Direct Selling Memories

The other day, I was making a cheese omelet and my grater from The Pampered Chef was in the dishwasher. I pulled out my trusty old Tupperware grater, which I like to use for softer cheeses, and I realized I’ve had the thing for nearly 25 years! I no longer have the plastic lid—it must have been swallowed up in one of my many moves over the years—but the grater and the container that catches the cheese are as functional as the day I bought them. Do you have anything in your kitchen that you’ve used regularly for 25 years?

As I grated my cheese, I did a mental inventory of my kitchen, and sure enough, I still use my Tupperware measuring cups—bought at same time as the grater—several times a week. And then there’s the canister set in that particular shade of late ‘70s, early ‘80s brown (they also came in this lovely shade of green). I use the largest one to store change!

It’s no wonder that, given that my mom had a ton of Tupperware (probably purchased in the ‘50s or ‘60s), when I was striking out on my own, I stocked up. But that was not my first experience with direct selling. At fifteen, I hosted a Mary Kay party in my mom’s kitchen and was thrilled with the hostess gift—a tiny gold cube on a gold chain—not to mention the lip color palette that made me feel sophisticated beyond my years. And I regularly used our set of Worldbook encyclopedias to do my homework. My mother used Herbalife products for years, and I’ve long coveted my older sister’s set of CUTCO knives (I do have several of my own now, including the one that sent me to the emergency room with a sliced thumb—but that’s another blog entry).

My omelet, by the way, was fabulous. I’ll pass along a little tip I learned at a Pampered Chef party. Those packages of pre-grated cheese may be convenient, but the preservatives they use prevent even melting. Grate your own cheese! Personally, I think I’ll bring my Tupperware grater to the DSA’s Annual Meeting in San Diego and ask Rick Goings to autograph it!

What are your direct selling memories? Use the comments tab below and share!

No Translation Needed

By now, you’ve most likely received your April issue of Direct Selling News. It’s funny, but even though I see the finished magazine the day it comes off the press, I never feel like we’re done until I open my mailbox at home and my copy is waiting for me.

If I do say so myself, there’s some great content in this issue, starting with Katherine Ponder’s cover story on direct selling in Mexico, one of the top ten direct selling markets in the world.

For a little more Latin flavor, check out the article on the recent Success Rally held by 4Life Research in Puerto Rico and attended by a whopping 16,000 people! 4Life was kind enough to invite me to San Juan to cover the event (my job is so hard) and John Fleming recently requested that I share a little more about my experience.

The event was, of course, held in Spanish, which I do not speak. And although headsets provided the English translation, 16,000 people make quite a bit of noise and it wasn’t always easy to hear. Very quickly, though, I found the energy, enthusiasm, emotion and gratitude expressed by the speakers needed no translation. As I listened to the emcee recognize the 15 countries represented to the sound of deafening cheers from each nation’s delegation, I got a first-hand look at the global appeal of direct selling and the opportunity it provides millions.

I was seated right in the center of the front row and during the evening’s periodic pyrotechnic displays, I feared for my eyebrows! But my favorite moment was when 4Life founders David and Bianca Lisonbee entered the stadium. As they circled the entire arena to greet the crowd, the woman standing next to me grabbed me and planted a big kiss on my cheek. I might not have been able to understand her language, but the meaning of her gesture could not have been clearer: Joy.

My second favorite moment of the trip happened on the way to the rally. 4Life Director of Strategic Development Calvin Jolley was my host for much of the weekend and made sure I had everything I needed. The day of the event was, of course, crazy, and we found ourselves in a rush to get to the stadium, which was 45 minutes away. We had planned to have a late lunch but ran out of time and ended up at a Burger King drive-thru. We figured out how to say “no mayo” in Spanish, but never did manage “extra pickles” so I had my Whopper Jr. without.

Direct Sharing

Last week was a busy one at Direct Selling News. After we put the finishing touches on the April issue and got it off to the printer, we attended the Dinner with DSA event here in Dallas on Wednesday and Video Plus University on Thursday. Both events were characterized by the kind of sharing that makes the direct selling industry unique. In fact, when Jeff Olsen, Senior Marketing Associate for Pre-Paid Legal Services, took the stage on Thursday, he suggested that we should be known as the Direct Sharing Industry.

