Listen to this story starting at 16:09 on the new, revamped The DSN Podcast. Even when your day is packed, we make it easy to stay informed, engaged and one step ahead. Listen now or read below!
Jim Northrop believed that the direct selling industry had the unique ability to positively impact people’s lives. For decades, he pushed the industry forward serving as President and CEO of Immunotec and owner and CEO of Princess House from 1994-2006. Jim was also a member of the Direct Selling Education Foundation and Direct Selling Association Board of Directors, among other influential positions.
Jim was also a long-time trusted advisor and intuitive strategist to founders and executives through his Winfield Consulting firm, constantly empowering others. Jim passed away in August 2024 and left an impact that touched countless lives, making him more than worthy of this year’s Legacy Award.
Rudy Revak, an industry legend in his own rite as Founder of Xyngular and Chairman of Pure Haven Essentials, met Jim when they were on the board of the Direct Selling Association decades ago. The two became good friends, and Jim went on to serve as a board member at two of Rudy’s companies.
“He would always bring clarity to whatever situation we were having at the time,” Rudy shared. “Jim was very honest. He was the ultimate gentlemen. In friendship or business, Jim was always an honorable gentleman.”
Rudy shared Jim’s passion for evolving the direct selling industry and maintaining the relationship aspect of the business model. “He truly believed in our industry. We are an industry that’s not just about selling products. Number one, we both believed direct selling is about changing people’s lives. That’s why we were such good friends. He was a compassionate man. I miss Jim very much.”
A Guide in Unprecedented Times
Lynne Coté, current President and CEO of Princess House, which Jim stewarded for 12 years, was a mentee of his. They met about 10 years ago, before Lynne joined the direct selling industry. She came to Princess House in January 2020, just a few short months before the world went haywire.
Jim regularly advised her through the pandemic with weekly one-on-one calls. Then, he implemented bi-weekly calls which included other industry leaders as well. “He decided to get a whole group of us together—different CEOs from different direct selling companies—and we would get on the phone every Wednesday night,” Lynne remembered. “None of us really competed with each other. Jim didn’t charge any of us. We would just share what was working, what wasn’t working. The world was obviously turned upside down. And Jim drove that weekly meeting for almost two years to help us navigate through it.”
Lynne said Jim was always a great listener and a great connector, helping her build invaluable and lasting relationships. She also greatly credits him for helping the company shift primarily to the Hispanic market. “Jim was always encouraging you to pivot. He wasn’t afraid to be aggressive,” she explained.
Many of their one-on-one calls wouldn’t even be about business, but just two friends talking. “He really, truly cared,” she shared. Even several months after his passing, the appointment with Jim is still on her calendar. “He’s still in my calendar, every Friday at 11. I haven’t taken it off my calendar because every Friday at 11, I still think about Jim.’”
The Dynamic Duo
John Frederick served as Jim’s Vice President of Sales at Immunotec before joining him at Winfield Consulting. For nearly 15 years, they worked together as a team helping more than 70 clients throughout the industry.
Jim’s focus was always on building and empowering the field. John says that when Jim owned Princess House, he would host his own party every month just to better understand what the field needed. “He was a huge advocate of the sales organization. You don’t have a business without your sales organization. They bring you all your customers and sell all your products.”
Jim was known for his honest and direct approach to consulting, always voicing his opinions based on his own experiences. John took over as President at Winfield in 2022 as Jim’s health began to decline. “In a lot of ways, Jim was the big brother I never had. He just had a way of making your work better.”
A Great Dad, Too
Northrop’s three sons are now in their 40s. Robert, Matt and Will say that while their dad was busy as a successful executive and industry leader, he always prioritized being there for them. “He obviously worked incredibly hard,” Robert, the oldest brother, shared. “The industry and being successful in it demands a ton of time and energy, but he was still a great dad. The three of us have so many great memories of all the times that we spent together.”
Jim involved his sons in the business in different ways, even working some positions in the corporate office and attending incentive trips and conventions to get a firsthand experience of their dad’s impact. “The first time it really dawned on me was at one of the conventions,” Will remembered about understanding his dad’s role. “I was sitting in a room, there was some buzz going on, and my dad was introduced to the field. Everyone just went crazy—they were standing up and clapping.”
Will also worked for Princess House in the mail room when he was a freshman in college, learning the operations side of the business. Robert worked a couple summers in the IT department.
All Jim’s sons expressed that their dad’s experience, conviction and ability to connect with people are what made him unique and so successful. “He had extreme confidence in himself and his guidance, and I think that conviction helped him,” Will said. “There’s a tendency to sugar coat things or be politically correct. I don’t know if it was the success that he had in his career, or just his innate confidence, but Dad never felt that he had to follow that path.”
Jim was a pioneer in making himself available to the field, regularly hosting his own parties to understand what they needed to be successful. He also found ways to get other corporate leaders into the field to build connections. “My dad would be really effective at trying to find ways to bring people together that ordinarily might not have an opportunity to meet,” Robert shared. His brother Matt agreed, “Dad always demonstrated his accessibility—he wasn’t in an ivory tower. He was always in the trenches.”
When asked what they wish more people knew about their dad, Matt mentioned his humble beginnings. “One thing I don’t know if people are aware of, but my dad was a self-made man. He came from very humble roots outside of Binghamton, New York. The success that Dad found in his own life, I really think he was motivated to help other people achieve that success as well.”
DSN reserves the Legacy Award for the true champions and trailblazers of direct selling. It is meant to honor the giants of the industry that have passed on—those that still have much to teach us through their humble spirit and generous nature. Jim Northrop’s enduring legacy and life well lived will inspire many generations to come, and for that reason we are honored to bestow the Legacy Award to his family.
From the May/June 2025 issue of Direct Selling News magazine.
