Life After MLM

*The stories shared in LuLaBitch are our own personal experiences, opinions and allegations of our time in the cult LuLaRoe. Some accounts may be triggering. Please listen at your own discretion. This is meant as a companion series to the Amazon Docuseries, LuLaRich, and is in no way affiliated with the film.*

I met "Melissa" before our time in LuLaRoe, when we were both young moms at a local Chick-Fil-A storytime group. We instantly hit it off, and kept in touch as her husband's military career took them cross country. After LuLaRich came out, "Melissa" reached out and told me she wanted to tell me her story as a "small fish" in LuLaRoe. So many of her experiences mirrored mine, and I know so many more former retailers will connect with her dry humor and "WTF"ery in the ups and downs on her LuLaJourney. This is Part 1.

Show Notes

Watch LuLaRich on Amazon Prime Video! - https://amzn.to/3k68Axs

Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek - https://amzn.to/2XykQyc

Yo Gabba Gabba! - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yo_Gabba_Gabba!

Nicolae Ceaușescu - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicolae_Ceau%C8%99escu

The Turdma - https://www.reddit.com/r/antiMLM/comments/9c8kw2/for_anyone_who_has_never_seen_it_i_present_to_you/

Small Town Murder - https://shutupandgivememurder.com/

Dr. Steven Hassan's BITE Model - https://freedomofmind.com/cult-mind-control/bite-model/

Ponzinomics by Robert L. FitzPatrick - https://amzn.to/3q16oJb

How can you help?

Report false income and health claims here: https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/

Or go to: https://www.truthinadvertising.org

You can also report to your state Attorney General's office! https://www.naag.org/find-my-ag/

Not in the U.S.? Go here: https://www.ftc.gov/policy/international/competition-consumer-protection-authorities-worldwide

Support the Podcast!

Buy me a Taco and leave me a note! 🌮💖 - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/robertablevins

Follow me on TikTok for Anti MLM content, education, and humor! - https://www.tiktok.com/@bertalikewhoa & https://www.tiktok.com/@bertalikewhoa2.0

Follow us on Instagram for visual show notes, FAQ, and updates! - https://www.instagram.com/lifeaftermlmpodcast/

Like us on Facebook and join our show fan page to jump in on the conversation! - https://www.facebook.com/lifeaftermlmpodcast

Find me on CLUBHOUSE at @therealrobertablevins

*Some links may be affiliate links. When you purchase things from these links, I get a small commission that I use to buy us tacos.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thank you to this weeks sponsor, Best Fiends! Download Best Fiends on the Apple App Store, or Google Play today!

This month we are teaming up with igotout.org, a consortium of cult survivors supporting the #igotout movement of activism, and education, to help shine light on the commercial cults more commonly known as Multi Level Marketing. Throughout the month of November, follow along with us on social media as we share MLM statistics, cult education, survivor stories and ways you can join in on the movement. Visit igotout.org to share your MLM experience and share your #igotout selfie using the hashtags #igotout and #igotoutofanmlm on social media. Freedom of thought is a universal human right.

For our last episode in November for MLM Cult Awareness Month, I knew EXACTLY who I needed to talk to, Laurie Jenks Hale, serial MLMer turned AntiMLM Advocate. Laurie was just 19 years old when she joined her first Multi Level Marketing company. At first the business seemed to be a good fit for her lifestyle as a young Mormon military wife (and veteran!), but no matter how hard Laurie tried, how many companies she joined, or what products she believed in, she could never make it to the top of the pyramid. In 40 years Laurie joined 19 different companies, 29 times and has many stories and experienced insight to share as she takes us down a wild journey of just trying to find a place that feels right, to call home.

Show Notes

Laurie's YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCW6sQYZnHAS2XX8m2TE9mDw/featured

Savy's Interview with Laurie! - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIFVyR0Q4dY&t=3844s

Dr. Steven Hassan's BITE Model - https://freedomofmind.com/cult-mind-control/bite-model/

Ponzinomics by Robert L. FitzPatrick - https://amzn.to/3q16oJb

How can you help?

Report false income and health claims here: https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/

Or go to: https://www.truthinadvertising.org

You can also report to your state Attorney General's office! https://www.naag.org/find-my-ag/

Not in the U.S.? Go here: https://www.ftc.gov/policy/international/competition-consumer-protection-authorities-worldwide

Support the Podcast!

