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Casey Shilling Named J. Hilburn Chief Marketing Officer

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J. Hilburn announced that Casey Shilling has been named Chief Marketing Officer.

Shilling most recently served as chief marketing officer of Zoës Kitchen, a leading fast casual Mediterranean restaurant group with more than 260 locations nationwide. While at Zoës, she led the brand’s digital transformation and crafted strategic partnerships, such as Zoës-branded in-flight food with American Airlines and an exclusive partnership with Whole30™.  Prior to her time at Zoës, Shilling served as vice president of marketing and public relations at The Container Store, the nation’s leading retailer of storage and organization products

“Casey has deep experience in building lifestyle brands, which will be instrumental in telling our disruptive custom-made story,” said CEO Andy Janowski. “She is a rare combination of digital, strategy and creative. She has a keen focus on driving results and is a tremendous culture fit. I look forward to watching her grow the business alongside our strong leadership team.”

J. Hilburn’s leadership team consists of Janowski (former COO of Burberry and CEO of Smythson); Chief Operating Officer Joe Dixon (former CEO of Size Stream and SVP of Brooks Brothers); and Chief Creative Officer Simon Kneen (former EVP of design and creative director for Banana Republic).

“I’m thrilled to join J.Hilburn and this dynamic, seasoned management team during such an exciting time for the brand,” said Shilling. “Together, we plan to increase our stylist network and transform the company into an omni-channel business, increasing brand awareness to attract new customers and deepening engagement with our loyal base of clients.”

Irvin Bishop Jr. Named Young Living Executive Vice President

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Young Living Essential Oils recently announced the promotion of Irvin Bishop Jr. as executive vice president, Digital and Strategic Planning.

In his new role, Irvin will lead Young Living’s efforts to update its global digital footprint and facilitate management and strategic alignment company wide.

“Irvin is a proven leader in our company. His leadership was instrumental in ensuring a smooth shopping experience during last year’s Black Friday record-breaking traffic,” said Jared Turner, Young Living president and chief operating officer. “Irvin has played an integral role in designing a seamless online enrollment experience and implementing innovative new-member enhancements.”

Irvin, who joined Young Living in 2018 as senior vice president, Digital Strategy, has more than 20 years of expertise in digital marketing, consumer insights and technology. Since joining the company, Irvin has directed the digital automation of the company’s global promotions capability and boosted its distributor tool set and social reputation.

Prior to Young Living, Irvin was head of digital marketing IT for Coca-Cola, he led promotions for campaigns such as the FIFA World Cup, the Olympics and the Super Bowl.

“Young Living is a company that walks the talk,” Irvin said. “It’s one of the few companies that consistently demonstrates its commitment to health and wellness. I look forward to meeting—and exceeding—the challenge of our 5×5 Pledge to expand into five new markets each year and add 5 million additional members over the next five years.”

UFORIA Young Company Interview

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Ron Williams

ÜFORIA
Founded: November 2018
Headquarters: St. George, Utah
Top Executive: Ron Williams, Founder & CEO
Products: Customized Nutritionals
Business Model: Network Marketing
Website: UforiaScience.com

 

Is there a story behind the name ÜFORIA?

First of all, the Ü is our logo—it’s happy, playful, and confident. It has a lot to do with YOU, whether it’s your self-identity or your DNA identity. They converge in the conversation of ÜFORIA Science. I also liked the way it rolled off my tongue, producing an endorphin every time we say it!

Tell us about your ‘Why’ or your vision for starting the company

What I have learned is that it’s difficult at best to be a “me too” company and product these days. I’m not saying it’s impossible, it’s just difficult. I think people always set out with good intentions, but by default, they’re trying to distinguish themselves from their market twins. These are some antics that can come from what I call “blind nutrition.” We’ve been doing blind nutrition for eight decades now of “try this and try that” and see if it works. What’s beautiful about ÜFORIA is that it brings a very transparent conversation to the table using DNA, & plant based, scientifically-proven, peer-reviewed studied ingredients as the model. The theory being no two test results alike, therefore no two formulas alike. We can make nearly 400 million unique formulas. “One is yours.”

You have a lot of experience with a prior company in the network marketing space. What did you bring or learn from that experience that you have applied to ÜFORIA?

