core of Le-Vel, a nutritional/health and wellness company that has utilized cloud-based technology from its inception. This strategy earned Le-Vel $1 billion in lifetime orders before reaching its fifth anniversary in 2017 and continues to reward the company, its promoters, and customers amid the uncertainties of 2020.

As the world faced down COVID-19, Le-Vel realized tremendous growth with increasing revenues every month as 2020 proceeded. March sales were greater than February, April greater than March, etc. Additionally, year-over-year growth is at 30 percent compared to 2019. President Drew Hoffman says all signs and trends speak to continuing growth into 2021.

PRESIDENT DREW HOFFMAN ON 2020

What worked for your company? Were you somehow better prepared? Were there standout successes?

Were you more adaptive and flexible?

Drew Hoffman: We have been a completely virtual, cloudbased company since Day One; as a result, there were no interruptions, such as trying to deal with moving an in-office workforce to a remote environment. We are also incredibly lean (less than 70 employees), which allows us to maneuver, adapt, and pivot exceedingly efficiently and quickly when challenges or changed circumstances present themselves.

Given the many challenges and adverse conditions the world faced in 2020, one thing that really stood out is the incredibly supportive, empowering, and positive culture that permeates throughout Le-Vel, both corporately and in the 5 6 D I R E C T S E L L I N G N E W S |

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J a s o n C a m p e r, Co - Owner and Co - CEO

field. Long- standing leaders and new Promoters alike have locked arms and led from the front to continue to foster such an exceptional culture. And our employees have been amazing in not only handling the challenges thrown at them this year, but also remaining positive and steadfast in advancing Le-Vel’s mission to help people live happier, healthier fuller lives.

What obstacles did you face in 2020?

Drew Hoffman: No one knew exactly how the COVID- 19 situation would play out, and even now, no one has a crystal ball that can show precisely what will occur for the industry and the world economy in the future. Because of that uncertainty, we had to be hyper-focused on ensuring all fundamental operations stayed on point—the team did a great job in that regard.

The fact we have always been a virtual, cloud-based company certainly helped us adapt and remain flexible.

Beyond that, we focused (as we always do) on the details, ensuring that we stayed on top of issues as they arose and did our best to anticipate challenges and prepare to handle any obstacles that could arise.

Further, we were unable to have our annual conference (THRIVEpalooza) and two of our three yearly incentive trips (Getaways). As a result, we created and hosted more virtual events. Attendance for the events has been nothing short of incredible, and the field has fully engaged in corporate-led

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Paul Gravette, Co - Owner and Co - CEO Drew Hof fman, President

events while also taking the mantle and organizing their own events. We designed some very creative events, which kept things fresh, fun, and impactful.

How do your plans for 2021 reflect what you’ve learned?

Drew Hoffman: Going forward—we will incorporate more virtual events into our yearly calendar to go along with our powerful in-person events.

What is your plan to sustain the new business in 2021?

Drew Hoffman: We have been consistent in how we operate and the value we add since Day One and have no plans to make wholesale changes to what has worked so successfully.

Accordingly, we will continue to develop and furnish worldclass products, foster a community and culture that provides support and empowerment, and give individuals far-reaching opportunities to improve their lives.

What sustains you and your company during times of strife? What advice would you offer to others?

Drew Hoffman: We believe strongly at Le-Vel that we are helping people around the world live happier, healthier and fuller lives; keeping sight of that fact—knowing that we can be a beacon of light during an otherwise dark time—helps everyone keep their heads up and focused on continuing to move onward and upward.

My advice is pretty simple—This, too, shall pass. At the end of the day, challenges will present themselves, and if you remain calm, consistent, and positive you can overcome them.

In addition, if you create a culture of togetherness and show your customers and distributors that you have their backs and are in this with them, that message will resonate, and an already strong culture can become even more robust.

Any insights for 2021?

Drew Hoffman: Great things. w w w . d i r e c t s e l l i n g n e w s . c o m 5 7

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MONAT GLOBAL MON AT GL OB AL FOUNDED / 2014 HEADQUARTERS / Doral, Florida TOP EXECUTIVES / Rayner Urdaneta, CEO and Co-Founder; Stuart MacMillan, President PRODUCTS / Anti-aging Hair Care, Personal Care and Wellness

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N 2019, MONAT Global transcended haircare and added an eight-piece, clinically proven luxury collection of healthy-aging skincare products to its global brand.

Additionally, their sales territories expanded beyond the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. to include Ireland and Poland.

Consistent sales performance and rapid growth since its 2014 launch landed MONAT in DSN’s Global 100 in 2018.

Since then, the Miami-based company has advanced with rocket-speed and now ranks #24 with $388 million in sales.

According to President Stuart MacMillan, 2020—Pandemic and all—is no exception. Sales increased substantially in 2020, and the company is currently trending at two and one-half times their monthly run rates from the beginning of the year.

PRESIDENT STUART MACMILL AN ON 2020

What worked for your company? Were you somehow better prepared? Were there standout successes?

Were you more adaptive and flexible?

Stuart MacMillan: We certainly had to be flexible in the midst of the global pandemic. We believe our success was tied to our ability to pivot to virtual and online activities beginning in March of this year. We believe, in our case, having a young demographic that was used to doing business and life online certainly helped us.

The key to success had to be to maintain activity levels of our field and, in fact, we saw these activity levels trend substantially higher than they had been prior to the pandemic.

One of our standout successes was the pivot of our annual event to a virtual event, complete with experiential items that were sent to all of the 50,000 registrants. This allowed us to reach more than 3x the number of people we might have had in an in-person event.

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Stuart MacMillan, President

What obstacles did you face in 2020?

Stuart MacMillan: The biggest obstacle was we had established a Method of Operation intrinsically tied to in-person face-to-face events. How would a company that was so high on events operate in a lock-down?

We became incredibly reliant and proficient at ZOOM meetings and webinars. As a matter of fact, I would say that CEO Ray Urdaneta and I have done more Zoom meetings in the past seven months than we have done since our opening.

The further challenge was to ensure that these meetings were engaging, collaborative and participative.

How did your company cope with the unpredictable nature of doing business in 2020?

Stuart MacMillan: As stated above…the best means of coping was tied to moving to virtual and online meetings and activities. We have learned that there is a limit to what you can do online and that the long-term sustainability of doing everything online may run into a life-cycle.

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What is your plan to sustain the new business in 2021?

Stuart MacMillan: We are excited about having established a new baseline for our business. 2021 is still uncertain, but what we do know we need to do is to maintain the momentum and excitement. We need to keep the activity levels at where they have been this year. Furthermore, we need to leverage a hybrid of in-person and online activity to reach the maximum number of people while maintaining the stickiness that one gets through face-to-face contact and social events.

Sustainability of the new business will be reliant on an even greater focus on our Customer Base. Enhancing the shopping experience, enhancing and developing our product lines and increasing our customer to distributor ratios will all be keys to our success in 2021.

