#Amway

[mostlysignssomeportents]

MLMs are the mirror-world version of community organizing

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2025/02/05/power-of-positive-thinking/#the-socialism-of-fools

In her unmissable 2023 book Doppelganger, Naomi Klein paints a picture of a "mirror world" of right wing and conspiratorial beliefs that are warped, false reflections of real crises:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/05/not-that-naomi/#if-the-naomi-be-klein-youre-doing-just-fine

For example, Qanon's obsession with "child trafficking" is a mirror-world version of the real crises of child poverty, child labor, border family separations and kids in cages. Anti-vax is the mirror-world version of the true story of the Sacklers and their fellow opioid barons making billions on Oxy and fent, with the collusion of corrupt FDA officials and a pliant bankruptcy court system. Xenophobic panic about "immigrants stealing jobs" is the mirror world version of the well-documented fact that big business shipped jobs to low-waged territories abroad, weakening US labor and smashing US unions. Cryptocurrency talk about "decentralization" is the mirror-world version of the decay of every industry (including tech) into a monopoly or a cartel.

Klein is at pains to point out that other political thinkers have described this phenomenon. Back in the 19th century, leftists called antisemitism "the socialism of fools." Socialism – the idea that working people are preyed upon by capital – is reflected in the warped mirror as "working people are preyed upon by international Jewish bankers."

The mirror world is a critical concept, because it shows that far right and conspiratorial beliefs are often uneasy neighbors with real, serious political movements. The swivel-eyed loons have a point, in other words:

https://locusmag.com/2023/05/commentary-cory-doctorow-the-swivel-eyed-loons-have-a-point/

Once you understand the mirror world, you start to realize that many right wing conspiracists could have been directed into productive movements, if only they'd understood that their problems were with systems, not sinister individuals (this is why Trump has ordered a purge of any federally funded research that contains the word "systemic"):

https://mamot.fr/@Lazarou@mastodon.social/113943287435897828

This also explains why the "tropes" of right wing conspiratorialism sometimes echo left wing, radical thought. I once had a (genuinely unhinged) dialog with a self-described German "progressive" who told me that criticizing the finance industry as parasitic on the real economy was "structurally antisemitic." Nonsense like this is why Klein's "mirror world" is so important: unless you understand the mirror world, you can end up believing that "progressive" just means "defending anything the right hates."

Historian Erik Baker is the author of a new book, Make Your Own Job: How the Entrepreneurial Work Ethic Exhausted America, which has some very interesting things to say about the mirror world:

https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674293601

In a recent edition of the always-excellent Know Your Enemy podcast, the hosts interviewed Baker about the book, and the conversation turned to the subject of pyramid schemes, the "multilevel marketing systems" that are woven into so many religious, right-wing movements:

https://www.dissentmagazine.org/blog/know-your-enemy-the-entrepreneurial-ethic/

MLMs have it all: prosperity gospel ("God rewards virtue with wealth"), atomization ("you are an entrepreneur and everyone in your life is your potential customer"), and rabid anti-Communism ("solidarity is a trick to make you poorer").

The rise of the far right can't be separated from the history of MLMs. The modern MLM starts with Amway, a cultlike national scam that was founded by Jay Van Andel and Richard DeVos (father-in-law of Betsy DeVos).

Rank-and-file members of the Amway cult lived in dire poverty, convinced that their financial predicament was their own fault for not faithfully following the "sure-fire" Amway method for building a business. Andrea Pitzer's gripping memoir of growing up in an Amway household offers a glimpse of the human cost of the cult:

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/01/amway-america/681479/?gift=j9r7avb6p-KY8zdjhsiSZxYkntna5M_rYEv4707Zqqs

Amway – and MLMs like it – don't just bleed out their members by convincing them to buy mountains of useless crap they're supposed to sell to their families, while enriching the people at the top of the pyramid who sell it to them. The "toxic positivity" of multi-level marketing cults forces members deep into debt to pay for seminars and retreats where they are supposed to learn how to repair the personal defects that keep them from being "successful entrepreneurs." The topline of the cult isn't just getting rich selling stuff – they're making bank by selling false hope, literally, in Hilton ballrooms and convention centers across the country, where hearing an MLM scammer berate you for being a "bad entrepreneur" costs thousands of dollars.

Amway destroyed so many lives that Richard Nixon's FTC decided to investigate it. The investigation wasn't going well for Amway, which was facing an existential crisis that they were rescued from by Nixon's resignation. You see, Nixon's successor, Gerald Ford, was the former Congressman of Amway co-founder Jay Van Andel, who was also the head of the US Chamber of Commerce, the most powerful business lobbyist in America.

