Aug. 16, 2025

S2E15: Tupperware Dreams and Vitamin Schemes

S2E15: Tupperware Dreams and Vitamin Schemes

Want to weigh in? Send us a text! Remember that moment when your neighbor invited you over for "just wine and apps with the girls," only to ambush you with a sales pitch for overpriced leggings or miracle vitamins? You're not alone. In this episode, we dive deep into the cultural phenomenon of multi-level marketing schemes that targeted Gen X women throughout the 80s, 90s, and beyond. From Tupperware parties our mothers hosted to the Mary Kay consultants with their pink Cadillacs, these pyra...

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Season 2

Want to weigh in? Send us a text!

Remember that moment when your neighbor invited you over for "just wine and apps with the girls," only to ambush you with a sales pitch for overpriced leggings or miracle vitamins? You're not alone.

In this episode, we dive deep into the cultural phenomenon of multi-level marketing schemes that targeted Gen X women throughout the 80s, 90s, and beyond. From Tupperware parties our mothers hosted to the Mary Kay consultants with their pink Cadillacs, these pyramid-shaped businesses promised financial freedom while delivering financial ruin for 99.6% of participants.

Lesley shares her family's personal journey with Shaklee vitamins, including her grandfather's run-in with the IRS after some creative accounting with his vitamin business. We explore the awkward social dynamics of being invited to jewelry, candle, or kitchen gadget parties in our twenties when our bank accounts were running on fumes, and the guilt trip of saying no to friends who desperately needed to make sales.

The conversation covers a nostalgic tour through the MLM landscape - Amway, Avon, PartyLite, Pampered Chef, Silpada jewelry, LuLaRoe leggings, and dozens more that promised riches but mostly delivered debt. We analyze how these companies specifically targeted women with products related to beauty, home, wellness, and childcare, capitalizing on both financial needs and social connections.

As we reflect on these experiences, we question whether today's social media influencer marketing has simply become the digital evolution of the MLM hustle. Has anything really changed, or are we just seeing the same exploitation with new packaging?

Share your own MLM horror stories with us! Call our hotline at 1-888-GEN-X-POD or visit our website at genxwomenpod.com to connect with other Gen X women who survived the pyramid scheme era.

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00:00 - Episode Introduction and Power Lines

07:04 - Puppy Recovery and Celebrity Deaths

17:49 - Trump's Smithsonian Takeover

22:41 - MLMs: The Pyramid Selling Phenomenon

33:23 - Family Vitamin Hustles and IRS Troubles

43:22 - The MLM Party Circuit Experience

53:13 - Are MLMs Dying Out?

59:29 - Closing Thoughts and Contact Information

WEBVTT

00:00:00.921 --> 00:00:01.643
I'm Megan Bennett,

00:00:01.643 --> 00:00:02.745
I 'm Lesley Meier

00:00:02.904 --> 00:00:04.147
and this is Gen X.

00:00:04.147 --> 00:00:04.769
Women Are.

00:00:04.769 --> 00:00:06.052
Sick of this Shit.

00:00:10.740 --> 00:00:11.481
Hi Leslie,

00:00:11.502 --> 00:00:12.845
Hi Megan

00:00:12.845 --> 00:00:14.507
, how the heck are ya?

00:00:14.848 --> 00:00:18.742
I'm pretty good the power's on in my house, which is great

00:00:18.742 --> 00:00:24.327
, that's good, I'm just glad nobody was in the hot tub when your power line dropped into your backyard.

00:00:24.347 --> 00:00:25.791
That was pretty exciting.

00:00:25.791 --> 00:00:27.867
The power didn't even go off.

00:00:27.867 --> 00:00:31.170
That was a fun thing to drive in the garage too, though no storms.

00:00:31.500 --> 00:00:35.387
No wind to speak of, just trees knocking down power lines.

00:00:35.406 --> 00:00:40.234
A bothered branch, an old tree saying I'm giving up, I'm tired.

00:00:40.697 --> 00:00:42.526
It's like me, I'm just going to lose this right here.

00:00:42.526 --> 00:00:40.426
No-transcript.

00:00:40.426 --> 00:00:42.460
It's like me, I'm just going to lose this right here.

00:00:42.719 --> 00:00:44.064
I'll just lay on the ground.

00:00:44.265 --> 00:00:44.948
I'm tired.

00:00:45.280 --> 00:00:47.345
What happens if I just fall out of my chair.

00:00:47.627 --> 00:00:48.209
It's Friday

00:00:48.228 --> 00:00:48.790
To the ground.

00:00:48.920 --> 00:00:54.444
I'll take this cord and probably a lot of shit that'll piss off producer Tim, it's fine, I won't reenact.

00:00:54.444 --> 00:01:13.290
The tree fall right here, good chunk, but luckily a good old power company and community and we were able to like get it winched back up and we have power, yes, which is great because it's friday, and that would be super, super lame.

00:01:13.290 --> 00:01:19.067
And I was taking a peek because I did text my electrician and I'm waiting to see if he responds.

00:01:19.067 --> 00:01:23.990
We do have to have a little repair work done, but it's fine, power's on, that's all that matters well, I'm glad.

00:01:24.653 --> 00:01:25.415
How are you?

00:01:25.415 --> 00:01:26.959
I'm okay.

00:01:26.959 --> 00:01:37.025
My puppy had her spay surgery yesterday, so I'm a little tired because the drugs wore off at about 3 am and so we were like what the fuck?

00:01:37.025 --> 00:01:41.834
She was very disturbed, so yeah did she have a cone on?

00:01:41.834 --> 00:01:42.742
No, we do.

00:01:42.742 --> 00:01:49.644
We got her a um recovery suit, which, oh my, the cutest thing you've ever seen.

00:01:49.644 --> 00:01:50.406
What is that?

00:01:50.507 --> 00:02:07.653
it looks like doggy pajamas oh, and so it, like wraps, it goes over the head nugget over the front legs and then it goes over the back and there's a hole for her tail and it goes up and under and then you velcro it around her middle and we got one that has flowers and little pink bunnies on it.

00:02:07.653 --> 00:02:09.167
It's ridiculous.

00:02:10.621 --> 00:02:18.085
So when you take her out to pee pee, you have to un-velcro and go up over the tail and then you roll it and then you like, just let her do her thing and she goes pouty.

00:02:18.520 --> 00:02:27.067
It's almost like a doggy diaper, but not quite Kind of it's just to protect, just basically to keep her from doing some damage to stuff.

00:02:26.931 --> 00:02:28.086
Yeah, licking her stitches.

00:02:28.086 --> 00:02:32.485
I've never had a girl dog before, so this is new for me, and it's a whole lot.

00:02:32.909 --> 00:02:33.759
She's very well.

00:02:33.759 --> 00:02:36.088
It's a much more invasive surgery.

00:02:36.088 --> 00:02:38.288
It is, it's like more complicated.

00:02:38.360 --> 00:02:39.444
Yeah, absolutely.

00:02:39.444 --> 00:02:41.293
So she's got to take it easy.

00:02:41.293 --> 00:02:47.750
So she's got all the drugs and we had to get some extra drugs because she's incredibly sensitive.

00:02:47.750 --> 00:02:50.115
Not anymore.

00:02:50.115 --> 00:02:51.983
She's like nope done.

00:02:52.104 --> 00:02:53.989
Menopause in Menopause over.

00:02:54.570 --> 00:02:59.472
Yeah, now she's just got the hormonal imbalance that we're dealing with Darling girl.

00:02:59.699 --> 00:03:02.294
Just slap an estrogen patch on her and she'll be fine.

00:03:02.294 --> 00:03:03.479
That's fine, right?

00:03:03.479 --> 00:03:07.343
We could just put welcome human estrogen on a dog.

00:03:07.343 --> 00:03:08.567
I think that's okay.

00:03:08.567 --> 00:03:16.991
I mean, we wouldn't really do this please animal lovers this is a joke medicating my dog with okay.

00:03:17.193 --> 00:03:19.758
Joke with yeah no, what's her?

00:03:19.799 --> 00:03:27.426
recovery time 10 to 14 days okay, so, and then does she have to like, be still or not, she's got to be chill.

00:03:28.219 --> 00:03:33.469
And yes, she's got to kind of chill so we can't do big walks and Jeff has to carry her up and down the steps.

00:03:33.469 --> 00:03:44.750
Oh, that's adorable, so she did sleep with us for a little bit last night and she was zonked out after I gave her some more drugs and then she was somebody that got a few hours of sleep, but not a whole lot.

00:03:45.069 --> 00:03:48.213
I wish her a swift recovery and I wish you sleep.

00:03:48.213 --> 00:03:49.816
Thank you, my friend.

00:03:49.895 --> 00:03:50.475
Thank you.

00:03:50.475 --> 00:03:56.669
We're going to drug our dog tonight and sleep real well, that will happen.

00:03:56.709 --> 00:03:57.611
That is not a joke.

00:03:57.611 --> 00:03:58.354
It is not a joke.

00:03:58.354 --> 00:04:01.299
They really will give the dog, these are vet prescribed.

00:04:01.419 --> 00:04:03.929
So anyway, let's see.

00:04:03.929 --> 00:04:04.561
What do we know?

00:04:05.241 --> 00:04:14.835
We know not as many people died in the past two weeks as died the two weeks prior, or even, I guess it's probably like a month prior, because we had waited.

00:04:14.835 --> 00:04:18.180
But one person did die just today.

00:04:18.701 --> 00:04:22.886
I just, I am so embarrassed that I just learned about this while sitting here.

00:04:23.105 --> 00:04:30.555
And it's important to you and also important for a previous episode where we talked about soap operas who died today.

00:04:30.920 --> 00:04:38.112
So Tristan Rogers, who played Scorpio, robert Scorpio on General Hospital, passed away.

00:04:38.112 --> 00:04:40.242
He had been ill for a while.

00:04:40.242 --> 00:05:03.764
If you are a General Hospital fan, you probably tuned in and saw that he was looking a little like he wasn't well for quite a while and they sent him off with Holly out into the world for whatever reason, and he will not be coming back, which is very sad, my gosh.

00:05:03.783 --> 00:05:05.564
And he will not be coming back, which is very sad, my gosh.

00:05:05.564 --> 00:05:13.391
It says that he portrayed Scorpio on the soap opera intermittently over the course of 45 years, 45 years.

00:05:13.971 --> 00:05:14.192
Yes.

00:05:14.773 --> 00:05:18.134
So he's been around for a really long time.

00:05:18.134 --> 00:05:20.697
He was in the Luke and Laura era.

00:05:20.697 --> 00:05:26.302
He was married to Anna Devane.

00:05:26.302 --> 00:05:28.887
He was the dad to robin scorpio.

00:05:28.887 --> 00:05:33.141
He was um, yeah, he's been around for a really long time.

00:05:33.141 --> 00:05:38.019
This is a lot of lore and now we've got like his brother's gonna have.

00:05:38.019 --> 00:05:42.588
Max scorpio is gonna have to deal with his brother's death oh it, it's going to be rough.

00:05:43.610 --> 00:05:44.170
I'm sorry.

00:05:44.170 --> 00:05:46.735
My condolences to all of you.

00:05:46.735 --> 00:05:48.185
I hope that it's okay.

00:05:48.324 --> 00:05:48.906
No, he was.

00:05:48.906 --> 00:05:49.649
He was really good.

