DSN
DIRECT SELLING NEWS
BEST PLACES TO WORK IN D IREC T S ELLING 2022
NAVIGATING THE SUPPLY CHAIN CRISIS THE “DO”S AND “DON’T”S OF INCOME DISCLOSURE STATEMENTS 25 STEPS TO A BETTER CORPORATE VIBE RODAN + FIELDS / CELEBRATING TRANSFORMATION
VOLUME 18 / ISSUE 4
ST
RA
IC
TO
IN
S
RI
C
APRIL 2022
B
ON
IG SP B HE BU H BO
P W
T
RG
SU / CC E
IC
T
SS
S
LISTEN TO THIS. THREE DIFFERENT PODCASTS, EACH DESIGNED FOR THE DIRECT SELLING CHANNEL.
DSN
ICONIC I N S I G H T S with HEATHER CHASTAIN
BIWEEKLY Timely insights and relevant takeaways from executives for executives to help grow and evolve your businesses
SPECIAL EDITIONS Deep dives into the biggest issues and opportunities surrounding the channel
MONTHLY Candid conversations with some of the world’s best-known authors, speakers and innovators sharing their unique insights on entrepreneurship
SU B SCRIB E TO ALL THRE E !
NEW FOR
2022
C O N T E N T S A P R I L
F E AT U R E S
Navigating the Supply Chain Crisis B Y S A R A H PAU L K
Prioritize Your Income Disclosure Statement B Y B R A N KO J O VA N O V I C ,
44 68
2 0 2 2
68
J O H N C .C . S A N D E R S , J R . , K AT R I N A G . E A S H A N D CHASE C . COOPER
Creating Your Corporate Vibe B Y TO N Y J E A R Y
80
SPOTLIGHT
Rodan + Fields:
A Season of Transformation and Celebration
74
74
B Y J E N N Y V E T T E R
DEPARTMENT
88
ICONIC INSIGHTS /
Bob Burg: The Five Laws of Stratospheric Success B Y PAU L A F E L P S
I N EV ERY ISSU E 6 AD INDEX // 9 FROM THE PUBLISHER // 11 INDUSTRY NEWS // 32 FORWARD THINKING // 95 DSA MESSAGE // 96 SUPPLIER DIRECTORY //
4 D I R E C T
SELLING NEWS
|
APRIL 2022
DSN
DIRECT SELLING NEWS
Serving the Direct Selling and Network Marketing Executive Since 2004 A Direct Selling Partners Company
FOUNDER AND CEO
Stuart P. Johnson PUBLISHER
Shelley Rojas EDITOR
52
Lisa Robertson editor@directsellingnews.com NE WS EDITOR
Sarah Paulk pr@directsellingnews.com C R E AT I V E D I R E C T O R
Susan Douglass ART DIREC TORS
Greg Luther Jenny Paredes PRODUCTION M ANAGER
COVER STORY
Virginia Le
THE BEST PLACES TO WORK IN DIRECT SELLING 2022
COPY EDITOR
Peter Tepp BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT M ANAGER
Jerilyn Taylor advertising@directsellingnews.com PROGR A MS AND SUBSCRIPTION M ANAGER
Nancy Ratcliff
Seven honorees share their insight and wisdom on how to create a great work environment amid unprecedented challenges.
Bob Burg Chase C. Cooper Katrina G. Eash Tony Jeary
BY SAR AH PAULK
Paula Felps David Lee
CONTENT CONTRIBUTORS
Branko Jovanovic Joseph N. Mariano John C.C. Sanders, Jr. Patricia White
CONTRIBUTORS
Sarah Paulk Shelley Rojas
Direct Selling News (ISSN 15546470) is published monthly by Direct Selling Partners, 5800 Democracy Drive, Suite 100, Plano, TX 75024. Periodicals postage paid at Lake Dallas, TX and additional mailing offices.
TO ADVERTISE:
POSTMASTERS please send change of address to 5800 Democracy Drive, Suite 100, Plano, TX 75024.
T O S U B M I T E D I T O R I A L C O M M E N T:
Subscription Rate: Free to direct selling and network marketing executives; all others in USA and Canada $50. Overseas subscriptions are $100. All subscriptions must be paid in U.S. dollars. ©2022 Direct Selling News All rights reserved. Material may not be reproduced in whole or in part in any form without written permission. No statement in this publication is to be construed as a recommendation to buy or sell securities or to provide investment advice. Direct Selling News 5800 Democracy Drive, Suite 100, Plano, Texas 75024 / Phone: 800-279-5249 www.directsellingnews.com
DSN
DIRECT SELLING NEWS
advertising@directsellingnews.com
editor@directsellingnews.com TO SUBMIT PRESS RELE ASES:
pr@directsellingnews.com TO SUBSCRIBE:
subscribe@directsellingnews.com DIRECT SELLING NEWS
USPS 23713 • ISSN 15546470
There is POWER in Partnership > What part of your business would benefit by bringing in a supplier to help your team be more efficient?
“
D
Through my decades of experience I have always known Direct Selling News as an anchor that connects the direct
ELEGATING time-intensive business
functions to highly skilled suppliers provides the breathing room to focus on unique skill gaps, like training team members on best practices, getting up to speed with new technology or customer service response that many organizations overlook. For your convenience, we have compiled a list of our display advertisers. When contacting these companies or those in our Supplier Directory (starting on page 96),
sales industry and its players. DSN has always provided an incredible venue to learn the best practices and to be up to date on the changes that affect our space. I am now honored to be a vendor at DSN!
please let all of our valued advertisers know that you saw them in Direct Selling News.
— CA R LOS PER EZ / M a n a g i n g Pa r t n e r, C P& K r e l l G r o u p
CP&Krell Group 817-697-4321 / CPKRELL.COM
6 D I R E C T
SELLING NEWS
|
APRIL 2022
Exigo
214-367-9933 / EXIGO.COM INSIDE FRONT COVER
IDSTC
Momentum Factor
LaCore Payments
512.690 . 2134 / M O M O FACTO R . C O M PAG E 1
813-277-0625 / IDSTC.COM PAGE 19
INFO@LACORETECHNOLOGIES.COM / LACOREPAYMENTS.COM PAGE 23
Global Access
877-811-8108 / GLOBALACCESS.COM PAGE 66
Canada Cartage
800-268-2228 / CANADACARTAGE.COM PAGE 67
FutureCeuticals NOW TECH
310-428-9936 / NOW-TECH.COM PAGES 8, 18, 100
888-452-6853 / FUTURECEUTICALS.COM PAGE 25
Direct Selling Association 202-452-8866 / DSA.ORG PAGE 94
Integrishield
885-429-1131 / INTEGRISHIELD.COM PAGE 51
Nexio
877-551-5504 / NEXIOHUB.COM INSIDE BACK COVER
Ultimate Gig
ULTIMATEGIGRESOURCES.COM PAGE 10
Squire
801-225-6900 / SQUIRE.COM/NETSUITE PAGE 61
Direct Scale
801-701-3285 / DIRECTSCALE.COM PAGE 13
Infotrax
801-431-4900 / INFOTRAXSYS.COM BACK COVER
The RESULTS Center 817-430-9422 / INFO@TONYJEARY.COM PAGE 65
w w w. d i r e c t s e l l i n g n e w s . c o m 7
The Experience Today’s Direct Sellers Expect, All in the Palm of Your Hand
Train, Instruct & Inform Drive Daily Activities Social Selling Promotions Recognition Promote Events Distribute Content Customer Shopping And so much more...
Proven Technology from a Trusted Partner with 35 Years of Direct Selling Experience Let’s Connect 310-428-9936 info@now-tech.com
DSN / FROM THE PUBLISHER /
Congratulations to the 7 Best Places to Work Honorees! DSN LAUNCHED THE BEST PLACES TO WORK in Direct Selling program in 2016 in order to celebrate the important role direct selling companies play as employers in the marketplace and identify the best of the best companies in the channel. In this month’s issue, we honor seven companies as the 2022 Best Places to Work in Direct Selling. We partnered with Quantum Workplace, an HR technology company collecting Best Places to Work data for more than a decade. This month’s cover story takes an in‑depth look at the commonalities these companies share as well as valuable insights on the employment satisfaction and retention trends that are currently shaping the channel. We’ve categorized one of these shifts as “seismic” in nature—this is information you definitely need to know! We’ve also included a 24‑page supplement with this issue that gives in‑depth profiles into this year’s honorees—we can all learn a lot from their success stories! You’ll also find articles on the current supply chain crisis (including tips for how you can best navigate these challenges from companies in the channel that are doing it well); the “do”s and “don’t”s of Income Disclosure Statements; a spotlight on the premiere skincare company, Rodan + Fields, on their 15th anniversary;
and some invaluable tips from Tony Jeary on creating an unforgettable corporate “vibe.” We’ve also included an excerpt from this month’s Iconic Insights podcast where our host Heather Chastain interviews the incomparable Bob Burg on the five laws of stratospheric success. Make sure to check out the full podcast—as well as the rest of our podcasts at directsellingnews.com or wherever you find your favorite podcasts! At DSN, we always want to be your daily resource for global news impacting the direct selling channel. If you haven’t yet, make sure to sign up for the weekly dashboard email which delivers a week’s worth of news in a quick 15-minute read each Sunday. You can also sign up for text alerts by becoming a member of our VIP community where you’ll always get our top stories first and fast. And if you haven’t registered for DSU and the DSN Global Celebration events yet, you can sign up for both at dsu2022.com—we’ve got more awards, speakers and surprises in store than ever before when we meet in person (for the first time since 2019) April 19-21. All the best,
@DSNUpdate
Follow our LinkedIn Page
MEMBER 2022
TH A N K YO U TO O U R PL ATI N U M M E M B E R S:
ai164502465131_PM-International_4c.pdf
1
16/02/2022
16:17
PREMIER SUPPLIER PARTNER
2 0 2 2
PR E M I E R S U PPLI E R PA RTN E R S:
Shelley Rojas | Publisher & Chief Brand Officer | srojas@directsellingnews.com @directsellingnews
PLATINU M
Text us 1+ (214) 239-3043
w w w. d i r e c t s e l l i n g n e w s . c o m 9
Ultimate Gig named PROSE Award Finalist Great news! THE Association of American Publishers (AAP) has named Ultimate Gig: Flexibility, Freedom, Rewards a Finalist in the 2022 PROSE Awards. The PROSE Awards are known as “the Oscars of the Academic Publishing Industry”—so this is a pretty big deal! Emerald Publishing submitted Ultimate Gig in the category of Business, Finance and Management. Ultimate Gig is the only finalist in the category; runner-up to the category winner; and one of just 109 finalists among more than 500 submissions across 39 categories!
W H AT R E A D E R S A R E S AY I N G :
“
Ultimate Gig is the best and most complete guide into understanding what the gig economy is all about and how to embrace it appropriately.
Purchase Ultimate Gig book through your favorite bookseller and access Ultimate Gig Resources at: www.ultimategigresources.com
/ INDUSTRY NEWS /
The Month in News Affecting Our Channel 12 / Insights 19 / Top 5 News Watch 20 / Executive Announcements 30 / CCR Program
/ INDUSTRY NEWS /
I N S I G H T S
INSIGHTS
For the full articles, visit directsellingnews.com/ category/news/
New Survey Shows Younger Generations Prioritize Digital Presence Over In-Person Impressions
E
commerce has become a critical element of a successful business in today’s marketplace. In fact, a recent Squarespace study of more than 2,000 U.S. adults revealed that people of all ages agree that an online presence is more important than a physical brick-andmortar location for companies. Younger generations, specifically Gen Z and Millennials, take that even further, believing that their online first impressions are more important than their real-world ones. Sixty percent of Gen Z respondents and 62 percent of Millennials said they believe how a person presents themselves online is more important than how they present themselves in person. This is a significant leap from 38 percent of Gen X and 29 percent of Baby Boomers who participated. Regardless of priority levels, digital has become a ubiquitous part of everyday life for all generations. Twothirds (66 percent) of Americans reported travel as the most important use of online research. Not surprisingly, Gen Z has been the strongest adapter of digital, reporting that they are most likely (92 percent) to multitask while eating
1 2 D I R E C T
SELLING NEWS
|
APRIL 2022
(59 percent), listening to music (59 percent), talking on the phone (45 percent) or dancing (28 percent). Placing so much emphasis on the digital first impression makes sense when considering that the majority of younger generations (86 percent of Gen Z and 79 percent of Millennials) look people up before meeting them for the first time in person. Older generations do this as well, but to a lesser degree, including 65 percent of Gen X and 44 percent of Baby Boomers. This digital first impression extends to purchases as well. A majority of Gen X (64 percent), Millennials (76 percent) and Gen Z (64 percent), and almost half of all Baby Boomers (49 percent) look up the websites of businesses before shopping or eating there. A well-designed website, 70 percent of respondents said, made them more likely to shop in person. Up and coming generations are also leaning more entrepreneurial. Of Gen Z, 92 percent said they would like to start their own business, with preference for selling a service over a physical product. DSN
With DirectScale’s new business intelligence, you have the data insights you need to GROW your business and revenue like never before.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Call, scan or click today to see how we will help you run, know and grow your business in 2022 and beyond.
directscale.com/DSN
/ INDUSTRY NEWS /
I N S I G H T S
FTC Proposes New Rule to Regulate Deceptive Earnings Claims
For the full articles, visit directsellingnews.com/ category/news/
T
he Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) and request for public comment this week regarding a new trade regulation rule on the use of earnings claims. In the notice, the FTC expressed interest in requiring companies to provide substantiated earnings claims without hyperbole or the use of hypothetical or past profits to consumers, and is considering whether lifestyle claims—like a new luxury car, lavish vacations or being able to quit a nine-to-five job—could be addressed in this rule as well. While this is a broad rule that would impact a number of industries, the FTC lumped multi-level marketing in with gig work, franchise, work-fromhome and ecommerce opportunities as one of its targeted categories for regulation, and cited its previous legal actions against AdvoCare as proof of the Commission’s history of “aggressive enforcement,” saying: “For example, the Commission is aware that, historically, some multi‑level marketing companies have made earnings claims to potential distributors without knowing what expenses their distributors incur. But earnings claims that reflect gross income and omit material expenses are misleading. Before making an earnings claim, a business must have a reasonable basis for the claim— that means both gross income and expenses incurred in generating that income.”
14 D I R E C T
SELLING NEWS
|
APRIL 2022
Regulating bad actors in the industry is a vital effort, and one that is supported by the Direct Selling SelfRegulatory Council (DSSRC), but there are concerns that the lines drawn by the FTC around the definition of “unfair and deceptive” are highly subjective. It’s a move that is reminiscent of the FTC’s efforts to fortify Section
13(b) of the FTC Act after the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the Commission had been incorrectly wielding its power to inflict monetary damages. “There is never a clear definition for us of what rules we need to follow,” a direct selling chief executive told Direct Selling News off the record last year. “We’re always guessing and interpreting. They use words that they don’t define, like ‘typical’ income claims. What’s ‘typical?’ If you make $50, is that OK? Who knows? Because there are no actual rules. Instead, there is this ever-evolving guidance that we’re all trying to interpret.” DSN
PREMIER SUPPLIER PARTNER
2 0 2 2
THANK YOU
TO OUR PREMIER SUPPLIER PARTNERS!
DSN SHARES A COMMON GOAL WITH THE SUPPLIER COMMUNITY—to serve and support the growth and evolution of direct selling companies. When they win, we all win—including millions of customers and distributors around the globe. Our mission is to serve, educate and edify the channel with daily breaking global news, emerging trends and powerful stories, made possible through the generosity and support of our Premier Supplier Partners. Thank you for your dedication to the direct selling channel!
DSN
DIRECT SELLING NEWS
The news you need. The name you trust.
