According to the Chinese calendar, 2011 is the year of the Rabbit, which means a year in which one should strive to be creative and compassionate. For the direct selling industry, 2011 might well be the year of focusing on a continued and diligent commitment to ethics. During his address at the Annual Meeting several years ago, Direct Selling Association (DSA) President Neil Offen challenged our industry to be both creative and compassionate by redoubling efforts to make direct sellers the envy of other industries by “walking the walk and talking the talk” on high ethical standards and consumer protection. DSA companies responded in earnest to this challenge with renewed vigor and commitment to raising the bar on ethics on a variety of fronts.

PartyLite U.S., Herbalife, The Southwestern Company, Rodan + Fields Dermatologists, Immunotec Mourns Passing of Senior VP Dr. Wulf Droge, Ph.D.

After hearing the details of the much-anticipated Irish ‘bail-out’ by the EU, it’s doubtful the economic situation here will see much improvement over the next few months and into the coming year.

JAFRA leads the way by embracing diversity and transforming women’s lives with its unique products and opportunity.

Live healthy. Change lives. Those are more than just slogans at Herbalife. The positive philosophies reach its distributors and customers, of course, but the company stretches far beyond the immediate Herbalife community with its constructive messages and actions. Through the Herbalife Family Foundation (HFF), it also brings them to children in need around the world.

The dawn of a new year is always a good opportunity to evaluate and refresh business operations and processes within a company, and it’s no different for a trade association like the Direct Selling Association (DSA). The DSA Board of Directors has approved a strategic plan that will guide the association through the next five years. Special thanks to Jim Northrop for his leadership as Chairman of the Strategic Planning Committee during the development of this plan.