It feels like a lot has happened since the last time I wrote here. From quarantine, to protest, to spikes and an unclear back to school, there is a lot to talk about. But today, I am refocusing on myself, my financial situation, and ways to improve it. At the present moment, I am a consultant in an MLM. But as of this year, I have been trying slowly to disconnect from the company. My experience is exclusively my own, and although many people have had success in this business field, I have either broken even or experience losses due to it. So as the article goes, why am I slowly leaving my MLM?

1. Loss of self.

It is funny how, ever since I heard of making money online, I have been curious as to how to do it. I have been ripped off by a stock-betting app at one time, which made me lose $500 (or gain $500 in debt, however you look at it). So, I was in a specific circumstance in which, I wanted to make extra money, but I was too tied to personal responsibilities with my kids. So an extra job was out of the question. I was invited to a party by a therapist, in which I ordered product, basically to help her out. The product was useful, colorful, and pretty, and it cost me in or about $100 dollars. I know, a beautiful waste of cash.

I remember I was in a VIP group, and later joined in June. I was excited, since I had many people complement my new accessories, saying that they were pretty and such. So I added people to my own VIP group which I thought would be interested. And, although I had my own party, I didn’t get many rewards. My up-line just told me to keep going, so I did. I had a trip around a few weeks after I joined, so I used most of the product that I had ordered, or won in raffles and such. I took pictures about how I would use them for my trip, in the hopes of getting a profit. But, even if I did make a commission, hours in uploading photos, downloading products and promoting ended me with less than I expected. The sad part was, looking back, I had more pictures of product, than of my family.

Now, not everything is negative, because thanks to that up-line, I got help regarding my mental health, but that is a issue for another day.

2. Loss of money (or gain in debt).

By the time I started in the MLM, I did have debt, so I can’t say that I was totally debt-free, or the MLM was solely responsible for gaining more debt. But I can say that I felt sensitive about asking people for their personal information (like credit cards), so I just opted to use mine. HUGE MISTAKE!!!! I knew that my clients, and my clients were mostly, either bad credit, or no credit or cash types of people. And in my specific company, everything was purchased with credit. I’ve had people owing me for purchases, which, although I can ask and they would pay me back, I find it more daunting and annoying than anything else.

I found myself having sales which I forced myself to finish a sale, submit a party and get the rewards with my own purchases in order to be “on the board” or to meet the company mark for the quarter. This made ends of months, more stressful than normal.

3. Purchasing products for show, and never sell.

You are not obligated by any means to purchase products to show, but when your products are no longer in trend, its harder to reach the sale without the newest model on hand. So I knew to buy products in a flash sale by the company, in order to show them on my page and later sell or use as raffle prizes and such. Many people have success in this, but unfortunately, not myself. So I have ended with product that to this day, am posting to sell at a discounted price, with no luck.

4. I am not a social butterfly.

This is basically linked with the first point. I am good with talking to people, and socializing, but pushing a product (even if it was useful for their specific circumstance) or worse, convincing someone to team with me, was an ordeal in itself. I felt like I was preaching something that I had limited success with, and although I had a few girls that were interested in joining, it never materialized in anything. And I acknowledge that it isn’t their fault for not joining, or was it their obligation to do so. So I just stopped trying altogether, because I am not the best example of having success in the field.

5. In conclusion, broken promises.

Who wouldn’t join a “side hustle” that can give you extra bank? This was the main reason I joined. But when gaining extra bank requires to constantly post direct/indirect products, games and posts to stimulate engagement, while trying to recruit other people, well, lets say that it slowly got less enthusiastic. I can’t continue to invest in something that doesn’t work for me. And when you can clearly see your anniversary date come and go without even a private and personal “Happy anniversary! Thank you for being part of the team”, while other high sellers get the upmost praise (basically because they deserve it as well), you just lose most of your motivation to continue. You feel that you are a number, and that you don’t belong. And honestly, I don’t need an extra set of groups to show me that I am an outsider. Life has showed that many other times, and I am tired of sensing that feeling.

So, will I just cut it off completely? Maybe not. I mean, I love what they have to offer on occasions. But I am refocusing myself in my family, improving myself emotionally, and self healing from the negative feedback I had let myself absorb through most of my life. Sometimes, certain experiences make you realize how vulnerable you are to the world, and make you grow and mature towards being a better version of myself. I don’t regret being part of an MLM. And I praise the many women that have had the greatest success in their field. But, right now, I have to be selfish towards myself. Fill my cup. Redirect my focus towards what truly matters.

May all of you have an excellent day! Stay safe!