Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Momentum Factor is the leading digital risk management firm specializing in online compliance monitoring and global online reputation management services and technologies. Our offerings—including FieldWatch™—are built with direct sellers in mind. Our passion and mission are to protect direct selling companies from the brand and regulatory risks associated with online and social media technologies.
And why the name Momentum Factor? Momentum is key for any business to succeed. In order to maintain it, you need to avoid risk. Momentum Factor protects you from risk in order to keep momentum on your side.
Can you share your “elevator speech” or what sets you apart?
Our tagline really sums it up well for us—Momentum Factor protects with passion. This is why our firm has revolutionized the direct selling industry’s approach to compliance—to improve the efficacy of risk management by using a compliance model with no gaps for violations to fall through. With decades of direct selling industry experience, both in the field and from the corporate level, our offerings are built specifically for direct selling companies. With that focus, our team provides quality customer service in order to meet the needs, demands and challenges of direct sellers as they continue to evolve. The bottom line for us is to make our clients happy and successful. And to do that, we provide the best ways to protect direct sellers throughout the entire compliance lifecycle.
What would people be surprised to learn about your company or culture?
Our company values are not just a list of statements to make us look good, they are something our entire team embodies and lives by each and every day. And here they are:
We care about each other. We care about our business. We work and hire smart. We have can-do attitudes. We have fun.
Jonathan Gilliam, our founder and CEO, sums it up best… “In my opinion, values are more than simple statements like ‘we have integrity’ or ‘we put our clients first.’ Our values represent powerful ideas about who we are as a firm and how we make decisions under uncertainty or duress, and importantly, what we could give up if we had to make a choice.”
What are the biggest surprises/changes you’ve seen in the past five years?
Over the last five years, a lot has changed for direct sellers and other businesses alike. The rapid expansion and adoption of technology, including social media, for sales and operations is probably the biggest. A company’s online presence and use of new technologies to connect with both consumers and employees can no longer be an afterthought—it is now the difference between success and failure. While the pandemic hastened their pace, these changes were on the horizon and have changed business dynamics significantly. Additionally, there are challenges and major risks that come hand in hand with all of this rapid change. Businesses have to adapt and become proactive to not only protect everything they have built, but also position themselves for success.
What percentage of your clients are direct selling companies? How do their needs differ from other channels?
One hundred percent of Momentum Factor’s clients are direct sellers. All of our services are specifically tailored to this amazing industry, and the majority of our staff has years of direct sales experience. In fact, our founder and CEO, Jonathan Gilliam, originally started his career working for a direct sales company. He knows first-hand how special the products and opportunities presented by direct sellers are to not only the overall economy, but most importantly to the lives of field representatives. Still, unlike other business sectors, the channel faces ever-increasing scrutiny from regulators, consumer advocates and industry foes. Direct sellers also have to battle major reputational challenges from bad actors, who do not represent the true vales of the overall industry. The obstacles to success are many for direct sellers, but for far too many people, the channel is too important to allow it to fail.
What product or service are you most proud of?
For us, that would have to be FieldWatch™. It’s the world’s No. 1 brand protection and compliance monitoring solution for a reason—its level of protection to direct sellers is unmatched, and it is widely used by some of the finest direct sales companies around the globe. Our team is also continually adding features and updating the platform to not only improve performance, but meet client needs and evolve to the changing technological as well as regulatory landscape. Additionally, it sets up our entire suite of solutions to address all phases of the compliance lifecycle, preventing risks before they happen, combating them when they occur and safeguarding against them into the future.
Please describe your company culture regarding training, personal growth, advancement, flexible scheduling, etc.
Our firm values each of our employees and their contributions to both the business and the company culture. It’s extremely important to our leadership that we have the right people in the right positions to build a truly effective team that enjoys working together. To that end, we have a well-established onboarding/management system in place to benefit each employee and encourage both initiative and innovation at all levels. We also foster an environment that encourages teambuilding and continual learning through certifications, events and professional development courses. Additionally, all of our employees’ ongoing efforts are rewarded with regular career advancement and distinction whenever possible. We also offer numerous employee benefits, including a flexible hybrid work schedule, to promote a healthy work-life balance.
How has your company culture evolved over the last five years?
Momentum Factor has always understood that the firm’s success resides with our employees. With that being said, our culture has remained pretty consistent since the company was established over 10 years ago. We are a firm that not only believes in each employee, but also cares about each team member’s overall well-being. Momentum Factor is focused on not only having people with the right skill sets in the right positions, but having the right mix of people. In the last five years, we have had to reduce some in-person events and community service efforts due to the pandemic, but have found other creative outlets for teambuilding and giving back. We have also instituted a flexible hybrid work schedule to promote a healthy work-life balance while finding ways to connect both personally and professionally as a team.
Please tell us about any philanthropy your company is involved in.
While the firm helped clear $1.8 million in medical debt for Austinites in need via a national charitable debt relief organization in 2020, Momentum Factor has also had a close relationship with Casita Linda for a number of years. A not-for-profit organization based out of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, Casita Linda, meaning “pretty little home,” has helped more than 100 families since its inception in 2001. The mission of the organization is to create a dignified, safe and empowering environment that provides a foundation of hope for families living in extreme poverty. Working with Casita Linda, Momentum Factor has helped build four homes for families in need and sponsored two community service trips where team members aided in the actual building of these homes in Mexico.