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March 31, 2005
- Pyramid Schemes / Cults
By QBlog in Quixtar Chatter
- Pyramid Schemes / Cults
"To sum it all up Quixtar is a cult"
From The Mountain
By David Robison in March of Perceptions
"And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people will get to the Promised Land"
Those are eloquent words. I would not attempt, nor imply, nor infer, that I am in any way as eloquent as the Reverend King. Nor do I want to minimize his message of justice and civil rights for all Americans, but rather I would like to use his words as inspiration for my final entry as a March of Perceptions guest blogger.
If I had the chance, to go back in the history of Quixtar as a corporation, I would not have to travel too far back in time; a mere 6 years; so I would rather decide to travel back into the history of Amway Corporation. Back even before Amway, I would travel into the history of the Ja-Ri Corporation. I'd be there as Rich DeVos struck a deal with Jay Van Andel. The historical one where Rich offered Jay gas money, in exchange for a ride. I would watch as their friendship grew, but I wouldn't stop there. I'd be there when they opened their aviation school, their drive-in restaraunt; I'd be there when their boat sank off the coast of Cuba.
I'd be there when they began their Nutrilite partnership, and I'd be there when they decided Amway would be the answer for their group of distributors.
But I wouldn't stop there — I'd be there as Amway grew. Right up into the 1970s, when Amway offered training for their distributors. Complete programs to sponsor, to sell products, to grow as businessmen.
But I would not stop there; no I would endure the 60 Minutes interview of the 1980s. I would endure the "Fake it Till You Make It" book expose'.
And I would endure my experience in Amway, as a distributor in the 80s as Amway, the training company and products company, gave way to the Amway, that was just a products company and effectively gave all training control to it's distributors. I would witness the birth of these Amway Motivational Organizations.
And I'd be there when Rich and Jay stepped down and their kids took over. I'd be there when Quixtar started.
I would witness the existing IBOs take an idea that was born to provide more independence to the newest IBO, and transfer it back to the motivational systems of Amway.
And after scanning over all the history of corporation, I would ask to remain in this time today.
That's a strange statement I know. Why would I struggle against the mounting information on the Internet about this company? The confusion of motivational organizations clouding information. The deceptions, and even more, the revelations of dishonest practices.
But I am happy to be involved at this time, because I am now forced, as every ethical IBO should be forced, to grapple with these problems. To solve the problems of a company trapped by the bottom line. But it is becoming a problem not of just a "negative presence" on the Internet. The problem has the potential of making the company fade into non-existence on the Internet and in the world.
What does this mean to new IBOs? It means they must research, study and face the realities of the business they have chosen. They must embrace "cross-lining" of information and work together in unity. They must revert back to those days of Rich and Jay. They must provide an opportunity to anyone with the desire to have a business of their own, by duplicating, not a motivational system, but a marketing plan available to anyone that has the ability to comprehend the materials in a small sales and marketing kit.
If it takes the act of blogging. Then we must blog. If it takes the action of setting up like-minded communities on the web, then we shall inform. We must stress the advantages of product sales, of sound business, and open honest discussion and training, not motivation and hero worship.
Somewhere, I read the words, Independent; somewhere I read the words, Business; and somewhere I read the words, Ownership. It's time that we as IBOs become true to those words.
It's alright to talk about the negative comments on the "bathroom walls", but we can not ask the Corporation to clean these walls, we must in fact decide to change, to not be the inspiration for these negative comments. We must not point to the "losers" who quit, but rather we must look at our practices and ourselves lest we become even a worst "loser'. Not a loser who "steals dreams" but a loser who corrupts the original dream of those founders that wanted to provide an opportunity to those desiring to better their lives through simple business ownership.
We don't have to argue with anyone, we don't have to curse anyone. We don't have to answer charges by "critics" of our business, if we are actually running OUR business of being a Quixtar Independent Business Owner. We should not be a pawn of some motivational system that defies corporate policy, or minimizes the infrastructure and principles that the founders originally wanted all IBOs to be a part of.
And if we build organizations of IBOs on these principles, then matters of arbitration, scandal, terminations, Google Bombing and "quitters" will fade into the past. Because the future will be bright for each IBO and the corporation will thrive on the Internet.
The question is not; What will happen to me as an IBO, if I decide to act independently? The question is what will happen to Quixtar Corporation, our business; if we continue to provide the impetus for lawsuits, complaints, and negative websites?
And how will we survive as business owners? That's the question.
Well, I don't know what will happen. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter to me now. Because I have been to the mountaintop. And I don't mind. Like any IBO, I want to be a Diamond; I want to be a Crown Ambassador. But I am not concerned about that now. I just want to run a business within the Rules. And the way it was run by the Founders has allowed me to look back in history, as if I was on a mountain. I have seen how it was once accomplished. I have seen the promised land. I may not get there, with you. But I want you to know that any IBO CAN get there. I'm not worried. I can not fear the future, only change the present. My eyes have seen the "name changes", but my spirit sees real changes.
The "March of Perceptions" is a special Quixtar BLOG project featuring the perceptions of four guest bloggers during the month of March.
Awake But Still in Oz
By Dorothy Still In Oz in March of Perceptions
"This business is the only thing out there that's working," we're told at Quixtar open meetings. However, it's NOT working for us. Who is it working for? Very few people. At what cost to the people downline from them? There were so many red flags during the first couple of years of participating in the WWDB system that I should've gotten the clue, but I wanted to believe.
If we're not even doing the CORE steps right now, why are we still in? Hanging on out of false pride? Too embarrassed to quit now? Hoping beyond hope that this year we will make ourselves do this? Meanwhile we keep giving our hard-earned money to the Diamonds. This is wrong. If this were a conventional business, we would have stopped after five years of losses and moved on to something else.
I do understand why it's hard for my husband to wake up. After investing over a decade of our lives, it would be very painful to quit now. We'd be acknowledging that we've wasted 25% of our working life on this. We'd be acknowledging that we were wrong, that we'd been duped, that all those prospects that turned us down were right. Since waking up, I've had to study and learn and rethink EVERYTHING that I once believed — not an easy process. I've had to reexamine all that I thought was true. I now don't trust my judgment or my instincts like I used to. This waking up process has shaken my world in countless ways. The business was my life. It would've been easier to stay deceived.
So what now? I've woken up from my nightmare of Oz, but I'm still choosing to live in it. Can I function within a system that promotes exaggerations and fallacies? Can I make this work and go Ruby by focusing on retail profitability like Jennifer7Lee? By getting excited about talking about our best, most price-competitive products, truly teaching others how to sell them, helping lower pins to be profitable? Sure I could. So then, it IS direct selling. Direct selling is not what was promoted to me and not what I signed up for. I was all for buying from ourselves and teaching others to do the same (before I learned that it was illegal). Direct selling is NOT what I want to do with my life; so I'm not going to try to redeem my previous years by making this into a real retail business for myself. I'm ready to move on from this to a new life.
Besides, what about the completely unacceptable BSMAA contract which Quixtar puts out for the protection of the AQMOs and itself? What about Quixtar's support of the kingpins over individual IBOs as evidenced by stories like Jeff's, Eric's, and Bo's? I can't promote a company that acts that way — can you?
