Milton Resident Finds Passion, Flexibility, Financial Rewards in Direct Sales Career

Betsy Crowley likes to start things.  Pregnant with her first child when she and her husband moved to Milton in 2006, Crowley didn’t know anyone. So she started a group, SOBO (which stands for “South of Boston”) Moms so that she could meet people and make friends.

It worked: “I know a lot of people in town and now a lot of people know me,” says Crowley.

This fall, with three young children at home, Crowley craved something of her own.  “I felt that I had lost my own identity,” she says.  Crowley needed a job that would allow her to work around her husband’s schedule (he’s an entrepreneur who travels frequently) and would draw on her prior work experience in sales and marketing. 

Direct selling seemed a perfect fit. After researching a variety of direct sales opportunities, she decided to become a Stylist 0r an independent sales representative for Stella & Dot jewelry. “I wanted to socialize with other women and to get out and meet people,” says Crowley. 

 “So far, it’s been fun, so it doesn’t feel like a job,” says Crowley, although she works hard and puts a lot into her business.  At night, she makes phone calls e-mails people, and follows up on orders, to make sure that her customers were satisfied with their orders.  “It’s not just a hobby for me; I can see the potential for a longer term career commitment,” says Crowley.

Stella & Dot was founded in California by Stanford Business School graduate and new mom Jessica Herrin, with venture capital funding. She hired two well-credentialed jewelry designers, and exploited the power of social networking for her direct-selling business.

Crowley has a strong online presence; she promotes her business on Facebook and Twitter and through her website. By utilizing social networking, Crowley has seen her business grow. “It’s important to expand beyond your own circle of friends and family – that’s where social networking comes in and why it’s so important,” says Crowley.

The product is a perfect fit for Crowley.  “The jewelry sells itself. Half of the catalogue is under $50,” says Crowley. “I love jewelry, although I don’t get to wear it that often, as I don’t get to dress up that much.  My standard wardrobe is mom’s clothes:  yoga pants and sweatshirts,” says Crowley. 

Although the jewelry is also available online, most of the sales come from what the company calls trunk shows, or jewelry parties.  “People buy what they can see and try on,” says Crowley.

At the trunk shows, the Stylists can offer fashion advice and her own opinions, although they don’t claim to be fashion experts.   Sometimes a client is looking for jewelry for a special occasion or to coordinate with a specific outfit. "It is a more active sale than just writing up an order,” says Crowley.

Crowley has recruited several other people to sell Stella & Dot jewelry. By recruiting, training and helping new Stylists get started, Crowley can earn a percentage of their sales in addition to the commission on her own sales.  “That’s where you can earn the big bucks,” says Crowley.

Crowley recommends that anyone who is unemployed consider working for Stella & Dot or another direct sales company, as a possible career step or as interim work.   “In this economy, you can be your own boss,” she says “It’s up to you.  It depends how much time and energy you’re willing to put into it – what you get out of it depends on what you put into it,” says Crowley.  And that’s just the way she likes it.