00:05:49.649 --> 00:05:55.497
He was a great actor and a lot of fun, so, and he was a big time sex symbol for a long time Like.

00:05:55.738 --> 00:05:57.326
Oh yeah, back in the day.

00:05:57.326 --> 00:06:00.166
I guess he was married to Holly too.

00:06:00.166 --> 00:06:09.884
He was married to anna wait, should we see.

00:06:09.903 --> 00:06:10.185
Is there like?

00:06:10.204 --> 00:06:10.504
a hot photo.

00:06:10.504 --> 00:06:14.172
Probably we have looked at robert robert scorpio, that was yeah yeah, fictional character there you go, there we go.

00:06:14.172 --> 00:06:24.995
But real in so many ways it seems like look at how pretty, oh same, this is like such a 70s hot kind of vibe.

00:06:24.995 --> 00:06:28.880
Yeah, that haircut like literally it was a little Sean.

00:06:29.021 --> 00:06:34.331
Connery like okay kind of the character was a little sure, sure because he played.

00:06:34.331 --> 00:06:37.367
He was in the um WSB which was is that it?

00:06:38.009 --> 00:06:38.932
did he have that hair?

00:06:39.374 --> 00:06:41.360
oh yeah, oh yeah, he had a little mullet thing, okay.

00:06:41.360 --> 00:06:42.264
But bad guy, robert Scorpio, no, no, good guy.

00:06:42.264 --> 00:06:46.761
Oh, good guy, good guy, I mean, I think he had a little mullet thing going for a long time, okay but bad guy robber scorpio no, no good guy.

00:06:46.761 --> 00:06:49.146
Oh, good guy, good guy I mean, I think he had some.

00:06:49.146 --> 00:06:50.649
He was not.

00:06:50.649 --> 00:06:51.591
He had some bad stuff.

00:06:51.591 --> 00:06:52.279
Now, that's anna.

00:06:52.279 --> 00:06:56.327
He had some bad stuff now and then, and that's holly.

00:06:56.548 --> 00:06:59.374
That okay now I know all the things okay.

00:06:59.374 --> 00:07:02.004
So he was more like a good character.

00:07:02.184 --> 00:07:07.694
He was uh, like the WSB is sort of like the FBI slash.

00:07:07.994 --> 00:07:08.394
Okay.

00:07:09.620 --> 00:07:16.184
Interpol type Right on Organization, an international Respect Spy organization.

00:07:17.125 --> 00:07:20.959
I yeah, I believe you, I believe that that is true.

00:07:21.040 --> 00:07:22.867
Anyway, like everybody's like, shut up.

00:07:23.380 --> 00:07:30.788
No, there are a lot of people who are like yes, yes, ma'am, I'm crying, tell me more, let's talk about.

00:07:30.807 --> 00:07:37.930
Robert, there are an equal number of people who are like no, no, I am an all in my children kind of person.

00:07:38.091 --> 00:07:41.276
Sure, of course, young and restless.

00:07:41.276 --> 00:07:42.644
We'll do a cage match.

00:07:42.644 --> 00:07:45.649
Get out with this general hospital shit.

00:07:45.649 --> 00:07:48.305
They can duke it out Okay.

00:07:49.261 --> 00:07:53.627
So anyway, that's sad, that was very sad, and to just learn about that, that is a super bummer.

00:07:54.139 --> 00:07:55.204
I mean, I knew he was ill.

00:07:56.047 --> 00:07:58.726
I knew he was ill, so it does not come as a surprise.

00:07:58.899 --> 00:08:02.247
So you're okay, right here, I'm okay right here.

00:08:02.247 --> 00:08:05.362
You were like no, you're okay, right here, I'm okay, right here.

00:08:05.362 --> 00:08:06.283
You were like no.

00:08:06.283 --> 00:08:08.326
I was like oh, shit, yeah, and has surviving family.

00:08:08.326 --> 00:08:11.850
So condolences to them Wife, kids, grandbaby, I think.

00:08:11.850 --> 00:08:13.692
So that is super sad.

00:08:13.692 --> 00:08:19.418
But other than that we didn't dig too deep, there wasn't anybody that like popped right up that we were like oh.

00:08:19.439 --> 00:08:20.100
There was yep.

00:08:20.100 --> 00:08:21.906
We've already said goodbye to Ozzy.

00:08:21.906 --> 00:08:23.124
And yep.

00:08:23.444 --> 00:08:24.249
All the things.

00:08:24.550 --> 00:08:26.156
So that was the big one.

00:08:26.156 --> 00:08:29.166
Amazing, people are still beat up about Ozzy.

00:08:29.166 --> 00:08:29.970
I keep watching.

00:08:29.970 --> 00:08:34.086
There's all these reels that keep popping up Like Ozzy walking.

00:08:34.086 --> 00:08:39.068
My favorite one is he was walking through his backyard trying to get one of his cats to come inside.

00:08:39.068 --> 00:08:46.322
Oh yeah, and he's like come here, puss, and he's like yelling, yelling at the cat and there's.

00:08:46.644 --> 00:08:47.688
Sharon.

00:08:48.360 --> 00:08:50.285
I can't get this fucking cat.

00:08:50.285 --> 00:08:52.491
And like he's walking in.

00:08:52.491 --> 00:09:03.970
I mean he's got a cane and the poor guy is like kind of like you know, not steady on his feet, tottering Sharon comes out, she's like you're not supposed to be over here and he's like, and he's like I know I gotta get the fucking cat.

00:09:03.970 --> 00:09:09.846
And she's like let the kids, kids won't fucking do it.

00:09:09.846 --> 00:09:12.952
I don't want the coyotes to eat the cat.

00:09:13.840 --> 00:09:16.605
Well, no, which is very sweet of him, that is sweet.

00:09:16.605 --> 00:09:20.687
He doesn't want the coyotes to eat the cat, he doesn't want the dingo to eat the baby.

00:09:20.687 --> 00:09:25.326
No, bring them both in, bring them all in, cats and babies.

00:09:25.880 --> 00:09:30.912
But those reels keep popping up of little snippets of Ozzy Osbourne.

00:09:30.912 --> 00:09:31.452
They're really cute.

00:09:31.734 --> 00:09:31.774
Aw.

00:09:31.774 --> 00:09:33.787
Anyway, rest in peace.

00:09:33.787 --> 00:09:35.702
He can hang out with Tristan.

00:09:35.702 --> 00:09:37.607
Oh, he might get along.

00:09:37.607 --> 00:09:39.452
No, they might be, they might.

00:09:39.452 --> 00:09:40.984
I mean it's got to be a cool club.

00:09:40.984 --> 00:09:42.649
Yeah, maybe.

00:09:43.551 --> 00:09:45.980
Maybe there was some.

00:09:45.980 --> 00:10:02.395
I don't remember what the band was now off the top of my head, but some band is taking some heat because they did a montage of Ozzy, like AI generated montage of Ozzy in heaven with other.

00:10:02.796 --> 00:10:03.576
Oh, that's weird.

00:10:03.596 --> 00:10:03.996
People.

00:10:03.996 --> 00:10:07.969
I don't remember who it was, but I was like what the freak so people are.

00:10:07.969 --> 00:10:09.785
That was all playing behind them.

00:10:11.985 --> 00:10:13.669
Oh, that's not cool.

00:10:13.690 --> 00:10:14.250
It seemed weird.

00:10:14.840 --> 00:10:16.186
AI is only a tool.

00:10:16.186 --> 00:10:18.147
It's not for recreational use.

00:10:18.147 --> 00:10:19.546
You're destroying the rainforest.

00:10:19.546 --> 00:10:35.615
Stop it, and you're causing trouble just generally cut it out it's like integrated everywhere, but like for that is every single wear don't do it don't do it.

00:10:35.615 --> 00:10:39.945
Uh, megan, yes, ma'am, what should I be sick of?

00:10:39.985 --> 00:10:41.888
this week, girl, I don't I.

00:10:41.888 --> 00:10:43.229
My list is so long.

00:10:44.691 --> 00:10:47.975
Are there certain shits that are worse than other shits?

00:10:47.975 --> 00:10:48.620
What are?

00:10:48.620 --> 00:10:51.830
Have you read anything that people are sick of this week in?

00:10:51.850 --> 00:10:52.250
particular.

00:10:52.250 --> 00:10:54.927
Well have there been any rants in the group.

00:10:56.059 --> 00:11:00.102
No, not necessarily in the group, really Just, I mean generally speaking.

00:11:00.102 --> 00:11:05.854
I think the the the takeover of Washington DC.

00:11:06.139 --> 00:11:07.807
That is so fucked up President.

00:11:08.721 --> 00:11:10.567
Okay, here's the thing I am most sick of.

00:11:11.068 --> 00:11:14.788
Yes, please, All of that's bullshit right, yes, absolutely the whole taking over Smoke and mirrors.

00:11:15.168 --> 00:11:15.610
All of that.

00:11:15.610 --> 00:11:16.712
It's all bullshit.

00:11:16.712 --> 00:11:18.346
It's all done to cover up stuff.

00:11:18.346 --> 00:11:20.347
He does not really give a shit about homelessness.

00:11:20.347 --> 00:11:21.844
He doesn't care about like.

00:11:22.926 --> 00:11:23.607
Or cleaning up.

00:11:23.607 --> 00:11:24.912
Dc Doesn't really care.

00:11:25.032 --> 00:11:30.687
No, none of that is real and it's cruelty is the point.

00:11:30.869 --> 00:11:34.767
Yes, and that is incredibly infuriating and outrage, like stirring up outrage.

00:11:34.787 --> 00:11:50.090
Yes, sticking it to the libs is like number one me off, though, headline wise of all of that, because I'm constantly in a state of anger about everything, but this is like amped up just a little bit higher, for whatever reason.

00:11:50.090 --> 00:11:58.721
Um, he is fucking with the smithsonian oh, and going in and like their hand picking out shit that they don't like.

00:11:58.721 --> 00:12:02.508
Yeah, rewriting history, rewriting history I don't fact.

00:12:02.508 --> 00:12:05.913
I just I'm flabbergasted.

00:12:06.159 --> 00:12:20.783
Yes, I did read that the exhibitions are going to be given an extra hard look to make sure that they're all patriotic and celebrating American values and adhere to Trump's version of history, history.

00:12:21.984 --> 00:12:34.856
So I hope personally that he decides that he desperately wants the Hope Diamond which is in the Smithsonian, and he takes it home with him and the curse happens.

00:12:34.856 --> 00:12:37.369
Oh, tell me about the curse.

00:12:37.369 --> 00:12:38.179
Oh, there's a curse on the Hope Diamond.

00:12:38.620 --> 00:12:38.961
What is it?

00:12:38.961 --> 00:12:40.587
Do people just drop dead when they touch it?

00:12:40.899 --> 00:12:41.827
Oh, yeah, there's all kinds of things.

00:12:41.827 --> 00:12:43.320
Yeah, you'll have to look that up sometime.

00:12:43.860 --> 00:12:45.388
Look up the history of the Hope Diamond.

00:12:45.679 --> 00:12:47.528
First of all, the Hope Diamond is butt ugly.

00:12:47.528 --> 00:12:49.053
It is not a pretty piece of-.

00:12:49.053 --> 00:12:49.620
Is it really?

00:12:49.620 --> 00:12:51.504
It really is not a pretty diamond.

00:12:51.504 --> 00:12:54.164
It's blue, it's got all kinds of shit in it.

