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The Human Advantage

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As artificial intelligence makes retail faster and smarter, direct selling has an opportunity to compete on what technology cannot replicate—trust, relevance and human connection.

Retail has spent years pursuing greater efficiency. Artificial intelligence is accelerating that transformation by making shopping faster, more personalized and increasingly automated. Yet as those capabilities become available to everyone, they become less distinctive. When every retailer has access to similar technology, competitive advantage shifts away from automation itself and toward something much harder to replicate: human connection.

That shift creates an extraordinary opportunity for direct selling. The qualities that increasingly define successful retail—emotional intelligence, trust, community, empathy and confidence—have always been at the heart of our business model.

Consumers are overwhelmed by information, advertising and algorithmic recommendations. What they need is not another opinion generated by technology but someone they trust to help them make sense of the choices in front of them. As AI commoditizes information, human judgment becomes more valuable than ever.

From Information to Meaning

Artificial intelligence can compare products, summarize reviews and recommend purchases with remarkable speed. What it cannot do is replace the confidence that comes from a trusted recommendation. Consumers increasingly want someone who understands their circumstances, not simply their browsing history. That makes emotional intelligence, empathy and community strategic advantages rather than soft skills.

The strongest consumer brands have already recognized that people are buying into stories rather than simply buying products. They create communities, memorable launches and content that customers genuinely want to engage with. The product remains important, but it is the surrounding experience that captures attention and creates loyalty. Brands are no longer just selling products; they are building relationships that happen to include products.

Even many of the world’s leading technology companies continue investing heavily in human storytelling and authentic communication. They recognize that automation improves efficiency, but trust is still built person to person.

Direct selling already possesses something many brands are trying to create—thousands of authentic voices sharing real experiences with products they genuinely believe in. Our opportunity is not to imitate traditional retail but to lean into the strengths that have always differentiated us from it.

The End of Transactional Loyalty

For years, retailers competed on convenience, price and loyalty programs. Those advantages are becoming increasingly fragile because consumers can compare prices, read reviews and find alternatives in seconds. Transactional loyalty is easy to lose when another company offers a better deal.

shutterstock.com/bbernard

Emotional loyalty is so much harder to replace. Customers return to businesses where they feel understood; where someone has taken the time to recommend the right product; and where the experience feels personal rather than automated. That emotional connection becomes part of the value customers receive.

Artificial intelligence also introduces a new challenge: authenticity. As AI-generated content becomes more sophisticated, consumers are becoming less certain about what they can trust. Images, videos and testimonials are no longer automatically believable. At the same time, customers still expect speed, convenience and personalized service. That creates a paradox. They want technology to make shopping easier, but they also want reassurance from someone they know.

That is precisely where direct selling excels. A trusted recommendation from someone who genuinely uses and loves a product carries a credibility that no algorithm can manufacture. Technology should strengthen those relationships by making consultants more informed and responsive, but it should never replace the conversation itself. In a marketplace increasingly filled with synthetic content, authentic human confidence becomes a premium asset.

From Personalization to Personal Connection

Personalization is now expected. Understanding is becoming the differentiator. Consumers want brands that recognize not only what they have purchased before, but why those purchases matter. A recommendation from someone who understands their goals carries a weight that even the most sophisticated algorithm cannot replicate.

This is particularly true among younger consumers, who increasingly see retail as something cultural rather than transactional. They want experiences they can participate in, brands that reflect their values and communities where they feel they belong.

That shift favors businesses capable of creating authentic local connections instead of relying exclusively on centralized marketing campaigns. Thousands of independent consultants sharing their own stories in their own communities can create a level of relevance that traditional advertising struggles to match.

For direct selling, this represents an opportunity to reclaim the narrative. Rather than apologizing for our relationship-driven model, we should recognize that the broader retail industry is moving toward many of the same principles we have practiced for decades. The future belongs to companies that combine digital convenience with genuine human understanding, and that has always been our strength.

Tell the Story Behind the Product

Exceptional products deserve exceptional stories. Customers remember why someone started the business; how a product solved a real problem; or what success has meant for a family far longer than they remember a list of features. Authentic experiences create credibility because they cannot be manufactured by artificial intelligence or copied by competitors.