What sustains you and your company during times of strife? What advice would you offer to others?

Stuart MacMillan: What sustains us is the loyalty we have built with our customers and distributors. In times of strife, we rarely—if ever—lose field leadership. We believe this is due to our transparency with our field, the efficacy of our products, and the strength of our relationships. We have built an emotional business. We want to have an impact on our communities, whether through naturally-based efficacious products, an awesome earning opportunity, or the gratitude initiatives we engage in. When people feel that they are truly having an impact, they are more inclined to stick through harder times.

Any insights for 2021?

Stuart MacMillan: We have no idea what 2021 holds, but we do know there will be a storm. In business, you are either coming out of a storm or in the middle of one. What we can do is continue to develop relationships with our distributors and customers, conduct our business with integrity and consistency, and be ever-ready for whatever 2021 has in store! w w w . d i r e c t s e l l i n g n e w s . c o m 5 9

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NE W U LIFE NE W U LIFE FOUNDED / 2017 HEADQUARTERS / Pleasant Hill, California TOP EXECUTIVE / Alexy Goldstein, Founder and CEO PRODUCTS / Health and Wellness

J e r e m y Wa r d l e , Vice President of Marketing

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EW U Life generated $60 million in sales by the end of its launch year in 2018, thanks to its unicorn product, SomaDerm. They parlayed its popularity and sales—once exclusively offered through a single retail storefront in California—into a wholehealth movement of nearly 400,000 distributors in under three years.

“In the last 12 calendar months, we’ve sold 2.5 million bottles of SomaDerm, not including the sales of all our other products.

We’re not even three years old yet, and we’re only in three markets,” Vice President of Marketing Jeremy Wardle says.

All the company’s offerings focus on whole-body wellness, including a new cognitive health supplement drink which launched in October. “We are a product-driven company that empowers the business opportunity because of how good our products are,” stated Wardle.

Despite growing pains and operational snags due to COVID-19 and the Pandemic, New U Life more than doubled its size in 2020 and successfully supported their sales field.

The company is poised to open and expand international markets in Malaysia and Singapore in early 2021, with Korea, Japan, and Thailand expected to follow.

V P O F M A R K E T I N G , J E R E M Y WA R D L E A N D P AT B E R R Y, V P O F I N T E R N AT I O N A L O N 2 0 2 0 What worked for your company? Were you somehow better prepared? Were there standout successes?

Jeremy Wardle: What has helped us to grow is that we’ve stayed true to our message of who we are. We are in the business of changing people’s lives. We’ve helped people create a new life through pioneering products.

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We ultimately leveraged technology and a face-to-face platform with Zoom to the field and Microsoft Teams to the corporate family.

We also gave back with donations to the Red Cross to support people affected by fires and scholarships to students who were customers or distributors.

We enhanced communication. We’re not perfect with it, but we’ve learned how to mitigate and eliminate silos in bureaucracy in this Pandemic.

One of the things I’m learning is that every possible touchpoint matters. Every little email, every little text message, every little Instagram—every touchpoint matters right now.”

We also realize that we’ve grown a lot because people are looking for contingency plans, or they see this as a way to control success in their lives.

Were you more adaptive or flexible in 2020?

Pat Berry: We weren’t in the beginning, and then we were compelled to. That was a challenge. It’s still a challenge, but it’s taught us new skills and how to stretch and grow.

We really dig our roots deep in growing our careers and getting away from traditionalism. We say we are American, but we are global citizens, and I love my Chinese teams even though we’ve never met.

I’ve gotten emotional over their successes and their challenges when they have to shut down the Hong Kong office

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P a t B e r r y, Vice President of International

for two weeks because the law says if one person gets sick in a high-rise, they shut the whole building down.

We either make excuses, or we deal with the situation and figure out how we’re going to be the solution to the challenge.

That’s what we have done.

What obstacles did you face in 2020?

Jeremy Wardle: Money in and money out. We’ve had to be creative. In our first year, the biggest challenge was credit cards, but now we are getting merchants accepting us all over the world. The next challenge is getting product registered in different countries, so we’ve brought in world-class legal. The challenge in having a unicorn product is making sure that we are meeting every legal requirement.

Then there’s compliance. I don’t look at just the claims being made. It’s the material we are producing to support the field, but it’s also complying with border crossing, regulatory in the market—legal compliance. Then you have the finance side working on the money in and money out, which is just as much compliance as legal. We’ve got a really good global team.

How did your company cope with the unpredictable nature of doing business in 2020?

Jeremy Wardle: The predictability of the future is to look at the areas where we succeeded during the pandemic and look at where we haven’t done well. We have done well in our SomaDerm sales, and we’ve done well in keeping our promises.

We just held our .comvention™—a virtual event. Talk about a course correction. We started out selling tickets, got 1,500 sold and felt it was going to be a dud. So we made it free and had 50,000 attendees by simply moving from a $40 fee to free. We had a world event in a venue and held live events in Taiwan and put them on the jumbo-tron with 5,000 people in a stadium watching it. We tackled it all.

What we do in Hong Kong that is successful, we keep doing that in Hong Kong. What we do in Taiwan that’s a success, we keep doing in Taiwan.

We’ve adapted by looking at different industries in the United States and just launched a sampling program here. We created an app that allows people to virtually share videos and share SomaDerm single samples where they can try it before they buy it. It creates a reciprocity and a model of duplication that is COVID business-worthy. We’ve got a pandemic proof business model because you can literally go into business completely virtually anywhere.

We need to make sure that our message transcends all borders and that it’s very consistent, but we make sure that when we do a promo, it’s market specific.

What is your plan to sustain the new business in 2021?

Jeremy Wardle: What’s better for all the distributors is best for us and to make sure that we are making decisions that are not ego-based, but are very spirit-based. Is it fair to all concerned? Will this build goodwill? Everybody has to make sure they are checking themselves and their egos at the door.

What sustains your company during times of strife?

What advice would you offer to others?

Jeremy Wardle: Has the field bought in to the message? Your numbers are a reflection of what they have bought into. That can be a tough pill to swallow. We need to listen and pay attention to that and ask questions about why. Is the price too high? Is it the formula? We have to check our ego at the door, over communicate and sometimes admit things just don’t work.

If you’re just selling a skincare line or created a compensation plan before you created your product, it isn’t going to work. You’ve got to have purpose. If your mission and vision don’t align with your product strategy, and they don’t align with what the field is doing, take a step back. It doesn’t mean you have to reinvent the wheel. Just take a step back.

Any insights for 2021?

Jeremy Wardle: My hope is that there’s an element of bellyto-belly, face-to-face that begins again, but I do see 2021 as a hybrid, particularly in the U.S. I see it as a challenge and that economic turmoil is coming our way because of bailouts and things being shut down, but I trust in network marketing and direct sales. It’s always had a good edge against recession.

