Over nearly three decades, Jorge grew OMNILIFE into an international powerhouse, expanding from Mexico to other countries throughout Latin America, North America, the Caribbean and Europe. As his company grew, Jorge’s children grew right alongside it. Son Amaury Vergara Zatarain and daughters Kenya Vergara Zatarain, Yelena Povaguina and Uma Vergara were frequent guests on stage of OMNILIFE’s concert-like events, joining their father; learning from his legacy; and growing as leaders themselves.

For many years, Jorge and his family were the faces of OMNILIFE, inspiring distributors around the world to follow their example and build dreams of their own that could last for generations.

Following Jorge’s death in 2019, the broader OMNILIFE family of distributors and employees mourned alongside with Jorge’s children—they also wondered how the company would transition into a new generation of leadership. Amaury was appointed Chairman of The Board and General Director of The Omnilife Group; Kenya took on the role of Director of Omnilife-Seytú Global Marketing; and Yelena was appointed Executive Director of Financial Control. While they had grown up in OMNILIFE and had learned many lessons from their father, the siblings were only in their twenties—very young compared to distributors who had been building their businesses for decades.

Today, under the council´s leadership—Amaury, Kenya, Yelena and Diego Calderón—OMNILIFE operates in 21 countries; supports more than seven million distributors; and serves other millions of customers worldwide. What began with one foundational product, a multivitamin drink called OmniPlus (known today in the US as OML Plus), has expanded to a product line of different ready-to-drink and powered nutrition products, as well as a beauty and personal care line.

“We were born as a nutritional supplement company based on multi-development and a lifestyle full of health and economic stability,” Amaury shared. “Our philosophy of being People Taking Care of People is reflected in the abundance in health and economy of our OMNILIFE distributors with whom we share the mission of being in the cupboards of every family to share wellness and abundance around the world.”

Passion and Possibilities

As he built and expanded OMNILIFE from Mexico to countries around the world, Jorge was always dreaming of new possibilities—from new products to new business ventures to new opportunities for the entrepreneurs he inspired. The OMNILIFE Group is comprised of over thirty companies, including Club Deportivo Guadalajara, the most popular football club based in Guadalajara nicknamed Chivas.

“Innovation is one of our most important pillars,” Kenya explained. “We’ve implemented cutting-edge technology along with permanent research work, merging the latest ingredients with the experience we have for over 32 years. We understand that our products are a tool to transform the health and life of each distributor, so it will always be our goal to invest in offering the best products since the most important thing for us is that each person sees the results and benefits as soon as they consume them.”

Jorge’s legacy of evolution is alive and well, as Amaury, Kenya and the next generation of OMNILIFE leaders are also committed to growth and change—not only for distributors, but for the company’s product line as well.

“OMNILIFE’s main focus is multi-development, a system in which lifestyle is transformed through personal growth to achieve success and abundance in an integral scope: health, professional and economic,” Amaury explained. “This is because OMNILIFE was projected from the beginning as a company that would not only help with health but also to develop in all aspects of life.”

Legacy and Longevity

After years of transition, from new generational leadership to navigating a global pandemic, the OMNILIFE family is excited about this new season of growth and breakthrough. More customers are trying OMNILIFE products than ever before, often through a distribution method that has become the standard in Latin America but feels novel in the United States: OMNILIFE stores (distribution centers).

With the experiential interaction of an Apple store but the convenience of a grocery store, customers can get a feel for OMNILIFE products in person and then purchase either by becoming a distributor or through a sale linked to one of the top distributors in that area. With stores throughout Latin America and 19 stores and counting in the United States, OMNILIFE has found great success through this model. In fact, 50 percent of the company’s US sales are through OMNILIFE stores. In Mexico, that figure is over 90 percent.

In the States, these stores aren’t the only new development for OMNILIFE. In March 2023, the company broke ground on a new corporate office, warehouse and manufacturing plant located in Allen, Texas and expects to open its doors in Q2 2024.

