An Open Letter to Celebrities who Promote Pyramid Schemes
Photo credit: Tanya Consaul Photography via Shutterstock
When I was finally able to submit my official resignation to leadership last Spring, I wondered if I should tell them why I was leaving. Part of me hung on to the possibility that they were good people trying to make a positive impact in the world. I drafted up a letter, and in doing so, I came to the realization that they had to know this. How could they have missed the fact so few people were realizing the dreams that they sold? The person in the leadership position above me had been at it for something like 20 years, and I was positioned to be the first-ever top leader she would have promoted in two decades. The famous pediatrician above me in the hierarchy had only one anecdote for the mom-who-now-gets-to-stay-home—and yet I never heard from her directly. They had to notice that most of the vulnerable new mothers they recruited stayed stagnant while pumping hundreds of dollars per month into the company they represented.
I opened up YouTube the other day to find a video by Eva Mateja reacting to an Arbonne recruitment Zoom event. I had totally forgotten about Camilla Scott, the famous Canadian actress who became a top Arbonne income earner and resides in the same city as me. Every so often since I became a mother in 2011, her name would come up. “Camilla Scott and Amy Sky are their uplines!” would be one of the first things out of their mouth when a friend would incredulously tell me how they dodged the bullet of being recruited into the popular multilevel marketing company. In 2012, Arbonne was hot where I live—at least three different women were actively selling it loud and proud, with one (from the entertainment industry) driving the coveted white Mercedes-Benz in and out of our artists’ co-op. While I knew of Camilla Scott (what Canadian Gen X’er or Xenniel doesn’t?), I hadn’t ever done a deep dive. I started to watch Eva’s video, not prepared for the way it would make my blood boil when I heard Camilla “share.” I would come to find her story is in multiple spots on the internet—on her Instagram when she went live in October to celebrate her 15-year anniversary (which was shared 68 times, presumably by her downline when they used their affinity to her to recruit into their downlines), in a 7-minute stand-alone YouTube video, and of course I am sure she has shared it thousands of times in the fifteen years she has been selling the dream of being a present mother and independent Boss Babe.
Hearing Camilla’s story was like a gut punch. How can I describe listening to the exact same tropes spewed like prose from the charismatic mouth of a highly influential person, knowing that it was these exact same words, magical thinking and rhetoric that caused my own life to take a turn that I deeply regret? I will do my best, and if it makes even one Influencer think twice before they promote a commercial cult*, it will be well worth the time it took me to articulate.
An Issue of Privilege
Many celebrities and Influencers behave as though they have a free pass on promoting cult groups, pyramid schemes or legalized scams like multilevel marketing because they believe themselves to be “self-made.” Perhaps they grew up poor, were raised by one parent, grew up with an alcoholic in their home, or all of the above. Despite “the odds” they have unshakable belief in themselves and achieved success. I related to this because I was sharing the same testimony of, “If I can do it, anyone can,” followed by the caveat, “You have to be willing to do the work.” When I received critical comments on an Instagram post about something I was shilling, saying that it was essentially tone-deaf, like any obedient cult member, I deleted and blocked. I recently heard the quote, “Those who aren’t concerned with justice are too filled up with privilege,” and this was absolutely the case in my situation. It was highly inconvenient to think about power and privilege when I was trying to climb. I needed to cling to the belief that anyone could do it if they were willing to do the work.
But what about the factors that prevent a person from doing what I had done? To be able to make anything beyond prison wages in “network marketing,” you need:
to live a life that others aspire to live
excellent interpersonal and public speaking skills
a large network to draw from (or the ability to acquire a large network)
enough money to invest back into the company and in your lifestyle
an obsessed determination and unshakable belief in the group/products/yourself
Many leaders of these groups like to romanticize “taking the plunge” and “not overthinking it” because they recognize that getting recruits to take one small step is the best way to get them to take another step. And another. And another until they are committed and dependent. After all, “you wouldn’t feed a steak to a baby chick!” say the leaders in the Moonies cult when justifying withholding crucial information to inductees. However, the dream is sold without the requirements explained, because the very model of the industry counts on a lack of informed consent. What regulatory boards need to understand is that simply including a disclaimer on a corporate website is not enough. The website and disclaimer is not how the “opportunity” is sold. It is sold through face-to-face connections that are orchestrated day in and day out by representatives who are coached by you, the celebrity, to use their affinity with you to lure trusting friends and family in a grassroots way that only they can.
In addition to the bullet points above, and the inherent power and privilege that you likely have, here are some other considerations that create an unfair playing field:
Celebrities like Camilla Scott already have a significant following and influence. When they join an MLM, their existing fan base can easily become potential recruits or customers. Their name recognition alone can attract attention and open doors that might be harder for an average person to access.
People are more likely to listen to someone they recognize and admire. When a celebrity endorses an MLM product or opportunity, their credibility can sway others to join or make purchases—an advantage that is not available to most.
Influencers can leverage their personal brand through social media, interviews, or public appearances; their brand association can significantly impact their results.
Celebrities move in exclusive circles with connections to other influential individuals, business leaders, and decision-makers. These networks can be tapped for recruitment or collaboration. For example, I enrolled in a coaching program where my up-up-upline was a figurehead. They could then covertly access a pool of individuals that the average person could not.
Celebrities usually have more financial resources at their disposal. They can invest in marketing, attend high-profile events, and create more professional promotional materials. These resources give an advantage to enable them to reach a wider audience.
