The Florida Direct Sellers & Consumers Coalition held its inaugural kickoff event at the Florida Capitol, gathering business leaders, entrepreneurs, policymakers and industry advocates to advance its mission to “protect and strengthen the direct selling channel in Florida.”
The two-day event highlighted the substantial economic and entrepreneurial impact of direct selling across the state. Coalition members engaged in discussions with state lawmakers focused on fair regulation, consumer protections and policies that preserve opportunity while strengthening trust within the channel.
The Coalition stated that from 2018 through 2024, direct selling generated $15.47 billion in cumulative sales in Florida, supported by an average of more than one million independent distributors selling products and services statewide, and contributes an annual economic impact in excess of $6.4 billion. These numbers, the Coalition stated, highlight the channel’s importance to Florida’s workforce, small-business ecosystem and consumer marketplace.
As part of the kickoff event, Coalition leadership participated in private meetings with senior members of Florida’s executive leadership, reinforcing the Coalition’s commitment to direct, constructive engagement on issues impacting direct sellers and consumers.
Legislators and VIPs who participated in the event included:
- James Uthmeier, Florida Attorney General
- Jay Collins, Florida Lieutenant Governor
- Blaise Ingoglia, Florida Chief Financial Officer
- Sam Garrison, Speaker of the House Designate (2026–2028)
- Mike Redondo, Speaker of the House Designate (2030–2032)
- Rep. Fiona McFarland, Chair, Information Technology and Budget & Policy Subcommittee (Sarasota)
- Rep. Danny Alvarez, Chair, Criminal Justice Subcommittee (Hillsborough)
- Rep. Will Robinson, Chair, State Affairs Committee (Manatee)
- Rep. Traci Koster, Chair, Civil Justice & Claims Subcommittee (Hillsborough)
- Rep. JJ Grow (Citrus County)
- Frank Walker, Executive Vice President of Government & Political Relations
- Brett Doster, Political Consultant, Frontline Agency
The kickoff event was made possible through the support of the following organizations:
Amway, Bravenly Global, 47 Inc, Monat, PM International, Direct Selling News, Direct Selling Association, ANMP, Shapetech Solutions, AICE, PayQuicker, OTB Tax, and By Design.
“Their participation and support reflect a shared commitment to ethical business practices, consumer protection and empowering independent entrepreneurs,” the Coalition stated.
“This kickoff event represents the beginning of a sustained, collaborative effort to ensure Florida remains a strong and fair environment for direct sellers and the consumers they serve,” said Gordon Hester, Founder and Manager of the Florida Direct Sellers & Consumers Coalition. “With over one million Floridians participating in direct selling and billions in economic impact each year, our focus is on practical, forward-thinking solutions that protect opportunity while strengthening accountability across the industry.”
“Great direct selling companies have positively impacted Florida’s residents for decades. Through this new coalition we can now be an example of how to help educate company owners, its members and the state legislature of the why and the how to protect this Free Enterprise model for the entire country,” stated Ryan Chamberlin, State Representative and Co-Founder of Florida Direct Sellers & Consumers Coalition.
The Florida Direct Sellers & Consumers Coalition plans to continue its work by engaging policymakers, educating stakeholders and advocating for responsible legislation that supports innovation, entrepreneurship and consumer confidence.
“What’s happening with the Florida coalition shows how effective advocacy becomes when strong state coalitions are connected to DSA’s national strategy. With leaders like Gordon Hester engaged locally, the channel is moving from reacting to proposals to helping shape how lawmakers understand the model as decisions are being made,” said Dave Grimaldi, CEO, Direct Selling Association.