So, for now, I smile, I listen, I love people and I do what I can to help those downline from me treat this like a real business, even if we don't. I love on my husband, I go with him to the functions, and I do call-in/product pickup. Why don't I set my foot down and refuse to participate with him? Because I want to keep his heart and our oneness, not put a wall between us. I want him to see it for himself and then resent the business, not me. He knows what I think; now I can be patient. I wouldn't expect others to do the same, but this is what I'm choosing to do. The fact that we're not charging forward right now makes it easier because I'm not in the position of contradicting him; if it came to that, we'd be having more discussions, that's for sure! Quixtarblog has become my "Q-Anon" meeting that helps me to cope while I'm still in the middle of Oz.
Thank you, QBlog, for inviting me to share my story on your blog; it was an honor to be asked. Thank you for your time and efforts with the blog and forum, which have helped me to keep my sanity and have added so much to the Internet Quixtar conversation. Thank you to all the participants of quixtarblog for sharing, discussing, and debating; you certainly have caused me to think!
Quixtarblog rules!
The "March of Perceptions" is a special Quixtar BLOG project featuring the perceptions of four guest bloggers during the month of March.
Dig The Podcast Baby!
By QBlog in
I've fully committed to this Podcasting thing (for now) and I think I'm getting that hang of it. My plan, starting out, is to do one QBlog Radio Podcast each week. As I streamline the process I hope to add at least one more Podcast to the schedule.
QBlog Radio?
The original QBlog Radio was my way of sharing music with you. A new song was featured every day and allowed listeners to sample a variety of musical styles and genres. However, there wasn't much else I could do with the original QBlog Radio beyond sharing music.
The New QBlog Radio Podcast
When I ran into computer troubles a couple of months ago I was forced to put QBlog Radio on hold. During that time I thought about what I really wanted to do with it and decided to scrap it. It was about that time that I got interested in Podcasting. After a bit of consideration, I chose to resurrect QBlog Radio as a Podcast.
The new QBlog Radio Podcast is what launches when you click the "QBlog Radio" link on the right side of the page. Actually, it's just a blog that launches. The old QBlog Radio blog is still accessible if you want to check out the featured songs. I may scrap it some day but for now, I'm leaving it on the site.
Anyway, so the new QBlog Radio works like this. Open up the QBlog Radio blog and point your iPodder (or other Podcasting software) to the Entries (RSS) feed at the bottom of the page. Once you've subscribed to the QBlog Radio Podcast you don't really ever need to visit the QBlog Radio blog again. However, I plan to post brief summaries of each show on that blog.
Confused? Well, if you're new to Podcasting I suggest you read my Blogging 101 post on the subject and be sure to follow all the reference links. After you get a better understanding, all this will make much more sense.
For those that have no interest in Podcasts, I'll also post the link so you can just download it to your hard drive. This post will also probably be the last one on the main Quixtar BLOG that mentions any of the QBlog Radio Podcasts so be sure to check the QBlog Radio Blog every week to get the latest goodies.
If you're still confused, I'm sorry. There's a certain level of knowledge required to understand this post and if you lack it and don't feel like getting it, then you're SOL. I'm not really interested in explaining this in complete newbie style. Again, sorry.
So, welcome to the QBlog Radio Podcast.
» Download QBlog Radio Podcast - 2 (mp3) (6 MB and 14 mins)
March 30, 2005
Quixtar Is Deceiving You
By QBlog in
Quixtar is promoting something called the "Real Quixtar Blog." It's run by an anonymous Quixtar employee known only as "Kia." The problem with "Real Quixtar Blog," as I've previously indicated, is that it's not a blog. It sort of looks like a blog to the uninitiated and the ignorant, but it's absolutely, positively not a blog. Quixtar and Kia may call it a blog, but that doesn't make it so.
What Is A Blog?
Blogs are many things and what defines them can vary greatly but there are some fundamental characteristics that distinguish blogs from other Web sites.
All blogs share these characteristics:
- Chronologically arranged posts
- Posts are automatically time-stamped
- Auto-generated archives
Most blogs share these characteristics:
- Permalinks
- RSS or some sort of syndication feed
- Ping a directory service after each post
Many blogs share these characteristics:
- Comments
- Trackbacks
- Updated frequently
(Reference: Harvard Definition, Answers.com Definition and Wikipedia)
Of the nine characteristics listed above, how many apply to the "Real Quixtar Blog?" Just one. The site does seem to arrange its posts chronologically which gives it that "blog" look but it's definitely not a blog. And the time-stamp you see isn't really a time-stamp. It's merely a line of text, in bold, manually inserted into the title line (which is why the post for Easter Weekend has no date, just the words "Easter Weekend").
In fact, it looks like the site is powered by Microsoft Visual Studio just like the company that hosts it. That's significant because Microsoft Visual Studio is not a native blog tool and lacks many of the features that define blogs.
Deceiving?
But is Quixtar really "deceiving" anyone? If Kia wants to call his site a blog, and if it sort of looks like a blog, then there's no harm done... right? Wrong!
The "Real Quixtar Blog" may be the only exposure many IBOs have to the "world of blogging." Their entire perception of "blogs" could easily be shaped by a site that is a blog in name only. If that's not deceiving, it's at least misleading. And why would Quixtar knowingly mislead IBOs about blogs? Ignorance? Negligence? Something else?
Mountains and Molehills
"You're making a big deal about nothing you idiot." Possibly. However, what statement is being made by a corporation that can't even run a proper blog? Today they promote a non-blog as a blog. What will they promote tomorrow in a similar fashion?
March 29, 2005
Questions For IBOs
By QBlog in
I have a couple of questions that I'd only like Quixtar IBOs to answer. If you're not currently an active Quixtar IBO in good standing the please don't comment. I reserve the right to remove the comments of those I suspect don't meet those qualifications. Thanks.
Questions
- Are IBOs required to sell products to non-IBOs?
- Does giving your children Quixtar products count as product sales to consumers?
- What happens, if anything, if an IBO doesn't sell any products to non-IBOs in a given month?
- Do you sell products to non-IBOs and if so, what is the average PV you receive on those sales each month?
- If you sell products to non-IBOs, do you usually mark up the price or sell them at cost?
- How often, on average, would you say you're told to sell products to non-IBOs?
Thanks again.
Wakeup Factor #7 - Fallacies and Credibility
By Dorothy Still In Oz in March of Perceptions
At the functions that I attend, I now pay closer attention to the fallacies that WWDB teaches. I believe the biggest and most pervasive deception is the contention that no one is making it in the traditional business world, that we are all on a treadmill and can't get ahead, that business as usual doesn't work. Through their clever stories, the Diamonds create a need that wasn't there before by asking things like, "Do you make all the money you want to make? Is your debt putting you under financial stress? Do you have time to do all the things you want to do? Don't you want your life back?" Then, they dangle the carrot of freedom with ongoing income, and you're hooked.
They fail to mention that most likely the Quixtar business and their motivational system are going to COST you A LOT of money, that you will be under even MORE financial stress paying for their tools and functions, that you will have even LESS time to do things that you've always found time for before Quixtar was in your life, and that the likelihood of you gaining the freedom with ongoing income that you were picturing the first day you heard of it doesn't even exist.
My husband still believes that there is true freedom in this business, and he wants it desperately. He is now permanently discontent with working 8-10 hours per day, 5 days a week, says that he "can't do this much longer" and that Quixtar is the only hope we have for our future.
Ironically, we've been doing very well with our job income in recent years, but he still has the "I don't want to do this job anymore" attitude to which I ask him "well then, what do you want to do?" — hoping that his answer will have something to do with one of the passions we had before we got into Amway. But no, his reply is "I just want to be free." As if we will be free in Quixtar, ha! What he doesn't want to see is that we would work this business for 50+ hours per week too. We'd become vampires — up all night long and sleeping our sunshine away. Diamonds may have freedom during the day, but they work every night. If they don't, then they will lose their business — almost half of WWDB Diamonds are out-of-qualification at this time. It seems that freedom at Diamond is much more a myth than reality.
