In the fall of 2009 Silpada Designs Co-Founders Bonnie Kelly, Teresa Walsh and Co-Founder and CEO Jerry Kelly began to consider partnerships that would help their sterling silver jewelry company continue to thrive for years to come.

For direct sellers, going international is a bit like taking your first dive into the pool. It is something you really want to do, but it takes time to get over the trepidation.

One hundred years in the making, the 2010 Direct Selling Association’s (DSA) Annual Meeting commenced June 5 with board and committee meetings, ending June 8 with a red-carpet gala celebrating this achievement and the industry.

Henry Ford once said, “Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” No finer words can be used to describe the evolution of your association over the first 100 years of its life. Challenges identified and met. Opportunities shared and nurtured. Relationships created and valued. All hallmarks of the DSA.

In this month’s “Executive Connection,” Direct Selling News Publisher and Editor in Chief John Fleming speaks to Herbalife Chairman and CEO Michael O. Johnson about his vision, who he admires and much more.

The increasing prominence of the Hispanic population in the United States and the issues of importance to them have already had a significant impact on the nation’s political debates, commercial climate and on the wider society. A large population of millions of legal immigrants of Hispanic descent, and millions more who are in the country illegally, have created a volatile mix of issues, including immigration policy, labor issues and social welfare questions. Marches on Washington, a looming congressional debate on immigration reform and dual-language customer service menus are all indications of the growing prominence of this key demographic in the American marketplace.