Back to Prosperity

A Special Supplement to USA TODAY by Direct Selling News LEADING THE WAY BACK TO PROSPERITY Create a Better Life for Yourself BEHIND EVERY AMWAY PRODUCT ISquality A STORY At Amway, we make top-quality brands in nutrition, beauty and home care. By controlling every step of the manufacturing process, we’re able to deliver products like plant-based vitamins, clinically tested skin care, and PLANET POSITIVE™ home care products. And with our 180-day satisfaction guarantee, we assure you’ll get our very best. To learn more about starting your own AMWAY™ business or to purchase AMWAY products, contact an Amway Independent Business Owner, call 800-950-7732, or visit amway.com. ©2012 All rights reserved. 56150ENA 56150ENA_Amway Brand Ad.indd 1 2/14/12 12:29 PM 3 Serving the Direct Selling and Network Marketing Executive Since 2004 Contents A SUCCESS Partners Company Founder & CEO Concierge Service: Stuart P. Johnson COVER STORY 14 the Direct Selling Advantage Publisher and Editor in Chief Leading the Way Back Customers can rely on the direct John Fleming selling industry to provide them with [email protected] 4 to Prosperity a representative who not only has the Managing Editor answer, but the desire to help as well, Teresa Day In the face of layoffs, acting as a personal concierge to solve Associate Editor shrinking corporate their problems. Jennifer Mills opportunities and a shaken Creative Director trust in the traditional Breaking the Cycle of Carl Waters workplace, many people are 16 Unemployment Production Manager turning to direct selling, either Squeak, squeak, squeak. That’s the Alan Dwelle full-time or part-time, as a sound of millions of jobless Americans Production Artist way to return to prosperity. racing inside a cruel hamster wheel of Karla M. Garcia unemployment. Are you one of them? Copy Editor Take heart: Direct selling could be your Peter Tepp key to freedom. Contributors Who Me? Amy Bell 8 The Broad Appeal of Direct Selling J.M. Emmert Direct selling opportunities speak to every Share with Your World Chelsea Greenwood Social commerce innovations Marilynn Hood segment of the population grappling with 19 Sarah Paulk the last four years of financial crisis, from are used every day to connect people Beth Douglass Silcox young adults to retirees and everyone to the quality products and services Advertising Manager sandwiched in between. they’ve come to love from the direct Jerry Reagan selling industry. [email protected] Operations Pursuing Passion Steve Norton You spend so much of your time An Industry with Heart 10 According to a 2009 report by working to pay the bills—you really owe 21 Direct Selling News it to yourself to be passionate about your the World Federation of Direct Selling 200 Swisher Road • Lake Dallas, Texas 75065 Associations, three in four direct selling Phone: 800-279-5249 • Fax: 940-312-7813 work and pursue a dream or two along www.directsellingnews.com the way. companies (72 percent) participate in some form of philanthropic activities. © 2012 Direct Selling News. All rights reserved. Serving the Direct Selling and Network Marketing Executive Since 2004 As the trade publication for this vibrant industry, each month we bring you the latest news and information about the companies and the people who lead them. Learn the Industry Order More Copies Subscribe to Direct Selling News, Go to www.directsellingnewsproducts.com a trade publication for industry to order more copies of this special executives and decision-makers. supplement, Leading the Way Back to Prosperity. For more information, email [email protected] or call 800-279-5249 ext. 4 | www.directsellingnews.com 4 Cover Story Leading the Way Back to Prosperity by Chelsea Greenwood America—the land of opportunity, prosperity and success—where are you hiding amid all of the glum news today? Layoffs, job consolidation, shrinking budgets, enormous debt—these are the sad words defining our recent economic reality. Is American prosperity a thing of the past? A footnote in our history books? With policy experts predicting that the jobs crisis will continue to be the dominant conversation through the 2012 election and beyond, the dream seems lost to many Americans. arah Barter, 34, of Syracuse, Barter was at the beginning of her own boss. The only way I’d go back to Association (DSA), the industry saw N.Y., was laid off from her career and moderately paid; Chapin corporate America is if the police came estimated total sales of $28.56 billion teaching job of eight years and was nearing the end of a stellar 30-year and got me and put me in handcuffs.” in the United States, with 16.1 million then informed that the district career and highly paid. Both women Small business ownership and active salespeople. Globally, the wasn’t paying unemployment. found themselves unexpectedly without entrepreneurialism still hold out hope