Our consultants should be known as confident storytellers, not simply knowledgeable sellers. The products speak for themselves; what differentiates our channel is the personal journey behind them. Every consultant has a reason they joined, a challenge they overcame or a customer whose life was genuinely improved. Those stories create emotional connections that inspire confidence and help customers see themselves in the experience.

The industry also needs to become more confident in telling its own story. Direct selling creates entrepreneurship, flexibility, community and personal growth every day, yet we often allow others to define our value.

If we believe our business model offers something uniquely meaningful, we have a responsibility to communicate that message with clarity and conviction. Empowering consultants to tell their stories is one of the most effective ways to reshape perceptions of the channel.

The Next Era of Retail

Artificial intelligence will continue reshaping retail. It will automate routine tasks, improve efficiency and create increasingly sophisticated customer experiences. None of those developments diminish the importance of direct selling. If anything, they reinforce the value of what our channel already does exceptionally well.

The smartest retailers will use AI to handle efficiency while empowering people to deliver empathy, creativity, confidence and memorable experiences. Technology should free people to spend more time building relationships rather than replacing those relationships altogether. The companies that thrive will not be those with the most automation, but those that make customers feel understood.

Direct selling is uniquely positioned for that future. Our consultants create trusted recommendations. Our communities foster inclusivity. Our business model values conversation over transaction and relationships over reach. As technology becomes more common, those human qualities become even more valuable.

Technology may power the future of retail, but humanity will decide who wins.

SUSANNAH SCHOFIELD OBE is the Director General of the Direct Selling Association UK & Ireland, an industry which is worth over £1billion. Prior to her appointment as leader of the DSA, Susannah spent 18 years at Royal Mail, culminating in her holding the Board-level role of Commercial & Innovation Director, where she led a team of over 800 people. A passionate advocate for women and young people in business, Susannah was awarded an OBE for her work in this area in the 2015 New Year’s Honours List.

An Online Exclusive from Direct Selling News magazine.

Trust is the Currency of Change

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Innovation doesn’t fail because companies move too quickly. It fails because leaders haven’t built enough trust to bring people with them.

Read below or you can listen to this special Bonus Episode of Direct Approach, where Justin Serra, CEO of MAKE Wellness, shares his keynote presentation from DSU Spring 2026 on the relationship between trust, culture and a company’s ability to successfully navigate change.

Every direct selling company wants to be more innovative. We want better technology, smarter systems, stronger customer experiences and faster growth. We know our industry is changing at a pace none of us could have imagined just a few years ago, and we understand that standing still is no longer an option.

What we don’t always recognize is that innovation comes with a price. And that price is change.

In direct selling, change isn’t simply a strategic decision made in a boardroom. It’s something experienced by thousands of independent entrepreneurs whose businesses, confidence and income are tied to the decisions we make as corporate leaders.

That’s why I’ve come to believe that the greatest challenge facing our industry isn’t learning how to innovate. It’s learning how to build organizations that can absorb change without losing trust.

That lesson became very real for me only weeks after launching MAKE Wellness. Like every new company, we began with tremendous excitement. The field was energized, enrollment was strong and our team felt like everything was unfolding according to plan. We had worked for years preparing for launch and imagined ourselves spending the coming months building on that momentum.

Instead, we found ourselves facing a crisis.

As we closed our first month, we realized our commission engine wasn’t functioning properly. Some people had been overpaid. Others had been underpaid. Even worse, there wasn’t an obvious pattern that explained why.

After digging deeper, we recognized the problem wasn’t simply the calculations. The technology platform we’d launched on couldn’t support the business we intended to build.

Within our first month, we made the difficult decision to replace our entire technology stack.

From a strategic perspective, it was absolutely the right decision. From an operational perspective, it created enormous disruption. But what stayed with me wasn’t the technology itself. It was watching how differently people responded to the same decision.

Some immediately understood why we had to act. Others had understandable questions about whether we could get it right. That’s when I realized the decision wasn’t really driving the reaction—trust was.