Buy me a Taco and leave me a note! 🌮💖 - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/robertablevins

Follow me on TikTok for Anti MLM content, education, and humor! - https://www.tiktok.com/@bertalikewhoa & https://www.tiktok.com/@bertalikewhoa2.0

Follow us on Instagram for visual show notes, FAQ, and updates! - https://www.instagram.com/lifeaftermlmpodcast/

Like us on Facebook and join our show fan page to jump in on the conversation! - https://www.facebook.com/lifeaftermlmpodcast

Find me on CLUBHOUSE at @therealrobertablevins

*Some links may be affiliate links. When you purchase things from these links, I get a small commission that I use to buy us tacos.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This weeks sponsor is BetterHelp. Listeners of the show receive 10% off their first month of online therapy by visiting betterhelp.com/mlm.



Content warning : Some of the stories in this episode deal with triggering topics, including mental health, PTSD, suicide and more. Each story that has these topics, has a small warning at the beginning, so you may skip around as needed.

I put out a call to action this month on social media, asking for personal MLM Horror stories and YOU RESPONDED!!! You sent in emails, sent me links to stories, tagged me in posts and even sat down for some mini chats! Enjoy this megasode of lots of MLM Horror Stories from around the internet! This is also the first time we have done an episode like this, so if you enjoy these Multi Story Minisodes, let me know and we can create more! The holidays are coming...

Show Notes

Paige - https://www.tiktok.com/@pretty_pettyx

Advocare vs FTC - https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2019/10/ftc-advocare-business-model-was-pyramid-scheme

Reddit Stories -

https://www.reddit.com/r/antiMLM/comments/8kpzpf/most_bizarre_mlm_pitch/

https://www.reddit.com/r/antiMLM/comments/q7i3t3/starting_them_early_barf/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&utm_term=link

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/5xe68p/what_are_your_mlm_multilevel_marketing_horror/

https://www.reddit.com/r/antiMLM/comments/99lqpa/my_worst_mlm_story/

https://www.reddit.com/r/antiMLM/comments/q8phek/has_anyone_else_been_datefished_by_someone_trying/

HuffPost Stories -

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/mlm-horror-stories_l_5d952097e4b0da7f66211f35

Dr. Steven Hassan's BITE Model - https://freedomofmind.com/cult-mind-control/bite-model/

Ponzinomics by Robert L. FitzPatrick - https://amzn.to/3q16oJb

How can you help?

Report false income and health claims here: https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/

Or go to: https://www.truthinadvertising.org

You can also report to your state Attorney General's office! https://www.naag.org/find-my-ag/

Not in the U.S.? Go here: https://www.ftc.gov/policy/international/competition-consumer-protection-authorities-worldwide

Support the Podcast!

Buy me a Taco and leave me a note! 🌮💖 - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/robertablevins

Follow me on TikTok for Anti MLM content, education, and humor! - https://www.tiktok.com/@bertalikewhoa & https://www.tiktok.com/@bertalikewhoa2.0

Follow us on Instagram for visual show notes, FAQ, and updates! - https://www.instagram.com/lifeaftermlmpodcast/

Like us on Facebook and join our show fan page to jump in on the conversation! - https://www.facebook.com/lifeaftermlmpodcast

Find me on CLUBHOUSE at @therealrobertablevins

*Some links may be affiliate links. When you purchase things from these links, I get a small commission that I use to buy us tacos.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoi...

This weeks sponsors are BetterHelp, Smile Brilliant and Best Fiends! Listeners of the show receive 10% off their first month of online therapy by visiting betterhelp.com/mlm as well as as exclusive holiday deal at Smile Brilliant when you use code LIFE at checkout! Don't forget to download Best Fiends on the Apple App Store, or Google Play today!

Welcome to DAY 5 of 9 DAYS OF HOLIDAY MAGIC in the month of December! Named after the spirit of the season AND the MLM that was shut down by the FTC in 1974 after being found to be operating as a pyramid scheme. Check out our Giveaway before it ends! I hope your season is filled with the embodiment of HOLIDAY MAGIC, as we count down to 2022!

Have you seen The Rise and Fall of LuLaRoe yet? I have, and I have some thoughts. Plus! I had the honor of chatting with Stephanie McNeal, the journalist whose 2020 expose of LuLaRoe, lead to the new documentary on Discovery+ about what it was like making the film, why she chose to make another LuLaRoe doc, and what she wanted to share that hadn't been shared before. Plus, we speak with Rise and Fall star, Heather Blevins and the creator of the infamous group Defective, Julie Dean, about the early days of exposing LuLaRoe, running a Facebook group full of 75k+ angry LuLaRoe victims and what they think about everything that's happened after a pair of black leggings ripped to shreds.