00:12:54.164 --> 00:12:54.927
It's not pretty.

00:12:54.927 --> 00:12:56.003
Why were they-?

00:12:56.544 --> 00:13:09.089
Why was it we're not going to See if it's real.

00:13:09.841 --> 00:13:11.408
See if the curse is real.

00:13:11.600 --> 00:13:14.948
It would just be like the fates, the will of God.

00:13:16.100 --> 00:13:18.688
You just the thread Snip.

00:13:18.688 --> 00:13:24.552
Tom Cruise declined an award from the Kennedy Center.

00:13:25.442 --> 00:13:28.467
Yes, I did see that Trumpy Trumpskin wanted to give it to him.

00:13:28.467 --> 00:13:32.025
He would be the presenter and the list of honorees.

00:13:32.025 --> 00:13:32.943
Tom's like I'm good.

00:13:32.943 --> 00:13:35.323
Yeah, I don't need that.

00:13:35.585 --> 00:13:39.870
Thanks, and to that I say welcome to the resistance, Tom Cruise.

00:13:40.980 --> 00:13:42.126
Welcome to the resistance.

00:13:42.126 --> 00:13:43.345
We're going to send you a t-shirt.

00:13:43.345 --> 00:13:46.749
Yes, gen X, women are sick of this shit.

00:13:46.749 --> 00:13:48.426
Resistance member.

00:13:48.919 --> 00:13:50.125
Oh, hey, now.

00:13:50.460 --> 00:13:51.283
Maybe we should do that.

00:13:52.000 --> 00:13:53.000
Yeah, we can do something like that.

00:13:53.000 --> 00:13:58.340
Gen X women are the resistance In the same vein of the Smithsonian overhaul.

00:13:58.340 --> 00:14:04.390
Had you heard about the proposed alternative to PBS?

00:14:04.510 --> 00:14:05.052
for children oh my.

00:14:05.133 --> 00:14:05.994
God no.

00:14:05.994 --> 00:14:08.841
Prager University.

00:14:08.861 --> 00:14:09.461
God, of course Prager.

00:14:09.642 --> 00:14:18.471
University, the right-wing network could fill the void left by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's DEA funding.

00:14:18.471 --> 00:14:24.136
One of the children's lessons taught by PragerU is that slavery was no big deal.

00:14:24.136 --> 00:14:28.610
No big deal, and it's an animated cartoon starring Columbus.

00:14:28.610 --> 00:14:34.562
You know, christopher Columbus brought here such wonderful diseases um.

00:14:34.562 --> 00:14:38.629
So yeah, this is sort of well, you could use this.

00:14:38.629 --> 00:14:39.530
Um.

00:14:39.530 --> 00:14:40.432
So it is.

00:14:40.432 --> 00:14:46.590
The white house debuted a new educational partner at its launch event for the new founders and this is new.

00:14:46.629 --> 00:14:49.528
This is new prager university has been around for a long time, but this news is new.

00:14:49.548 --> 00:14:49.990
Yes, this is new Prager.

00:14:50.009 --> 00:14:51.417
University has been around for a long time, yes, but this news is new.

00:14:51.417 --> 00:14:56.369
Yes, this is like this was, so this particular article was posted on the 8th Jesus.

00:14:56.389 --> 00:15:02.131
Christ, because the Prager stuff was when the whole Project 2025.

00:15:02.131 --> 00:15:04.807
Yeah, all these people are pregnant Came to light.

00:15:04.886 --> 00:15:05.249
Yes, right.

00:15:05.379 --> 00:15:13.561
Like Prager got a little Yep Little headline there, little uh, yep, little headline there.

00:15:13.581 --> 00:15:13.981
Yep, so, absolutely so.

00:15:13.981 --> 00:15:14.923
They have not faded into oblivion.

00:15:14.923 --> 00:15:16.687
They are back with a vengeance project 2025.

00:15:16.687 --> 00:15:22.403
The orchestrators of that plan are actively in branches of our government right now.

00:15:22.524 --> 00:15:44.202
So let us not be well in the heritage foundation we get uh, oh, this was it the christopher columbus explorer of the new world slavery is no big deal uh, the one of the dudes in the heritage foundation will, has been nominated to take over for the um statistics position oh yeah, I read that bullshit fired.

00:15:44.202 --> 00:15:54.053
Yeah, so that you know we may have that of that dunderhead, who also, by the way, was in the Capitol on January 6th.

00:15:55.195 --> 00:15:56.615
Oh, yeah, oh.

00:15:56.615 --> 00:15:59.957
So that Just hanging out just in the crowd, just observing.

00:15:59.957 --> 00:16:04.331
I'm sure that's what they say he just happened to be at a meeting.

00:16:04.995 --> 00:16:10.811
Of course, just happened to be, but there are pictures of that dunderhead like in you know, in the crowd.

00:16:11.812 --> 00:16:14.700
It's awful, it's all awful, everything's awful.

00:16:14.860 --> 00:16:16.025
Keep talking about it.

00:16:16.179 --> 00:16:17.725
Keep fighting the good fight.

00:16:17.725 --> 00:16:19.903
Please fight the good fight and speak up.

00:16:19.903 --> 00:16:23.707
Record things you know, we just have to keep talking about it.

00:16:23.707 --> 00:16:35.697
It doesn't do your heart good to be angry 24-7, but do the parts that you can when you can, yes, and also bring some joy to your corner of the world.

00:16:35.697 --> 00:16:36.059
Yes.

00:16:36.059 --> 00:16:37.265
Do something beautiful.

00:16:37.419 --> 00:16:46.259
Protect your mental health as best you can Make a craft Paint rocks and distribute them amongst your neighbors, not through their windows like as gifts.

00:16:46.259 --> 00:16:47.802
Yes, just leave them around.

00:16:47.802 --> 00:16:49.304
You know something lovely?

00:16:49.304 --> 00:16:51.068
Plant flowers I don't know.

00:16:51.068 --> 00:16:51.529
Do something good?

00:16:51.529 --> 00:16:51.789
Pet flowers?

00:16:51.850 --> 00:16:52.511
I don't know, do something good.

00:16:52.511 --> 00:16:52.751
Pet puppies.

00:16:52.751 --> 00:16:53.754
Pet puppies, walk dogs.

00:16:53.754 --> 00:16:55.051
Volunteer for nonprofits.

00:16:55.051 --> 00:16:56.907
Volunteer for nonprofits Yep.

00:16:56.907 --> 00:16:58.384
Nonprofits come together.

00:16:58.384 --> 00:17:01.576
Absolutely use help right now.

00:17:01.958 --> 00:17:02.100
Okay.

00:17:02.120 --> 00:17:10.174
Because all of the amount of federal funding that has been cut for nonprofits is absolutely terrifying.

00:17:10.174 --> 00:17:14.670
There are whole nonprofits that do not know how they are going to keep their doors open.

00:17:15.030 --> 00:17:17.406
Right Doing things like feeding people.

00:17:17.406 --> 00:17:20.026
Yeah, you know important things.

00:17:22.224 --> 00:17:24.857
So send money or donate your time.

00:17:24.857 --> 00:17:30.769
Yeah, Jump in and do some good and yeah, put the good in the world where it is needed.

00:17:30.769 --> 00:17:32.011
Agreed.

00:17:33.193 --> 00:17:35.486
Oh shit, we do have a topic today.

00:17:35.486 --> 00:17:37.948
We are going to preview it and then we could take a little break.

00:17:38.148 --> 00:17:42.848
Yeah, one thing you shouldn't do probably with your spare time right now.

00:17:43.109 --> 00:17:44.152
Oh what, what, Megan?

00:17:44.152 --> 00:17:44.874
What should you not do?

00:17:45.339 --> 00:17:49.691
Probably, maybe, probably, shouldn't join an MLM.

00:17:49.691 --> 00:17:53.980
What I mean?

00:17:54.000 --> 00:17:57.146
I'm just saying you could, but please don't invite me to the party.

00:17:57.146 --> 00:17:58.489
You shouldn't join an MLM right now.

00:17:58.489 --> 00:17:58.648
Why not?

00:17:58.648 --> 00:17:59.310
That's crazy.

00:17:59.310 --> 00:18:01.621
Everybody gets rich in an MLM.

00:18:02.382 --> 00:18:03.201
Funny, funny.

00:18:03.201 --> 00:18:05.365
You say that I was looking at stats.

00:18:05.365 --> 00:18:08.608
I just saw well, let me find it, where was it?

00:18:08.608 --> 00:18:13.673
99.6 percent of people who join mlms.

00:18:13.673 --> 00:18:18.365
I mean, that's a lot of people 99.6 money.

00:18:18.724 --> 00:18:19.946
Yeah, no fucking shit.

00:18:19.946 --> 00:18:21.529
So you know what I think?

00:18:21.529 --> 00:18:33.913
I think all of gen x we were just conned and we're all in a giant mlm and the boomers and started it right like silent generation just survived.

00:18:34.375 --> 00:18:37.747
They were like I hope I fucking make it depression, my god.

00:18:37.747 --> 00:18:41.484
And then the boomers were like this is great, I don't know what you're fucking talking about.

00:18:41.484 --> 00:18:46.064
I got some money, I'm gonna buy a house for five raspberries sounds great, uh.

00:18:46.064 --> 00:18:50.651
And then they were like oh, you guys, just go do all these things, you're gonna be great, you know, go to.

00:18:50.651 --> 00:18:54.945
You have to go to college, you have to do this, like you have to do that.

00:18:54.945 --> 00:18:57.542
Well, make sure you get a house, make sure you do.

00:18:57.542 --> 00:19:00.070
You know, buy a fucking car, all of this stuff.

00:19:00.070 --> 00:19:19.928
And now we're all stuck in a fucking giant MLM, because guess what you would have to make $66 an hour to have the same buying power as our parents in the 1970s.

00:19:19.948 --> 00:19:21.128
Really, yes, that is crazy bullshit.

00:19:21.128 --> 00:19:21.851
That, uh, that tracks.

00:19:21.851 --> 00:19:22.612
Uh, it's interesting.

00:19:22.612 --> 00:19:32.390
I heard a stat too that I can't quote exactly, so I won't say exactly what the stat was, but the the fact of the matter is that gen x is not even.

00:19:32.390 --> 00:19:41.250
We are still in a place where gen x isn't buying houses to the same level as baby boomers.

00:19:41.250 --> 00:19:45.767
Baby boomers are still buying the majority of homes.

00:19:45.767 --> 00:19:49.515
Oh my god right, really, yeah, fascinating, they're just out there.

00:19:49.515 --> 00:19:51.779
Oh my God Right, really, yeah, fascinating.

00:19:51.779 --> 00:19:53.866
And they're just out there with all their money.

00:19:53.866 --> 00:19:56.007
But you're not going to be around that long.

00:19:56.079 --> 00:19:57.050
Do you really need that house?

00:19:57.050 --> 00:19:59.747
Yes, ma'am, I mean, everybody deserves a place to live.

00:19:59.787 --> 00:20:04.605
But hello, they're buying those houses and they're probably all converting them into Airbnbs.

00:20:04.605 --> 00:20:08.031
Different episode, different episode.

00:20:08.031 --> 00:20:09.520
We got things we can talk about, all right.

00:20:09.560 --> 00:20:15.291
Well, let's take a brief break, a quick pause, and then we'll come back and talk about.