“We have two manufacturing plants,” Amaury shared. “We have one in Guadalajara (one of the largest in the world in food supplements), and another in Cali, Colombia, to supply South America. Now we are building another one in the United States to supply the entire North American market. Likewise, in Barcelona, Spain, we have commercial allies, and we foresee a lot of growth in the European community.”

As OMNILIFE expands to more households throughout the world, this new generation of leaders honors Jorge’s vision of improving people’s lives through both lifestyle and opportunity, but they’re also ushering in a new chapter of the company’s story.

“We’re excited about our philosophy, our values and the future we envision,” Amaury shared. “We must remember where we come from to know where we are going, and we want to continue transforming lives with an even more avant-garde vision. For 32 years, we have distinguished ourselves as a strong company that offers a solid career plan, innovative products and the multi-development to improve in all areas of life. The most important thing for us is to be the vehicle for anyone with the burning desire to transform their reality.”

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Building a smart international expansion strategy means looking for momentum-building markets with untapped growth potential. In 2024, that indisputably includes the Hispanic and Latino markets.

In Mexico alone, the direct selling market is projected to surge to $19.48 billion by 2028. That staggering number doesn’t include the more than 60 million Latinos living and working within the US, or the fact that direct selling is already a staple for the Latin American population, where a quarter of beauty and personal care sales take place through a direct selling relationship (compared to eight percent globally).

“Latinos in the United States represent a larger consumption market than the entire economy of nations like Italy, Canada or Russia,” shared Judith Sanchez Lopez, PM-International General Manager, Latin America. “If Latinos living in the United States were an independent country, the US Latino GDP would be the fifth largest GDP in the world, larger than the GDPs of India, the United Kingdom or France.”

There are a number of direct selling companies who have already captivated the Hispanic and Latino markets and are thriving. There are two distinct scenarios at play here: US-based companies that are dominating in Hispanic markets and foreign-based companies doing the same.

DSN 2023 Bravo Growth Award winner Princess House successfully serves this corner of the US market. Other examples include 4Life, Hy Cite, Immunotec and relative newcomer ACTIVZ. These companies are also strong in other Spanish-speaking markets.

Betterware de Mexico and Omnilife are based in Mexico and making huge strides in that market and throughout the region.

It could be tempting to assume that the same strategies and approaches that work for US customers would be a fit for the Hispanic population living within the US, or even the neighboring Latin American populations, but that assumption is a sure-fire way to fail. Ignoring the unique communication styles of each individual market is not only ineffective, it’s disrespectful. There are cultural sensitivities that should be honored; product preferences that need to be prioritized; and local talent that deserve to be elevated to leadership.

“Companies that want to be successful need to stop making Latin American countries an extension of their current market,” said Mauricio Domenzain, Immunotec Chief Executive Officer. “By that, I mean you really need to commit to the market. We can’t simply send one manager to Latin America now and then wait to see if it’s going to work or not. It’s a full commitment, not just the addition of another flag on your wall or your website. You have to truly become part of that market to understand the cultural needs.”

Copy and Paste Isn’t a Strategy

What works in the United States doesn’t automatically translate to success on a global scale. That goes for products, but it’s also a good rule to live by when it comes to communication, marketing materials and events. For companies founded in the US or who predominantly operate within the US, expanding to include Spanish-speaking consumers is not as simple as hiring a translator or relying on Google Translate. These translations are often choppy, with no regard for local idioms or speaking rhythms.

Solving for this pain point has been a game changer for brands like 4Life, who overhauled their communication process to treat Spanish as its own first language rather than relying entirely on English. The company now enlists two separate content creator teams, one who is primarily English-speaking and one who is primarily Spanish-speaking, to design materials. The end result prevents poor translations that damage credibility.

“If you go to our convention, we are 80-85 percent Hispanic,” said Brian Gill, 4Life Chief Marketing Officer. “Five years ago, out of respect, we stopped translating English to Spanish. It’s not enough to have great translators. A Hispanic whose primary language is Spanish should be the one creating our materials. It’s about empowering the affiliate to share the brand, and a poor translation is not a credible connection they are proud to share.”

