When was thirty one founded

As I look out my office window in the Arena District in Columbus, more than 15, women are streaming out of Nationwide Arena. They are part of the annual national convention of a company called Thirty-One Gifts.

Thirty-One Gifts is a super-fast growing direct-sales company that has achieved explosive growth — and cult brand status. At that time, the company had 23, consultants — now they have over , So, how has 31 Gifts done it?

What are their secrets? Here are a few that apply:. The company was based on one immutable goal: to empower women. The target consultant for Thirty-One is a woman who wants to improve her life and the lives of her family, while having the flexibility to maintain her traditional family role as mom and wife.

Who is the enemy here? Throughout the design process, Thirty-One also seeks to ensure that important support departments are involved—departments like IT, operations and the back office. Thirty-One Gifts headquarters in Columbus, Ohio.

In addition to expansion, he is focused on supporting the team from a day-to-day standpoint as Monroe travels to meet with consultants. To that end, the company launched a celebration tour in January that is traveling to 69 cities in targeted areas of potential growth. The company already has consultants in those communities to serve as hosts and welcome customers. The celebration tour features a pop-up building to showcase products, videos and to welcome customers.

Thirty-One has a debt-free philosophy, which, says Dahl, is a healthy way to operate a business. That would make it very difficult to operate during a dip. The approach the company takes with incentives also has a positive impact, Monroe explains. Another exciting venture is an analysis of international expansion. Although the company has 65, consultants in the United States and Canada, Dahl says, he thinks opportunities await internationally.

Some of that growth will be fueled through a broader use of social platforms as a means of getting the word out to potential customers and consultants. Thirty-One recently developed a new baby product line, which has been rolled out to leaders and will launch on April 1.

The bag is part of a strategy to capture the millennial market which, says Dowding, represents about 80 percent of the 75 million new moms in the country. Personalization and customization are hallmarks of the product lines and an area of continued investment, says Monroe.

As of Feb. Working together, with a mission of empowering women and providing opportunities for personal expression, combined with a purposeful approach to new ideas and innovations, is positioning Thirty-One for continued success. The pillars provide a litmus test for determining which projects or organizations to support. Consultants are part of the decision-making process as well, through a Care Council that is comprised of 15 members across Canada and the U.

Thirty-One takes giving very seriously. Here is a list of recent initiatives:. World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization that works with children, families and communities to tackle the causes of poverty and injustice.

Throughout the year sales consultants make Hope Kits—travel accessory bags filled with hygiene products for women escaping violence, abuse, poverty or natural disasters. In , hurricane relief was a major area of focus as hurricanes impacted both consultants and consumers across the country.

Through the Kids in Need Foundation, an organization dedicated to ensuring that children have school supplies, Thirty-One was able to provide backpacks that were distributed through shops across the U. One of the challenges that female victims of violence often face is building credit scores to attain housing, food and jobs. It was the first national program of its kind, and is now available in 42 states and Washington, D. It was like drinking out of a fire hose.

She started the direct sales company that offers totes, purses, accessories and more out of her Chattanooga, Tennessee, basement, just over 11 years ago. With the party-plan model, other women would be able to earn some extra money so they could pay cash for Christmas, payoff credit cards or go on Disney vacations with their families.