I see 2021 as a tough year, but I think we are all better prepared. Sunny days ahead, but I do see some clouds. w w w . d i r e c t s e l l i n g n e w s . c o m 6 1

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P R Ü V I T PRÜVIT FOUNDED / 2015 HEADQUARTERS / Melissa, Texas TOP EXECUTIVE / Brian Underwood, Founder and CEO PRODUCTS / Health and Wellness

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Prüvit’s products have been biohacking a person’s individual biochemistry to help it become more efficient since its launch in 2015. It’s that kind of innovation that grew the company into a DSN Global 100 direct selling business, ranked #41 in 2018, and reporting $325 million in revenue. And it’s also what makes their 2020 sales performance stand out mid pandemic.

“We doubled down on our existing value, and because of the environment and situation, it brought our community closer together. We used it as an opportunity to create certainty in the midst of the uncertainty we all faced, showing our community what they could do to progress their financial year by taking the value of our product to the market,” Founder and CEO Brian Underwood says.

Brian Underwood, Founder and CEO

focused on innovating. Our definition of innovation is focusing on managing the business that you’re in and the present state, but always be looking and anticipating for the business you’re becoming. If you do that, you don’t have to pivot. We engaged virtually and always have, as a cloud-based company.

FOUNDER AND CEO BRIAN UNDERWOOD ON 2020

What obstacles or concerns did you face in 2020?

Brian Underwood: We made a very quick decision early on to see 2020 differently. We are a super event-driven company, and that’s been a core piece of our culture. We decided early on to cancel all of the in-person events for the year and refocused our energy and effort on creating new experiences, including online experiences, which is what we will be doing in 2021 as well.

What worked for your company? Were you somehow better prepared? Were there standout successes?

Brian Underwood: One of the mantras we go by culturally is ‘always be adaptable.’ You never truly have to pivot if you’re

What is your plan to sustain the new business in 2021?

Brian Underwood: If you’re planning to sustain, you’re going to fail. Meaning you’re going to decrease. Our plan is to grow.

The way we are going to attack 2021 will be different than

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in 2020. Why? Because it’s a new year and things will find a new norm. They won’t go back to ‘normal.’ Our plan is to double down on our core competency, which is to create a better experience, increase the level of engagement in our community and continue to make it about more than just sales.

What sustains you and your company during times of strife? What advice would you offer to others?

Brian Underwood: Our culture, which is to inspire people to become the best version of themselves, has really helped us elevate through any circumstance. We focus on situational leadership, which is recognizing different environments that you can’t control.

So my advice to people today is to go into the blue ocean and focus on WHY you’re doing what you’re doing. I see so many people still dealing in the red ocean and what I call the oldschool mentality of ‘Make money! We have the best deal and the best comp plan,’ which doesn’t drive anything long term.

What creates longevity is focusing on value, focusing on people and focusing genuinely on why you’re doing what you’re

doing while taking the approach of thinking different and being different and creating a transcending brand that creates new experiences for people.

Any insights for 2021?

Brian Underwood: It is going to be as unpredictable as 2020, and there will be a lot of great opportunities out in the marketplace for those who seize them—if they stay on their toes. 2021 for us will be a growth year. We did a lot of foundational work in 2020 with international expansion, and because of the environment, it became both a challenge and an opportunity to get our legs underneath us and we’ve continued to grow through that. In 2021, we plan to pour gas on the fire and maintain a level of excitement through the journey and process of the unknown to continue to create in this new economy and environment. w w w . d i r e c t s e l l i n g n e w s . c o m 6 3

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PURE ROMANCE PURE ROM ANCE FOUNDED / 1993 HEADQUARTERS / Cincinnati, Ohio TOP EXECUTIVES / Patty Brisben, Founder and Chairwoman; Chris Cicchinelli, CEO and President; Chris Postler, COO PRODUCTS / Relationship Enhancement and Wellness

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ELL OVER two decades ago, Pure Romance placed its mission squarely in the middle of strengthening relationships. Their product offerings allow consultants and customers new ways to explore, expand and deepen relationships, and their sales figures for 2020 reflect consumers’ desire to do just that.

The changes in the world this year spun positively for Pure Romance, which reports 2020 YTD through September revenue increases of more than 51 percent. April to September revenue growth was up 85 percent year-over-year. COO Chris Postler expects to finish the year “above $350M in gross revenue or +55 percent YOY on a consolidated basis.”

The phenomenal results also speak to the number of new Pure Romance consultants joining the ranks in 2020.

The Cincinnati-based company ranked #37 on DSN’s Global 100 for 2020, with revenues of $225 million, will undoubtedly rank up in the 2021 listing.

CEO AND PRESIDENT CHRIS CICCHINELLI AND COO CHRIS POSTLER ON 2020

What worked for your company? Were you somehow better prepared? Were there standout successes?

Were you more adaptive and flexible?

Chris Cicchinelli: We have been encouraging our consultants to implement online parties and social selling for the past few years. This [Pandemic] forced all of us to pivot in a matter of weeks to nearly 100 percent virtual selling. Our training and creative teams were dedicated to providing marketing and sales assets and support for Zoom and Facebook live parties and social selling. We have always been nimble in 6 4 D I R E C T S E L L I N G N E W S |

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Chris Cicchinelli, Chief E xecutive Of ficer and President

our operations and corporate strategy, and this helped as we quickly changed directions in March and April. We launched a social seller business starter kit for the first time in the history of the company with a $39 market entry. This brought 10,000 new consultants into the business—each with their own website. The goal of the social seller starter kit is to serve as a gateway to the business, an entry without the expense of an initial inventory purchase. We also started pushing e-commerce product bundles and online sales promotions to help the social sellers generate business.

What obstacles or concerns did you face in 2020?

Chris Cicchinelli: Our business was 95 percent done through in-home parties. With virtually the whole world going into lock-down, our consultants had to quickly transition. We, as a corporate office, also had to add an additional focus to our e-commerce and social media platforms. We increased our customer service team and ramped up all areas that were in touch with consultants and customers.

As the CEO, I also put a large focus on communication and wanted the entire process streamlined. During times of uncertainty, we all need leadership and stability in the areas of our life that we can control. I wanted our consultants to know

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CE C h r i s P o s t l e r, Chief Operating Officer

Pure Romance was there for them and could be a constant income stream if they needed it.

I implemented a live morning and evening motivation and communication session. Every morning at 9 a.m. ET, I host Rise & Grind on Facebook live and Zoom. Every weeknight, it is Focus & Fuel at 8 p.m. We also added Zooms to all levels of our leadership with the Executive team to ensure we had all avenues covered. I believe in communicating fast and often during periods of frequent change.

How did your company cope with the unpredictable nature of doing business in 2020?

Chris Cicchinelli: 2020 has certainly brought about unprecedented changes in the world and, most importantly, accelerated changes in the way that people interact with each other. The digital and social media age was radically intensified during the rise of the Pandemic, which caused many individuals to reduce face-to-face social interaction to only their family and significant other. Our company and over 40,000 consultants worldwide showed an amazing capacity to transform our business to meet the needs of the customer during that time. An increase in virtual events, daily corporate social media engagement, improvements and increases in the frequency of our e-commerce offerings and promotions, and leveraging the social media platforms that people were now living their social lives on became key to the success of the company. We have great plans in 2021 to further expand those capabilities and improve the ease through which consultants and customers interact with the organization on a daily basis.