At Ford's direction, the FTC exonerated Amway of all wrongdoing. But it's even worse than that: Ford's FTC actually crafted a rule that differentiated legal pyramid schemes from illegal ones, based on Amway's destructive business practices. Under this new rule, any pyramid scheme that had the same structure as Amway was presumptively legal. Every MLM operating in America today is built on the Amway model, taking advantage of the FTC's Amway rule to operate in the open, without fear of legal repercussions.

MLMs prey on the poor and desperate: women, people of color, people in dying small towns and decaying rustbelt cities. It's not just that these people are desperate – it's that they only survive through networks of mutual aid. Poor women rely on other poor women to help with child care, marginalized people rely on one another for help with home maintenance, small loans, a place to crash after an eviction, or a place to park the RV you're living out of.

In other words, people who lack monetary capital must rely on social capital for survival. That's why MLMs target these people: an MLM is a system for destructively transforming social capital into monetary capital. MLMs exhort their members to mine their social relationships for "leads" and "customers" and to use the language of social solidarity ("women helping women") to wheedle, guilt, and arm-twist people from your mutual aid network into buying things they don't need and can't afford.

But it's worse, because what MLMs really sell is MLMs. The real purpose of an MLM sales call is to convince the "customer" to become an MLM salesperson, who owes you a share of every sale they make and is incentivized to buy stock they don't need (from you) in order to make quotas. And of course, their real job is to sign up other salespeople to work under them, and so on.

An MLM isn't just a pathogen, in other words – it's a contagion. When someone in your social support network gets the MLM disease, they don't just burn all their social ties with you and the people you rely on – they convince more people in your social group to do the same.

Which brings me back to the mirror world, and Erik Baker's conversation with the Know Your Enemy podcast. Baker starts to talk about who gets big into Amway: "people who already effectively lead by the force of their charisma and personality many other people in their lives. Right? Because you're able to sell to those people, and you're able to recruit those people. What are we talking about? Well, they're effectively recruiting organizers, people who have a natural capacity for organizing and then sending them out in the world to organize on behalf of Christian capitalism."

Listening to this, I was thunderstruck: MLM recruiters are the mirror world version of union organizers. In her memoir of growing up in Amway, Andrea Pitzer talks about how her mom would approach strangers and try to lead them through a kind of structured discussion:

Everywhere we went—the mall, state parks, grocery stores—she’d ask people whether they could use a little more money each month. “I’d love to set up a time to talk to you about an exciting business opportunity.” The words should have seemed suspect. Yet people almost always gave her their number. Her confidence and professionalism were reassuring, and her enthusiasm was electric, even, at first, to me. “What would you do with $1 million?” she’d ask, spinning me around the kitchen.

This kind of person, having this kind of dialog, is exactly how union organizers work. In A Collective Bargain, Jane McAlevey's classic book on labor organizing, she describes how she would seek out the charismatic, outgoing workers in a job-site, the natural leaders, and recruit them to help bring the other workers onboard:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/23/a-collective-bargain/

Organizer training focuses on how to have a "structured organizing conversation," which McAlevey described in a 2019 Jacobin article:

“If you had a magic wand and could change three things about life in America [or her town or city or school], what would you change?” The rest of your conversation needs to be anchored to her answers to that question.

https://jacobin.com/2019/11/thanksgiving-organizing-activism-friends-family-conversation-presidential-election

The MLM conversation and the union conversation have eerily similar structures, but the former is designed to commodify and destroy solidarity, and the latter is designed to reinforce and mobilize solidarity. Seen in this light, an MLM is a mirror world union, one that converts solidarity into misery and powerlessness instead of joy and strength.

The MLM movement doesn't just make men like Rich De Vos and Jay Van Andel into billionaires. MLM bosses are heavy funders of the right, a blank check for the Heritage Foundation. Trump is the MLM president, a grifter who grew up on the gospel of Norman Vincent Peale – a key figure in MLM cult dynamics – who tells his followers that wealth is a sign of virtue. Trump boasts about all the people he's ripped off, boasting about how getting away with cheating "makes me smart":

https://pluralistic.net/2024/12/04/its-not-a-lie/#its-a-premature-truth

The corollary is that being cheated means you're stupid. Caveat emptor, the motto of the cryptocurrency industry ("not your wallet, not your coins") that spent hundreds of millions to get Trump elected.

