Admittedly, it has been a while since the publication of Chapter 10.  Thank you all for sticking by, and for sharing your excellent MLM finds with me over Facebook and Twitter.  

Now, I think its about time we found out how Pip got on with her mascara, why the local business event was a disaster for Kerri…and of course, whether I managed to make a new customer of my posh friend, Trinity.  

This takes us to…

Chapter 11 – Clowns to the Left of me, #Drossbabes to the Right…

Before reading Chapter 11 of my experience with MLMs (namely Younique), please remind yourself of my mission statement here.  In a nutshell, all views presented in this blog are mine, and mine only.  Your own personal experiences with MLM companies may differ, negatively or positively.  All names and identifying features have been changed to protect the individuals concerned.

As far as we were aware, Kerri was totally and utterly excited about her stall at a local business event.  She had diligently packed all her stock, banners and other table decorations into her car, before making the hour’s drive to her destination.

Her subsequent rage was evident from her post in the Butterfly Babes chat.

“I’ve arrived at the venue, but I am ABSOLUTELY FUMING! I seriously can’t believe this!!!! 😡 😡 😡 ” she raged.

The Butterflies flapped to attention.

“OMG, what’s happened hun?? ❤ ❤ ”

“Is everything okay, babes?? 😥 ”

“PM me hun, if you don’t want to talk about it here!! ❤ ”

Things were not exceptionally fantastic.  It turns out that Kerri had been turned away at the door, and didn’t even get a chance to set up her stall.

“OMG, whyyyyy???” asked Harriet.

“Its because there’s already another Younique rep here! 😡 ” Kerri replied.  “The event organisers didn’t think it was appropriate to have two of us doing the same thing!”

“OMG, that’s well out of order! 😮 “

“They could have fucking told me this before I drove all this way!” she fumed.  “Surely they would have said this when I booked my stall – now I’m not sure if I’m even going to get a refund! 😦 ” 

I did feel bad for her.  Out of all of us, she seemed to be the one putting the most effort in.  She was always the one doing demo videos, constantly promoting her party links and offering free makeovers…it seemed a bit shitty for this to happen to her.

Scarlett had more helpful words of wisdom to offer.

“Setbacks are all part of your business journey, babes.  Take it as a valuable, positive experience and learn from it. ❤ “

“Yeah…not what I need to hear right now 😦 ” replied Kerri.

“Hun, you can’t dwell on the negativity!” insisted our knowledgeable upline.  “You need to keep a positive mindset, remember.  Next time you will smash it!  ❤ “

“Okay.  Well, thanks.  I think I’m going to drive home now.  There’s no point staying here.  Speak to you later, girls. 😥 “

And with that, Kerri was off to commence her hour-long commute home.

“OMG, I feel so bad for her!” said Harriet.

“We all do, girls, but like I said, setbacks are a part of business!  They’ll make you stronger and more of a tough #bossbabe in the long run! 🙂 “

It was clear that Scarlett was developing into a #bossbabe that had no time for sympathy.  Perhaps this was how you had to be in the world of business.

 

As you will recall from Chapter 10, I had a super-exciting business meeting with Trinity; the acquaintance who had been intrigued by my Younique posts.  Well, the day had arrived, so I sought the advice from the Butterflies.

“I’ve not got much experience of one-to-ones, hun,” said Harriet.  “But I am sure you’ll smash it! ❤ “

“Really sell the products, babes!” insisted Scarlett.  “Get her hyped, get her wanting them too.  LOVE THE PRODUCTS!  You’ve got this! ❤ ❤ “

“Sure, I’ll do my best! 🙂 ” I typed back.

And with that, I was on my way to Trinity’s house.  Or should I say, Trinity’s mansion.  Prior to leaving, I had done everything I could to make sure I looked like a walking advert for my business, including using the pressed powder you will recall I purchased in Chapter 8.

