Young Living: Why you would choose MLM as your preferred business model. No…really, why?

We discuss the rise of Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) companies, specifically focusing on the wellness industry and essential oils. The essential oils industry is currently valued at US$ 19.7 billion as of 2021, making it a popular target for MLM companies. We explore the recruitment process of MLM companies and how they encourage flexible working, word-of-mouth sales, and passionate employees but also lead to manipulation and misinformation. Our case study for this episode is the company Young Living and its founder, Gary Young. We delve into the questionable background of Gary Young, including his unaccredited degree in Naturopathy and past controversies. We also look at the recruitment process of Young Living, which had approximately 530,000 active members in 2014, with only 1,000 employees on a salary. The active members are considered distributors, which reduces the company's liability. In the show notes, we provide additional research and information about Gary Young and the controversies surrounding him, as well as a deeper dive into the recruitment process of MLM companies.

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The Big Con Podcast: Emily and Dale dive into the wild world of business blunders and figure out where things went wrong (or right, but mostly wrong) and use the benefit of hindsight and a healthy dose of schadenfreude to look at where there was an impact on either their profit, their brand, or something much more dire. The Big Con examines the stories of businesses that refused to invest in strategy and where we can learn from their mistakes.

Resources used in this show

• https://www.abc.net.au/everyday/mlms-are-not-the-answer-if-you-need-money/100006992
• https://www.sbs.com.au/news/the-feed/article/multi-level-marketing-or-pyramid-scheme-consumer-advocates-call-for-tighter-rules/goocaodx9
• https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/10/09/how-essential-oils-became-the-cure-for-our-age-of-anxietyhttps://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/multi-level-marketing-businesses-pyramid-schemes
• https://www.forbes.com/advisor/investing/multi-level-marketing-mlm/
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