Tech has its own mirror world. The people who used tech to find fellow weirdos and make delightful and wonderful things are mirrored by the people who used tech to find fellow weirdos and call for fascism, ethnic cleansing, and concentration camps.

In Picks and Shovels, my next novel (Feb 17), I introduce readers to a fictitious 1980s religious computer sales cult called Fidelity Computing, run by an orthodox rabbi, a Catholic priest and a Mormon rabbi:

https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250865908/picksandshovels

Fidelity is a faith scam, a pyramid scheme that is parasitic upon the bonds of faith and fellowship. Martin Hench, the hero of the story – a hard-fighting high tech forensic accountant – goes to work for a competing business, Computing Freedom, run by three Fidelity ex-employees who have left their faiths and their employers to pursue a vision of computers that is about liberation, rather than control.

The women of Computing Freedom – a queer orthodox woman who's been kicked out of her family, a Mormon woman who's renounced the LDS over its opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment, and a nun who's left her order to throw in with the Liberation Theology movement – are all charismatic, energetic, inspirational organizers.

Because of course they are – that's why they were so good at selling computers for the Reverend Sirs who sit at the top of Fidelity Computing's pyramid scheme.

Hearing Baker's interview and reading Pitzer's memoir last week made it all click together for me. Not just that MLMs destroy social bonds, but that within every person who gets sucked into an MLM, there's a community organizer who could be building the bonds that MLMs destroy.

[oldshowbiz]

The DeVos Family has been a corrupting force in American politics for several generations.

[marzipanandminutiae]

I have to thank you for something kind of strange. A coworker (who was rude and caused problems and didn't care) left our job a couple of weeks ago. I just heard what her new job is and immediately went "hey WAIT A MINUTE, why do I know that name???". Realised I read it on your blog, rediscovered it, and had a fit. It's Amway. I hope it doesn't ruin her or anyone THROUGH her. Thank you for blogging about it/your ex-roomate and making people aware of what it is so we know to stay away from it. :)

Oh your poor ex-coworker. She sounds terrible, but nobody deserves that (except maybe Jeff Bezos). Stay well clear, anon- happy I could help!

[epitome-the-burnkid-viii]

What do you think about the illuminati?

I think they're the Amway of the occult and are legends in their own minds. They do not abide by universal or natural laws and have been a pest since exploration/renaissance era. I don't know why they aren't able to see the worthless the laughing stocks that they are. Only the weak and evil roll in dark matrix circles...

[voiceofentrepreneurlife]

Amway Appoints Michael Nelson as CEO

Amway has appointed Michael Nelson as its new President and Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. He succeeds Milind Pant, who served as CEO since January 2019, as stated in the official announcement.

Nelson brings more than 30 years of experience with Amway, having held significant leadership positions in strategy, human resources, supply chain, and technology.

Nelson’s expertise in people management, business strategy, and global operations makes him an ideal fit for the CEO position.

Amway Board Co-Chair Steve Van Andel stated, “Amway is stepping into the future with energy and confidence.”

According to Van Andel, the business is well-positioned to capitalize on its strengths, build on its recent achievements, and meet the demands of the market “in a way that only we can.”

Michael is a welcome addition to the board, and Van Andel stated, “We are sure that he brings exactly what Amway needs to continue its leadership, growth, and success—both now and in the future.”

Praising Nelson’s appointment, Board Co-Chair Doug DeVos remarked that Amway is a unique business, stating, “No one understands that better than Michael.” Read More-https://voiceofentrepreneur.life/amway-names-michael-nelson-as-its-new-president-and-ceo/

[aaravkapoor1]

Understanding the Ingredients: Why Amway’s Dishwashing Liquid is Safe for You and the Environment

When it comes to dishwashing liquids, choosing a product that is both effective and safe for you and the environment is crucial. Amway’s Dish Drops Concentrated Dishwashing Liquid stands out for its thoughtful formulation and commitment to safety. Here’s why Amway’s dishwashing liquid is a great choice for both your health and the planet.

Why Choose Amway’s Dishwashing Liquid?

Effective Cleaning: Amway’s Dish Drops is designed to cut through grease and grime efficiently, providing a powerful clean with minimal effort.

Eco-Friendly Formulation: The product is formulated with environmentally friendly ingredients, reflecting Amway’s commitment to reducing its ecological footprint.

Key Ingredients and Their Benefits

Contains Natural Renewable Cleaning Agents: Amway’s dishwashing liquid contains natural renewable cleaning agents, including a unique blend of aloe vera, shiso, and alpha hydroxy acid. These ingredients not only clean effectively but also help maintain healthy-looking skin.