/ INDUSTRY NEWS /
I N S I G H T S
For the full articles, visit directsellingnews.com/ category/news/
Entrepreneurs Believe Now is the Time to Start a Small Business
I
n a new survey, Franchise Insights, a unit of FranchiseVentures, found that majority (73 percent) of would-be entrepreneurs agree that “now is a good time to start a business.” The study, called the Small Business Startup Sentiment Index, was conducted February 24-28, 2022, and illustrated that even the turmoil of the invasion of Ukraine and the resulting uncertain financial markets did not dissuade aspiring business owners from their hopes of launching a new venture. Over half (57.4 percent) of participants were committed to starting their businesses within the next three months and more than three-quarters (76 percent) of respondents believe business conditions will be about the same or even better in the next three months. “Entrepreneurs are putting the pandemic in the rearview mirror,” said Hunter Stokes, FranchiseVentures President. “They are looking beyond the current geopolitical uncertainty to plan their startups in the next few months.”
1 6 D I R E C T
SELLING NEWS
|
APRIL 2022
Even though the pandemic continues to impact both social and commercial activities, the survey showed that 30.6 percent of participants believe the pandemic is no longer a factor affecting business conditions. In contrast, however, 42.9 percent of participants said that the pandemic reduced the amount of capital they had to invest. Answers to the Small Business Startup Index over the last two years have reflected concern about the ongoing pandemic’s impact on startup opportunities. Previously, respondents most often cited “the desire for controlling my own destiny through business ownership” when asked how COVID-19 impacted their interest in starting a business or opening a franchise. As the pandemic continued, more respondents preferred “businesses that would be resistant” to disruptive forces like COVID-19. This selection was only chosen by 19.4 percent of participants in the most recent survey, however, and only 5.1 percent of people indicated that they would put their plans on hold because of the pandemic. DSN
A Week’s Worth of News in 15 Minutes! One email. Once a week. The DSN Dashboard curates the channel’s top stories each week. The essential news and trends—delivered to your inbox each week. Busy executives rely on the DSN Dashboard to summarize all the information they need to consistently stay one-step ahead!
DSN
DIRECT SELLING NEWS
The news you need. The name you trust.
Subscribe to the DSN Weekly Dashboard at DirectSellingNews.com
To Have an Effective Distributor Journey,
Timing is Everything Build confidence from the start. Drop in at just the right time to • Offer guidance • Drive key activities • Keep attention • Congratulate wins • And so much more!
Proven Technology from a Trusted Partner with 35 Years of Direct Selling Experience Let’s Connect | 310-428-9936 | info@now-tech.com
NEWS W AT C H
5
TOP
HEADLINES > n
Mary Kay Inc. announced Nathan Moore as President of Global Sales and Marketing
n
DSA Emphasizes Protections for Independent Contractor Status at
eXp Realty Agents Surpass 75,000
w w w. d i r e c t s e l l i n g n e w s . c o m 1 9
THE INDUSTRY’S NEWEST AND MOST ADVANCED DIRECT SELLING SOFTWARE
n
SUPPORT ANY SIZE COMPANY ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD
Forbes’ America’s Best Employers List
FULLY EXTENSIBLE API ARCHITECTURE
5 Direct Selling Companies Named to
COMPLETE SOLUTION INCLUDED
n
EXTREME CONFIGURABILITY
Growth in 2021
EMBEDDED BI REPORTING
Betterware de Mexico Reports 41% Revenue
TOTALLY MOBILE & SOCIAL
n
FABULOUS PARTY MANAGEMENT
Congressional Direct Selling Caucus
/ INDUSTRY NEWS /
E X E C U T I V E
A N N O U N C E M E N T S
For the full articles, visit directsellingnews.com/ category/news/
EXECUTIVE ANNOUNCEMENTS
Nathan Moore
Cindy Latham
Kara Trousdale
President of Global Sales and Marketing, Mary Kay Mary Kay Inc. announced Nathan Moore will now assume responsibility for all Mary Kay markets around the world as President of Global Sales and Marketing. Moore joined Mary Kay in 1995 as a staff attorney and was quickly promoted to more executive positions. This new role expands on his previous title as Region President of Mary Kay North America. “If you know Nathan, you know he is deeply passionate about Mary Kay’s mission and vision,” said David Holl, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Mary Kay Inc. “He will continue to drive success for the Mary Kay independent sales force around the world for years to come.” In addition to continuing to lead the U.S. and Canadian markets, Moore will now manage region leadership teams as well as all global marketing and strategy and insights teams.
Board of Directors, LifeVantage LifeVantage Corporation has appointed Cindy Latham to its board of directors. Latham is a seasoned marketing consultant with experience in global marketing, research and development, and product teams within the direct selling industry. “We are delighted to welcome Cindy to the LifeVantage Board,” said Garry Mauro, Chairman. “She is a proven leader with outstanding industry experience and a strong track record of driving growth.” Latham also has significant executive experience at other wellknown direct selling companies where she led marketing, corporate branding, creative services, business development and environmental and sustainability initiatives.
Chief Commercial Officer, Beautycounter Beautycounter has appointed Kara Trousdale as the company’s Chief Commercial Officer. Trousdale brings significant experience in the retail and supply chain sectors that the company expects will accelerate its next phase of growth. “As a long-time customer and admirer of the business, I am thrilled to join Beautycounter as Chief Commercial Officer,” Trousdale said. “It’s an exciting time to work in beauty. Consumers are demanding safer products and greater transparency, and Beautycounter is leading on both fronts. I’m honored to have the opportunity to help grow this missiondriven business that puts the health of its consumers and the planet first.” As Chief Commercial Officer, Trousdale will oversee and innovate the company’s omnichannel model while scaling the retail, ecommerce, field and partnerships channel.
2 0 D I R E C T
SELLING NEWS
|
APRIL 2022
Ben Riley
Dr. Hsueh-Kung Lin
Roy Truett
President, Young Living Young Living has named Ben Riley as acting president. Riley returns to Young Living after serving as a chief sales officer and management consultant in outside organizations. Prior to this departure, Riley was a long-time presence at Young Living, beginning his career in 1998 by working the graveyard shift in the company’s warehouse while he put himself through college. Throughout his more than two decades of experience in the direct selling industry, Riley has also served as Young Living’s Regional President of North America, Executive Vice President of Global Sales and Chief Sales Officer. “We are so thrilled to have Ben back at Young Living once again,” said Young Living co-founder and CEO Mary Young. “Ben knows our company’s story and history better than anyone else who could serve in this role and I know he will ensure we continue to grow while still sticking to our roots and producing the highest quality products.”
Chief Scientist, Young Living Young Living announced it has appointed Dr. Hsueh-Kung (HK) Lin, Ph.D. to the role of Chief Scientist. Dr. Lin has served as a scientific advisor to Young Living as well as chairman of the board for the Association for the International Research of Aromatic Science and Education (AIRASE) that was organized by Young Living Founder Gary Young. Since meeting Young in 2007, Dr. Lin has published scientific papers and expanded his research to include essential oils and natural products. “My goal is to provide mentorship for individual growth and create an environment to foster the next generation of research and development leaders—leaders who will carry out Gary Young’s, Young Living’s founder, vision well into the future,” Dr. Lin said. “As we dive deep into the study of biomedical and plant science, we will gain a better and more thorough understanding of the impact our products can have to improve people’s lives.” Dr. Lin studied immunogenetics at Cornell University and received postdoctoral training in molecular and cellular biology and pharmacology.
Chief International Officer, QuiAri QuiAri expanded its executive team with the hiring of Roy Truett as Chief International Officer. Truett brings decades of experience in C-suite level roles at multibillion-dollar companies in the direct selling industry as well as leadership experience within Information Technology for wellknown insurance companies. “I enjoyed my time helping traditional brick-and-mortar global businesses thrive, but there was something about the direct sales industry that I couldn’t resist,” Truett said. “Once it got in my blood, there was no shaking it. I think because network marketing can help ordinary people live extraordinary lives through providing an opportunity to share in the company’s success. I was very fortunate to have been given an opportunity to transition from being an I.T. lead to leading entire corporations as Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer and President.” Truett will now lead strategy development for growth within the more than 200 countries where QuiAri currently operates, as well as future market expansions. 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
/ INDUSTRY NEWS /
E X E C U T I V E
A N N O U N C E M E N T S
For the full articles, visit directsellingnews.com/ category/news/
Anita Krpata
Cole Clinger
Michele Crocker
Chief Commercial Officer, SeneGence SeneGence announced Anita Krpata has been selected as the company’s new Chief Commercial Officer. Krpata has more than two decades of experience in corporate strategy, customer experience, sales and marketing. “We are delighted to welcome Anita to the SeneGence family,” said SeneGence Founder and CEO Joni Rogers-Kante. “She is the perfect candidate to join our executive team leading our sales and marketing strategies as we continue our global expansion in 2022 and beyond.” In this new role, Krpata will use her experience to build a results-driven business strategy. “This is a wonderful opportunity and I’m thrilled to work with Joni and the SeneGence team,” said Krpata. “Over the last 23 years Joni has built an incredible rocket-ship business grounded in the fundamentals of exceptional, innovative and disruptive products, core sales philosophies and a loving and inclusive culture. This is the foundation of any successful business and I’m honored to be part of the next phase of growth.”
President, Melaleuca Melaleuca announced Cole Clinger will now serve as the company’s new president. Clinger joined the company in 2005 and has worked in many roles within the organization, including Director of Corporate Affairs, Assistant to the President, Chief of Staff and, most recently, Chief Operations Officer. “Cole has played a critical leadership role in Melaleuca’s record-breaking growth and has made valuable contributions on almost every major initiative at the company,” said Melaleuca CEO Frank VanderSloot. “Cole serves as a key member of Melaleuca’s management team, possesses a profound understanding of Melaleuca’s business, and lives Melaleuca’s mission of enhancing lives. He knows the principles that have been instrumental in Melaleuca’s success, and I have been impressed with the exceptional results he consistently delivers.”
Board of Directors, NewAge NewAge, Inc. announced the appointment of Michele Crocker to its board of directors. Crocker is currently the Chief Operating Officer of a data company and has career experience as a leader at a large direct selling company, as well as consulting experience leading engagement and productivity improvements, increasing employee and customer retention and reducing operating expenses for direct selling clients. “I am delighted to welcome Michele to our board of directors,” said Ed Brennan, Chairman of the NewAge Board of Directors. “Her strong background in the direct selling industry and her expertise in implementing programs that significantly improve recruitment, retailing and retention, will complement our existing board and provide important insights into developing our most valuable asset– our brand partners.”
2 2 D I R E C T
SELLING NEWS
|
APRIL 2022
YOUR CUSTOMERS ALREADY HAVE A PREFERRED FORM OF PAYMENT…DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS?
OU R SE RVICES I NCLU DE: ■ Gateway connectivity
to accept payments in 50 countries in 150 currencies.
■ Secure tokenization
technology.
■ Connectivity, APIs, and
systems linking to the most common global alternative payment types out of the box.
■ Comprehensive fraud
DON’T LET SALES SLIP AWAY BECAUSE OF UNSUPPORTED PAYMENT TYPES… CONNECT WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS IN THEIR LANGUAGE AND CURRENCY OF CHOICE! LaCore Payment Technologies helps you deliver a customerfriendly, global payment & checkout experience designed to support the needs of direct sellers worldwide. Our state of the art technology platform delivers international payment expertise directly in digital form, integrated with a variety of other tools and services to help you meet any challenge—across multiple payment types, anytime, anywhere—across the globe! With years of industry experience and the latest in machine learning and data processing technologies, we provide a customer-focused, customized gateway platform that helps you maximize revenue, control costs and deliver an excellent customer experience. Open new markets and grow sales internationally on a platform that will grow with you! To discuss a customized solution for your business needs with our industry experts, please contact: info@lacorepayments.com
management solution build on the latest machine learning and artificial intelligence tools.
■ Proprietary Fraud Hawk tool
to analyze fraud patterns and fraud networks in depth so you can stay above the fray.
■ Advanced reporting and
real-time, interactive analytics.
■ Run smooth and clean
with online digital dispute management, integrated PCI compliance wizards, and security education features to keep you informed and up to date on the latest security and compliance trends– keep your costs low, focus on sales, and stay ahead of the curve!
/ INDUSTRY NEWS /
E X E C U T I V E
A N N O U N C E M E N T S
For the full articles, visit directsellingnews.com/ category/news/
KC Conway Economic Advisor, eXp Commercial In an effort to expand its emphasis on research, data and analytics, eXp Commercial, the commercial real estate division of eXp World Holdings, announced that KC Conway will now serve as an economic advisor for the organization. Conway is a commercial and investment real estate expert with extensive experience in the new regulatory environment and shifts in capital markets, and an understanding of how data is shaping the future of commercial real estate. The founder and president of Red Shoe Economics, Conway will offer eXp Commercial agents and clients data analytics and economic insight to drive deeper awareness of the commercial market. “We are pleased to collaborate with KC and his team at Red Shoe Economics,” said James Huang, president of eXp Commercial. “We are at the forefront of the fast-changing commercial real estate landscape and are committed to providing the best resources and training to our agents so they can deliver strong results to clients.”
Ed Brennan Interim Chief Executive Officer, NewAge Following the resignation of Brent Willis earlier this year, NewAge, Inc. announced that Ed Brennan, Chair of the NewAge Board of Directors, will serve as interim Chief Executive Officer. Brennan has been a member of the company’s board since 2017 and has served as chair since the beginning of this year. He will retain his responsibilities as Chair while the board continues its search for a new CEO. “As the Chair of NewAge, and a shareholder, I have a deep commitment to the ongoing success of our company,” Brennan said. “I have been actively engaged with our talented bench of senior leadership, and am extremely impressed with their passion, entrepreneurial spirit and drive for success. During this transition period, we have reconfirmed our commitment to our heritage as a direct selling company, one we are proud of and will build to be among the best in our industry.”
2 4 D I R E C T
SELLING NEWS
|
APRIL 2022
Regal Ware Expands Executive Team Regal Ware announced three strategic hires as the company continues to expand its global connections and innovation efforts: • Liliana Arce is a direct sales veteran who will now serve as Vice President and General Manager of Saladmaster. Formerly a direct sales executive at another household name brand, Arce will now provide strategic direction and leadership regarding the company’s financial objectives. • Peter Skaalen will now hold the title of Vice President of Operations for the SynergyOps Division of Regal Ware. With more than three decades of experience in engineering, Skaalen will lead the division in delivering premium products, services and marketing insights. • Ron White will now focus on bringing premium cookware and bakeware products to market in his new role as Director of Product Development. White brings more than 30 years of product development experience to the role.
w w w. d i r e c t s e l l i n g n e w s . c o m 2 5
/ INDUSTRY NEWS /
E X E C U T I V E
A N N O U N C E M E N T S
For the full articles, visit directsellingnews.com/ category/news/
DSA UK Appoints Four New Board Members The Direct Selling Association (DSA) in the UK has confirmed the appointment of four new members to its board of directors. These new members include: Alessandro Martinez, Managing Director, Vorwerk UK & Ireland • Martinez joined Vorwerk in 2017 and has almost three decades of international experience in B2B, B2C, direct selling and FMCG markets. • Holly Baker, Country Manager, Scentsy Baker joined Scentsy in 2017 and brings 17 years of experience in the retail categories of beauty, lifestyle and home brands. • Ros Simmons, Managing Director UK & EU, MONAT Simmons is an entrepreneurial leader and brand builder with more than three decades of experience in the beauty industry. • Scott Yates, Managing Director, Essens UK & Ireland Yates joined Essens in 2018 and oversees the brand’s operations in both the UK and Ireland. “I am delighted to welcome our four new board members, who bring a wealth of experience, knowledge and wisdom to the association, from diverse areas of business and retail,” said Susannah Schofield OBE, Director General of the Direct Selling Association. “I look forward to working with them as they play their part in steering the future of this sector of retail in the UK. With many of our member companies currently reporting that they are seeing increased numbers of people joining their independent sales forces in order to maintain the benefits of flexible and remote working that were enjoyed during the pandemic, we expect to see the direct selling channel enjoy continued growth over the coming years.”