What is your plan to sustain the new business in 2021?

Chris Postler: We plan to continue to offer amazing products into 2021 through our incredible network of consultants.

Constantly improving the platforms on which our consultants interact with their customers is key to the delivery of great service. We will introduce new mobile applications in 2021 that will significantly expand that capability. We are always finding new ways to enrich the lives of our consultants through meaningful virtual engagement, which improves not only their daily outlooks but motivates them to go out there and earn the income they need to live the life that they deserve. We will provide impeccable delivery of those products and strive to beat aggressive SLAs with respect to order fulfillment.

What sustains you and your company during times of strife? What advice would you offer to others?

Chris Cicchinelli: We became hyper-focused on the revenuegenerating activities. We also increased our communications and opened communications pathways for leadership and all levels of the company. We didn’t sit down and strategize for days. We just started moving in the new direction.

When the unexpected happens in life and your business, you simply can’t stop and wait. You need to push forward. It is progress over perfection. As long as your team is focused on the same goals and the focus is clear, you are moving in the right direction. Too often, I see companies and leaders paralyzed when the unexpected hits. This is when you need to make decisions, stick to them, and provide a clear plan for your team.

Any insights for 2021?

Chris Cicchinelli: We are focusing on building our consultant and sexual wellness community. Our focus is on expanding our beauty line, toy technology and consultant communication tools. We are implementing a sampling program and will continue to explore additional ways to increase marketing and promotion for our consultants use.

Innovation and customer experience is our key focus in 2021, and we are excited! Now more than ever, people want to spice up their relationships and explore ways to add a twist into the bedroom. Also, we believe sex care is the new self-care and the market’s growth momentum in sexual health products is accelerating as the products go mainstream. w w w . d i r e c t s e l l i n g n e w s . c o m 6 5

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S C E N T S Y SCENTSY FOUNDED / 2004 HEADQUARTERS / Meridian, Idaho TOP EXECUTIVES / Orville and Heidi Thompson, Co-CEO and C0-Founders; Dan Orchard, President PRODUCTS / Fragrance and Home Decor

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HEN FACED with changing market forces, Scentsy, founded in 2004, has a reputation for rising to the challenge.

Over the last ten years, the fragrance and home décor direct selling giant has marked a high of $560 million in revenue in 2012, only to find themselves $141 million off that pace two short years later. But the company’s trademark agility and stalwart stability marched their revenues back up over subsequent years and in 2019 revenues hit $472 million. That figure placed Scentsy at #22 on DSN’s Global 100 for 2020.

Unlike other party plan business models within direct selling, Scentsy found themselves in a good place with their Consultants when the effects of the global pandemic hit.

President Dan Orchard says early and frank conversations with top field leaders addressed the uncertainty of potential government shutdowns and how operating at half-capacity could affect sales. That transparency and honesty prompted action, rather than fear-induced paralysis among the field, whose extraordinary efforts ultimately protected the jobs and livelihoods of home office employees. Orchard says it was amazing and humbling.

PRESIDENT DAN ORCHARD ON 2020

What worked for your company? Were you somehow better prepared? Were there standout successes?

Were you more adaptive and flexible?

Dan Orchard: Consultants organized monthly campaigns in April and May that served as a rallying point for all Consultants and went to work encouraging and setting the example for their teams to shift their businesses strongly to online parties and sales that could be done in a safe manner. Instead of allowing the pandemic to defeat them, they viewed it as an opportunity.

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Dan Orchard, President

These efforts by our Consultants also aligned well with what was happening in the lives and homes of Scentsy customers.

Stay-at-home orders created a situation where people found themselves spending much more time in their homes, and Scentsy sells products that improve the experience and environment within homes. Customers were also increasingly shifting their buying behavior to online shopping—which Scentsy systems easily supported. Sales and sponsoring didn’t slow down…instead, they both began to outpace our projections. At the home office, we quickly shifted from uncertainty about the future to leaning into the demand and to plan for growth.

What obstacles did you face in 2020?

Dan Orchard: In the early days of the pandemic, primary concerns were around employee safety and whether or not we were going to be able to continue operating. We put an incredible amount of focus on implementing safety procedures and protocols to both protect our employees and to ensure Scentsy was compliant with all local health and government requirements.

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The next wave of concerns came around product supply, and whether or not we would be able to source our hard goods products from Asia, and later our fragrance raw goods were impacted by shortages due to the increased global demand for cleaning products.

Another obstacle was enabling all of our employees who were not involved in manufacturing or shipping to be able to work from home in a period of a few days. This took a lot of heavy lifting from our IT teams to ensure that employees were set up to work remotely in ways that allowed us to keep our productivity up.

With the unprecedented levels of revenue growth and recruiting we’ve continued to experience throughout the summer and fall, our biggest challenges have shifted to product availability and shipping quota constraints imposed to us by our couriers.

How do your plans for 2021 reflect what you’ve learned?

Dan Orchard: Scentsy culture has always remained close to our entrepreneurial roots. We listen carefully to our field and validate what they are seeing/feeling with data. Then we are not afraid to act and change course when we believe there is a better path—due to what we are seeing, hearing and feeling.

This agility, enabled by an experienced home office team that works very well together, served Scentsy very well in responding to the curves thrown at the business in 2020.

What is your plan to sustain the new business in 2021?

Dan Orchard: Keep doing what we have been doing in 2020.

Provide our Consultants with products they get excited and energized about selling to their customers and continue to make Scentsy an appealing and inviting place and community for new Consultants to want to join, and current Consultants to want to stay.

What sustains you and your company during times of strife? What advice would you offer to others?

Dan Orchard: Lean on and draw strength from one another.

In the very early days of Scentsy, there was a strong, interdependent relationship established between (founders) Heidi and Orville (Thompson) and the Consultants. A strong culture was built on the foundation of giving more than you take. Heidi and Orville were truly giving their all because they wanted to see Consultants succeed and improve their

lives. Those early Consultants (many of who are now our top leaders) felt the unique culture of Scentsy, saw the efforts of Heidi, Orville, and the home office, and wanted to be a part of it. Scentsy still benefits from this positive, mutually-beneficial field/home office relationship.

Additionally, both with employees and your field organization, always keep the lines of communication wide open. When context or information is lacking, people tend to fill in those gaps with all kinds of negative thoughts and ideas. Even if the news isn’t all good, providing context and information is always better than the alternative.

Any insights for 2021?

