Once upon a time, long long ago, I was invited to a family meeting.  Immediately I was worried.  Serious illness?  Breakup?  Someone was running away to join the circus?  All kinds of thoughts went through my mind, and most of them were not positive.

Surprise!

Imagine my surprise when we arrived and found out it was actually a meeting.  Flip chart and handouts and maybe even a guest speaker.  No powerpoint presentation - this was a long time ago, remember?  Turns out it was my first exposure to network marketing.  And, given the circumstances of the meeting setup, it did not leave me with a positive memory of the experience.  The products were excellent and the presentation was very well done.  However, it felt very deceptive to me and turned me off to any network marketing meeting invitations for years to come.  And I believe that a lot of people have had that same kind of experience so they tend to be immediately resistant and will not even consent to attending a meeting, never mind getting involved in the company or using the products.

Round 2 

My second exposure to MLM was one where I spent quite a few dollars buying what amounted to a membership - with no real product.  That was just greed on my part.  And yes, that really was a pyramid scheme that soon collapsed.  It is precisely those experiences that have soured so many people on the concept of network marketing.  Keep in mind, also, that the media often focuses on those negative experiences, which only serves to fuel our fears and condition us to believe that all MLM is bad. 

Knockout

Fast forward to 2012.  I attended a local health and wellness show and came across a booth promoting a line of supplements with scientific proof of the possible results.  I started on those supplements and saw more improvement over the next 6 weeks than I had seen in the prior 20 years of taking various health store supplements recommended to me by my health practitioners.  That was a real eye-opener for me.  

A year after my initiation into MLM supplements I found myself in a conversation with a friend about health and health supplements.  I had no idea that she was also into another MLM supplement company, so my attempt to educate her on my brand actually became a conversation where she convinced me to try her line of products.  At that point, I was hooked.  Those were the first products that I took where I felt better.  Within days I was sleeping better and eating less. And any cravings for simple carbs literally disappeared. 

It's About Product

Since that experience I have started using and promoting products from several other network marketing companies.  I get involved with these companies because I believe that the products that they create are exceptional, both in terms of value and results.  I was once told by one of my uplines that it's not about the product, it's about finding people to join your team.  

Nope, not for me.  That's not how I roll.  Needless to say, I am not every upline's dream.   I promote these products because I believe that they have the potential to actually help people with their health. And given that everything in life is a progression, I hope that any improvement in someone's health will help to motivate that someone to make further changes.  I believe in the body's ability to heal itself if it is given the right tools.  And I have seen and felt enough improvements in my health and in the health of those closest to me that I know that the products that I promote have the potential to help. 

Now that's not to say that I would ever talk anyone out of getting into the business, if that is their desire.  The more people we have promoting these types of products, the more people we can reach and the greater chance we have of helping people to improve their lives.  But my focus has always been the product.  

I believe that we need to supplement.  The purists believe that eating well is enough.  That may be the case for those in good health.  Maybe.  But most of us just don't eat clean enough or get the nourishment that the body needs.  And even if our environment (including our food) is pristine, it's no longer nourishing enough to help the body stay ahead of the constant assault that we face on a daily basis.  

I Do!

So I supplement with the best that I have found.  And the best that I have found to date are products that are sold through network marketing. So I do MLM.  And no, it's not a pyramid scheme!

B - The Healthy Guerrilla