I don’t know which Arbonne representative needs to hear this, but you’re not a #GirlBoss… You’re in a pyramid scheme. I’ll give you a few moments to let that sink in.
Now that everyone’s present, let’s dive into what constitutes a pyramid scheme, how to spot them, and why I hate them enough to blog about it. Shall we?
In a pyramid scheme, unsuspecting participants buy into a business with every expectation that their investment will generate a sizable return. Once they’ve paid their dues, they are to sell the company’s products to anyone (and everyone) in their natural market, that is, their family, their friends, and people they used to know but now avoid at their hometown Walmart. It’s not long before they Realize that they won’t sell enough products to recover their investment, much less afford the large and lavish life they were promised upon acceptance. Desperate for even so much as a lick of income, existing participants viciously recruit additional people into the venture. Then, a portion of the second-generation investments is used to compensate first-generation investors, and so on. Such operations almost entirely rely on continuous recruitment, using too-good-to-be-true products to distract from their pyramidal structure. As is the case with men, if it’s too good to be true, it probably is.
A pyramid scheme is incomplete without the psychology behind its recruitment practices. Such endeavors exploit young, entrepreneurial spirits; fresh graduates with next to no experience; or simply put, anyone in search of a greater purpose. Do not fall prey to recruiters who advertise a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with uncapped earning potential. No matter how enticing it is to be your own boss, set your own hours, and build your own client base, I beg of you… do not drink the kool-aid. Be (reasonably) suspicious of any role that equips you with premeditated phoning language and recruitment scripts and especially so of operations in multi-level marketing (MLM), network marketing, etc. I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again for the nursing majors. No matter how loud you speak it into existence, you will not make $250K selling anti-aging body oil.
Some pyramid schemes are difficult to detect, but all of them are doomed to fail. Unless you regularly swipe right on guys who pose with fish, you deserve to find purpose. I’m not particularly religious, which makes my closing statement that much more profound… I pray you find the courage to leave your local pyramid scheme and go on to pursue a legitimate, meaningful, and salaried career, so help me Elon Musk.
Unsolicited Takes 