The Diamonds sound so credible, caring, and wise when they are speaking. They know just what to say and how to say it to pull those heartstrings. I have no credibility with my husband compared to them. They are — or at least seem to be — godly men of character, honesty, and integrity. He thinks I'm arrogant for thinking I know something that they don't know, and for thinking that any of them might be anything less than the pillars of America. Even I have a hard time believing that Ron Puryear is either a deceiver or deceived. He seems too kind to deceive; he seems too wise to be deceived.
My husband blames my "negative" attitude on himself because we haven't gone Diamond yet. He knows I'm wrong, and that it's his fault for not already providing me with riches. Since I used to believe everything the system teaches, he's sure that I'm negative only from our lack of success. He has a system answer to every argument I bring up about the fallacies and deceptions I see, and he doesn't waver from them.
People need to be taught to recognize fallacies. They are everywhere in advertising/marketing. Fallacies are put forward as facts and truths throughout Quixtar plan presentations. I appreciate this forum because the fallacies are exposed as such, and people are shown how to identify the fallacies and how to analyze the facts.
I think most of the Diamonds believe the fallacies they promote. That's why they are so good at promoting them. Some may see through the deception, but those Diamonds don't have the guts, like Bo Short, to publicly say they were wrong and then start over. Would I in their place? I hope so, but I don't know. After all, I kept the Platinum "tool money", didn't I?
The "March of Perceptions" is a special Quixtar BLOG project featuring the perceptions of four guest bloggers during the month of March.
Guest Blogging 101: Lessons Learned
By Windy Hill in March of Perceptions
It's the end of March and the end of MOP and I have to tell you I'm glad this is over. You all are an interesting — if brutal — lot that I can't say I've thoroughly enjoyed interacting with. Since this is our last time together, I'd like to post a list of lessons learned. In no particular order of importance:
- I'm not cut out for "real" links-and-comments blogging. I think I'll stick to the journaling end of the spectrum (and no, I'm not going to give my url here).
- People who comment on blogs can be very rude. In fact I dare say they'll type things that they'd never say to you in person.
- People who comment on blogs can be very fair, sometimes taking the rude ones to task for impolite comments. In a polite way, of course.
- Most people who comment on blogs have their minds made up about a topic and nothing you say can change it.
- Some people who comment on blogs remain open minded and are willing to consider another viewpoint.
- If you cannot adequately support your viewpoint, stay off the blog.
- Even if you supply facts and data in a decidedly dispassionate manner, people itching for a fight will see bias and comment accordingly.
If you are guest blogging, do not expect the webmaster to:
- Defend you
- Fact check your stuff
- Add in all your links for you
- Send you a T-shirt
- Or otherwise acknowledge your presence
He is busy — why do you think he has guest bloggers in the first place?
If you are guest blogging, you can expect the webmaster to:
- Suggest topics if you experience writer's block
- Require promptness in posting
- Add in links if you didn't have any
- Wheedle and cajole posts out of you when nobody else comes through for that day
- Get a little exasperated if you post then delete (twice) before he has a chance to publish
You can meet good people if you take up blogging, which is how I came to guest blog in the first place. In fact, I've cultivated a couple of friendships online now and plan to continue getting to know new and different people as I blog.
Just because the people are good does not mean you should guest blog on their sites. It just might ruin that new friendship.
Whew! I am so over March of Perceptions. But thanks, QBlog, for hosting what has been an interesting forum. I hope to see more of this kind of thing on Quixtar Blog. (just don't ask me to guest!) LOL
- Windy
The "March of Perceptions" is a special Quixtar BLOG project featuring the perceptions of four guest bloggers during the month of March.
March 28, 2005
Monday Reader Mail: 37
By QBlog in Reader Mail
This Reader Mail reads like a script from IBO Head Quarters. It's amazing really. As always, my comments appear in bold
name: Kevin S.
date: March 24, 2005
message: I am an IBO who is making a great financial opportunity come true with Quixtar. I am making much more than your posted average income. Besides I am not average.
It's not my average income but Quixtar's. I just posted the same numbers that they distribute. The Average, Active IBO earns $115 per month.
Average people fail with Quixtar, and then post negative comments on the internet.
Average people fail with Quixtar? Then why is it marketed to average people?
You can make excuses or you can make money, but you can't make both. This is true with Quixtar or whatever your chosen income source is. Sometimes you just have to let losers lose. People quit everything, they quit jobs, marriage, and even Quixtar. Then they put negative crap on the internet, which is the same as the tabloid magazines or writing on the bathroom wall.
Just because it's negative doesn't mean it isn't true. Smoking kills. It's a negative message but still an important one to hear.
This is what they use as their loser's limp for not doing what it takes. I am doing something positive with my life, I wish I could do the same for you.
Not sure what a "loser's limp" is but I guess I'm supposed to have one. Anyway, how many IBOs does Kevin S. represent? In your experience, are his comments typical or unique?
Fasttrack to Diamond Executive
By QBlog in
Let's see, Joe Land got booted resigned from Quixtar December 31, 2004. Before leaving Quixtar, Land had reached the Diamond level and ran his own "tool business" called Alliance Net Solutions (now called ProSystemOne and owned by Joe Pici). Due to Quixtar's "Non-Compete and Anti-Raiding Rules" (Rule 6.5 et. al) one would assume that Land left Quixtar for Oasis Life Sciences with nothing and would be forced to build his new MLM from scratch, just like everyone else. Of course, such an assumption would be wrong, not to mention naive.
According to the Oasis Life Sciences Event Schedule (updated March 5, 2005) Joe Land has already reached "Diamond Executive" status and was one of three "Hosts" for a "Regional Conference" in Tampa on March 19 (Google Cache & Screen Shot)
So, let's see if I got this right. While Joe Land was a Quixtar Diamond running his own "tool business" he was building a competing MLM business called Oasis Life Sciences. He built that business for a few months (I discovered it in November, 2004 but he was probably building it before then) and a little more than three months after getting canned resigning from Quixtar he's a Diamond Executive "Host" at one of the competing MLM's Conferences. Name one Amway or Quixtar Diamond that reached that coveted level so quickly. Go ahead, name one. Can't do it can you?
Also, did you notice the other host on that list? None other than Marshall Douglas. You remember him don't you? Sure you do. He's another former Quixtar Diamond. Was in a little group called Team in Focus.
Here's my question: Will Quixtar enforce its own rules and shut down Joe Land for violating those rules? Survey says! Not likely. Why not? Because Joe Land isn't Bo Short.
March 27, 2005
Blogging 101 - You Don't Need a Blog
By Matt Wood in Blogging 101
A few weeks ago, my partner QBlog wrote about blogging Rule #1: Don't Suck. Sage advice indeed, but the truth is no matter how hard you try, your blog will suck. It will be unbelievably, mind-numbingly bad. You won't post often enough to keep people coming back, and you'll be mad at yourself. You won't get any comments, and you'll feel like a loser. Then you'll abandon your blog, and the internet will be littered with yet another carcass with six meaningless posts, four of which are apologies for not posting often enough. There are 12,000 new weblogs created every day, and 11,999 of them suck, including yours. So don't even try. Do the internet a favor, and don't clog it up with your "ramblings," "musings," or "random thoughts" in a blog. There are better places for it.
