We’ve heard it all before:
“MLMs are scams.”
“They take advantage of people.”
“They’re just pyramid schemes in disguise.”
And let’s be real… the MLM industry has earned its bad reputation.
If we’re going to do things right, we need to stop pretending those criticisms don’t exist.
So what does the anti-MLM crowd actually hate?
Let’s break it down:
💸 1. The Fake Income Claims
People are tired of seeing “boss babes” promising passive six-figure incomes from their phones while sipping coffee and doing nothing.
It’s misleading.
No business, MLM or not, is that easy. The reality? It’s hard work, long hours, and sacrifices. The truth should always be front and center.
😬 2. The Pressure to Recruit Friends and Family
This one hits hard. The moment someone signs up, they’re told to message their cousin, their neighbor, their ex from high school, basically anyone who will listen.
It feels gross.
Friendships turn into sales pitches. People feel used.
That’s not community. That’s manipulation.
📦 3. Buying Inventory Just to Stay Active
Many MLMs push consultants to buy products every month just to stay “qualified.”
Or worse they build a system where consultants are the real customers.
Once you buy in, they stop caring if you ever actually sell it.
It’s predatory.
People may end up spending more than they make just to keep a title or rank, with boxes of unsold product gathering dust on their shelves.
🧠 4. Toxic Culture Creates Long-Lasting Trauma
MLMs often create a culture of toxic positivity where they encourage people to pour their finances, time, and soul into their business to unhealthy levels, then blaming them when they crash and burn.
“If you didn’t succeed, you just didn’t work hard enough!”
That’s gaslighting.
It blames the person instead of the broken system designed to exploit them.
And when someone dares to speak up?
They are often silenced or pushed out.
🤐 5. Lack of Transparency
Anti-MLMers hate when companies hide the truth about costs, risks, earnings, and how things really work.
They want transparency up front.
They want to know what they’re saying yes to.
And they should.
👎 6. Cult-Like Culture
When questions aren’t allowed, when every concern is labeled “drama,” and when people are told to cut off anyone who disagrees with the company, that is not community, it’s control.
The anti-MLM movement was born from people who were silenced, shamed, and left behind.
They’re not haters.
They’re survivors.
So Why Talk About This?
Because if we don’t acknowledge the harm, we can’t do better.
The only way to rise above it is to be better, do better, and build better.
To acknowledge what was broken is to recognize what must now be fixed.
If you’re reading this and nodding your head, it’s probably because you’ve had a front-row seat to the ugly side of this industry.
And if you’re still here, please hear this:
You deserved better.
The industry failed so many people who were simply looking to link arms with a company and a community, hoping for just a small opportunity to make a difference for their family.
I’m sorry you were let down.
And sadly… I know it all too well.
Now of course, this would be the part where I’m “supposed” to pitch why Ryze Party is different and ask you to give MLM one more chance.
But I’m not going to.
Because I refuse to participate in the very tactics that made this space so toxic to begin with.
I won’t bait you into another emotional sales pitch when you didn’t ask for it.
You’ve had enough of that.
If you do want to learn more about what we’re building at Ryze, what we’re doing differently, I’ll be sharing that in a separate blog post. That way, only the people who are ready to hear it can tune in. And no one feels tricked or pushed.
Because the truth is:
The industry is broken.
But you are not.
Whatever you choose to do next, I hope you choose to do it with joy.
With confidence.
With freedom.
Because everything else? Doesn’t matter.
You are worthy.
You are powerful.
And your next chapter is yours to write.