Dan Orchard: After what just happened in 2020, anything is possible. We will continue to plan and prepare the best we can and be ready to react and respond in ways that serve our Consultants and their customers well. We know we aren’t perfect, but our vision is always to learn from our mistakes, improve every day and come out stronger than ever before. w w w . d i r e c t s e l l i n g n e w s . c o m 6 7

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T O TA L L I F E T O TA L L IF E C H A N G E S CH A NGE S FOUNDED / 2003 HEADQUARTERS / Fair Haven, Michigan TOP EXECUTIVES / Jack Fallon, CVO; John Licari, COO PRODUCTS / Health and Wellness

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OTAL LIFE Changes is a product-driven company focused on wellness solutions that encompass vitamins, weight loss supplements, coffees, detox teas, essential oils, skincare and more. They stay on top of nutritional news and trends, always looking for opportunities to bring new products to market after plenty of pre-testing and trials with employees, customers and focus groups. TLC wants to understand what is working for consumers and what is selling.

When January 2020 rolled around, TLC was six months in to a customer acquisition program called The G5 Challenge.

COO John Licari and CCO Scott Bania toured the country touting the power of duplication and educating TLC leaders.

A straight line can be drawn between those 2019 efforts and TLC’s growth in 2020. However, credit also goes to a robust sampling program that distributed hundreds of thousands of samples to customers each month, as well as the popularity of TLC’s hemp-infused detox teas.

“The cumulative result was a tremendous surge of brandnew preferred customers and business partners called Life Changers that were leveraging e-commerce and the workfrom-home model that direct selling offers. Total Life Changes was blessed to capture record sales in May 2020, topping the second quarter of 2019’s revenue in a single month,” Bania says.

CCO SCOT T BANIA ON 2020 What worked for your company?

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Scott Bania, Chief Communications Officer

allowed them to communicate with existing customers and Life Changers, while also allowing others unaffiliated with the company to get a firsthand look into the company’s culture and family community. The show discusses one of seven TLC core values on a daily basis, recognizes customer transformations, provides giveaways, and overall allows TLC’s company executives to address the pandemic’s effects on customer support and shipping delays.

Were you somehow better prepared?

Scott Bania: I think we were better prepared mentally and spiritually. I think most companies faced challenges caused by the pandemic and restrictions from the CDC, which impacted the number of products available and shipping logistics. But we were ready and able to fill 24-hour shifts for product fulfillment.

While the pandemic impacted thousands of small to midsized businesses in Michigan, Total Life Changes was deemed essential, and we knew we had to take every step possible to keep our employees safe. We invested in several air scrubbers that would run 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We also implemented a “surface wipe down” with disinfectant every 30 minutes. Once a protocol was established, we reached out to Legacy Service Solutions. They provided sterilization of all surfaces using technology that creates a molecular bond with the surface for at least three months even when continued normal cleaning takes place.

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The executive team worked alongside new hires within every department. It was vital to partner experienced employees with new employees to help train and offer help when needed. This assisted with keeping up with orders, whether receiving or preparing them for shipment.

Were there standout successes?

Scott Bania: Positions to work in our fulfillment center went viral on Snapchat and Instagram due to the fun atmosphere filled with music and laughter. We quickly hired and onboarded dozens of college and high school students that were excited to work with their friends building shipping boxes, packing, scanning, and taping boxes ready for shipment.

Were you more adaptive and flexible?

Scott Bania: We were most definitely flexible for well over five months. We purchased laptops for all of our employees. Our customer service agents were working remotely. Our team leaders and CS managers found unique ways to communicate with our customers and our employees effectively.

What obstacles did you face in 2020?

Scott Bania: Call volume and emails were at an all-time high.

Our agents were often in excess of 15,000 emails behind and call wait times of up to eight hours. Our CS managers and team leaders developed strategies to filter the emails for our agents to answer more efficiently. We upgraded our telephone service provider and partnered with Salesforce.

We continued to hire more CS agents and on-boarded many virtually. Others were on-boarded at our world headquarters following CDC guidelines in our auditorium. The call volume never slowed. The frequency of emails never stopped. The attitude and leadership of our executive team and department heads were unwavering. We just continued to find ways to work smarter, not harder. The fulfillment center was restructured to allow for more employees and assembly lines. Storage racks were moved, the entire infrastructure and process for order fulfillment improved sending up to 35,000 orders a day.

How did your company cope with the unpredictable nature of doing business in 2020?

Scott Bania: Every department head and executive staff member continued to promote the company’s seven core values: We love each other. So, we did not Do What was Easy— We did What was Right. Because Grateful is our Mindset. And Having Fun, We Get More Work Done. Our Standard is Giving More than What is Expected because Passion is our Fuel. We were prepared to cope with the nature of doing business in 2020 because We are Always Hungry for More.

How do your plans for 2021 reflect what you’ve learned?

Scott Bania: TLC has been blessed to have sustained our business after numerous challenges that impacted every

department. We weathered the storm, and we have been aggressively hiring and attracting new talented individuals that are in alignment with our seven core values. Our workforce at our World Headquarters has grown by 400 percent in the past 16 months to over 450 total full and part-time employees.

What is your plan to sustain the new business in 2021?

Scott Bania: Our business plan is to remain aggressive in attracting and hiring subject matter experts in information technology, user experience, and logistics. Total Life Changes is currently entertaining several technology proposals that will strengthen our internal and external processes, while offering our Life Changers access to the latest technological advances including AI. TLC will be announcing an entirely new product line in 2021 to attract a larger demographic of allnatural, homeopathic lifestyles.

What sustains you and your company during times of strife? What advice would you offer to others?

Scott Bania: Lead with personal development. Visitors are regularly exposed to executive team members practicing what they preach, from meditation to offering impactful quotes of the day to every department, working out together with a full-time fitness coach, and introducing new live broadcasts on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube; there is no secret sauce. We remain transparent. We wear our core values on our sleeves. We keep our employees engaged in professional development.

Any insights for 2021?

Scott Bania: Focus on the core of your business—customer acquisition. Keep things simple. Develop a simple program or initiative that anyone can duplicate, regardless of their background or experience in direct sales. Make sure your business plan allows for continual reinvention. This may include unique acquisition programs, new business tools that leverage technology (AI)—and find a way to have fun. This business model is intended to be exhilarating and purposeful.

If you lead with honesty and integrity, you will attract the right people to your products and business model—and you will attract them to the company’s culture. 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

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FULFILLING

OUR P URP OSE Shar ing our oppor t uni t y and P O SI T I V E appr o ach t o busine s s .

B y

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HE DIRECT Sales industry is as diverse as the United States of America. Our product offerings range from nutritionals, to energy, to financial services and beyond. While our products are diverse, we share the fact that we are in the “people development” business.

We are at an amazing moment for our industry! Our products and services are needed now more than ever. Our method of product delivery is perfect for today’s world.

Technology has developed in a way that allows us to reach and build more customers and distributors. Our business model is nimble and agile.

These crazy times are a “perfect storm” of opportunity for our industry. We have an obligation to share our opportunity and POSITIVE approach to business.

Now, more than any other moment in my lifetime, we need more forces for good. We need agents for positive change. I can think of no better example, no better school, no better course in intentional thinking and driving action than Direct Sales.

