Do you know your "Why"? If you know this term, then you most likely have experienced Arbonne. This blog is meant to expose the unethical and dishonest practices of Arbonne as well as other MLM's. After all, they all covet the same marketing strategy....to scam as many people as possible before the house of cards starts tumbling down. Have no fear MLMers because the next house of cards is being quickly built to replace the one falling and you'll be back on your feet in no time. Pounding the pavement in search of your next sucker.........
I had just finished a wonderful dinner with two of my high school girlfriends. We don't get to see each other often now that we have families, jobs and lists of other responsibilities. It was great to catch up and at the end of the night we were promising to get together more often even though we knew we were just lucky to have coordinated this dinner. In the middle of our good-byes, out pops this beautiful gold bag. I was told it was a gift for me! My first thought was "did they forget my birthday this year?". Not likely; I'm the friend that forgets birthdays and shows up out of the blue with a present because it all of a sudden strikes me 3 weeks after the birthday has come and gone. So I'm listening to these two ladies whom I've known over half my life telling me that this is the gift of Arbonne, a Swiss formulated product based on botanical principles and that they wanted me to take these products home and try them and let them know what I thought in a few days.
I was a little confused and wanted to ask if they were giving me the products or if they were actually for sale, but I had a suspicion that I would deflate their excitement and maybe even offend them. Of course they were giving them to me! These are my friends; if there was something more to it then surely they would have told their old buddy, right? Oh, and they made sure I didn't forget to take the notebook of information about the business opportunity. I understood from their chatter that they were selling the products and were trying to start a team. They wanted ME to be one of the 4 on their team!
I was touched, but still, that small voice in the back of my head was questioning whether or not to ask the question of "is this a gift, or are you going to expect me to buy it if I like it?". This question plagued me on the way home. Knowing my weaknesses well, I knew that I wouldn't admit it if I didn't like the products. Complaining about a gift is unacceptable. Of course, if it wasn't a "real" gift then when I said I loved the product, I would be trapped into purchasing it. But the gold bag or "pup" as they called it was on the way home with me and gift or not, I knew it was mine.
Once home and after reading the information in the notebook it became apparent to me that this was something like Mary Kay and Pampered Chef. Having been to the endless parties where I always bought the cheapest, overpriced product offered just to be socially acceptable, I knew this wasn't for me. Feeling bad that I would be letting down my friends, I decided to go ahead and use the products, because gift or not, I felt it was the least I could do to help them out with their new business.
Two weeks later, after chatting daily with these two ladies that I usually spoke to only once a month, listening to an "opportunity call" and reading countless emails filled with the testimonials of the Arbonne Elite, I was forking over almost $2,000 to buy into the Business Builder plan for success. I was running on a high of excitement and wonder and couldn't wait to share the "gift" with everyone I knew. Once I shared what I knew about this opportunity, it would only be a matter of time before I was up on stage surrounded by others wishing they were in my place and being presented the keys to a brand spanking new, white Mercedes. To be admired, accepted and even envied.
How did I become this woman? When did being envied become a goal? My husband drives the brand new sports car; I won't buy a new car until my car is falling apart while pulling out of the driveway! I buy my clothes from consignment and wash my face in the shower with whatever soap is there. Now, I'm dreaming of a white Mercedes and bathing my face with over $200 worth of facial products morning and night? When the bubble burst, a myriad of emotions assaulted me. Shame, embarrassment, betrayal, shock, and anger, but most of all, I felt free. When I finally came to understand, with crystal clarity, the subtle seductions and bold manipulations that led me to Arbonne, the spell was broken and I felt FREE!
I started this blog because I want to share my story. If you are reading this, you are most likely the scammer or the scammed. If you are neither then I hope to persuade you to RUN! as fast as you can from the next person to approach you with a business opportunity destined to be "the wave of the future". If you are the scammed, then I invite you to share your story. If you are a scammer, and whether you openly admit it or not, you know who you are, feel free to poke around. I am new to blogging and still getting my feet wet so please forgive me and feel free to inform me if I make any blog faux pas!
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