Lynn Bardowski— the Million Dollar Party Girl — joins us to discuss the ways that MLM party plans are evolving alongside technological advances. She tells us about the differences and overlap between home parties and online parties; she talks about ways that direct sales software could better serve party planners; she explains the importance of Facebook Events and Facebook Live and some of the benefits of the Facebook party; and she gives us some best practices for direct sellers on social media.

Kenny discusses some of the common piftalls direct sales companies face when expanding internationally. He talks about differing regulations on network marketing and MLM, product pricing and product regulation, the danger of embracing quick fix solutions (like the common choice to go NFR), and the needs of the distributor field during international expansion.

Nicki Keohohou, CEO and co-founder of the Direct Selling World Alliance (DSWA), joins us to talk about international expansion, cultural awareness, inclusivity, and diversity in the domestic MLM market. She gives us her advice for expanding internationally from the perspectives of both corporate and the independent distributor. She also explains how proper communication can demonstrate your commitment to your sales force.

Alyson Baber and Steve Snyder of Zoom Video Communications (zoom.us) join us to talk about the power of video conferencing as a tool for direct selling and network marketing. Video conferencing lets you reach and support a larger—potentially global—network, cut travel time and costs, and make a stronger connection than you can with audio conferencing alone.

Kelly Thayer—Deductr’s VP of Direct Sales—joins us to talk about his time in the MLM world and about his personal efforts to help distributors get the most from the MLM experience. They discuss what it means to be in business for yourself, the tax breaks network marketers can take advantage of, how distributors can mentally frame themselves as entrepreneurs or independent business owners, and how that mentality helps you get the true value out of your business opportunity. Check out deductr.com/specialdeal to learn more about Kelly’s product and mlm.com to learn more about the industry.

Mark Rawlins—CEO and founder of InfoTrax Systems—joins us to talk about the effects of disruptive technologies on the MLM industry, trends over the last decade in the motives of sales people and sales leaders, and regulatory issues facing the industry. Check out mlm.com to learn more about the industry and infotraxsys.com to learn more about our parent company.

Jonathan Gilliam—founder and CEO of Momentum Factor (momofactor.com)—joins us to talk about the risk of distributors making illegal product claims and income claims on social media and what the industry can do to combat it. We talk about compliance monitoring, reputation management—both services Momentum Factor provides—and what you can do to train your distributors and shape your culture to prevent damage to your online reputation. Check out mlm.com to learn more about the industry.

MLM attorney Spencer Reese joins us to discuss the regulatory landscape for direct selling following the Herbalife and Vemma settlements with the FTC, the impact of distributor training on the independent contractor relationship, the evolving definition of inventory loading, and the nature of customer service in the digital world. Check out mlmlaw.com to get more from Spencer Reese. Check out mlm.com to learn more about the industry.