Since I am a former IBO/distributor of both Quixtar and Amway I will make an extra effort to be objective. I have been a fan of network marketing concept for years. I like the idea that you can leverage your time and money by using such principles inherent in MLM such as time compounding and residual income. Here come the but.... what if these principles don't pan out no matter how hard I try. I was never a pushy type of person, and I don't like rejection, so what the hell was I doing in network marketing? Well for one I am truly an entrepreneurial spirit, even from my high school days. That is the caption under my high school yearbook photo.
So let me get to the point. I signed up for Amway during my first term in the Air Force under a good friend of mine. Quixtar pretty much became my life. I drank and ate the "business"; the filtered water and even the disgusting Shaq bars. OMG, those things tasted like wood, but they were from my "business". I have to say I loved going to quarterly conventions. Man, did you get fired up going on those road trips with your up-line, cross-lines, and down-lines. It was like being with family. People who shared your dreams and hopes for the future. You know what, now that I think back that's why I stuck it out in the "business" even though I never really made any money. Was it a cult? I would not say it was a cult, but the higher up-lines did use some brainwashing techniques even though some might not have realized it. For example, the no negative media, or staying away from dream stealers, were an isolation techniques used by numerous cults. If someone even question the viability of the business they were consider dream stealers. That sound so corny now in retrospect.
I left the Air Force and went back to the islands where I continued to run my "business" out of the spare efficiency from my mom's house. I do have to say people loved the soap and the scrub pads. LOL. After a while I lost communication with my up-line and didn't bother renewing. I quit. I guess I let the dream stealers snuff out my dream. No not really. I stopped going to the function and that main dynamic was missing. The "system" and the "tools" where no longer doing the job of keeping me motivated. Later on, I moved back to the main land and I had a little side hustle selling mixed tapes and video games and movies. I was wrestling with the idea of joining another network marketing company and I had been monitoring what Amway was doing. I heard there was a new kid in town called Quixtar, actually it was just Amway reincarnated. I had been doing some research on it and I have to say I was kind of impressed. It seems Jay and Rich had handed the reins of Alticor over to the young bloods in the family. They decided they would modernize Amway and through the internet Quixtar was born. The company was affectionately referred to as just the "Business". This was what I had been saying Amway needed to do. I hated having to place my orders through my direct distributor and getting my checks from them. I hated with a passion. Now, I was my own man. I controlled my destiny. OK, I was back and I was going to be successful. Well, if revenge is a dish best served cold, I am assuming success was best frozen. I stuck around in the "business" for years, having minimum success. I guess I blamed my lack of success on my wife's negativity. Eventually I can to see this company for what it was. An opportunity that was saturated and designed to keep the heavy hitters wealthy. I probably could have been successful in the "business" but I found out some things along the way that left a bitter taste in my mouth. Also I watched my up-line almost on the verge of bankruptcy, and how the group abandoned and talked bad about him and his wife when he stopped coming to the meetings. All the hoopla and hype gave me a bad attitude at work. I want as they chanted at all the meetings, rallies and convention to "flush that stinking job". Yes that job that paid for my products and all the other tools I needed to build my "business".
My wife still lovingly tried to convince me that I was hypnotized and that I was involved in something way too creepy. She just didn't get it. I was going to be free. I was going to be one of those people on stage talking and she would be by my side. That's if she played her part of course. I can't lie. I did have fantasies of replacing her with one of those wives that were so loyal and helpful to their husbands in the business. WOW. I remember her telling me about this glassy eye look I had when ever I talked about the "business" or any of the leaders. I would get on a rant about Bill Britt and how much of a godly man he was. Oh yes. Christianity and conservativeness was a very strong trait in any of the leaders that got on stage. I can't really remember seeing any leader on stage that openly admitted to being a democrat. These guys knew how to spin religion and politics to sell their wares. I didn't realized but I was starting to assimilate and become like everyone else in the group. Their views became my views. It wasn't instant but over time. I started dressing like them and talking like them. We were emulating success. I watch others come into the fold with their own style and carrying on. It was just a matter of time before they became assimilated also. If only I could get my wife to come to one of our rally, she would see what I saw. Not quite and I thank God.
It was after a meeting, and a late night rally, I came home. Before I left, my wife was nagging me about me being so focused on the "business" and how I was neglecting my family. She said I was to wrapped up in this thing. So.... I gave her the ultimate challenge. I dared her to find any thing negative on the on our godly leader and I would quit. Word of advice to all you men out there, don't challenge any woman unless you are certain about what you are talking about. She had opened up on the computer that "60 Minutes" piece. I seen that piece before; that didn't faze me. So you have critics. I wasn't ready for the piece "Night Line" had just done. That's not all. She had more. It was like finding out you're being cheated on and you're the last one to know. By this time my direct up-line who was one of my closest friends in the business was pretty much out of the business trying put back together his life financially. I had no choice but to face the hard facts. What I was involved if it wasn't a cult, it sure did act like a borderline one. I was involved in this business for going on 3 years and didn't have much success to show for it.
I still was not going to just quit. I decided I would build the business my way and not take advantage of people just to get ahead. I was really going to help people reach their dreams. It wasn't until I discovered a better opportunity which I won't name here did I completely sever my ties. After doing some of my own research, I read "Merchant of Deceptions" by Eric Scheibeler, Former Amway Founder's Emerald.That's when I closed the book on the "business. I shunned any MLM opportunities for over 4 years after that.
So is Quixtar a viable business opportunity and is it relevant to today's entrepreneurs? I would have to honestly say from my experiences the answer is a resounding NO. However I challenge you to be objective and be armed. Perform your due diligence. Know the five pillars of success. You will not go wrong if you have this information. You can find this information for free on my blog.
Before you join any opportunity there are some litmus test you can use to tell whether you should join or run. To find out these secrets, you can visit http://mlmsteroids.com/
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:Anthony Laurent has been involved in network marketing from the age of 19. He is also a Non-commissioned officer in the Air Force. Anthony has an extensive military and entrepreneurial background. His book, "The Low Down Dirty on Network Marketing" is due to be released as a e-book in August-September 2009. He is mentored by some of the leading trainers in online network marketing, including Mike Dillard, Tom "Big Al" Schreiter, Michael Dhouly, and Ann Sieg.
Anthony Laurent
813-380-5918
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