Biodegradable Components: Ingredients in the formula are biodegradable, meaning they break down naturally without harming aquatic life or polluting waterways.

Free from Harmful Chemicals: The dishwashing liquid is free from phosphates, dyes, and harsh chemicals that can be harmful to both human health and the environment.

Safety Features of Amway’s Dishwashing Liquid

Skin Safety: Dermatologically tested to ensure it is gentle on the skin, reducing the risk of irritation for those with sensitive skin.

Environmental Responsibility: Amway emphasizes responsible manufacturing practices, ensuring that the dishwashing liquid is safe for the environment.

Effective Concentration: The concentrated formula means you use less product per wash, which reduces packaging waste and lowers your environmental impact.

Exploring Amway’s Dishwashing Liquid

Visit the Product Page: For more information on Amway’s Dish Drops Concentrated Dishwashing Liquid, including product benefits and how to purchase, visit the Amway Dishwashing Liquid Page.

Consult with Experts: Amway distributors can provide additional information on product use and benefits, helping you make an informed choice.

Conclusion

Amway’s Dish Drops Concentrated Dishwashing Liquid combines effective cleaning power with a commitment to safety and environmental responsibility. Its thoughtful formulation ensures that it is both gentle on your skin and kind to the planet.

[mischiefisme-amess]

When a coworker/almost-boss-but-not-at-all who looks after you, cuz you’re 18 and new, tries to recruit into an MLM and you’re just like: O-O

(I WORK IN A MIDDLE SCHOOL, WHY DOES THIS OLD-AHH TEACHER HAVE A SKETCHY SIDE HUSTLE???)

[softgaycontent]

Please share everything you know about MLMs I love learning things

Thank you for asking! I’ll start with a TL:DR for everyone: Never join an MLM. Over 99% of participants LOSE money (and time! And friends!). 

A Multi-Level Marketing Company (MLM), also sometimes called Direct Selling, is essentially a barely-legal pyramid scheme. Sales reps can either make money by selling a product or by recruitment of new sales reps.

MLMs make money off of people joining the MLM, even if those sales reps never sell anything, because the sales reps have to buy the product from the company before they can re-sell it. Therefore, they focus a LOT on recruitment (pyramid scheme). 

Some famous MLMs you may have heard of:  Amway, Mary Kay, Herbalife, Avon

We can prove the 99% Lose Money number pretty easily. If you are to only learn one fact to teach others, then look up Amway (the biggest MLM)’s Income Disclosure statement, which they publish themselves, on their own website. Screencap below:

This is PRE-business expenses that sales reps pay out of pocket, and still the average annual GROSS income made by the TOP 10% of the company is LESS than minimum wage. After expenses, you can see yourself how almost everybody loses money. (The money people lose goes to the ppl at the VERY top of the company; it’s not like when a normal small business fails.)

Below the cut is a lot more info, although not close to all I have collected.

Screencap summary of Amway's Income Disclosure:

Half of the TOP 1% made less than 55K pre-expense; studies show even they generally LOST money, or made very very little after expense (the top 0.5% actually makes any money, and the 0.05% make a LOT of money)

The TOP 10% earns, on average, LESS THAN MINIMUM WAGE ($15K), with less than half of the TOP 10% making over $4.6K PRE-EXPENSES

Less than half of the TOP 50% makes more than $631 A YEAR. PRE-EXPENSE.

(Also, they cut the bottom 1/3 out entirely, so the 50% referenced is 50% OF the top 2/3. I’m actually OK with this, as long as it’s acknowledged, for better reporting. The bottom 1/3 were “inactive” and possibly not trying to participate in sales. The top 2/3 still sucks.)

I made a very sloppy visual to restate the data, in case it helps anyone:

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Another example is the Mary Kay public income disclosure [for Canada] (another very popular MLM). 

Again, pre-expense, though also pre-retail sales (more in paragraph below)

The top 0.05%(!) makes average commissions of $124K

The level below that, Independent Sales Director, only 1.7% of the company, makes less than Canadian Minimum wage in commissions

98% of the company, very clearly, makes anywhere from $0 per year, to at most an average of $206 DOLLARS A YEAR (pre-expense, pre-sale)

Mary Kay works a little differently than Amway, where once you purchase a product, MK truly does not know or care what happens to it at all. If all of these people actually sold all the products they bought, it’s possible they made supplemental income, but data shows that most LOSE money on actual sales.

Let’s focus on Mary Kay for a moment, because their structure means the ONLY money the company ever receives was given to them BY their sales reps. So they’re easy to follow.

