Founded | 1993
Headquarters | Concord, NC
Top Executives:
Robert Stevanovski, Chairperson & Co-Founder
Greg Provenzano, President & Co-Founder
Products | Essential Services
Entrepreneurs are like magnets. They find each other, recognizing that same spark and vision. So, a group of entrepreneurs talking through new ideas is really nothing out of the ordinary—that is, until inspiration strikes and something entirely new is born. For the four founders of ACN, this lightning bolt moment changed everything and launched a business that shows no signs of slowing down, three decades later.
New Season, Same Values
Greg Provenzano, Robert Stevanovski, Tony Cupisz and Mike Cupisz dreamed up ACN at that fateful meeting 30 years ago. They all came to the table with significant direct sales experience, so they knew what they loved about the industry and what their previous opportunities were lacking. And, most importantly, they also knew what their dream company would stand for.
“In 30 years, our core values: integrity, commitment to giving back, Independent Business Owners and customers above all—these have stayed the same,” Greg said. “But we’ve adapted and updated our products as needed and remained open to pursue other offerings.”
“When we met in 1992, we searched for an opportunity that we could put our faith and trust in,” Robert added. In the fall of 1992, we had the crazy idea to start our own company. We decided early on to always find ways to give back and do things the right way.”
Today ACN operates with Independent Business Owners (IBOs) in 27 countries. While ACN began as a provider of long-distance telephone service, the company has evolved tremendously and now offers a range of residential and business services covering 12 categories, including mobile phone service, energy, internet, credit card processing, health care and travel.
“We started with long-distance service, yet we remained open and very flexible in our mindset to pursue other services that would create long-term residual income for our IBOs and provide real value for our customers,” Greg shared. “We knew if we created the right environment and platform, we would attract the right kind of people. People who were looking for an opportunity and wanted to do something special for themselves and their families.”
ACN’s residential services include travel, mobile, identity theft protection, gas and electricity, health care, internet, television and security and automation. Business services include gas and electricity, internet, health care, payment processing and security and automation.
Each service category is represented by a brand or several brands. For example, ACN recently introduced Impact Health Sharing, an affordable healthcare program that offers customers an alternative to health insurance. Another recent addition at ACN is Truvvi Lifestyle, a members-only subscription that offers travel benefits and discounted rates.
“Our menu of services has never been better, especially with our recent additions of Impact Health Sharing and Truvvi Lifestyle,” Greg said. “I believe that we can build billions of dollars of revenue with these two services alone. And the timing of our opportunity has never been better.”
An Unparalleled Opportunity
As the direct selling industry evolves, finding new competition outside of the industry in nearly every product category, the ACN business model stands apart from the crowd. Customers across the world use key essential services everyday—from the energy they use in their homes to the wireless and security systems that protect them and beyond. While other direct selling companies are researching new product possibilities and new ways to keep their customers engaged, ACN taps into those key services customers are using already.
“There are a lot of good opportunities in direct selling, but we don’t rely on discretionary income. Our offering is mostly services that are necessities,” Robert shared. “Our income opportunity allows for residual income on everyday name brand products and services. We don’t have to change buying habits.”
ACN is service-focused so there is no inventory for IBOs to purchases. ACN provides a personalized website, training & marketing tools, business tracking powered by the Salesforce Platform, IBO & Customer Support, ACN Perks and ACN Loyalty rewards.
All IBOs can access the company’s extensive training and support system including an opportunity for specialized leadership training with the Co-Founders. From online training to local, regional and international training events and ongoing personal development, IBOs have everything they need to grow readily accessible to them.
“We are always looking for unique and innovative ways to support and connect with our IBOs,” Greg shared. “We’re offering a hybrid approach of Zoom and live meetings; increasing the number of in-person events; and doing social media training as another tool in their toolbox to help the IBOs attract others to themselves. We remain relevant by staying in tune with our leaders and what they want and need to grow their businesses.”
When the four founders met to dream up their ideal direct selling organization, they each came with deep experience that would shape ACN for the better. They knew they wanted the IBO experience to be seamless, supported and successful—so they created a family atmosphere that is results focused and rich with rewards and recognition.
“Since the very beginning we have always put the success of our IBOs above the success of the company,” Greg said. “I believe that when you have a higher purpose with the right intentions and focus, great things will happen for the company. And that is exactly what happened at ACN. Thirty years later, and we are more relevant today than at any point in our company’s history.”
Cheers to the Next 30 Years
ACN has much to celebrate, as it enters a new decade of serving IBOs, through steadfast leadership and ongoing expansion. In the last several years, ACN has grown through the acquisition of two companies: Kynect and Team National. Both companies’ essential service offerings fit perfectly into ACN’s portfolio, creating value for existing ACN IBOs as well as those IBOs that transitioned from Kynect and Team National.
“Both are service based companies, with similar core values,” Robert shared. “So, it was an easy transition for both companies, as both have high expectations and a family environment. It’s been great to add them to the team as IBOs and in the corporate office.”
ACN’s founders, corporate team members and IBOs are eagerly looking to the next 30 years, as they continue to grow together through serving their customers’ essential needs.
“We’re excited about continuing to help others,” Greg said. “The recent addition of services like Impact Health Sharing and Truvvi Lifestyle makes us very bullish about the future.”
From the May 2023 issue of Direct Selling News magazine.