00:20:16.292 --> 00:20:18.267
MLMs, let's talk about those parties.

00:20:18.267 --> 00:20:24.885
Gen X Women Are Sick of the Shit is supported by Lilas Love you like a sis, a Gen X Women's Social Club.

00:20:24.885 --> 00:20:26.266
What's Lilas, megan?

00:20:26.266 --> 00:20:35.054
Lilas is our off platform, off the books of faces, off all of the other traditional social media.

00:20:35.054 --> 00:20:42.111
It is our space and place for Gen X women to come together, have conversations, meet each other.

00:20:42.551 --> 00:20:43.252
It's a social club.

00:20:43.252 --> 00:20:44.275
It is a social club.

00:20:44.275 --> 00:20:45.705
It's a membership-based club.

00:20:45.705 --> 00:20:48.047
Memberships are $10 a month.

00:20:48.047 --> 00:20:53.213
That does help support us in growing the platform.

00:20:53.213 --> 00:21:02.661
We purchased a platform that would host a network of women so that you could come together and meet each other in real time.

00:21:02.921 --> 00:21:10.412
In a safer space than a traditional social media platform and a much more personal space.

00:21:10.412 --> 00:21:12.675
So what do we do there, Leslie?

00:21:13.000 --> 00:21:25.634
We host movie nights where we live stream some of our favorites as they are available to us for group watches of films from the 70s, 80s and 90s.

00:21:25.634 --> 00:21:28.469
We host a space for a monthly book club.

00:21:28.469 --> 00:21:33.311
We host trivia nights once a month.

00:21:33.311 --> 00:21:36.019
We have a live text chat.

00:21:36.140 --> 00:21:36.881
Four prizes even.

00:21:36.942 --> 00:21:37.962
Four prizes.

00:21:37.962 --> 00:21:38.704
That's true.

00:21:38.704 --> 00:21:46.365
The space is able to host like weekly text chats so that you can kind of check in in real time with people.

00:21:46.365 --> 00:21:57.855
I would say the critical difference between kind of what this space is and any other social media space that I've experienced is that it is active.

00:21:57.855 --> 00:22:05.188
You will have to engage in it or be engaged in it by other people, so it's not like a passive consumption thing.

00:22:05.980 --> 00:22:07.989
It's like making connections Yep.

00:22:08.009 --> 00:22:23.925
Like making connections Yep and if that's what you're looking for the opportunity to meet other people, to find people who are maybe in the same similar spaces as you, are Like-minded, same time, phase of life, navigating all of those transitions, then this might be the right place for you.

00:22:24.488 --> 00:22:25.391
So check out, lylas.

00:22:25.391 --> 00:22:28.403
You can learn more about it at GenXWomenPodcom.

00:22:28.403 --> 00:22:29.403
It at genxwomenpodcom.

00:22:29.403 --> 00:22:39.315
Hey, so we're going to talk about multi-level marketing.

00:22:39.315 --> 00:22:40.635
What stuff?

00:22:40.635 --> 00:22:48.481
What do you mean?

00:22:48.481 --> 00:22:49.746
You know, like all of those partays.

00:22:49.766 --> 00:22:52.855
Partays, you know, pure romance, not like oh yes, do you remember that one that was at least like, aren't they still?

00:22:52.875 --> 00:22:53.376
around.

00:22:53.376 --> 00:22:54.038
Are they still around?

00:22:54.619 --> 00:22:57.269
That actually they sold stuff that was useful.

00:22:57.460 --> 00:22:59.448
Why can't I be invited to that?

00:22:59.448 --> 00:23:02.760
We could just host one, yeah, but you know what the moment?

00:23:02.760 --> 00:23:06.551
We do is the moment like somebody's going to be like we just need to buy it.

00:23:06.551 --> 00:23:07.361
If you buy it, then you get a discount.

00:23:07.361 --> 00:23:09.123
And if you buy it, then you get a discount.

00:23:09.123 --> 00:23:13.907
And if you buy in and then you get other people to do it, then you get even bigger discounts.

00:23:13.948 --> 00:23:15.650
I don't want to join a sorority.

00:23:15.650 --> 00:23:16.971
You can't make me.

00:23:16.971 --> 00:23:18.093
Is it a sorority?

00:23:18.093 --> 00:23:21.616
Well, it's similar, because you're just like recruit.

00:23:21.616 --> 00:23:22.682
I mean, that's what sororities?

00:23:22.821 --> 00:23:23.586
do they recruit you?

00:23:23.726 --> 00:23:23.787
in.

00:23:23.787 --> 00:23:24.923
You got to pay your dues.

00:23:24.923 --> 00:23:26.048
You got to keep it going.

00:23:32.200 --> 00:23:33.442
And then why don't you get your hair a certain way?

00:23:33.442 --> 00:23:34.945
Yeah, you gotta wear the shirt, you gotta wear your greek letters.

00:23:34.945 --> 00:23:45.292
So, uh, I just pulled up on the wikipedia like a little definition, because I think this is good for setting the stage yeah, what we're talking about here, what an mlm is all right.

00:23:45.313 --> 00:23:46.201
So an mlm?

00:23:46.201 --> 00:23:50.912
Multi-level marketing is also called network marketing or pyramid selling.

00:23:50.912 --> 00:24:12.616
It's a controversial and sometimes illegal marketing strategy for the sale of products or services in which the revenue of the MLM company is derived from a non-salaried workforce selling the company's products or services, while the earnings of the participants are derived from a pyramid-shaped or binary compensation commission system.

00:24:12.616 --> 00:24:28.074
Multi-level marketing compensation plan usually pays out to participants from two revenue streams one based on sales from directly selling the products, and the other is paid out from commissions based on the wholesale purchases made by other sellers underneath you.

00:24:28.074 --> 00:24:31.342
And that's where they get you right.

00:24:31.342 --> 00:24:40.694
Yeah, you can go to a party and like all of a sudden they're like hey, you know, I know you really like this party light party stuff.

00:24:43.560 --> 00:24:53.953
You're buying this, I don't know, like Full price for me Stuff, right, but if you join it's only like $150 and then you get 20% off.

00:24:53.953 --> 00:24:55.785
Discount, 20% off.

00:24:55.785 --> 00:24:57.546
I cannot live without.

00:24:57.605 --> 00:24:59.267
Yeah, so it's a hot fucking mess.

00:24:59.267 --> 00:25:06.977
It is a hot fucking mess with the promise of like oh, and I just work part time and I make like $5,000 a month Right.

00:25:07.176 --> 00:25:19.333
It's so easy, right, and there's literally those MLMs for everything, like there's a nail polish not nail polish, but like the sticky yes, nails Press on nails Press on nail stuff.

00:25:19.333 --> 00:25:20.034
There is.

00:25:20.420 --> 00:25:21.424
There's like that.

00:25:21.424 --> 00:25:23.222
There's essential oils.

00:25:23.222 --> 00:25:28.753
Yes, oh God, so many of those Clothing LuLaRoe yes.

00:25:28.854 --> 00:25:35.780
Yeah, oh, that was leggings.

00:25:35.780 --> 00:25:36.984
Uh, cleaning products, many of those fuller brush stuff.

00:25:36.984 --> 00:25:37.748
Right, oh, yeah, was fuller brush one.

00:25:37.768 --> 00:25:49.374
Yes, I presume fuller brush was one of the earliest mlms there are ads of fuller brush, like back in the 80s or 1800s that I saw uh amway had cleaning products, oh my god.

00:25:49.460 --> 00:25:53.262
and amway was a big deal, and they had everything.

00:25:53.262 --> 00:25:55.005
I think, first of all, they still do.

00:25:55.005 --> 00:25:56.025
They're still around.

00:25:56.025 --> 00:25:58.708
Amway is still going strong.

00:25:58.788 --> 00:26:00.388
Not all of these are deceased.

00:26:00.388 --> 00:26:04.792
I was looking really quick to see how when Fuller.

00:26:04.792 --> 00:26:10.777
I saw this ad it was so cool about Fuller Brush.

00:26:14.779 --> 00:26:29.365
I can't talk and so like that would have been like our grandparents or great grandparents right like so grandma comes, she, she's done making uh weapons for world war two, right, and she comes back into the house and she's bored out of her mind.

00:26:29.944 --> 00:26:31.386
She's also got to make some money.

00:26:31.487 --> 00:26:36.211
She can sell some Avon, she can sell some Mary Kay.

00:26:37.071 --> 00:26:38.192
Oh, this is pretty interesting.

00:26:38.192 --> 00:26:40.575
Fuller Brush To tag on the.

00:26:40.575 --> 00:26:41.996
I just totally cut you off.

00:26:41.996 --> 00:26:43.785
No, no, no, Go for it To tag on the Fuller.

00:26:43.785 --> 00:26:50.983
So Fuller Brush Company was started in 1906 and you were literally saying exactly what occurred in the 30s.

00:26:50.983 --> 00:26:55.548
They relocated from a space across on Union.

00:26:55.548 --> 00:27:03.775
They moved, but in World War II the company cut its normal civilian output to make brushes for the cleaning of guns.

00:27:04.556 --> 00:27:15.784
So that did impact, and then, post-world War II, they had to figure out something else to do so.

00:27:15.784 --> 00:27:23.400
Between 59 and 94, instead of 1966, they hired 17 500 women, motivated by the lack of qualified men and the example set by avon products.

00:27:23.400 --> 00:27:32.640
So they brought in all these women, and so that seems like that sale thing this is probably the the I I would guess is kind of like the original.

00:27:33.902 --> 00:27:37.087
It's not the original scheme, right, but it's like it.

00:27:37.087 --> 00:27:39.612
It almost makes the most sense.

00:27:39.632 --> 00:27:44.146
The concept, yes, like absolutely for and but yes after that.

00:27:44.146 --> 00:27:46.551
The origination story of mlm right.

00:27:46.551 --> 00:27:52.567
Well, and I think, like door-to-door sales, like that was just a thing, you know you would be a door-to-door sales like.

00:27:52.586 --> 00:27:53.208
that was just a thing you know.

00:27:53.208 --> 00:27:55.530
You would be a door-to-door sales person and be selling your vacuums or which.

00:27:55.530 --> 00:28:06.734
My grandmother purchased a sweeper because of door-to-door and it was also expected because there weren't necessarily like department stores or vacuum stores.

00:28:06.734 --> 00:28:09.708
I mean, you did count on that for certain things.

00:28:09.708 --> 00:28:13.788
Exactly, exactly All of that stuff that I said about Fuller Brush mostly true.

00:28:13.788 --> 00:28:14.269
I don't know.

00:28:14.339 --> 00:28:25.007
I kind of bullshitted some of it, but please don't hold me to it forever and it seemed like, too, that you it was either, at least in the early days and maybe even now really.

00:28:25.007 --> 00:28:37.423
But like the key products tend to be cleaning products and makeup, yeah Right, so like clearly women focused products.

00:28:37.423 --> 00:28:37.782
So like.

00:28:37.903 --> 00:28:46.804
MLMs to me are very heavy focused on women going to these parties, women joining up and being part of this.

00:28:46.804 --> 00:28:53.574
You know the pyramid and not as much men, although I think you know.

00:28:53.574 --> 00:28:55.520
Then you've got Amway and things like that.

00:28:55.520 --> 00:28:57.888
That were more men, right.

00:28:58.028 --> 00:28:59.272
And you have a story.