Jeff might be right. After all, when direct selling distributors meet with potential customers—whether at a party or one-on-one—they share their knowledge of products or services, they share their passion for the company they represent, and they share the benefits that a home-based business opportunity can provide.

And when direct selling executives get together, they are amazingly willing to share their knowledge and experience to help others succeed. Last week, I learned about one such example of sharing that I’d like to…um…share. I had the chance to chat with Nancy Bogart, Founder of Jordan Essentials, which, until recently was called Country Bunny Bath and Body. Nancy told me that as Country Bunny grew, it became important to find a name that would resonate with people globally and communicate that the company’s products are “essential” to healthy skin care.

Changing a company’s very identity is a tremendous undertaking and one that requires a lot of courage. Nancy told me that when she began to explore changing the name of Country Bunny—a name that was dear to her heart and the hearts of her consultants—she turned to someone in the industry who had recently undergone a similar transformation, Madolyn Johnson, Founder and President of Signature HomeStyles.

When Madolyn founded her company more than 35 years ago, she named it The Homemaker’s Idea Company. Madolyn, like Nancy, realized she needed to react to changes in the marketplace and launched her new name and brand last year. In fact, at DSA’s Annual Meeting in June 2006, Madolyn received the Success Award for her initiative. Who better, then, for Nancy to turn to as she considered a making a major change at Country Bunny?

Nancy told me that Madolyn served as her mentor and made herself available with invaluable advice and counsel as Country Bunny Bath and Body transformed into Jordan Essentials. Nancy promised she’d share more details about the decision she implemented in an upcoming Top Desk column in Direct Selling News (I’m holding you to it, Nancy!).

Over the last two years, I’ve heard so many stories similar to Nancy’s. In 2005 Julie Gordon and Kelly Majewski, Co-Founders of Baby Splendor, were introduced to Jim Northrop, then CEO of Princess House. What began as a mentorship turned into a full-fledged partnership, with Princess House handling all back-end functions for Baby Splendor. And just last month, when I was in Puerto Rico covering an event for 4Life Research, 4Life CEO and Founder David Lisonbee spoke with pride about attending the recent WFDSA CEO Council Meeting in Brazil. “The amazing thing that happens at the CEO Council Meeting is that we come together as competitors and reach out and help each other, working together to solve common problems,” he said.

So the next time your phone rings and it’s someone with little more than an idea and a dream, I encourage you to take the call and share your experience and wisdom. It’s the kind of sharing that makes the direct selling industry great—and sets us apart.

My First Celebrity Interview!

I’ve had the pleasure of attending a number of direct selling company conventions and events, and judging by the reactions of distributors when company founders, presidents or CEOs take the stage, it’s obvious that many of these folks have achieved something like celebrity status—at least when it comes to their salesforce! However, I’m pretty sure that none of our direct selling company leaders ever starred in a hit TV show.

A few weeks ago, I interviewed Suzanne Somers for April’s Young Company Focus (which will hit your desk in the next couple weeks). Suzanne just launched a new direct selling company called, appropriately enough, SUZANNE. We had a very nice conversation and I sensed her genuine excitement when she talked about her new venture.

Suzanne spent the last fifteen years selling a line of products on the Home Shopping Network and she realized that her huge following of customers was a built in salesforce for a direct selling company. Last month, Suzanne made the rounds on a number of talk shows including Larry King Live and The Ellen DeGeneres Show. When she appeared on Ellen’s show, she not only told the audience that they should sign up as SUZANNE consultants, she tried to recruit Ellen!

It reminded me of an interview I once did with a direct selling company executive. She asked me how old I was and when I told her I was 43, she said, “Now, writing these little articles is fine for now, but you need to think about the future.” I told her that Direct Selling News keeps me pretty busy, and she suggested I sign up as a consultant anyway to get the product discount! The company in question is very successful, so it looks like Suzanne has the right idea!

Anyway, we wish Suzanne the best and look forward to hearing more about her new company.