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BODi Teams Up with Reebok Fitness

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The Beachbody Company, now known as BODi, announced a new collaboration with Reebok Fitness. With this partnership, more than 30 sample BODi workouts will be available in the Reebok Fitness App for both premium and free trial members. Included in these workouts are some of BODi’s most well-known programs, including 21 Day Fix, 25 Minute Speed Train, INSANITY, P90X and Dig Deeper.

Reebok Fitness’ signature training content will be offered alongside this curated BODI fitness collection, and Shakeology, BODI’s superfood blend, will be highlighted as well.

“For nearly three decades, BODi has transformed how millions of people approach health and fitness at home, with programs that consistently deliver results,” said Carl Daikeler, BODi CEO and Co-founder. “By teaming up with the Reebok Fitness App, we’re reaching even more people with some of our most iconic workouts. Together, we’re making it easier than ever for people to see the BODi difference and to consider the benefits of upgrading to the full experience on BODi to do our step-by-step programs.”

Reebok Fitness App users who experience the BODi sample workouts will also be introduced to the benefits of subscribing, which provides access to the entire BODi catalog of more than 140 workouts. BODi described accessibility through this collaboration as a significant advantage and a way to meet the “growing demand for accessible, low-risk entry into digital health and fitness, giving users the chance to experience firsthand the proven effectiveness of BODi in delivering results.”

The Relational Equity Scorecard: A New Operating Lens for Direct Selling

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How to measure trust, strengthen culture and build a more resilient field organization.

When Direct Selling News published my recent article, Winning the Post-Gig Economy, it opened conversations with executives, field leaders and thought leaders across the channel. In many of those conversations, one question rose above the rest:

“If relationships are the new competitive advantage, how do we effectively measure the value they create?”

That question stayed with me.

If the first article explored why relationship-centric business models are rising, this one focuses on how direct selling companies can build the infrastructure to scale trust, leadership and human connection in a moment defined by AI acceleration and personal entrepreneurship.

JLco Julia Amaral/shutterstock.com

This is not a story about economic anxiety. It is a story about opportunity and the evolution of work. It is also a moment where direct selling is uniquely positioned to lead.

As Stuart Johnson recently told me, “In the new world of AI, owning your own business is the only form of income security.” Stuart points out that AI is not eliminating opportunity. It is reshaping it around individuals who want autonomy, flexibility and meaningful work.

Direct selling is built for that moment, but only if companies can see, measure and strengthen the relationship engines that make the model durable.

The Relationship Equity Scorecard (RES).

None of the individual ideas inside the Relationship Equity Scorecard (RES) are new to the channel. Leaders have understood the importance of culture, belonging, mentorship, community and continuity for decades. What has been missing is a way to see these relational drivers together—clearly and consistently—in a form that helps executives assess the health of their networks before momentum breaks.

The purpose of the RES framework is not to reinvent the fundamentals but to unify them into a composite view that makes the invisible visible. In a channel where our greatest competitive advantage is Return on Relationship, RES simply provides the clarity and structure to measure what has long been understood but rarely quantified.

The Shift: Why Relationship-Centric Models Are Rising

Across industries, workers are re-evaluating what matters.mThe modern workforce is choosing careers that offer:

  • Autonomy
  • Flexibility
  • Personal Entrepreneurship
  • Purpose
  • Community
  • Leadership They Trust

This shift is driven more by aspiration than fear.

Rob Sperry highlights a dynamic that is particularly important for direct selling. He argues that the industry does not have a recruiting problem. It has a retention problem. He warns that retention must be treated as the foundation of business stability, not a secondary outcome. If relationships are weak or leadership is inconsistent, attrition becomes structural.

Gordon Hester adds another strategic layer. He distinguishes between transactional leadership, which treats people like numbers, and experiential leadership, which builds belonging, trust and belief. Without personalization, care and real leadership presence, even well-intentioned companies begin to see erosion in confidence and community.

In my work with executive teams, I see the same pattern emerging:

The battleground is no longer attraction. The battleground is continuity. Retention is not simply a numbers problem. It is a relationship equity problem.

From ROR to Relationship Equity: The Next Strategic Frontier

In Winning the Post-Gig Economy, I introduced Return on Relationship (ROR) as a critical strategic lens to view our unique and deeply valuable differentiators as a channel. This article takes the next step by making the concept measurable.

Relationship equity is the quantifiable value of trust, engagement and continuity inside a direct selling organization. Brand equity is a marketing asset. Relationship equity is a field and culture asset.

It shows up in:

  • Who Stays
  • Who Activates
  • Who Recommends
  • Who Leads
  • Who Attends
  • Who Progresses
  • Who Builds Year after Year

The challenge is that most companies cannot see relationship strength until it breaks.

