Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Let's talk about Amway...


This a disclaimer that this is only my personal opinions of our time working for this system. Please read more about Amway; I may not tell our story in the most eloquent way so you may want more information.

I'm not sure how many of you are too familiar with Amway so if you'd like to read more please click the link above. I'm also not sure how well I'm going to do explaning our experience, but after being involved with the company in my own words:
 It is an online business that helps families start their own online website that sells products in bulk and their own line of products, similar to that of Costco's Kirkland Signature Brand. It helps husbands and wives become a closer unit, and brings parents home from their jobs. If you are willing to put in the work.

In 2006 I got a call from Bryan while at college, he said he was going to watch some business meeting at his sister's house and he'd call me afterwards. The call I received hours later was not from the same boyfriend I had talked to earlier. The boyfriend I heard from hours later was excited, uplifted, and determined. He had just seen a business plan that he foresaw changing our future. It was presented by multimillionaires Tracey and Kimberly Eaton.

In the months that followed I saw a different side of Bryan. Someone something had a lit a fire underneath him and he had a new passion for life and me. Which brings me to my first point. Amway changed our relationship [for the better] Bryan has never been a big reader, and he was excited and encouraged to read and build a better foundation in our relationship before we got married. We read books like 'Love & Respect' and 'The Five Love Languages'  and truly grew emotionally from them both. I mean at the time, what 20 something year olds were worry about their future and reading books to strengthen their future marriage? One of the points they teach is family comes first and putting your spouse before your kids. I'm not a mom, and I've heard some mom's sound astonished by this. But for example; I once heard Tracey Eaton tell a story about a time when his kids were talking back to Kimberly and he said to them, "Don't talk to my wife like that." That blew me away.


In the beginning it was tough. Amway has been around for 50+ years, but back when it first started it built a bad reputation for being a 'pyramid scheme' Which made it incredibly hard to talk to the older generation about. Even when asking them to become clients of our website and shop for the things they shop for anyway to support us - it was hard to earn the trust back from those bad memories[and not to mention when met with opposition my outlook on the entire situation turned sour] However, when I started investigating into the matters myself, I realized that pyramid schemes are illegal and that found that it was accredited and given an A+ by the Better Business Bureau - which brings me to my second point. Amway may never escape the bad reputaion it's been given, but is truly a different company it was 50+ years ago.

I went to meeting after meeting, after event, after board plan with Bryan and watched hundreds of couples just like us, with the same fire lit under them, ready to be in business for themselves. We were never told that this business would replace our income at the time, you were in business for yourself and the time to build it was from 5pm-midnight after you've finished working for the man and everyone else was sleeping. Which brings me to my third point - Amway changes people's lives. What do I mean by that? We watched our sponsor go from a socially awkward, shy, confidence lacking guy to an extremely outgoing, funny, and assertive man. Not many companies can do that for you. Not to mention, after a certain point in the business you may make enough money where you are able to come home from your job - however that is after some extrememly hard work, tears, and possibly years. But it was encouraging and seemed attainable no matter what we had to do.

At this time last year Bryan and I were at a crazy busy point in our lives. He had just started a new job and we were planning for our wedding that was fastly approaching us in July. It truly broke our hearts [and spirits] for a while because we had to take a step back from the business. We weren't able to put 'our all' into it at the time. It may be something we look into in the future and I know our experience will be just as gratifying. Which brings me to my fourth and final point - I hope that Amway didn't burn any bridges for us. We were encouraged to talk to anyone and everyone we thought might be interested, which inspired us to speak with friends, family, even people we knew in high school. We only had good intentions and never meant to come across as weird - quite the opposite. We knew we had a vehicle that could be the answer for some families.

So what's my point?

I used to be timid and embarrassed to say that we were affiliated with this company - but now I am proud to say that we were and became better people because of it. We met some amazing people, become closer as a couple, and spent our time dreaming about our future together.

 So if someone asks to 'show the plan' to you, don't be so quick to judge - hopefully they had the best intentions like we did and want to help you :)

8 comments:

  1. So with all the excitement and motivation you have gained by getting involved, have you actually made money or spent money (net loss) on this venture?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't know Amanda but I think it is a fair question if not entirely realevant. I think her point is that whether or not the income was a net loss, break-even or a net gain, she and her husband grew in other ways that impacted them in a positive way. I think that should be enough to say that it was worth it. I always find it fascinating that people criticize any business (see chick-fil-a) that takes a stance (or whose reps take a stance) and the first question out of their mouth is "how much money did you make?". Who cares, really. These same poeple by the way are the ones who go out and get student loads when there is a 10-15% placement rate and they are totally fine with people doing that. By the way, that doesn't ppromote anything positive in the family unit. I say good for you Amanda. Now, I am sure your quesiton is an honest one but what I am more interested in is "In what ways has getting involved with the mentorship of the Amway business/World Wide Dream Builders helped your mental attitude, your marriage and your relationships?"

      Delete
  2. Your so sweet- I think anything, no matter what it is, that brings you closer as a couple is a good thing. My grandparents were affiliated with Amway for awhile and it seemed like a great company. I love what you wrote about the guy saying not to talk to his wife like that- so sweet!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Whether you made any money or not what you did was invest in yourself the products are irrelevent and eventually the money is too! You go girl! Never give up and someday we will see you on Food Network!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thank you so much for your level-headed an undramatic account of your experiences! I loved hearing your first hand experiences from you 2 that have actually tried it and gained value from it. Every experience is what you make of it!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Dana, did you say the products and the money is irrelevant? Why would someone do a business if the goal wasn't to make money?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A good question. I know several investment bankers and attorneys who do the Amway business. Not for money, mind you but rather to change the KIND of money they make from active to passive. Also, these people wanted to have something they could do to uplift and empower people who otherwise would not be able to create income as they themselves had. I think there are many reasons to do that KIND of business. It is really more of an association that is imporant than the product or money to these folks. If that makes sense.

      Delete
  6. Thank you for your message, I love to see positive feedback about this organization instead of all the negative. My wife and I have been a part for almost two years, and while it would be nice to have seen larger deposits in our financial account, our relational account is bursting at the seams!!! We have both read those relationship books and one or two others, and love what we have learned from them. I personally didnt take a student loan, but I did get red seal certification in automotive in Canada, total cost was approx 15k, I don't even work in the trade anymore!!! While the knowledge is handy to fix my car, the knowledge I have gained, among other things, is priceless and cost far less than my auto repair knowledge. Even if it takes me until retirement to replace my income, it's still better than the pension that we won't qualify for by the time we hit that age. I know I will continue to grow myself through the association of the great people I have met in this business. My personal opinion is that most people need to stop looking in and start asking themselves, how can I help other people?

    ReplyDelete