Story appeared on Times Business News…
Diet has become a four-letter word. Decades of body shaming and deprivation is now replaced by a new health-first approach. However, in all this change,the quest to lose weight remains constant.
For the weight loss industry, these trends and fads are a part of their business reality. The sector is as sensitive to changes as the fashion industry,and companies that pivot quickly to new ideas are the ones that stay profitable.
One of these long-lasting weight management veterans is ViSalus Sciences, today know as Vi. The company, which sells a variety of healthy meal replacement shakes, drinks, snacks and supplements,was launched in 2005 by a trio of young entrepreneurs. Co-Founders Nick Sarnicola, Blake Mallen,and Ryan Blair had started the company from humble beginnings. With Sarnicola and Mallen’sextensiveexperience with network marketing, the company made the decision to avoid the usual retail outlets and took on an MLM (multi-level marketing) business model approach, relying completely on independent distributors, they call Promoters, to market and sell their products.
The risk paid off. Today, 14 years down the line, they have generated close to $2 billion in cumulative sales…