But I just want to speak my mind, you say. Great. Don't do it in a blog. Speak your mind to your friends, your family, your co-workers, or your classmates. If you're angry or excited about something, tell them about it, and get them angry and excited too. Don't waste your time hoping some intrepid, like-minded soul will stumble upon your sad, default-Blogger-templated website. After the initial delusion that everyone from Finland to New Zealand will care about exactly how you feel about Donald Rumsfeld wears off, you'll realize that you're talking to yourself. And you'll be more frustrated than if you hadn't started the damn blog in the first place. So turn off the computer and get out of the house. It's liberating.
But my family and friends don't want to talk about this stuff with me, you say. There's probably a reason for that. You're either A) boring or B) an obnoxious blowhard. Either way, take the social cues from your friends and keep it to yourself. You'll be doing all of us a favor. Remember that guy at your office, the one you can't stand because he's such a know-it-all and won't shut up? Don't be that guy.
But I want meet new people with the same interests, you say. Bravo. Allow me to introduce you to the humble discussion group, otherwise known as a message board, a forum, or an email message sent to more than one person at a time. With four million other blogs to contend with, hardly anyone will be able to find yours, let alone feel compelled to comment on it. That endless succession of "Comments (0)" you'll see after every post will demoralize you to the point that you'll consider leaving the spam comments around just to boost your numbers. So instead of setting yourself up for failure, seek out these other wonderful people, in a place like Slashdot, Kuro5hin, or a Yahoo group, where all the technical bits are taken care of, where the discussion is lively, and where chances are someone will respond to you within five minutes of pressing "Send."
But I don't want to meet other people, I just want a place to record my thoughts, you say. Awesome. Instead of spending $29.95 a month for broadband, $14.99 a month for web hosting, and $69.95 for a copy of Movable Type, take $1.50 and buy a notebook and a pen. They're age-old tools for creating what you really need: a journal. Let's say you're really pissed about what your boss said to you one day, or you secretly think your boyfriend is cheating on you. Are you going to write about that on the public web? Probably not. Every blogger self-censors no matter how tough they talk. So spend some time really getting things off your chest in a good old diary. Trust me, you'll feel better in the long run.
We can't all be so lucky to write for a quality publication like this one. So seriously, don't even try. A blog isn't the right answer for most of the reasons people think they need one. But you don't need one. Your energy is better spent conversing with real people, not hoping to be the one voice heard in the middle of a riot.
- By Matt Wood
Blogging 101 publishes every Sunday and provides blogging tips, advice and tutorials for blog newbies and veterans alike.
March 26, 2005
Wakeup Factor #6 - Pain
By Dorothy Still In Oz in March of Perceptions
Waking up from the nightmare that is the World Wide Dreambuilders system came gradually. I learned about the tool money the Diamonds earn from the system. I figured out that there is no ongoing income at Diamond without continuing to work the business. I didn't see enough people around me moving on. I was tired of feeling guilty all the time about not yet going Ruby and Diamond. However, I could live with those factors and still let myself be blinded, but there was one factor that I could ignore no longer — PAIN.
We became great friends with many of our downline. How could we avoid it? We spent all our time with people in our downline; we'd drifted from our old friends because we were unavailable, could not relate to normal people anymore, and were afraid of negative association! So for years the small amount of socializing we've done has been with our favorite downline who have become our new group of friends.
Most of the people who have been with us from the beginning of our Amway experience had reached 1000pv, 2500pv, or 4000pv at some point during the last decade. Just like the Diamonds, most everyone has sunk back to a lower PV level, usually back to 1/3rd of their highest level. They do not make a net profit because they continue to plug into the system out of loyalty to our group and the hope that someday they will achieve their own dreams.
Plugging into the system (premier membership, standing order tape, functions, voicemail, etc) without the bonus from Quixtar to pay for it becomes a serious drain on one's finances over a long period of time. If you are CORE, this can be $5000 — $10,000 per year, no problem.
I've watched my friends tank financially (repo'd cars, foreclosed homes, ruined credit), but continue to stay plugged into the system paying the same $5000+ per year. It's crazy. They're hanging on to hope because they're told this is the best thing they can do with their lives. Some stay in because now they REALLY need it to dig themselves out of the hole they've gotten themselves into. They do not pursue promotions at their jobs because they're told at functions that if they change jobs they will lose their focus on the business. Some stay in because they have no idea what else they would do — every other career has been maligned by the Diamonds as a dead-end in the rut world.
It's been easier for us to stay in, not as financially painful; we've had significant bonus checks for years, but what about my friends? Most have gotten out, but the most loyal ones don't walk away because of the relationships formed. And year after year, behind their now plastic smiles, I see PAIN.
- The pain of financial disaster
- The pain of unreached dreams that they've cultivated for years
- The pain of missing out on the most cherished events in life – weddings, birthdays, family reunions (the real ones)
- The pain of failure at non-achievement
- The pain of attendance at ANOTHER function without crossing stage
- The pain of being asked, yet again, "Is this Amway?"
- The pain of being handed a two-inch pile of papers printed off the Internet by another prospect
- The pain of wondering, "Will I ever get to Ruby, much less Diamond?"
Why aren't these people told to let go of the business and move on? When a downline asks if they "should go to the next function," we ARE trained to tell them "no" because a person who's asking isn't ready and doesn't really want to go. However, these are not the people who would ask. Ron Puryear has taught to upgrade AND downgrade people to their true level on a CD, but I've NEVER seen a downgrade in action. No one sets a meeting to tell the old timers to quit, and as we all know, "Winners never quit!"
Diamonds, please stop their pain. Let them move on to something else and keep their self-respect at the same time. Why won't you let them go?
The "March of Perceptions" is a special Quixtar BLOG project featuring the perceptions of four guest bloggers during the month of March.
March 25, 2005
QBlog's Farcical Help Desk - 18
By QBlog in Farcical Help Desk
Every Friday, the QBlog Farcical Help Desk™ answers the Quixtar questions that nobody dared to ask. Additionally, each Help Desk answer is guaranteed to end with some form of punctuation or we'll refund your money. No fooling!
Question: So where is the Help Desk™ today?
Answer: Everyone's gone for Good Friday.
Q: Oh, that's right. Easter is this Sunday. What are
you doing for Easter?
A: Uh, the usual.
Q: Cool. I'm going to see Buffo
- The World's Strongest Clown!
A: Sweet. Take pictures, ok?
March 24, 2005
The business about the business
By Windy Hill in March of Perceptions
I was thinking that QBlog's readers might enjoy knowing a little more of the businesses behind the business that is the subject of so much debate here.
What follows is information anyone can find by perusing the several official websites of Alticor and its subsidiaries, Amway, Quixtar, and Access. But just so you don't have to do too much digging, I've distilled it here for you.
As you no doubt know, Rich DeVos and Jay Van Andel were best friends in high school and lifelong business partners whose one-product business begun in Jay's basement in the late 1950s became the multibillion dollar global enterprise most people in the world know as Amway.
Today the company called Alticor Inc. is a global corporation with products, business opportunities and manufacturing and logistics services in more than 80 countries. It is a HUGE operation and is the parent company of:
- Amway Corp., the direct selling company founded in 1959
- Quixtar Inc., the North American online affiliate
- Access Business Group, the manufacturer and distributor of products worldwide for Alticor and non-Alticor companies.
Alticor's world headquarters covers an area of over 1 million sq. ft. The "Miracle Mile" as it is called stretches along Fulton St. in the sleepy town of Ada, Michigan, where the company is definitely the biggest thing going.
