Direct selling is still strong around the world. Seventeen countries now have more than US$1 billion in sales annually through this channel of distribution.

The passage of 100 years is something few of us will get the get chance to witness. Instead, we use photos, journals, news accounts, oral histories and folklore to do our best to understand and appreciate our history. Over the next 18 months, the Direct Selling Association (DSA) will engage in exactly this process of piecing together a century of working on behalf of direct selling companies and the millions of Americans who have realized success through our method of product and service distribution.

In his book Twilight of the Idols, Friedrich Nietzsche wrote, “What does not destroy me, makes me stronger.” Although Nietzsche was referring to the human journey, this same truth is embodied by companies that rise, fall and rise again. When faced with unexpected changes and assaults, a company may wither under the pressure or strengthen its resiliency. Although Mannatech has endured ups and downs, these changes have compelled the company to stand strong today.

In November of this year, I was listening to an interview on National Public Radio’s All Things Considered program. The interview was with Charles Handy, founder of the London Business School and a management consultant whose work has inspired me for some time.

Telecommunications Giant Commits $1.3 Million to Ronald McDonald House Charities For ACN, family is the No. 1 priority. The global telecommunications giant firmly believes that each and every one of its independent representatives is part of its family, and each and every one of their customers is part of its even larger family.

Last month, our cover story was “Turning the Economic Corner.” With the economy still at the forefront of our minds, I thought I would pass on some thoughts shared at a recent breakfast meeting. T. Boone Pickens was the keynote speaker, and several other notables here in the Dallas-Fort Worth area spoke to those in attendance. The basic message we are hearing over and over is that we have hit the bottom of this recession and the worst is behind us. However, I think the mood of the country is still one of cautious optimism.

Our industry is littered with people who gave up on their dreams of building a self-sustaining business because someone somewhere told them that network marketing just doesn’t work. In fact, having a person of influence speak negatively about their chosen profession is one of the leading causes of turnover within the ranks of independent consultants. They give up before they ever get going.

As all of us at the Direct Selling Education Foundation (DSEF) began planning for a new year serving the public interest and enhancing direct selling’s image, I found myself reflecting on my 20 years in this industry I’ve come to love. When I assumed the position of executive director at DSEF in March 2009, it felt very much as if I’d come full circle.

Most salespeople understand that they need to get on the phone, yet days, months, even years go by (yes, years!) without them followinSuccessful direct selling companies have many things in common. They all have the ability to cultivate loyal customers, create effective sales programs that are appealing to the most people, and offer a mutually beneficial business opportunity to help enterprising entrepreneurs.

It started as a catchy phrase, a marketing mantra. “Working smarter, not harder” is a term that began to be tossed around in the late 1980s to encourage people to be more efficient at the office so that they could then spend more time doing what they truly enjoyed. Now it has come to mean so much more.

It’s something unforgettable: the sound—the smell—and the way a gentle rainstorm makes you feel. It is at once peaceful and comforting, yet invigorating and refreshing. No matter where in the world people are, it is one of those rare things on which we can all agree. It just seems to be one of those shared experiences that bind us together.

A Humble Beginning, an Enduring Commitment XanGo LLC started from quite modest beginnings. I recall the planning days back in 2002. XanGo’s founders—Joe Morton, Aaron Garrity, Gary Hollister, Gordon Morton, Kent Wood and myself—sitting around the conference table hammering out business details and making a commitment to giving back, just as soon as we turned our first profit.