Resources
The right partners accelerate everything. These are professionals we’ve worked alongside and recommend without hesitation.
Phase23
Jason is a designer, creative director, strategist, and principal of Phase23 a branding studio that builds brands for courageous companies. Throughout his career, he has been entrusted to protect and enrich some of the world's largest and most recognized brands.
His understanding and 20+ year experience working with the Direct Selling industry is among creative and marketing consultants.
ServiceQuest
Terrel Transtrum and his team of experts are specialists in helping direct selling executives take their companies to the next level. No matter what stage you are in, from start-up to the top players of the industry, Terrel Transtrum and his team has the know-how and experience to deliver the results that you need.
Formerly the #2 man at Melaleuca, Terrel helped grow them through $250 million in annual sales, Terrel knows his stuff. Winner of the 2009 DSA Partnership Award for excellence in client service and industry contribution, ServiceQuest has set the standard of excellence for Industry expertise.
Squire
Squire is an industry leading accounting and advisory firm. Our dedicated industry group consists of experienced professionals from our advisory, technology, tax, and audit departments. We specialize in sales tax compliance, domestic and international tax, outsource CFO/Controller services, industry accounting software, financial forecasts, cash flow management, inventory tracking, financial audits and many other critical compliance services.
Area of expertise: Immediate Engagement and Retention of New Customers and Reps. A critical problem facing direct selling companies is the inability to effectively engage and retain new customers and sales reps - resulting in heavy early attrition. David Taylor specializes in developing and implementing systems of touch points, training, and tools to help solve this problem - increasing sales, momentum, profits, and growth.
Taylor has 17 years of experience in direct sales -10 years consulting with the giants of direct selling and helping to launch over 40 startups; and 7 years growing a successful field organization.
Julie Thorn is a well-respected and sought after sales training leader in today’s modern world of direct selling. With experience in the field, leading corporate training and sales teams and as a consultant to a variety of companies, her passion is developing the right content for today’s field and attaching metrics to define the success of learning programs. She’s developed countless onboarding and leadership training programs, led implementation of large-scale in person and virtual events and has helped implement training for new compensation plans. She stays current with the trends of social selling and the evolution of the channel, as well as how adults best learn and process information in today’s fast-paced world.
Beyond Sales Tactics
Barb brings 20+ years of experience helping direct selling organizations—corporate and field—reach their next level of greatness. She delivers tailored coaching and training that empowers companies, leaders and teams to gain confidence, take action, and drive transformative growth™.
Before founding Beyond Sales Tactics, Barb built and led a multi-million-dollar direct sales and warehouse distribution business, then served in senior corporate roles leading 20,000 consultants and $40M in revenue in North America. Her journey from rep to owner to executive fuels her real-world leadership edge.
An ICF-credentialed coach featured in USA Today and CBS News, Barb is ready to partner with you.
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Leslie Zann is a sought-after Direct Selling expert trusted by corporate teams and top leaders. She has over three decades of experience: 16 years in the field, 8 years as National Director of Field Development and 12 years as principal of Leslie Zann Consulting. She led field development for four different companies with three distinct business models: Direct Selling, Network Marketing, and Party Plan. Her unique hands-on experience - as both a Direct Seller and corporate team member - make her an invaluable asset to any corporate team.
Partial client list: Rodan + Fields, Purium, Avon, Crunchi, Immunotec, pawTree, Ruby Ribbon.
Consulting Services:
- Enhance training systems
- Strengthen onboarding models
- Increase sponsoring
- Customized training for Top Leaders and Emerging Leaders
Leslie guarantees an increase in sales, sponsoring and leadership development.
A renowned Canadian lawyer and recipient of the Direct Sellers Association’s 2017 Distinguished Service Award, Lewis Retik is a partner at the global law firm of Gowling WLG. He is the leader of the firm’s Canadian Advertising & Product Regulatory Group and co-leader of the Food & Beverage Group.
As part of his practice, Lewis addresses regulatory compliance and commercial issues that pertain to direct selling, e-commerce, multi-level marketing, consumer protection. His practice also focuses on product regulatory matter, such as foods, supplements, and cosmetics . He is a dedicated champion of the direct selling industry and regularly interacts with departments and agencies such as the Competition Bureau and Health Canada. When it comes to ensuring seamless maneuvering through the various entities that govern the direct selling industry and its products — Lewis is a proven leader.
Millar Kreklewetz LLP is a boutique tax and trade law firm specializing in direct selling start-ups. We believe that we lead the field in Canadian expertise, and have acted for over 200 different Canadian direct selling companies over the past 30 years. We offer excellent, timely and cost-effective services, for small start-ups to entrenched direct selling leaders. Canada is the first logical step for North American direct selling companies looking to expand globally, and we would be delighted to assist.
Solid Counsel
Brent Kugler is one of only a few attorneys in the U.S. who focuses his practice on representing direct sales and MLM companies in lawsuits and arbitrations, with more than 20 years of experience litigating distributor terminations, solicitation and raiding disputes, theft of trade secret cases and independent contractor classification issues. In addition to litigation, Brent advises direct sales companies on federal and state regulatory issues, distributor policies and procedures, compensation plans and risk management practices.