I still didn’t have the legendary “powder puff brush” that the Butterflies were always raving about, so I had to use the applicator sponge that came with it.  Now, although I found the pressed powder gave far superior coverage to the cream foundation, I wasn’t impressed.  It didn’t feel light or lovely.  In fact, it felt like I was rubbing chalk on my face – you know, the kind of unpleasant sensation that gives you goosebumps?

In essence, the pressed powder was definitely more ‘meh’ than pleasant.

Well, as I had to be a walking advert, I persevered.  I even used the blusher and bronzer samples in my kit for good measure.  And that bloody mascara too.  Yes, I was ready to impress with my super-awesome makeup.

 

Upon my arrival, I made my way up smooth stone steps, and rapped on the gold-plated door-knocker.  I was greeted by a beaming Trinity, showing off her new veneers and freshly manicured nails.

“Hey, Elle, really sweet of you to pop round!  Come in!”

She welcomed me in to a hallway that was as perfectly polished as her teeth.  The parquet flooring shone in the sun’s glare, and diamante lampshades twinkled.  I was almost afraid to touch anything.

“Lovely place, Trinity,” I gulped.

“Isn’t it just?” she trilled.  “This way, to the lounge.  I’ve put the kettle on.”

Trinity was what you would refer to as a local WAG (non-UK folk, please refer to the Wikipedia definition here).  Her fiancee, Rory, was a local businessman, who also played rugby for our town’s club.  His sporting achievements and action shots were proudly on display in a trophy cabinet.

As we sipped on our cups of tea, I got my presenter kit out of my bag and displayed it on Trinity’s coffee table.  

“Ah, so this is that Younique stuff, is it?  Granted, I’ve heard a lot of people going on about it, but not had a chance to take a look yet.”

In the back of my mind, all I could hear were Scarlett’s words of advice; really sell the products, get her hyped, get her wanting them.  LOVE THE PRODUCTS!

“Yes,” I said.  “I am totally loving this stuff, its worth the hype!”

I hoped I sounded convincing.

“Cool, so how did you get into repping then?  I assume that’s what you’re doing, right?”

“I guess you could say that, although I prefer to call it my new little business venture,” I replied.

“And how is that going?” said Trinity.

Ah.  Now here is where ‘fake it til’ you make it’ needed to come into play.

“Getting there,” I smiled.  “I am just taking it slowly, as I am still focusing on college.  Its going well so far, though.”

“I see,” Trinity said.  “But the main thing is, is this stuff any good?  Tell me more about it; how much is a pressed powder?  What are the lipstains like?”

“Well, the mascara is amazing,” I said, fluttering my lashes.

“I don’t do mascara,” sniffed Trinity.  “Never needed it.  What about the powders and lipstains?”

I wasn’t prepared for those particular questions, so I quickly flicked through my presenter catalogue.  Trinity raised her eyebrow at this.  I’d have to put my businesswoman head on, and assure her of my confidence.

“Okay,” I breathed.  “I haven’t quite memorised the prices yet, as I am still getting to know everything.  As you can see here, the pressed powder is £25.  As for the lipstains, I personally haven’t tried them yet, but I can show you some beautiful photos of my teammates testing them out.  They assure me of how long-lasting they are.”

Trinity took the catalogue from my hands, flicking through the pages.

“So, these are pretty much similar prices to Estée Lauder, Clarins and all that,” she mused.  

“That’s right – perhaps you could even persuade some of your fellow rugby WAGs to give this a go, too!”

“Thing is, our girl Leila works on the bareMinerals counter at John Lewis, so we all go to her.  Plus, what makes this Younique stuff different, and why isn’t it in the shops?  Why should people want to order this via a rep, when all they need to do is go to House of Fraser or Debenhams?”

Well, Trinity certainly was a tricky (potential) customer.  I had to think on my feet.

“That’s what makes Younique special!” I spoke with enthusiasm.  “Instead of using expensive marketing campaigns to sell in retail stores, that’s where we come in.  We’re walking adverts for the products.”

