Direct selling’s unique culture of sharing has created an unbreakable bond between two Founder/CEOs.
Businesses—and the executives that lead them—are competitive by nature. Whether it’s technology, product development or field incentives, you always strive to do it better, faster, first. Direct selling prides itself on being more collaborative than other industries, with a long-acknowledged history of sharing information and insights for the betterment of the channel as a whole.
But that support can only go so far—a little bit of healthy competition can make each company better, and the ability to sit atop lists like DSN’s Global 100 or Forbes Largest Private Companies is a feather in any company’s hat—and perhaps a powerful incentive to keep other leaders at arm’s length, keeping the most important insights in-house.
But sometimes, genuine and lasting connections are formed in the most unexpected places. That was certainly the case for Michele Gay, Co-Founder and CEO of LimeLife by Alcone and Sarah Shadonix, Founder and CEO of Scout & Cellar.
These leaders, who sit at the helm of two of the most innovative, buzzworthy companies in the channel, met several years ago when recording an episode of a DSN podcast, forging a fast friendship that has only strengthened over time.
An Epic Idea
This friendship is based on encouragement and the sharing of information, insights and ideas for the betterment of each other’s companies and field. You might think it’s unusual or risky for two leaders to work so closely together to build one another’s leadership skills and support their companies’ growth, but for Gay and Shadonix, it’s been a natural, organic and mutually beneficial friendship that has led to breakthroughs for both parties.
And it’s created an incredible spirit of collaboration as their companies continue to prosper. A shining example of this happened recently at Scout & Cellar’s Epic leadership event in Frisco, Texas, January 27, 2023.
Gay had previously invited Shadonix to view a personal development presentation given by LimeLife’s Chief Development Officer Gary Montalvo and Regional Director Dawn Speaks to LimeLife’s field at one of their conferences. The training focused on the legendary personal development best seller The Three Laws of Performance by Steve Zaffron and Dave Logan.
The material had proven to be invaluable for Gay’s field, helping them eliminate limiting beliefs and reframing their thoughts surrounding success and money. As Gay explained, “People join direct selling for a lot of different reasons: to have fun; to find purpose; to help others; and also to make money. Women have a hard time admitting the money portion to themselves and to others. I wanted to find a way to help women be unapologetic about getting what they want.”
The training developed by her team had created real breakthroughs for LimeLife’s field, allowing them to embrace what they want and confront the inner dialogues that kept them from reaching their goals.
Shadonix immediately recognized the value the presentation could have for her field. “To be honest, I didn’t intend to watch the entire presentation. I thought I’d watch part of the event and that would be it. But it was so inspiring and entertaining. Plus, some of the language around limiting beliefs expressed by Michele’s team felt similar to what I felt was holding our field back. I knew this would be just as eye-opening to them as it was for me. With anyone else, asking them to share the information could have been awkward, but I knew Michele would see the value in it.”
Gay was eager to help Shadonix bring the game-changing training her team had developed to the Scout & Cellar team at their Epic leadership conference. She flew down to the event, along with her trainers Gary Montalvo and Dawn Speaks. They presented an intensive, immersive full-day deep dive into the laws of performance and how they can help distributors reach their full potential without fear or limits.
Just as Shadonix expected, the training deeply resonated with Scout & Cellar’s field leaders. As Kortney Simmons, Executive Manager explained, “Dawn and Gary had us dig deep and internalize the things that were holding us back—not only in our business but in all areas of our lives. I’ve used this new understanding to break free from my doubts. Many leaders at Scout & Cellar are coaching their teams to do the same. This event was transformational!”
Managing Director and Founding Member Courtney Bono had a similar experience at Epic. “The event was wonderful. It helped all of us frame up and make space for frustrations and identify traps that pause action and productivity. Once individuals are aware of these, spot them and identify them, it allows everyone to mentally break those barriers down and move forward with dynamic action and ultimately a much richer experience.”
Celebrating Collaboration and Purpose
These two CEOs coming together represents the best that direct selling has to offer: a sense of community and collaboration where best practices and innovative ideas come together in a spirit of sharing for the betterment of the channel.
And that spirit translates powerfully to the field as well. As Simmons explained, “I think it’s incredibly special that CEOs from two different direct sales companies came together to bring growth and connection to their people. It’s clear that Sarah and Michele are changing the direct sales industry for the better by setting an example of what community represents.”
THE THREE LAWS OF PERFORMANCE
by Steve Zaffron and Dave Logan
The laws of performance are universal. They aren’t steps or tips, but general principles that are always at work. They are also phrased in a precise way, to give maximum insight and applicability. The laws are:
1 / How people perform correlates to how situations occur to them.
2 / How situations occur arises in language.
3 / Future-based language transforms how situations occur to people.
Check out the book to bring more wisdom and insights to your team.
From the April 2023 issue of Direct Selling News magazine.
