…That which we call a rose; By any other name would smell as sweet… —William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet Names are essential: They carry meaning derived from the legacy of past actions and an ability to reliably deliver. While names conjure an image that may be easily recognizable, looks alone can deceive. Even Shakespeare notes […]
According to the Thai Direct Selling Association (TDSA), 2018 will see a slight increase in direct sales over 2017. The TDSA forecasts the direct sales business to expand by 5 percent this year from last year’s figure. 2017 saw 95 billion baht (US$3.05 billion), an increase of 2 percent from the previous year. The positive […]
“In the long history of humankind,” Charles Darwin observed, “those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed.” Change and disruption are the story of our times. The direct selling channel isn’t merely adapting by collaborating and improvising, but finding new opportunities to grow. While ill-informed critics sometimes will question the values of […]
Angela Loehr Chrysler, CEO of Davie, Florida-based Team National, will be the featured presenter at the Inspired Leaders Series event on April 4 at The College of Business at The University of Southern Mississippi. The Inspired Leaders Series provides industry leaders the opportunity to present their insights in large- and small-group settings with students. The […]
AVEDISCO, Italy’s direct sales and consumer service association, recently announced that 2017 was a profitable year for direct sales. Results show that the direct selling sector achieved excellent results in terms of turnover and employment value in Italy last year: the 38 member companies of AVEDISCO recorded growth of more than 9 percent for a total of over €703 million, and almost […]
“Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.” —Benjamin Franklin Mr. Franklin’s words can be applied to any of his roles: newspaper publisher, inventor, postmaster, statesman and humorist. But his words have an especially keen meaning for DSA’s ethics and self-regulation program that has been a guiding force […]
Arbonne International, LLC, an Irvine, California-based seller of premium botanical personal care and nutrition, has become an official participant in the UN Global Compact (UNGC), joining the growing movement of nearly 10,000 companies around the globe committed to sustainable and socially responsible policies and practices. Founded in 1999, the UNGC is the largest global signatory […]
In their first seven years, Heidi and Orville Thompson built home- and personal-fragrance company Scentsy into one of direct selling’s top-line players. What began in a 40-foot metal shipping container on a Meridian, Idaho, sheep farm in 2004 led to meteoric growth by 2011 when they hit $535 million in revenue. The next year Scentsy […]
In Washington, D.C. and across the country, there is an association for everything. Each industry, product or interest group has its own agenda. And there is an association to advocate for each one of those agendas on all levels of government. For Americans, it seems only natural to stand together and advocate for a point […]
Ambit Energy was a data processor before being a data processor was cool. In 2006, based on their experience in the telecom industry, founders Jere Thompson and Chris Chambless decided that Ambit had to become a data processing company first, to keep up with the anticipated growth from their direct sales in marketing electricity and […]
Gracewear Collection, a Cashiers, North Carolina-based lifestyle company, founded by sisters Wendy Strong Lupas and Mary Strong Blackburn, recently launched its purposeful jewelry and accessories brand in the direct selling channel. Gracewear’s purpose is to inspire “Women for Victorious Living through the Shield of Faith Collection.” The signature trademarked Shield of Faith design of Gracewear […]
Click here to order the December 2017 issue in which this article appeared. I look back over 2017 with great pride at what the DSA team accomplished on behalf of our industry. We brought member company executives together to share their advice and concerns, to support our vital advocacy efforts, and to commit to ever-higher ethical standards […]