Attrition rises. Engagement flattens. Momentum softens. Confidence fades. It happens gradually, then suddenly. Leadership needs a way to measure what has been invisible. This is where the Relationship Equity Scorecard becomes powerful.

The Relationship Equity Scorecard (RES)

RES = Connection × Contribution × Continuity

These three pillars represent the universal relationship drivers that determine whether people stay, grow and lead in a field-driven business model.

The RES framework is intentionally model agnostic. Universal relationship drivers make the RES model applicable to any product or service category and to all compensation plan variations other than pure affiliate models. What changes from company to company is the specific set of metrics used in each pillar and the benchmarks used for interpretation.

This keeps RES simple at the conceptual level while allowing each organization to adapt the metrics to its structure.

DavideAngelini/shutterstock.com

Pillar 1: Connection

Do people feel seen, supported and part of something meaningful?

Metrics may include:

  • Activation Rate
  • Event Attendance
  • Training Engagement
  • Leadership Communication Sentiment
  • Community Participation
  • Customer Reorder Patterns

Event engagement deserves particular emphasis. As Rob Sperry often notes, nothing accelerates belief, community and retention more predictably than live events. Attendance is not just an output of excitement. It is a leading indicator of connection and one of the most visible expressions of relational depth inside a field organization.

Connection is not a feeling. It is a measurable signal.

Pillar 2: Contribution

Is value flowing in both directions between corporate, field and customers?

Metrics may include:

  • Mentorship Penetration
  • Coaching Activity
  • Participation in Team Spaces
  • Recognition and Story Flow
  • Testimonials and Referrals
  • Feedback Responsiveness

Contribution reflects whether people are building or merely observing. Where contribution is high, belief strengthens and culture stabilizes.

Pillar 3: Continuity

Do people stay long enough to succeed?

Metrics may include:

  • First 90-day Retention
  • Annual Rep Retention
  • Leadership Tenure
  • Subscription or Contract Duration
  • Cross-Product Adoption
  • Reactivation Rates

Continuity is the scoreboard of trust. Without it, there is no compounding, duplication or long-term growth.

What a Composite RES Unlocks

When Connection, Contribution and Continuity are scored together, RES becomes a powerful health index for leadership. It enables companies to:

  1. Identify early warning signs
  2. Benchmark network health across markets
  3. See leadership gaps before they become retention issues
  4. Understand where cultural breakdowns occur
  5. Tie OKRs to relational strength
  6. Forecast resilience and variability

Relationship equity becomes to field culture what brand equity has long been to marketing: the underlying asset that determines long-term durability.

As Wayne Moorehead rightly emphasizes on DSN’s Direct Approach podcast, the strongest companies in the next era will blend modern customer experience disciplines with the inherently relational strengths of this channel. The RES framework provides the connective tissue for that evolution. It helps leaders protect and deepen the relational advantage that makes direct selling unique, even as every other part of the business modernizes around it.

Leadership Infrastructure: The New KPIs

ROR becomes meaningful only when translated into leader behavior. This is where many companies stall. They understand the concept, but not how to operationalize it.

The New KPIs provide that system.

In fairness, I saw this “New KPI” terminology in a random LinkedIn meme, but it sparked something deeper in my thinking. Looking past the cliche of it, the real gem in this idea is that it shifts leadership focus from just managing performance to cultivating measurable culture, which is the core of strengthening Connection, Contribution and Continuity across the field.

The New KPIs:

  1. Keep People Interested
  2. Keep People Informed
  3. Keep People Involved
  4. Keep People Inspired

These behaviors reinforce the universal relationship drivers at the heart of the RES model.

  1. Keep People Interested
    Interest is the earliest signal of connection. People stay engaged when leaders:
  • Spark curiosity rather than overwhelm
  • Make the first steps simple
  • Highlight early wins
  • Communicate with clarity and relevance
  • Set expectations that feel achievable
  • Reinforce positive pro-growth/pro-social behaviors.

Interest is not hype. It is the psychological doorway into longer-term belief. When interest fades, disconnection begins.

  1. Keep People Informed
    Informed people trust their leaders. Transparency is a competitive advantage. Companies that win communicate:
  • The “why” behind decisions
  • What success looks like
  • What changes mean for the field
  • What leaders can rely on consistently

Uncertainty erodes continuity faster than compensation ever can. Information creates stability. Stability creates belief. Belief creates retention.

  1. Keep People Involved
    Involvement is the bridge between contribution and ownership.
Tint Media/shutterstock.com

People commit deeply to what they help shape.