Media exposure can lead to rapid growth and recruitment. Ordinary participants do not typically access the same level of attention.
It is so advantageous for companies to have a bonafide celebrity in their midst that they often provide special signing bonuses or personalized training and mentorship from the high-level leaders in the company. This guidance accelerates their learning curve and helps them avoid common pitfalls. Regular participants may not have the same level of mentorship as the stakes are not as high if they were to fail. In fact, the way the business model is built relies on the majority failing (I was given an estimate of having 80% of my organization at the “raving fan” level, which is a nice way of saying they are indoctrinated but unlikely to become leaders.
Here is the letter I wrote to the company I worked for and didn’t send. Even though I have doubts that those entrenched are willing to really look, perhaps it will find someone’s conscience out there.
To Leadership:
I am writing to inform you that I will not renew my Distributorship.
As you know, I began a social media fast in June of 2021 after hearing a talk about the adverse effects of screens during a connection call with a team member. I had been taking every word he said as gospel for a decade by that point, so I saw no reason to question this advice. While the advice was not directed at me, I took pages and pages of notes as I did during every single call or event I attended during my time with The Company. I had a “coachable” mindset, after all.
You probably remember how I changed after that 30-day tech fast. I changed, and then I was never the same. I believed I was depressed. You agreed, “It does sound like you are depressed.” I appreciate how you took care of things and left me alone for as long as I needed. I also appreciate how, when some clouds began to clear, and I realized I needed to return to school to study Psychotherapy, you supported my admittance into the program. I know you all probably believe that you gave me every possible tool and all the support in the world, and you will probably be upset that I am now turning my back on The Company. I have heard how others who have left have been talked about, and I have a knot in my stomach imagining being the target of the same vitriol. Regardless of how my departure will be interpreted, I will endeavour to explain my perspective to you now.
It took me well over a year to discover that the MLM industry is not one I wish to be associated with. I believed everything I was taught wholeheartedly during my time in The Company. I hadn’t had the exposure to know there was a specific playbook and that, despite claiming to be special, all these companies are run the same and yet, they all claim to be unique! I followed the system, and as promised, I was rewarded (to an extent). But there was a lot of information that was withheld and that I did not learn until I was offline and able to breathe… and read, and research as questions started to bubble up. What I learned made me question the ethics of the business model, and I was increasingly shocked the deeper I dove. I realized I had been swimming deep in a pool of magical thinking and manipulation tactics that blinded me to the fact that I was working full-time hours for less than minimum wage while selling a dream life that was unrealistic at best. It took me an incredibly long time to see what happened to me during my time with The Company.
Due to a combination of deeply ingrained belief systems, repression and denial, I appreciate that leadership may not feel complicit to any wrongdoing. But for me, knowing what I now know, I can no longer accept a paycheque. I feel taken advantage of and think that my talents and vulnerabilities were capitalized upon, whether intentionally or not. I would love to know if you are “open” to me sharing some information with you, and then you can let me know if you knew this already (in which case I will know I was intentionally victimized) or if this is news to you, (in which case I hope you do the right thing and remove yourself from affiliating with this industry as a whole, and then publicly apologize so that your influence may be used for good). I implore you to read the book, “Ponzinomics” by Robert L. Fitzpatrick to understand, if you did not already know, the history and inner workings of the MLM industry. In the book it explains how MLMs are unethical and sometimes illegal in their operations, and how Amway won a judgement and how all MLMs follow their narrowly legal path, your company included. I now understand why all the resources for sales and recruitment were never housed on one corporate website, but rather, scattered across many independent sites. This used to feel inconvenient but now appears insidious. Independent consultants take the fall and are fined thousands of dollars for unethical marketing practices that they are coerced to employ to reach a level of success, like the examples of the many leaders before them who create these rogue websites. This was all exacerbated during the Covid-19 pandemic and is still happening today.
I am saddened at the reality that my words will not be taken seriously, that The Company is, quite frankly, too wealthy and too powerful to do the right thing. There is no real incentive for you. That is a hard pill for me to swallow, but ultimately, I will do what I can, one step at a time, to make amends for what I have been part of and all that has been lost. This is my life, after all, and I only have one to live. I hope to see it take a positive path and, as you like to say, “turn my pain into purpose.”
Sincerely,
Brandie Hadfield
Photo credit: Bordim via Shutterstock
And in case my letter fails to impact anyone, I will end this letter by planting a seed. For those who hold on tight to the notion that they are simply living the life that “God has planned for them,” how do you know that God isn’t planning a lesson in humility and self-reflection for you now? Just because it is legal, does not make it right. Become so educated on the history of your industry and cult psychology that you could do a TedTalk on those topics, and then decide if “social selling” is something you want to promote.
The ability to change your mind and make amends when evidence clearly depicts that you are causing harm to others seems to me like it could be an important lesson to learn.
And for the spiritual newagers out there, consider that maybe the Universe made this letter cross your path for a reason…
And remember—the next generation is watching and learning from your powerful example. What is the legacy you intend to leave?
“Celebrities have no business pushing MLMs. None. They aren’t here, barely surviving” - a former team member of mine who found her way out independently.
*A commercial cult is defined as an organized group that combines elements of both business and cult-like behaviour. The key characteristics include:
psychological manipulation and pressure strategies
a hierarchical structure that places powerful leaders with influence at the helm
and recruitment strategies conducted through personal relationships of inductees and via social media
Happy holidays! Help me get this letter to go viral by sharing and tagging your favourite MLM-loving celebrity!