Every Organization Has a Trust Account

I’ve started thinking about leadership in terms of a trust account. Every conversation, every fulfilled commitment and every difficult decision handled with honesty becomes another deposit. Over time, those deposits create confidence that leadership is acting with integrity and in the best interests of the organization.

The opposite holds true as well. Every surprise announcement, every unanswered question and every moment when people feel excluded from the process becomes a withdrawal. Eventually, leaders ask the organization to embrace significant change only to discover there isn’t enough trust available to support it.

That’s when the blame begins. Corporate concludes the field doesn’t like change. The field concludes corporate doesn’t understand what’s happening outside headquarters. Most of the time, neither explanation is completely accurate. The organization simply hasn’t invested enough in trust before asking people to navigate uncertainty together.

Change is expensive—trust is the only currency that pays for it. When trust exists, people don’t have to love every decision. They simply need confidence that leadership is acting honestly, competently and with good intentions. Once that belief exists, organizations become remarkably resilient. They stop viewing every change as a threat and begin recognizing it as evidence that the company is continuing to improve.

Transparency Prevents the Wrong Story

One of the biggest mistakes leaders make during periods of change is believing silence protects the organization. In reality, silence creates a vacuum, and people naturally fill vacuums with stories.

Field leaders aren’t isolated from what’s happening. They’re talking with customers every day. They’re hearing competitive conversations. They’re seeing shifts in the marketplace long before many of those trends appear in executive dashboards. When leadership doesn’t communicate openly, people begin creating their own explanations, and those explanations are almost always worse than reality.

Transparency prevents that. It doesn’t require leaders to have every answer. It requires them to be honest about what they know, what they’re still learning and why certain decisions are being made.

I’ve also become convinced that many of us think about leadership using the wrong metaphor. We often imagine ourselves as airline pilots while the field sits quietly in the passenger cabin. Corporate determines the destination, everyone fastens their seatbelts and hopefully enjoys the flight.

Direct selling doesn’t work that way.

A better model is a leader who relies on scouts because scouts see what headquarters cannot. They’re closest to changing conditions, and the intelligence they bring back should shape better decisions. Our field leaders play exactly that role. They know when customer sentiment is shifting. They recognize competitive threats before most executives do. They understand where excitement is growing and where confidence is beginning to fade. Organizations become dramatically stronger when leadership treats that perspective as intelligence rather than criticism.

The better the information flowing back from the field, the better the decisions corporate can make.

Innovation Requires a Culture That Expects Change

Every executive says they want an innovative organization. What they’re really asking for is an organization that’s comfortable evolving. Those two ideas cannot be separated.

Innovation inevitably changes products, systems, technology and processes. Companies that consistently improve don’t treat those changes as interruptions. They establish an expectation that improvement is part of the culture.

That expectation matters because it changes how people interpret leadership decisions. Instead of asking, “Why are we changing again?” people begin asking, “How does this improvement make us stronger?”

It also requires leaders to communicate consistently that innovation is never finished. We don’t reach a point where systems become perfect or products stop evolving. Improvement is continuous, and organizations that embrace that reality become far more adaptable than those waiting for stability to return.

Bring the Field Along

One of the simplest ways to strengthen trust is eliminating what I call the “ta-da” moment. Corporate leaders love unveiling finished ideas. We announce a new initiative, reveal the final plan and expect everyone to celebrate with us.

The field often has a very different reaction. Their first question isn’t whether the decision is good. It’s why they weren’t part of the conversation.

That doesn’t mean every decision becomes a committee vote. Leadership has responsibilities involving finance, regulation and operations that aren’t always visible throughout the organization. But trusted field leaders should have opportunities to contribute perspective before major initiatives are finalized.

They don’t need to approve the decision, but they do deserve the opportunity to improve it.

Once decisions are made, communication should happen deliberately. Share the vision with key leaders first, answer their questions, give them context and then broaden the conversation throughout the organization. It may feel slower in the beginning, but it creates alignment instead of confusion.

Companies rarely lose momentum because they communicated too much. They lose momentum because they communicated too late.