00:28:59.272 --> 00:29:01.078
Shackley Vitamins was definitely.

00:29:01.078 --> 00:29:03.967
That was where my family got hoodwinked.

00:29:03.967 --> 00:29:06.935
What else was like kind of?

00:29:06.935 --> 00:29:11.609
I will talk about Shackley Vitamins, but what else was sort of early 70s and 80s?

00:29:11.609 --> 00:29:15.590
80s saw a huge boom in MLMs and I think there were.

00:29:15.590 --> 00:29:19.599
I asked a question and now I'm going to answer with some other answer altogether.

00:29:19.599 --> 00:29:44.667
I think that there was a capitalization on women, many women still being at home but wanting to enter the workforce, but not having access to solid jobs that would work around like school schedules, and this is a way you can still have capitalize on like, hey, you need a career but you also need to take care of your kids.

00:29:44.807 --> 00:29:47.776
Why don't you just sell part-time for?

00:29:47.796 --> 00:29:54.455
this good money doing this, good money doing this, or, like you know, you make your mad money or whatever right Sure.

00:29:54.797 --> 00:30:05.211
Take your family on vacation, don't you want to buy your kids nicer clothes and, to be honest, there were enough of those pink Mary Kay Cadillacs on the streets that I've seen them.

00:30:05.211 --> 00:30:05.991
There were a lot.

00:30:05.991 --> 00:30:08.133
Yes, I mean people got them.

00:30:08.512 --> 00:30:11.654
So somebody was, somebody was making money.

00:30:12.536 --> 00:30:14.376
Just that, that point four percent though.

00:30:14.376 --> 00:30:40.355
Yeah, right, well, and this topic came up because I mentioned the other day that Tupperware had filed bankruptcy and Tupperware and in-home Tupperware parties with couples were like a big fucking thing in the 50s and the 60s, and so that got us talking about like well shit, what MLMs did people you know participate in and what was it like?

00:30:41.550 --> 00:30:42.792
And yeah, there were many.

00:30:42.792 --> 00:30:53.853
So my mom never, I don't think, I don't think she ever did anything, but she did say that she really liked mary k cosmetics.

00:30:53.853 --> 00:31:04.621
Okay, like of the two right between avon and mary k, she always thought like, oh, mary k seems like it's like a legit, you know, better makeup, better cars yeah, higher.

00:31:04.721 --> 00:31:09.237
I do think mary k had the vibe of like higher end kind of cosmetics.

00:31:09.356 --> 00:31:14.472
It's interesting and you remember, like the, the movie um edward scissorhands?

00:31:14.472 --> 00:31:17.578
Yes, and the mom was like a mary k?

00:31:17.578 --> 00:31:24.741
Yes, I don't, it wasn't mary k, but it was like their, their fictionalized version of whatever it was diane, diane, keaton.

00:31:25.483 --> 00:31:27.228
No, was it keaton?

00:31:27.228 --> 00:31:38.618
We know not keaton, we we're right, d was the mom and she has her little eyes and she's so cute and her little voice and she had the little pillbox hat adorable.

00:31:38.618 --> 00:31:44.661
So MLMs, I can share my MLM story if you would like to you should.

00:31:44.740 --> 00:31:55.263
And then I did post in the group about the fact that we were going to record this particular podcast, and there's a few comments in here too that people have about their experiences.

00:31:55.263 --> 00:31:56.648
Okay, so I do that.

00:31:56.648 --> 00:31:57.290
You want to do this?

00:31:57.330 --> 00:32:00.519
Yeah, tell me tell me your story, my experience of an MLM.

00:32:00.519 --> 00:32:01.882
I was a small child.

00:32:01.882 --> 00:32:06.499
We had moved, so it had to be post 1978.

00:32:06.499 --> 00:32:15.393
So somewhere between like 1978 and 1973, 1978.

00:32:15.393 --> 00:32:17.800
So somewhere between like 1978 and 1973.

00:32:17.800 --> 00:32:25.385
My grandfather I doubt any family member of mine listens to this, but I believe that this is mostly true from the perspective of a eight, nine, 10 year old child, my grandfather, I think, retired.

00:32:25.506 --> 00:32:34.544
He had been like a minister and needed to make some money and there was a lot of recruitment happening in the Shackley vitamin world.

00:32:34.910 --> 00:32:36.194
And because he'd been a minister.

00:32:36.194 --> 00:32:48.651
I'm making this up this is like gen expert, not an expert thing but there was a definite like sort of like religious I don't know if it was amongst like Christian churches that there was recruitment.

00:32:48.651 --> 00:32:50.291
That happened.

00:32:50.291 --> 00:32:53.134
I don't know like Christian churches that there was recruitment, Okay Okay, that happened.

00:32:53.134 --> 00:32:56.278
I don't know, but it had sort of a religiousy vibe, Okay To it when.

00:32:56.278 --> 00:33:00.201
I was young, it was like maybe it's just because grandpa had been a minister.

00:33:00.781 --> 00:33:09.192
Okay, there were other folks that that kind of felt the same way, that it was sort of it had like a and I think Amway has that vibe too.

00:33:09.212 --> 00:33:09.914
There's a little bit in there.

00:33:09.914 --> 00:33:12.904
I pulled up Shackley and lost it again.

00:33:12.904 --> 00:33:16.973
It doesn't matter, but he would.

00:33:16.973 --> 00:33:23.085
I mean he had an office in the back of his house and it was like floor-to-ceiling Shackley vitamins.

00:33:23.085 --> 00:33:36.876
I mean they were like hustling the shit out of some fucking vitamins, right, and he made money shit out of some fucking vitamins, right, and he made money, so I think amongst their church community, like he had an audience right.

00:33:37.076 --> 00:33:51.990
And then he had three sons my dad was one and a daughter, and then I believe her husband was still around at that time, so he was also direct selling to his children and then encouraging his children to like take these things to their friends.

00:33:51.990 --> 00:33:53.713
I mean hustling.

00:33:53.773 --> 00:33:55.557
Yeah, right.

00:33:55.657 --> 00:34:05.060
And so when he would come down or when we would go up, my dad would go back with like vats of vitamins, but he did pay.

00:34:05.060 --> 00:34:13.367
Like grandpa was also hustling my dad, so my dad paid some small amount for it, but there were always.

00:34:13.367 --> 00:34:18.364
There were certain things that were comped or discounted or all of this stuff.

00:34:18.364 --> 00:34:20.070
Yeah, yeah, yeah, no, he would discount.

00:34:20.070 --> 00:34:29.195
And the reason I know is that as I got older and my grandpa was still living, he got a little phone call from the IRS.

00:34:30.617 --> 00:34:44.592
So my grandpa who had been a minister, had hustled the hustler a little too much, and my understanding of what happened and childhood memories.

00:34:44.592 --> 00:34:45.936
My mom was dying.

00:34:45.936 --> 00:34:48.266
I don't know that I remember this accurately.

00:34:48.266 --> 00:34:49.992
I was probably like 11 or 12.

00:34:49.992 --> 00:34:54.695
But the things that he had given to his children had been write-offs.

00:34:54.695 --> 00:34:59.710
But he was writing off thousands of dollars in products.

00:35:00.590 --> 00:35:02.931
So how does one get to?

00:35:02.931 --> 00:35:06.793
I mean, this is my ignorance, but how does one get tipped off to 10?

00:35:06.833 --> 00:35:44.503
years and at some point they start to notice that your business is not making any money, but you're bringing in, you know, and he was probably making a few thousand a month which in 1980 dollars that was probably $20,000 or something, I don't know.

00:35:47.371 --> 00:35:48.313
It's like mansion money.

00:35:48.313 --> 00:36:01.067
And not only did he get tipped like had to have a conversation with the IRS, he had to go to the office, into the IRS office and present his boxes of receipts.

00:36:01.067 --> 00:36:10.045
And I either overheard the conversation or like asked like what was up, like it got mentioned.

00:36:10.045 --> 00:36:17.318
Were like asked like what was up, like it got mentioned, and he implied, said directly, basically, that he just played dumb.

00:36:17.318 --> 00:36:20.289
He's like oh, I'm just an old man, I don't know what's going on.

00:36:20.911 --> 00:36:25.079
Yeah, he did and he was probably in his late 70s.

00:36:25.079 --> 00:36:28.003
Health-wise wasn't in great health, you know.

00:36:28.003 --> 00:36:35.101
So he came off like quite doddering, yeah, but he just kind of, like old man, dumbed his way through that.

00:36:35.789 --> 00:36:36.753
I don't know if there was a.

00:36:36.753 --> 00:36:39.300
I guess I forgot to carry my one Right.

00:36:39.460 --> 00:36:45.884
Wow, or I didn't know, I couldn't write these off and give them to all of my children.

00:36:45.884 --> 00:36:59.385
Here are, but, like in our bathroom closet, I remember there just being a lineup of like all of the different supplements that you would take Low key, like there were these, were you taking them.

00:36:59.385 --> 00:37:00.570
So were they like shoving.

00:37:00.570 --> 00:37:02.677
I didn't really take a ton of vitamins.

00:37:02.677 --> 00:37:06.786
Now some of this was exacerbated because my mom did have lung cancer.

00:37:06.827 --> 00:37:10.976
Yeah, right, during the period that she was sick, they were shoving everything in her poor body.

00:37:12.159 --> 00:37:30.603
But I realized that like I probably had like a little bit of an addiction to like laxatives at one point, because there was this herbal one that you could just take yeah, and you would like Seneca stuff or whatever, and I was like dad's like oh, you could take a couple of those a week, and I was like great or like whatever.

00:37:30.682 --> 00:37:33.052
I mean he just told me what to take and I was just like this is.

00:37:33.052 --> 00:37:37.690
I was like so did I have like a little bit of an eating disorder, I don't know when.

00:37:37.690 --> 00:37:40.039
I was just like pooping all the time.

00:37:40.039 --> 00:37:49.224
It wasn't like I would binge and then poop, but we were encouraged like to take all of these supplements.

00:37:49.224 --> 00:37:55.355
Take your laxative and they were free in our house.

00:37:55.355 --> 00:37:57.461
So, and it was you know, and it just felt like important.

00:37:57.663 --> 00:38:03.036
In a weird way, it's so funny to have people just come over to your house and like, oh yeah, grab a towel out of there.

00:38:03.036 --> 00:38:03.597
What the?

00:38:03.998 --> 00:38:08.936
fuck right, I mean it was just I, it was a whole class.

00:38:08.936 --> 00:38:15.849
It was sort of like, if people discover you're a drug dealer, like we probably had thousands of dollars of vitamins in this closet.

00:38:16.190 --> 00:38:17.536
But it was just what grandpa did.

00:38:17.536 --> 00:38:19.617
I mean it's super smart of grandpa really.

00:38:19.617 --> 00:38:24.300
I mean, if you're going to be in an MLM, you want to be at the top.

00:38:24.621 --> 00:38:24.922
Right.

00:38:24.922 --> 00:38:27.231
Which grandpa clearly was at the top he got in at.

00:38:27.231 --> 00:38:28.918
You know he was middle.

00:38:33.532 --> 00:38:37.199
I don't think he was super high but he but he had a congregation of people who would buy, sold vitamins to the front.

00:38:37.360 --> 00:38:45.686
Oh yeah, it's so gross, what was happening oh my god did you ever get sucked in like?

00:38:45.686 --> 00:38:47.110
Did you ever get invited to parties?