industry pulls in over $132 billion. For two years she jumped from job work and starting over. Thankfully, for many people who have become Interestingly, these numbers are Sto job, trying to find work. She was what they both found after they were disillusioned as traditional reliance on not counted in the U.S. Department beginning to question whether any kind laid off was that the American dream corporate jobs turns into a thing of the of Labor’s statistics surrounding of success was in her future. of freedom, success and prosperity is past. In fact, becoming an independent unemployment and the job market. But Barrie Chapin, 64, also from New indeed alive and well. business owner is a choice that more in truth, in the face of layoffs, shrinking York, had 30 years of experience in Though from completely different and more people are making. In corporate opportunities and a shaken technology managing a large team backgrounds, both women have 2010, according to the Direct Selling trust in the traditional workplace, many of developers for a global financial restored their financial freedom services firm on Wall Street. Being working for themselves as independent the first black woman vice president representatives of Silpada, a leader “I love that I don’t have in operations at a global financial in sterling silver fashion jewelry and to worry about being laid off services firm on Wall Street didn’t accessories. Barter says, “I love that I make a difference when the budget was don’t have to worry about being laid or unemployed.” sliced—she got the boot along with six off or unemployed.” Chapin agrees, —Sarah Barter, independent representative, Silpada of her staff. saying, “I love the freedom of being my continued on page 6 YOUR SOLUTION TO PHYSICAL AND FINANCIAL HEALTH • Experience our whole food nutritionals, scientiﬁ cally formulated 800.432.5842 personal care, and environmentally friendly home care ww.gnld.com • Own your own business • Be your own boss • Earn part-time or full-time income • Have more time to spend with your family THE GNLD F AMIL Y OF BRANDS 6 continued from page 4 turn to direct selling—some might call mom with no college degree; I am a or consultant steps out into the field to ensure that its product or service it social selling—either full-time or successful business owner who can pay for the first time, he does so with the is viable. Then, on the front end, it part-time, as a way to return to a level my home mortgage and put my kids complete backing of a corporation— provides the mechanisms needed for the of prosperity they’ve either lost or are through private school. The value this often a large, well established one— salesperson to build a lucrative business continuing to seek. opportunity has had on me, as a woman, that’s invested in his success. On a based on that product. Stacy Itzel, independent rep for The is undeniable.” mental and emotional level, that’s huge. This support structure is the most Pampered Chef for the last seven years, The rep knows that, in essence, every appealing aspect of the industry has also found her part of the American All for One person in that company is working according to David Bach, a personal dream within direct selling. Needing to The average entrepreneur can lead a to help him achieve his goals. He also finance expert and best-selling author pay off credit card debt, Itzel started her lonely and even risky existence: When paid very little to join the organization, on The New York Times list. He says, own business in 2005. She works at her he or she hangs out a shingle, it’s often as most companies have a start-up kit “The beauty of the direct selling business business less than 30 hours per week, done alone, with little support other ranging from under $100 to $500. opportunity is that it’s all done for you. yet earns more than $5,700 per month than the well wishes of family and The start-up process not only makes it You don’t have to create a business plan. holding around eight parties per month. friends. She may have invested her life possible to “open for business,” but also You don’t have to create a product. Itzel says, “This business has done more savings or he may have borrowed heavily provides invaluable resources. On the for me than just provide financial peace. just to get the doors open. back end, the company conducts all the I am now more than a stay-at-home However, when a new representative development and branding necessary “The beauty of the direct selling business opportunity is that it’s all done for you.” —David Bach, personal finance expert and best-selling author The only thing you need to do is find a reputable company—one that you can trust—that offers a product or service that you believe in and can get passionate about.” Modern technologies have helped the industry grow as well.

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