Trust Is Built Before It’s Needed

One lesson continues to shape how I think about leadership. Trust isn’t created during difficult moments—it’s revealed during difficult moments.

The work happens long before the crisis arrives.

It grows every time leaders acknowledge reality instead of pretending everything is perfect. It grows when feedback from the field results in better decisions. It grows when executives demonstrate enough humility to admit they don’t have every answer.

Those moments may seem small individually, but together they create a culture capable of handling extraordinary change.

I’ve also learned that leadership sometimes requires choosing respect over popularity. People won’t always agree with difficult decisions. They will, however, follow leaders they trust.

The pace of change in our industry will only continue accelerating. Technology will evolve. Markets will shift. Consumer expectations will keep changing.

The brands that thrive won’t be the ones fortunate enough to avoid those realities. They’ll be the ones that invested in trust before they ever needed to spend it. Because change won’t break your company, but a low-trust culture could.

JUSTIN SERRA is co-founder and CEO of MAKE Wellness, where he leads company strategy, innovation and organizational culture. Under his leadership, MAKE Wellness surpassed $100 million in sales during its first year of operations. His leadership philosophy is grounded in transparency, trust and the belief that strong cultures are built before they are tested.

An Online Exclusive from Direct Selling News magazine.

PM-International Opens Direct Sales Center in Kazakhstan

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PM-International announced an expansion of its presence in Kazakhstan with the opening of a new Direct Sales Center in Astana, Kazakhstan. This new center follows the grand opening of PM-International’s Kazakhstan office in Almaty, both of which demonstrate the company’s commitment to building strong and accessible infrastructure in the region.

Astana is a key, strategic hub in Northern Kazakhstan as well as the second-largest city in the country. This new center is expected to speed up delivery times by allowing Team Partners and customers to pick up products directly. Because of Kazakhstan’s vastness, shipping can be delayed, so this is expected to provide a meaningful boost to market development and sales momentum within the region.

“Astana is a natural next step in the development of our business in Kazakhstan,” said Abdurashit Makhametov, PM-International Kazakhstan General Manager. “Following the opening of our offices in Almaty, this new center allows us to serve our Team Partners in the north of the country just as directly and reliably. It reflects how quickly our community here is growing, and it gives us the local infrastructure we need to support that growth in the years ahead.”

Aegon Reports Financial Results for First Half of 2026

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Aegon, the parent company of World Financial Group (WFG), reported its financial results for the first six months of 2026. Net revenue was $709 million, up from $707 million in the first half of 2025. Operating results improved by 9% year-over-year, which the company believes reflects “strong commercial momentum and favorable financial markets.” The company is now on track to meet or exceed all of its group financial ambitions for 2026.

“In the first half of 2026, operating result increased by 9% to EUR 804 million and operating capital generation grew by 27% to EUR 416 million, enabling EUR 392 million in free cash flow,” said Lard Friese, Aegon CEO. “We also conducted our annual assumptions review, mostly to adjust for changing policyholder behavior observed in recent periods. Our performance in the first half reflects the dedication of our people, the momentum in our strategy, and our disciplined capital management. We are announcing an interim dividend of 21 eurocents per share, up 11% versus the prior year period. Supported by our strong capital position and confidence in the outlook for our businesses, we are also increasing our recently announced share buyback program by EUR 150 million to EUR 350 million. Our businesses are well capitalized and we are on track to meet or exceed our Group financial ambitions for 2026.”

Regent to Acquire Avon North America

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Regent has entered into a definitive agreement with K-beauty brand LG H&H to acquire Avon North America. LG H&H, which acquired Avon North America in 2019 as part of its international growth strategy, stated that selling its interest in The Avon Company (also known as Avon North America) is part of an ongoing global portfolio optimization process.

“After a careful strategic review of our global portfolio, we believe this is the right time to further sharpen LG H&H’s focus on our core global beauty and retail growth priorities,” said Sunjoo Lee, LG H&H CEO. “By entrusting Avon North America to Regent, we believe this move will create a more unified and connected Avon business. At the same time, it allows LG H&H to focus on the K-beauty and wellness brands where our expertise lies for growth and better serves customers around the world.”

