Click here to order the May 2015 issue in which this article appeared.
On April 8, we unveiled the 2015 Direct Selling News Global 100 list. We were privileged to have several hundred of you in attendance to celebrate with us at the Global 100 banquet in Dallas, and many thousands more followed along online or on social media.
This year marks the sixth year for the Global 100 project, and each year it has gotten bigger and better. As we embark on the research, we strive to identify the largest companies embracing direct sales as an incredible channel of distribution that effectively brings unique, high-quality products and services to the marketplace while also giving people from all walks of life access to a path to entrepreneurship. The list has become a benchmark for the direct selling community and inclusion on it a point of much-deserved pride.
As you know, many of the key players in our community are privately held, and we poke, prod and cajole their executives into sharing financial details about their companies in an effort to bring more transparency about the success of direct selling to the world. Thanks in part to their shared vision, we are able to say with confidence that the 100 largest direct selling companies had combined sales of nearly $82 billion in 2014 doing business in more than 100 countries.
Our June issue will be dedicated to coverage of the list, with profiles of each company and in-depth analysis of the results. Expect to see a number of dramatic growth stories, including a $400 million increase in net sales by our Bravo Growth Award winner Mary Kay. You’ll also learn more about our Bravo Leadership Award honoree, Ambit Energy CEO Jere Thompson Jr., who has led that company to the No. 12 spot on the Global 100 with $1.5 billion in net sales in 2014, up $300 million from 2013, in just a few years. In all, 13 companies joined the $100 million growth club in 2014, each one an impressive achievement.
This year, we are excited to introduce a new component to the project: The North America 50. As its name implies, the North America 50 is a subset of the Global 100, and our June issue will feature both lists. The companies on the North America 50 are the most significant players in one of the world’s largest direct selling markets, and we were honored to have more than two-thirds of them attend the banquet. The North America 50 ranking is based on the global revenue of North American-based companies.
 Global 100 Keynote Speaker Jere Thompson Jr., Co-Founder and CEO of Ambit Energy |
As always, we owe a great deal of thanks to our Global 100 sponsors, whose generous financial support makes the annual banquet possible: platinum table sponsors ACN, Amway and Mannatech; gold table sponsors Ambit Energy, Isagenix, It Works!, Nerium, Nu Skin, Rodan + Fields and Stream Energy; and silver table sponsors Immunotec, Mary Kay, PartyLite, Plexus Worldwide, Scentsy, WorldVentures and Zurvita. If you would like information about how your company can become involved in the Global 100 project, please let me know. We would love to include your information in our research outreach for next year’s list, and executives from every direct selling company are invited to attend the banquet.
Even as they were gearing up for the Global 100 festivities, the Direct Selling News staff was hard at work crafting the material for this edition of the magazine. Inside, you’ll find great insights on how companies and their independent consultants are bringing a contemporary approach to traditional selling parties, how Team Beachbody has surpassed its direct response sibling, what Princess House is doing to make the world a better place and who is behind the social media magic that’s driving growth at Younique. Each story includes specific lessons that can be applied to any direct selling company. I especially like this gem from Princess House President and CEO Connie Tang: “Any changes we make—whether it’s to the compensation plan, the products, anything—still need to carry our values. Those can be shared cross-generationally. Millennials may express themselves different, but the values are the same.” Great advice for any company looking to join the Global 100 or move up the ranks.
It’s been a little more than a year since I joined the DSN team, and I continue to enjoy learning more about the wide variety of companies choosing direct selling. The innovation and success happening throughout the channel is exciting, and we appreciate the opportunity to share those stories. I hope to see many of you later this month in San Antonio at the Direct Selling Association’s annual meeting. Be sure to stop by our booth and say hello. It’s also a great time to make sure that everyone on your team who could benefit from a subscription to Direct Selling News is receiving one. Our team will take good care of you, and I look forward to the opportunity to connect in person!
All the best,
Lauren Lawley Head
General Manager