00:38:47.110 --> 00:38:49.820
Or, yes, go to any mlms, were they?

00:38:49.820 --> 00:38:52.449
Like in the 80s or the 90s or 2000s.

00:38:52.489 --> 00:38:53.733
I feel like it was later.

00:38:53.733 --> 00:38:57.021
So I don't think I got sucked into anything until much later.

00:38:57.021 --> 00:38:57.630
It's you know.

00:38:57.630 --> 00:39:04.722
I think it was probably one of those cases of like why would you invite somebody who doesn't have any money to a party?

00:39:04.722 --> 00:39:05.063
You?

00:39:05.103 --> 00:39:07.510
know, unless it's just sheer desperation.

00:39:07.690 --> 00:39:08.934
I need bodies at this party.

00:39:08.934 --> 00:39:10.036
Well, wasn't that the?

00:39:10.097 --> 00:39:15.340
fucking most awkward thing Like we were early 20s in the 90s when a lot of these happened.

00:39:15.340 --> 00:39:22.393
And I would get invited to like a jewelry party, exactly, and you're like I can't afford that shit Right Like okay so what did?

00:39:22.413 --> 00:39:23.056
you go to.

00:39:23.056 --> 00:39:27.554
So there was a jewelry, silpata, does that sound familiar?

00:39:27.554 --> 00:39:29.536
So like so potter was jewelry.

00:39:29.536 --> 00:39:33.181
Okay, I think I still actually have a couple pieces.

00:39:33.961 --> 00:39:35.704
Oh yeah, so potter jewelry?

00:39:35.704 --> 00:39:40.079
Yeah, yes, man, so you know silver and it was kind of cutish.

00:39:40.289 --> 00:39:49.891
There was some okay stuff, and I guess if you're good at cells, I mean at least it was sterling silver and I could get behind that and Okay.

00:39:49.911 --> 00:39:51.686
I was sterling silver and I could get behind that and okay, I wasn't gonna sell it.

00:39:51.686 --> 00:39:53.271
What's your favorite dead mlm?

00:39:53.271 --> 00:39:59.585
I guess so funny so, oh, oh, leah sophia oh, I do remember leah sophia.

00:40:00.108 --> 00:40:02.652
I do, I remember party light.

00:40:02.652 --> 00:40:08.463
My my mother-in-law was a party light person okay, I feel like party light, what was.

00:40:08.463 --> 00:40:10.829
And then there was um, what was the one?

00:40:10.829 --> 00:40:15.867
That was all like home kitchen stuff, the pampered chef pampered chef.

00:40:15.867 --> 00:40:27.094
Yeah that was another one that was always way out of my price range I got pampered shelf pampered shelf pampered chef stuff, same diff pampered shelf pampered pampered shelf.

00:40:27.094 --> 00:40:27.755
It works.

00:40:28.117 --> 00:40:33.045
It felt very uh out of my price range fancy and high-end.

00:40:33.045 --> 00:40:35.336
I did actually spend money at pampered chef.

00:40:35.336 --> 00:40:38.409
I still have some pampered chef items in my kitchen.

00:40:38.509 --> 00:40:49.619
Yeah, I mean, see, like I think some of that okay, like the product wasn't terrible, it was the no, it was the selling method of it yeah, it was the going to party can.

00:40:49.619 --> 00:40:50.221
Can I share?

00:40:50.221 --> 00:40:51.603
I went to a party once.

00:40:51.809 --> 00:40:53.577
I'm going to try to say this with the kindest.

00:40:53.577 --> 00:41:11.315
So I was a young mom, I went to a party that was hosted by an extended family member and the person who hosted was clearly just having like a really hard time in life and there was just TMI being shared left and right, but it felt a little like in my.

00:41:11.315 --> 00:41:13.101
It was just a lot.

00:41:13.289 --> 00:41:14.293
Yeah, it was a lot of words.

00:41:14.313 --> 00:41:19.335
There was a lot of word vomit about a lot of very personal things and a lot of kind of hysterical laughing.

00:41:19.335 --> 00:41:25.237
And we were like we're just going to buy things from you you clearly need, and it was like a friend or whatever.

00:41:25.237 --> 00:41:32.780
But we were sitting there and like well, you know, the thing is, you go and you cook something and you eat and you have wine and you hang out and then you sell things.

00:41:32.780 --> 00:41:38.514
But like the pitch about like how she got in and why she was doing it and all this stuff.

00:41:38.534 --> 00:41:41.010
We were just like oh, we should not know these things.

00:41:41.010 --> 00:41:43.974
Yeah, no, no, no no, let's just stick to that.

00:41:43.974 --> 00:41:45.597
It's fine, it was a lot.

00:41:45.657 --> 00:41:49.641
There was a hot minute where I felt like I was sort of the person that people would go to to have.

00:41:49.641 --> 00:41:54.327
Like if you were selling it, then you'd come to me and be like will you do a party?

00:41:54.327 --> 00:42:00.139
Then you'll get, you'll get 40 off of everything that you buy, if you host the party.

00:42:00.139 --> 00:42:04.914
Yeah, and I'd be like, uh, fine, what did?

00:42:04.934 --> 00:42:05.755
you host?

00:42:06.175 --> 00:42:13.505
I had, I did, I did host a party, light party Okay, that might be the only one and then maybe a salpada.

00:42:15.010 --> 00:42:17.418
Oh, maybe you hosted the drag party, because you know I don't fucking know right, sure for sure.

00:42:17.489 --> 00:42:20.139
But like, yeah, I think that's the only two.

00:42:20.139 --> 00:42:28.684
Okay, and that would have been after my daughter was born, kind of era so like it would have been early 2000s.

00:42:29.148 --> 00:42:30.291
Oh, okay, that makes sense.

00:42:30.291 --> 00:42:35.679
I think my sister-in-law hosted a Silpata party, as you're talking, and I think I know exactly where that ring is.

00:42:35.679 --> 00:42:36.960
It's upstairs Same.

00:42:36.960 --> 00:42:37.882
You did buy something.

00:42:37.943 --> 00:42:38.364
I did.

00:42:38.364 --> 00:42:45.280
It was a cool ring, but there were, I think, for every okay-ish type product.

00:42:45.280 --> 00:42:46.983
There were some that were just bad.

00:42:48.130 --> 00:42:49.313
What were the stinkers?

00:42:49.434 --> 00:42:51.518
Well, and I?

00:42:51.518 --> 00:42:54.331
Somebody's gonna get mad at me like arbonne.

00:42:54.693 --> 00:42:55.934
Like, I feel like arbonne?

00:42:56.114 --> 00:43:04.775
for sure not great stuff um those lularoe, oh my gosh the lularoe thing that was insane.

00:43:04.775 --> 00:43:05.938
Yes, and they were.

00:43:06.018 --> 00:43:14.876
They were hot for like a hot minute, but I always and people got totally ripped off and we were all just, I didn't ever get any.

00:43:14.876 --> 00:43:19.900
But I knew somebody who had a ton because I was like, oh, that looks company, where'd you get it?

00:43:19.900 --> 00:43:20.864
And I learned all about it.

00:43:20.864 --> 00:43:35.643
And then in our neighborhood for the halloween, festival there were a few years where there were vendors who were selling lularoe halloween all their all their Halloween leggings were out there and that was a huge deal, but they got in big trouble.

00:43:35.784 --> 00:43:39.293
I mean, they had a class action lawsuit filed in 2017.

00:43:39.333 --> 00:43:45.833
I just think that if you didn't have a class action lawsuits filed against you, are you really an MLM?

00:43:45.833 --> 00:43:48.135
Nope, not at all.

00:43:48.135 --> 00:43:50.199
Not really Get it together.

00:43:50.199 --> 00:43:57.585
I was surprised, though, that some of these are as old as they are, like Arbonne started in 1980 in Switzerland.

00:43:57.989 --> 00:43:58.893
Oh, wow which.

00:43:58.932 --> 00:43:59.737
I didn't know that.

00:44:00.449 --> 00:44:02.898
Amway started in 1959.

00:44:03.320 --> 00:44:04.202
Oh my gosh Okay.

00:44:04.952 --> 00:44:07.519
And it's going strong question mark.

00:44:08.451 --> 00:44:11.577
I would imagine some people are still doing it.

00:44:12.400 --> 00:44:17.556
Herbalife was another one that one started in 1980 in Los Angeles.

00:44:17.556 --> 00:44:20.541
I was looking at is it Nope?

00:44:20.561 --> 00:44:21.344
This is a different one.

00:44:21.344 --> 00:44:22.311
Not Herbalife at all.

00:44:22.570 --> 00:44:24.954
But it's probably the same thing right Kind of.

00:44:25.594 --> 00:44:39.139
I can't even pronounce this word, so something I don't know it doesn't seem like a very I don't know what this is it's um.

00:44:39.139 --> 00:44:47.704
So this is it's a wellness company and so that is interesting because there does seem to be like a preponderance of sort of wellness.

00:44:47.704 --> 00:44:49.088
Yes, improve your life.

00:44:49.148 --> 00:44:52.458
Related things like well, the supplements, the yeah from from.

00:44:52.538 --> 00:44:54.001
Shakely and beyond right.

00:44:54.001 --> 00:44:57.721
All the vitamins and then the essential oils company like.

00:44:57.820 --> 00:44:58.121
Young.

00:44:58.181 --> 00:45:01.514
Life and doTERRA like that was a whole.

00:45:01.514 --> 00:45:11.782
You can survive, you know, cure everything if you just rub some essential oils on your temples and you're going to be fine, roden Fields Tell me about this.

00:45:11.802 --> 00:45:12.463
That was another one.

00:45:12.463 --> 00:45:15.338
So, like rodent fields, let's see if they're still around.

00:45:15.338 --> 00:45:16.494
I think they probably are.

00:45:16.494 --> 00:45:22.057
Oh yeah, totally they will make you young.

00:45:22.057 --> 00:45:29.510
Apparently it's all anti-aging stuff Roden fields, anti-aging eye cream for wrinkles and crow feet.

00:45:29.710 --> 00:45:32.599
So we needed all of those things evidently.

00:45:32.599 --> 00:45:35.119
Yeah, I'm sure uh.

00:45:35.199 --> 00:45:47.630
Rodent fields rf is an american skincare and hair care company from katie rodent and kathy fields okay started it in 2000, oh, and then sold the company in 2003.

00:45:48.251 --> 00:45:54.313
Okay, so with like personal products, like that with vitamins, with cleaning products.

00:45:54.313 --> 00:45:56.378
So much of it is relational.

00:45:56.739 --> 00:45:59.514
You know you get your friends and you're like no, I'm taking it.

00:45:59.554 --> 00:46:00.275
I really like it.

00:46:00.275 --> 00:46:06.556
I think it's great because there's no way to assess the accuracy of those claims.

00:46:06.556 --> 00:46:07.418
None of those are.

00:46:07.418 --> 00:46:09.161
It's all just referral.

00:46:09.161 --> 00:46:18.838
There's zero science Made and with so many supplements, I mean there's very little, there's minimal science with any of them, do you?

00:46:18.838 --> 00:46:19.541
Remember unique.

00:46:20.297 --> 00:46:20.989
What does unique say?

00:46:20.989 --> 00:46:27.277
Y-o-u-n-i-q-u-e, an American direct selling multi-level marketing company that markets beauty products.