Homogenous, hand-me-down resources communicate the message that international markets are inferior, less valuable and unappreciated. Conversely, when companies allocate the resources and staff necessary to maintain and develop a culturally relevant, localized brand with tools that take local language, lifestyle and history into consideration, customers and distributors take note. A successful entry into Hispanic and Latino markets is one that allows the population to embrace entrepreneurial opportunity while preserving its own cultural DNA.

“Entering the Hispanic market was not secondary or an afterthought; it was our primary thought,” said David Brown, ACTIVZ Chief Executive Officer. “Our Spanish-speaking distributors are constantly amazed that they get new products and materials first and that they weren’t translated from English. Everyone responds well to attention and responsiveness, and that’s probably the secret to our success.”

Honor Culture Past and Present

Family is a core value for the Hispanic and Latin American markets, and consumers in these demographics typically have great reverence for their parents and their tightly-knit communities. The US ethos of independent, self-made success doesn’t land the same within these cultures, so even well-intentioned corporate leaders commissioned from the company’s US headquarters could get off on the wrong foot without realizing it.

“It’s not only the language, but it’s also the culture that you need to understand,” explained Domenzain. “You need to have people on the ground—people directly from those markets—who understand and can serve that market the correct way.”

Leaders also need to consider how each new generation brings their own energy and inspiration to the foundational values of the Hispanic and Latin American cultures. From a corporate standpoint, that means being willing to adjust the speed and style of work. Omnilife addressed this generational evolution by implementing a shift from graphic design to a focus on social media, leaving behind big format printing in favor of video and digital formats and encouraging all of its departments to embrace the Gen Z style of work, which is quick to adapt to change.

“We are integrating younger generations into our corporate team, and that has helped make us relevant,” said Eduardo Ros, Omnilife Marketing Manager. “Our communications and packaging have become younger. We have received testimonies from people in Ecuador and Peru who tell us that working with second- and third-generation distributors who are younger has helped them see how best to take advantage of this opportunity and approach the business differently.”

Recognize the Uniqueness of Each Market

Each country and community has its own unique traditions and habits, and the Latin American market is no exception. There is no one-size-fits-all approach that would respectfully reach this vast audience, and it’s important to remember that there are distinctions among the adjectives often used to describe this diverse group of cultures within and outside of the US. The word Hispanic describes Spanish speakers, including those living within the US and Spain, while Latinos is reserved for those living within Latin America, including Brazil, where Portuguese is the official national language.

“Hispanics in the US are not a monolith,” Sanchez Lopez said. “They are a combination of countries, cultures, slang, levels of acculturation and generations. You need to decide who you want to target, understand what sets them apart and then ask yourself if your company is communicating and interacting in a way that respects their cultural differences and strongest drivers.”

For companies with a broad footprint across countries with similar but distinct cultures, discovering what makes each market tick is critical to securing healthy, welcomed growth among distributors and potential customers. Hy Cite, for example, courts Latinos in eight different countries, including the US and Brazil. Efficiency is incredibly important, so the company harmonizes its content, but it also takes care to modify even the smallest details to communicate that each individual market matters.

“The way we present our products changes depending on the audience,” said Paulo Moledo, Hy Cite President and Chief Executive Officer. “Our recipes used on social media, for instance, feature arepas in Colombia and tacos in Mexico. We also pay attention to our call center services. We learned the hard way that the agent accent speaking to customers from different markets is an important variable.”

Moledo also emphasizes the significance of making sure corporate expresses with actions that they value distributors’ wellbeing just as much as their earning opportunity. For Hy Cite, that means facilitating a close relationship between executives and top leaders; leaning into recognition; and designing ways for distributors and customers to voice their opinions and experiences.

“Latinos, more than most, need to feel heard,” Moledo said. “As fast as we could after the pandemic, we started having events, conventions and meetings with independent distributors, and the attendance has been outstanding. We invest more today in events than we did pre-pandemic, but the return on that personal, face-to-face touch is great.”

