Direct selling executives need insight and fresh ideas now more than ever before. In one of the most challenging years in direct selling history, leaders faced continued lockdowns in certain markets, changing consumer behaviors, a tense regulatory environment and lingering supply chain issues.

For Princess House, the 2020 chaos was the perfect atmosphere to rethink, restructure and reorient the company, shifting course from several years of declining sales and scattered focus.

With the benefit of time and distance, 2020 sales numbers and some hindsight, these industry leaders take a short, retrospective look inside their companies during a year like no other. In so doing, they help the direct selling industry re-think crises while telling the stories of how their teams met disruptive challenges and leveraged 2020’s new business reality to create a renewal that re-energized their field organizations and helped solidify their growth trajectories for 2021 and beyond.

In 2019, Princess House sales were in decline for the third year, and the company’s programs and communications strategies struggled to motivate or induce growth. Still, their discouraged field leaders remained loyal, and when three-months of evaluation wrapped at year’s end, Lynne Coté—part of the Board’s review—joined Princess House as president/CEO in January 2020.

DSN in partnership with Transformation Capital  released the February Digital Momentum Index. Exiting the holidays, the full 100-company list saw increases in average monthly fan/follow growth and engagement across both platforms (Facebook and Instagram). Additionally, February saw an average increase in web traffic. January’s publication received significant international attention, and we are very excited to […]

United States Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) visited the 60 employees at the Princess House Distribution Center located in Rural Hall, NC. The Direct Selling Association, national trade organization for the direct selling industry, works with members like Princess House—and executive leaders such as Connie Tang, Princess House CEO and DSA Vice Chairman—to identify opportunities to meet their elected […]

The U.S. Direct Selling Association (DSA) recently announced elected officers and directors to the association’s Board of Directors.   Officers and directors of the association are recognized leaders who have earned the respect of their colleagues and the public and are committed to lead and direct the affairs of the association. The board officers will each serve one-year […]

Photo: Connie Tang, president and CEO of Princess House Princess House, the Taunton, Mass.-based direct seller of exclusive cookware, food storage and home and entertainment products to support a healthy lifestyle, is celebrating 55 years of direct selling success with a brand transformation that introduces online product availability for the first time. The 24/7 sales channel […]

The Direct Selling Association (DSA) Annual Meeting’s general sessions kicked off today with a focus on sharing best practices for the direct selling industry and exploring new ways to continue developing “America’s Original Entrepreneurs.” The event will run through tomorrow at the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina in San Diego. “Direct selling is poised to be […]

Chloe + Isabel, a New York City-based social selling company, recently completed a restructuring, opening its doors to more entrepreneurs and fashion jewelry lovers and increasing access to the Chloe + Isabel experience. The company has a new ownership group, which has a number of investments in the direct selling channel, supporting companies like Princess House. […]

The real success stories in direct selling are as much about personal growth and self-improvement as they are about business. Take the story of Mary Kay Ash as a perfect example. Born in 1918 in Hot Wells, Texas, Ash went from housewife to door-to-door saleswoman to cosmetics mogul all in the span of about 25 […]

Special section of the February, 2018 Cover Story Several trends, shaped by consumers’ evolving preferences about how they like to receive information, will continue to impact the way direct selling companies share personal development resources both to their employees and independent salesforce members in 2018: Microlearning: The term “microlearning” refers to learning in short bursts, […]