00:46:27.277 --> 00:46:30.023
Okay, so that was another one.

00:46:30.023 --> 00:46:31.519
Beauty counter was another one.

00:46:31.519 --> 00:46:34.793
Um, beauty counter was another one, that was that was kind of best.

00:46:34.793 --> 00:46:38.983
That was a hot one for a minute I think that one's?

00:46:38.983 --> 00:46:40.592
I don't think that one exists anymore.

00:46:41.253 --> 00:46:42.815
There were so many.

00:46:42.815 --> 00:46:55.121
I will say a um I I went to fun mlms that I participated in, which I didn't fully realize what an mlm was, probably in the early 2000s, like in this particular way.

00:46:55.141 --> 00:46:55.583
But I did.

00:46:55.809 --> 00:47:03.556
I went to a creative memories party and that was all marketed to us because we were young moms, like I had a new baby.

00:47:03.556 --> 00:47:05.456
Oh, you want to do a scrapbook?

00:47:05.456 --> 00:47:16.489
I have a fucking tub upstairs with like two creative memories scrapbooks and a bunch of shit, but because I have fucking adhd, I couldn't do anything with them because I didn't have all of the options.

00:47:16.489 --> 00:47:20.177
Megan, I needed all of the paper cutters before I could do anything.

00:47:20.239 --> 00:47:22.452
So it's literally just sitting in a box.

00:47:22.452 --> 00:47:24.054
That sounds right, um.

00:47:24.054 --> 00:47:27.503
And then the other useful one was the pure romance party.

00:47:27.503 --> 00:47:28.644
See, I would be.

00:47:28.644 --> 00:47:29.873
I would kind of go to that.

00:47:29.873 --> 00:47:31.518
Didn't hate that party at all.

00:47:31.518 --> 00:47:32.172
Went to one.

00:47:32.172 --> 00:47:36.771
It was like a bachelorette party for one of my girlfriends and I was like that's a good fucking time.

00:47:36.771 --> 00:47:39.340
Yep, I'm gonna spend 80 on that.

00:47:39.340 --> 00:47:41.144
It's got a lot of options.

00:47:41.144 --> 00:47:44.757
Thank you my being happy we're gonna take it there.

00:47:45.117 --> 00:47:45.659
Uh, let's see.

00:47:45.659 --> 00:47:48.048
I'm just looking through the facebook page, or?

00:47:48.068 --> 00:48:01.447
the facebook group too, because you put a question to the yeah I just said that we were doing this and there was some just got some feedback um awesome joffra cosmetics that one I don't remember, but a few people do which I thought was fun.

00:48:01.447 --> 00:48:05.094
Um, somebody says oh my god, yes, the almond scent was awesome.

00:48:05.094 --> 00:48:07.016
Okay, right on all right.

00:48:07.016 --> 00:48:12.045
Uh, jafra, let's see Sarah Coventry Jewelry.

00:48:12.045 --> 00:48:14.536
They also say Pampered Chef.

00:48:14.536 --> 00:48:25.409
Okay, they bought a very expensive vacuum from either Kirby or Rainbow, that's pretty funny this person says this person's name is Kelly.

00:48:25.550 --> 00:48:30.422
Kelly says my neighbors recruited me at the age of 15 to help start their Amway business.

00:48:30.422 --> 00:48:33.469
Says my neighbors recruited me at the age of 15 to help start their Amway business.

00:48:33.469 --> 00:48:39.257
They had me cold calling doctors in the phone book and asking them who they used as a security company for their home.

00:48:39.257 --> 00:48:45.721
The couple brought in a recruiter from the mothership to come talk to them and some friends and I have no idea how my parents allowed me to go.

00:48:45.721 --> 00:48:49.356
It was three hours of me nodding along with no clue.

00:48:49.356 --> 00:48:57.780
It felt more like a Christian revival get together when the couple divorced over debt incurred buying these products to sell.

00:48:57.780 --> 00:48:58.663
It was a super.

00:48:58.663 --> 00:49:02.197
It was super awkward and it would be really weird when I would see them in the front yard.

00:49:04.382 --> 00:49:05.063
It's just.

00:49:05.063 --> 00:49:08.338
I think it latches on to this promise.

00:49:08.338 --> 00:49:11.875
I mean, here you go please, here you go.

00:49:12.878 --> 00:49:17.518
Mary says my first memory of an MLM was my mom selling Shackley vitamins.

00:49:17.518 --> 00:49:23.695
She was kind of a germaphobe and thought everything would make you sick, so we took tons of vitamins.

00:49:23.695 --> 00:49:25.940
She also bought a bunch of Amway.

00:49:25.940 --> 00:49:27.342
That was an MLM.

00:49:27.342 --> 00:49:29.253
Yes, ma'am, it was yes, yes.

00:49:29.253 --> 00:49:31.559
Then it was home interior avon.

00:49:31.559 --> 00:49:33.934
My brother's girlfriend did mary k.

00:49:33.934 --> 00:49:37.829
Everyone did tupperware parties yeah when I was older and just married.

00:49:37.829 --> 00:49:44.909
I went to so many parties, pampered chef leah sophia jewelry 31 bags, oh god yes yes, that was.

00:49:45.030 --> 00:49:47.554
I got sucked into one of those on the internet.

00:49:47.554 --> 00:49:53.141
I bought a fucking bag paparazzi jewelry, oh my goodness.

00:49:53.983 --> 00:49:56.954
So yeah, um, somebody was mentioning too.

00:49:56.954 --> 00:49:58.456
You talked about crafts.

00:49:58.456 --> 00:50:01.871
So there was a craft mlm that my mom bought into.

00:50:01.871 --> 00:50:12.286
Okay, um, needlepoint and cross stitch kits, which is kind of interesting Because we need an MLM for those.

00:50:12.286 --> 00:50:16.621
I mean you need one for all the girls.

00:50:16.621 --> 00:50:19.853
I don't remember what it was called, but it was a find.

00:50:19.853 --> 00:50:22.240
What season you are, colors type thing.

00:50:22.240 --> 00:50:25.760
You would have a big color wheel and all of these different scarves.

00:50:26.000 --> 00:50:51.516
Yep, I remember that in the 80s Somebody in that same family that sold Shackley vitamins did that because as little girls we were probably eight, nine, 10 years old they were practicing I don't remember which aunt it was, or cousin or whatever and they would take these fabric drapes and tell us if we were like a fall or a winter or a spring or a summer, and that would be like the makeup that we should wear, the colors we should wear.

00:50:52.170 --> 00:51:06.599
My eyes would have rolled so far back in my head, but like they were just like draping these things on us and we were like, oh okay, I'm a child, I don't have an income, so, no, I'm probably not going to buy anything.

00:51:06.599 --> 00:51:10.099
However, you got to practice your presentation.

00:51:10.179 --> 00:51:10.780
Yeah, for sure.

00:51:11.230 --> 00:51:14.074
It might have been my grandma.

00:51:14.074 --> 00:51:17.000
Maybe they just went totally MLM crazy.

00:51:17.460 --> 00:51:25.898
I mean it's a short step If it was working with the Shackley Vitamins it goes to the same church.

00:51:27.039 --> 00:51:35.755
Sure, this is why I don't join cults or clubs or MLMs or sororities or whatever.

00:51:35.755 --> 00:51:38.831
Yep, Yep it just.

00:51:38.831 --> 00:51:45.782
It's a fine line from like hanging out having fun as a group to.

00:51:46.364 --> 00:51:54.420
Yeah, no, I think if you were invited to one of those parties, there's this of like, oh fuck, like do I really have to go?

00:51:54.420 --> 00:51:59.190
And I there's also, like kind of that, hey, do you want to come over?

00:51:59.190 --> 00:52:08.400
I'm just having a few girlfriends over I'm just having a few girlfriends over, I'm gonna do a little charcuterie, I'm gonna have some wine, we're just gonna hang out.

00:52:08.400 --> 00:52:10.601
And then you get there and you're like boom.

00:52:10.943 --> 00:52:11.184
Yep.

00:52:11.387 --> 00:52:13.918
Tupperware oh, my friend sells jewelry.

00:52:14.030 --> 00:52:15.315
Right, she's just going to be there.

00:52:15.315 --> 00:52:16.494
She's just going to be there.

00:52:16.494 --> 00:52:17.699
Don't worry about it.

00:52:17.699 --> 00:52:19.347
You are a lying whore.

00:52:19.407 --> 00:52:20.130
Don't take advantage of me.

00:52:20.130 --> 00:52:21.989
I walk in, I walk back out.

00:52:22.210 --> 00:52:23.373
We are not friends.

00:52:23.373 --> 00:52:25.139
Fuck the fuck off.

00:52:25.909 --> 00:52:26.510
But it's such a lure.

00:52:26.530 --> 00:52:36.065
But you get 40% off if you host a party for me, if only I could get 40% off of my Pampered Shop pan set, which is, yeah, I'd probably do that.

00:52:36.065 --> 00:52:38.333
They're pretty expensive.

00:52:38.333 --> 00:52:39.958
Yeah, see, they don't last.

00:52:39.958 --> 00:52:41.121
I had one.

00:52:41.121 --> 00:52:42.715
I bought a nice big skillet.

00:52:42.715 --> 00:52:45.376
It lasted like two years, it wasn't terrible.

00:52:46.179 --> 00:52:49.992
I'm sorry I could go to TJ Maxx Absolutely Walk in.

00:52:50.172 --> 00:52:53.155
I think I paid like $90 or something I could get a skillet.

00:52:53.657 --> 00:52:58.141
And then I could go through all of the cool tchotchkes and, you know, buy fun stuff.

00:52:58.141 --> 00:53:01.344
You could I think maybe I'll just stick to that instead.

00:53:01.864 --> 00:53:03.045
It's the lure of easy money.

00:53:03.045 --> 00:53:07.902
Yes, it's like oh, you could just work part time and make $47 million.

00:53:15.610 --> 00:53:15.829
All of that.

00:53:15.829 --> 00:53:17.413
Do you think that gen x women do we feel like these are fading away?

00:53:17.413 --> 00:53:27.956
Or do you think like maybe gen x is the last generation to to hold to be an mlm person, like are our kids gonna?

00:53:27.956 --> 00:53:29.739
Oh interesting?

00:53:29.739 --> 00:53:31.605
Yeah, I don't know?

00:53:31.804 --> 00:53:35.092
I mean because, as I see them happening now, I think they just get.

00:53:35.092 --> 00:53:39.391
They're getting just more sophisticated at how they package what it is.

00:53:39.391 --> 00:53:43.257
But will our kids go like, yeah, that seems like a great idea?

00:53:43.257 --> 00:53:48.034
I don't know, because everything's available on the internet, right?

00:53:48.034 --> 00:53:50.798
You can research a company in 2.5 seconds.

00:53:50.798 --> 00:53:52.864
Reddit is a fucking goldmine.

00:53:52.864 --> 00:53:55.231
Everybody gets added on Reddit.

00:53:55.231 --> 00:53:59.563
I got almost hornswoggled by these beautiful ads for this perfume company.

00:53:59.563 --> 00:54:05.137
They have infused thousands of dollars into Instagram and I was like, ooh, maybe I'm going to try that.

00:54:05.137 --> 00:54:06.735
And I was like, nope, fucking Reddit.

00:54:06.735 --> 00:54:07.838
Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom.

00:54:07.838 --> 00:54:09.817
That shit sucks.