Product development, manufacturing, logistics
Alticor's product focus is on nutrition, wellness, beauty, and home products. The company owns or manages manufacturing and distribution facilities throughout the world, including manufacturing facilities in China and the United States and distribution facilities in North America, Europe, and the Far East.
Access Business Group's R & D team consists of more than 400 employees in 65 labs worldwide. Their website says they can take a product from concept to production — including all the formulation, testing and etc. in between. The company holds 450 patents with another 250 patents pending.
Manufacturing capabilities in the U.S. include production of more than 500 different products in a 265 acre manufacturing complex here in Michigan and a half-million square feet of manufacturing space in California. Access also operates about 7,000 acres of organic-certified farmland in the U.S., Mexico, and Brazil.
As a logistics and fulfillment service, Access covers 1.725 million sq. ft. of distribution space, processing over 14 million packages yearly in the U.S. alone.
Like I said, this is no small enterprise.
Living better lives
More than 13,000 people work for Alticor around the world, including close to 4,000 in West Michigan. It is one of the region's top employers and has always been known as a fair and family friendly company to work for. The company is visible and active in community on many fronts, from partnering with the local school district to provide tutoring to inner city kids to sending busloads of volunteers to help with cleanup and rebuilding in the aftermath of a natural disaster.
In addition, the business opportunities you know as Quixtar (North America) and Amway (everywhere else) help more than 3.6 million people all over the world own and operate their own independent businesses. These are the IBOs you are all so familiar with.
In my view, the company's mission, helping people live better lives, is a statement that applies not only to those helped by the business opportunity, but also to those thousands of others whose livelihoods are inextricably tied to the fortunes of IBOs: people all over the world who are employed by Alticor.
Family legacy
The DeVos and Van Andel families are well known here as successful business leaders whose legacy I'd be hard pressed to imagine is matched in many other communities.
The families' philanthropy has been legendary. Their generosity is visible everywhere around Grand Rapids — from the Van Andel Research Institute, dedicated to improving human health, to the new state-of-the-art DeVos Place Convention Center.
The families were pioneers in the revitalization of downtown Grand Rapids in the early 1980s when they renovated the turn-of-the-century Pantlind Hotel to create the award-winning Amway Grand Plaza Hotel. They continue giving back to the community by funding or supporting initiatives in the arts, health, education, and social services.
The "March of Perceptions" is a special Quixtar BLOG project featuring the perceptions of four guest bloggers during the month of March.
March 23, 2005
The QBlog Podcast
By QBlog in
That's right folks, I'm doing a Podcast... sort of. There are still a few details I need to master, like putting the Podcast into my RSS feed, but this is a start. I'm still viewing this thing as an experiment, so we'll see how it goes and if it goes well, I'll continue but if it's more trouble than it's worth then I'll probably do something else.
Anyway, until I get the RSS enclosure set up you can just download the Podcast like you would download any mp3 file.
» QBlog Radio Podcast - First Ramblings (4 MB - 10 Minutes)
March 22, 2005
How Do You Like MOP?
By QBlog in March of Perceptions
So what do you think about the "March of Perceptions" so far? There are less than two weeks left for this special project and I'd just like to know your opinion. Love it? Hate it? Get itchy thinking about it?
I'll just say that I'm really enjoying it. It's fascinating to see how IBOs have different perspectives of the same business. If you missed out on the beginning of the project, visit the blog archives and look under the "March of Perceptions" category.
The "March of Perceptions" is a special Quixtar BLOG project featuring the perceptions of four guest bloggers during the month of March.
"By The Pricking of my Thumbs"
By QBlog in
Earlier this month my site received a special visitor. One single visit. One single IP address. No big deal right? Wrong.
This single visit accounted for over 30% of all files transfers and ranks number one on the list of total KBytes transfer. Over 500 Megs of my bandwidth were consumed by this one, solitary visitor.
What I believe happened is that someone "archived" or "cached" my entire site. All of it. This is significant because, to my knowledge, it's never been cached before. Of course, my curiosity was piqued and I ran a Whois on the IP address. Turns out it traces back to a Dallas Firm called ThePlanet.com.
I don't know exactly what is going on, maybe nothing. But my Spidey Senses are tingling and I suspect something is brewing, somewhere. Or it could just be some Texan who really loves this blog?
March 21, 2005
Monday Reader Mail: 36
By QBlog in Reader Mail
Reader Mail this week is about Quixtar products, specifically XS Energy Drink.
name: joe
date: March 14, 2005
message: Cool site...I'm not a fan of Quixtar or any of the MLM's for that matter, but I do like drinking the XS gear stuff, but I who the hell do I order the stuff without being asked to sell it... I just want to buy it not promote it... why don't they just sell the crap in a store somewhere?
Well, I'm not sure of the rationale behind the restrictions on retailing XS drinks but I do know that rule 4.3 of the Business Reference Guide states:
Retail Stores: No IBO shall permit the Corporation's products or services to be sold or displayed in retail stores, schools, fairs, PXs, ships, or military stores; nor shall he or she permit any of these products to appear in such locations even if the products or services are not for sale. No corporate literature shall be displayed in retail establishments.
If I'm reading that rule right, IBOs are responsible for how products are sold and displayed AFTER he's sold them. So, IBO Bob could sell a case of XS to Larry. Larry then takes the XS to his Deli and says, "What the hey, I'll sell these to customers!" Larry places them in his display fridge and now IBO Bob is in violation of rule 4.3. Or maybe I'm misunderstanding the rule? That's entirely possible. It's sort of confusing.
The XS Gear site further explains that:
It is critical that the retail establishments know and follow the resale guidelines established by Quixtar rules and regulations. In short: the actual XS brand (logo) cannot be displayed and the Energy Drink must be poured out of the can and into a container (plastic cup, sport bottle, etc.) ...The XS Energy Drinks cannot be sold in the can through a retail business or in vending machines.
Thankfully, XS Gear also provides some insight into the rationale behind all the retailing restrictions:
To appreciate the reasoning behind this Rule one must keep in mind that it is designed to give people from all walks of life the ability to own their own business. Allowing our products to be sold in retail or service establishments would give those IBO's (sic) that have access to them an unfair advantage and would be contrary to the person-to-person nature of the business.
I applaud Quixtar's efforts to be fair to all IBOs and to maintain a level "playing field." Just one question, is the spirit behind that rule applied universally? Just asking.
March 20, 2005
Blogging 101 - Click Here
By QBlog in Blogging 101
If you're new to blogging then you may also be new to linking content. Links, or hyperlinks, are references to other Web sites or files. Links are the lifeblood of the Web and can greatly enhance your content by providing context that wouldn't otherwise be available.
But how should you insert a link into your content? It's not as easy as it looks. For example, let's say you found a really cool video you want to link up in your blog post. Your post may look something like this:
Just saw an AWESOME Star Wars trailer. It's so cool. You gotta check it out. Click Here.
The above example is the wrong way to link the video. "Click Here" gives absolutely no context. It's also superfluous and makes the link virtually invisible to search engines.
Instead, try inserting the link within the flow of the content like this:
Just saw an AWESOME Star Wars trailer. It's so cool. You gotta check it out.
The link now makes more sense. It's about Star Wars and it's a trailer. It also doesn't disrupt the flow of your post with a big, intrusive "Click Here."
History of Click Here
In the early days of the Web, many believed that people needed clear directions about where to click. Those who were new to the Web didn't understand that an underlined word usually indicated a link and that by clicking that underlined word, they'd get access to additional content. And so "Click Here" was used as a way of guiding Web neophytes along the "Information Superhighway."
