About
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theJuice is a fresh approach to delivering relevant and nourishing content to professionals in Direct Selling.
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theJuice believes in empowering people to be discovered in collegial networking and sharing.
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theJuice hosts gatherings that bring together colleagues who share wisdom to ignite, educate and inspire.
Introducing Kate & Brett
Your colleagues and fans, dedicated to supporting you, the Direct Selling Executive and the companies you represent.
Kate Gardner
C3 Executive Search Co-Founder • theJuice
Bio: Kate focuses her consulting practice on C3 Executive Search for Direct Selling Companies. As a seasoned and successful direct selling executive, Kate devotes her expertise and time to supporting, mentoring and resourcing for her colleagues’ companies.
Kate’s story begins with ringing doorbells for Avon, carrying a basket loaded with demonstration products walking her neighborhood territories. She felt empowered…creating her own income; spending balanced time with her family and her business. Avon recognized her spirit, bringing Kate into its field management structure where she led her urban market to Avon’s highest management award, Circle of Excellence.
After the experience of knocking directly on consumer’s doors, Kate tested the waters of party plan and early nutrition MLM which lead to early management experience direct and ultimately to C-Suite.
Tapped by nationally recognized women’s fashion design and manufacturing house, Jerell of Texas, Kate was tasked with the migration of the $150M Multiples fashion label out of traditional retail stores and into the direct selling party plan venue. In the mid ‘90s, Kate pioneered early success in cross-channel marketing direct selling products via live appearances on HSN (Home Shopping Network).
In 1999 the parent company to Multiples USA, Jerell, Inc. sold to then publicly held Haggar Men’s Wear. At Haggar’s request, Kate facilitated the sale of Multiples USA to Dallas-based party plan lingerie and fashion company, Colesce Couture. She continued to lead the field through the acquisition.
During her tenure as President/COO with Multiples USA, Kate served multiple terms on the DSA Board of Directors and as the DSA Member Services Chair. For several years Kate has enthusiastically served on the DSEF Development Committee and the DSEF Board of Directors.
In 2001 after leaving Colesce, Kate founded MAVA D. Enterprises LP, a fashion direct sales company offering an imported French collection, Chantal B. and personally designed the private label, Destinations. In the spring of 2005 Kate sold the business to her partners returning to direct sales consulting.
Kate’s direct selling journey is rich in relationships throughout all levels of Direct Selling Professionals…Field to C-Suite.
She is ideally suited to support the search for Executive talent and provide platforms through which Executive Colleagues can connect, learn and grow.
With her colleague and friend, Michele McDonough, Kate co-founded The Direct Selling Women’s PowerCircle, now in its fifth year of delivering monthly conference calls and weekly Fearless Friday eCommunications.
Kate is currently collaborating with Direct Selling veteran, Brett Duncan, as co-founder of a Direct Selling first…theJuice…a fresh approach to networking and peer-learning with top direct selling executives.
Kate is a degreed professional with a BA in Education from the University of North Carolina (Greensboro).
Her first and dominant joy is centered on raising her beautiful, spirited and talented granddaughter, Victoria…who is now off to her freshman year of college.
For added professional intel on Kate, visit her on LinkedIn.
Brett Duncan
Strategic Choice Partners Co-Founder • theJuice
Bio: Brett is passionate about seeing the direct sales industry flourish. His vision of many years was to create a business that helps direct sales companies energize their ideas.
Brett Duncan is Managing Principal of Strategic Choice Partners, LLC. He is an expert in helping direct sales companies with their marketing and communications efforts.
He worked for his first direct sales company two days a week while still in college (late nineties), packing shipments in their warehouse from 5 until midnight. He began at the entry level of the marketing department at AdvoCare, International in 2002, rising to the position of marketing manager before he left in 2007. In 2009, he joined Mannatech as Sr. Director of Global Online Solutions. He was then promoted to Vice President of Global Marketing in 2011.
During those years working for direct selling companies, Brett had the privilege of supporting and leading just about every type of project within the marketing, communication and sales space. His led efforts in creative, product marketing, communications, publicity and PR, social media, search engine optimization, events, retention, recognition and more. He’s worked on the International level, and for both private and public companies.
Brett Duncan has also served as the Chairman of the Communications Committee for the Direct Selling Education Foundation since 2011. He’s passionate about seeing the direct sales industry flourish.
For many years, Brett’s vision was to create a business that helps direct sales companies energize their ideas. In March 2014, he set out to fulfill that vision. His company was built specifically to help direct sales companies make their ideas happen, and happen faster. It’s about energizing your ideas with the insights and expertise to construct the right plan, build the right team and execute with excellence.
That company has now become a unique partnership with other leading consultants to the industry, known as Strategic Choice Partners. Strategic Choice Partners brings together the most unique combination of industry experience and innovation available to direct sales companies today. It’s a new kind of business development firm that is committed to help direct sales companies not simply be relevant, but to rise above the status quo and emerge as leading, innovative brands that connect with today’s consumer.
Brett lives in Flower Mound, Texas, with his wife of eleven years and his six-year-old son. He was born and raised in Kentucky, and came to Dallas to play college baseball at Dallas Baptist University. He enjoys playing guitar as part of his church’s worship ministry, and enjoys just about every kind of sport.