I could feel her eyes scrutinising my makeup.  Did I apply it correctly?  Was it blended well enough?  Did my lashes look on point, or like spider legs?

Before she could pass further comment, the silence was broken by the sound of feet lumbering down the stairs.

“Babe, have you seen my blue shirt?”

Rory poked his broad head around the door.

“Oh, didn’t realise you had company!” he said, nodding a greeting to me.  “What are you girls up to?”

“Makeup stuff,” said Trinity.  “Nothing you’d be interested in, Rors.”

Rory was a businessman, perhaps he would be a viable networking contact for me.

“I’m just showing Trinity my new little business venture I’ve started,” I said.

“Oh?  What’s this?”

“High-end makeup,” I smiled, indicating my presenter kit.

“Interesting.  Did you design the makeup yourself?”

“No, I present and sell Younique!” I laughed.

Rory’s intrigue turned into a frown.

“Right.  So you’re doing one of those pyramid schemes then.”

And, with deft precision, I again found myself uttering the following cliche that so many huns have uttered over time…

“Goodness no, it’s not a pyramid scheme; they’re illegal don’t you know!  I’d never get involved in something dodgy like that!”

[Elle’s note: the irony of that utterance is not lost on me.]

Rory did not dignify me with a response.  Instead, he sighed and asked Trinity (again) where his blue shirt was.

She rolled her eyes and told him it was in his wardrobe.

“It isn’t, babe.  I already looked in there!”

“Right, well if I go upstairs and put my hand on it straight away, no steak for you tonight!”

As Trinity went on her search for the missing blue shirt, Rory decided to offer me some business advice.

“Don’t try and sell any of that overpriced shite to Trin,” he said – not unkindly, may I hasten to add.

“She just asked me to come round and show her my kit, that’s all!” I said.

“Yes, and you came here hoping to get a sale; I know how you people work.”

I had literally no idea what to say to that.  I was beginning to feel seriously hurt.

“Look, I’m not trying to sound like a dick, okay?  But these schemes are a massive con, and I don’t want Trin involved in that crap.  Just a bit of friendly advice, okay?  Don’t.”

“Okay…” I mumbled back, wanting to get out of there as soon as humanly possible.

Thankfully, the blue shirt was found by Trinity, right where she said it was.  Rory departed back upstairs, and Trinity returned to sit next to me in the lounge.

“Another tea?” she asked, more out of politeness.

“I better get going in a bit,” I said, deflated.  “Is there anything you’d like to order, before I go?”

“Not really tempted by anything to be honest…but maybe you’ve got any samples I can try?”

She sounded like she was just asking me that out of pity, but it was something.  

I remembered the little plastic pots that the Butterflies had mentioned in Chapter 6, that they utilised in order to sell samples to their customers.  I had the Uplift Eye Serum and Tenacious Eye Splurge in my stock – perhaps Trinity would like to try those?

Thankfully, I managed to persuade her to part with the princely sum of £3.00: £1.00 for the eye splurge, and £2.00 for the eye serum.  Even then, she wasn’t happy about paying for samples, until I explained that the costs came from my own pocket.  It was better than nothing.

“I’ll be in touch if I want to order anything,” she said, as she waved me out the door.

Well, that visit left me feeling pretty crap.

The Butterflies were eager to know how I got on, but were crestfallen when I replied with a sad emoji. 😦

They flapped in solidarity.

“OMG, what’s happened hun?? ❤ ❤ ”

“Is everything okay, babes?? 😥 ”

“PM me hun, if you don’t want to talk about it here!! ❤ ”

“It didn’t go well with Trinity.  She was quite resistant from the start, and seems to prefer bareMinerals, because one of her WAG friends works at the John Lewis counter. 😦 “

“Ugh,” typed Scarlett.  “So she’d rather support a corporate entity instead of a friend’s small business?  Says a lot about her, babes!”