Regent already owns Avon’s international operations across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East, which it acquired from Natura &Co in January. With this acquisition, Avon North America and Avon International will be reunited under common ownership for the first time in a decade.

“Avon has touched lives for 140 years because it has always stood for opportunity, independence and human connection,” said Michael A. Reinstein, Regent Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “America is where Avon began and central to where Avon goes next. As Avon’s largest market, it will play a defining role in the next chapter of the brand. Bringing Avon North America and Avon International back together gives Avon clearer ownership, a shared strategy and a stronger foundation for growth. It also creates a more connected opportunity for the Representatives and Ambassadors who carry this brand every day. Our job now is to put the scale of the combined business behind better products, sharper execution and a stronger earning opportunity for the people who sell them.”

Lisa Siders, incoming Avon CEO, stated that bringing the businesses back together provides the opportunity to “build a more focused, connected and ambitious business” for its team and customers.

“My priority is to strengthen the business for its next phase of growth: better products, sharper execution, stronger market connection and a brand experience that earns loyalty every day,” Siders said. “Avon has always been built through people, trust and opportunity. That will remain at the center of how we grow.”       

Sun Moon, current CEO of Avon North America, said the acquisition will also allow Avon to strengthen its focus on the social selling channel as “part of a broader vision for growth and modernization.” The transaction is expected to close on September 1st.

LR Health & Beauty Reports Q2 2026 Financial Results

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LR Health & Beauty SE announced its financial results for the second quarter and first half of 2026. The company is currently implementing measures that it deems crucial to its future success, including investments in production at its Ahlen site, optimizing for international growth and expanding in-house production to strengthen value creation and its ability to scale.

In the second quarter of 2026, revenue totaled $67 million, representing a 16.1% year-over-year decrease. During the first six months of 2026, revenue amounted to $138 million, a 17% year-over-year decline, with EBITDA of $4.5 million.

The company stated that sales performance “continued to be characterized by a challenging market environment, with consumer sentiment generally subdued.”

“With the successful completion of our financial realignment, we have already made significant progress in the transformation year 2026 towards positioning LR for the future,” said Jörg Körfer, LR Health & Beauty SE CEO. “On this basis, we are consistently driving forward our strategic initiatives, with a particular focus on developing the organization sustainably and enabling future growth at LR. At the same time, we are looking forward to the upcoming Business Days in September. They provide the ideal platform to further deepen our dialogue with our partner community, jointly advance our activities and provide important impetus for LR’s future.”

Oliveda Opens Flagship Olive Tree People Store in US

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Oliveda International, Inc. announced it will ceremonially open its first Olive Tree People store in the United States with a living 150-year-old olive tree. Rooted thousands of miles away in Spain, the tree will open the Los Angeles store via a live frequency, which the company states will connect its “newest chapter directly to the olive grove where its story began.”

Olive Tree People began selling products within the US three years ago, and this ribbon-cutting ceremony coincides with the company’s 23rd anniversary. Thomas Lommel initiated the return of the modern waterless beauty movement after a serious health crisis that led him to study both modern science and ancient Mediterranean knowledge. His search spurred him to experiment with a number of green olive tree elixirs, formulations that would ultimately become the foundation for Olive Tree people’s products.

Today, the company’s skincare formulations replace conventional water phase with a bioactive, hydroxytyrosol-rich elixir derived from mountain olive trees.

“Waterless Beauty didn’t come from a trend,” Lommel said. “It was born from years of living with these trees, protecting them, learning from them and trusting that nature already knows better than we do.”

This new Los Angeles store will become a physical home for the Olive Tree People philosophy and movement that has become an extension of Lommel’s own relationship with the olive tree. Approximately 45,000 pounds of soil from Spain and Los Angeles were brought together and compressed to physically and symbolically merge the Spanish landscape into this US-based store, and olive tree inspired sculptures fill the space with branches replacing traditional retail shelving.

Partner.Co Honored at dotCOMM Awards

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Partner.Co announced another win at the dotCOMM Awards, this time earning eight total awards. Including this year’s honors, Partner.Co has accumulated more than 20 dotCOMM Awards to date.

