Friday Fun: MLM

[carolinacool]

I'm a little late to the party, but I just started watching LuLaRich on Amazon Prime, which tells the story of LuLaRoe. It's four episodes, and I'm about 10 minutes into the third one. The former consultants interviewed are now talking about how they were starting to realize some things weren't right.

It just made me wonder -- are there any MLM companies that are still big, or has the trend cooled way off? I feel like from 2013-2018, I couldn't scroll more than a few posts before I ran into a friend hawking something -- LuLaRoe, Thirty One, essential oils, the kids books, beauty products, weight loss, etc. I know things are still out there: to my great surprise, LaLaRoe is still in business. (Who's buying it???) I was invited to a virtual Thirty One party last year, but that was it.

Or maybe I'm getting too old for this stuff and it's still big with 20- or 30-something moms.

[gatorsmom]

I know a few moms who are still really into their MLMs. I stay away from them at all costs because every conversation drifts over to what I could buy from them or the newest product they are excited to tell me about, etc. Dh was so tired of the insanity that I think he sent one of them an email (not seriously) asking if their essential oils would cure Covid. It’s not that far off base. This friend once told a friend of ours a few years ago that the essential oils could cure her cancer.

I do still like some MLMs. I love my Pampered chef products and used to buy kids books as gifts. But I only buy those sporadically.

[scrooks]

I know a mom who sells Color Street, just for fun. I use the product so I buy from her occasionally. I feel like I have been invited to some weird MLM that sells t-shirts recently? I didn’t know what it was.

[Tenasparkl]

I still see Color Street and Doterra. The person I know that was selling Rodan & Fields seems to have moved on.

[khm]

I'm a little late to the party, but I just started watching LuLaRich on Amazon Prime, which tells the story of LuLaRoe. It's four episodes, and I'm about 10 minutes into the third one. The former consultants interviewed are now talking about how they were starting to realize some things weren't right.

It just made me wonder -- are there any MLM companies that are still big, or has the trend cooled way off? I feel like from 2013-2018, I couldn't scroll more than a few posts before I ran into a friend hawking something -- LuLaRoe, Thirty One, essential oils, the kids books, beauty products, weight loss, etc. I know things are still out there: to my great surprise, LaLaRoe is still in business. (Who's buying it???) I was invited to a virtual Thirty One party last year, but that was it.

Or maybe I'm getting too old for this stuff and it's still big with 20- or 30-something moms.

I have a few friends on Facebook who are hanging in with theirs, but they aren't as freqently posting about them at the moment.

ItWorks!, Rodan+Fields, the workout wear one..... Zyia ?, the people who own the "MyTown" Nutrition (which is a shop front for Herbalife), a couple BeachBody coaches, and at least three that NEVER say who they are with but I assume are Optavia (I got friended by some random friends of friends that I don't know very well and they all appear to be this), oh and Pomifera which is one that makes cosmetic products out of hedge apples (?).

I occasionally see someone new pop in with Herbalife posts but they don't seem to last in it. Patrons of the shop used to post constantly showing pics of their shakes and teas b/c they got a discount to do so, I don't even see that anymore. Posts in general are down for all the MLMs I know about, which I hadn't really thought about 'til now.

The LuLaRoe's are long gone and I never saw any of the LuLaRoe off-shoot companies. Nor have I seen any jewelry ones in awhile (something Owl, Paparazzi, some nicer one I can't recall, etc.) No oil sellers either! That was huge for awhile.

[mmsmom]

“The Dream” podcast Season 1 also does a great job of exposing MLM’s. You are right in that they seem to have slowed down for me too. I have a friend selling Rodan and Fields still and one friend who sells Scout & Cellar wine. I buy from both occasionally but really hate giving the companies any business.

[Liziz]

I see much less in my feed these days too, but I wonder if it's because I'm crazy fast to hide anyone once I start seeing that stuff, so maybe I've just gotten rid of it....

I still get invited to parties (usually online ones) fairly routinely for Color Street and Pampered Chef, and know someone who is deep into Beachbody. I also get invited to a lot of Usborne book parties. I've been told that Usborne is different somehow, and I do enjoy their books, but I've never taken the time to actually figure out if they are indeed different (and I don't like being invited to any parties where I'll be pressured to buy, even if the product/company is decent).

[carolinacool]

Nor have I seen any jewelry ones in awhile (something Owl, Paparazzi, some nicer one I can't recall, etc.) No oil sellers either! That was huge for awhile.

I had to look it up -- Origami Owl! Apparently it's now called "Think Goodness." I was trying to think of that one to add to my list. I had a friendly who briefly sold it, and I was actually interested in a few things, but it seemed pricey.

[California]

Color Street is still a popular mlm here. A neighbor has done pretty well with it. Not like replace-your-day-job well, but enough that she’s happy. The company benefited from the nail salon shutdowns for sure! I wonder how it’ll do in the long run.

[Kindra178]

R+F and Beautycounter are still going strong around here. The clean wine one is still pretty popular (I feel like that clean wine gives me a worse headache than normal wine). Stella and Dot has mostly died out.