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The challenge is out there: Make direct selling a Dynamic Force for Good. Truman Hunt, newly seated Chairman for the Direct Selling Association, put forth this mantra when he outlined his vision for the coming year during the 2014 DSA Annual Meeting in Orlando earlier this summer. So, how can we act on that vision and put those visionary words to work? Here are just a few things we could all do to act upon Chairman Hunt’s vision, and in doing so, make a very positive difference, not only in our industry but also in our world.
First, regardless of your roles and responsibilities, and regardless of the company that you work for or represent, personalize this challenge. Ask yourself, “Am I a Dynamic Force for Good? Am I making a difference—for the good? What did I do to make a difference in my company, in my community, and more broadly, in the direct selling industry this past year? What can I do to improve upon that this year? How can I make a bigger difference in my company, my community, and the direct selling industry this coming year?” Formalize your goals—otherwise the year will get away from you, and you likely won’t accomplish all that you set out to do. Include a personal statement with respect to this mantra of transforming yourself into a Dynamic Force for Good.
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Second, conduct yourself with the highest ethical standards. Again, regardless of where you find yourself within your company, work hard, be honest and be transparent. Go about your everyday routine looking for positive solutions to the challenges you face—look for reasons why you should do something versus focusing on the reasons why you shouldn’t do something. Simply put, when you aspire to make a positive difference, you will. And, in doing so, good things will happen.
Third, connect with your purpose. As involved as we all are within the direct selling industry, it goes without saying that we are all selling something—products as well as the business opportunity itself. But let’s look beyond our fantastic products and the incredible opportunity, and connect with our true purpose. And that purpose will be different for each of us because what drives us to do what we do is different.
A good friend of mine from Austin, Texas, Roy Spence Jr., focused on this concept perfectly in his book, It’s Not What You Sell, It’s What You Stand For. We all sell something. So, what differentiates those who are truly working toward being a Dynamic Force for Good from those who are not? Roy would suggest it is those who are driven by purpose, and I would wholeheartedly agree. Connect with your purpose and allow yourself to be driven by it. In doing so, you will absolutely be a Dynamic Force for Good.
I love the industry of direct selling. Done properly, it changes lives for the better. I’ve only been a part of this incredible industry for nearly five years. I spent the first 25 years of my career in health care—namely within strategic consulting to the Fortune 100. I was first introduced to the direct selling industry when I was asked to join the Board of Directors of LifeVantage in the fall of 2009, just a few months after the company began selling its products in the network marketing channel. Previously, the company sold its flagship dietary supplement product, Protandim, in the retail channel. About 18 months later, after an extensive search for a new president and CEO, I was honored to be asked to assume that role for LifeVantage. And over the course of these last three and a half years, I believe we’ve touched many people’s lives for the better by going about our business, realizing that we can and should be a Dynamic Force for Good.
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LifeVantage will be a steward for all that Chairman Hunt is espousing, not only in the communities and countries where we currently conduct our business, but also in all those countries where we are laying the groundwork for expansion in the months and years ahead. Our employees and independent distributors connect with tens of thousands of people every day. They can and should be doing so with the mantra of being a Dynamic Force for Good.
It’s a great time to be in this industry. Years from now, I am confident that we will look back upon these times and see less of the challenges and attacks against our great industry and more of the difference we made in millions of people’s lives by connecting them with great products and business opportunities that profoundly improved their lives and their health.
Douglas C. Robinson, President and CEO of LifeVantage Corp. (LFVN—NASDAQ), was recently elected to the Board of Directors for the Direct Selling Association (DSA). His term began on June 2, 2014, and will last three years.
Robinson’s nomination expands his involvement with the DSA, where he has served as a member of the World Federation of Direct Selling Associations’ CEO Council since 2013.