The whole concept of my herbs grows higher on the mountain than yours, or my ORAC value is higher than yours is silly. I learned that playing this kind of comparison game just wasn’t me. I have found the best and most sustainable product in the industry is the people. Therefore, you build the people, and they— in turn—will help build your company.

Tell us a little about the startup phase, you know, what was your biggest challenge or roadblock? How did you navigate past them?

We’re basically creating a new market right now in regards to this technology. When you have something using DNA, there’s that scientific part of it, and then there’s also the clinically proven ingredients. The body heals itself when you give the body the right raw materials. It’s our opinion that ÜTRITION is a straight line of raw materials inspired by you. “Today, the wise would ask what they’re bodies will do with this product? Not vice versa.”

Do you have a home office or are you virtually-based around the country?

Our corporate team members live around North America. Our office headquarters are in St. George, Utah and the manufacturing and labs are in Dallas, Texas.

What kind of culture are you looking to create? What are your secrets for inspiring a volunteer army?

First of all, I have observed that perhaps motivation is for the uninspired. When you’re inspired, you can’t be stopped. ÜFORIA aims to create a vision bigger than all of us so that none of us can get in the way. No egos and no entitlement. Service is always greater than salesmanship. Not everybody likes to sell, but everyone can serve. This culture brings a mentality that my best work is my next work so that we can maintain our relevance day to day. What we did in the past doesn’t define us. What we’re doing now does.

What’s your leadership style?

Well, the older I get—the less I assert myself. I really only assert myself when I need to. I believe that alignment is greater than the mechanism. I believe in objectively debating the mechanism, and then voting with my team, then we align after the vote is taken. No one is allowed to go up to the sky box and say “I told you so.” Basically, you realize you’re either in alignment, or you’re in the way. It’s an objective platform where I feel the best mechanisms are brought forward. “Alignment supersedes mechanism” is our secret sauce. “Energy doesn’t lie.”

Share with us the tools and training you have created for the field

We have an amazing app that has all the bells and whistles and the tools that not only helps our members in running a business on the go but will help them magnify their business through the analytics that are included in the app. We have replicated websites for customers because this is a very customer-driven model. We also have replicated sites for those choosing to start their own ÜFORIA business.

We also have contracted with Eric Worre to use his Network Marketing Pro training for our members. We wanted great training coming out of the gate, and there is no one better at it than Eric. We feel very blessed that we are using all the best technology, training—kind of the ‘high tech, high touch’ concept. I’m a high touch guy by design, but I also understand the wars are going to be won and lost online. And so, we’re very robust that way.

What is the direct selling channel industry doing well, and where do we need to improve?

What we are doing well is the quality—the quality of management and quality of service has gone up. What we haven’t done so well, historically, is we’ve had somewhat of a boy-band mentality, you know, balloons and pyrotechnics and lottery mentalities. They come and sing their “one hit wonders” and then they disappear. I think that process right now is being weeded out—I think the tree is shaking in our industry, I think the quality is going up as far as product services and innovation. In North America, especially, it’s a very abundant culture. I think that is happening industry-wide. I love our industry. I believe in our industry 100 percent. I respect my colleagues and their companies. In my view, there are no competitors, you look in the mirror, and your best is always more than enough!

Is Amazon a competitor?

What’s amazing about our ÜFORIA model is that it’s Amazon proof, because when a person gets their very own ÜTRITION, it has their name on the label and is printed in real time. So, nobody’s going to be selling it on Amazon. I mean, you wouldn’t buy someone else’s formula on Amazon?

Going forward, what do you know now that you didn’t know when you first started the company?

I’ll tell you what, when a 35-page DNA report shows up in someone’s inbox it’s a surreal moment because you have generations of people speaking on that 35-page report. I think we are bringing something like the cell phone to the landline or Netflix to Blockbuster. ÜFORIA Science is that next big thing in nutrition. I think it’s all about getting out of the way and to let this company be what it’s going to be, and just give it guidance only when it needs guidance. It seems to be on a real straight line right now.

What are your plans for the rest of 2019 and beyond? Can you give us a little peek into the future?

We want to be fundamentally sound and somewhat predictable, not a moving target. We want to stay consistent and capture the imagination of our customers and our industry. If you look at the marketplace, 99 percent perhaps are customers who have no opinion of company A, B or C. We feel that’s a fantastic opportunity for us to share our biotechnology, culture, and the services that we provide and always refine the model as we go.

Any last words for our audience?

