Eight months ago, I took my first trip to Ottawa, Canada’s capital, as the new President of the Canadian Direct Sellers Association (DSA).

John Addison spent 35 years in the corporate offices of one of the world’s largest direct selling companies, Primerica Inc., most recently serving as Co-CEO.

The title of this article sounds like an oxymoron, and it is for virtually every direct selling company.

John Addison spent 35 years in the corporate offices of one of the world’s largest direct selling companies, Primerica Inc., most recently serving as Co-CEO.

A leader’s most important job is to create an environment and landscape where the company can grow. Don’t kid yourself; this is a big job.

The speculation started immediately. As soon as the news—Herbalife Settles with FTC—began popping up on mobile alerts and news outlets early Friday morning, July 15, observers inside and outside the direct selling channel began scrambling to understand the bigger picture.