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Why do sales reps lose money on sales?

The market is oversaturated. They have 3.5 MILLION reps trying to sell the same product* - meaning they either can’t sell, or they have to greatly discount the product

Many MLM products are more expensive than the same product elsewhere

They constantly refresh their line of products, so the inventory reps already have is now worth less and harder to sell

Sales reps must buy a minimum amount of new product each month to keep certain perks, even if they haven’t yet sold their old product (min $225, with much higher amounts sometimes necessary to keep status)

*What makes MLMs legal (thanks to lobbying, mostly) is that they HAVE a product, which sales reps buy from the company. I’m careful not to call these people employees, as they are technically independent consultants, and thus don’t receive employee benefits... like a guaranteed income, or healthcare, or anything. If you google “Mary Kay employees”, you will find data on their ACTUAL employees, who do actually make money. This is clearly not the case for their sales reps (table above). Mary Kay has about 5K ACTUAL employees, and 3.5 MILLION sales reps. 

-

So how do sales reps make ANY commissions?

If you convince people to join Mary Kay, MK will give you a cut (commission) of what they spend at the company on product

Since this is the main way to make money, reps are incentivized to recruit as much as possible

They are also incentivized to LIE about how much money they’re making, so people will stay with the company. I’ve read stories of reps renting a fancy car from time to time to convince the people below them that they’re making money

Clearly, thanks to the income disclosure, we can see that they aren't making much money on commissions, either

-

How are sales reps buying more product if they lose money being in an MLM?

Reps are encouraged to dip into their savings, with the promise of a greater payout later. If they don’t have any, they can open Mary Kay CHASE VISA card, and charge all the products they will never re-sell to it

Many people end up in heavy debt

Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t track what they’re spending vs earning until it’s far too late

-

What else do reps lose?

Time: Selling is actually a very small part of the business. A lot of time is spent FINDING people to sell to, organizing classes, restocking inventory, recruiting new members, traveling, going to conferences, and more. 

Mary Kay’s motto is, “God First, Family Second, Job Third”, to imply that this is something you can pick up part-time, but that’s simply not true

Relationships: Most people try to sell to and/or recruit their friends and family first, which can put a strain on relationships. Additionally, due to debt and/or need to borrow money to buy more products, many have damaged relationships with those close to them, including their spouses, who share the debt.

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How else does Mary Kay make money?Don’t worry, it’s not all from sales reps buying their products! (Sarcasm. Please worry.)

Website + ability to process credit cards: This is essentially an annual membership fee - to access the MK website to buy their products (to re-sell), or to take credit cards as payment, you pay an annual amount to Mary Kay

Business Cards: More petty costs

Conferences: Sales reps are greatly encouraged to pay to attend sales conferences to learn more about how to be a great salesperson. (BONUS: you will encounter many cult-like tactics here, to keep you IN the MLM)

Jackets: Congrats! You’ve been promoted and you are now permitted to wear the Red Jacket! It costs $100. If you get promoted to NSD(?), you get to wear a fancy suit that changes every year and costs $1,000 each year!

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How else does Amway make money? Bonus because they are egregious

Sales Reps replacing everything they own: Amway sells a LOT of different things. How can you sell anything if you haven’t tried it? If you really want to succeed at Amway, get rid of EVERYTHING you own that Amway also sells. Make sure everything you own is sold by Amway (people do actually follow these instructions! Cult-like tactics are used)

Training Materials: They make a lot of money off of selling training materials to their sales reps. Aren’t making money? It’s because you don’t WANT to succeed, clearly, if you aren’t buying all the training materials you can get your hands on

Haha maybe more than you've bargained for. I wrote this all at once late at night, but I'll look it over later to check for any potential errors and link more sources.

[generic-whumperz]

CW: IRL cult experience, MLM (as in “multi-level marketing,” not “men-loving man”), mentions of depression and thoughts of suicide, talk of pursuing legal action

***

Disclaimer- This is all my personal experience, and thoughts and feelings expressed here are only my own and do not reflect the organizations or all persons within the organizations.

***

I know this is a weird place to be sharing what I’m about to, but quite honestly, I don’t know where else to divulge this information other than Reddit.

Here we go-

Several years ago, I accidentally joined a cult within a cult, a subset of Amway at the time called “World Wide Dream Builders.” They have since renamed their organization “World Wide Group” because they began getting negative affiliation with their name as people began exposing them online. (Just Google “World Wide Dream Builders” if you are interested.) But make no mistake, this is the same damn company cult, run by the same people, doing the same shit, and probably using the same or similar tactics.