Our reach is massive! In 2019, the DSA reported 6.8M full and part-time direct sales professionals with 36.9M customers.

That is an impressive base and a nice springboard for messages to inspire hope for the future across the world.

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These crazy times are a ‘perfect storm’ of opportunity for our industry. We have an obligation to share our opportunity and POSITIVE approach to business.

Now, more than ever, people need something to be excited about and hopeful for. It is important to know that people are actively seeking meaningful ways to invest their time and energy. Since March, when the engine of the world slowed to a crawl due to the coronavirus, enrollment in online courses surged. Coursera—an online platform that offers massive open online classes saw a 640 percent increase in enrollment from mid-March to mid-April 2020 than from the same period in 2019. Similar platforms have experienced comparable growth.

Be it for a pleasant distraction or a zest for learning; millions of people are looking for knowledge, inspiration, possibility, potential, and wisdom. We have that at our fingertips. Even better, we all have proven training systems and leadership teams that have, time and time again, built confidence where there was little or none. These teams and systems have infused hope in the hopeless. The success stories are innumerable, and they are profound.

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Direct Sales, more than any other type of business, is a vehicle to make people feel good. That is now our critical mission: to be a beacon of hope and a unifier of people. As direct sales professionals, we know how to be fishers of men and women. I know you don’t need a lesson in that, but I do want to stress how desperately the masses need you and your unique ability to encourage and influence! People need to be uplifted! They need promise and inspiration to light fire to their dreams and drown out their fears.

We are all aware of the merry-go-round of misery that is the 24-hour news cycle. It feels as though news outlets are in a competition to win an Emmy award for negativity and despair.

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Were that an actual category, I don’t know how a winner could possibly be chosen.

In the midst of the negativity and misinformation, we can be a light. We should be a light. Beyond the impetus to increase revenue, and expand business into new areas, lies the ultimate goal: to love our neighbors as ourselves. We all have systems of communication and connectivity that can combat the incessant stream of distressing news. We can’t change reality, but we’ve seen how perspective, renewed energy and focus do reshape a person’s world.

In direct sales, we have witnessed the despondent absorb the lessons we teach to embolden our teams to thrive, and we’ve

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Our reach is

If it's Video Marketing & Production, Clark gets it!

M A S SI V E !

In 2019, the DSA reported

6.8M

full and part-time direct sales professionals with

36.9M customers

watched them soar to new personal and financial heights. It’s inspiring to the leadership of any company, and it is, frankly, often the motivating factor that drives innovation at the top.

One of the greatest things we do is to transfer confidence to unconfident people.

When I first joined the team at A.L. Williams, I loved to listen to Art speak. I learned so much from him, and I am indebted to him for his knowledge, his energy, and his belief in something greater than us all. He would often speak passionately about the difference between our company and a typical insurance agency. “Our competition sells policies.

We sell hope and opportunity,” he would state during our team meetings.

I believe with all my heart that the success Primerica enjoys today stems directly from Art’s emphatic belief in the power of our ability to change lives. That belief changed my life and, subsequently, the lives of countless others. This belief and passion are the heartbeat of our industry. I cannot think of a better time than now to use those powers for the good of our fellow citizens.

As our businesses grow and evolve, our excitement amplifies, and we see the growth as a catalyst to touch more lives. We believe in empowering people, unlocking their talents, reminding them of their goals, and emboldening them to shoot for the stars. Usually, we see potential in people, and we hope to recruit them for our team. We admire that they are detail-oriented, or a great public speaker, or maybe great w w w . d i r e c t s e l l i n g n e w s . c o m 7 5

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I believe that our ability to help people grow as individuals, to understand their talents, and see their worth is a large part of our collective success.

with numbers, and we are drawn to them because we see how the tools and the shift in mindset have helped us (and others).

Right now, those tools—and that training that shifted your mindset—have a greater purpose.

We are all called to put our knowledge, passion, and energy to use for the good of everyone we can touch. It might grow your business—it likely will. Today, in this crazy world, we are all navigating, we must be dealers in kindness and good!

Prior to living through a pandemic, twin hurricanes, civil unrest, murder hornets, and a volatile political climate, our industry has been a viable stepping stone for folks struggling to make ends meet. While technology has disrupted a lot of industries, it has enhanced ours in unprecedented ways. As the world disconnects personally and reconnects digitally, our industry has adapted and grown. It is interesting too. Just as Google and Facebook reviews make or break businesses with the influx of or lack of stars, we benefit from the recommendatory nature of direct sales products and services.

Third-party endorsements are more important than ever.

I believe that our ability to help people grow as individuals, to understand their talents, and see their worth is a large part of our collective success. In direct sales, we provide people with both a contingency plan and a source of optimism.

We are more equipped than any other group that I am aware of to cultivate leadership. Leadership is the world’s scarcest commodity.

My charge for you is to craft beautiful, uplifting, powerful messages of hope, inspiration, and love and spread them far and wide.

If, in this moment of division, hate, and misinformation, we can unite people and help them turn their fear into the fuel that drives their success, this industry will have made an indelible mark on the future.

I’ll see you at the top because the bottom sure is crowded! DSN

JOHN ADDISON, author of Real Leadership: 9 Simple Practices for Leading and Living with Purpose, Leadership Editor for SUCCESS magazine, and President and CEO of Addison Leadership Group, engages and inspires audiences with his relatable messages. Most recently, he served as Co-CEO of Primerica Inc., a company he joined more than 35 years ago.

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DECEMBER 2020

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S T R AT E GIC

GIF TING GENEROSITY CAN BE AN IMPORTANT PART OF YOUR BRAND. B Y T O N Y J E A R Y — T H E R E S U L T S G U YT M

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S YOUR BRAND one of a giver? As I was growing up, my parents modeled giving and serving others.

That often involved giving of their time, when they would volunteer to help people in various ways. So, I grew up understanding the importance of not just giving value and doing more than expected but also looking for ways to be generous. In fact, that’s one of the things I shared in my tribute to my dad at his funeral—that he had modeled for me how to be super generous; that was his brand. Generosity can be a very powerful part of a leader’s brand.

How giving are you? And how about your organization? Is it looking for ways to contribute back to the world?

A year or so ago, I came across a gentleman, John Ruhlin, who was really into the world of gifting. We ended up coauthoring a very powerful little book together called Strategic Gifting. In the book, we discussed several valuable ideas about giving that we will be unpacking in this article.

One concept is to be both intentional and strategic with your giving. When generosity becomes a matter of the heart, there will generally be reciprocation in one form or another. Then, radical generosity becomes a strategic weapon that allows you to grow your brand, grow your business, and perhaps take it to the next level. As generosity truly becomes part of your brand, it often boosts referrals, retention rates, access, and growth like few other strategies. It unlocks what we call “active loyalty”—when your clients, customers, employees, and centers of influence start going out of their way to send you deals, referrals, prospects and business opportunities.

