Do all MLMs deserve the bad reputation they are constantly associated with? Not long ago I would have said yes, but over the past year my views on them have drastically changed. Today I’m going to be talking all about MLMs, the good, the bad, and giving you all the juicy details.

Performing a quick internet search of MLMs reveals terms such as “scam”, “pyramid scheme”‘, and “fraud” to describe businesses that operate using this particular marketing strategy. We’ve all received those messages on social media from people we used to know, or complete strangers attempting to sell some miracle product that’ll help us lose 10 pounds in a week. One of the most common reasons people hate them is because they were dissatisfied by a particular company product/services or didn’t make any money when they distributed.

The truth is not all multi-level marketing companies operate under illegal or deceptive means. Good MLMs do exist though it can take quite a bit of deep investigation to separate the good from the bad. But first let’s get into the typical bad MLM we’ve all heard of.

LISTEN INSTEAD — MLMs: The Good & The Bad (or hop over to iTunes right here to listen)

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Why MLM’s are typically seen as “bad”

Here’s what you’ll hear as the reasons MLM’s are bad:

“MLM’s are often referred to as a “pyramid scheme of exploiting other”
- My thoughts: Not all MLMs fall into this. But here’s a funny video just for some laughs on this exact claim
“They’re just in it for the quick money”
- Actually.. most multi-level marketing companies aren’t quick money at all. And anyone who has done one can probably attest to that. It’s hard work, it’s a lot of up front grinding before you see the pay off. Which if why you truly have to believe in the product to be successful in my opinion.
- And just from an “influencer” standpoint. If I were in it for the quick money, I’d be taking the 99% of partnerships I turn down weekly, just for the money they offer. But I’m all about staying true to me. So I turn down thousands of dollars monthly in partnerships that don’t align, I don’t genuinely use, or I wouldn’t buy had I not been given it for free. That’s just me. You see a lot of influencer promoting new things everyday. That’s most likely the people loving “the quick money”, if I’m being honest. Instead of multiple different partnerships, I’ve decided to find one health and wellness company I can truly stand behind for most of my health products. One I use. One I genuinely want to recommend to others.
“They always have looney claims of what their products can do for you but lack any research or quality control to back it up”
- My thoughts: I totally agree MANY do this unfortunately, which has created a bad name for MLMs as a whole. But that’s why choosing a company if deciding to do one, that controls this and educates and empowers their leaders with the RIGHT information and promo materials, is huge. Our company specifically controls very tightly when it comes to not saying anything crazy, which I so appreciate!
“The distributors target their families, friends, strangers who are viewed as “marks” for exploitation”
- My thoughts: Again, yes this can be true of some. But it isn’t everyone’s story. For me, I have always taught my team to SERVE, not sell, and to come into every conversation from a heart of truly wanting to connect and be in relationship — and only if you see a true need of how your product can help them — then chat with them about it 🙂 But as I said, sadly I see people do this for sure. But I also see people doing this in their own businesses and other companies that aren’t MLMs.
“They grow their businesses so by obnoxiously cold messaging strangers and pushing their products on them. This comes off as icky and not truly caring about people”
- My thoughts: Yep. I probably get at least 10 cold messages a day on IG — and I’ve started calling them out. This is NOT the way to do it friends. I will never cold message someone or even cold call an old friend, just to talk about my company or even my own business. I teach my team to connect from the heart and create real relationships with people — and then only then IF a door of opportunity opens (and it may be years down the road), then talk about it. But also, if your products are good enough — they should sell themselves simple by showcasing how you’re using them daily (because you SHOULD be truly using and loving themselves if you’re promoting them)

Here’s the thing as you can see. All of these CAN be true if the MLM isn’t running business correctly, or those working as distributors are not correctly educated // not running this business opportunity the right way. But do all have to be like this? Let’s break down all of these more deeply.

The Pyramid Scheme

A common misbelief is that all MLMS are a pyramid scheme. Pyramid schemes are not only illegal but exploitative and dishonest. They target the most vulnerable of people including the desperate, and the out of work. Those who start and practice such fraud should, and increasingly are being punished for their crimes. This is not to be confused with MLMS as Multi-level marketing in itself is a legitimate business marketing strategy if utilized properly. All businesses as well as MLMs are structured in the same way, the people at the top are the ones who will make more money.

What Changed My Mind

As a business owner myself, here’s why I changed my mindset on them. I realized there was a right way to do one..most MLMs just don’t do it that way. MLMs are an effective business strategy that when utilized can benefit everyone involved.

Important things to do if joining one:

Research the MLM and its products before getting involved with them is so important to make sure you genuinely can stand behind them for life. Can you see yourself using these products 5 years from now? What about 10? Do these have products for every life season?
Ensure you’re getting all your information from cold hard facts, instead of the posts and blogs of people who hate them and just speak negatively for no real good reason.
Choose a company you truly support and believe in. One where you would purchase and use the products whether or not you’re getting paid. For example, more people simply just purchase from Young Living without being involved in the business side. It’s a red flag if a company’s sales are only from its distributors.
Make sure you always make it about real connections, not just annoying people to sign up with you/seeing people as numbers. Forming a relationship with an individual first, and then assessing if there is a potential need.

