The cult-like behavior in MLM - love bombing, thought control, and shunning

Here is my advice for anyone considering MLM: Do not join if you need money now. MLM is a long-term play that might never pay off. Only join if you genuinely love the products and can afford the monthly cost as a consumer. Treat any income as a bonus, not an expectation.

What would you say to someone who is 3 months in and has not made any money yet? At what point should they evaluate whether to continue or cut their losses?

The comparison between MLM failure rates and traditional business failure rates is misleading. When a traditional business fails, the owner usually has assets, inventory, and equipment they can sell. When an MLM distributor fails, they have nothing but overpriced products in their garage.

This is such an important discussion. I have been in the MLM industry for 3 years and everything you said resonates with me. The gap between what we are told and what actually happens is massive. Thank you for being honest about your experience.

I left my MLM company last year and the experience was eerily similar to leaving a cult. When I joined, I was love bombed - everyone told me how amazing I was and how I was going to change the world. I was encouraged to spend more time with my MLM team and less with negative people (read: anyone who questioned the business). When I started expressing doubts, I was told I had a mindset problem. When I finally left, people I considered close friends completely stopped talking to me. I am not saying all MLMs are cults, but the behavioral patterns are uncomfortably similar. Has anyone else experienced this?

I think you are painting with too broad a brush. Not all MLM companies are the same. I have been with my company for 7 years and earn a consistent $4,000 per month. The key is finding a company with products people actually want to buy.