Leaders strengthen involvement by:

  • Inviting input before decisions are finalized
  • Giving people roles that matter
  • Recognizing progress
  • Creating community spaces
  • Offering micro-leadership opportunities

Involvement transforms participants into builders.

  1. Keep People Inspired
    Inspiration sustains long-term continuity. People stay when they see meaning in the work and possibility in themselves.

Inspiration grows when leaders:

  • Model the values they teach
  • Tell real stories
  • Show ordinary people achieving progress
  • Connect personal goals to mission-level purpose
  • Normalize visible progress

Inspired people don’t just stay—they build, lead and lift others.

Why the New KPIs Matters

Each KPI maps directly to a pillar of the RES model.

The New KPIsStrengthened RES Pillar
Keep People InterestedConnection
Keep People InformedContinuity
Keep People InvolvedContribution
Keep People InspiredAll three pillars

This is how leadership behavior becomes infrastructure. This is how relationship equity becomes scalable. This is how direct selling modernizes without losing its human core.

The New KPI is not a slogan. It is a leadership operating system.

Why This Matters Now: A Convergence of Forces

Four forces are reshaping the future of direct selling.

  1. AI is accelerating personal entrepreneurship and reshaping traditional career paths.
  2. People want autonomy, flexibility, community and purpose—not just a paycheck.
  3. The rising generations are more open than ever to side businesses and hybrid income models.
  4. Trust is becoming the decisive factor in whether people stay, engage and lead.

Alongside these forces sits another reality we cannot overlook. The Gig Economy—for all its flaws—permanently reset expectations for how independent earners want to engage with work. It taught the world that opportunity must be:

  • Ruthlessly simple
  • Low in cognitive load
  • Low in administrative burden
  • Fast to start
  • Clear in expectations
  • Flexible in execution

These are now baseline table stakes, not differentiators.

Direct selling competes not only with other companies but with every platform that seeks the field’s attention, energy and discretionary effort. In an AI-accelerated world, complexity is a tax that people simply will not pay.

The companies demonstrating the greatest resilience today are those with strong field cultures, high leadership trust, deep community engagement and friction-reduced systems that support—not overwhelm—the field.

This is not a debate between customer acquisition and relationship strength.

The future belongs to companies that can compete in acquisition while building deep, enduring relationship equity with their field and customers.

In that environment, the ability to measure and strengthen relationship equity is no longer optional. It is a strategic requirement.

A Field-Forward Action Plan for Executives

  • Define your RES metrics.
  • Build a Relationship Equity dashboard.
  • Tie OKRs to relational strength, not only transactional output.
  • Equip leaders with the New KPI.
  • Treat RES declines as early warning signs.
  • Make network health a standing agenda item in leadership conversations.

The Next Era Belongs to Relationship-Driven Companies

As AI reshapes work and workers prioritize autonomy, flexibility and purpose, the rarest commodity in business will be trust. Relationship equity becomes the foundation for sustainable growth in a field-driven model.

Connection creates belonging.

Contribution creates meaning.

Continuity creates legacy.

MICHAEL CODY is the Chief Operating Officer of Genistar Limited, the UK’s fastest-growing financial education and services brand, serving 145,000+ families with nearly £13 billion worth of policies in force. He began his career in the field at 19 and has since held senior leadership roles, including COO of AquaSource. He is passionate about helping people step off the gig treadmill and into businesses that create lasting value through community, leverage and financial education.

Leadership Development

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The missing ingredient in direct selling’s next chapter.

For decades, leadership development was the heartbeat of direct selling. The companies that lasted didn’t just build volume. They built people.

They had systems that turned someone new into a builder and eventually into a leader. Those systems weren’t fancy—they were clear, consistent and culture driven.

Then came the shift.

Social media took over, and suddenly everyone was focused on branding, attraction marketing and personal visibility. The spotlight moved from developing leaders to promoting personalities.

Today, most companies teach how to post; how to sell; and how to attract. Few teach how to lead.

From Building Workhorses to Buying Racehorses

In Built to Last, we discuss how the profession gradually traded developing leaders for buying them. Instead of creating workhorses through internal development, companies began chasing racehorses—experienced leaders from other organizations.

The motive made sense. Faster growth. Instant credibility. But over time, this approach stripped away the foundation that created stability. When leadership is purchased instead of produced, the culture becomes transactional. Teams lose mentorship, depth and long-term loyalty.

Personal development and leadership development are still the cornerstones of duplication. One builds the person. The other multiplies the leader. You can’t grow leaders who lack consistency, humility or belief. Those qualities come long before the title does.

The Cost of Skipping Development

When development disappears, duplication dies. Teams become dependent on a few personalities instead of shared principles. Culture turns reactive. Leaders burn out.