“I was hoping she’d at least place an order and give things a go. 😦 “

“Wasn’t she interested in trying anything?  Didn’t you get her hyped and act enthusiastic about the products? “

“Yes, Scarlett, I actually did!  I tried bloody hard, and her fiancee went and ruined it for me.”

I explained to the Butterflies about Rory’s hostility.  How I hoped that he would be a good business contact for networking, but he shot me down by telling me I was involved with nothing but a pyramid scheme.

“OMG, I can’t believe he said that to you! 😮 ” said Kerri, who had come out of hiding after her disastrous networking event fiasco.

“What an idiot!” said Scarlett.  “Doesn’t he know pyramid schemes are illegal?  You’re better off without haters like that as customers.”

“Yeah, they definitely sound like haters, hun!” piped up Harriet.

“Haters are always gonna hate, babe.  They’re just jealous and bitter wage-slaves,” assured Scarlett.

“Lola Affirmation calls people like that neg-ferrets and mood-hoovers,” said Kerri.  “We covered it during a mindset coaching session I had with her. ❤ She’s right – we should pity people with such a negative mindset, stuck working in jobs they hate.”

“Basically, just ignore the haters, babe – they’re jealous because you’re your own boss.  Remember, H-A-T-E-R-S stands for Having Anger Towards Everyone Reaching Success! 🙂 ❤ ❤ ” said Scarlett.

It was good to know that I could always rely on the Butterfly Babes to lift my spirits.  Thus concluded my pep-talk.

“In other news, I did sell something, even if it was just for £3.00” I ventured.

“Just £3.00?  What did you sell to her, hun? “

“I just sold her some eye splurge and serum in those little sample pots. “

“Well, its up to you what you sell samples for, babe.  But remember, the serum is worth £50 and the eye splurges are £21 each, so you’ve been way too generous in my opinion.”

I decided to respectfully withdraw myself from the conversation, as after the day I had, I was feeling close to spontaneous combustion.  I couldn’t justify charging any more for those tiny sample pots, but according to my upline, I was wrong there.

 

A message later popped up from Pip.  At last, she was here to make my day better, or so I thought.

“I’ve put my mascara on, Elle.  What do you think, have I done it right?”

Oh, heck.  I know Pip had promised she’d do before and after photos, but I couldn’t use that.  She had clumped her lashes up so much that they now resembled a nursery-school art project.

“Pip, what have you done? ” I replied.  “Did you follow the application instructions??”

“I think so, I’m not sure.  I got confused with the two different wands.  My eye is getting a bit sore, though…”

“Perhaps you should go and take it off, and try again? “

“Maybe, I just wanted to get some good photos for you, Elle.  Is it alright if I speak to you in a bit, my eye’s started to sting and its getting hard to type.”

That was Pip over and out.  Great – seems like there was going to be another blow to my business.

I returned to the Butterfly Babes chat, sharing the photo of Pip’s poorly-applied mascara.

“Jeez, what did she put it on with, a scouring pad?? 😮 ” exclaimed Scarlett.

“She’s just a youngster,” I said.  “I don’t think she read the application instructions properly.”

“That’s why you should be doing makeup video tutorials, babe!” said Scarlett.  “How do you expect your customers to apply things properly if they’ve not got a guide?”

“Because I’m not a makeup artist, Scarlett…”

“Not yet, but you’re a makeup consultant – so OWN it!  FAKE IT ‘TIL YOU MAKE IT! ❤ ❤ “

Again, that didn’t really provide me with much help.  All I could do is wait for Pip’s return and see how she was getting on with her mascara.

In the meantime, I decided to ring my step-sister, Danielle.  The last time we had conversed was in Chapter 8, and that was a few sentences between us.  She had barely interacted with me over social media or text messages as of late, so I was hoping I could at least get a conversation with her.

The phone dialled for what seemed like an age, until she finally picked up.

“Elle, what’s wrong??”

“Erm, nothing’s wrong, Dani.  I just wanted to see how you were.”

