The author of this post is known to Mamamia and has chosen to remain anonymous for privacy reasons. The photograph used is a stock image.
You don’t expect to be used by someone you know and trust; someone you consider a friend. But this is exactly what happened to me.
Unfortunately, I know I’m not the last person that this sort of thing will happen to. The reality is, it is probably happening to many women right now.
My experience began this year when I went on maternity leave for my first baby. I became a full time stay-at-home mum and started to catch up with old friends who I hadn’t been as active in spending as much time with while working full time. I also started to socialise with some friends who I hadn’t seen for years, that I re-bonded with due to the shared experience of motherhood.
This was the case with *Jess. I had been friends with her since high school but other than a few social occasions since then and through social media, we hadn’t really stayed in touch.
But after some complimentary words on Facebook about each other’s babies, we reignited our friendship and began catching up once a week.
Initially, Jess only sporadically mentioned her job as a sales consultant for a well-known skincare company. She told me her role was to sell what she described as “amazing upscale skincare.” At the time her comments were very casual, and although I am personally not a big fan of these sort of multilevel marketing companies, I didn’t really think much more about it. It was just like anyone talking about their job.
Top Comments
I hate the MLM term. Multi-level marketing makes it sound like a valid, official corporate job. I think it gives the scams a validity they don't deserve. I will always use pyramid scheme - because that is what it is. And I think that term is more jarring, and will make people think, rather than the innocuous 'Multi Level Marketing'.
I have a close family member in the same regime and it's bloody hard. I want to support her but I refuse to support that company and don't particularly like the products anyway. She puts SO much money into the company and is constantly traveling or away from her kids to get the business off the ground and I think she has completely changed as a person. Everything is about this business now.
I appreciate she is trying to give herself a better life, I genuinely hope it works for her but it is hard to sit back and not share an opinion at risk of offending.