Leadership development remains the strongest retention strategy in the profession. It builds belief, confidence, and trust. It reminds people that growth—not hype—is the real goal.

Rebuilding the Foundation

The companies that win the next decade will return to this foundation. They’ll rebuild leadership systems that grow people from the inside out. They’ll pair mindset training with skill training. They’ll invest in mentorship, not just marketing.

Duplication doesn’t come from followers. It comes from frameworks.

The Real Test of Legacy

Trends change. Algorithms change. Promotions come and go. What never changes is the impact of a developed leader.

The companies that last will be the ones that build both the person and the leader. That’s how you create growth that endures long after the spotlight fades.

So, every executive and top leader should be asking one simple question:

Are we developing leaders, or just buying them?

ROB SPERRY is a passionate, purpose-driven entrepreneur who has been full time in network marketing since 2008 and the author of Built to Last: The Future of Direct Selling. Due to his expertise, Sperry has been featured in national and international books, podcasts, blogs, articles and magazines specific to finding success in network marketing. His podcast, Network Marketing Breakthroughs has listeners in 118 countries.

eXp Realty Launches LYVVE Platform

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eXp Realty announced the official debut of LYVVE, an international property search platform that includes listings from nearly 30 countries where eXp Realty operates. The goal of LYVVE is to deliver a faster, more intuitive user experience that bridges borders.

“The way people buy and sell homes has changed; the world is more connected, and buyers think globally now,” said Felix Bravo, Managing Director of eXp Realty International. “LYVVE brings agents and clients together in real time, making international home discovery simple and transparent. With built-in features like WhatsApp messaging, communication is simple, direct, and immediate. It’s what modern real estate should look like. At eXp, we believe real estate doesn’t stop at the border, and neither should opportunity.”

LYVVE, which was envisioned by Bravo and rolled out in beta form earlier this year, supports multiple currencies and diverse property types and connects communities and investment opportunities in real time. The platform will remain agent-centric and build on eXp Realty’s proprietary technology that applies AI to create simpler ways for agents and consumers to connect across international borders. Agents will have full control of their listings, data and leads, and clients can search across countries to find the right vacation property or home for their needs.

“LYVVE solves three fundamental challenges in the industry: fragmentation, visibility, and accessibility,” Bravo said. “It brings everything together in one place: an effortless, unified and borderless marketplace where opportunity moves as freely as information. Our goal is simple: make global real estate as easy to explore as local real estate.”

PM-International Named a “Top 150” Company in Luxembourg

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PM-International was recognized at the “Luxembourg Official Top 150 Awards 2025” as one of the event’s “Titans of Industry.” This award list recognizes the largest retail companies in Luxembourg that demonstrate economic impact, sustainable growth and long-term contribution to the Grand Duchy’s business landscape.

“As a company built on the entrepreneurial spirit of hundreds of thousands of independent distribution partners worldwide, this award belongs to our field,” said Adrien Rincheval, PM-International Chief Sales Officer. “At PM-International, our commitment has always been to strengthen and continuously innovate our industry through premium experiences and long-term growth. For over 30 years, we believe in making a difference with our FitLine products and this recognition is a testament of our shared dedication.”

PM-International set company records with its 2024 revenue, which exceeded $3.25 billion, and achieved 28% organic sales growth in the first five months of 2025.

Executive Engagement & Field-Centric Leadership

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The indispensable cornerstones of direct selling.

Listen to this story starting at 19:05 on the new, revamped The DSN Podcast. Even when your day is packed, we make it easy to stay informed, engaged and one step ahead. Listen now or read below!

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0nuvBdFlcPc7mN1NhPm0vc?si=W4rTTFmeQouQZVib6TVigg

As an attorney who advises both executives and distributors, I’ve learned there is one thing the strongest companies in the direct selling space have in common: relentless executive engagement and field-centric leadership.

When either are missing, even the most storied companies can find themselves confronting legal exposure, reputational damage and a sudden erosion of distributor confidence.

The Contractual Covenant at the Heart of Direct Selling

JLco Julia Amaral/shutterstock.com

Every independent distributor who joins a direct sales company joins under a written agreement that incorporates the company’s policies and procedures and the compensation plan. That collection of documents should be treated as more than boilerplate; it is a mutual covenant laying out the relationship between the company and the distributor.

Executives promise to apply the plan transparently, and distributors promise to market the brand ethically while building a downline. When openness turns opaque—through secret deals, bridges, undisclosed waivers or selective enforcement—the covenant fractures.