Show Notes

Watch The Rise and Fall of LuLaRoe now! FREE 7-day trial! - https://amzn.to/3DOBqsU

LuLaRoe and BiPOC - https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/lularoe-mlm-documentary-discovery-black-people-of-color-1270766/

Stephanie's 2020 Expose - https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/stephaniemcneal/lularoe-millennial-women-entrepreneurship-lawsuits

LuLaRoe Retailer Issues Death Threat - https://lularoefail.com/2018/02/02/lularoe-retailer-issues-death-threat/

Dr. Steven Hassan's BITE Model - https://freedomofmind.com/cult-mind-control/bite-model/

Ponzinomics by Robert L. FitzPatrick - https://amzn.to/3q16oJb

How can you help?

Report false income and health claims here: https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/

Or go to: https://www.truthinadvertising.org

You can also report to your state Attorney General's office! https://www.naag.org/find-my-ag/

Not in the U.S.? Go here: https://www.ftc.gov/policy/international/competition-consumer-protection-authorities-worldwide

Support the Podcast!

Buy me a Taco and leave me a note! 🌮💖 - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/robertablevins

Follow me on TikTok for Anti MLM content, education, and humor! - https://www.tiktok.com/@bertalikewhoa & https://www.tiktok.com/@bertalikewhoa2.0

Follow us on Instagram for visual show notes, FAQ, and updates! - https://www.instagram.com/lifeaftermlmpodcast/

Like us on Facebook and join our show fan page to jump in on the conversation! - https://www.facebook.com/lifeaftermlmpodcast

*Some links may be affiliate links. When you purchase things from these links, I get a small commission that I use to buy us tacos.

Learn more about yo...

This weeks sponsor is BetterHelp. Listeners of the show receive 10% off their first month of online therapy by visiting betterhelp.com/mlm.



This month we are teaming up with igotout.org, a consortium of cult survivors supporting the #igotout movement of activism, and education, to help shine light on the commercial cults more commonly known as Multi Level Marketing. Throughout the month of November, follow along with us on social media as we share MLM statistics, cult education, survivor stories and ways you can join in on the movement. Visit igotout.org to share your MLM experience and share your #igotout selfie using the hashtags #igotout and #igotoutofanmlm on social media. Freedom of thought is a universal human right.

After devouring Cultish on the flight to and from New York, I couldn't wait to talk to the author, Amanda Montell, self proclaimed word nerd and language scholar. I mean, her book had an entire chapter titled "Do You Wanna Be a #BossBabe?". Amanda helps me kick off MLM Cult Month by sharing personal cult connections, breaking down culty screenshots and teaching you about the red flags you can not only see, but can also hear. Plus, she educates us on all the language and terms we will be learning about all month.

Show Notes

Cultish by Amanda Montell - https://amzn.to/3wkPVCr

Thought Terminating Cliches - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thought-terminating_clich%C3%A9

Synanon - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synanon

Sounds Like A Cult Pod - https://www.soundslikeacult.com/

My episode on Sounds Like a Cult - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-cult-of-lularoe/id1566917047?i=1000539054927

Dr. Steven Hassan's BITE Model - https://freedomofmind.com/cult-mind-control/bite-model/

Ponzinomics by Robert L. FitzPatrick - https://amzn.to/3q16oJb

How can you help?

Report false income and health claims here: https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/

Or go to: https://www.truthinadvertising.org

You can also report to your state Attorney General's office! https://www.naag.org/find-my-ag/

Not in the U.S.? Go here: https://www.ftc.gov/policy/international/competition-consumer-protection-authorities-worldwide

Support the Podcast!

Buy me a Taco and leave me a note! 🌮💖 - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/robertablevins

Follow me on TikTok for Anti MLM content, education, and humor! - https://www.tiktok.com/@bertalikewhoa & https://www.tiktok.com/@bertalikewhoa2.0

Follow us on Instagram for visual show notes, FAQ, and updates! - https://www.instagram.com/lifeaftermlmpodcast/

Like us on Facebook and join our show fan page to jump in on the conversation! - https://www.facebook.com/lifeaftermlmpodcast

Find me on CLUBHOUSE at @therealrobertablevins

*Some links may be affiliate links. When you purchase things from these links, I get a small commission that I use to buy us tacos.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices