My MLM Nightmares

MLM’s

…so many peoples’ worst nightmare. It’s a scam, it’s successful, my cousins aunts grandma is selling it, you’ve heard it by now. Yet, they are still around and some people just can’t help themselves.

It’s me, I’m “themselves”. Insert audible laughter here 😂😂😂

Somewhere around 2005/2006 I started my first venture with the classic MLM, Mary Kay. I always remember thinking that Mary Kay was like the elite makeup/skin care and Avon was the knock off.

I was 19/20 years old at the time with a newborn and freshly married. I had a minimum wage sales job and my husband at the time was making really good money with a union job. I always felt like I wasn’t pulling my weight because my job didn’t bring in nearly as much.

We had separate checking accounts and a joint savings account. He paid the “big” bills (mortgage, car insurance, phones) and I paid the “little” bills (gas/electric, water, groceries). But to be honest, I was constantly robbing Peter to pay Paul. I could say more on that but it isn’t the primary focus of the story.

I decided I was going to sell Mary Kay. I was quite impressionable at the time. It didn’t take too much of a grandly painted picture to get me to sign up for anything. So I spent $600 and signed up. You got to choose what all came in your kit but since I didn’t have a clue where to start…I let my up-line choose the products for me.

Boy oh boy was it difficult not to keep so many products for myself! I struggled, HARD. I of course sold to my mom and some of my husbands family, a few co-workers and that was it. In the grand scheme of things…I lost my butt on that whole thing. I kept with it for about year (I think). I never re-cooped that money.

Fast forward 5-6 years, just enough time to forget your past mistakes, and I’ve now signed up for Avon. You know, my previous idea that they were the “lesser” of the two… 🥴😮‍💨

Avon was SO MUCH EASIER. The start up was considerably less than Mary Kay. I don’t even remember how much it was… I sold to my same crowd of people but was able to make better sales and more commission. I used all of the profit to re-invest in materials needed (bags, gifts, products to have on hand). The rest of the profit I used to buy my own stuff.

Let’s not get too creative though, when I say “profit”, I was really only making around $50-$75/MONTH… most people would say it wasn’t worth it, but as I previously mentioned, it paid for my makeup so I didn’t mind.

I had one customer that would purchase every two weeks (that was how often you had to submit orders). Her orders were anywhere between $75-$150 each time. She was the only reason I kept selling Avon.

She eventually had some family things arise and stopped buying. When she stopped buying, I stopped selling.

I swore I would NEVERRRR sell from an MLM again.

I was tempted though. Every time I went to a Pampered Chef, Tastefully Simple, Scentsy, or ThirtyOne party. I wanted to sell that stuff SO BAD. My addiction to ThirtyOne products was bad. Really bad. I resisted selling and eventually stopped buying as well. There was a period of time where I didn’t like any of their fabrics and then I kind of forgot about them.

I like to support my friends though! I have several people that host parties frequently or sell themselves. I’ll buy a few things here or there because I’ve been a host before. Getting half priced and free products are SO FUN.

So here we are again, only many years later, new house and new husband later. My Scentsy addiction has started up again. I have a warmer and plug-in warmer in most of the rooms in the house. I don’t feel bad about it though. I would rather have those than candles.

I have a tendency to do late night impulsive shopping…and then in the morning have buyers remorse 😅 I’ve gotten better over the years but the other night I slipped.

Yeah…you’ve probably guessed it by now. I JOINED SCENTSY. 🤷🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️ Oops, I did it again…

Ok, HEAR ME OUT. If you are buying enough of a product, you may as well sell it and get paid for it, right? At least that is my line of thinking and that’s what I am sticking to!

I’m hosting my first online only party. I jokingly named it: VRP’s Late Night Witching Hour.

I mean…why not 🤪

Of course, there’s still that part of me that would like to succeed in a way that makes a little extra money. I’m human, I can’t help it.

My circle of people is small though. Unless I grow some gonads and network, I will likely fail in that aspect.

So I’m having my Facebook event “party”. I’m not playing those silly games, there aren’t any funny introductions and “how do you know the host” questions, no guessing of the jelly beans in a jar… just a gal with a tiktok and some graphic design capabilities that is posting funny videos and graphics of products I like.

Ready to check out my quirky personality and newest venture? Help a gal out and treat yo’self!

Here’s the group link to join: https://fb.me/e/2ih6X5Bye

If you wanna skip the event and head straight to the store here is that link: https://vanessarpowell.scentsy.us

Be sure to check out under the party name: VRP’s late night witching

Tiktok: @vanessarpowell