“Oh, I see.  Yeah, I’m doing good thanks.  You?”

“Yeah, business is going great, and-“

I was cut off by a huge sigh from Danielle.  The sigh was so intense that I could even imagine her expression at the other end of the phone.

“What?” I asked.

“Seriously, Elle?  You really have to ask me that?”

“You know what, Dani, some support from you would be great.  I don’t know why you’re being so negative about my business venture.”

“Have you listened to yourself lately?  All you do is talk about your fucking bullshit business, if you can even call it that.  That’s why I haven’t ‘supported’ you, as you so put it.  You’ve become obsessed, Elle.  I don’t recognise you anymore.”

“That’s not true!” I protested.  “How can you say that, when I am just trying to make myself a living?”

“See, its not actually a living though, is it?  You’ve been posting these stupid screenshots, bragging about how you’ve just been paid – who actually does that shit?  Do you see me doing that whenever my salary hits the bank?”

“You’re just jealous because I’m my own boss!” I snapped.

I had to give Danielle a moment, whilst she burst into peals of laughter down the phone.

“Elle, you’re the closest thing I have to a sister and I love you to bits, but seriously, stop.  I thought you were smarter than this.”

“I just can’t believe how nasty you’re being,” I said, my voice shaking.  “Its like you’ve turned against me for no reason.”

“I’M TRYING TO HELP YOU!  You know that people are laughing at you, Elle?  Your silly, inspirational trite Facebook posts, your delusions about owning your own business?  Do you think I enjoy hearing them talk about you like that?  I’ve been standing up for you, but its just become one idiotic Younique post after another, and I can’t do it anymore.”

I felt tears sting my eyes.  Maybe I was angry after the exchange with Rory and Trinity.  Maybe I was feeling wound-up over Pip spoiling my opportunity for a decent ‘mascara results’ photo.  Or, perhaps I was feeling worried and scared between thinking that I had made a mistake joining Younique, or thinking it was my fault because I didn’t want this business opportunity enough.  

Regardless, I knew I didn’t want Danielle and the other haters to be proven right.

“You’re lying,” I said through gritted teeth.  “You’re just bitter because you’re a wage-slave.”

“A what?”

“You’re stuck working shitty hours in a miserable job, for a boss who profits from your hard work.  You’re just trying to bring me down.”

Danielle sighed, her breath sounding out long and wearily down the receiver.

“You know what, fuck this shit, Elle.  Talk to me again when you’ve come to your senses.”

“Good, I don’t need negative attitudes like yours anyway!”

Danielle had already hung up.

The tears fell fast and freely down my face.  

Naturally, I reported this exchange to the Butterfly Babes; just about the only people who’d understand.

“You definitely don’t need mood-hoovers like that, hun,” assured Kerri.  “I mean, she’s your sister for fuck’s sake. 😦 “

“Your Y-sisters are here for you instead, babe,” said Scarlett.  “You don’t need jealous influences dragging your business down. ❤ “

To add insult to injury, a message from Jackie [Elle’s note: my future-mother-in-law and Pip’s mum] popped up.

“Elle, whatever is in that mascara, our Pip’s had a bloody reaction to it!  I think I’m going to have to take her to the walk-in centre at this rate.  Her eye is all red and sore.”

She had sent a photo of Pip, who indeed looked like she had an extremely violent case of hay-fever on one side of her face.  I consulted with the Butterfly Babes.

“It probably happened because she didn’t apply it properly, ” assessed Scarlett.

“That happened to my sister,” said Kerri.  “I had to arrange a refund – I think the fibres irritated her eyes.  Some people are just sensitive to it. 😦 “

“Do you think I’ll have to do the same? ” I asked.

“Probably,” said Kerri.  “She’s still within the 14 Day Love It Guarantee, so it should be okay.”

“Great – more hassle. 😦 “

“Check first and make sure it wasn’t because of the way she applied it!” insisted Scarlett.

“I dunno, Scarlett – that picture does look quite painful, ” said Kerri.

