Hi. I’m Anonymous. Or maybe I’ll call myself Dottie Smith for now. I want to share my story of being in an MLM cult in hopes it will help someone else. Whether someone is wondering…am I in a cult? Or if someone just got out of a toxic group and wants to feel like they aren’t alone.
You aren’t alone.
You aren’t stupid. Or gullible.
You just wanted more. Like me.
I was in a cult.
It wasn’t a cult that involved sex or talked about the end of the world.
It was an MLM. And it was a cult. It was sneaky.
This cult went by the name of Quixtar when I joined, but was also known as Amway. We were supposed to call it “the business.”
They promised everything.
I could be a part of an amazing family.
I could make all the money I could ever want. Live in an amazing home.
I could spend more time with my family. I would be free from a day-to-day job and be in charge of my time.
I could be a better person. I would constantly be working on myself.
I could build a business for myself. I could work for myself. And get out of the rat race.
If only I would “follow the system.” Show “the plan.” “Plug in” to my “upline.” Even submit myself to my upline. Trust the system.
This Cult Took and Took from Me.
The Cult Took My Money
It took my money. Thousands of dollars. As a twenty-something I was spending hundreds of dollars a month on skincare products that I did. not. need.
This article breaks down some costs of this particular MLM cult, but many others are the same.
I sold my Viola. I get pangs of sadness in my gut when I remember going to the store to sell it back and the clerk looking at me. She said that this was a great instrument but she couldn’t give me much. I wanted whatever I could get. I could buy a hundred more later, right?
I emptied my savings account. I remember going to the drive up window to do this.
I was giving my whole paycheck to my boyfriend at the time because of the intense patriarchal society we had unknowingly joined.
The Cult Took my Youth
It took years of my life. They got me at the ripe age of 18. When I was supposed to be having the time of my life in college.
The cult convinced me I didn’t need to go to college. (I could always go later, right?)
This caused years of catch up later on, and years of feeling like the weirdo old student. Yes, people of all ages go to school, but I didn’t want to tell people that my delay was due to falling for an MLM. Many of the older students I encountered were parents–I didn’t have that excuse.
The Cult Stole my Friends
It took my friends. I lost my friends. This is possibly the greatest tragedy of all.
If my friends weren’t into joining me, I was strongly encouraged to cut them out of my life. Stay off of social media (where a lot of my friends were gravitating).
Sure, I might have grown apart from some friends since I had just graduated high school, but I still cry over friends I lost because I distanced myself (because they weren’t “in the business”).
The Cult Stole my Trust
It’s no wonder I have a hard time trusting people now. I have a hard time trusting my judgement. I’m working through it in therapy, but this cult left scars.
Join me as I work through some issues.
‘Cuz it was a cult.
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