Part 1: My Tumultuous Break Up with Traditional MLMs
Updated: Feb 8

You may have no idea what this is about. This blog may not be what you’re interested in, and that’s ok.
To catch you up to date, though... in case you're curious… last week, I announced that it has been almost two years since I resigned from my first business in direct sales. I am finally able to share what that journey looked like. I can answer the questions I’m constantly asked and, most importantly, address my major issue with what is traditional network marketing and MLMs.
I recently shared in my Instagram Stories that one of the threats sent to me was to “cease and desist.” On June 1, 2021 (5 months after I left my first company)... I received a packet from a law office stating that I was in “breach of contract, tortious interference with contract, and misappropriation of trade secrets.”
FYI (since I had to look it up) -- a “tortious” behavior is any behavior (other than a breach of contract) that may be sued upon as a civil wrong.
So, like, EVERYTHING.
You may be asking, “WHOA, Katie! WHAT DID YOU DO!?!?!”
I’ll tell you. And not to try and recruit you; I’m not into that.
Not to try and make you leave a company; that is wholly your decision.
Not to try and hurt anyone, there has been enough hurt in this industry and there doesn’t need to be anymore.
I am, however, on a mission.
The easy answer is that I took a hard look at my business, my income, the truth about how much work it took to earn what I was earning, and the likelihood of anyone else on my team reaching their big goals. I looked at the business, the hardships, the struggles, and the time required. I considered the future of selling the way we had to, the hustle to sign up customers for a business they didn't want. I thought about whether I felt good encouraging others to put time in to a business I was struggling in at a high level (although I was a 6 figure earner and my business was at it's peak). I realized I wasn't happy, I wasn't hopeful, and I didn't like the practices, I knew I wasn't being compensated fairly. So I left. That's what I did.
Direct sales can change lives, but it’s time the industry becomes more honest and professional. It’s time to stop taking advantage (maybe unknowingly) of women and then hashtagging #womensupportingwomen or #workfromanywhere or, even worse, #passiveincome, which couldn't be further from the truth in most cases.