Executive Connection:
Heather Chastain, President, Home Interiors

In this month’s Executive Connection, Direct Selling News Publisher and Editor in Chief John Fleming spoke to Heather Chastain, President, Home Interiors, about Home Interior’s message, empowering women, and much more.

JF: What is the one thing you enjoy most about being an executive at Home Interiors?

HC: Knowing that what I’m doing is making a difference in the lives of thousands of women. It’s important to me to spend my time in a way that brings value to others and helps them make their lives better. I can’t imagine doing anything different with my life. I find it so completely rewarding and it resonates so completely with my core values. It’s priceless.

JF: Home Interiors has been in business for 50 years. To what do you attribute your longevity?

HC: It’s the timelessness of our message. It’s unique among companies in the industry. While the message is in general empowerment of women, it’s very specific to the home—not having to make those choices between being fulfilled professionally and caring for home and family.

JF: What do you see as our industry’s greatest challenge?

HC:Getting our message out there and getting people to believe it so that they’re not always looking for the loophole. Our challenge is to make sure people understand the reality of this industry, that they can transform their lives on personal and financial level.

JF: Is there one basic principle which has governed your leadership at Home Interiors?

HHC: It’s my belief and faith in each woman’s ability to change her life through her actions. I try to make sure that everything I do and everything we go into and every direction we take focuses on celebrating the success of the consultant. It’s all about the field all the time.

JF: What is your vision for Home Interiors?

HC: If it’s in the interior of your home, we want to be a part of it. I want us to keep growing and expanding and providing solutions across products and our opportunity. If your need is in the financial area of your life, we have the answer. In your home? We have the answer. Whether decorating, entertaining, cleaning, whatever you need, I want to be the solution for you. I want us to constantly look for ways to diversity so that we are the total solution for the total woman.

JF: Which other direct selling company or person do you admire the most and why?

HC: Mary Crowley, who founded Home Interiors in 1957. The timelessness of her message is inspiring. She had the vision and foresight and strength to create and craft a vision and mission that I’m passionate about it—and my parents weren’t even married when she wrote it! How can you not admire that kind of vision?

JF: How do you communicate with your team?

HC: As much and as often as possible. Face to face, in our office doorways. We talk all the time. I like communication to be immediate, open and up front so that we’re all on same page. If you’re not sharing your vision, you’re nothing.