Ryan C. Wood Chief Financial Officer, Helo Corp Helo Corp, the umbrella organization for direct selling brand Vyvo, has selected Ryan C. Wood as the company’s Chief Financial Officer. “I am confident that Ryan will strengthen our leadership team with his strategic, financial and business acumen and will help our company continue to grow and perform,” said Seán McVeigh, Helo Corp Chief Executive Officer. “Ryan has broad and relevant experience and has a proven track record of effectively leading finance organizations and driving business results.” Wood has held senior executive roles within the direct selling industry and is experienced in global financial planning and analysis as well as accounting and finance. DSN 2 6 D I R E C T
SELLING NEWS
|
APRIL 2022
How to be the most knowledgeable executive in the room
DAILY NEWS STORIES
FINANCIAL NEWS AND RESEARCH
EMERGING TRENDS
EXCLUSIVE PODCAST INTERVIEWS
EXECUTIVE ANNOUNCEMENTS
AND MUCH MORE
DirectSellingNews.com is your daily go-to resource for breaking global news—conveniently curated for today’s executives. DSN has the information and inspiration you need to consistently stay one step ahead!
DSN
DIRECT SELLING NEWS
The news you need. The name you trust.
Visit DirectSellingNews.com today!
DSN Membership DSN
DSN
DSN
MEMBER 2022
MEMBER 2022
MEMBER 2022
P L AT I N U M
THANK YOU to our
PLATINUM Members:
GOLD
PAT R O N
Become a Patron today. Enjoy the Perks all year. DIRECT SELLING NEWS has proudly served the entire channel and the executives that lead it since 2004—and now we are excited to present a new opportunity for direct selling companies to be an active participant in progress and evolution within the channel. The new DSN Membership Program is a comprehensive offering that goes beyond event sponsorship to provide even more relevant information, research, education, edification and exposure to the companies in the channel achieving success with integrity. DSN Members receive recognition, accolades, and all the benefits of sponsoring two events a year plus additional benefits per level, including exclusive access to the new DSU On-Demand Library. There are three levels of support to choose from: Patron, Gold and Platinum.
DSN
DSN
DSN
MEMBER 2022
MEMBER 2022
MEMBER 2022
PLATINU M
THANK YOU to our
As a Member, you receive: ■
GO LD
GOLD Members:
Exclusive access to the DSU On-Demand Library with over 100+ TED-style lessons from innovative industry leaders and experts. It’s a Masterclass in direct selling and excellent onboarding resource
■
STACKED (MOST PREFERRED WHEN SPACE ALLOWS) - PMS 425/METALLIC EFFECT
Acknowledgement and logo inclusion on/in:
All event marketing and promotional efforts (digital and print, emails, ads and a minimum of one thank you social post per event) All event websites All virtual, in-person and streaming events All post-event communications and recaps Pages of DSN and online at DirectSellingNews.com ■
Inclusion acknowledging your role as a Member in one (1) collage-style compilation ad in every issue of DSN (print and digital) during the lifespan of your Membership
■
DSN
Digital Asset: Official DSN Member Graphic to promote your company’s sponsorship and support on your website, email PLATINU M
DSN
DSN
MEMBER 2022
MEMBER 2022
signatures and marketing credibility for the lifeM of E Myour B E R Membership 2022
■
GO LD
PATRO N
Four seats to the DSN Global Celebration event
THANK YOU to our Gold & Platinum Members receive all the benefits listed above plus many other exciting PERKS!
TO FIND OUT MORE and submit an application to become a Patron of DSN, visit directsellingnews.com/achievements/membership/ or contact membership@directsellingnews.com
DSN
DIRECT SELLING NEWS
The news you need. The name you trust.
In order to protect the integrity of the Membership Program for all participants, DSN reserves the right to deny, suspend or discontinue Membership benefits to any company undergoing published legal actions or regulatory disputes (including any settlements of such).
PATRON Members:
PATR ON
/ INDUSTRY NEWS /
C U S T O M E R - C E N T R I C
ER-CE N OM T T R S
R
D E C O G N I Z E
U
CCR
IC
G O L D
ER-CE N OM T T R S
C
U C
IC
CCR
P L A T I N U M R
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 n
n
D E C O G N I Z E
BE CU STOM ERCENTRIC RECOGNIZED.
The CCR Program is
n
R E C O G N I T I O N
Active is defined 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
Direct Selling News is excited to present the Customer-Centric Recognition (CCR) Program to celebrate companies that are leading the way toward a customer-centric future for the industry. Qualifying companies utilize business models that boast high
the U.S. and Canada.
customer-to-distributor ratios and prioritize customer sales.
Companies must have been in business for at least one year and have a minimum of $5 million in annual revenue. Qualifying companies must
DSN
attain: 5:1 up to 10:1 for Gold status and 10:1 or more for Platinum status.
DIRECT SELLING NEWS
3 0 D I R E C T
SELLING NEWS
|
APRIL 2022
Companies who wish to learn more or submit a CCR Program Application can go to www.directsellingnews.com/ccr/ or contact editor@directsellingnews.com
D
IRECT SELLING COMPANIES with a strong retail base of satisfied customers are experiencing impressive growth and deserve recognition and acknowledgment for
their efforts. With evolving consumer expectations and regulatory scrutiny, customer‑centric equals success for everyone—distributors, direct selling companies and the channel as a whole. The DSN Customer-Centric Recognition Program acknowledges these companies.
GOLD
/ 5:1 up to 10:1
P L AT I N U M
/ 10:1 and above
MONAT GLOBAL
ACN
PERFECTLY POSH
IT WORKS!
LE-VEL
NU SKIN
PRÜVIT
SCENTSY
USBORNE BOOKS I n o rd e r t o p ro t e c t t h e i n t e g ri t y o f t h e C C R P ro g ra m f o r a l l p a r t i c i p a n t s , D S N re s e r v e s t h e ri g h t t o s u s p e n d o r d i s c o n t i n u e C C R P ro g ra m re c o g n i t i o n o f a n y c o m p a n y u n d e rg o i n g p u b l i s h e d l e g a l a c t i o n s o r re g u l a t o r y d i s p u t e s (i n c l u d i n g a n y s e t t l e m e n t s o f s u c h) . w w w. d i r e c t s e l l i n g n e w s . c o m 3 1
FO R WA R D
T H I N K I N G
/
W O R K P L AC E
R E I M AG I N E D
Workplace Reimagined Five key post-pandemic trends evolving the workplace atmosphere.
C
BY DAVID LEE
5
OMPANIES have experienced some of the greatest workplace disruptions in history over the past two years. Countless corporate executives and employees had to reinvent their office atmosphere and work flexibility strategies. Things may be getting back to normal, but not everything will be the same. A post-pandemic workplace will certainly look different. Here are five key trends corporate executives are implementing to create an optimal workplace environment moving forward.
1/ FAIRNESS IN FLEXIBLE AND REMOTE WORK
OPPORTUNITIES A survey conducted by Gartner HR Research revealed that 82 percent of employees believe their working environment lacks fairness. One of the top issues is the ability to work remotely across the entire workforce. Of course, not all job requirements allow for such flexibility. Still, company mangers are rethinking the centralized workplace, as workers re-evaluate their priorities and expectations. Many may be willing to work for less money in exchange for a more flexible schedule. Inc. reported that nine out of 10 workers who currently work remotely plan to do so for the rest of their careers. A 2021 WeWork survey found that 79 percent of C-level executives plan to allow employees to split their time between remote work and being in the office.
32 D I R E C T
SELLING NEWS
|
APRIL 2022
KEY
POST-PANDEMIC TRENDS
COUNTLESS CORPORATE EXECUTIVES and employees had to reinvent their office atmosphere and work flexibility strategies.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, countless workers discovered the benefits and effectiveness of working remotely. Managers also learned how to oversee remote workers. Remote flexibility opportunities can help reduce turnover. “Employers that don’t offer flexibility will see increased turnover as employees move to roles that offer a value proposition that better aligns with their desires,” said a report by Harvard Business Review. Providing more remote work opportunities isn’t all positive, though. Limiting connections with co‑workers, reduced in-office culture, and not utilizing existing office space are top concerns. A Gartner survey in the fall of 2020 showed that 64 percent of 3,000 managers and executives believe in-office employees are higher performers than remote employees, and 76 percent believed in‑office workers are more likely to be promoted. Reduction in productivity is also a top concern for managers, but a study conducted by Adobe in August 2021 found that 56 percent of remote workers were actually working more. Making sure they were available for work-related calls and emails was a priority, although some extended this outside of normal work hours.
2
/ ALTERING TRADITIONAL WORK WEEK SCHEDULES INSTEAD OF RAISING COMPENSATION Salaries in the U.S. are increasing at a higher-thannormal rate. Harvard Business Review reported that, “year-to-date salary increases have been more than 4 percent, compared to a historical norm of 2 percent.” However, recent inflation has helped negate rising wages. Instead of focusing so much on raising compensation, many companies are weighing the benefits of raising wages or reducing the traditional work week. Some have reduced work schedules to 32-36 hours. Others are experimenting with compressed workweeks of four days while maintaining full-time schedules.
w w w. d i r e c t s e l l i n g n e w s . c o m 3 3
FO R WA R D
T H I N K I N G
/
W O R K P L AC E
R E I M AG I N E D
AN INCREASE in remote work, a focus on wellness and more importance on soft skills will require executives and managers to build stronger relationships and trust with employees.
Other compressed schedules feature unequal distribution of hours throughout the work week. Employees can choose to work any time but remain productive for the required work hours needed to complete their job. For example, a work week might be four 10-hour days or compressing nine work days within two weeks. Like remote work, compressed schedules can save workers on commute time and stress and free up more days for personal or family time. “Reducing the working week has reaped dividends in terms of productivity and worker wellbeing, which means workers come to work refreshed,” stated an article from NPR. “They come to work liking their job a bit more and wanting to get the work done so that they can have a nice weekend.”
3 4 D I R E C T
SELLING NEWS
|
APRIL 2022
Conversely, Forbes lists several potential negative factors of compressed work weeks: n
n
n
n
n n
n
Less pay (employers won’t want to or are unable to pay a 40-hour salary for only 32 hours worked) Reduced hours can increase pressure to meet deadlines which negatively impacts mental health and stress Burnout from working 10-hour days to get all work completed Reduced hours don’t necessarily mean a reduced workload Only realistic for flexible organizations Customer/client experience and level of satisfaction would be impacted Not every employee wants to work a 10-hour day or 4 days a week
A GARTNER 2020 SURVEY
3/ WELLNESS IS BECOMING A CORE FOCUS.
Enhancing physical, mental, financial and social wellbeing is increasingly important in corporate atmospheres. This greatly expanded during the COVID pandemic as many employers had to reduce their workforce and navigate heightened fears of uncertainty. A Gartner 2020 survey of 52 human resources executives found that:
n
n
n
n
94 percent of companies made significant investments in their wellbeing programs 85 percent increased support for mental health benefits 50 percent increased support for physical wellbeing 38 percent increased support for financial wellbeing
“In 2022, organizations will adopt new employee wellbeing measures that capture the financial health, mental health and physical health of their employees to more accurately predict employee performance and retention,” Harvard Business Review reported. Some companies offer access to mental health hotlines, compensation for gym membership fees, team-based fitness competitions, routine catered lunches, on-sight relaxation areas with video games or board games, a free snack bar and even provide onsite massage therapists therapists and chiropractors.
4/ VALUE OF SOFT SKILLS
CATCHING UP TO HARD SKILLS. Companies are increasingly discovering the value of soft skills vs. job-specific hard skills. This could be a great fit for direct selling companies that focus on promoting soft skills among the distributor field. Leadership, critical thinking, problem-solving, self‑motivation, communication and teamwork are some of the top soft skills valued by today’s companies. This has also contributed to many employers focusing on skill‑based jobs as opposed to jobs based on specific requirements.
OF 52 HUMAN RESOURCES EXECUTIVES FOUND THAT OF THOSE COMPANIES:
94% MADE SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENTS IN THEIR WELLBEING PROGRAMS
85% INCREASED SUPPORT FOR MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS
50% INCREASED SUPPORT FOR PHYSICAL WELLBEING
38% INCREASED SUPPORT FOR FINANCIAL WELLBEING
This helps build trust with employees working remotely, allowing them to take on additional responsibilities and reduces the need for micromanaging. Employees with key soft skills are also more likely to take on a wider range of responsibilities. IT Resources listed its top five soft skills for 2022: n
Innovative Problem-Solving
n
Conflict Resolution
n
High Emotional Intelligence
n
Positive Work Ethic
n Adaptability
5/ AUTOMATED MANAGERIAL
TASKS RESULTING IN DEEPER EMPLOYEE RELATIONSHIPS. An increase in remote work, a focus on wellness and more importance on soft skills will require executives and managers to build stronger relationships and trust with employees. “HR tech vendors have been creating products that replace an increasing number of repeatable managerial tasks, such as scheduling, approving expense reports and monitoring direct reports’ completion of tasks,” said Harvard Business Review. “The next generation of technology will start to replace additional managerial tasks, such as providing performance feedback and supporting employees in building new peer-to‑peer connections. Our research shows that up to 65 percent of the tasks that a manager currently does has the potential to be automated by 2025.” So, will companies decrease the number of managers or alter managerial expectations? It likely will be a mix of both. Changing manager expectations will require a change in mindset from managing tasks to overseeing a broader employee experience. This could include a more intimate understanding of employee goals, family dynamics and overall personal lives. DSN
w w w. d i r e c t s e l l i n g n e w s . c o m 3 5
DSU April 2022 A FREE HYBRID EVENT
+ Join 1,300+ of Your Peers IN-PERSON in Frisco, Texas or VIRTUAL (Live Broadcast) There is power in a community of leaders learning and growing together.
W E D N E S D AY, A P R I L 2 0 & T H U R S D AY, A P R I L 2 1 , 2 0 2 2
R EG I S T E R TO DAY AT D S U 2 0 2 2 .C O M
LE ARN. SHARE . NET WORK . M EE T TH I S Y E A R ’ S K E Y N OTE S P E A K ER S !
KEYNOTE & EMCEE
KINDRA HALL
Emcee, Author, Speaker & SUCCESS Chief Storytelling Officer Kindra Hall is the go-to expert for storytelling in business and beyond. She is a soughtafter keynote speaker trusted by global brands to deliver messages that inspire teams and individuals to better communicate the value of their company, their products and their individuality through strategic storytelling. She is the best-selling author of Stories that Stick. Her highly anticipated second book, Choose Your Story, Change Your Life released January 2022. Kindra is the Chief Storytelling Officer at Success Magazine where she shares inspiring, often untold, stories of high achievers in print and on the podcast Success Stories with Kindra Hall.
KEYNOTE
JASON DORSEY
Center for Generational Kinetics, President | Gen Z & Millennials Speaker, Expert & Researcher Jason and his wife, Denise, founded the Center for Generational Kinetics in 2011 that has become the leader in generational research and solutions. With an emphasis on Millennials and Gen Z, the Center is the go-to resource for businesses who are looking to crack the code about the mindset, worldview, and behavior of generations from Baby Boomers to Gen Z. The Center’s research on generations provides powerful and predictive clues that help people and businesses successfully connect, build trust and drive influence.
