Posted by Coalition: Linda concludes her experience with MLM, in this final part. Catch up with Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 here, if you haven’t already.
Linda: The only good to come out of this situation is the lesson I have learned. I left a job which made me unhappy and I also have my website, which I changed from being a Company X product promotion site to my own personal blog, and I also post about skincare products I love to use and review.
As posted in my previous blog, I went away to Barcelona on my own, for the very first time, which was a real experience and it taught me a lot about myself. My trust issues are a little low … however I guess someday I will be able to let my guard down a little. Yes, I feel foolish, used, and betrayed and I am mostly angry at myself for falling for it. I keep telling myself that Danni is in the same situation — sadly she has been promoting and recruiting for Company X for over four years now and, in my opinion, is just too brainwashed now to ever leave. However, despite everything that has happened, I do genuinely wish her all the best. If she does succeed, then good luck to her. I hope she doesn’t financially break too many people below her while she climbs up the ladder. I have also since learned that other girls have stopped promoting for Company X, no doubt realising too, just what a con it is.
I think most of the girls cling onto the hope of becoming the next big thing — the same (always the same) girls they see paraded in front of them at the Success Summits or perhaps if they stop, they think they are quitting on their dream.
They fall in so deep and invest some much, not just time or money, that they feel that perhaps they can’t back away, which is actually quite tragic.
If I were to start my own business, then it will be off of my own back. Where I will earn 100% of the profits not just a small commission. I mean seriously, if you purchase stock from a company and you are only earning a commission, this does not make you a business owner. Nor does it make up a business owner when you have absolutely no say in how the business that you buy the products from runs its business. You are totally beholden to them. You are simply a sales rep, there if nothing wrong in this, however that is what you are. You recruit, you sell and you promote for Company X — that’s it. Company X cleverly gets around not actually paying you properly by presenting this as you being your own boss, which I guess is more appealing. And another thing, just because you recruit some poor soul in another country — this does not make you a “Global Business Owner”.
I am not a quitter. I didn’t quit on myself. I trusted my gut instinct. I realised that something wasn’t suited to me and wasn’t making me happy therefore I stopped. I don’t think I have given up on my dream at all. If anything, I am actually pursuing mine. I am content with being back to myself again, not a Company X Clone. I have deleted every post linked to the MLM company and the whole “positive, don’t be a quitter mindset” waffle. Please don’t misunderstand me, positivity is great … but in MLM, it’s jammed down your throat which just becomes too forced. I like that I can talk to people now without looking at them as my next customer or recruit. I feel free from all the pinging messages from the never-ending groups I had to be part of. Free of the constant social media posts and training. I am in the process of looking for a job, something that will make me happy. Despite what the MLM reps say, there is absolutely nothing wrong with earning an honest living working for someone else or not being your own boss. My life is finally my own again and I am truly happy.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. Again, I wasn’t sure I was making the right decision in posting this, however I feel that more people need to speak up about their individual experiences. People shouldn’t feel bullied or afraid. If you are thinking of joining an MLM and would like to message me personally for more information about my own personal experience, please feel free do to so.
Cover photo by Dawid Zawiła on Unsplash
Such an important account of what is going on in this industry. Thank you!
I am having such a difficult time trying to manage my responsibility in seeing a friend dive deeper into this dark hole. I want to believe that taking the step back and just saying I’m waiting for you when you come out is not a luxury I have. Because I won’t be here, because having them in this hole is incredibly painful.
In some ways I see a lot of parallels between this business and drug dealing – but where you are led to believe that your drug dealing is helping society and giving people more opportunities. You bring on more dealers who also lose that connection with their family. This drug forces you into the idea of happiness being around you, and the bad decisions you are making in your life are actually good decisions for you right now. You give tastes of your product to others and market a lifestyle that is desirable to others. Your dealer gets you to go deeper into the business, because they gain from you stepping further outside your comfort zone. You feel you are growing as you expand new networks and have a larger following on social media than ever before, and always have words of encouragement.
But there are days you wake up feeling empty. You need that fix. That taste of your old life. When you reach out to get it though, it’s not there. So you shuffle back to this new existence. Angry that other people have disappointed you. This pushes you closer to your team of dealers that promise you more for your dream.
The products in MLMs do not cause the harms that drugs do, but the business models do. And they make it worse each team a new member joins because they are going to have to spread the pain to at least twice as many more people.
I struggle every day trying to find a way to improve conditions in this business. I’m hopeful if enough people work on this question we can make this industry better for those who have fallen victim to it. I don’t want my friend to leave, but at the very least, I want them to be invited people into a real opportunity, but in the current version of these companies, it’s just a scam that steals their precious time from them.
I was just about to sign up to a popular MLM and my gut instinct told me just Google the company to make sure I know what I’m getting into and I stumbled upon this experience and I’m so glad I dodged this bullet. Thank you so much
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