Brent is also a frequent speaker and author on regulatory developments in the direct sales industry. Scheef & Stone LLP is a 60-lawyer full-service business law firm based in Dallas, Texas. The firm provides a full array of business services to direct selling companies, including trademark and intellectual property protection, e-commerce, data privacy, acquisitions and mergers, and corporate governance matters.
Scheef & Stone LLP has been a Supplier Member of the Direct Selling Association since 2008.
Kevin Thompson and Clay Brewer are partners at Thompson Burton PLLC, a nationally recognized law firm and leading authority in the direct sales industry. Based in the rapidly growing Nashville, Tennessee area, the firm delivers a full spectrum of legal services with a modern, client-focused approach. Leveraging creativity, technology, and innovation, Thompson Burton provides legal solutions that are both effective and accessible. The firm is committed to transparency, responsiveness, and delivering exceptional results.
Its team of seasoned professionals offers deep expertise in areas critical to direct sales and beyond, including network marketing compliance, FDA and FTC regulatory matters, civil litigation, and government investigations. As a full-service firm, Thompson Burton also advises on corporate structuring and governance, contract negotiation, employment law, intellectual property, mergers and acquisitions, and risk management. This integrated, multidisciplinary approach supports clients at every stage of the business journey.
Unmatched Direct Selling Law Expertise
The environment in which the MLM and direct selling industry must operate has put a premium on effective legal counsel. As one of just two law firms to have ever received the Direct Selling Association’s Partnership Award, and having represented over 1,500 direct selling companies, we have the industry expertise and experience to help startup and established direct selling companies understand their legal obligations, issues, and options, then guide them in implementing the best practices, structure and policies.
Among the services offered by the firm to direct selling and MLM clients are startup representation, compensation plan legal reviews, dietary supplement and cosmetic legal compliance, distributor compliance, state MLM registration services, sales and marketing law, and intellectual property (trademark) protection.
Located in the Salt Lake City, Utah area.
Flight is a world-class Global operations and compensation management platform in the Microsoft Azure cloud. Flight provides a complete suite of features necessary for operating a direct selling enterprise. These include advanced management for consultants, customers, inventory, shipping, compensation processing, reporting, sales force, orders, subscriptions, promotions and more.
Since 1987 MultiSoft Corporation has developed MLM software for the multilevel marketing and direct sales industries. MultiSoft's International MarketPowerPRO MLM Software as a Service (SaaS) application is a real-time web-based, scalable central source code platform efficiently managing every function of a network marketing business. MarketPowerPRO brings key business operations together including CMS website management, replicated distributor sites, e-commerce/shopping, distributor/customer enrollment and CRM, compensation plans, commission calculations/payments, taxes, inventory management, marketing, sales and shipping/receiving with a robust set of web-service API's. With five offices in four countries - contact a MultiSoft Executive 24 hours a day 5 days a week.
Trinity offers Software and E-Commerce Solutions to provide cost-effective tools to operate a successful direct selling business in today's rapidly changing market. Regardless of the type of pay structures utilized for your compensation plan, we have the right solution for the right price with the right features. Trinity Software's engineers are constantly evaluating and adding new features to keep Firestorm the most comprehensive solution available. Now and in the future!
ByDesign provides web-based direct sales, party plan, and MLM software on the leading edge of multilevel marketing management. With commissions and bonus engine that is second to none, ByDesign's state of the art platform is the backbone of multi-million dollar MLM, direct sales, and party plan companies all over the world. From brand new startups to global giants, ByDesign has the products, services, and knowledge to ensure your network marketing business' success.
Jenkon develops game-changing web and mobile technology solutions for global direct sellers. Our J6 software suite is the most powerful business platform in the history of our industry. Its core strength lies in its unparalleled modularity, enterprise scale, and its ability to be tailored specifically to your business. Powerful stuff, when combined with the DSA Award-winning team and our 35-years of corporate stability.
The Exigo Platform is the only US-based open source, open architecture solution serving direct selling companies globally. Exigo’s Platform-as-a-Service (Paas) delivers everything you need to build a robust, end-to-end direct selling ecosystem. In an industry that demands adaptability, Exigo delivers unrivaled access to the data that drives your business, from CRM to transactions to commissions. Flexible, scalable, and powerful, with Exigo the possibilities are unlimited.
The Direct Selling Women's Alliance is a global organization serving thousands of Direct Selling members with resources dedicated to improving their personal and professional development, training, selling, recruiting, and operational strategies. Founded in 2001, and guided by a board of the industry’s leading experts and professionals, the DSWA is a one-stop-shop for Direct Selling entrepreneurs and companies.
The Direct Selling Association (DSA) is the national trade association for companies that manufacture and distribute goods and services sold directly to consumers through an independent, entrepreneurial salesforce. More than 18 million Americans are involved in direct selling in every state, congressional district and community in the United States.