KEYNOTE & HOST
STUART JOHNSON
Founder & CEO, DSN, NOW Technologies and Direct Selling Partners Stuart has served the direct selling industry for 35+ years as the sole Founder and CEO of Direct Selling Partners (formerly SUCCESS Partners), Direct Selling News and NOW Technologies. His passion for the channel encompasses a broader commitment to build and connect the direct selling community through exclusive industry events such as Direct Selling University and the annual DSN Global Celebration. DIRECT SELLING PARTNERS
REGISTER FOR FREE, VISIT DSU2022.COM CHOOSE THE IN-PERSON OR LIVESTREAM EXPERIENCE! S p e a ke rs s u b j e ct to cha ng e.
MEET THE DSU SPEAKERS
APRIL 20/21 | FRISCO, TX | 35+ SPEAKERS | 2 FULL DAYS ROW I
ROW II
RUDY REVAK, Founder & Chairman, Xyngular | Chairman, PUREhaven Essentials
MIKE LOHNER, President, Direct Selling Acquisition Corporation
KELLY BELLEROSE, SVP of Marketing, 4Life
HEATHER CHASTAIN, Founder & CEO, Bridgehead Collective & Podcast Host
STUART MACMILLAN, President, MONAT
KEVIN GUEST, Chairman & CEO, USANA
JESSE MCKINNEY, Co-Founder & CEO, Red Aspen
MARK PENTECOST, Founder & CEO, It Works!
JOHN PARKER, West Region President & Chief Sales Officer, Amway
KATY HOLT-LARSEN, President, Kyäni
TARL ROBINSON, Founder & CEO, Plexus Worldwide
GENIE REESE, Co-Founder & CSO, Red Aspen
AMI PERRY, VP of Business Development, NOW Technologies
WAYNE MOOREHEAD, Marketing, Branding & Direct-to-Consumer Industry Expert | Podcast Host
SINAN TUNA, CEO, Farmasi
PAUL ADAMS, CEO, Adams Resource Group
BRIAN UNDERWOOD, Co-Founder & CEO, Prüvit
SARAH SHADONIX, Founder & CEO, Scout & Cellar
BOB REINA, Founder & CEO, QuiAri
S p e a ke rs s u b j e ct to cha ng e.
DON THOMPSON, President, LegalShield
Network Division
ROW III KIRSTEN AGUILAR, EVP of Global Marketing & SeneCare, SeneGence
LYNNE COTÉ, President & CEO, Princess House DEBORAH K. HEISZ, Co-CEO, Neora NOAH WESTERLUND, Executive Vice President,
NOW Technologies
AMANDA MOORE, Co-Founder & COO, Red Aspen DANIEL PICOU, Founder & CEO, Vasayo KINDSEY PENTECOST, Chief Marketing Officer, It Works! SHELLEY ROJAS, Publisher & Chief Brand Officer, DSN
TO REGISTER AND LEARN MORE ABOUT THE DSU HYBRID EVENT, VISIT DSU2022.COM TODAY!
ROLF SORG, Founder & CEO, PM-International JACK FALLON, Founder & CEO, Total Life Changes
Scan to Register
J O I N
U S
F O R
THE I N DUST RY AWA R D S E V E N T
S
T
ER-CE N OM T
R
S
T
ER-CE N OM T
O F
U
C
C
U
IC
IC
R
D E C O G N I Z E
P L A T I N U M R
Y E A R
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
R
CCR CCR G O L D
T H E
D E C O G N I Z E
1 3 T H A N N U A L D S N G L O B A L C E L E B R AT I O N 6 PM Cocktail Reception (in-person) / 7-10 PM Dinner, Awards & Virtual Broadcast
+ HYBRID EVENT - TUESDAY, APRIL 19, 2022
The Oscars of Direct Selling! The DSN Global Celebration has become one of DSN’s signature events, and it’s where the much-anticipated Global 100 List is unveiled each year along with several awards recognizing outstanding achievements of the channel’s elite companies and executives.
TO ATTEND IN PERSON VISIT DSU2022.COM
This year’s event is a hybrid event with both in-person and virtual options taking place on Tuesday, April 19, from 6 PM to 10 PM (CT).
In-Person attendance is reserved for active corporate executives and event sponsors, requires registration and takes place at the Omni Frisco Hotel in Frisco, Texas. Tickets are $149 per person for the in-person event. DSN Members and event sponsors receive complimentary access. The virtual live stream is open to all and free to watch, including distributors, to share in celebrating the achievements of their companies and executive leadership.
H O S T S
SHELLEY ROJAS
HEATHER CHASTAIN
Shelley is an experienced
With 20 years of cross-
multi-medium creative,
functional experience in
seasoned executive and
direct selling, Heather brings
leader who has worked with
a solid understanding of
hundreds of companies over 20+ years. In 2021
sales, marketing, technology, manufacturing,
Shelley was named Chief Brand Officer and
operations and C-Suite challenges as well
Publisher for Direct Selling News. In this role,
as a strong collaborative and relational
Shelley oversees the day-to-day operations of
style of leadership to the table. Heather has
the brand’s multimedia outlets, which include
held executive roles at Shaklee, Arbonne
digital and print publications, podcasts, original
International, Celebrating Home and
content and research.
BeautiControl. Heather is the host of the new DSN podcast, Iconic Insights.
A C E L E BR AT ION ! Honoring the Best in Direct Selling! Join us for the unveiling of the Global 100 List along with several Bravo Growth Awards, including domestic, international, product and service categories. Additional awards and recognition include: •
Lifetime Achievement Award
•
2022 Best Places to Work in Direct Selling
•
Bravo Leadership Award
•
Bravo Global Good Award for Meaningful
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Lifetime Achievement Award: Celebrates an influential individual in direct selling for their decades of service to the betterment and advancement of the channel and its participants.
Global Responsibility
2022 Best Places to Work in Direct Selling:
•
Customer-Centric Recognition
Honors the important role companies play as
•
And a NEW Bravo Impact Award will be
employers in the marketplace and highlights those
unveiled this year!
companies that are setting the bar for establishing and nurturing work experiences and environments that bring out the very best in people.
Scan to Purchase tickets for in-person. DSN Members and event sponcors attend for FREE. To claim your complimentary tickets, email events@directsellingnews.com.
Bravo Awards: Each Year our Bravo Awards
International Growth Award: The international
panel recognizes companies for outstanding
direct selling company with the highest revenue
achievement and excellence in areas of
growth year-over-year.
leadership and the highest percentage of revenue growth year-over-year. Specialty awards are also given to individuals and companies for their achievements and service
Global Good Award: Recognizes companies that
in the direct selling channel.
take a proactive approach to environmental, philanthropic and social responsibility issues.
Leadership Award: Recognizes a direct selling
NEW Impact Award: Honors the achievements
executive for outstanding achievement and
of companies that take a holistic, measured and
exceptional leadership while honoring their
incremental approach to growth, innovation and
commitment to the advancement of the channel.
operational integrity and excellence.
S
T
ER-CE N OM T
R
S
T
ER-CE N OM T
R
U
C
C
U
IC
IC
CCR CCR G O L D
R
D E C O G N I Z E
P L A T I N U M R
D E C O G N I Z E
Growth Award: The domestic-based direct selling
Customer Centric Recognition: This program
company with the highest year-over-year revenue
celebrates companies that are leading the way
growth and percentage growth.
toward a customer-centric future for the industry. Qualifying companies utilize business models that boast high customer-to-distributor rations and prioritize customer sales.
F E AT U R E
/
N AV I G AT I N G
T H E
S U P P LY
C H A I N
C R I S I S
NAVIGATING THE SUPPLY CHAIN CRISIS
TWO YEARS OF SHIPPING DELAYS AND PRODUCT SHORTAGES HAVE LED TO INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS AND A NEW APPROACH TO “BUSINESS AS USUAL.”
BY SARAH PAULK
w w w. d i r e c t s e l l i n g n e w s . c o m 4 5
F E AT U R E
/
N AV I G AT I N G
N
T H E
S U P P LY
O ONE IS EXEMPT FROM PANDEMIC-FUELED SUPPLY CHAIN CHALLENGES. From groceries to glass bottles, raw ingredients to packaging materials, it seems every industry has had to manage the absence or reduced availability of at least one element in the links that bind the manufacturing, distribution and promotional chains. For companies who have miraculously avoided this complication on a macro‑level, there have been other hurdles, like a complex and sluggish shipping calendar, and the nuisance of everyday outages that impact everything from office supplies to event catering options. “Everyone is dealing with the choke in the supply chain,” said Gene Tipps, Plexus Worldwide President of Global Operations. “It doesn’t matter if you’re insourcing or outsourcing, coming from China or India, or the other way around. It’s been a pretty big challenge.” The direct selling industry has not been immune to these complications, but taking a look at the data, which includes a record-breaking 13.2 percent growth in 2020 and 7.7 million entrepreneurs who participated on a full- or part-time basis, it’s apparent that industry leaders have found industrious and innovative ways to transform what could have been a sales-crushing season into one of the highest growth periods to date.
4 6 D I R E C T
SELLING NEWS
|
APRIL 2022
C H A I N
C R I S I S
“
Everyone is dealing with the choke in the supply chain. — G E N E T I P P S / P l e x u s Wo r l d w i d e P r e s i d e n t of Global Operations
Communication Is Key
First and foremost, companies who thrived amid supply chain challenges began with one crucial step: Communication. For Plexus Worldwide, each day began with updates for its leaders. There were delays everywhere—in the U.S., Mexico, Australia and Canada—but giving team members an idea of what to expect made the uncertainty more manageable for everyone, from distributors to customers. “Communication alleviated a lot of their concerns and questions,” said Tipps. “When you don’t communicate, people start conjuring up their own ideas of what’s going on and, in that environment, people tend to swing toward the negative.” Many companies also deployed website banners, with messages that alerted customers to shipping delays, to manage customer satisfaction levels. These static messages have proven integral to prevent disappointment, but it is the communication between leaders, who then pass it on to their teams, that has made the biggest impact. “We overcommunicate,” Tipps said. “We are extremely transparent with our leadership base and the relationship we have with them means we keep them in the loop. Then they are able to communicate with their downline so everyone knows what to expect. We know they will be getting hit with all kinds of questions, and we don’t want them to be in a spot where they don’t know the answer.”
Outsmarting the Supply Chain
For those in charge of logistics, the supply chain crisis has presented an enormous puzzle. As facets of the chain became unavailable or impossible to secure, industry executives had to shift each step in the process to accommodate another more readily available solution. Like jigsaw pieces, it took looking at each element from different angles to find just the right fit. When it seemed like the puzzle couldn’t be solved, many executive leaders simply outsmarted the game. “It’s all about relationships,” Tipps explained. “You can have all the manufacturing agreements and quality and supply in place, but when something like COVID hits, all that stuff goes out the window.”
WHEN IT SEEMED like the puzzle couldn’t be solved, many executive leaders simply outsmarted the game.
w w w. d i r e c t s e l l i n g n e w s . c o m 47
F E AT U R E
/
N AV I G AT I N G
T H E
S U P P LY
C H A I N
C R I S I S
Through strong vendor and supplier relationships, built on mutual trust and respect, Tipps said Plexus was able to leverage its connections to stay ahead of the shortages and err on the side of caution. Beyond those, Plexus also went outside of their contract manufacturers to secure packaging components that were notoriously taking longer to arrive. Pre-COVID, the company’s manufacturing partners controlled all of the packaging. With this
4 8 D I R E C T
SELLING NEWS
|
APRIL 2022
“
We’re looking at bringing some of the manufacturing closer to our shores in North America and are evaluating manufacturers who could help us save on lead times by manufacturing goods here or in Central or South America. — M AT T H E W WA R N E R / M O NAT G l o b a l C h i e f O p e r a t i n g O f f i c e r
strategic move, the company was able to dole out critical elements, like induction liners, even when their partners were completely out of stock. This doubling down on vendor relationships has been the key for many companies, including QuiAri, who increased its supplier roster in preparation for mounting challenges. “We sought out additional vendors when needed who quickly adapted to the challenges of the pandemic and became more efficient,” said QuiAri Chief Executive Officer Bob Reina. “We’ve learned a lot of valuable lessons from the crisis and will always continue to support the needs of the market as we continue to grow. The crisis only strengthened the relationships between us and our vendors.”
Moving Manufacturing
Having access to products is key, but once those products are in hand, several layers still remain between when a customer’s order is placed, and when it arrives on their doorstep. Even the most minute details can slow a company’s processes. Wooden pallets, for example, were in scarce supply for a period last year. While that might sound insignificant, consider that Australia has strict requirements that stipulate shipments must arrive on wooden pallets with a specific treatment, and that seemingly tiny problem becomes a major roadblock.
Logistical challenges like these have accelerated a decision many companies have considered for a while, which is moving manufacturing closer to North America, if not bringing it home entirely. “We are shifting our supply chain to an Asia Plus One strategy,” said Matthew Warner, MONAT Global Chief Operating Officer. “We’re looking at bringing some of the manufacturing closer to our shores in North America and are evaluating manufacturers who could help us save on lead times by manufacturing goods here or in Central or South America.” Relocating manufacturing or adding additional manufacturing facilities closer to home would help companies like MONAT avoid the erratic supply chain hiccups that inevitably occur with long distance shipments. The further a shipment has to travel, the more opportunity there is for error or delay—like COVID-impacted worker shortages in factories and deliveries getting bumped off of ships. Regional manufacturing would provide more flexibility to respond to individual markets. It would also shorten the lead time necessary for companies to accurately forecast their supply needs. “If I’m looking at forecasting a bottle I need to source, normal lead time from China is six months right now,” Warner said. “If I can do that in America, my forecast accuracy is far better and more precise. Our forecast accuracy has improved as we bring manufacturing closer to home.” w w w. d i r e c t s e l l i n g n e w s . c o m 4 9
F E AT U R E
/
N AV I G AT I N G
T H E
S U P P LY
C H A I N
C R I S I S
The Brand Takes Precedence
At the end of last year, the backlog of container ships waiting to be unloaded was mind boggling. In Los Angeles alone, almost half a million containers were waiting in drift areas—a holding location where containers often waited up to a month before a space on the port became available. Securing shipping containers became impossible at times, and when they were available, the delivery delays were extensive. To circumvent these challenges, many companies turned to air freight, which had the disadvantage of costing up to ten times more than traditional shipping. It was a decision that cut deeply into profits, but protected brands from breaking promises to customers and distributors they had spent years building relationships with. “We felt like we had an obligation to people, even though it was a financial burden for the company,” Tipps said. “Everything is about our brand and relationships with leaders and customers. It was short-term pain for long-term gain.” There have been other creative delivery channels during this season, like MONAT’s contract with a “fast boat” service that allowed shipments to be loaded and unloaded more quickly than traditional shipping containers without jumping the line, and QuiAri’s method of shipping from different distribution locations to speed delivery. It’s an approach that is in keeping with the small business mentality of the direct selling industry, which requires innovative problem solving, heart and grit. “During the pandemic, there were some lessons learned about importing and exporting supplements, getting product approvals and finding alternative shipping carriers when the ports and governments were all closed,” Reina said. “But we have a ‘whatever it takes’ philosophy. Even though it was more expensive, we sent product via air freight, and we constantly stayed in contact with local government officials to be sure all approvals that were pending were in the pipeline.”
5 0 D I R E C T
SELLING NEWS
|
APRIL 2022
New Strategies for a New Normal
No business could have predicted a global pandemic or the challenges it would bring with it, but hindsight is teaching many executives a new way to approach the logistics involved in delivering high-quality products across a challenging and rapidly evolving supply chain system. Leaders who have endured these challenges are now equipped with new strategies, like keeping a larger quantity of safety stock on hand and owning the hard-to-source packaging elements on their own, rather than depend on a second- or third-party manufacturer to keep them in stock. Decentralized manufacturing that allows for a flexible response to international markets is also becoming more attractive. “Companies like Amazon, Wal-Mart and Tesla didn’t suffer,” Reina said. “They found creative ways to adapt their business strategy to overcome the disruptions. We might not be as big as Amazon or Wal-Mart, but we have the same mindset and operate like a multibillion-dollar company.” DSN
Protect your brand from anywhere.