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“

Gifting is actually a delivery vehicle for love, appreciation, and gratitude. You’ll see astonishing results when you start proactively loving on your clients, customers, employees, and even your suppliers. My co-author John and I discovered that we often treat our suppliers better than most people treat their best clients. And because of that, our partners—our suppliers— actually refer deals to us constantly. They often give us better pricing than some of the bigger companies they work with, and they give priority response time, shipping, etc. A giving brand matters!

Another concept is that sometimes you can give in ways that your gift keeps on giving with multiple wins, such as giving to an endowment. And your gift doesn’t always have to be large.

Giving even a small thing of value can help people win on an ongoing basis. For example, I often will give coaching cards as a gift—a collection of cards that contain the best quotes and ideas that people have liked from my books over the years. The gift includes a cardholder so they can put the cards on their desks to continually motivate themselves and their team members.

Another idea we talked about in the book is giving to someone’s inner circle. A secret many people miss is that the real back door into relationships is not just taking care of the person who’s cutting the checks or the influencer—it’s taking care of the people around them. While you may be treating clients or centers of influence with all this love, for example, you’re often taking them away from their families

You’ll see astonishing results when you start proactively loving on your clients, customers, employees, and even your suppliers. in the evenings or for trips, and the assistants and spouses are left with juggling schedules and changing priorities. Spouses especially often get the raw end of the deal when the wage earner of the family is given these kinds of gifts because they are left to deal with all the challenges on the home front. If you give something of value to the kids or spouse—or even to a beloved pet—you can create massive impact.

One of my clients came into my RESULTS Center Studio on a Saturday a few weeks ago to give me advice on a few supplements, and he bought his three-year-old son in with him.

His son got excited when he saw a yoga ball that I had in my office. So, I took a magic marker and wrote his name on the ball and gave it to him to take home. His dad was quite impressed with that very small gesture. I was not being disingenuous; that’s just the way I live my life. I look for ways to give, and I encourage others to do the same thing. I created multiple wins by giving away a $20 yoga ball. It was nothing for me to go out and buy another one, and yet this little kid was able to walk away with something that likely caused him to say, “Wow, Dad, that was really fun!” Also, it probably expanded the relationship I had with my client because I connected with his inner circle. w w w . d i r e c t s e l l i n g n e w s . c o m 8 1

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We put up a giant Envision plaque in my office, so anyone coming into our space sees it, and we are able to talk to them about the good the company is doing.

Many of the network marketing companies I advise and work with choose organizations to support that give back to the community. We have partnered with a company called Envision, one of the largest employers of the blind and visually impaired in America. They manufacture things like trash bags, magic markers, and face masks, and they also have a powerful call center. Eighty-two percent of the people in their factories are blind, and Envision helps them live a more normal life by being able to support themselves.

It just so happens that the CEO and I go way back, prior to his association with Envision. Because he understood and valued our methodology of clarity, focus, and execution and our practices of meeting effectiveness and streamlining organizations, he brought us in, and we ended up building a relationship where we could help his people in many different ways.

We put up a giant Envision plaque in my office, so anyone coming into our space sees it, and we are able to talk to them about the good the company is doing.

In fact, we just produced and sent out to all my contacts a virtual tour of their facilities, in which we encourage people to help us spread the word and find companies that will employ blind or visually impaired individuals and donate to help in the work.

I encourage you to find something you feel good about that you can support, either with your time, effort, or dollars. Giving is a big deal, and I encourage you to be more intentional and become a strategic giver. DSN

TONY JEARY—THE RESULTS GUY™—IS A PROLIFIC AUTHOR AND A STRATEGIST. HIS ORGANIZATION, TJI, FACILITATES POWERFUL MEETINGS, KEYNOTE EVENTS AND COACHES HIGH PERFORMERS TO ACCELERATE THEIR RESULTS.

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TEACHING TOMORROW’S BUSINESS LEADERS DSEF Fellows Make a Difference for Direct Selling More than 190 DSEF Fellows are changing the way direct selling is taught in universities across the US by using the Foundation’s teaching content, research

“The DSEF pedagogical support materials address real-world, timely marketing practices.

I especially like the CUTCO/Vector ‘The Cutting Edge of Quality’ video case. It not only highlights a successful approach to disintermediation and direct selling, it reinforces the importance of sales as the sole driver of creating revenues in any firm.

DR. LOU PELTON Associate Professor of Marketing University of North Texas

“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 Applied Organizational Studies Minnesota State University Mankato

and case studies. Here’s what they have to say about how DSEF benefits students and direct selling.

“My students have pointedly benefited from DSEF case materials. The Big Data video is highly insightful and garners substantial discussion. The Cocoa Exchange case, particularly the related video, is wonderful for discussing corporate social responsibility, women’s empowerment and direct selling.

DR. WILLIAM F. CRITTENDEN Professor, International Business and Strategy Northeastern University

1667 K Street, NW, Suite 1100, Washington, D.C. 202-452-8866 • info@dsef.org • www.dsef.org

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What I Know

I’

m in touch with direct selling leaders every day, so there are a few things I know that these executives believe about this great business model and the Association that represents it.

I KNOW that as we look forward, beyond the uncertainties that we overcame in 2020, we do so with confidence that this business has the power to elevate our community.

I KNOW that even amid a pandemic lockdown, a record number of DSA members are engaging in DSA programs and working together to ensure that direct sellers play an essential part in our communities’ recovery.

I KNOW that we are stronger together— whether it be in Zoom webinars sharing the latest successful business strategies, in corporate boardrooms, inspiring members of your field, ensuring the highest level of ethics in the marketplace, or telling our Members’ stories in the halls of Congress and state capitals across the country.

I KNOW that DSA and its members will continue our work in California and elsewhere to affirm the importance of our sellers’ independence.

I KNOW we will not let misguided efforts to reclassify some contractors as employees harm direct sellers and their spirit as “America’s original entrepreneurs.”

I KNOW that even as we welcome new and established direct selling companies into the membership, we will work to support our selfregulatory efforts to ensure that direct selling has the best reputation for customer service and salesforce opportunity. Additionally, only the best direct selling companies are members of our Association.

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

I KNOW that we will work to protect consumers and salespeople from scams and frauds even as we demand clear, consistent, and reasonable legal standards from the Federal Trade Commission and other regulators.

I KNOW that DSA has hosted more than fifty installments of the DSA ENGAGE Webinar Series and that member company executives leverage their DSA membership for credible third-party information and affirmation of the model with their salesforce.

I KNOW that virtual DSA events such as The Change Makers, DSA’s Legal & Regulatory Seminar, DSA ENGAGE @Home, the DSA Tax Seminar, and Direct Selling Day on Capitol Hill have helped DSA member company executives succeed in building their businesses by providing relevant, substantive content.

I KNOW our member company executives cannot wait to see each other in-person at special DSA events like our upcoming Industry Leadership Retreat in Orange County, CA (April 8 – 9, 2021) and DSA ENGAGE 2021: Annual Meeting in New Orleans, LA, (June 5 – 8, 2021).