After moving out of state in 2018 for a myriad of reasons, but a determining number of them being my need for a clean slate, I began to slowly unpack what the fuck I was just a part of and started a long healing journey (from that and much else). A significant component to my understanding of what was really going on and how cults and MLMs operate were the podcasts “Life After MLM,” “Sounds Like A Cult,” “Sounds Like An MLM But Okay,” and “The Dream.” And, of course, Leah Remini’s series “Scientology and the Aftermath” helped me realize just how deep-rooted cults are in American culture at large. If you’ve been in one cult, you’ve kinda been in all of them. (Additionally, r/antiMLM is an excellent source for all things anti-MLM, and this Facebook group is great for ex-members of WWDB/WWG specifically.)

It took me years to make peace with myself over how I could have gotten mixed up with such blatant bullshit and fuckery. I wasn’t in for very long, but those five months where I was dedicated and “all in” (as they say) were a roller coaster, and my mental and physical health was at an all-time low. I was extremely depressed and, at a point, even suicidal, largely due to the “brainwashing” (thought-stopping clichés, love-bombing, and bait-and-switching) and being fed the narrative that “all my problems would go away if I just practiced CORE” (the cult’s acronym for how each good little IBO {another bullshit acronym short for “independent business owner”} should be living day-to-day). I was extremely volatile at the time, and instead of being told that I just needed to “lean into my upline” (my culty superiors), by my upline, they should have urged me to seek professional counseling and help. They were not therapists, psychiatrists, or counselors to any degree, yet they loved to masquerade around as such. 

I could go on and on about all this, but the point of me sharing all this is that back in 2020, I submitted a formal complaint (against either Amway or WWDB, or both; it’s been a while, so I do not remember which) to the FTC. A couple of months ago, I was finally contacted by a senior investigator regarding my submitted complaint. But at the time, I was sick and bedridden with COVID, and I still haven’t responded to them. To be honest, I don’t know what to do or say. Amway is no stranger to class-action lawsuits, and I believe WWDB changed its name because of class-action lawsuits against them.

I still have some of my official paperwork/documents and notes that I took during our “meetings,” but I don’t know if these have any teeth, as so much has changed internally now. My question is if anyone has dealt with the FTC in regards to MLMs and what their experience was. I’m afraid of doing or saying the wrong thing- I don’t know what to say- where to even start. Or is this more so the FTC trying to add me to a class action lawsuit against one or both companies?

I’m hoping to find someone who has gone through this process and can share some words of advice. Or, if you have an Amway/WWDB/WWG/BWW/etc., feel free to reach out to me or reblog this with your experience! My DM’s are always open to those seeking catharsis in this strange and unusual experience and to validate you that yes, that was happening, and yes, that shit was whack!

*A note to my fellow whumpers: I decided to share this here, on my whump blog of all places, because I feel like there is an overlap of connoisseurs of whump and people who have been through some strange experiences. And because this is the first time I’ve felt safe enough in a space to do so. Know that you are not alone! I shared this in hopes of it reaching and helping someone-anyone. Even if one person gets something from this, that’s more than enough for me. Again, my DM’s and asks are open to fellow culties!

P.S. If you are an Amway/WWG/general MLM sympathizer who feels the unnecessary need to DM me or send me an anonymous ask, don’t. Practice self-restraint. I don’t care to hear whatever string of words you feel so compelled to share, insisting that I’m “wrong,” a “loser,” or a “failure,” and that “the system works” because your upline Crown Diamond, Double-Eagle Ruby, Emerald, or your brother, sister, mom, dad, cousin, or whoever else told you so or claims to be a living testament of- it doesn’t and I’m most certainly not. Even if you do know “someone at the top,” it is at the expense of hundreds, if not thousands, of people beneath them, funneling money back up through WWG tool kit systems and dubious “recruitment bonuses.” I won’t read whatever hogwash you send; it will be promptly deleted, and I will block you.

[loverockawaitsyou]

Random, but I met a nice girl at a shopping area in U-District, and I thought I made a new friend. I met with her a couple times, and she even gave me a job lead... Turns out she is in Amway and has been trying to recruit me into her downline.

Ugh. I wish I was more blunt and not such a nice person sometimes. She knows I just moved here in July and got out of an abusive situation.

But with these Amway people, no matter your circumstance, you get gaslit if you turn down the opportunity... "Do you not want to make money?"

I literally just got out of something culty.

EDIT.

