Compliance training is not usually the most exciting aspect of direct selling. Often, it is seen as rigid, technical, and filled with legal jargon. But in September 2025, Sunrider International flipped the narrative, winning the Direct Selling Association’s (DSA) Excellence in Business Award for its creative program, “Chen Grandkids on Compliance.”
This recognition is more than a trophy; it signals a shift in industry values toward ethics, transparency, and sustainable business practices. For Sunrider, it’s a chance to showcase not only their heritage as a global herbal wellness company but also their ability to innovate in governance and culture-building.
The DSA Excellence in Business Award is one of the industry’s most prestigious recognitions, highlighting companies that excel in areas beyond sales metrics. The 2025 category focused on Innovation in Compliance Training, and Sunrider emerged as the winner.
Direct selling companies operate under strict regulations due to risks of income misrepresentation, product claims, and unethical recruitment. By innovating in compliance, Sunrider not only reduces legal risks but also builds trust with distributors, regulators, and customers.
Unveiled at Sunrider’s 2024 Grand Convention, the program features the grandchildren of founder Drs. Tei-Fu and Oi-Lin Chen explaining compliance topics. The videos are unscripted, humorous, and emotionally authentic, making regulatory education approachable.
Instead of dry training modules, the program uses humor and family dynamics. Research by Denning (2005) and Garner (2006) shows that storytelling and humor significantly increase retention of complex information.
The series simplifies heavy compliance areas, ensuring sales representatives worldwide understand:
Founded in 1982 in California by Drs. Tei-Fu and Oi-Lin Chen, Sunrider built its identity around herbal wellness and traditional Chinese medicine principles.
Today, Sunrider operates in nearly 50 countries, with a presence across Asia, Europe, and the Americas.
The company remains 100% family-owned, with all five Chen children in executive roles a rarity in the direct selling industry. The award-winning compliance videos further reinforce this family identity.
By involving the founders’ grandchildren, Sunrider connects multiple generations showing compliance as a family legacy, not just a legal requirement.
Research by Krappe et al. (2011) highlights how family business branding strengthens trust and emotional engagement. This is evident in Sunrider’s approach.
Because the videos are unscripted and kid-led, they cut across cultural and linguistic barriers, resonating with audiences worldwide.
Sunrider’s win places compliance at the center of direct selling innovation, encouraging other companies to rethink how they approach regulatory training.
Instead of positioning compliance as punishment, Sunrider frames it as education, empowerment, and sustainability.
By awarding Sunrider, the DSA signals a shift in priorities rewarding ethics, education, and cultural engagement alongside sales growth.
Can humor dilute the seriousness of compliance, or does it actually strengthen adoption by making concepts memorable?
Does the DSA’s recognition indicate a structural pivot in direct selling toward education, sustainability, and ethics rather than recruitment-driven growth?
Sunrider International’s 2025 DSA Excellence in Business Award is a powerful reminder that even the most technical aspects of business compliance and ethics can be transformed into engaging, human-centered storytelling.
By blending family branding, humor, and emotional resonance, Sunrider not only improved compliance adoption but also set a new benchmark for the entire direct selling industry.
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