I KNOW that December’s virtual Direct Selling Compliance Professional Certification Program (DSCP-CP) will offer direct selling executives the opportunity to be recognized as they gain a demonstrated understanding of critical legal and regulatory compliance issues.

I KNOW that direct selling is more than just a needed distribution channel. We are America’s neighbors, friends, and relatives, and we will be a vital part of bringing life back to normal.

Our #Community is #StrongerTogether. DSN

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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.

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.

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DECEMBER 2020

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.

STRATEGIC CHOICE PARTNERS

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.

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.

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

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

D E S T I N AT I O N S / E V E N T V E N U E S

INTERNATIONAL PAYOUT SYSTEMS INC.

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 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 N S U LTA N T S / M A N A G E M E N T

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

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

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

A C C O U N T I N G S O F T WA R E / S E R V I C E S

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

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

LACORE LOGISTICS

4505 Newpoint Place Lawrenceville, GA 30043 678-377-8585 Sales@AmwareLogistics.com www.AmwareLogistics.com

900 Wilmeth Road, McKinney Texas 75069 214-817-4802 www.lacorelogistics.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.

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.

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

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

E-COMMERCE FULFILLMENT

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.

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

E VENT PRODUCTION

A2B FULFILLMENT 150 Stewart Parkway Greensboro, GA 30642 866-843-3827 www.a2bf.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

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

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

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

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

BARTHA 600 N. Cassady Avenue Columbus, OH 43219 800-363-2698 www.bartha.com PMS 70% Black

PMS 7686

Excite & ignite your direct sales force by using Bartha­—the highest quality event production and staging company nationwide!

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Create lasting memories for your top producers. Reward & WOW them with a resort experience nestled in the world’s largest open air aquarium.

MULTI IMAGE GROUP

E.A. DION, INC.

1701 Clint Moore Road Boca Raton, FL 33487 800-523-2682 www.mig.cc

33 Franklin McKay Road Attleboro, MA 02703 800-445-1007 www.eadion.com

A full-service event production company specializing in helping DSA’s tell their stories. Creativity + Technology = Unforgettable Experiences.

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.

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INCENTIVES/RECOGNITION

ATLANTIS PARADISE ISLAND 1000 S. Pine Island Road Plantation, FL 33324 800-722-2449 www.AtlantisBahamas.com/meetings

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

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!

INCENTIVES/RECOGNITION

KATAPULT EVENTS 5840 Red Bug Lake Rd, Ste. 140 Winter Springs, FL 32708 407-915-9060 www.katapultevents.com

MARK E TING/BR ANDING

E XECUTIVE RECRUITMENT

E VENT PRODUCTION

Vendor Directory ROYAL CARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL

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.

PROGRESSIVE LABORATORIES

3131 Story Road W Irving, TX 75038 972-518-9660 www.progressivelabs.com 40+ years of quality manufacturing of nutritional formulas specializing in capsules and powders. FDA registered and 3rd party UL certified facility.

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

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.

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

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

SMART OFFICE SOLUTIONS, INC.

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

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

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

SOCIALSALES.IO

DIRECTSCALE

INFOTRAX SYSTEMS

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

350 South 400 West, Ste. 225 Lindon, UT 84042 801-701-3285 www.directscale.com

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

Scalable software for your company and your sales force that’s delightful and easy to use.

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

SUCCESS PARTNERS

DIRECTECH LABS

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

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

INTERNATIONAL DIRECT SELLING TECHNOLOGY CORP.

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.

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!

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.

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

Global Operations Management Software.

Advanced Comp Plan Programming. Sales Force Backoffice & Automation. Web Site Design & Replication.

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Corporate & Sales Force software for 21st century world-leaders in global direct selling. Cloud-based & on-premise solutions are available.

MW2 DIRECT

Nexio manages the chaos of payments offering: • Faster roll out for distributors or partners • Simplifies payment processing for corporations

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!

Nexio does this by being integrated with the majority of back-office software solutions in the Direct Sales Industry.

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

686 E 110 S Unit 104 American Fork, UT 84003 385-448-1800 www.xirect.com

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.

NEXIO

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

XIRECT SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS

2033 Gateway Place, 5th Floor San Jose, CA 95110 408-573-6310 www.mw2consulting.com/direct

727 N 1550 E, 3rd Floor Orem, UT 84097 1-877-551-5504 www.nexiohub.com

THATCHER TECHNOLOGY GROUP, LLC

DECEMBER 2020

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.

TOOLS, RECRUITING & TR AINING

JENKON 203 SE Park Plaza Drive, Ste. 250 Vancouver, WA 98684 360-256-4400 www.jenkon.com

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

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

TA X S E R V I C E S

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

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.

GET CONNECTED

To those who need your services.

“

DSN reflects the beating heart of the Direct Selling industry.

It gives Metrics Global visibility and a place to be visible in a unique industry where understanding one another’s needs are particularly paramount.

—JASON SHERWOOD, Executive Creative Director

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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 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.

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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®

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Be a Part of Raising the Bar Direct Selling Compliance Professional Register for the DSCP-CP certification program and raise the bar for yourself alongside your company’s legal and compliance team.

DSCP-CP

CERTIFICATION The certification program will sharpen your PROGRAM understanding of key concepts related to your company’s compliance program that will help improve the reputation of your company and the industry. Team members will complete the program with a thorough understanding of critical compliance principles.

THE PROGRAM WILL: • Give you the necessary tools to develop effective compliance policies • Provide you with comprehensive training to implement best practices • Demonstrate your compliance commitment to regulatory and self-regulatory entities • Equip you with the requisite knowledge of compliance and regulatory issues required to run a successful direct selling compliance program

INAUGURAL PROGRAM STARTS IN JANUARY 2021 Visit DSA.org/DSCP-CP to register or learn more today.

DSA thanks the following DSA Suppliers for serving as Exclusive Content Partners:

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IT’S HOW PEOPLE WANT TO SHOP. Simple. Frictionless. Engaging.

Video commerce gives your customers an intuitive, modern shopping experience that produces results.

In four short months, one client experienced: ■

230% Revenue Growth

■

22k+ New Users

■

■

358% Increase in Customer Acquisition 5-Star Customer Rating Average

Experience the NOW App + Video Commerce difference.

Request a demo today by emailing app@successpartners.com or by calling 1.800.752.2030.

PROVEN TECHNOLOGY FROM A TRUSTED PARTNER

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NEVER MISS A BEAT Looking to whip your commissions into shape? FlexCloud’s individualized reporting and commission-integrated web tools give you just the edge you’re looking for. Jumpstart your efficiency with the platform with the fastest and most accurate commission calculator in the industry.

Contact us today for a free demo.

Learn how a better business starts here: http://info.infotraxsys.com/flexcloudwhitepaper

801.431.4900 | infotraxsys.com

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VOLUME 16 ISSUE 12

DIRECT SELLING NEWS

DirectSellingNews.com