Issue link: https://www.ascpskindeepdigital.com/i/968907
68 may/june 2018 A LITTLE CREDIT Before we declare war on the multilevel marketers who have an entrepreneurial spirit and an interest in skin care, we first must give credit to David H. McConnell and Mary Kay Ash, who founded Avon and Mary Kay Inc., respectively. McConnell gave women a chance to earn an independent income even before they had the right to vote. Ash was one of the first female entrepreneurs whose skin care products touched the masses through a tiny storefront in Dallas, Texas. As her products and company grew, she ultimately hired independent sales representatives to take the products to households across the United States. Both of these business owners accomplished three things that benefit all of us today: They empowered women who had not been a part of the workforce to earn an income. They helped women create relationships with other women, placing value on a consultant-style relationship. And lastly, they helped educate consumers on a large scale about the importance of skin care and how to use products. The opportunity to ditch a traditional work schedule and work from anywhere in the world is appealing to many. The thought of being your own boss, selling a product you know and love, and making new friends while doing it sounds pretty good too. We can hardly blame people for choosing this path if it allows them more time with their family or a chance to earn an extra income that wouldn't be available to them otherwise. These programs have years of experience in developing seemingly lucrative sales models and training elements, continually working to perfect the recipe for success. And although it does take hard work to find financial success, these businesses are designed to allow nearly anyone to become an entrepreneur by giving them the structure, support, and a basic system for growing a business. At the same time, they eliminate the inherent financial risks associated with real business ownership. Many never reach actual financial freedom, but the same can be said about any business. According to the Direct Selling Association, an estimated 20 million people were involved in direct selling in 2015, and their sales totaled more than $36 billion that year alone.1 Forbes magazine predicts explosive future growth for the MLM/direct marketing industry.2 The data shows that MLMs are not going anywhere anytime soon. In fact, you'll likely find more friends and relatives jumping on board to be their own boss, as one in six American households already have someone in direct selling. If you explore any esthetician chat room, you'll find stories of infuriated esties who seek help in combating friends-turned-salespeople who make a living selling skin care products to the same customers they do. You'll find complaints of edited before-and-after pictures boasting physically impossible "cured" conditions. It's understandably hard to ignore, especially when these folks are aggressively educating consumers on product benefits attached to unrealistic results.