Limited Sanity

Buckle up, Buttercup! Anti-MLM rant coming your way!

A fancy new trend I’ve been noticing is “nutrition” shops opening up all over town and within 10-15 miles of town. I bet they have in YOUR area too. A quick Google search will show you just how many. Generally the listings are complete with chalkboard photos listing their flavors or teas of the day OR fun, fruity looking drinks to lure you in and always has “nutrition” or something close to that in the name of the biz.

Now that on it’s own might not seem too concerning, but notice anything about the chalkboard photo? Below the chalkboard are jars and jars of Herbalife crap. THAT is what you are being sold. These nutrition shops are popping up all over so the “Herbalife Huns” can unload their product and try to recruit. They pay for a storefront (out of THEIR pocket), you pay for a “membership” to get X amount of drinks that are supposed to be consumed ONLY inside their shop, and eventually try to talk you into hosting a HOM – Herbalife Opportunity Meeting. The end game is to sign you up to sell because then the Hun who “owns” the nutrition shop makes money off of every sale you make and the person below you and the person below them. That’s the scheme.

Now before continuing on, I do feel I need to offer full disclosure about my “recent” take on being anti-MLM. Previously, I entertained friends with saying “Possibly, I’ll take a look at the catalog” just to get them off my back and move on. I’ve even had a Pure Romance party because I wanted a girls night in to talk dildos and lingerie. Of course I was asked to sign as a consultant at the end of the party, but that was easily avoided with a “let me think about it.” The closest I got to almost being sucked in was for ItWorks. My uncle’s wife (I refuse to call her “aunt” but that’s a story for another time) started selling this stuff and she was in DEEP. I finally let her talk me into coming over and doing a wrap on my arms to get her to back off and honestly. I believe she still sells it on the side occasionally, but the full frenzy has at least worn off.

The reason I’ve been so vocal about MLMs in the past 2 months is because kiddo’s mom has gone all in with LeVel and Thrive. Like ALL in. She was previously a Beachbody “coach” and good for her, it really seemed to work for her. She lost a ton of weight, starting working out daily, etc. And then… came Thrive at the end of January 2021. If you’re not familiar with it, basically you take 2 pills as soon as you wake up, drink a shake right after, and slap a patch on your skin. You name it, they claim to fix it or make it better. Her big claim is it’s helped her sleep better, more energy, better mood etc.

Now you may be thinking I went all in because I can’t fucking stand HCBM, and it might partly be true because hey, I’m only human, but it really goes so much more than that. Previously kiddo always talked about how obsessed with working out mom was and now all she talks about is how mom is on her phone 24/7 talking Thrive, or delivering Thrive, or hosting HOMs trying to recruit. We knew something was up because that’s when kiddo started talking to her school counselor about issues at her mom’s like being ignored, 100% responsible for her diabetic needs (she’s 8), and even the angry outbursts and occasionally slapping of the kids. Now the slapping was told to us by an 8 year old and we’ve never seen marks left behind, but knowing HCBMs temper, I wouldn’t doubt it. She rules by fear. Anyway… I decided to do a deep dive into Thrive. Remember how I said I research EVERYTHING to death? This was no different.

I researched every ingredient in each product and realized, while although “natural” sources of caffeine are included… it’s a huge amount, especially the patch being applied direct to your skin. It’s no wonder they feel the surges of energy because they’re basically doing legal cocaine. Once I found that out, I reached out to a few friends I knew that she had talked into trial packs or at least try to convince them to try.

One friend, an ex drug addict, I reached out to because I know of her addiction past and the struggles she’s overcome to be where she’s at today. I wanted to warn her about the withdrawal side effects she could experience if she suddenly stops or forgets to take the product. The other friend I reached out to was actually an ex of my brother that I’m still close with. She deals with depression, anxiety, and a multitude of other mental disorders and I know she was previously a part of the Beachbody stuff with HCBM. I let her know that if she’s considering trying it to please please please consult her doctor first. With the medications she’s on, some of the ingredients can interact or cause her meds to be less effective.

I’m not a doctor. I’ve never claimed to be or wanted to be. I believe in natural healing methods, but I also believe in modern medicine. I’m a self taught herbal remedy fan and learned along the way that while St. John’s Wort helps depression, you can’t take it if you’re already on meds because of interaction and ineffectiveness. Some of the ingredients in the patch and shake I looked into came with the same advice – consult your doctor first.

With HCBM, I feel as if I’m always on the defensive or having to explain actions that others may have been told lies about or misinformation was spread. This is no different. When I reached out to the two mutual friends, I did make sure to let them both know that it’s not because she sells the product. I would have reached out regardless of who was selling it. I reached out with concerns because I know their past and history of abuse and thought it warranted a warning not printed on the fucking label. I don’t know who she has stalking my social media profiles, but she’s obviously seen my anti-MLM posts and messaged D about how stupid I look with my posts. She’s messaged me about being a woman hater and non-woman supporter. I’m just a jealous bitter bitch apparently. 🤷🤷🤷

I want to make it very clear – I support women. I am one, for Christ’s sake. I support any and everyone who has found something they like and that works for them. I’m all about supporting local, small business. I’m not supportive of these companies who prey on bored, lonely, unhappy housewives looking for a side hustle. I DO NOT support these companies who tell their “ambassadors” to fake it til they make it and blatantly LIE about their lifestyle. Or where 99% of distributors make NO money, go in debt, max out credit cards and are told THEY are the problem if they’re not making money. And finally… I don’t support a business or product that makes their distributors alienate their friends and family, pressure into purchasing, and take precious time away from enjoying family and friends because they’re too busy shilling their fucking fake natural products. They surround you with fake, toxic positivity until your sales start to decline or you express interest in leaving. They tell you about all of this money they’re making and toys their buying and vacations they take… because that’s what THEIR upline (person who signed them up) told them to post.

Honestly.. I really think the final straw was realizing how much emphasis on appearances are in her mother’s home. She’s said she doesn’t want kiddo to end up fat like us and tells everyone how unhealthy we are and how she doesn’t want kiddo to eat all these carbs etc etc etc. She’s fucking EIGHT years old. Way too young to worry about weight. Forget about body positivity, let’s make sure she has an eating disorder by middle school. UGH.

I’m done ranting for now I think, but moral of the story is… do your research before diving in. Taking risks and chances is great – some of the best companies and adventures started as taking a risk. But are you willing to risk your relationships? Are you willing to risk the chance of never making any income? Or being stuck with thousands of dollars of products because the next great MLM is out? Or just risking your overall health? It’s not worth it to me. To each their own and if you make it, great, I really truly am happy that you’re the magical unicorn that all income disclosure statements show on the upper levels of money making.

Until Next Time…