“But that’s another sale lost for Elle, 😦 ” said Scarlett.  “I’m trying to help her hit target and reach her goals.”

I wasn’t in the mood to deal with an angry Jackie (as you will recall in Chapter 8), and thus resolved myself to the fact I’d need to sort a refund and apology for Pip.

For reference, when you arrange a refund with Younique, its all done at your expense.  They’ll give you a reference number, but after that its all up to you to return the unwanted item – you have to ensure its safely packaged, and that it has the correct postage/insurance to ensure it arrives at their warehouse safely.  So, that would be yet another business loss for me. 

Now, I know it wasn’t my fault that Pip had a reaction to the mascara, but to me, it felt like it was.  I was the one that had recommended it to her, and – in a way- pushed the sale on her.  It didn’t feel great.

 

In fact, the whole business did not feel great, full stop.  Problematic sales, no interest, no interaction…it was deflating.  That is, until a message popped up in my inbox from Salima, a lady I’d made friends with on my college course.

“Hello, Elle, how are you? 🙂 I have seen your Younique posts, and I am interested in the liquid foundation.  I have seen lots of people’s tutorial videos of it, and would like to give it a go.  Could I buy this directly from you?”

Well, well.  My interest in my business was reignited.  I hurriedly typed an acknowledgement to Salima, and conferred with the Butterflies.

As you will recall in Chapter 5, the “liquid gold” foundation was out of stock on a huge scale, and it had been many weeks since we had received an update.  Many of the reps from the wider teams were complaining and grumbling about this, as they were unable to put their customers off for much longer.

Neither Scarlett, Camilla [Scarlett’s Blue Status upline] or Tania [Green Status Overlord] had received any kind of update from ‘corporate’.  Their only answer was to “push the pressed powder and cream foundation in the interim, all whilst assuring the customer of how the amaaaaaaaaazing liquid gold is, and so worth the wait“.

Salima, however, wasn’t interested in the powder or cream foundation.  She insisted that she was happy to wait.  I even went as far as to make her promise that she wouldn’t go to another presenter, and that she’d order with me when it came back in stock.  

There was a part of me that wanted to order some liquid foundation for myself, but unfortunately no one could place an order for it, presenter or otherwise.

To keep us occupied, Scarlett constantly pushed and nagged us with her daily tasks.  When we didn’t receive much joy from her ‘ stalk five Facebook friends’ task mentioned in Chapter 10, she set us something a little different.

“Right, girls – I want you all to look at your Facebook friends list/phonebook, and contact every single female you know.  You are going to offer them a no-obligation colour-match to see what their foundation shade would be, and – if they’re good with makeup – tell them so, and offer them information about joining our business opportunity! ❤ ❤ “

Harriet and Kerri were super pumped at this task, and got straight on it.  After what Danielle had told me, however, I was not so enthusiastic.  In fact, I didn’t take part at all – I just didn’t tell them that.

Now, I would like to share with you a little something special, seeing as you have waited so long for this instalment… Surviving screenshots from the Butterfly Babes chat, no less!

Here is the extract from our chat, when us girls were discussing how the task went.

As you will note, this is the first time that Harriet admitted how fed up she was getting.  I was also surprised to know that she had been plodding on like this for 8 months.  Scarlett was not impressed with the negativity, and promptly scolded us.

“Remember, we have more than one product to sell – its not all about the liquid foundation! ❤ ” she insisted.  “It may be out of stock, but you all need to be focusing on your videos, getting interest in the other available products – you’ve got this, girls! 😉 “

Imperial Green Elite Tania also decided to shake things up a bit, for all of her downlines and their downlines.  She posted an annoucement in her Overlord training group.

“Hi girls!  As you know, we’re all facing some particularly tough challenges with the liquid foundation being out of stock.  I know it is causing frustration to you and your customers, so I’d like to set a little challenge to channel your energies elsewhere.  Now, whoever has the biggest total of recruits by this time next month will win a luxury spa weekend, paid for by yours truly. 🙂 ❤ What are you waiting for, girls – get recruiting!”