Custom compliance solutions.
IntegriShield solves marketing and compliance violations for companies around the globe with customized full-service solutions. With no long-term commitments and pricing for every budget, IntegriShield will ensure your brand is always protected with services including:
Web & Social Media Monitoring
Paid Search Monitoring
Shopping Ad Monitoring
Video Monitoring & Transcription
Display Ad Monitoring
Trademark Remediation
See why we have an over 90% client retention rate since 2012. Contact us today to learn more. Call 885-429-1131 or visit us at integrishield.com.
Call 885-429-1131 integrishield.com
C O V E R
B
52 D I R E C T
S TO R Y
P W
/
B E S T
P L AC E S
T
SELLING NEWS
|
APRIL 2022
TO
W O R K
Best Places To Work I N D I R EC T SELLING 2022
SEVEN HONOREES SHARE THEIR
INSIGHT AND WISDOM ON HOW TO CREATE A GREAT WORK ENVIRONMENT AMID UNPRECEDENTED CHALLENGES.
BY SARAH PAULK
C O V E R
S TO R Y
/
B E S T
P L AC E S
B
H
TO
P W
W O R K
T
IGHLY ENGAGED EMPLOYEES appreciate their coworkers,
love the organization they are working for and are fully
connected to the overall mission and goals associated with their role. They function like company evangelists, catalyzing contagious enthusiasm to the rest of the team. These employees don’t happen on their own, however, and creating an environment that fosters them requires senior leaders and decision‑makers who are committed to designing work environments that not only align with the needs of local employees, but also broader shifts in the marketplace. This year, companies who rose above the competition to earn the title of Best Places to Work in Direct Selling 2022 exuded a willingness to transparently communicate during uncertain times, scale flexibility for workers, dig deep to boost pay and charismatically cast vision for long‑term success.
5 4 D I R E C T
SELLING NEWS
|
APRIL 2022
Highly engaged employees appreciate their coworkers, love the organization they are working for and are fully connected to the overall mission and goals associated with their role.
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
C O V E R
S TO R Y
/
B E S T
P L AC E S
Compassion Is Key
TO
W O R K
The modern workplace has endured turbulent changes during the last two years and survey data in Quantum Workplace’s Employee Engagement Report: Top 6 Trends in 2021 illustrates that these disruptions may endure in the foreseeable future. Nationwide, 2020 was the year of engagement, returning the highest levels of engagement the company had ever seen in its research. It was an unexpected plot twist, given all the uncertainty the year brought, but many leaders quickly adapted their policies to support employee needs. Flexibility was the new office buzzword and teams shifted to remote or hybrid models with a priority of protecting health and wellbeing. The data shows that this increased the level of trust employees had in their leadership and led them to engage at higher levels and with greater satisfaction in their roles. These elevated numbers persisted into 2021, when the first quarter of the year showed
5 6 D I R E C T
SELLING NEWS
|
APRIL 2022
continued peak engagement. By spring, however, those numbers were beginning to level off and in the second and third quarter of 2021, employee engagement dropped. While this data reflects the results of a wider marketplace, these trends were evident in a targeted analysis of the direct selling industry as well. 2020 was a banner year for employee engagement within the direct selling industry, but those engagement levels saw a significant decline throughout 2021. This year’s report shows that highly engaged employees represent only about half of all employees (55 percent), with moderately engaged following closely behind (33 percent). Barely engaged increased to nine percent, and disengaged bounced back to pre-pandemic levels of three percent. Amid these numbers was an undertone that Quantum Workplace detected across industries: Fatigue. COVID fatigue, communication fatigue and fatigue in general plagued both leadership and
B
P W
T
Congratulations to all of our
2022 Best Places To Work
in Direct Selling Honorees! 6 -T I M E W I N N E R LifeVantage
5 -T I M E W I N N E R S USANA Plexus
4 -T I M E W I N N E R S Scentsy MONAT
3 -T I M E W I N N E R
Total Life Changes
2 -T I M E W I N N E R Neora
employees. This has been a taxing season, and the levels of engagement reflect that. Companies who have weathered this season well didn’t deny this fatigue, but rather compassionately listened to the needs and concerns of employees. “We have heard the feedback loud and clear from our employees since introducing hybrid work,” said Darjennys Olivares, MONAT Senior Generalist, People Experience. “It has helped with productivity, turnover, wellness and allows us to have easier access to top talent. MONAT understands the importance of communication and creating a psychologically safe environment for our employees. Open communication has been imperative during this pandemic season starting from the top. Our newsletters, meet and greets and townhalls are just a few channels that MONAT uses to share and connect with our employees. We have also implemented things like paid COVID leave, providing hand sanitizer, masks and gloves to our employees, disinfecting high touched areas, among others, to ensure the safety of our employees.” w w w. d i r e c t s e l l i n g n e w s . c o m 57
C O V E R
S TO R Y
/
B E S T
P L AC E S
TO
W O R K
3%
DISENGAGED
9% THIS YEAR’S QUANTUM WORKPLACE’S EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
BARELY ENGAGED
REPORT SHOWS THAT HIGHLY ENGAGED EMPLOYEES REPRESENT ONLY ABOUT HALF OF ALL EMPLOYEES (55 PERCENT), WITH MODERATELY ENGAGED FOLLOWING CLOSELY BEHIND (33 PERCENT). BARELY ENGAGED INCREASED TO NINE PERCENT, AND DISENGAGED BOUNCED
33%
MODERATELY ENGAGED
55%
HIGHLY ENGAGED
BACK TO PRE-PANDEMIC LEVELS OF THREE PERCENT.
1
2
EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT PROFILES QUANTUM WORKPLACE CLASSIFIES EMPLOYEES IN FOUR DIFFERENT CATEGORIES BASED ON THEIR RESPECTIVE LEVELS OF ENGAGEMENT:
BARELY ENGAGED: One foot is out the door for these employees. Whether they are actively avoiding or barely completing their tasks, their indifference is obvious and their disconnection from the team will lead to hindered productivity if left unchecked.
4
DISENGAGED: These employees are completely disconnected from the workplace. Turnover risk is high, as is the potential for their negative attitude and meager motivation levels to spread to other team members.
5 8 D I R E C T
SELLING NEWS
3
|
APRIL 2022
MODERATELY ENGAGED: They might be connected, but something is holding these employees back from giving 100 percent. The good news is that it won’t take much effort to make the one or two minor adjustments necessary to positively shift their mindset.
HIGHLY ENGAGED: These employees are your company ambassadors. They have bought into the overall mission of the organization, are proud of their role in the company and plan to stay. Their positive experience and attitude serve to strengthen the organization.
Empower to Engage
Monitoring the upward trajectory of employee engagement during 2020 and then the rebounding steps backward that followed offers prime opportunities for leaders seeking to improve employee engagement and overall satisfaction in the future. First, communication was a key element in preventing disconnection during the abrupt switch to remote work models. C-suite leaders and executives made themselves highly visible through Facebook lives and consistent updates in the early stages of the pandemic. As 2021 waned, so did this heightened level of communication. Executives turned back toward their behindthe-scenes tasks of keeping operations running and employees felt the dearth of this personal interaction. Connection builds trust, and leaders now have the infrastructure and experience to do it well. Companies that have developed highly engaged employees lean on a rhythm and feedback model that both nurtures this relationship while preventing burnout for executives struggling to juggle it all. “Transparency is a big one for us as is communicating candidly,” said Steve Fife, LifeVantage Chief Executive Officer. “We have a monthly all-hands staff meeting to discuss the current and upcoming priorities, talk about our progress and take any questions (and yes, we do get questions). Our executives are also hosting lunches where any employee can come to get to know our executives better and talk about what is on their minds.”
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
C O V E R
S TO R Y
/
B E S T
P L AC E S
TO
W O R K
Second, now that employees have tasted what the freedom and flexibility of remote work feels like, as well as experiencing a season of employment when their health and wellbeing was of highest priority, honoring individual empowerment is non-negotiable. Even though national trends illustrate that the number of remote workers reduced by half last year, many employees are now aware that their role can be completed successfully outside of the office and
6 0 D I R E C T
SELLING NEWS
|
APRIL 2022
they want the latitude to decide how, when and where they will work. “The past two years have been extremely hard on everyone, leading to severe burnout around the world. Because of this, employees everywhere have understandingly slowly become less and less engaged,” said USANA President Jim Brown. “Given USANA’s strong foundation of employee satisfaction, a large company-wide drop off in engagement has not been seen. Allowing flexible employee schedules
Get a sales tax expert on your team
“
Virtual and in‑person events help to keep tasks fun and engaging, and managers and executives are holding regular check ins. USANA is doing everything it can to keep its employees happy and engaged.
SHARA SUMNALL SALES TAX SPECIALIST
— J I M B R O W N / U S A NA P r e s i d e n t
I lead Squire’s sales tax team, keeping direct-selling companies compliant with state and local tax laws. Our industry-specific approach includes nexus determination and tackling the challenges of sales tax calculations, registrations, filings, and related issues, such as exemption certificate management. I’m an expert in multi-state sales and use tax issues.
USAGE OF TAGLINED
helps maintain engagement. EmployeesLOGOS are able to find balance in their lives and work best in an environment The tagline "AUDIT.TAX.ADVISORY" only accompanies the logo in of the where they feel safe and comfortable. At the end circumstances where context requires clarification what Squire can do day, it’s important for employees, and about people in general, for current and potential customers audience). to know they are cared for and(theappreciated. USANA has always made this a top priority—but especially For example, Squire.com and its now. subsequent web pages feature the oneVirtual and in-person events help keep tasks fun and taglineto version (HIGHER PERSPECTIVE ONLY) of the Squire engaging, and managers andlogo executives are holding because the subpage content throughout the site provides adequate regular check ins. USANA is doing everything it can to context to visitors. keep its employees happy andOnengaged.” the other hand, if the team attends a national financial trade show where Squire should differentiate itself from a neighboring financial software company, then trade show banners need to include the tagline, “Audit-TaxAdvisory.”
Treat the secondary tagline like it’s part
LEARN MORE
One-tagline version of full color logo
Secondary-tagline version of full color logo
One-tagline version of white logo 2022_DSN_Shara_QuoteAd.indd
SQUIRE.COM ( 801 ) 225-6900
AUDIT · TAX · ADVISORY
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 1
3/7/22 3:48 PM
C O V E R
S TO R Y
/
B E S T
P L AC E S
TO
W O R K
Where Direct Selling Shines
The direct selling industry showed great strength in the Personal Engagement, Team Dynamics and Trust in Leadership categories. Eighty-six percent of respondents agreed with the statement “I believe this organization will be successful in the future.” n
QUANTUM WORKPL ACE METHODOLOGY THIS IS THE SEVENTH YEAR THAT DIRECT SELLING NEWS HAS PARTNERED WITH QUANTUM WORKPLACE TO MEASURE, ANALYZE AND, ULTIMATELY, HONOR THE CHANNEL’S BEST PLACES TO WORK.
W
e opened
the others, although certain
nominations for
topics may be covered more
the Best Place to
frequently than others.
Work in Direct Selling August 1,
Six of the 30 questions on
2021, began surveying
the survey are designed
October 25 and closed the
to quantify discretionary
survey on December 17. Seven
effort, intent to stay and
outstanding companies made
advocacy for company.
the cut for our 2022 honorees.
The other 24 questions
Since 2010, Quantum has
measure workplace culture,
surveyed more than 8,000
identifying, for example,
organizations annually
the kind of conditions under
representing numerous
which employees are more
industry sectors through the
likely to advocate for their
Best Places to Work Program.
employers. The questions
This year marks the seventh
may be standard, but the
year that Quantum has
results are highly individual.
surveyed the direct selling
They shed light on what each
industry. The Best Places
company can do to retain
to Work Program survey
their valued employees. And,
utilizes the same 30 questions
as we examine the direct
across six categories for all
selling channel, those results
participants, regardless of
suggest some patterns within
industry. No single question is
our broader industry that
weighted more heavily than
merit discussion.
62 D I R E C T
SELLING NEWS
|
APRIL 2022
n Eighty-three percent agreed with “I am proud to work here.” n Eighty-two percent said they were happy with their job. n Across
large- and medium-sized companies, 81 percent of employees said that the people they work most closely with are committed to producing top-quality work. Direct selling employees overwhelmingly feel pride and find happiness in their jobs. Medium-sized companies had an edge over larger companies in the Manager Effectiveness category, with 90 percent saying they believed their manager cared about them as a person and 88 percent saying their immediate manager helps them to be successful in their job. At the end of the day, employees leave work and go into their community where their health and happiness will have a direct impact on their region. When a company is a great place to work, the local and broader community benefits from their positive experience. “Recently, Plexus commissioned an independent economic impact study, which showed the company had a $74 million GDP economic impact in Arizona and $882 million GDP impact on the U.S. economy, demonstrating Plexus as a major economic driver, including $25 million in U.S. sales taxes,” said Plexus Founder and CEO Tarl Robinson. “When you can see, feel and measure the extent to which Plexus is making a difference, it’s easy to understand why we’re a great place to work.”
“
When you can see, feel and measure the extent to which Plexus is making a difference, it’s easy to understand why we’re a great place to work. —TA R L RO B I N S O N / P l e x u s Fo u n d e r & C E O
Competitive Pay Matters
The Great Resignation has built a heated job market, where job openings aren’t hard to come by and inflated bonuses and attractive perks have begun to lure even long-term employees to consider a switch for better pay. In the direct selling industry, this is increasingly critical to consider, especially given this year’s data.
Only 56 percent of employees within the direct selling industry reported feeling that they were paid fairly, a sizeable decrease from 68 percent last year. A three to five percent drop from one year to the next in Quantum Workplace’s survey represents a meaningful change that can usually be felt by the organization. A 12 percent decline? That’s a seismic shift. 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
C O V E R
S TO R Y
/
B E S T
P L AC E S
TO
W O R K
“
Ours is a safe, encouraging and diverse environment where human beings are empowered to grow and thrive. — B L A I R C R E M E E N S , To t a l L i f e C h a n g e s D i r e c t o r o f M a r k e t i n g
Possibly even more important, this 56 percent is starkly beneath the national average of 74 percent. Competitive pay is now a dealbreaker and the companies that employees describe as the best places to work know this to be true. “Employee recognition has and will continue to be a top priority for us,” said Jim Morrison, Neora Senior Director of Human Resources. “We continue to offer competitive salaries, bonuses and benefits.” There is a war on talent happening right now, as companies urgently seek to fill their positions, and the best places to work are well-versed in what it means to go the extra mile to attract and retain top employees. Scentsy accomplishes this with a long list of incentives that prioritize work-life balance like “bring your child to work day” and an inclusive parental leave program. They also go above and beyond with unexpected extras, like an onsite fitness center that features intramurals, classes and personal trainers and subsidized meals from an onsite restaurant that offers gourmet breakfast and lunch menus. “With increased labor shortages and inflation, we have evaluated and reevaluated our salary structures and pay philosophies to ensure we’re offering competitive pay and compensation packages,” said Dan Orchard, Scentsy President and Interim CEO. “We have gotten creative with flexible schedules and out-of-the-box strategies to balance where and how people work in all areas of our business, and we offer an incredible number of perks for employees.”