Wait... She lives in West Seattle and was in a random shopping center in U-District (and she's not a student)! I just realized she was there to recruit because that's a hot spot for young, financially strapped, vulnerable people... Jesus.

[theeducationmag]

The term network marketing is also called pyramid selling, Multi-level marketing (MLM) and referral marketing in India. These terms often confusion individuals who are unknown to this field of Network Marketing Companies.

[zoomar]

Here's your sample case; there's your territory; get the orders.

[jadeseadragon]

"... my mother called one day to chat, “Going crazy isn’t like being hit by a car,” she said in the middle of our conversation. “People make a small but conscious decision to give up. At some point, it’s easier than living in reality.”"

[hlas-slobody]

Upozornenie: Žiadam vás o maximálne zverejnenie, aby sme chránili práva ľudí!

Stále som v šoku! V Rusku práve teraz vtrhávajú k nevinným ľuďom - dobrovoľníkom ALLATRA o 4. ráno s automatmi, začínajú trestné stíhania za nič.

Situácia je veľmi vážna a žiadam vás o maximálne zverejnenie, aby sme chránili práva ľudí a odhalili tých, ktorí za tým stoja.

(desember 2024) Pred dvoma dňami v Rusku vtrhli k 11 ľuďom s automatmi a odviedli ich na takzvané „rozprávanie“. Povedali ľuďom, že chcú získať ich svedectvá. V skutočnosti takmer všetkých prepustili s trestnými stíhaniami a zákazmi vycestovania... Ako sa to volá?

A niektorých ani neprepustili. Niektorých nechali vo väzbe.

Dokonca ani advokátovi nebolo jasné, prečo bola v tomto prípade potrebná taká prísna opatrenie.

Jedného muža brutálne zbili. Ženu - matku samoživiteľku zastrašovali, že už nikdy neuvidí svoje deti.

Fyzicky a psychicky sa snažili ľudí potlačiť.

Tieto postihnuté osoby sú mierumilovní dobrovoľníci ALLATRA, ktorí sa zaoberajú výlučne vedeckými problémami klímy... Organizácia ALLATRA bola vždy mimo politiky a mimo náboženstva.

Už je známe, komu sa nepáči organizácia ALLATRA. RACIRS je ruská antikultová proruská organizácia, ktorá pôsobí s požehnaním ruskej pravoslávnej cirkvi a pácha očividnú genocídu nielen v Rusku, ale aj v Európe: v Česku a na Slovensku.

Genocída RATSIRS sa dnes šíri nielen na ALLATRA, ale aj na Jehovových svedkov, scientológov, krišnaistov, ľudí, ktorí sa venujú joge, AMWAY, Zepter, Oriflame a ďalšie...

Upozornenie: Žiadam vás o maximálne zverejnenie, aby sme chránili práva ľudí!

Čo sa týka koordinovaných prenasledovaní RATSIRS na ALLATRA, najprv účastníkov ALLATRA vtiahli do náboženskej sféry a označili ich ako „sektu“, aby účastníkov ALLATRA vôbec nepovažovali za ľudí.

Teraz, využívajúc geopolitickú nestabilitu, agenti RATSIRS vtiahnu mierumilovných dobrovoľníkov ALLATRA aj do politickej sféry a snažia sa ich označiť ako „hybridnú vojnu“.

Upozornenie: Žiadam vás o maximálne zverejnenie, aby sme chránili práva ľudí!

Čo to robíte? Sú to jednoduchí ľudia, úprimní vlastenci svojej krajiny, nie teroristi a nie zločinci. Obraciam sa na orgány činné v trestnom konaní: viem, že tieto prenasledovania sa nekonajú z vašej iniciatívy, ale vykonávajú sa vašimi rukami. Dobre viete, že otvárate prípady proti nevinným ľuďom a ničíte ľudské životy.

Naozaj vás nezaujíma, kto dáva tieto rozkazy zhora, aby ste ich plnili?

Prečo nie sú na RATSIRS - tých, ktorí provokujú a organizujú koordinované prenasledovanie mierumilovných ľudí, začaté trestné stíhania, ale na dobrovoľníkov ALLATRA, ktorí sa zaoberajú výlučne vedeckým výskumom klímy, sú začaté trestné stíhania? Kde je demokracia? Kde je sloboda v našej spoločnosti?

Upozornenie: Žiadam vás o maximálne zverejnenie, aby sme chránili práva ľudí!

Obraciam sa na ozbrojené a bezpečnostné štruktúry: Naozaj si myslíte, že vaše činy posilňujú krajinu? Naozaj nevidíte škodu, ktorú spôsobujete krajine vlastnými rukami, trestajúc nevinných ľudí?

