Direct Sales and MLM

DSA Convention 2012 - Inspiring Entrepreneurs

By
Kevin Thompson

This year's DSA annual meeting was held in Dallas, Texas. It was a really cool event! We had phenomenal speakers, the best being none other than George W. Bush. I was skeptical before joining the DSA two years ago. I'm just not a "trade association" kind of guy. I'm so happy I joined! It's a great organization charged with a complicated and important task of representing the interests of a very diverse industry. While I give the DSA a hard time about not doing enough with respect to the DSA's pyramid legislation, I understand that it's hard for a trade association to pivot when it's trying to appease hundreds of companies, each with a unique set of needs and concerns. Below are some of my favorite pictures from the DSA convention.< style="float: left" src="https://dev-thompson-burton-wpms.pantheonsite.io/mlmattorney/files/2012/06/Richard-Bliss-Brooke-Kevin-Thompson.jpg" alt=" 4896" width="600" height="450" border="0" />I have a lot of respect for Richard Bliss Brooke. He's been very supportive of my participation in the DSA. He encouraged me to get involved in both the Ethics Committee and the Government Relations Committee. As someone that wanted to positively impact the direct sales community, getting involved with those committees was a crucial first step. He also gave me a kick in the ass to get started on my book. I made a commitment to get the content done by September 3. I've got a lot of work to do! < style="float: left" src="https://dev-thompson-burton-wpms.pantheonsite.io/mlmattorney/files/2012/06/Joe-Mariano-Kevin-Thompson.jpg" alt=" 4897" width="600" height="450" border="0" />Joe Mariano is someone else I hold in high esteem. As the president of the DSA, he's got a very challenging job. As a trade association, the DSA is comprised of over 100 member companies and a few hundred supplier members. He's got the difficult job of aggregating the collective will of that community while leading a team that follows legislation all across the country. It's really incredible when you think about the complexity of the entire operation. Joe has been very generous in allowing me to be part of the important conversations about the industry. < src="https://dev-thompson-burton-wpms.pantheonsite.io/mlmattorney/files/2012/06/ _4899.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="480" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-520" />Gerald Nehra is one of the kindest men I've ever met. He's also a great competitor. He was one of the original MLM attorneys. Without him, I'm not sure if I'd be having as much fun right now. And he's got a very kind, loving and generous wife. For two years straight, I've attended the convention stag. I've never been able to bring my wife, which makes it weird showing up at a party solo. Both years, Gerry found me and invited me to sit at his table. I always enjoy chatting with him and his partner, Richard. In reality, there's only a handful of competitors that are serious players in the industry. Nehra and Waak are two of them.By far, The most moving moment was when Rich DeVos welcomed his two boys, Rich and Doug, into the DSA Hall of Fame. I'll be honest....I shed a tear or two. As a father of three children, I was simply amazed at the unique moment Rich DeVos got to share with his two sons. It made me assess my path and wonder if I was on track to leave a lasting legacy for my children as Rich has done for his. With Rich on stage, telling stories about the start of Amway, and seeing the pride in his eyes when his boys took the stage...it was just awesome. I recorded his speech, without permission. I'm not sure if that's ok. But until someone says otherwise, check it out below. This is my full library of pictures from the DSA event. Unfortunately, I didn't take very many.

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