00:54:09.817 --> 00:54:10.938
Don't buy it.

00:54:11.059 --> 00:54:13.452
I mean everybody was like I got suckered.

00:54:13.793 --> 00:54:15.036
I spent the 50.

00:54:15.036 --> 00:54:17.460
Don't buy that fucking perfume, oh my god.

00:54:17.460 --> 00:54:19.152
And I was like oh, thank you, jesus.

00:54:19.172 --> 00:54:23.021
I think I know that you're talking about too they're gorgeous ads.

00:54:23.061 --> 00:54:29.010
I mean, it's all about this aesthetic and the look, and then it's sort of like you get the smell in your brain.

00:54:29.010 --> 00:54:29.672
Oh, maybe I don't kind of know.

00:54:29.713 --> 00:54:31.320
You imagine you know what it would smell of, like you get the smell in your brain.

00:54:31.340 --> 00:54:33.590
Oh, maybe I don't know and you kind of know, you imagine you know what it would smell like.

00:54:33.610 --> 00:54:36.338
Now that you have mentioned it to me, it will show up on my Instagram.

00:54:36.490 --> 00:54:40.088
Heck yeah, because they're always listening In the way that that happens.

00:54:40.851 --> 00:54:44.081
I have a story for you for another day, but about that, our internet overlords.

00:54:44.449 --> 00:54:47.893
Were there more MLM stories that got shared in the group?

00:54:47.893 --> 00:54:48.014
No?

00:54:48.114 --> 00:54:49.375
That was pretty much it.

00:54:49.375 --> 00:54:53.639
I think the liquid embroidery was another one that somebody brought up.

00:54:53.639 --> 00:54:54.159
What the fuck is that?

00:54:54.159 --> 00:54:56.382
I don't know, I don't know.

00:54:56.382 --> 00:54:58.063
Is it like puff paints, like?

00:54:58.103 --> 00:55:07.550
the liquid like the little shirt paints, maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe.

00:55:07.570 --> 00:55:09.717
That could be true, I mean, but literally they'll sell anything in a pyramid if you can do it.

00:55:09.737 --> 00:55:17.980
it's not a pyramid scheme, it is a network marketing opportunity has anybody done pet products um?

00:55:17.980 --> 00:55:20.391
I don't know, that's interesting are there any pet mlms?

00:55:20.391 --> 00:55:22.195
Are there any useful mlms?

00:55:22.195 --> 00:55:24.820
Pure romance, we know you're one, yeah uh.

00:55:24.820 --> 00:55:26.652
Are there any that you can think of where?

00:55:26.672 --> 00:55:28.099
you know, I mean pamper chef.

00:55:28.099 --> 00:55:28.922
That was okay.

00:55:29.182 --> 00:55:33.195
I still have my fucking can opener that thing, and I have like a little.

00:55:33.396 --> 00:55:37.114
I have a couple things that I use pretty regularly, but I mean long a burger baskets.

00:55:37.213 --> 00:55:39.500
Nobody needs that oh, nobody needs that.

00:55:39.679 --> 00:55:44.797
That was egregious because, not and they were fucking thousands of dollars.

00:55:44.797 --> 00:55:46.101
So expensive.

00:55:46.141 --> 00:55:57.909
So it wasn't just that it was an mlm where they were selling baskets, but that there was this promise of this expansive futures market in basket investments.

00:55:58.829 --> 00:56:00.115
You're going to resell this basket.

00:56:00.115 --> 00:56:03.237
It's going to put your kid through college Like that's disgusting.

00:56:03.449 --> 00:56:04.715
You can't clean them.

00:56:04.969 --> 00:56:09.456
They're fucking dusty all the fucking time and they've got like bad ribbon on them.

00:56:09.456 --> 00:56:10.760
Oh yeah, awful.

00:56:11.909 --> 00:56:12.190
They smell bad.

00:56:12.190 --> 00:56:13.918
What are you you gonna do with 50 baskets?

00:56:13.918 --> 00:56:20.295
And it's not just that, but it's like you were selling them half a million people, right?

00:56:20.295 --> 00:56:25.605
Yeah, crusty old avon lipsticks, the like little samples right in there.

00:56:25.605 --> 00:56:28.900
Yeah, a longer burger egregious.

00:56:29.021 --> 00:56:39.233
No, not great disgusting yeah, I don't know, I think maybe the yeah, the sexy, sexy, maybe that's it, maybe that's all the only one and I have to say it didn't last that long.

00:56:39.373 --> 00:56:56.579
I mean for the cost, but none of those things, you know, maybe you were just a little hard on it, I, it was a little hard on me, and you can only do so much, like you don't need 48 settings just to try out all those options you don't need 48 toys.

00:56:57.003 --> 00:56:59.277
It would have taken Like you really just need one good one.

00:56:59.931 --> 00:57:02.599
That's door to you know it's got some options.

00:57:02.599 --> 00:57:15.451
Sure, okay, you need some varieties, Spend some where you're going, but there's not a high quality control amongst that.

00:57:15.451 --> 00:57:20.181
No, industry anyway, whether you're ordering from pure romance or adam and eve.

00:57:20.181 --> 00:57:25.099
They're all coming from the same factory in china, yeah yeah, yeah, no, I don't know.

00:57:25.280 --> 00:57:26.262
I just I don't think.

00:57:26.262 --> 00:57:31.780
I feel like the mlm model is, uh, something that is in the past.

00:57:31.780 --> 00:57:35.815
I think that it's gonna go, my gut feeling but I could be wrong.

00:57:35.835 --> 00:57:43.719
I mean amway's kind of stood the chest test of time aren't the instagram ads kind of the mlms of today, in a way?

00:57:43.760 --> 00:57:52.842
with influencers and all the yeah, yeah kind of that's essentially the new mlm I mean, I mean, except you're not like recruiting somebody else underneath you?

00:57:53.784 --> 00:57:58.641
Sure, You're not directly doing that, but you are selling stuff that is like crap.

00:57:58.641 --> 00:58:04.632
I mean there are many people like this whole perfume company that I saw, with the gorgeous ads Like they.

00:58:04.632 --> 00:58:12.112
Some people specifically were like, oh, they hired a bunch of influencers, sent the things out and said you must only give us positive reviews.

00:58:12.112 --> 00:58:14.719
Like that was part of the contract and part of getting paid.

00:58:14.719 --> 00:58:16.373
So they buy the reviews.

00:58:16.373 --> 00:58:18.199
They get the people's faces up there.

00:58:18.199 --> 00:58:19.626
You go buy the thing.

00:58:19.626 --> 00:58:21.793
It takes a little while but you can't return it.

00:58:22.534 --> 00:58:28.416
So you're out your money and incredibly short-sighted for those influencers too, because you are really going to tarnish your reputation.

00:58:28.516 --> 00:58:41.974
Somebody's going to be like so-and-so, I follow you and I bought this shit and it is shit and it fucking sucks and yeah, but then you like take all your shit down, rebrand yourself, pop back up again and you just can't freaking go.

00:58:42.034 --> 00:58:42.896
I don't know.

00:58:42.896 --> 00:58:43.920
That seems like a bad idea.

00:58:44.039 --> 00:58:44.902
It's gross.

00:58:44.902 --> 00:58:47.911
That's all I had to say about that.

00:58:48.532 --> 00:58:53.239
Well, I think this is a fun conversation and if people have other, you know memories of this shit.

00:58:58.250 --> 00:59:01.400
Did MLMs in the 80s ruin your family?

00:59:01.400 --> 00:59:02.581
Did your parents?

00:59:02.603 --> 00:59:03.150
get divorced.

00:59:03.150 --> 00:59:07.853
Anybody go to jail for IRS tax fraud, tax evasion?

00:59:08.335 --> 00:59:10.001
It could happen, let us know.

00:59:10.001 --> 00:59:11.474
If so, we're really sorry.

00:59:11.474 --> 00:59:14.213
Sorry, we hope we didn't traumatize you too terribly much.

00:59:14.213 --> 00:59:16.539
I think that's all I got about this for today.

00:59:16.539 --> 00:59:17.360
God, me too.

00:59:17.360 --> 00:59:18.311
We'll see what else?

00:59:18.311 --> 00:59:30.115
Comes up, all right good topic we are totally going to be invited to parties now everybody's gonna want us at their fucking parties because we're gonna look them up on reddit first and then talk shit the whole time, like.

00:59:30.155 --> 00:59:30.938
Like I don't know.

00:59:30.938 --> 00:59:34.561
I don't know if I want to be at that funky pillow party.

00:59:35.951 --> 00:59:37.673
You have been listening to Gen X.

00:59:37.673 --> 00:59:39.458
Women Are Sick of this Shit.

00:59:39.458 --> 00:59:44.318
Hey Megan, hey Leslie, what do people do if they want to find us?

00:59:44.751 --> 00:59:52.099
Well, we have a website that people can find us on, and that is genxwomenpodcom.

00:59:52.099 --> 00:59:55.039
We also have a Facebook page.

00:59:55.039 --> 00:59:57.759
We have an Instagram account as well.

00:59:57.759 --> 01:00:04.059
We have a YouTube account where we put YouTube shorts and other little tidbits up there.

01:00:04.059 --> 01:00:05.777
We have a TikTok account.

01:00:05.777 --> 01:00:08.137
I don't talk the dick or tick the tock.

01:00:08.137 --> 01:00:09.382
You don't tick the tock, I do not.

01:00:09.382 --> 01:00:11.315
I barely talk the tick.

01:00:11.315 --> 01:00:13.320
But I did put a tick tock up.

01:00:13.550 --> 01:00:15.936
We're explaining the internet to people again.

01:00:16.277 --> 01:00:17.000
That's okay though.

01:00:17.019 --> 01:00:18.697
It's great, we need to know how the internet works.

01:00:18.697 --> 01:00:20.914
Can people buy merch?

01:00:20.914 --> 01:00:22.059
They absolutely can.

01:00:22.059 --> 01:00:29.481
We have a merch store on the website itself, and we also have an Etsy store too, which is pretty easy to find.

01:00:29.481 --> 01:00:32.666
It's just Gen X Women on Etsy.

01:00:33.451 --> 01:00:37.943
And if you are listening to this podcast, presumably you found it somewhere.

01:00:37.943 --> 01:00:40.737
And while you're there, give us a review.

01:00:41.018 --> 01:00:42.976
Yeah, let us know what you think.

01:00:42.976 --> 01:00:45.077
Throw some stars at us, that'd be great.

01:00:45.077 --> 01:00:49.442
We'll take one, two, three, four or five, ooh, five, maybe ten.

01:00:49.442 --> 01:00:56.097
And also make sure that you are hitting subscribe so that you're notified whenever a new episode drops.

01:00:56.097 --> 01:01:04.530
Most important, we also have a five minutes of fame that I think we should tell people about too hell, yes, we want to know your stories, your five minutes of fame stories.

01:01:04.550 --> 01:01:18.536
You can send those stories in on the website or you can call 1-888-GEN-X-POD and leave your story for us and we will play it live in our next episode.

01:01:18.556 --> 01:01:21.463
We'll listen to it on a little red phone, just like Batman.

01:01:21.463 --> 01:01:24.092
That'd be cool.

01:01:24.092 --> 01:01:25.213
Let's get a bat phone.

01:01:25.213 --> 01:01:26.175
I think that's it.

01:01:26.175 --> 01:01:27.498
I think you're right.