Upozornenie: Žiadam vás o maximálne zverejnenie, aby sme chránili práva ľudí!

Keď v noci bez súdu a vyšetrovania pred pár dňami bili dobrovoľníkov ALLATRA, nezákonne ich poslali do väzby a začali trestné stíhania. Nezákonne ich odviedli a prinútili podpísať protokol proti sebe!

Žena-dobrovoľníčka ALLATRA povedala príslušníkom bezpečnostných zložiek, že nesprávne zapísali jej výpovede, nemala to na mysli, všetko napísali podľa seba. A oni povedali, podpíš, alebo neuvidíš svoje deti, tvoje deti pošlú do domova...

Ešte raz žiadam všetkých, ktorí čítajú tento článok, priatelia, nezostávajte ľahostajní, zverejnite tento príbeh čo najviac. Sú to živí ľudia a skutočný osud, veľmi potrebujú pomoc. Každý sa môže ocitnúť v takejto situácii...

Nedovoľte genocídu mierumilovných ľudí...

[voiceoffreedom24]

ATTENTION: I am asking for maximum publicity to protect people's rights!

I am still in shock! In Russia, right now, innocent people—ALLATRA volunteers—are being raided at 4 a.m. with automatic weapons, and criminal cases are being initiated against them for no reason.

The situation is very serious, and I am asking for maximum publicity to protect people's rights and expose those responsible.

Two days ago in Russia, armed men broke into the homes of 11 people and took them for so-called "conversations." (desember 2024) They told these people they wanted their witness statements. In fact, they released almost everyone with criminal charges and travel restrictions… What is this called?

Some were not released. Some were left in pre-trial detention.

Even the lawyer couldn’t understand why such a strict preventive measure was necessary in this case.

One man was brutally beaten. A single mother was threatened that she would never see her children again.

They aimed to physically and psychologically crush people.

These affected individuals are peaceful ALLATRA volunteers who are exclusively involved in scientific climate issues... The ALLATRA organization has always been non-political and non-religious.

It is already known who dislikes the ALLATRA organization. RACIRS is a Russian anticult pro-religious organization, acting with the blessing of the Russian Orthodox Church, committing blatant genocide not only in Russia but already in Europe: the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

RACIRS' genocide today targets not only ALLATRA but also Jehovah's Witnesses, Scientologists, Hare Krishnas, people practicing yoga, AMWAY, Zepter, Oriflame, and so on...

ATTENTION: I am asking for maximum publicity to protect people's rights!

As for the coordinated RACIRS persecution of ALLATRA, first, ALLATRA participants were dragged into the religious field and labeled as a "sect" so that ALLATRA participants would not be perceived as human at all.

Now, taking advantage of geopolitical instability, RACIRS agents are dragging peaceful ALLATRA volunteers into the political field and trying to label them as "hybrid warfare."

ATTENTION: I am asking for maximum publicity to protect people's rights!

What are you doing? These are ordinary people, sincere patriots of their country, not terrorists or villains. I appeal to law enforcement agencies: I know that these persecutions are not initiated by you, but they are carried out by your hands. You perfectly understand that you are initiating cases against innocent people and ruining their lives.

Aren’t you interested in who is giving these orders from above for you to execute?

Why are there no criminal cases against RACIRS—those who provoke and organize coordinated harassment of peaceful people—but criminal cases are initiated against ALLATRA volunteers, who are merely studying the climate scientifically? Where is democracy? Where is freedom in our society?

ATTENTION: I am asking for maximum publicity to protect people's rights!

I appeal to the security and law enforcement agencies: Do you really think your actions strengthen the country? Do you not see the harm you are causing the country with your own hands, punishing innocent people?

ATTENTION: I am asking for maximum publicity to protect people's rights!

When a couple of days ago, without trial or investigation, ALLATRA volunteers were beaten at night, illegally sent to pre-trial detention, and criminal cases were initiated. They were illegally detained and forced to sign protocols AGAINST themselves!

An ALLATRA woman volunteer told the authorities that they recorded her testimony incorrectly, that she didn't mean what they wrote down, they wrote everything in their own way. And they said, sign it, or you won’t see your children, your children will be sent to an orphanage...

Once again, I ask everyone who reads this article, guys, do not remain indifferent, give this story maximum publicity. These are living people with real fates, they desperately need help. Anyone can find themselves in such a situation...

Do not allow the genocide of peaceful people...

[edisonpar4da]

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