Why join an MLM? Can you make money in an MLM? Are MLMs a scam?
I can answer all of that and more, but I want to start with question #1. Why join an MLM? Why would anyone join an MLM? I can’t answer for everyone, but I can tell you why I did. It’s simple: I wanted money. I wanted more money than I was making and I was told it could change my life. I was told anything is possible, I just have to want it bad enough and work hard until it happens. And guess what? It did!
But what I didn’t expect is all the other good stuff that came with it. I have met incredible friends and mentors, I’ve traveled all over the world. I’ve made priceless memories and friendships, and I’ve discovered myself and continue to learn and grow.
The crazy experiences in the beginning… I could honestly talk about them for hours. I’ve laughed with others about how silly our life would have looked then if shot as a documentary, because believe me, we did some crazy stuff and made some hilarious memories all in the pursuit of our dreams.
Here’s a look at my top five memories from the early years:
1. My first trade show with Amber & Nancy.
This was expensive (not only the booth fee, but the airfare, hotel, etc.) and it was time consuming, but we did it anyway because it promised massive crowds and we thought it guaranteed success. We showed up, had all our products on display. We had flyers that we passed around (we had a printing fiasco and had 2000 8×10 flyers we gave away to every single person that stopped by). We didn’t have a clue what we were doing. We couldn’t give the product away! If I recall correctly, no sales were made. We had dogs jumping on us, drooling on us. It was all laughable! We were exhausted and ended the event at a nice restaurant to celebrate our first “successful” event. We laughed the night away, bonded (we didn’t know each other well at the time) and started a beautiful journey together.
2. The Company Launch Party
This was my first experience being recognized for a job well done. The only other time I remember was in 3rd grade, where I was recognized at the reflections contest. I had been a struggling student who worked harder than everyone else (at least it felt that way) to get B’s and C’s, and would often fail so I would end up having to do make up work or extra credit to bring my grades up. I was never the top in anything. At the time of our company launch party, I had been working this business for about 3 months. Little did I know that my efforts were actually making company records. They had an awards ceremony at the launch party and I took home an award in every category. I had no idea that what I had done amounted to anything. I had a very special person pull me aside that night and told me that if I kept doing what I was doing, my life would forever look different and I could have anything I imagined. I didn’t know him at the time, but I later learned that he was in the same industry and had always been at the top, and as a result had multiple homes, traveled the world, retired early, and was living the life of his dreams. All because of his decision to do what it takes. It changed my outlook, it changed my perspective, it made me feel seen for the first time. I felt empowered and on top of the world.
3. Receiving the very first “petPro of the Year” award
This award is given out to one person only by the company, one time each year at our annual convention. I was the first to receive this honor, and am still humbled by it! I don’t think I really realized what a big deal it was at the time, but I realize it more and more now with each passing year. Again the feeling of being seen for more than just a grade on a test, or being seen as something outside my role as a wife and mom. It was empowering and left me with a new identity, as well as the kind of confidence and joy I hadn’t experienced in any other career. I share more about it here in a podcast I was recently on.
4. My first big paycheck!
For months I was making very little. My first paycheck was $33 (I still have it today as a reminder we all have to start somewhere!). That’s how it goes in the business. I recognized early on that I was investing my time for a big payout later. It got tiring at times and I had to keep my belief alive (I share more about belief here). The belief that it WOULD happen is what kept me going. Surrounding myself with people that had already created a big income was an important step in my journey. I kept thinking “if I can get to $3000 a month, that would be amazing. I’ll be happy.” Once I hit $3000 in a month, reaching that goal suddenly wasn’t enough. It quickly jumped to “if I make it to $6000 a month, I’ll be thrilled!”. Once there, you can guess what happened. It wasn’t enough. So it quickly went to $10,000, then $15,000, then $20,000… What I’m trying to say is that my first BIG monthly earning– a grand total of $1000– seems small now in comparison, but it was significant because that’s where my belief started translating into real life. Then it grew beyond that. My vision got bigger. The possibilities got bigger. That first big paycheck helped me break my own barriers, and I’m happy to say that I continue breaking them today!
5. pawFest & Legacy Events (annual conventions) – ALL of them!
I have only the best of memories from our conventions. Great friends, bonding experiences, training, education, new product launches, traveling, experiencing amazing food and team building exercises. It has been a tremendous joy! It’s definitely something I look forward to twice each year. I remember going to my first one. I didn’t have the money for it. It was quite an investment to go (paying for a babysitter for the kids, airfare, hotel, registration fees, clothes I felt I needed to buy…). I remember thinking it was a pivotal moment. I wasn’t making much money, I felt it wasn’t going anywhere and I had decided I might not continue. It was my year mark and I didn’t feel like I was where I wanted to be. The knowledge I received, the belief I gained in our company, in our products, in our home office staff… they were life changing. It sounds dramatic but it’s true. I was a sponge and soaked up every single thing that weekend, coming out of it empowered to take action and improve. And I did. I continued on, grew this business, and reached where I am today because of company-led events. If your company has them– DON’T MISS THEM! You’ll want to go. Your future business may depend on it!
All in all, I wouldn’t trade the hard stuff for anything. The experiences I’ve had as a result of sticking with this business has forever changed my life in such positive ways. It was worth the struggle. It was worth the no’s. It was worth the effort– all of it!
Don’t quit. If you want something bad enough, you can make it happen for yourself. I’m proof anything is possible. I shared here the top 5 that come to mind, but I can promise you there are at least 100 more. I feel like part two of this blog is inevitable!