And no incentive can repair the resulting loss of trust. When this covenant—which is foundational to the relationship—is compromised, trust erodes quickly and even strong companies can face instability. Executives and field leaders should grow together, not on the others’ back.

Eroding Trust: When Playing Fair Stops Mattering

Your time in the sun is likely to be short lived when you ostracize even the most ardent of supporters, your field. This distance could expose the company to risks.

  • Culture of Doubt
    Special treatment and half-truths rarely stay secret. Once the field senses favoritism or deception, belief in fairness vanishes and the overall presentation of the opportunity becomes misleading and deceptive to both current distributors and prospective ones.
  • Regulatory Scrutiny
    Whenever trust fades, complaints will quickly follow; and complaints generate regulatory inquiry.

The Most Cost-Effective Compliance Strategy

Decisionmakers must be transparent. This is the simplest yet often frequently ignored concept. Accountability and open communication with the field allows issues to surface early and disputes to resolve amicably.

But isolation signals indifference and magnifies mistrust leading to both sides doubling down on their ego. Executives must be accessible and share their vision with the field. Direct selling is different than a prototypical retailer that can more closely control the brand’s mission and message. In direct selling, your field must be the ones to fulfill that vision.

Ground Picture/shutterstock.com

Field Leaders as Cultural Linchpins

Field leaders are the cultural linchpins of direct selling success—they don’t just drive sales; they embody the company’s values, vision and energy at the grassroots level. As mentors, motivators and community builders, they shape the tone, trust and belief system. Their influence sets the pace for engagement, retention and growth, making them essential partners in sustaining a vibrant, aligned and high-performing culture.

They can be your staunchest advocates or most feared critics. Choose wisely. Prominent field leaders capture a monumentally large following, for better or for worse.

Best Practices—A Leadership Checklist

  • Transparent Communication
    Executives should maintain regular, honest updates via webinars, emails and Q&As to build trust and alignment. The field must know what the executives are thinking and why.
  • Field Advisory Councils
    In reverse, executives need to know what field leaders are seeing on the ground. These councils can assist in presenting field concerns to company management. Executives cannot risk becoming isolated in ivory towers.
  • Field Recognition and Executive Presence
    Have executives visibly recognize field achievements through events, shoutouts and company platforms as well as have executives on the ground to connect with the field and establish a strong connection between the two. The field wants to be heard.
  • Pilot Programs
    Test new tools, proposed changes or products with a select group of field leaders before full rollout. Field leaders likely know the market better than the executives due to their intimate relationship with their customers and downline.
  • Unified Messaging
    Ensure executives and field leaders communicate with a consistent voice on company vision, priorities and culture. No double speak. There are likely few things more damaging than having multiple messages circulating at once.
JLco Julia Amaral/shutterstock.com

Leadership Engagement is No Longer Optional

The direct selling business model harvests its power from human networks, and human networks thrive on trust, access and shared vision. Whenever executives distance themselves from the field, trust deteriorates. By contrast, when executives remain visible, transparent and accountable, the field reciprocates with loyalty that no marketing budget can replace.

The most trusted companies are those where executives maintain regular dialogue with the field, visibly recognize achievements and share a consistent vision.

In direct selling, executive engagement and authentic field-centric leadership are not just desirable—they are the indispensable pillars upon which all sustainable success rests.

Partner at Thompson Burton PLLC, CLAY BREWER’s practice focuses on advising both established companies and startups on a wide range of matters such as business planning, capital raising, corporate structuring, regulatory risk and cross-border transactions. A prolific writer and thought leader, Clay provides strategic counsel to clients and has a strong interest in the evolving direct sales industry as well as digital assets and blockchain technologies.

Vorwerk Wins Prestigious German Awards

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Vorwerk was honored with a Silver Effie in the category “New New” for its overall marketing campaign of the Thermomix TM7, as well as the PR Report Award for “International Communication.” The company was also shortlisted in the “Content Strategy” category of the PR Report Awards.

These awards recognize the milestone efforts of the Thermomix TM7 launch, which generated more than 2 billion contacts within 72 hours of launch. The company attributed a “precisely orchestrated communications strategy” that ignited enthusiasm within the Vorwerk community and led to the momentum of a record-breaking launch for the company that included 860,000 pre-orders to date.

“The Thermomix TM7 launch was extraordinary in every respect,” said Matthias van der Donk, Vorwerk SVP Corporate Marketing and Communication. “Its success was driven by people working together across the globe—first and foremost our community, but also our communications, marketing, events, and the Vorwerk teams worldwide. This coordinated collaboration made our global success possible.”

The Thermomix TM7 has already received a number of awards for its design and innovation, including the Red Dot Award, the UX Design Award and five Plus X Awards.