Operating with inclusion and respect as the highest priorities is non-negotiable. It’s imperative that companies take the extra steps to ensure the opportunity they are presenting is tailor-made for the audience receiving it, and that their presence improves the quality of life for the people who call that country home. When diversity of backgrounds and ways of doing business are treated with dignity and honor, executives who have successfully built bridges into the Latino and Hispanic cultures say there is a shared entrepreneurial spirit that transcends language barriers and countries of origin.

“It doesn’t matter what language you speak or what country you’re in, everyone is looking for the same thing,” Domenzain said. “To be a part of something bigger than yourself.”

From the November 2023 issue of Direct Selling News magazine.

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Mary Kay, in partnership with The Nature Conservancy, executive produced a documentary, Forest of Hope, which was screened at the 17th Dallas International Film Festival. The film shares the story of Angélica Torres, leader of Mujeres Unidas Para La Conservacion de Laguna de Sanchez, and female entrepreneurs who are combatting environmental challenges in the area surrounding Monterrey, Mexico.  

The film was written, directed and produced by an all-women team and gives viewers an inside look at a small mountain town surrounded by a natural reserve where fires and clear-cutting have destroyed more than 30% of the local forest.  

“Forest of Hope was a wonderful opportunity to collaborate with the amazing woman at the center of the documentary—Angélica Torres,” said Cris Graves, Director, Forest of Hope. “In telling her story, we were able to touch on several important issues: the importance of family and community, protecting and preserving the environment, and female empowerment. At 71 years young, Angélica proves that you’re never too old to make a difference in this world.”  

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More than 3,000 MONAT distributors participated in the race.  

“Every step we take in the race not only brings us closer to the finish line, but also to a brighter future for youth everywhere,” said Lu Urdaneta, MONAT Global Chief Culture Officer and MONAT Gratitude Foundation CEO. “In addition to bringing together leaders of our independent salesforce, this race serves a bigger purpose by helping improve outcomes for youth in our communities. I’m proud of our participants for doing good for themselves and the community.” 

To date, the MONAT Gratitude Foundation has donated more than $600,000 to more than 40 youth education programs through a $1 million pledge grant program begun in 2022. 

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Caring Hands has worked in Chiapas, Mexico for eight years to improve access to nutrition, sanitation and education for children in the region. The organization has worked closely with COBACH, a government institution that oversees public high school education, and UNACH, the largest accredited online university in Chiapas, to bring online access to university degrees to remote areas and reduce the cost of obtaining a degree by 95%. 

“This honor from the highest officials in the country is due to the model of success that Kyäni Caring Hands has created,” said Kyäni Caring Hands Executive Director Andrew Mangeris. “We are incredibly honored to have received this recognition, and we are proud of the opportunity we’ve had to create lasting change in the lives of thousands of people. We thank the many generous donors who support our efforts to serve those in need.” 

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“We are honored to be a part of such a distinguished organization as the AMVD,” said Mannatech President and CEO Al Bala, who also serves as a Board member of the U.S. Direct Selling Association. “We look forward to working closely with them, as well as our loyal legion of Mexican customers and associates, to ensure that direct selling continues to prosper in Mexico for many years to come.” 

Mannatech has a long history of respect for and involvement in the DSA. The company’s Chairman of the Board, Stan Fredrick, is a Hall of Fame member of the DSA and has served as chair or member of the DSA and Direct Selling Education Foundation for more than three decades. 

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Founded / 1928

Headquarters / El Arenal, Jalisco, Mexico

Top Executive / Luis Campos, Executive Chairman & Andres Campos, Chief Executive Officer

Products / Home Goods

NASDAQ: BWMX

In the suburbs of Guadalajara, a direct selling giant is taking shape.

Betterware was first launched in England in 1928. In 2001, Luis Campos purchased the Mexico and Latin America division from Betterware UK. He then transformed the business model and strategy and updated its name.

