Dave Grimaldi, CEO of the Direct Selling Association (DSA), returns for his second conversation with Richard this year, and the timing is not an accident. September is when direct selling goes to Washington, and Dave says the stakes this cycle are as high as he has seen them.

Richard and Dave get into what most of us never see: a Congress balanced by fewer than five seats, a Federal Trade Commission that could be rebuilt and supercharged overnight, and the one fight that matters more than any other for everyone in the field, your status as an independent contractor. They talk about why a younger Congress does not know our story, why the "P words" (predatory, pyramid) keep getting aimed at us, and what actually moves a lawmaker.

There is also a challenge in here for you. Dave and Richard both believe the best defense is a better profession: more honest recruiting, kinder selling, and real results people can point to. This one is part civics lesson, part call to action, and worth your time before Day on the Hill on September 23.

https://www.dsa.org/submit-my-story

Dave Grimaldi is the CEO of the U.S. Direct Selling Association, the national trade association representing direct selling and network marketing companies. He stepped into the role in January 2025, bringing more than two decades of Washington experience in advocacy and public policy. Before the DSA he was EVP of Government Relations at the Blockchain Association, held senior policy roles at the Interactive Advertising Bureau, and opened the D.C. office for Pandora. Earlier in his career he served on Capitol Hill as Senior Counsel to House Majority Whip James Clyburn and as Chief of Staff to FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn. He worked as an independent distributor for ACN during college, which he credits for his distributor-focused perspective. He holds a B.A. in English from Loyola Marymount University and a J.D. from Catholic University's Columbus School of Law.