“But most people spend more then they make in an MLM”

Here’s the thing: When starting my own business I invested thousands of dollars into it. Every business will come with investments. With Young Living the starting investment is $165 which I know sounds like a lot, but with this investment you’re getting many amazing products – not just throwing $165 into the air for “investment purposes”.

We’ve also all heard that unless you’re part of the small percentage of people at the top of an MLM that you are more likely to lose money than to make money. It’s true some MNMs make you buy way too much product to sell leaving with less money than when you started. I can only speak about Young Living but I’ve never lost money or spent more than I’ve made. Instead of spending my money elsewhere I have started solely buying all of my products from Young Living.

Another thing about this claim: if you’re standing behind a company you TRULY need to use and love, then it’s not “losing money”. It’s simply ditching where you’re buying your products now, and switching to the company you now believe whole-heartedly in. That’s what I’ve done, and why I love how many products for every season of life YL has to offer. I’m never wasting money on products I don’t need, I’m simply investing in my health by using tocix free alternatives of what I used to spend money on.

Here’s the thing. Young Living is basically a one stop shop for non toxic, chemical free products ranging from skin care, hair care, baby products to cleaning products. My household and body have never been this supported. TRUTH: Oil and pills aren’t a magic pill that will cure everything, but also a truth – they definitely are a piece of the puzzle to feeling my best.

I buy oils that support my emotional well being, skin care, makeup, and cleaning supplies such as dish detergent and laundry detergent. Its spending my money I would normally be spending on this stuff but from a company I trust. I checked all of my products on the app ThinkDirty and switched the chemical/toxic ones over!!

What made me specifically choose YL

As a Dietitian I am constantly being asked/ recommending health products to my clients. I wanted to look for a company I could trust and feel confident in recommending, knowing exactly what was in it. While researching one company kept popping up, Young Living. With all of the unregulated supplements out there it was so important to me to find a company I truly believed in and would personally use myself. A company with products I would use whether or not I was involved with the business side through all seasons of my life. This is why I turn down 99% of the partnerships that come my way. For me it’s not about the money, but about building a relationship based on trust with my clients. I would rather stick behind one company I know that I can fully trust and feel confident recommending.

The Community

The structure of the Young Living team is lifting others up. The women on my team are so caring and they empower each other every day. The emphasis on our team is to grow in depth not width. The head leaders of young living will jump on a call with me whenever I need them and I know they’ve got my back. I inspire and coach my team to do this the right way. MLMs should be about caring and wanting to help people not selling.

We also are the fastest growing team because of this, and I am so thankful for the leadership and community this team has brought into my life.

The Legitimacy

Young Living has a seed to seal promise. What does that mean? Everything is grown at Young Living’s farms where it is checked thoroughly from a seed until it is sealed and ready to be sold. Whereas most companies buy their ingredients from third parties so they don’t know what is in it. All of Young LIving’s products are triple test it. You can actually go to Young Living’s farm and watch the process, I have been myself and it was so much fun!! Being able to see everything first hand myself made me feel so comfortable and confident.

Are you a dreamer? If you want to learn more about joining my team from the business perspective, click here.

If you’re interested in finding out more about Young Living products in general just to try out, click here.

FUN FACTS OF YL

Not all oils are created equal. In fact, most of the oils on the market are synthetic, especially if they’re cheap.

Young Living oils are so pure, they’ve even developed their own purity standard called the Young Living therapeutic-grade standard. They’re marketed as the purest oils on the market, never synthetic or diluted, 100% “seed to seal.” The company advocates often for industry purity.

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The Founder

Founder Gary Young was in a nearly fatal accident that left him in a wheelchair. As he grew tired of medications, he began to explore alternative medicine and healing. From then on, he developed products and advocated in the field of essential oils, even before most people knew what essential oils were. I visited the headquarters this past summer, and seeing all the history and all of Dr. Young’s credentials in the health space — gave me such confidence!

They are truly a ONE STOP SHOP

From their original oils, such as lavender, orange, and peppermint, they’ve blended together an array of products from home living to nutritional supplements that include…

Home Products

Natural cleaning products
Healthy Cooking
Pet products
Family Health

Wellness Products

Multivitamins
Weight Management
Joint & Mobility Assistance
Energy & Stamina
Antioxidant Support
Age-Based Nutrition

Beauty Products

Skin Care
Makeup
Hair Care
Dental Care
Body Care

They have a product for just about anyone!!

We are GLOBAL

We’ve expanded all over! From a small Washington state farm to farms in Utah, France, the Middle East, and Ecuador, and they have offices in Australia, Europe, Canada, Japan, and Singapore. Young Living now sells in over 100 countries.

Try It Out Yourself!

Whether you just want to try out the oils for yourself, or you want to join our team to be given the tools and leadership to succeed the right way in an MLM, click here to learn the best way to do that!