6 4 D I R E C T
SELLING NEWS
|
APRIL 2022
Keeping Promises
Opportunities for reaching employees who wouldn’t define themselves as highly engaged abound, but crafting an environment where people thrive at work must begin with caring equally about all employees. In 2020 and 2021, many companies made commitments toward Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts (DE&I), and now employees expect to see returns and gains on those promises. While there is still much work to be done, medium-sized direct selling companies fared well in regard to DE&I, with 89 percent of respondents saying they believe that everyone at their company is treated fairly regardless of race, gender, age, ethnic background, disability, sexual orientation or other differences. The best places to work in direct selling know how to accentuate the many elements important to employees—competitive pay, compassionate leadership, flexibility and transparency—while also holding to tenets of equity and inclusion that make an organization a safe and welcoming place to work. “Love is at the root of Total Life Changes,” said Blair Cremeens, Total Life Changes Director of Marketing. “Ours is a safe, encouraging and diverse environment where human beings are empowered to grow and thrive. Here, we don’t just look out for each other; we believe in one another. We aren’t just a company; we are a family. We celebrate, have fun and make memories together. People are at the heart of all that we do, and we do it for our families and a brighter future.” DSN
USANA
INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE SIMPLIFIED
International technology platform and logistics solutions for direct sellers.
globalaccess.com
F E AT U R E
/
P R I O R I T I Z E
YO U R
I N C O M E
D I S C LO S U R E
S TAT E M E N T
PRIORITIZE YOUR INCOME DISCLOSURE STATEMENT HERE ARE THE BEST PRACTICES TO ENSURE YOURS IS EFFECTIVE, ACCURATE AND TRUTHFUL.
BY BR ANKO JOVANOVIC, JOHN C.C. SANDERS, JR., K ATR I N A G . E A S H & C H A S E C . CO O P E R
6 8 D I R E C T
SELLING NEWS
|
APRIL 2022
F E AT U R E
/
P R I O R I T I Z E
In
YO U R
I N C O M E
D I S C LO S U R E
“
late October 2021, the Federal Trade Commission
(FTC) sent letters to more than 1,100 companies warning that misrepresentations or deceptive claims about earnings or income opportunities could trigger civil penalties of up to $43,792 per violation. Recipients of these notices included virtually every major direct selling company and various other types of “gig economy” businesses. The warning letters did not provide examples of claims that might give rise to an action, but for many years the FTC has published guidance on how to make representations about money-making opportunities that are not deceptive. One of the most important features of a non-deceptive income claim is that it is supported by unbiased data. And in recent years, the FTC has repeatedly emphasized that representations about income opportunities should reflect the earnings of a typical distributor. For most direct sales companies, their income disclosure statement (IDS) is their most prominent— and public—presentation of the earnings opportunity available to their prospective and current distributors. So, ensuring that your IDS reliably and accurately reflects the actual experience of a typical distributor, as borne out in your company’s business intelligence data, should be a top priority for every direct seller. We’ve outlined some strategies we’ve used to help our clients create an IDS that effectively captures the earnings opportunities available to typical distributors while guarding against representations that could be construed as misleading.
70 D I R E C T
S TAT E M E N T
SELLING NEWS
|
APRIL 2022
For most direct sales companies, their income disclosure statement (IDS) is their most prominent—and public—presentation of the earnings opportunity available to their prospective and current distributors.
Ensuring that your IDS reliably and accurately reflects the actual experience of a typical distributor should be a top priority for every direct seller.
Strong Preferred Customer Programs Help Companies Accurately Capture Typical Distributor Activity
Every direct selling company has some distributors who merely signed up to receive a discount on the company’s products. These distributors have no interest in selling the company’s products or building a business. They are merely end-user consumers, and they will earn little-to-no income from the company—which can deflate the average earnings across all distributors.
In an attempt to address this issue, some companies report the income of only a subset of distributors to try to provide a clearer picture of the experience of typical distributors who are actually interested in the business opportunity. One of the most common methods we have seen companies use is to exclude distributors who have no commissionable activity within a given time period from the calculation of disclosed distributor earnings. But excluding such distributors risks allegations that the IDS artificially inflates earnings by including only those distributors who have achieved some degree of success.
w w w. d i r e c t s e l l i n g n e w s . c o m 7 1
F E AT U R E
/
P R I O R I T I Z E
YO U R
I N C O M E
Instead, direct selling companies should consider a “preferred customer” program that allows new participants to accurately classify themselves from the beginning as a non-business builder who is only interested in consuming the company’s products. Preferred customers are generally more than just one-off retail customers, and they typically want to make regular or periodic product purchases at a discount. A robust preferred customer program that provides appropriate incentives for individuals to self-classify upon registration gives companies a principled and defensible way to exclude from their IDS persons who have no desire to participate in the compensation plan. A preferred customer program also makes it easier to quantify genuine demand for the company’s products, as this category of customers cannot participate in the compensation plan and is therefore purchasing solely for personal consumption. Direct selling companies should ensure their preferred-customer programs adequately incentivize participants to appropriately classify themselves upon registration. For instance, if the only meaningful difference between preferred customers and distributors is the opportunity to participate in the compensation program, a rational individual will choose to become a distributor, even if they do not really intend to build a business. For a preferred customer program to be effective, it is important for a company to provide adequate incentives to steer persons who love the products but do not want to build a business to enroll as preferred customers. This can be accomplished by lowering the enrollment and renewal fees for preferred customers, offering larger discounts to preferred customers,and/or by sending periodic gifts or product samples to preferred customers that are not available to distributors. Making product auto-shipments available exclusively to preferred customers is another great incentive that many companies offer.
72 D I R E C T
SELLING NEWS
|
APRIL 2022
D I S C LO S U R E
S TAT E M E N T
“
For a preferred customer program to be effective, it is important for a company to provide adequate incentives to steer persons who love the products but do not want to build a business to enroll as preferred customers.
Distributor Expenses Should be Disclosed Where Possible
IDSs frequently do not disclose or quantify business expenses incurred by the typical distributor that reduce their net earnings, which paints an overly rosy picture of distributor earnings. For instance, many IDSs do not include statements regarding costs charged by (and known to) the company, including fees for registration and renewal, distributor websites, shipping, conferences and events, etc. The IDS should also prominently disclose that, as independent contractors, distributors may choose to incur various other business expenses that are not reimbursable by the company, which reduce distributors’ net income. An IDS that fails to apprise distributors of these fees and expenses creates risk of FTC scrutiny.
Business Intelligence Data Calculations Should Accurately Reflect the Typical Distributor.
Calculating a typical distributor’s income is no easy task. Some companies’ IDSs merely disclose the total amount of compensation paid out to distributors at each level over the course of the year, which does not capture how much a typical distributor within that rank earned. It is only slightly better to divide the total compensation paid out to all distributors at a given rank by the total number of distributors within the rank. Because there may be wide variation in how much distributors earned within a rank, simply calculating the arithmetic mean tells potential distributors little about how much a typical distributor at that rank earned. As a simple example, consider a group of 10 Level-1 distributors. Suppose four distributors earned no income over the course of a year, three distributors earned $10, two others earned $50, and one earned $500. The “average” earnings of the group for the year would work out to $63 per distributor, but the FTC would likely find that number misleading, because it hides the fact that all but one distributor in the group earned less than that amount, and 40 percent earned nothing at all. There are various strategies companies can take to ensure that the information presented in an IDS
reflects a typical distributor’s experience. For example, rather than using mean average to report distributor average incomes, other measures that better reflect the “central tendency” of the incomes across a group, such as the median (the value separating the higher half from the lower half of distributors in terms of their income) and the mode (the most frequently occurring value for distributors’ income), may more accurately show typicality. Companies should also include clear disclosures in their IDSs, to explain, for example, how the income figures were calculated, and the percentage of distributors who attain each of the various ranks. Ultimately, analyzing the business intelligence data to capture the earnings of a typical distributor is an art, and expert guidance is recommended. DSN
The authors of this article—attorneys at Winston & Strawn and economic consultants at The Brattle Group—have teamed up many times to help MLM clients develop IDSs that are carefully crafted to present an accurate and truthful reflection of the typical distributor’s experience. They can review your company’s IDS and help create a document that accurately promotes your income opportunity in accordance with industry best practices and regulatory guidance. w w w. d i r e c t s e l l i n g n e w s . c o m 73
C O M PA N Y
74 D I R E C T
S P OT L I G H T
SELLING NEWS
|
/
APRIL 2022
R O DA N
+
F I E L D S
RODAN + FIELDS /
Rodan + Fields: A Season of Transformation and Celebration
T
BY JENNY VETTER
HE SKINCARE COMPANY that disrupted the industry with clinically proven products is officially a teenager. As
Rodan + Fields celebrates its 15th birthday, the company enters an exciting season, guided by a new leadership team and renewed commitment to investing in their global field of consultants.
FOUNDED:
2007 HEADQUARTERS:
San Francisco, CA TOP EXECUTIVE:
Dimitri Haloulos, CEO + President P R O D U C T C AT E G O RY:
Premium Skincare
w w w. d i r e c t s e l l i n g n e w s . c o m 75
C O M PA N Y
S P OT L I G H T
/
R O DA N
+
F I E L D S
“
With an unbelievable community, we think we can unlock the next wave of explosive growth, and we’re set on becoming the fastest growing billion‑dollar‑plus direct seller on the planet. — D I M I T R I H A LO U LO S / C h i e f E xe c u t ive O f f i c e r + P r e s i d e n t
Fresh Leadership Lineup
In January 2020, Dimitri Haloulos joined Rodan + Fields as Chief Growth Officer, excited to jump into the network marketing industry with both feet. He would only spend three months in the office before the world shifted in March of that year, forcing the company and entire consultant community in the field to adapt to the new stay‑athome orders. Fifteen months later, Haloulos went on to be named Chief Executive Officer and President of Rodan + Fields in March 2021. Despite taking the reins during the pandemic, he recognized there was a significant opportunity to harness the power of the passionate consultant community. “In my first three months as CEO, I spent about 125 hours with our consultants and got to know their stories at a pretty granular level,” he shared. “The diversity of story, regardless of level, whether they were a long-time leader or new to the company, Rodan + Fields, and how it fits in their lives can play such a different role. The symbiotic relationship is pretty phenomenal. It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen. I learned so much—and most of all, saw the shared passion they all have about Rodan + Fields. “We did a tremendous amount of work and pivoted the business all while being remote,” he explained. “That to me is probably the most amazing thing. It was a mix of our consultants and our employees coming together on a shared goal to make things happen.”
76 D I R E C T
SELLING NEWS
|
APRIL 2022
Haloulos would spend his first several months as Chief Executive Officer infusing the executive team and Board of Directors with deep industry and multi-category expertise, including Chief Global Sales Officer Laura Beitler and Chief Marketing Officer Elana Gold. With new leadership in place, Haloulos and the team were ready to unlock the company’s next wave of growth and show the world that R+F is just getting started.
Magic in Simplicity
In its first 15 years, R+F set new standards for skincare in network marketing and the broader skincare industry. While the company’s line of dermatologist-inspired, clinically proven products has consistently been recognized for its exceptional results, R+F has barely scratched the brand awareness surface. “We’re the number one prestige skincare and have the number one lash serum, yet six out of 10 consumers still don’t know who we are,” Haloulos explained. “At 15, we have an explosive wave of
growth ahead. With an unbelievable community, we believe we can unlock the next wave of explosive growth, and we’re set to become the fastest growing billion-dollar-plus direct seller on the planet.” To pursue this ambitious vision, the R+F team is laser-focused on transforming both the consultant experience and the brand message to give the field simple, powerful ways to share R+F with more customers than ever before. Chief Global Sales Officer Laura Beitler is using her decades of experience to bring the R+F consultant experience back to basics but to meet the demands of today’s digital world, giving both new and experienced consultants simpler, more effective ways to build their businesses. “One of the things that I’ve learned time and time again, is that there is magic in simplicity in this business,” she shared. “We have a really easy enrollment process—we’ve simplified it; streamlined it. I always say love is in details, so we’ve made the packaging beautiful so that the first experience with the company is just a wonderful and delightful w w w. d i r e c t s e l l i n g n e w s . c o m 7 7
C O M PA N Y
S P OT L I G H T
/
R O DA N
+
F I E L D S
experience. In terms of the simplification, we’re getting back to the basics in simplifying how a consultant runs their business, including a new digital application that centralizes everything they need in one place in the palm of their hand from their mobile phone. And it allows them to not only track their own personal activity, but if they have a team, it allows them to help lead and inspire and cheer on their team as well in a simple way.” Streamlined processes, a new simple sharing system and engaging new rewards have all been launched in the last several months with an incredible response from the field—but the R+F team wanted to dive deeper into how consultants felt about the opportunity, the products and the possibilities. “Since launch, results have been really great. The combination of this simple way to share in a repeatable way over and over again that gets results and that’s very systematic is what we’ve been
78 D I R E C T
SELLING NEWS
|
APRIL 2022
focused on. Power that up with our great portfolio and some great marketing materials and we’re excited about what’s to come,” added Beitler. The recent “Make It Yours” campaign highlighted 20 women—consultants of different levels in the company, ethnicities and backgrounds from the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada—and gave them the spotlight to share why they chose R+F and, more importantly, why they want to share it with others. “We worked to really understand how our consultants share what the opportunity represents to them—which means something different to everyone,” said Chief Marketing Officer Elana Gold. “The opportunity Rodan + Fields offers is amazing, and the campaign presents a genuine
“
At 15, we have an explosive wave of growth ahead. — D I M I T R I H A LO U LO S / C h i e f E xe c u t ive O f f i c e r
look at making it fall into your life and how to “Make it Yours.” We used the campaign to shine a light on real people and to showcase that you can use this opportunity however you want to make it your own. But we also make it fun; make it simple; make it easy.”
Just the Beginning
While strengthening the consultant experience has been a huge priority for the company in this season, R+F has also stayed true to their legacy of consistently developing powerful, proven skincare. Last fall, the company released a new multi-function anti-aging breakthrough, Total RF Serum. This serum is meant to amplify any of the R+F regimens through a clinically proven formula that was four years in the making. “We’re a regimen-based company, and we believe that the combination of the products really makes a difference—they do clinically,” Haloulos
said. “Total RF Serum accelerates those results. So, if you use a regimen, you’ll get better, faster results. But there are people that don’t want to start with a regimen, and they can start with this one product and also get visible results. It gives our consultants a way to grow incremental penetration in the consumer market.” As R+F blows out 15 candles, it seems that Haloulos and his team have made some big birthday wishes that they’re keeping under wraps for now. What’s clear is the solid foundation they’re laying for whatever comes next: A strong executive and home office team, powerful and simple consultant support and compelling new brand messaging. We can’t wait to see what their next birthday holds. “We’re really only in three countries, as Japan launched during the pandemic,” Haloulos said. “We’re only in one major category today. But we have expert-based technology we’ve been working on. We have a lot of runway to go.” DSN w w w. d i r e c t s e l l i n g n e w s . c o m 79
F E AT U R E
8 0 D I R E C T
/
B E
SELLING NEWS
S T R AT EG I C
|
APRIL 2022
A B O U T
YO U R
C O R P O R AT I O N ’ S
V I B E
BE STRATEGIC
ABOUT YOUR
CORPORATION’S VIBE 25 SIMPLE STEPS TO BUILD YOUR CORPORATE CULTURE BY TONY JEARY
C O R P O R AT E C U LT U R E H A S B E E N
a subject of interest for
executives for decades, and perhaps it matters more today than ever before. We would like to expand your thinking about what an ideal culture may look like, leveraging a book we recently wrote specifically on culture. The book is called Vibe.
w w w. d i r e c t s e l l i n g n e w s . c o m 81
F E AT U R E
/
B E
S T R AT EG I C
A B O U T
YO U R
C O R P O R AT I O N ’ S
V I B E
Create Vibe Through Your Brand
“
Without fresh ideas flowing in, you could be stuck in outdated practices that could cause you to lose your relevancy.