“These awards belong to our entire community—their passion, their trust and their daily motivation to push us to excel,” says Dr. Thomas Stoffmehl, Speaker of the Executive Board. “The launch of the Thermomix TM7 has been defining for Vorwerk. The numerous awards in technology, design and communications are a thoroughly deserved recognition for everyone who contributed to this exceptional launch. Thank you all.”

Women-Owned Franchises Rise to 30% of US Businesses

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Women have long been the minority when it comes to franchise ownership, but that gap is shrinking. In the past ten years, the number of women-owned franchises has grown by 38%. When compared to earlier decades, the improvement is astonishing. In 1972, two years before women were even legally allowed to apply for and own a credit card, there were only 400,000 registered businesses owned by women. Today, that number now exceeds 13 million.

Women now make up 30% of franchise owners in the US, and of this number, a third have successfully operated their business for more than a decade. There is still a long way to go towards equality in the business sector, but within franchising the pay gap is steadily improving and, according to franchise discovery platform Franzy, “many studies clearly demonstrate that women tend to perform better than men in several areas when it comes to franchising.”

As women continue to forge their own path as business owners, it is critical that they are willing to be seen and heard within the corporate and commercial arena. When asked what advice she would give to aspiring women leaders seeking to succeed in male-dominated environments, Sunny Beutler, Sunrider International CEO, told Chief Executive magazine: “I would tell them to be confident, to speak up and to professionally take the lead in conversations if you feel you have something worth sharing. It may often feel like men are dominating conversations, so you will feel like you have to push hard to be heard, but keep on doing it because that’s how you can get your voice heard.”

Beyond finding the courage to speak up, Beutler advised women leaders to be proactive team members who reach out to others as they seek to improve processes, products and initiatives.

“I love initiative and innovation, and when women are able to raise their voices to express these initiatives or innovative ideas while competently doing their jobs, that’s when I think, ‘this person can be a leader.’”

4Life Assembles Holiday Bags for Children in Need

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4Life employees gathered for a Foundation 4Life project at the Granite Education Foundation Warehouse in Utah to serve children in need. The Utah Granite School District is the fourth largest district in the country and almost half of all students in the district qualify for free or reduced lunch. 4Life employees stepped in to help this vulnerable population by assembling holiday gift bags, which included a stuffed animal, school kit, toy, blanket, grooming kit and socks.

“These types of service events reinforce my mother’s vision and legacy,” said Jenna Lisonbee, who now serves as the leader of Foundation 4Life, carrying on the dream of her mother and 4Life Founder Bianca Lisonbee. “It’s an honor to collaborate with the Granite Education Foundation in support of children who have little but deserve much. Thanks to my 4Life colleagues who participated this year.”

Telecom Plus Reports 2025 Half-Year Results

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Telecom Plus PLC, also known as Utility Warehouse (UW), announced its financial results for the first half of 2025. Revenue for the first six months ending September 30, 2025 were $981 million with a gross profit of $207 million. Adjusted pre-tax profit was $42.8 million.

The company experienced compound double-digit customer growth for the fourth consecutive year, with customer numbers increasing by 222,977 to 1,386,585. The company’s annualized organic customer growth rate was 11%, with service numbers increasing by 256,375 to 1,386,585. The company’s cross-sell into its acquired TalkTalk customers exceeded expectations, with around 5,000 customers upgraded and cross-sold, which contributed to service numbers increasing by 256,375 to 3,648,968.

The company believes there is an ongoing favorable environment for recruitment of new Partners because of macro-economic pressures and long-term structural trends, and is confident that it will meet full-year 2026 guidance of around 25% total customer growth. Expectations continue to be confident that customer numbers will increase to 2 million over the medium-term.

“We are pleased to have delivered double digit compound customer growth for a fourth consecutive year, simply by helping households to save time and money on their essential household bills, and demonstrating the ability of our unique multiservice model to provide market-leading savings in a wide range of market conditions,” said Stuart Burnett, UW CEO. “We have exceeded our initial cross-sell expectations into the first tranche of broadband customers we acquired from TalkTalk, and are excited by the future opportunities this creates. With one of the UK’s most competitive mobile propositions, alongside our market-leading offering in energy, broadband and insurance, our Partners have even more ways to help their friends and families to save, whilst building a valuable long-term additional income for themselves.”

The Future of Commerce

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How direct selling can lead in the age of AI.

When I started my career in ecommerce, I never imagined a moment when websites would begin to fade in relevance. Yet here we are. Today, conversational AI is rapidly replacing the search bar. Customers no longer browse—they interact. They no longer compare—they ask. And increasingly, they no longer visit a website at all. They simply let intelligent agents handle the work for them.