However, the Web has since become such a familiar fixture in our modern culture that such guidance is unnecessary and phrases like "Click Here" can actually detract from the value of content.
Improved Linking
There are other ways to improve your linking. Using the "title tag" gives your link even more context. Example:
<a href="http://www.link.com" title="Descriptive Explanation of Link">Linked Text</a>
The title tag generally displays when you "mouse over" a link. Title tags also help search engines understand what the links are and makes it easier for them to return relevant results.
Pointers
You should always be aware of the way links affect your content. Find the right balance. Here are a few tips:
- Too many links can be distracting and make your content difficult to read.
- Links that are too long can also negatively impact your blog post.
- Try to avoid linking punctuation. It's not necessary and looks silly. Same with "quotes" inside sentences. Linking quotes should be done by putting the link inside the "quote."
- Be careful with "hover links." If you don't know what a hover link is, don't worry about it. If you do, be sure that your hover link isn't bold or a different font size than the link text. Such spatial changes cause the text to "move" when moused over. It looks silly and can damage templates.
- IMPORTANT: Be sure you let people know when your link goes to a non HTML page. In the examples above I linked a movie file. I should have added some indication that the link was directly to a movie file.
Example: Just saw an AWESOME Star Wars trailer (Window Media File). This is especially important to do for pdf files, as you'll see demonstrated on this very blog. - Linking the same word many times in a single post is unnecessary and annoying. For example, if your post is about the Saki Monkey then you shouldn't link the words Saki Monkey every time you mention the Saki Monkey. Two or three times is fine, and sometimes helps the post but if you have a lengthy entry and the word is used dozens of times, then don't link each instance of that word.
Finally, if you have anything to add to this post, please leave a comment. This post discusses text links only. I will discuss image links another day.
Blogging 101 publishes every Sunday and provides blogging tips, advice and tutorials for blog newbies and veterans alike
March 19, 2005
Wakeup Factor #5 - Guilt
By Dorothy Still In Oz in March of Perceptions
Guilt appears in so many forms in my QMO that a book could be written just on this one subject.
The kind of guilt I see at the functions is heartbreaking. As people are chatting before and after opens, rallies, etc., (remember, we are encouraged to come early and stay late!) inevitably they talk about what's going on in their life. If they've moved to a new house, they tell me about it excitedly, but then add the self-deprecating comment, "of course, it isn't my dream house, but then I just haven't shown enough plans yet." And they have true guilt when they say it.
In fact, I would say about 75% of conversations I have with people at functions include some kind of "I'm a loser because I haven't done this thing yet" comment. They don't think anything good should happen in their life unless it stems from this business. They're embarrassed to share about a vacation they took if it wasn't a business trip. They are embarrassed to report any "blessings" in their life if they haven't gone Platinum or Ruby.
I've seen in more than one person in my own downline how instead of building them up, the system actually has torn them down until they don't think they can do anything great in life because after all, they haven't even done this one "simple, but not easy" thing of going Ruby, Emerald, and Diamond. This is over a long period of time, of course. 5-plus years in before one truly loses any self-esteem, I think, because they've now passed the 2-5 year plan mark without having even gone direct. They're told every day on a tape that anyone can do this in 6-12 months. Most veterans in my downline have had to completely break away from the system first, and THEN they begin to build their belief back in themselves that they can achieve in something else. So much GUILT.
I lived for over 10 years with daily guilt that we hadn't been CORE consistently yet, so we weren't fulfilling our calling in life. Oh my gosh, it's overwhelming to see how twisted my thinking was.
It's my mission at functions now to stop people when they begin the guilt comments and to build them up in some way. I'm making progress with my own downline; I see them feeling more freedom to be themselves around me, now that I don't expect them to be AmQuixbots like I was. So good is coming from this transformation in me even now!
The "March of Perceptions" is a special Quixtar BLOG project featuring the perceptions of four guest bloggers during the month of March.
Complaint Against Dexter Yager
By QBlog in
I recently obtained a copy of a Complaint filed in Kent County Michigan against Dexter Yager. The complaint was filed in July, 2000, and makes some serious claims about Quixtar Diamond Dexter Yager's behavior during a photography session with "IBOA" board members.
7. During the time photographs were being taken, Defendant Yager intentionally, unlawfully, and repeatedly touched Plaintiff in a sexually suggestive manner, including putting his arms around her, fondling her neck, and pinching her in the genital area.
According to the Court Docket, the lawsuit was settled out of court and no details of that settlement are available.
The Court Documents pertaining to this case are public record. I contacted the Kent County Court, simply requested them and paid the nominal fee ($1 per page). Any U.S. citizen may do the exact same thing (and possibly non-citizens but I'm not sure about that). It's your right. There is absolutely nothing that the Plaintiff, the Defendant, the court or anyone else can do to prevent you from reading and distributing this document. It's public record. It's in the public domain. According to the U.S Congress and the U.S. Constitution this document belongs to the people. Always keep that in mind.
» Download and distribute your copy of the "Complaint Against Dexter Yager" (pdf)
Due to the nature of the complaint I've blacked out the name of the Plaintiff.
March 18, 2005
QBlog's Farcical Help Desk - 17
By QBlog in Farcical Help Desk
Every Friday, the QBlog Farcical Help Desk™ answers the Quixtar questions that nobody dared to ask. Additionally, each Help Desk answer is guaranteed to end with some form of punctuation or we'll refund your money. No fooling!
Question: For some reason the Quixtar site doesn't look
right on my computer. Any ideas?
Answer: What? Is it all green? Do you see penguins doing the tango? What doesn't
look right?
Q: It's really hard to see the whole site. Like the
login is hidden on the right side of my screen.
A: Oh. You've got screen resolution problems. Go to Quixtar's helpful
(but incorrectly named) page on changing your monitor resolution. Follow the instructions and you're done.
Q: Yeah, I already went there. Wasn't much help. See,
I'm on a Mac.
A: Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Wait one damn minute. You're saying you're using a Macintosh
with a 640x480 monitor? I think that's illegal in every state except Alaska.
What OS version are you running?
Q: Uh... System 7, why?
A: I'm afraid I can't help you my friend. In fact, the law says I'm supposed
to report you to the One
Infinite Loop Task Force. But I like you so I'll let it slide if you promise
to never call again.
Q: But I gotta get my PV up so my sponsor can get his
Platinum pin this month! What am I to do?
A: Bye.
Q: Amway
= Quixtar Scam?
A: Pardon me?
Q: Amway
= Quixtar Scam?
A: Are you asking me if Amway is equal to Quixtar Scam? I don't understand.
Are you asking if the Amway business is the same as a Quixtar Scam?
Q: No. Pay attention and I'll explain this slowly so
you can understand. Amway = Quixtar Scam? Same or Different.
A: Right. So Amway may be the same as Quixtar Scam or it may be different
than Quixtar Scam and you're wanting to know if Amway is the same as Quixtar
Scam right?
Q: Right.
A: Hmmmm. That's a tough one. So you're saying that Quixtar is a Scam and you
want to know if it's the same or different than Amway? So, essentially you're
asking if Amway is a scam right?
Q: I forgot. You're confusing me. Stop confusing me
you evil, evil man. Be gone from me you Satan Worshipper!
A: Dude, you got issues. Do I know you? You sound familiar. What's your name?
Q: Randy Haugen.
A: Figures.
Q: How much PV is there on goats?