Scarlett was over the moon at this news.

“EEEEEKKKKK! ❤  I’m a main contender for this, girls!  I already have you three, and there’s definitely at least four other girls interested in joining. 😮 “

“Doesn’t recruiting count as a team effort? ” I asked, obviously having never recruited before.

“Well…kind of…” said Scarlett.  “She means whichever individual has introduced the most new people to the team, does that make sense? 🙂 “

“What about Camilla, though?” I asked.  “She’s your upline, so wouldn’t she have more recruits than you anyway?”

“Not necessarily,” replied Scarlett.  “You’re looking into this way too deep, Elle. Plus, Camilla is being a bit of a crap upline at the moment – she’s never online and she’s hardly made any sales this past month.  Its not like I need her, but still. 😡 “

“I think she has personal stuff going on, though, ” offered Kerri.  “At least, that’s going by her recent Facebook posts.”

“Doubt it.  She just clearly doesn’t have what it takes to make it in this business.”

I was surprised at Scarlett’s stance, as I thought she and Camilla were good friends, but it didn’t overly concern me.  I was left to mull over Tania’s challenge…no one had ever explained recruiting to me, and I had never really looked into it either.  However, that spa weekend was awfully tempting.

“So, what’s the process with recruiting?” I asked.  “Is there a limit based on your presenter status?”

“You can recruit as many people as you want, babe – there’s absolutely no limit or timescale! ❤ ” answered Scarlett.

Wait a damn minute.

I cast my mind back to when I first joined Scarlett’s team, as detailed in Chapter 2.  I remembered it well – Scarlett had posted the following image, and I had eagerly answered this call to attention (along with poor Bethany)…

“I have THREE spaces opening up on my team!!!!!!! ❤❤❤❤ ” the caption had proclaimed.  “Want to change your life for the better with an amazing business opportunity?  WATCH ME, MOCK ME, BLOCK ME OR JOIN ME!”

This didn’t make sense.  If we could recruit as many people as we want at any time, then why did Scarlett once say she had “three spaces opening up” on her team?  Something wasn’t right here.

“Scarlett – fancy explaining yourself? ” I asked.

What will she have to say to that, I wonder?  Will we find out who wins Tania’s recruitment challenge, or why Camilla has gone AWOL?  Who knows, perhaps the liquid foundation will finally come back into stock, so Salima can place an order with me?  

Find out over in Chapter 12, in my #Younique is #Poonique saga.

P.S. I’ll also discuss how the #Poonique hashtag came to be, and why I am trying to resurrect it!

If you have enjoyed my story and anti-MLM mission thus far, please consider becoming my Patron. Any and all support is very much appreciated.

Are you trapped in an MLM and are looking for a way to leave?  My friends at Bot Watch have produced a fantastic guide on how to get out – read it here.

Or, are any of you like Danielle – concerned for a loved one who is totally and utterly wrapped up in MLM?  Bot Watch have advice for you on what to do and how to remain supportive – read it here.

I am fighting the MLM fight on social media – if you’re on Twitter, please give @ElleBeauBlog a follow (and help me get the #Poonique hashtag trending again!).  Alternatively, join in the discussion with Elle Beau, the Anti-Blogger on Facebook.

Please, also check out the good work of the people of Bot Watch, Juice Plus/MLM Lies Exposed and Timeless Vie.  They work tirelessly to expose the truth and lies of the MLM industry, so anyone considering this line of work can make a fair, informed decision .  In fact, I now have a Recommended Reading page for Anti-MLM writers and interesting lifestyle bloggers I think you will enjoy, such as Chammy in Real Life.

For something a little different to pyramid schemes, I would also recommend a look at what Bad Psychics are up to.  Award-winning and seen-on-TV, they have worked to expose false claims made by psychics, mediums and the paranormal since 2003.