business start-up

Actor Slyvester Stallone and his wife, Jennifer Flavin-Stallone, own and operate the Seriesse International Company

Starting a new multi-level marketing (MLM) company may sound like a daunting venture, but Jennifer Flavin-Stallone’s Seriesse International (www.seriesse.com) represents yet another step in building her beauty product empire. Flavin-Stallone’s husband, actor Sylvester Stallone, helps promote the brand and develop Seriesse’s nutritional products. Home Business® Magazine recently spoke with the couple about their business and what it’s like working together.

Home Business® Magazine (HBM): How can a home business entrepreneur know when it’s time to expand his or her company?

Jennifer Flavin-Stallone (JFS): When limitations get in the way. At Home Shopping Network (HSN), I couldn’t sell anything that had to do with diet or nutrition because of contracts with other vendors.

HBM: What is the key to successful marketing?

JFS: Knowing your product and being able to teach it to other people.

HBM: How does technology help you stay up-to-date with your consultants? 

JFS: We’re high-tech, high touch. Every two weeks, I go on live on the Internet to teach all the customers and consultants how to use the products. The consultants don’t have to constantly teach their customers and down-line consultants how to use them. They can e-mail me, and I can immediately respond to them. If they missed the Webcast, they can click on the video and watch it.

HBM: How do you come up with material for Webcast?

JFS: If we launch a new product, that’s a good time for us to talk about it and explain it. I also use questions we [receive] on a day-to-day basis.

HBM: How important is mentoring to you?

JFS: It’s huge. I surround myself with people who are the best in their business and with people who have been in the MLM business a long time.

HBM: What are the top mistakes entrepreneurs make when they partner with an MLM company, and how can they avoid these mistakes?

JFS: The mistakes they make are not doing enough research on the company and not getting the products home and using them. You have to love the products to recommend them to your friends and family. Not everything will sell. You want to help your friends, not just sell them something.

HBM: What’s your home office space like?

JFS: Believe it or not, it looks like everyone else’s. It’s somewhat messy and very small. I have an assistant, so I have two computers in a very small space.

HBM: How can family members’ involvement change a business and make it more successful?

JFS: My husband and I both know what we’re good at. He doesn’t know the cosmetics like I do. He works with me on the supplements. We never have any problems working together, because we both know our strengths.

HBM: How do you maintain a balance between business and home life?

JFS: When I turn off the phones at the end of the day, then it’s family time. After I put [the kids] to bed, I may check e-mail. My husband and I, we know when to stop talking about business. We try to keep normal business hours, even at home.

Sylvester Stallone (SS): The key is to not let work consume you and to make time for yourself, your spouse, and your family. Jennifer and I know how to prioritize our time, and our daughters and family are on top of that list. The thing to remember is that marriage and family comes first. My marriage to Jennifer is the most important thing to me. My career is a priority — however it is not what is at the very top.

HBM: How does working together draw you closer as a couple?

SS: We are both passionate about the products that we are putting out there for Seriesse International. We have invested a lot of time in developing this business —especially Jennifer. This is her baby! The true benefit to working with my spouse is that my business partner is someone who I can trust and depend on. We are both working towards the same goal — we want to make this thing work and we want to inspire others to have their own successful businesses.

HBM: In what ways is working together challenging?

SS: At the end of the day, Jennifer is my boss. In this relationship, I am often taking direction from her. Although a different role for me in business, it is one I welcome, and I am so proud of Jennifer.

HBM: What have you learned by working together?

SS: I have learned that a common thread for running a business or even making a relationship work is that we are successful because we have complementary skills. It works at home, and it works in business. We get to showcase different talents. Our strengths make it easier to establish different business roles. I also learn a lot by just watching Jennifer in action; she is an inspiration to me. I have the acting/directing career, and she is a true entrepreneur. She is my star. HBM