Why I left an MLM company

A few years ago, I was a salesperson through a MLM (multi level marketing) company. A multi level marketing company is also called  pyramid selling or network marketing. I slowly started to realize that I was putting in hours upon hours and was pulling nothing out. I was selling thousands of dollars and barely making any back. 

I slowly started to realize what I had signed up for. I paid hundreds of dollars to start "my own company." I've listed a few reasons why I ultimately decided to leave the company and start my own business in the beauty industry. 

1. I was nobody

I understand how dramatic this sounds. Yes, I am somebody, but in the MLM company I was apart of, I was nobody. There was nothing I brought to the table that gave them a reason to keep me. If I left, they would keep moving, keep growing, and wouldn't ever look back. There was nothing I could do that a hundred other people couldn't. 

I was implementing marketing strategies that were working, but they were the same marketing strategies that a hand full of other girls could do. I finally decided to go make my own path in the beauty industry, and I'm so thankful I did. 

2. I had no control

Again, yes I understand how big of a drama queen I sound like, but it is true. The company started shifting their marketing into a different direction that would not work for my geographically location. Northeast Texas women did not respond well to this marketing shift because it wasn't very applicable to them. I SUFFERED. I lost new clients, I lost regular clients, and I felt like I was losing my mind. 

I also couldn't control what new products they released. I was obligated to share the new products, but if there was something I wasn't a fan of, I had no choice but to market it similar to the other products. They always say if you don't love what you sell, you won't make any sales. That is the TRUTH. I loved a select few of their products after I got to use them in the long run, but I couldn't get hooked on a few of them. This made it a struggle in my personal marketing agendas. 

3. I lost some of my values

Say whaaatttt? How could you possibly lose your values when you're trying to grow a business? Well its easy. When you buy into a company, and their beliefs and values start to shift with politics, you have to compensate or you lose money. I still held true to my values, but I didn't openly voice them to new clients because I didn't want to contradict the values of the company. It began to really conflict with my relationship with Christ, I began to develop imposter syndrome, and I was going crazy. 

This is what finally drove me away. Similarly to the lack of control I had in the company, but this time it was on a much more personal level. I did not want to sacrifice who I was to be successful in a company. It wasn't worth it. So I left, and it was the best decision I ever made! 

4. I had an even bigger investment waiting

Sounds smart right? I left one company to invest in another. Well it wasn't a company I was investing in. It was myself. I always beat myself up for taking so long to launch my business, MakGlow. If I would've started MakGlow instead of the MLM buy-in, I would be in such an amazing place in life. I am already doing so well for just the first 6 months of my business, but I can only imagine where I would be if I would've invested in myself years ago. 

There is so much potential in each and every one of us. We have to stop letting our fears and insecurities get in the way of our success. It is becoming more and more common for women to start their own side hustles/businesses these days because they are tired of what MLM companies have to offer. They are tired of having no control. They are tired of just being another face in the crowd. 

I did not make this post to discourage you from joining an MLM company!

I made this blog post to give you some food for thought. I want you to see what drove me away before you make a huge investment and commitment to a company that may not be a good fit for you. Sometimes we let the possibility of making money get in the way of reality. 

There were so many things that I didn't consider when starting with the MLM company of my choice because I let their fancy marketing, high payment numbers, and low startup fee blind me. There are a few MLM companies that I actually like and use their products on a daily basis, but I always do my research when purchasing from these companies because I don't want to support a company who doesn't support their employees. I do know that with the amount of time you put into building a MLM company, you more than likely could do something else to make yourself a LOT more money. 

In the 4 months I was with the MLM company, I made over $1000 in sales and built a small client list. The amount of collaborations I could do was limited because of the rules of the company. 

With the 6 months I've been with Makglow, I have paid off my hefty start up costs (you have to spend money to make money), built some AMAZING relationships, and have started profiting off my services. I have full control of how I run MY business, and I have the freedom to collaborate, endorse, and support whomever and whatever I please. This freedom is amazing, and I would love to guide you in your journey to finding your own.


"In five years, I knew I could build something so much bigger than what I ever could with an MLM company."