For direct selling companies—organizations built on conversation, community and personal recommendation—this shift represents not a disruption, but an alignment. AI is pushing commerce toward the strengths this channel has always embodied. But the window to capitalize on this shift is short—and closing quickly.

We are entering a new era of digital commerce defined by three phases: being found by AI; selling through AI; and ultimately thinking with AI. Over the next 36 months, these phases will fundamentally reshape how brands compete for attention and build customer loyalty.

The decisions leaders make right now will determine which companies grow—and which quietly disappear from digital view.

AI-Readable Commerce: The Next Competitive Divide

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The first major shift is already well underway: customers now begin their buying journey by asking an AI model what to purchase.

This behavior is accelerating faster than most companies realize. Whether through tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, Amazon’s Rufus or TikTok’s new shopping AI, consumers expect instant, intelligent, personalized suggestions. They want clarity—not clutter. They want confidence—not research.

But here’s the critical challenge: AI can only recommend what it can understand.

Direct selling brands are discovering that when customers ask an AI tool about their products, the answers are often incomplete, inaccurate or even negative. Why? Because AI pulls from the data available to it. If your structured product information, reviews, FAQs, clinical claims, pricing details, testimonials and brand story aren’t visible and machine-readable, the model defaults to whatever it can find—usually third-party reviews, outdated commentary or unflattering discussion threads.

For many brands, that’s the digital equivalent of letting someone else tell your story.

In today’s environment, “AI readability” is quickly replacing SEO as the foundational pillar of discoverability. Product pages, claims, compliance guidelines and user-generated content must be structured, consistent and accessible to the systems customers rely on. The brands that treat AI readability as a core competency—rather than a project—will enjoy compounding visibility for years.

Those who ignore it will be filtered out of the buying process before a human ever sees their website.

From AI-Assisted Discovery to AI-Driven Transactions

Within the next two years, AI will move from helping customers shop to actually shopping for them.

Consumers will increasingly deploy personal commerce agents (digital co-shoppers embedded in messaging apps, wearables, smart home devices and augmented reality).

These agents will:

  • Compare products based on preferences and past behavior
  • Build carts automatically
  • Recommend bundles based on goals or usage
  • Redeem loyalty rewards
  • Track auto-ship needs
  • Negotiate price or shipping options
  • Facilitate one-click checkout

For distributors in direct selling, this shift represents an unprecedented opportunity. Imagine every customer having a personalized concierge who knows their flavor preferences, wellness goals, renewal cycles, ingredient sensitivities and purchase history—and builds the perfect order every time.

This is not hypothetical technology. It’s functioning today and scaling rapidly.

The field will evolve from being the sole providers of personalized guidance to becoming AI-augmented community ambassadors. Distributors will still provide the relationship, accountability and human touch that AI cannot replicate. But the complexity of product selection, usage routines, follow-ups and reorders will increasingly be handled by intelligent systems.

The brands that will thrive are those that make their products easily accessible to these agents through open data, API-friendly storefronts and clear attribution paths that maintain compensation integrity.

The brands that don’t? Their distributors will be unknowingly competing with AI agents recommending competing products that are simply easier for the system to understand and transact.

Why Websites Matter Less—And Where Commerce Is Actually Going

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Across global markets, in-platform shopping is already outperforming traditional ecommerce. In China, WeChat remains the dominant commerce channel not because of better user interfaces, but because consumers never have to leave the environment they are already in. The same pattern is beginning to play out across WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, iMessage and AI chat platforms.

Customers want commerce woven into their digital behavior—not added onto it.

For direct selling companies, this means the future will not be won through better websites, but through presence inside the platforms where conversations and communities already live.

This includes:

  • TikTok Shop
  • WhatsApp Business and Mini Stores
  • WeChat Mini Programs
  • Instagram and Facebook Shops
  • ChatGPT Commerce integrations
  • Google’s emerging AI shopping ecosystems

The most successful brands will not be those with the best websites, but those with the most frictionless, conversational experiences embedded in the tools customers naturally use every day.

Predictive Commerce: Direct Selling’s Biggest Opportunity

Three years from now, commerce will shift again—from AI agents that respond to requests to systems that anticipate them.

This is the era of predictive commerce. Here’s what that world looks like:

  • A customer doesn’t reorder when they run out—AI reorders before they realize they need to.
  • A distributor doesn’t check back-office dashboards—AI sends them proactive insights.
  • A brand doesn’t launch campaigns—AI sends each customer the right message at the right time.
  • Products are co-designed with input from real-time consumer feedback and biometric data.
  • Loyalty and compensation operate through instantaneous, automated micro-transactions.