A: Goats? I don't think Quixtar sells goats. You mean like a real, live goat?
Q: Yes. Goats. I just bought a dozen goats from my upline
and he said there's a bundle of PV for buying goats.
A: No. I think your upline is mistaken. You may want to get a refund.
Q: Darn. What about Goat Milk? I got six gallons of
Goat Milk and I'm thinking there is lots of PV on that. It wasn't cheap ya know.
A: No. No PV on Goat Milk. You sure you're buying this stuff from Quixtar.com?
Q: Oh. Now that you mention it, I'm going to GoatStar.com.
Gee is my face red. Sorry.
A: Naaaaah.
= His yard work has drastically slowed down
By QBlog in Quixtar Chatter
= His yard work has drastically slowed down
"He's recently been learning more about the Quixtar business and goes to weekly business meetings"
March 17, 2005
- Amway is inextricably linked with evangelical Christianity
By QBlog in Quixtar Chatter
- Amway is inextricably linked with evangelical Christianity
"We have a duty to warn our loved ones, our friends"
- They want to get into Quixtar
By QBlog in Quixtar Chatter
- They want to get into Quixtar
"But if $100-something dollars/month is the average income, then no thanks"
Wakeup Factor #4 - Platinum Slaves
By Dorothy Still In Oz in March of Perceptions
TOO MUCH WORK, TOO LITTLE PROFIT — After years of volunteering our efforts, I've finally figured it out. Platinums are the slaves of the system. We do all the grunt work of the business. We service the IBOs, make the retail sales, do the Artistry Clinics, show the board plans, teach the "nuts & bolts", answer a hundred questions a week over voicemail/phone, "counsel" those who ask, and encourage the brokenhearted ones who are trying their best, but just not making it.
We work the functions, come early, stay late, borrow cars to host Diamonds, make fruitbaskets and signs for their hotel rooms, grovel with a smile, and stay up all night, for days on end while telling the Diamonds how grateful we are that they are helping us. Helping us? You mean by coming to our city to speak for a few hours and receiving thousands of our dollars for it? And then they tease us in front of others that we must really love our jobs or we would be Diamonds by now! Gotta love it.
Shouldn't there be decent pay for your efforts at every level? At Platinum, there are so many more costs because the buck stops here as far as Quixtar is concerned. We swallow all the discontinued inventory (I realize this is WWDB only now, but it's still a large expense for me). We refund returned tools (unless we're unethical, which I am not). We go to extra Platinum-only functions at resorts that we can't yet afford. We stay at nicer hotels at the major functions. We drive more miles, are gone more weekends, hand out free CDs and books right and left at the meetings we do. Most of the bonus money we receive goes back into travel, tools, functions and inventory, which means that most of the money we earn from Quixtar is funneled directly or indirectly back into our uplines' pockets (So in a sense, the Diamonds earn ALL the bonus money from Quixtar).
This is A LOT OF WORK on both of our parts for LITTLE profit. To make a respectable RETAIL profit would mean a lot MORE work. 8-10 Hours per Week? Right!
I used to think, "How cool that we will only have to do this for five or so years for riches and freedom!" I didn't like the work. I didn't like the plans, the callin and pickup, sitting for days at functions, doing the Artistry clinics, but I thought it would be worth it. Now I think, "Where could we be right now if we had put this effort into a traditional business for the last 10 years instead?
The "March of Perceptions" is a special Quixtar BLOG project featuring the perceptions of four guest bloggers during the month of March.
March 16, 2005
Quixtar Web Initiative Roster
By QBlog in
You've seen the blogs. Witnessed the link orgy. Experienced the Google Bombing. Now meet the highly skilled members of Quixtar's elite Web Reputation Task Force.
David Ellyatt (aka "The Fox")
Ellyatt's wicked awesome Web skills earned him the coveted Web Marketing Manager position at Quixtar. He is rumored to be the field leader of the WRTF and publishes the always difficult to spell Quixtar and Beyond blog. He's known as "The Fox" because he is both cunning and clever.
Margaret S. Ross (aka "The Snake")
Margaret (also answers to Maggie and Marge) is a Badass Web Reputation Specialist. She developed her formidable Web expertise while visiting a group of Tibetan Web Gurus during a summer trip to the Himalayas. After returning to her Atlanta home, she founded the Karamon Institute and developed Bully Prevention training for schools. Margaret was recruited by the WRTF in 2004 and currently presides over a horde of Web lackeys who dutifully churn out reams of unreadable PR pabulum. Coincidentally, the Tibetan Web Gurus are rumored to enjoy cold pabulum spread thinly on toasted rye bread.
Kathleen Vandervelde (aka "The Tasmanian Devil")
Kathleen is the WRTF "Blog Sensei" and was personally trained in the "art of blog" by none other than Jason Kottke. She's clearly mastered many difficult blogging moves including "the permalink," "the archive," "the comment," "the reference link" and the ever elusive "trackback." Her single weakness is "the frequent update" but that move is difficult even for veteran bloggers.
Kia (aka "The Rooster")
Kia's identity is shrouded in mystery. His "blog" is the only one linked directly from the HQ homepage so we know he's got connections. Some say that Kia is Ken McDonald's pseudonym while others have argued that it's an acronym meaning "Kick It Awesome!" Whoever he is, it's obvious that he's "the brains" behind the WRTF. Without any real Web skills, Kia prefers to sit in the metaphorical shadows, strategizing behind the scenes. When he's not plotting the next WRTF mission, Kia enjoys spending time at a cottage in North Michigan with his miniature poodle named "Dexter."
March 15, 2005
Wakeup Factor #3 - No Success
By Dorothy Still In Oz in March of Perceptions
I think I really started to see that the system does not work when I realized that NOBODY IS MOVING ON. Ok, well, WWDB has had anywhere from one to twelve new Diamonds per year since I've been; so obviously somebody is moving on, but even many of those have gone backwards since first qualifying as Diamonds.
I was in for about two to three years before I started to notice this lack of success. It takes two years to get your bearings on who people are and who's growing. In the beginning, it seems like everybody is "moving on" because there are people crossing stage at every function.
I've watched most Platinums stay at Platinum, while a few go on to Emerald, and only a handful to Diamond. For ten years I blamed this on the work habit. "Obviously, most are not willing to do the work." We've blamed our own lack of growth on our weak work habit. In WWDB, work habit is defined as "show 10 or sponsor 2."
Then, as we approached Platinum and became "leaders," I looked at my own downline in a different way than ever before. I saw their frustration at giving this their all, but never moving ahead. I watched some prospect and prospect, but never show the plan. I watched some STP and STP, but never sponsor. I watched some sponsor and sponsor, but never go Eagle. And yes, I even watched some retail and retail, but never pass 300pv.
Why? Why weren't they moving on? After all AmQuix products are awesome and the system works, so they must need to listen to another tape or go to another function to get what they need — the magic ingredient that will cause them to do it, right? The Diamonds have such great wisdom and knowledge; if only we could be more like them?
These thoughts nagged at me for a long time, but after ten years, that way of thinking wasn't acceptable anymore. I KNEW these people. I don't really know the Diamonds and the Emeralds, but I DO know my downline; they are my friends. So I know that they are giving it their all. As PW mentioned in the comments of my story, "Can the amount of work you did be defined by the results you got?" and "How much work do you have to do with no results before it counts as work?" It took me over a decade to accept that many of us ARE giving everything we've got, and the truth is that THE SYSTEM DOESN'T WORK. Yes, a very small few will make it, but the majority won't. (We will NOT get into "The Pyramid Is Negative" here. This is how I saw it before I had a clue about TPIN, saturation, etc.)
