Direct selling isn't just an industry or a business model-it's people. Direct selling is successful today because of the people who have been able to build successful businesses from the ground up or by representing a company's product. Entrepreneurs who use a direct selling approach utilize independent salespeople to market and sell their products or services directly to the consumer. These direct selling distributors are offered a low-risk, low-cost path to micro-entrepreneurship. Framed within the context of entrepreneurship and an overview of the long-term sustainability of the direct selling business model, this book dives into three main issues associated with direct selling: compensation, ethics and compliance, and global reach. Written for practitioners, academics, members of the press, policy makers, and students, this text offers research and knowledge about the economic and social benefits of direct selling and provides detail and clarity on key issues related to direct selling as a sustainable business model. Chapter 2 offers an historical perspective on direct selling. There was a form of direct selling as early as 6,000 years ago when peddlers would travel the Silk Road to sell goods. Five main events brought about how direct selling looks today: the first company who had people go door-to-door to sell products, welcoming women as distributors, the formation of the Direct Selling Association (DSA), a new approach to compensation, and the evolution of the sales method. All five events are discussed. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on direct selling are also explored. Direct selling has long been both a go-to-market strategy and a form a gig work; many businesses and individuals have achieved success in both forms. Direct selling companies have evolved over time and will continue to do so to take advantage of future opportunities.