Before remote work and the creator economy, women were already building flexible businesses from their kitchen tables. Juice Plus+ CEO explains why the original gig economy deserves more credit.
When people picture direct selling, they think of living room parties from the 90s. Like a relic from another era, they see women balancing catalogues on kitchen benches and equate it as a side hustle that belonged to their mothers’ generation.
I find it fascinating that many of the same people who dismiss direct selling simultaneously celebrate modern gig economy platforms as something revolutionary.
What they don’t realise is that long before Uber, Airbnb, Etsy, influencer marketing, or the creator economy existed, women were already building flexible businesses from their kitchen tables in the form of, yes, direct selling.
These women were the original gig workers, but no one is giving them any credit for it. And unlike modern side hustles driven by algorithms and viral trends, these businesses were built on the enduring qualities of trust, relationships, and community.
I know this because I was one of them. Having started my career in merchant banking, I originally joined Tupperware simply to save money on products. I could not have predicted that what began as a side hustle turned into a 40-year career that eventually led me to become CEO and co-owner of Juice Plus+ Australia and New Zealand. Throughout the years, direct selling has remained central to my career, and a legitimate formula for business success.
There is an enormous invisible economy operating quietly in households around the world, and women are driving much of it.
Economists overlook the billions generated through flexible, home-based micro-businesses because they do not fit neatly into traditional corporate success stories. Yet these side hustles have paid for school shoes, sports registration fees, groceries, electricity bills, and mortgage repayments for decades.
I call it ‘the kitchen table economy’.
For decades I have watched it empower thousands of women financially, emotionally, and socially. Although it doesn’t turn them into overnight millionaires, direct selling gives mums a little extra in savings, some breathing room, more independence.
The greatest transformations I have witnessed in direct selling were women earning an extra $500 a month that allowed their family to survive a difficult season or gave them enough financial confidence to leave an unhealthy relationship.
According to the ANZ data, women are still more likely than men to work part-time or flexibly due to unpaid caring responsibilities. At the same time, cost-of-living pressures continue to rise sharply across Australia. Families are always looking for practical ways to supplement household income without sacrificing time with their children.
Before remote work was normalised and before companies embraced flexibility, women had limited options to earn income around their caring responsibilities. This is exactly why direct selling existed in the first place.
What strikes me most about the rise of today’s gig economy is how familiar it feels. Whatever you want to call it, the core idea is exactly the same. Direct selling is the oldest form of flexible work.
Direct selling vs the gig economy
However, one important point of difference remains. In the modern gig economy drivers work alone, creators chase algorithms, and freelancers compete in oversaturated online marketplaces. Although we are supposedly more connected than ever, this version of gig work is characterised by loneliness and social isolation.
According to a 2025 report from the World Health Organisation, social isolation and loneliness are now recognised as growing public health concerns linked to poorer mental and physical health outcomes.
In contrast, direct selling is community-driven. It brings people together around shared experiences, common goals, and genuine relationships because people still trust people.
Despite the dominance of digital advertising, research from Nielsen consistently shows that word-of-mouth recommendations are among the most trusted forms of marketing globally. Personal recommendations continue to outperform polished advertising in many areas of life. Whether it is wellness, beauty, fashion, or lifestyle products, people want to hear from someone they trust.
Why women are still drawn to direct selling
There is another reason why direct selling continues to resonate strongly with women in particular. So many women enter direct selling not because they see themselves as entrepreneurs, but because they are searching for purpose, flexibility, connection, and personal growth.
Even a modest beginning in direct selling can lead them to discover leadership skills they never knew they had. Women learn communication skills, sales, mentoring, goal-setting, and resilience. As they begin to earn their own income they build confidence in their decision-making abilities.
I have seen women who once struggled to speak in a group go on to lead teams, mentor others, and completely transform how they see themselves. There is a ripple effect that extends beyond business to impact families, relationships, and communities.
Micro-entrepreneurship is one of the most accessible and powerful pathways for women because they have low barriers to entry. Many women do not have the luxury of investing huge amounts of capital into a startup business. Direct selling allows them to start small while learning skills along the way.
What modern direct selling looks like
Australians are rightfully placing greater importance on trust, transparency, and purpose when deciding which brands to support. Which is why today’s direct selling companies are highly regulated, transparent, and customer-focused.
At Direct Selling Australia, where I serve as Vice Chair and Director, there are strict codes of conduct around ethical practices, compliance, and income disclosure. The best organisations understand that long-term success depends on trust and genuine impact.
Alongside prioritising human connection, many companies are giving back their communities in a big way. At Juice Plus+ our Healthy Starts Program has delivered more than $18 million in free nutritional support to families across Australia and New Zealand over the last five years.
Technology will continue to evolve, platforms will rise and fall, algorithms will continue to change constantly but the beauty of direct selling is its human touch and the opportunities it presents to a wide swathe of women.
This is why I believe the original gig economy will have an incredibly important role to play in 2026 and beyond. Because behind every side hustle is a woman quietly changing the future of her family from her kitchen table.
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