Betterware de Mexico, a household product innovation company, now operates from a sustainably built distribution center in Zapopan, Mexico, that was designed to ship more than 180,000 orders and pack more than 1.5 million products per day.

These state-of-art headquarters are part of Luis Campos’ grand vision to balance productivity, environmentally friendly design and systems that nurture the wellbeing of employees while growing on the national and international stage. On-site staff have access to a wide variety of amenities, like a gym, hair salon, laundry facilities, medical services, cafeteria and daycare. Outside are a soccer field and basketball and volleyball courts surrounded by a community nursery where the company invested in planting 55,000 plants and 4,000 trees.

“The vision for Betterware de Mexico was always to become a relevant company nationally and also internationally.

—Luis Campos / Executive Chairman

This sprawling campus is part of Luis’ plan to build a powerhouse brand in the Mexican market. In the second quarter of 2021, the impact of his vision was put into numbers when the company’s EBITDA reached $36.3 million, a 92 percent increase over the same period in 2020.

Triple-Digit Growth

Day-to-day operations for the company now fall to Andres Campos, Luis’ son, who was named Chief Executive Officer two years ago, while Luis continues to focus on business strategies and relevant corporate events that lead the company toward his founding priorities.

“The vision for Betterware de Mexico was always to become a relevant company nationally and also internationally,” Luis said.

This relevance in Mexico happened organically, but attaining significance on the international stage has proved to be a challenge. So, in 2020, the company took a major step toward its goal by becoming publicly listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange.

“We were already a very institutional company with first-class auditors and a very strong board of directors,” Luis said. “Nasdaq has given us and will continue to give us visibility and credibility not only in Mexico but in the U.S. and worldwide.”

The changes Luis instituted more than two decades ago have led the company to embrace its evolution and adapt to a changing market landscape. Now, with Andres´s influence, the company is once again entering a new phase of transformation.

“We are a hybrid between digital and personal contact,” Luis said. “This helped a lot during COVID because our sales force, our distributors and associates were able to work from home with digital tools that we have already been offering them for the past five to six years. That’s one of the reasons we grew so much last year.”

And grow, they did. In the third and fourth quarter of 2020, Betterware de Mexico saw triple-digit growth over the previous year. In the first quarter of 2021, net sales increased 205 percent year-over-year.

“This shows another competitive advantage we have, which is flexibility and elasticity,” Campos said. “We react quickly to extraordinary events that we have to face.”

Data-Driven Decisions

To accommodate this rapid growth and prepare for the next wave of success, the company is focusing on three pillars: business intelligence, technology and product innovation.

By observing and collecting data points within its operations, customer base and marketing selections, the company’s on-staff anthropologists, actuaries, geographers and other experts can obtain and analyze millions of pieces of data to determine the target demographic’s likes and dislikes, and identify the next direction the company should take. Studying the business from these often-overlooked angles helps the leadership make data-backed decisions as they introduce new products, services and marketing campaigns.

“We have a very strong business intelligence area in the company, manipulating millions of data points, and we base our decisions on big data and not only good wishes or intuition,” Luis said. “In terms of sales, we track the performance of distributors every day and every week, and have information regarding the share of wallet, and the way we could increase the share of wallet in the marketplace.”

Within the first six months of 2021, the company’s associates (which the company describes as “consistent consumers” who frequently turn to selling more than they consume) numbered 1.2 million and distributors totaled 64,000. Now, reaching 100 percent purchase satisfaction is the company’s latest self-imposed challenge.

“Consumers want to have a good experience buying,” he said. “Whether online, retail or direct-to-consumer, consumers want to have a very good experience, where a product is easy to buy and reliable.”

A Clear Roadmap to Success

This year, the company doubled down on strengthening its presence in the Mexico market and increased its efforts to become a household name brand through strong advertising campaigns on social media platforms, television and print advertising mediums.

Luis also continues to remain devoted to his founding vision of turning Betterware de Mexico into an internationally recognized brand, launching a pilot program in Guatemala, which, in the first 18 months of operations, has already created double-digit growth and became profitable. This organic growth, Luis said, will always be the company’s priority.