This year, Partner.Co received four Platinum awards, including:

  • Event | Inside Partner.Co’s Strategy Summit
    The Strategy Summit recap video showcased the company’s first-ever Strategy Summit, an event in Park City, Utah designed to provide Brand Partners from around the world the opportunity to provide critical feedback and vision for future developments.
  • AI-Assisted Chat Bot | Meet Ally — Where AI Becomes a Business Partner
    Moving beyond chatbot functionality, Ally is an AI-powered conversational partner designed to answer questions and deliver real-time insights.
  • Editing | Restore to the Core With Co.Lab Core Cleanse
    The product’s launch video debuted to live audiences at pre-launch events and displays the science behind a cleanse.
  • Digital Marketing Campaign | Core Cleanse Launch Campaign
    The Core Cleanse Launch Campaign included a 360-degree approach, including educational blogs, brand assets, a suite of social graphics and a launch video.

 “We had such an amazing response when we first debuted Core Cleanse at our events,” said Mark Patterson, Partner.Co Chief Marketing Officer. “The Brand Partners who saw it recognized the power and potential of our 5:2 ritual and were clamoring for it. That was boosted by the slick visuals and the fantastic editing abilities of our video team.”

The company’s Gold Awards included:

  • Sizzle Reel | We Did THAT! Partner.Co’s Biggest Year Yet
    A showcase of the accomplishments and highs throughout the company’s record-breaking 2025.
  • Travel | Partner.Co Maui Incentive Trip Recap
    The recap video captured the fun of a Dream Destinations vacation using footage from the trip.
  • Interactive Brand Experience | The Partner.Co Body Balance Challenge
    A challenge using Partner.Co’s bestselling products to promote a whole-body wellness makeover in just 28 days.

The company’s Honorable Mention awards included:

  • Interactive Capabilities | Partner.Co Subscription Manager
    The new Subscription Manager eliminates extra steps for Brand Partners and streamlines the process for faster editing, easier updates and a new prime location directly in the Shop.

Coway Honored at IDEA Design Awards 2026

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Coway Co., Ltd. received accolades at the 2026 International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) for two of its leading air care solutions: the Square Fit Air Purifier Series and the Inverter Dehumidifier 23L. This is the 17th consecutive year that Coway has been recognized by the IDEA Awards, and follows additional awards from Germany’s iF Design Award program and the Red Dot Design Awards, all of which rigorously evaluate innovation, user experience and aesthetic excellence to determine winners.

This year’s winning products focused on user-friendly designs and improved efficacy. The Square Fit Air Purifier Series conceals internal components to improve aesthetic unity and offers an intuitive control panel, which was praised by IDEA judges, as well as hassle-free cleaning with an anti-static top air outlet that is completely detachable and washable for easy maintenance. The Inverter Dehumidifier 23L is able to reach optimal humidity levels within half an hour, an improvement that is three times faster than its predecessor, and has a detachable side-loading water tank, a 360-degree rotating wheel base and a hidden handle for convenience, design and simplified transportation.

“Our success in sweeping the world’s top three design awards this year is a testament to our ongoing commitment to understanding our customers’ lifestyles and seamlessly balancing aesthetics with everyday usability,” said Jinsang Hwang, Head of Coway Design Lab. “Moving forward, we will continue to listen closely to our customers to introduce user-centric innovations that seamlessly integrate into their daily lives.”

USANA Debuts 3-in-1 Protein, Creatine and Electrolyte Drink Mix

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USANA Health Sciences announced the launch of Clear Protein + Creatine Mix, bringing together clear whey protein isolate, micronized creatine monohydrate and electrolytes in one 50-calorie drink. The new drink mix features 10 grams of protein, 5 grams of creatine and 600+ milligrams of electrolytes, with no added sugar, artificial flavors or artificial colors.

Clear Protein + Creatine Mix was designed by USANA’s in-house scientists to offer an innovative and simple way for active consumers to incorporate protein, creatine and electrolytes into their daily routine, while serving as a refreshing alternative to the traditional protein shake.