The brands that win this era will be those that treat data not as a report, but as an operating system.

Predictive commerce collapses the gap between desire and transaction. It eliminates friction, reduces noise and strengthens loyalty—but only for companies prepared to feed AI systems the data they need to operate.

In a predictive world, customer experiences become one-to-one at scale. Every interaction becomes uniquely tailored. And direct selling—an industry predicated on personalization—is positioned to lead.

What Brands Must Do Now: A Three-Phase Roadmap

To prepare for this future, direct selling companies must deliberately align with how AI discovers, recommends and personalizes. That alignment happens in three phases.

Phase 1: Be Found by AI

This is the most urgent step.

  • Structure product data so it can be read and summarized
  • Actively manage online reviews and reputation signals
  • Make educational content conversational and machine-consumable
  • Ensure every SKU, testimonial and claim is indexed cleanly
  • Begin prioritizing “generative engine optimization” (GEO)

If AI cannot understand your brand’s value, it will not recommend your products.

Phase 2: Sell Through AI

Once readable, your brand must be transaction-ready.

  • Allow purchases within chat platforms
  • Maintain clean attribution for ambassadors
  • Build storefronts inside social and AI-native environments
  • Equip distributors with AI-powered copilots
  • Automate retargeting, bundling, upsells and reorders

The less customers have to leave a conversation to transact, the higher the conversion rate.

Phase 3: Think With AI

This is the long-term competitive frontier.

  • Deploy predictive reordering
  • Enable dynamic personalization for every customer
  • Allow AI to co-create product suggestions and wellness plans
  • Integrate loyalty and compensation with real-time automation
  • Turn data into a continuous, adaptive feedback loop

Companies that master this phase won’t run campaigns—they’ll run adaptive ecosystems.

Adapting Isn’t Optional—But It Is a Massive Advantage

The next generation of commerce will reward brands that are clear, structured and accessible to AI. It will reward brands that build conversational pathways, not just web pages. It will reward brands that help their distributors become amplified by technology, not replaced by it.

But most importantly, it will reward the companies that act now.

We’ve all lived through a major digital transformation once before, when direct selling companies were late to modern ecommerce; late to mobile responsiveness; and late to social shopping. This time, the stakes are higher, and the pace is faster.

The companies that adapt will become the leaders of the next decade. The companies that don’t will slowly fade from the digital landscape—unseen, unreadable and unconsidered.

The good news? Direct selling is built for this moment. The future of commerce is conversational. The future of sales is personal. And the future of personalization is AI. It’s time to lead.

Three Key Takeaways

1. AI readability is the new discoverability.
Customers now begin their buying journey by asking AI—not by browsing websites. Brands that structure their product data, claims, reviews and educational content for machine understanding will rise in visibility.

2. Commerce is shifting from AI-assisted to AI-driven.
Within 24–36 months, personal AI agents will build carts, manage reorders, track preferences and transact autonomously. Direct selling brands that integrate with these systems—while preserving attribution integrity for distributors—will unlock unprecedented personalization and conversion.

3. Predictive commerce will redefine customer loyalty.
The next era belongs to companies that let AI anticipate needs, personalize every touchpoint and automate retention. In this future, data becomes the operating system of the business—and direct selling is uniquely positioned to lead.

PETER GRISCOM is President and Chief Operating Officer of It Works!. Peter has more than 10 years of direct selling executive experience and brings expertise in launching, leading and restructuring companies to create efficiencies in manufacturing, sales and marketing.

An Online Exclusive from Direct Selling News magazine.

Study Shows Most People Die with Regrets

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In a peer-reviewed study published to the National Library of Medicine, researchers found that 90% of people typically experience severe life regrets. These regrets can range from feelings of discomfort from perceived flaws in personal choices or a complex emotional experience that elicits negative responses like despair and shame.

Most commonly, adults aged 79-98 reported regrets about things left undone, the loss of loved ones and health issues. As the ratio of regrets increased, these unresolved regrets predicted poorer life satisfaction, health and well-being.

Regardless of age, however, these negative mindsets are open to change. Neuroplasticity does not end in old age and structural brain changes, like increased gray matter volume, and improved cognitive efficiency was possible through targeted mental exercises.

These older years also offer opportunity for “next chapter” experiences and “encore careers.” In a study of 1,000 Americans aged 50-70, most adults expressed interest in post-midlife jobs that united their passion, purpose and social impact, in contrast to “coasting” through retirement. This second act and “retirement reinvention” allows older adults the chance to design a new version of themselves—one that eliminates missed opportunities, chases unmet goals and learns from old mistakes.

In other words, it’s never too late.