“It’s self-sufficient in terms of cash, and we plan to extend our Guatemala operations over the next two years into Costa Rica and Panama,” he said. “And over the next two to three years, on to Colombia and Peru. The size of these two markets together, Colombia and Peru, is 60 percent of the Mexican market.”

The Company’s strong infrastructure and cash flow also affords it the opportunity to pursue strategic acquisitions. This will also be an important, albeit smaller portion of the company’s future expansion.

“If we find a direct-to-consumer company where we can replicate our business model and accelerate the growth of the company, we would probably evaluate the possibility,” he said. “We have a clear roadmap to keep growing in the future, and we still have plenty of opportunity in terms of market penetration.”

The company is already a powerhouse in the Mexico market, launching more than 300 new products each year. Still, Luis said the leadership will continue to invest in technology that improves the sales experience for distributors and associates and drive growth that increases satisfaction for all parties involved.

“I have always believed in teamwork, and something I told our people 20 years ago was that our mission should be, and still is, to create more and more opportunities for those who and have the courage to seize the opportunity,” he said. “Betterware de Mexico is a dynamic organization with a strong team that is results driven. This has led to our consistent strong growth.” DSN

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In Guadalajara, volunteers delivered the equivalent of 143,00 meals and 2,000 school kits by filling pantries and bringing groceries to the community. 

“Our business has grown rapidly in Mexico during the last year, and we are thrilled that so many Plexus employees, customers, and Brand Ambassadors participated in Plexus Global Giving Day to benefit their local communities,” said Vice President of Sales, Latin America, Alex Hoffmann. “Plexus is focused on improving lives through our wellness products and by working together to help our communities around the globe.” 

Outside of these efforts in Mexico, Plexus volunteers also spent the day helping food banks and shelters across the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand. 

The post Plexus Donates to Fight Food Insecurity in Mexico first appeared on Direct Selling News.

This is an extension of the first global market Plexus entered, which was followed by Australia and in 2020 will be followed by Mexico.

Plexus selected Calgary for its’ second 3PL Distribution Centre (the first distribution Centre opened in Toronto in March 2018) as part of the next phase of the Canadian expansion. According to the company, this center will support the growing number of customers and Ambassadors in Western Canada.

“The past 18 months have seen our Canadian presence continue to grow and develop,” said Tarl Robinson, chief executive officer of Plexus Worldwide. “According to recent studies, Canadians view eating healthier and exercising more as their top priorities, and Plexus products are the perfect complement to a healthy and happy lifestyle.”

In addition to Plexus’ line of science-based health and wellness products, Plexus’ Nourish One^® initiative will extend into Calgary to bring awareness to child hunger. For every serving sold of Plexus Lean in Canada, Plexus will make a monetary donation to Mary’s Meals, a global child hunger charity that feeds 1.4 million children a day in a place of education.

Plexus launched Nourish One in the U.S. in June 2018 with the program’s U.S. partner Feeding America^® and with Mary’s Meals for Canada, Australia and soon, Mexico.

“Health and wellness continue to evolve in Canada but what remains consistent is the need for products that work,” said Darla Brown, general manager of Canada. “At Plexus, we have years of scientific research and clinical studies that have informed our product development. We are thrilled to bring this commitment to excellence to the Calgary market.”

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“We are very excited that FITTEAM is expanding into the Latin American market,” said CEO Chris Hummel. “We are excited to offer our Brand Partnership program to individuals and families looking for a life-changing opportunity.”

FITTEAM has headquarters in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. It launched in Canada in August and has plans to expand into Europe. The company currently offers three products: FITTEAM FIT, FITTEAM LEAN and FITTEAM HYDRATE. All products are certified USDA organic, non-GMO, vegan, gluten free, soy free and kosher.

FITTEAM is the title sponsor for The FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, home of the spring training facilities for the Washington Nationals and Houston Astros, who both made it to the 2019 World Series last month.

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