“Consumers have traditionally had to choose between protein, creatine, or hydration support depending on their goals,” said Dr. Kathryn Armstrong, PhD, USANA Chief Scientific Officer. “We built this formula around research-backed ingredients to provide meaningful contribution of each in a refreshing format that’s easy to use every day.”

Combining all three products into one daily drink gives consumers the opportunity to maintain their nutrition and health goals while traveling or on-the-go.

“Consumers increasingly want effective nutrition that’s simple to use and enjoyable to drink,” said Brent Neidig, USANA Chief Commercial Officer. “Clear Protein + Creatine Mix brings together protein, creatine, and electrolytes in one refreshing drink, making it easier to support everyday wellness and active lifestyles.”

The new drink mix comes in Twisted Citrus and Green Apple flavors and is a favorite of Olympic luge silver medalist Chirs Mazdzer, who incorporates the product into his own athletic training routine.

“As an Olympic athlete, I want my nutrition to work as hard as I do, without making it complicated,” Mazdzer said. “Clear Protein + Creatine Mix gives me protein and creatine in one simple, refreshing drink. It is an easy addition to my routine, whether I’m training, traveling, or just trying to stay consistent.”

One More International Opens Office in Mexico City

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One More International celebrated the opening of a new office in Mexico City, a strategic move to reinforce the brand’s presence in an important Latin American market and support its expansion plans within North America. The specific location within Mexico City was chosen to drive growth within the Valley of Mexico and strengthen regional leadership, and precedes the planned openings of additional offices across regions in Mexico, including central, southeastern, western and northern parts of the country, to be completed in 2026.

“The opening of this new space marks a very important milestone for us,” said Manuel Ramírez, One More International General Director for North America. “It allows us to be closer to our partners while also providing an optimal working environment for the entire One More family.”

The new facility includes meeting spaces for networking and training, with technology and tools to support presentations and professional meetings, and is expected to bring tools and support to the thousands of distributors driving the brand’s growth within the Mexican market.

Mary Kay Celebrates Milestone Innovation and Transformation Initiatives

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Mary Kay announced new ways it is inviting the next generation of Mary Kay consumers and leaders to engage with the brand, launching and fueling innovative practices and transformation initiatives that align with a modernized Mary Kay.

The digital evolution begins with Mary Kay My Shop, which has been optimized to meet consumer buying experience needs and speak to a digitally native and fluent generation who demand convenience, choice and seamless interactions all in one. The cloud-first integrated platform equips Independent Beauty Consultants with new personalized online storefronts that connect to Mary Kay’s e-commerce, payment, fulfillment and social media resources.

To empower connections between beauty lovers worldwide and the next generation of digital storytellers, the company launched Mary Kay Global Social Squad. This pilot program empowers Independent Beauty Consultants to become authentic social creators who share product education, beauty inspiration and the latest beauty trends, ultimately helping consumers around the world discover and experience Mary Kay.

The company is also focusing on what it calls the “entrepreneurial renaissance” as it appeals to next-gen entrepreneurs who want to grow, give back and be part of something bigger than themselves. To meet this desire, Mary Kay continues to invest in sales force events that celebrate and build community through social-first, tech-enabled experiences, as well as philanthropic campaigns, including the brand’s Pink Changing Lives initiatives, which have contributed more than $230 million in monetary and in-kind support to enhance the lives of women and their families through the advancement of cancer research, economic empowerment and the supporting of survivors of domestic violence.

“We are re-defining the moment for Mary Kay,” said Ryan Rogers, Mary Kay Chief Executive Officer. “We are investing in technology and research to create seamless digital experiences while preserving the personal connections and sense of community that have always set Mary Kay apart. From the launch of Mary Kay My Shop to next-generation product innovation and purpose-driven impact, each milestone reflects the momentum behind our transformation. Building on more than 60 years of entrepreneurial legacy, we are reimagining how consumers engage with Mary Kay, meeting them wherever they connect, shop and share, while expanding opportunities for our Independent Beauty Consultants to thrive in a fast-moving digital world. Led by transformational leaders across the organization, Mary Kay is turning bold ambition into strategic growth, creating lasting value for generations of stakeholders.”