People make judgments based upon your brand, and every brand radiates some kind of Vibe—an energy at a subconscious level that’s either irresistible, repulsive or in between. When you intentionally make your brand’s Vibe irresistible, people will want to do business with you, work with you or strategically partner with you. As a top executive in your organization, decide now that you’ll be even more strategic about building an exceptional Vibe that attracts both people in the field and people to work in your corporate office. These 25 ideas may be helpful:
1 / Be innovative.
Supercharge the energy and thinking of your team by bringing in guests, mentors, colleagues and subjectmatter experts. Without fresh ideas flowing in, you could be stuck in outdated practices that could cause you to lose your relevancy and your positive Vibe.
2 / Be intentional in creating your environment.
Enhance your company’s Vibe with innovative distinctions in your work space. You can make every aspect of your space so intentional that people are already captivated with your energy the minute they walk in.
82 D I R E C T
SELLING NEWS
|
APRIL 2022
LO -RES
3 / Ensure your website and reviews exude Vibe.
People typically access your organization’s online presence when they’re checking out your brand. Brainstorm with your team (including your marketing people) to see how you can better leverage your Vibe throughout your and your leadership’s digital presence.
4 / Leverage references and testimonials.
Vibrant testimonials/reviews that include pictures, videos and letters speak loudly, because social proof is such a powerful tool today. Leverage them liberally on your website, your social channels and all your marketing tools.
5 / Be known as a “caring” company.
Caring for the values and situations of others is one element that determines whether a company has Vibe. It can be demonstrated by offering flexible working hours to support a person’s schedule, supporting team members in reaching their goals or any number of other ways.
Create Vibe Through Your Leadership Team
As a leader, you may be asking: Is our organization a leader in our industry? If not, how can we strengthen our leadership team to get us there? Here are some ways we believe you can create Vibe through your leadership team:
6 / Carefully cast your mission and vision.
As a leader, you—and every person who works for you—should be very clear on your mission and vision, which should be about the customer, the ownership and the people. Post your vision and mission statements on your website and on your walls strategically; convey them to people inside and outside of your organization; and even make them part of your taglines.
T
HE STRATEGIC ACCELERATION METHODOLOGY OF CLARITY, FOCUS AND EXECUTION drives success
and achieves results faster, and Vibe is the magic
VIBE
ingredient that supercharges all three. When that formula is executed throughout the leadership and culture of
an organization and applied to the right strategy, then
combined with the power of Vibe, visions become real, faster. This book will help force multiply your results by revealing what Vibe really is and how to get it, grow it and keep it!
7 / Be clear on your standards/values.
Post them on your walls; communicate them to people who are being interviewed so they will know how the culture works; and make them the basis for your performance appraisals.
8 / Create a High-Performing Team.
Know the difference between a group, a team and a High-Performing Team. In a group, people execute their tasks independently with no clear common goals. A team is a group of people working together interdependently toward a common goal. In a High‑Performing Team, people are focused on being as effective as possible and continually reevaluating to ensure they produce the best results. Each team member is highly invested in the outcomes and thus considerably motivated. Three powerful elements make the difference in moving up through these levels: Accountability, communication and trust. w w w. d i r e c t s e l l i n g n e w s . c o m 8 3
F E AT U R E
/
B E
S T R AT EG I C
A B O U T
YO U R
C O R P O R AT I O N ’ S
V I B E
Prioritize Organization
9 / Obtain clarity and maintain focus. Clarity involves understanding your vision, distinctly outlining your priorities, objectives and goals; having clearly defined values that align with your goals; clearly presenting your ideas and concepts, both internally and externally; and knowing where you are in relation to where you want to go. KEEP IN MIND: Focus, the opposite of distraction, is perhaps the single most impactful area that has the greatest opportunity for improvement.
10 / Avoid bureaucracy.
Bureaucracy puts a negative drain on the Vibe of any organization. Efficient lines of communication streamline an organization throughout its levels of authority and facilitate execution. People have the resources, tools, motivation and authority to do their work; can work much faster; and are more inspired to bring fresh ideas to the table. When empowered to make decisions rather than having to go through several levels of bureaucracy, people feel more invested in the outcome.
8 4 D I R E C T
SELLING NEWS
|
APRIL 2022
People often start making judgments based on how organized your company is. Here are some areas you may want to consider for improvement in the area of organization:
11 / Be best-practice oriented.
Correction of Errors, or COE, is a concept that simply means you’re constantly looking for best practices you can put into place. If something is not working, either create a best practice or search for one to correct it.
12 / Keep everything in order.
When people walk into your space and see that everything is clean and in order, it creates an immediate positive Vibe. Consider creating checklists to ensure routine tasks are performed properly every time and create standard operating procedures to automatically have things replenished, cleaned and organized.
13 / Create a second-to-none electronic tool chest.
Your electronic arsenal—which includes everything you’ve done as an organization—should be organized so you and your people can quickly access anything you need, and keep it user friendly, inviting and intuitive.
“
Focus, the opposite of distraction, is perhaps the single most impactful area that has the greatest opportunity for improvement.
14 / Build a company of “A” players.
Organizations attract a combination of A, B and C players. B players, though not highly-charged, are loyal, steady and good at follow-through; they’re valuable to an organization’s team. C players—those who are just barely making it—need to move up to at least a B-player position or find another place to work. A players give an organization Vibe, because they’re helpful, serving and caring. They proactively bring value to whomever they touch.
15 / Create a fast-paced culture.
Being fast-paced is a cultural issue that comes from the top. If your organization has a get-it-done-now philosophy, it emits a Vibe that says, “That’s how we excel.” The people you hire usually love that kind of Vibe.
Master Communication
Surveys consistently reveal that the top item HR leaders say could be improved company-wide is communication. People who work in companies that have mastered communication feel connected, in the know and appreciated. They know the company’s objectives and vision; feel a part of something bigger than themselves; and understand that when the company wins, they win. Conversely, people who work for companies that don’t put the right priority on communication typically have no idea what the objectives are—they’re often not even sure what their leaders really want or care about.
16 / Hold effective meetings.
Often, the most important indicator of a successful meeting is whether you reached your objectives. Remember that the objectives trump the agenda. The agenda is designed to help ensure you deliver on the objectives; and when you can confirm to your participants that you did, it can create a super‑positive Vibe.
17 / Learn Presentation Mastery™.
Use these eight powerful practices, shown in the mnemonic IPRESENT, to help bring Vibe to your speaking opportunities: I - Involve the audience P - Prepare your audience R - Research and build a powerful presentation arsenal E - Explain the why S - State management: 1. Vacationers (just vacationing) 2. Prisoners (really don’t want to be there) 3. Graduates (know it all) 4. Students (there to learn and absorb) E - Eliminate the unknowns N - kNow your audience T - Tailor your presentation
w w w. d i r e c t s e l l i n g n e w s . c o m 8 5
F E AT U R E
/
B E
S T R AT EG I C
A B O U T
YO U R
18 / Stay ahead with news and
direction.
Communicating in a timely manner gives your organization a positive Vibe, because your people feel they’re a part of the team and are always in the know.
C O R P O R AT I O N ’ S
V I B E
“
Communication is an asset rather than just a skill.
19 / Sharpen the communication saw. Communication is an asset rather than just a skill. Having standards that reinforce your commitment to communication mastery and teaching people from onboarding forward how those priorities and standards should be lived out can greatly enhance your organization’s Vibe.
20 / Conquer emailing.
Email can be a significant time, money and productivity drain unless you learn how to make it work efficiently for your organization. Determine your basic guidelines; communicate your standards organization‑wide; post them on the company intranet; and constantly reinforce them through ongoing training and new-employee orientation.
Enhance Your Organization’s Style
Style and Vibe have enough of an interchangeable distinction that they could very well be synonyms, or at least cousins. These ideas may help you improve your organization’s style:
21 / Ensure everything is in place.
If you’re not naturally inclined to keep things organized, you can staff for it or solve it with processes or technology. With everything in order, your organization’s Vibe is on display 24/7.
22 / Maintain a peaceful atmosphere.
When you enter an organization, whether in person or virtually, you’re often able to discern its atmosphere. If it’s peaceful, it’s probably because things are organized and in order. You can likely even feel the team synergy, which comes from its people being prepared and willing to work together to support the vision.
8 6 D I R E C T
SELLING NEWS
|
APRIL 2022
23 / Create a great first impression.
You can make an excellent first impression by demonstrating your organization’s ability to execute. Show you’re ahead of the game by organizing and confirming details and by maintaining an exceptional physical appearance.
24 / Maintain a healthy environment.
Making your workplace healthier adds an incredible Vibe that serves to attract many of today’s A players, and it even improves your bottom line. Motivate your people to lead a healthy lifestyle and educate them on how to make healthy choices.
25 / Make it fun!
Including “fun” as a core value will likely keep your employees happy as well as enhance your brand’s Vibe. A culture of fun often produces employees who are mentally and emotionally healthy, and they in turn usually produce the most satisfied customers. Have we convinced you that energy (Vibe) is a supercharger—a force multiplier—for every facet of your organization’s life? Decide now to put these 25 ideas to work to improve your organization’s Vibe in the areas of your brand, leadership, organization, communication and style. 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.
DSN’S NEWEST PODCAST:
ICONIC INSIGHTS HOSTED BY HEATHER CHASTAIN
The ICONIC INSIGHTS podcast goes one-on-one with some of the world’s best-known authors, speakers and innovators sharing their unique insights on entrepreneurship. Join host and social-selling thought leader Heather Chastain once a month for a candid conversation about doing your own thing—what works, what doesn’t and what’s next. Each episode will give you concrete takeaways and actionable advice to help you improve your entrepreneurial mindset, performance and leadership.
SUBSCRIBE T O D AY !
SUBSCRIBE TODAY to learn from guests John C. Maxwell, Suze Orman, Jay Shetty, Les Brown, Gloria Mayfield Banks, Kindra Hall and more!
I C O N I C
I N S I G H T S
P O D C A S T
/
B O B
B U R G
DSN
H E AT H E R C H A S TA I N
ICONIC I N S I G H T S with HEATHER CHASTAIN
Heather Chastain Talks with Bob Burg About The Five Laws of Stratospheric Success. BY PAUL A FELPS
To watch or listen to the entire interview, visit DirectSellingNews.com.
8 8 D I R E C T
SELLING NEWS
|
APRIL 2022
O
N THE NEW EPISODE OF DSN’S ICONIC INSIGHTS PODCAST, host Heather Chastain sits down with author and speaker Bob Burg to talk about networking, the importance of consistency, and why we all need small successes to build on. One of the main topics of conversation was The Five Laws of Stratospheric Success, which can be found in Bob’s bestselling book, The Go-Giver.
BOB BURG
HEATHER CHASTAIN: We’ve talked about creating value and making sure you’re articulating your value and understanding the needs of the people around us by listening. Let’s talk a little bit about that. BOB BURG: When we talk about the law of value, it is your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment. That can sound counterintuitive when you first hear it, because it sounds like you’re not making a profit. But then you think about it, simply understanding the difference between price and value. Price is a dollar figure. Value, on the other hand is the relative worth or desirability of something to the end user. In other words, what is it about this thing, this product, service, concept, idea, what have you that brings so much worth or value to another person that they will willingly exchange their money for it and be glad they did while you make a very healthy profit? And this person who buys this product month after month, they’re getting wonderful results. They’re receiving much more in value than what they paid for it, while you and the company are also making a profit, which you should. But the reason it happens is not because your focus is on the money itself. Your focus is on the value you are providing, the immense value.
“
Money is simply an echo of value. It’s the thunder, if you will, to value’s lightning, which means the value must come first. The money you receive is simply a natural result of the value you’ve provided.
w w w. d i r e c t s e l l i n g n e w s . c o m 8 9
I C O N I C
I N S I G H T S
P O D C A S T
/
B O B
B U R G
It’s why John David Mann, my awesome co-author, and I say that money is simply an echo of value. It’s the thunder, if you will, to value’s lightning, which means the value must come first. That’s the focus. The value comes first. The money you receive is simply a natural result of the value you’ve provided. Law number two is the law of compensation. This says your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them. So, where law number one says to give more in value than you take in payment, law number two tells us that the more people whose lives we touch or impact with the exceptional value we provide, the more money with which we’ll be rewarded. Direct selling is a wonderful model for that, because directly and indirectly we can be touching thousands or tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of lives. HEATHER: I find that often people’s vision of how many people they can actually affect in this world is limited in scope. How would you recommend people coach to think about that with more abundance? BOB: Remember everything we think, feel, say and do is a result of our belief system, how we see the world. What I call our unconscious operating system. And whether a combination of upbringing, environment, schooling, news, media, television, whatever you’re exposed to… that’s how we see the world.
9 0 D I R E C T
SELLING NEWS
|
APRIL 2022
“
When you show up as yourself, day after day, week after week, month after month, people feel good about you.
Dr. Maxwell Maltz, in his wonderful book, Psycho-Cybernetics, [was] the first one who taught me that your success can never be greater than your most limiting belief. So, it really comes down to beliefs. [And] there’s the how to, which again is very important. You’ve got to know the how to, but there’s also that belief in yourself that says, I’m capable of doing this, I believe I can do this. That’s why it’s so important to be around other people who believe in you, who also have goals and dreams that they’re looking to accomplish. We can all get together in that way and be able to encourage one another.
5 THE FIVE L AWS
OF STR ATOS PH E R I C S UCCE S S 1
/ TH E L AW O F VA LU E
Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment.
2
/ TH E L AW OF C O M P E N S AT I O N Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them.
3
/ TH E L AW OF IN FLU E N CE Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people’s interests first.
4
/ TH E L AW OF AUTH E NTICIT Y The most valuable gift you have to offer is yourself.
5
/ TH E L AW OF R ECE P TIVIT Y
The key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving.
HEATHER: Let’s move on to the third law. BOB: Well, that’s the law of influence, which says your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people’s interests first. The golden rule of sales is that, all things being equal, people will do business with and refer business to those people they know, like and trust. There is no faster, more powerful, or more effective way to elicit those feelings than by genuinely and authentically moving from an “I” or “me” focus to an “other” focus. Looking to make your win all about the other person’s win.
HEATHER: I get goosebumps on that because to me that one really is at the heart of how you measure success, for me. Everybody measures it all differently, but when we can really look at helping influence other people’s success and view that as a measure of our success, there’s something really magical in that. Okay. Let’s go to the fourth law. BOB: The law of authenticity simply says the most valuable gift you have to offer is yourself. All the skills in the world, the sales skills, technical skills, people skills—as important as they are, and they are all indeed very, very important—they’re also all for naught if you don’t come at it from your true, authentic core. But when you show up as yourself, day after day, week after week, month after month, people feel good about you. They feel comfortable with you. They feel safe with you—and why wouldn’t they? They know who they’re getting. And when that’s the case, trust takes hold. HEATHER: And this last law about staying open… BOB: The law of receptivity simply says, the key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving. And this is nothing more than understanding that yeah, you breathe out, but you also have to breathe in. It’s not one or the other. You breathe out carbon dioxide, you breathe in oxygen. You breathe out, which is giving; you breathe in, which is receiving. Giving and receiving are two sides of the very same coin and they work in tandem. But what you also know, which is so important, is that the giving comes first. This is natural law. This is the law of nature. We plant before we harvest. We sow before we reap. We give before we receive. But when we give and we give abundantly and we touch the lives of others, placing their interests first, coming from an authentic core… we’ve created what we call the benevolent context for success and as the good comes to us, we’ve got to be willing to receive it with gratitude. DSN w w w. d i r e c t s e l l i n g n e w s . c o m 9 1
Decision Makers Engage with DSN The Direct Selling News audience are the top decision makers in the industry— 21% are owners and C-Level executives and another 41% hold senior management roles. And these powerbrokers turn to DSN to stay informed and engaged with the channel.