In the end, ÜFORIA Science is acknowledging that we as human beings are 99 percent identical. We belong together. It’s not about our color, religion, gender, wealth or looks. If you’re human, you’re in the majority. There are no minorities. If you feel unloved, make yourself lovable. There’s still that 1 percent left over. There has never been—or never will be— someone as beautiful and as unique as you. Nothing states that more than your DNA results. It’s not just your DNA—it’s your self-identity. At ÜFORIA Science they reunite.

Direct Selling News Set to Unveil Global 100 Ranking

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Direct Selling News, the dedicated trade publication for the direct selling channel, will announce the DSN Global 100 ranking of the world’s largest direct selling companies at its Celebration event to be held tomorrow, April 24.

This is the tenth year the magazine has recognized companies that offer unparalleled opportunity for individuals to start their own businesses. DSN created the Global 100 list in 2009 to acknowledge the successes of individual direct selling companies as well as provide a clear picture of the magnitude of the $189 billion channel.

“Each year, the DSN Global 100 gives us an opportunity to recognize this powerful distribution channel,” said Todd Eliason, publisher and editor in chief of Direct Selling News. “The companies in the ranking come from all over the globe and represent millions of independent business owners who have a passion for sharing a wide range of products and services with customers.”

The annual event celebrating the Global 100 will be held at the Renaissance Dallas at Plano Legacy West Hotel. During the dinner and awards ceremony, DSN will also present its Bravo Awards for excellence, as well as the 12 honorees for the 2019 Best Places to Work in Direct Selling.

Last year, Ada, Michigan-based Amway claimed the No. 1 rank, with $8.6 billion in revenue. Avon Products, Inc, Herbalife Nutrition, Vorwerk and Infinitus rounded out the top five on list, Collectively, the 100 companies in the ranking achieved $85.2 billion for 2017.

DSN will live-tweet the ranking during the event. The complete DSN Global 100 list will be unveiled online at DirectSellingNews.com and featured in the June issue of Direct Selling News magazine.

Sarah Bjorgaard Promoted to Young Living GM, U.S. Market

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Young Living Essential Oils announced the promotion of Sarah Bjorgaard to general manager, U.S. Market.

Bjorgaard, who joined Young Living in 2018 as vice president of Beauty Essentials, has over 26 years of experience in the direct sales industry. Since joining the company, she has led the Beauty Essentials team in developing new brand direction while staking a claim as the leader in the Clean Beauty Movement. In her new role, Bjorgaard will lead all sales, marketing and operations efforts for the U.S. market.

“Since joining the company, Sarah has made a marked impact with Young Living’s entire portfolio of beauty and personal care products, including our Savvy Minerals® line,” said Jared Turner, Young Living president and chief operating officer. “She is passionate about providing quality and clean products and scalable tools to our millions of Young Living members. With a background as diverse and member-focused as Sarah’s, we are confident that she will continue to identify untapped growth markets and create new spaces in which Young Living and its members will put down roots and continue to grow.”

Prior to Young Living, Bjorgaard was vice president of global sales for a multinational corporation where she led all aspects of global field communications and social media, created and executed field incentives, developed sales tools, coached field leaders and developed new business.

“I’ve always valued nature and believed in the power of pure essential oils,” said Bjorgaard. “I also believe in the power of coaching people, helping them develop proven leadership skills. I’m excited to take my passion for people and our products and use it to fuel the growth of the U.S. market.”

Oriflame Achieves €1.3 Billion in Revenue for 2018

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Oriflame (ORI-SS—Stockholm) recently announced financial results for the full year ending December 31, 2018.

The cosmetics giant achieved €1.3 billion in revenue for 2018. Sales were up 2 percent in Latin America, 1 percent in Europe and Africa, and 7 percent in Asia and Turkey. Sales in the CIS region were down 3 percent.

“2018 was a year of stable development for the Group, but beneath the surface it was also quite turbulent, with a thoroughly altered geographical mix that placed considerable demands on our organizational flexibility but also shows the strength of our business model” said Magnus Brännström.

The company added that the key global trends influencing Oriflame for the year were purposeful brands, total beauty, the You economy, lifelong learning and the socialization of beauty.

To view the full Oriflame online report, click here.

Mary Kay Inc. Recognized by Forbes As One of America’s Best Midsize Employers 2019

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Mary Kay Inc. recently announced that it has been recognized by Forbes as one of America’s Best Midsize Employers 2019. 

 

Mary Kay is ranked number 97 of the 500 companies on the list.

 

“More than 55 years ago, our founder, Mary Kay Ash, began her dream company on a very solid foundation: the Golden Rule,” said Melinda Foster Sellers, chief people officer at Mary Kay. “Mary Kay Ash believed that treating each other with mutual kindness and respect is not only required, but naturally leads to a strong, fair and healthy working environment. Our employees demonstrate this in their work around the world each day.”

 

In collaboration with analytics firm Statista, Forbes selected America’s best employers based on an independent survey from a vast sample of more than 50,000 U.S. employees working for companies employing at least 1,000 people in their U.S. operations. The surveys were administered in a series of online panels and provide a representative sample of the U.S. workforce. Employees were asked 35 questions about work related topics such as working conditions, salary, potential for development and company image. The rate of agreement/disagreement regarding the statements was measured on a 5-point Likert scale.

 

“We’re so proud to be recognized by Forbes as one of America’s Best Midsize Employers 2019,” added Sellers. “Our corporate culture is built around recognition, work-life balance and corporate stewardship. As Mary Kay used to say: ‘when everybody is motivated to serve others, everyone benefits.”

Kannaway Revenue Up 200% for 2018

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Medical Marijuana, Inc. (OTC: MJNA) subsidiary Kannaway® experienced significant growth with 2018 revenue of $46.8 million, an increase of nearly 200 percent over 2017.

 

MJNA, the first publicly traded cannabis company in the U.S., announced the Kannaway results as well as the company financial results for the quarter and year ending Dec. 31, 2018.

 

The company continued to show strong growth throughout the year, as 2018 net revenues increased to $59.8 million, an increase of more than 125 percent over 2017. Quarterly revenue for Q4 2018 grew to nearly $17.7 million, an increase of more than 87 percent over Q4 2017.

 

“It’s predicted that the CBD market could be worth $22 billion by 2022,” said Medical Marijuana, Inc. CEO Dr. Stuart Titus. “We’re excited that, in addition to this great industry progress, we’ve experienced our own tremendous growth in 2018 and the company is positioned well for continued explosive expansion.”

 

COO Blake Schroeder added, “The company and its subsidiaries have worked very hard to further international access to CBD last year and we’re optimistic that its expansion into Europe and Latin America has positioned the company to accomplish significant revenue milestones in 2019. We hope that this will continue to provide our shareholders with an optimistic forecast for our future success.”

Avon Joins Humane Society International’s #BeCrueltyFree Campaign

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Avon Products, Inc. announced its support for a worldwide ban on animal testing for cosmetics by backing Humane Society International on its #BeCrueltyFree initiative.

The campaign is leading legislative reform to prohibit cosmetics testing on animals in all major global beauty markets by 2023.

Avon has committed to support #BeCruetlyFree to drive regulatory change in key markets around the world—predominantly in Latin America and Southeast Asia—towards the desired global ban. Avon will also support the recently launched Non-Animal Cosmetic Safety Assessment Collaboration (NACSA). NACSA aims to promote best practice in animal-free safety assessment among companies and government health authorities to promote faster acceptance and use of modern non-animal approaches, particularly in countries such as China, where cosmetic animal testing is still required by law for some products. By throwing its weight behind Humane Society International and joining its ever-growing network of supportive beauty giants, Avon believes an end to the era of cosmetic animal testing will be achieved more swiftly.

Avon was the first major cosmetics company to end animal testing 30 years ago and has decades of experience in developing non-animal approaches to product safety evaluation. It collaborates with partners across the world, including advocacy organizations and NGOs to accelerate the adoption of non-animal-test methods.

“Avon’s been working to end animal testing for 30 years, but as an industry there is still more to do,” said Louise Scott, chief scientific officer at Avon. “I’m proud of our contribution to driving change to date. But we’re even stronger if we work with others. It’s crucial that we open up more partnerships with other change-agents to end the unnecessary and unacceptable practice of animal testing for cosmetics. We’re confident that through collaborations with HSI and other committed partners we will accelerate the transition to alternative approaches to animal testing and result in a worldwide ban in the foreseeable future. It’s a future that we at Avon are committed to and that millions of Avon Representatives and their customers around the world demand.”

Cindy Monroe Inducted into UTC Business Hall of Fame

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Thirty-One Gifts founder and CEO Cindy Monroe was recently inducted into the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) Gary W. Rollins College of Business Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame.

Monroe, the founder of one the biggest direct marketing companies for women and the head of one the biggest minority-owned companies in Tennessee, attended the ceremony at her alma mater, where she had received a bachelor’s degree in marketing. She joins more than two dozen other business entrepreneurs and managers that UTC has saluted since creating the business Hall of Fame in 1999.

“Each year, we come together to honor individuals who have made a lasting impact in and around Chattanooga,” said Dr. Robert Dooley, dean of the UTC College of Business. “Collectively, the Hall of Fame members illustrate how the power of entrepreneurship can transform a city and this year’s inductees add to that story.”

Monroe launched Thirty-One Gifts in the basement of her home in Tennessee in 2003 with just two employees. She named the company for Proverbs 31, a chapter of the Bible that celebrates women’s strengths. Today, the company has more than 1,000 employees at its home in central Ohio and an independent sales consultant force of about 63,000 throughout the United States and in nine provinces in Canada.

Monroe has previously been honored as one of the Most Influential Women in Direct Selling (in both 2014 and 2017). She was the 2016 winner of the Women for Economic & Leadership Development Riveter Award and was named to Enterprising Women magazine’s Hall of Fame.

Thirty-One Gifts has donated more than $100 million in products and cash to nonprofits. Monroe has also established the Cindy Monroe Vision and Values Scholarship, available to any high school girl in Hamilton County, Tenn., providing $12,400 to attend a college or university.

Youngevity International Down Slightly in 2018

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Youngevity International, Inc. (NASDAQ: YGYI) reported financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2018.

Revenues for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2018 decreased 12.0 percent to $36,114,000 as compared to $41,041,000 for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2017. Revenues for the year ended December 31, 2018 decreased 2.0 percent to $162,445,000 as compared to $165,696,000 for the year ended December 31, 2017.

“We are encouraged by the improvement in our gross margins and the significant turnaround in Adjusted EBITDA over 2017,” said Steve Wallach, chairman and CEO of Youngevity International.  “We are seeing revenue stabilization in the direct selling segment, and we anticipate a return to revenue growth in 2019. This is expected to be primarily driven by our commercial coffee segment and our new commercial hemp reporting segment.”

According to the company, revenues for the fourth quarter were derived approximately 90 percent from direct sales and approximately 10 percent from commercial coffee sales. Direct selling segment revenues decreased 9.2 percent to $32,418,000 in the current quarter as compared to $35,716,000 for the quarter ended December 31, 2017. Commercial coffee segment revenues decreased 30.6 percent to $3,696,000 in the current quarter as compared to $5,325,000 for the quarter ended December 31, 2017. The decrease was primarily attributed to timing of shipments in green coffee business.

Revenues for the year were derived approximately 85 percent from direct sales and approximately 15 percent from commercial coffee sales. Direct selling revenues decreased by $3,595,000 or 2.5 percent to $138,855,000 as compared to $142,450,000 for the year ended December 31, 2017. Commercial coffee segment revenues increased by $344,000 or 1.5 percent to $23,590,000 as compared to $23,246,000 for the year ended December 31, 2017.

To read the full Youngevity report, click here.

Young Living Takes to the Skies to Set World Record

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Young Living Essential Oils took to the skies in Seville, Spain, on April 12 in what could be the largest private hot air balloon launch in the world.

In total, 450 Young Living Diamond members boarded 43 hot air balloons displaying Young Living banners and soared above the plazas and neighborhoods of Seville.

Earlier in the week, Young Living Diamond members and executive staff, including Co-Founder and CEO Mary Young and President and COO Jared Turner, arrived in Seville for the company’s annual Diamond Retreat. Young Living offered these top member-leaders the opportunity to experience the sights and sounds of Seville from above in hot air balloons.

During this retreat, Diamond members also toured Young Living’s new Vida de Seville Partner Farm and Distillery in Almaden de la Plata, Seville, for a firsthand look at the roots Young Living is planting in Spain and around the world. In 2018, Vida de Seville joined the company as its newest partner farm. The company says that they are focused on bold, world-changing goals, like the 5×5 Pledge, in which the company plans to launch five or more new corporate-owned or partner farms—like Vida de Seville—each year for the next five years.

“What better way to kick off a record-setting year than with a record-setting event for our top leaders?” said Turner.