99% ABOUT OUR EXECUTIVE AUDIENCE >
97% 92%
DSN BY THE NUMBERS
UTILIZE DSN AS A SUPPLIER RESOURCE
RECOMMEND DSN TO OTHERS
IMPLEMENTED A NEW IDEA TO THEIR BUSINESS
30,000+ MONTHLY WEB VIEWS
>
5,000+ MONTHLY PRINT SUBSCRIBERS 1 2,000+ WEEKLY EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS 9,800+ PODCAST DOWNLOADS AND COUNTING 1,300+ EXECUTIVES REGISTER FOR DSN EVENTS
ADVERTISE WITH DSN TO
>
■
Develop greater brand awareness and recognition
■
Gain visibility and exposure to decision makers
■
Differentiate your brand as a trusted partner
The News You Need. The Name You Trust. advertising@directsellingnews.com
800.279.5349 2021 SURVEY, VIEWER/READER ANALYTICS
Today’s news today.
F O L LO W D S N F O R
Daily News / Executive Announcements / More
DSN
DIRECT SELLING NEWS
The news you need. The name you trust.
Visit DirectSellingNews.com today!
J U N E 5 – 7 . B O C A R AT O N , F L O R I D A
CONVERSION IMMERSION DISRUPTION & TRANSFORMATION OF DIRECT SELLING PRESENTED BY
DSA ENGAGE: Conversion Immersion will bring the future into focus. This is where we will explore the countless unknowns ahead, and seek new ways to harness the limitless opportunities we face. The event will explore the disruption and transformation of business today: the technologies that are already helping us transform our organizations, the innovations that are already emerging, and what we need to do today so that we can thrive tomorrow.
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS JONATHAN BRADSHAW Creator, Meetology ®
KINDRA HALL Best-Selling Author, Stories that Stick
DAVID MELTZER Co-Founder, Sports 1 Marketing & Television Producer
T H A N K YO U TO O U R 2 0 2 2 S P O N S O R S
TM
R E G I S T E R T O D A Y AT E N G A G E . D S A . O R G
D S A
M E S S AG E
/
On Numbers and Success
S
UCCESS IS ABOUT RESULTS. And results are frequently measured by numbers. I thought it helpful to look at some of the numbers surrounding DSA’s self-regulatory program—the Direct Selling Regulatory Council (DSSRC). This program, established in 2019, is operated under the auspices of the Better Business Bureaus National Programs and works in tandem with the DSA Code of Ethics to help ensure consumers and salespeople can have the utmost confidence in direct selling. DSSRC independently monitors earnings and product claims disseminated by all members of the direct selling community, regardless of a company’s DSA membership status. • From January 1, 2021 through July 31, 2021, alone, the Council monitored 585,908 unique URLs and identified nearly 46K potential incidents involving health-related product claims and business opportunity/lifestyle claims on social media and video platforms. • DSSRC opened a total of 122 inquiries; 331 product claims; and 378 business opportunity and earnings claims comprised these inquiries. • Of that year’s inquiries, 39 were COVID-19 related; 66 product performance claims and ten claims discussing the pandemic as an earnings opportunity comprised these inquiries. • Because direct selling companies discontinued or significantly modified the claims at issue, 87 of the 122 inquiries have been or are being administratively closed. • Of the 122 inquiries initiated, all but two originated from DSSRC monitoring, with those two cases being brought to Council’s attention by non-governmental organizations. • During the life of the DSSRC, 15 cases referred to government agencies for non-response/ non-compliance with inquiries. Robust, consequential numbers indeed. But numbers alone don’t measure results, especially
JOSEPH N. MARIANO is the President of the U.S. Direct Selling Association and the Direct Selling Education Foundation.
when channel and company reputation and credibility are being measured. And while the Association’s commitment to self-regulation is long-term, we are already seeing some of the results of this vital effort in public and policy maker recognition. To wit: • The DSSRC was honored last June with the “Best Sectoral Initiative Award” by the International Council for Advertising SelfRegulation (ICAS). The honor was bestowed upon DSSRC because the program’s outcomes not only met the award’s highest bar of achievement in terms of tangible results and relevance, but also for how DSSRC encourages ethical and responsible marketing and advertising practices. • Were it not for the testimony of Mary Engle, Executive Vice President, Policy, BBB National Programs, Inc., who spoke from a position of authority on self-regulation before the United States Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety and Data Security, United States Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) would have been less likely to laud the DSSRC during that same hearing. Direct selling industry leaders recognize that our collective investment, through DSA, in the DSSRC and the DSA Code of Ethics has the potential for an even broader, longer-term effect on the reputation of direct selling. No less important, policy makers, regulators and the press keenly observe our efforts to address real and perceived issues in the direct selling market, especially related to earnings claims. DSA will continue to demonstrate our member companies’ commitment to ensuring the highest level of business ethics. To view a copy of the Direct Selling SelfRegulatory Council (DSSRC) 2021 Year-End Program Activity Report, please visit the DSSRC item on the Consumer Protection tab on DSA.org. DSN
w w w. d i r e c t s e l l i n g n e w s . c o m 9 5
For nearly 50 years, Squire & Company has provided financial excellence and NetSuite expertise for clients in the Direct Selling industry. We offer personal service, responsiveness, and expertise in all areas.
INTERNATIONAL PAYOUT SYSTEMS INC. 540 NE 4th St. Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 866-218-4668 www.i-payout.com
Upgrade to the most customizable payment solution available. Expand your global footprint to over 180 countries and have more than 20 payout and pay-in options for your participants. And, we really can customize our solution to fit your needs exactly—and help you grow.
PAYQUICKER 400 Linden Oaks, Suite 320 Rochester, NY 14625 844-258-3006 www.payquicker.com 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.
1160 N. Town Center Drive, Ste. 100 Las Vegas, NV 89144 702-757-9600 www.metricsglobal.com
Landing a more sophisticated brand of talent takes a more sophisticated recruiting partner. Bringing 25 years of Direct Sales executivelevel experience from around the world and with a Team speaking 5 languages we know what it looks like to have success in a diverse and international environment. Our goal is to become an extension of your brand.
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.
|
2201 Long Prairie Road, Ste. 107-316 Flower Mound, TX 75022 407-891-9265 https://strategicchoicepartners.com
APRIL 2022
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.
METRICS GLOBAL, INC
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.
SELLING NEWS
727 North 1550 East 3rd Floor, Orem, UT 84097 877-267-4324 www.cmsonline.com
Keller, TX 817-697-4321 www.cpkrell.com
STRATEGIC CHOICE PARTNERS
9 6 D I R E C T
COMPLETE MERCHANT SOLUTIONS
CP & KRELL GROUP
LACORE PAYMENT TECHNOLOGIES
900 Wilmeth Road, McKinney Texas 75069 Info@lacoretechnologies.com www.lacorepayments.com
C R E D I T C A R D/ PAY M E N T P R O C E S S I N G
1329 South 800 East Orem, Utah 84097 801-515-0977 www.squire.com
C O M M I S S I O N PAY M E N T S E R V I C E S
SQUIRE
C O N S U LTA N T S /M A N A G E M E N T
C O M M I S S I O N PAY 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
SUPPLIER DIRECTORY
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
NEXIO 727 N 1550 E, 3rd Floor Orem, UT 84097 1-877-551-5504 www.nexiohub.com Nexio manages the chaos of payments offering: • Faster roll out for distributors or partners • Simplifies payment processing for corporations Nexio does this by being integrated with the majority of back-office software solutions in the Direct Sales Industry.
CANADA CARTAGE LOGISTICS SOLUTIONS
International expansion expertise and technology and logistics solutions that grow clients’ businesses and brands around the world.
LACORE LOGISTICS 900 Wilmeth Road, McKinney Texas 75069 214-817-4802 www.lacorelogistics.com
1615 Clark Blvd. Brampton, Ontario L6T 4W1 905-564-2115 x2 www.canadacartage.com/direct-selling CCLS is your gateway to turn-key e-commerce sales and distribution in Canada. With fulfillment centers across Canada, our pick, pack and ship options, and real-time inventory visibility, we will help your business grow. We are NHP Site Compliant, Health Canada licensed, and GMP Compliant.
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.
DELIVERZEN FULFILLMENT
KATAPULT EVENTS
1551 Corporate Drive Irving, Texas 75038 214-233-6790 www.deliverzen.com Deliverzen’s mission is to provide the best service in the order fulfillment industry.
5840 Red Bug Lake Rd, Ste. 140 Winter Springs, FL 32708 407-915-9060 www.katapultevents.com Fresh. Exciting. Bold. Your field deserves the best and we help you deliver. Out-of-the-box creative production with experienced show management. We execute on budget and make you look AMAZING!
EVENT PRODUCTION
2889 Ashton Blvd, Ste. 350 Salt Lake City, UT 84070 877-811-8108 www.globalaccess.com
E X E C U T I V E R E C R U I TM E N T
Handle fulfillment for many direct sellers. DSA member with 15 fulfillment centers, nationwide, for 1–2 day ground delivery to 95% of U.S. population. Offer comprehensive B2C fulfillment services, including complex kitting, plus discounted parcel shipping based on our large volume of freight.
GLOBAL ACCESS
INCENTIVES/RECOGNITION
4505 Newpoint Place Lawrenceville, GA 30043 866-888-2999 Sales@amwarelogistics.com www.amwarelogistics.com
D I S T R I B U T I O N / F U L F I L L M E N T/ LO G I S T I C S
AMWARE FULFILLMENT
EVENT PRODUCTION
D I S T R I B U T I O N / F U L F I L L M E N T/ LO G I S T I C S
TO BE INCLUDED IN THE SUPPLIER DIRECTORY, EMAIL ADVERTISING@DIRECTSELLINGNEWS.COM
MULTI IMAGE GROUP 1701 Clint Moore Road Boca Raton, FL 33487 800-523-2682 www.mig.cc Established in 1979, Multi Image Group (MIG) is a women-owned, family-run creative event production company fueled by innovators, strategists, and technologists who craft custom virtual, hybrid, and in-person live experiences for some of the world’s biggest brands.
HANNA SHEA 1835 W Chandler Blvd 103, Chandler, AZ 85224 844-344-7177 www.hannashea.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.
CUSTOM TRAVEL SOLUTIONS 27 S Main St #17 Travelers Rest, SC 29690 864-990-3074 www.customtravelsolutions.com Recruit and retain the right people for your organization — We are the world’s largest “white label” travel club builder.
w w w. d i r e c t s e l l i n g n e w s . c o m 97
ROYAL CARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL
1080 Caribbean Way Miami, FL 33132 Royal Caribbean International’s Corporate Sales Team 800-345-7225 (SELECT 2, THEN 1) www.royalcaribbeanincentives.com
I N G R E D I E N T S A N D M A N U FA C T U R I N G
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.
FUTURECEUTICALS 2692 N. State Route 1-17, Momence, IL 60954 888-452-6853 www.futureceuticals.com Fruit, vegetable, and grain-based solutions backed with evidence-based, marketable claims.
9 8 D I R E C T
SELLING NEWS
|
APRIL 2022
MOMENTUM FACTOR 4801 Spicewood Springs Road, Ste. 250, Austin, TX 78759 512.690.2134 www.momofactor.com Momentum Factor is a leading digital risk management firm specializing in online compliance monitoring and global online reputation management services for the direct selling industry. Our passion and mission are to protect companies from the brand and regulatory risks associated with online and social media technologies.
S O F T WA R E / T E C H N O LO GY S O LU T I O N S
Dion’s jewelry solutions are perfect for career path, sales & recruiting, corporate anniversaries and incentive travel recognition awards.
LEGAL AND COMPLIANCE
33 Franklin McKay Road Attleboro, MA 02703 800-445-1007 www.eadion.com
M A R K E T I N G/ B R A N D I N G
E.A. DION, INC.
S O F T WA R E / T E C H N O LO GY S O LU T I O N S
INCENTIVES/RECOGNITION
SUPPLIER DIRECTORY DIRECTSCALE 1510 N. State St. Orem, Utah 84057 801-701-3285 www.directscale.com The most customizable enterprise SaaS platform for managing all aspects of your direct selling, affiliate and influencer marketing business. Edit your comp plan and test it against your live data! From startup to billion dollar company, it automatically scales to meet your needs so you never have to upgrade again.
NOW TECH
EXIGO
5800 Democracy Drive, Suite 100 Plano, TX 75024 310-428-9936 www.now-tech.com
1600 Viceroy Dr., Suite 125 Dallas, TX 75235 214-367-9933 www.exigo.com
The most comprehensive and powerful business management solution for direct sellers. We put more than 35 years of industry experience into creating strategies and tools to consistently grow your business. Contact us for a demo today.
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.
BYDESIGN TECHNOLOGIES
INFOTRAX SYSTEMS
9503 Princess Palm Avenue Tampa, FL 33619 813-253-2235 www.bydesign.com
1875 S. State Street, Ste. 3000 Orem, UT 84097 801-431-4900 www.infotraxsys.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.
Software & SaaS solutions for startup, emerging, and global direct selling companies. See our ad on the back cover.
INTERNATIONAL DIRECT SELLING TECHNOLOGY CORP. 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.
JENKON 915 Broadway Street, Ste. 400 Vancouver, WA 98660 360-256-4400 www.jenkon.com From Startup to Enterprise, Jenkon provides Direct Selling companies an award-winning, scalable platform unifying the future of direct selling: Openness, connectivity, omni-channel and conversational marketing.
S O F T WA R E / T E C H N O LO GY S O LU T I O N S
S O F T WA R E / T E C H N O LO GY S O LU T I O N S
TO BE INCLUDED IN THE SUPPLIER DIRECTORY, EMAIL ADVERTISING@DIRECTSELLINGNEWS.COM
XIRECT SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS
686 E 110 S Unit 104 American Fork, UT 84003 385-448-1800 www.xirect.com Scalable software from startup to enterprise. Your delivery expert in Commissions Calc / Consulting, Replicating Websites, E-Commerce, Reporting, Promotions, Localization, Multi-Currency, and more- The Perfect Cloud-based Direct Selling Software Partner!
“
Direct Selling News has been an incredible partner for us in matching our award winning incentive and meeting opportunities onboard our ships to their talented readers. Direct Selling companies have been finding us for individual incentive
THATCHER TECHNOLOGY GROUP, LLC 55 Shuman Blvd., Ste. 350 Naperville, IL 60563 866-698-3848 www.thatchertech.com
Thatcher Technology Group provides Sales Force, Compensation and Incentive Management Software for the Direct Selling Industry.
awards, group travel and full ship charters due to the great exposure we get from DSN. —RON GU L ASK EY / AV P, G l o b a l C o r p o r a t e , I n c e n t ive & C h a r t e r S a l e s , Celebrity Cruises
Celebrity Cruises
800-722-5934 / CELEBRITYCORPORATEKIT.COM w w w. d i r e c t s e l l i n g n e w s . c o m 9 9
A Systematized Distributor Experience
ONBOARD
SHARE
SAMPLE
SELL
Engage new recruits at
Gain more control over
Get your product into
Give distributors the
the right pace over the
what your field is focused
the hands of potential
tools they expect with a
right period of time to
on by providing valuable,
customers. “Try before you
full suite of social selling
build confidence from
attention-grabbing content
buy” is a proven method that
solutions.
the start.
that can be easily shared on
works!
any platform.
Proven Technology from a Trusted Partner with 35 Years of Direct Selling Experience Let’s Connect | 310-428-9936 | info@now-tech.com
To the person of genius who started a social selling business... Today we salute you with our payments services that can take you global... and beyond. Thank you, social selling person, wherever you are, because according to us you’ll always be our #1.
nex.io/genius