The final straw for me was at an FED during my "wakeup" year, when I looked out at thousands of hopeful faces realizing that many were the same faces I'd been looking at for years. I include Platinums most of all in this, because Platinum is a painful place to sit for a long period of time. Platinums do ALL the work for no pay. Once you go Platinum, it's nearly impossible to disappear quietly because everyone is looking to you for hope. The other Platinums become your friends — peer pressure increases dramatically.
In one moment, I saw the scam.
So few Diamonds — so many people who want to be. Surely, more than fifty couples here have put in the "Fast Track" effort? Surely more than fifty in the 10+ years we've been in? And if not, then why not? And why don't they do something else?
Because the Diamonds tell them not to. In a hundred different ways with a hundred different stories, the Diamonds tell them they will be losers if they don't keep trying. That they will live in a "rut" forever, because nothing else will give them "freedom" except this. That they are winners just for being at FED. That they need to hold on and stay in until they make it.
ALL THEY NEED TO DO IS LISTEN TO ANOTHER TAPE AND ATTEND ANOTHER FUNCTION, and then go out and do it.
In one moment, the veil was lifted from my eyes, and I saw it.
The "March of Perceptions" is a special Quixtar BLOG project featuring the perceptions of four guest bloggers during the month of March.
What you can't get from QBlog
By Windy Hill in March of Perceptions
This blog has become an authoritative resource for many who are looking for information about Quixtar. Most of what is here is well-reasoned, well-researched, and well-written. QBlog claims to be objective and for the most part the content bears that out.
There's a vibrant, vital community established here of faithful readers and commenters. The many participants debate, offer advice, ask for information, and bicker, just like in any group of people who partake in communal dialogue on a subject.
If you want information you've come to the right place. If you like controversy, it's here. If you want dialogue, humor, informed opinions, a good read, yeah, yeah you know what I'm saying. QBlog gives good blog.
BUT if you come here for help, if you come here searching something you can't quite articulate, if you're looking for unwavering affirmation for your waffling soul, I say be careful about coming to any conclusions based on what you learn here. Consider:
- QBlog is a third party observer, which puts the blog at a disadvantage when it comes to reporting/opining on Quixtar business matters. Although his wife once was an IBO and he has a basic knowledge of the business and how it works, he lacks access to much information available to IBOs.
- While QBlog claims to be objective, many of his readers decidedly are not. Those who comment on this blog are overwhelmingly critical of Quixtar and its business. This means that any of the fallout from the discussions here tends to be negative, sometimes to the extent of canceling out - or at least overshadowing - positive aspects of the content.
- Objectivity, while a good thing in, say, journalism, does effectively prevent one view or another from being put forward. Which is not necessarily a bad thing. Only potentially confusing for one trying to make sense of the varying pieces of information found here.
There is a discussion going on this week in the March of Perceptions section of this site that illustrates my point.
A new IBO is reading here, and he is having a crisis of confidence. He's having doubts about the business, his upline, and his own involvement. He's found some positive attitudes and intriguing information here -- a different way of looking of things that he admires -- and says so.
But he also gets applauded in his doubts by the disgruntled who frequent this site, lurking like vultures for just such a weakness to be revealed. The guy is earnestly looking for help. But he can't get it here.
Think about it. Neither QBlog nor his reader commenters can help this guy out. Nor are they particularly interested in doing so. This blog may be a place to come and learn some things about Quixtar, but it is not a place that will tell you "Join," "Stay," or "Run for your life." The catcalls of negative commentary aren't much help, either.
This new IBO will not get the advice he needs from this community, but someone needs to tell him. Tell him to approach his upline again with his questions. If he still isn't satisfied, tell him to call the company and describe what he heard from his upline. The things he relates here are not right. Tell him the admirable practices that he read on this blog cannot be sustained by working through a different line of affiliation where there is no (tools) system in place to support him. Tell him that that if he goes against his upline's teaching, they will drop him like they never knew him.
Tell him that for those reasons, he probably needs to find himself another business. And that these are things he's not going to get from reading QBlog.
The "March of Perceptions" is a special Quixtar BLOG project featuring the perceptions of four guest bloggers during the month of March.
New Gear That Doesn't Suck
By QBlog in
New gear at the QBlog Store. Check it out! Get it while it's hot. Oh, and if you send me a picture of yourself displaying your exclusive QBlog product, I'll post that pic to the blog and link up your favorite Web site (if you have one). And of course, every purchase helps support this blog.
Additionally, if you have ideas for any QBlog Merchandise, please send them my way. I'm always looking for creative concepts.
March 14, 2005
Monday Reader Mail: 35
By QBlog in Reader Mail
This week's Reader Mail presents a very interesting question.
name: Laura
date: March 10, 2005
message: I was wanting to ask you a question. My younger brother has been in Quixtar for a year and my parents are trying to help him to see its cult-like ways. He told my parents that it was ILLEGAL for him to divulge that he is losing money to his recruits. Do you know if this is true?
Wonderful. So it's legal to tell everyone that Diamonds are filthy, stinking rich and that buying tapes and going to meetings is the way to do the same but it's illegal to tell anyone that you might be losing money?
I'm flabbergasted. Laura presents an honest question about something she was told by her IBO brother. To answer the question, no, it isn't true. I'm not a lawyer and I don't claim to be all that bright but common sense demands that there is no way it's illegal for an IBO to be honest about his business. At least not in the U.S.
Now, I have a question to no one in particular. Is the statement from Laura's brother the exception or the rule among Quixtar IBOs?
March 13, 2005
Blogging 101 - Radio Free Europe
By QBlog in Blogging 101
Sing
Reason: it could polish up the grey.
Put that, put that, put that up your wall
That this isn't country at all
Raving station, beside yourself
Keep me out of country in the word
Deal the porch is leading us absurd.
Push that, push that, push that to the hull
That this isn't nothing at all.
Straight off the boat, where to go?
Calling on in transit, calling on in transit
Radio Free Europe
- REM, "Radio Free Europe"
What Is RFE?
Radio Free Europe was "established in 1949 as a nonprofit, private corporation to broadcast news and current affairs programs to Eastern European countries behind the Iron Curtain."
RFE was founded on the conviction that the "first requirement of democracy is a well informed citizenry." By freely broadcasting to countries with limited (or nonexistent) press freedoms, RFE informed the citizens in ways their own governments would never allow. RFE provided an alternative to the propaganda and lies force-fed to the people by totalitarian regimes. Those regimes occasionally resorted to threats and violence in an effort to silence the voices of RFE.
However, RFE was not deterred and continued with its mission to inform those living in countries with controlled media.
Impact of RFE
The impact of RFE is hard to measure, though its influence in changing the political landscape in Eastern Europe (and the former Soviet Union) is undeniable. Boris Yeltsin, former president of Russia had this to say on the 40th Anniversary of RFE, March 1993:
It would be difficult to overestimate the importance of your (RFE) contribution to the destruction of the totalitarian (Soviet) regime. No less important are your efforts to inform listeners in Russia about events in our country and abroad. We...rely on your objective illumination of Russian and international events... and in protecting democratic reforms.
The spirit of RFE continues with radio and satellite stations broadcasting to nations that lack basic press freedoms (or are developing those important freedoms for the first time).
And Blogging?
I see some obvious parallels with the way RFE assisted in undermining communist regimes during the Cold War and how blogs are undermining the efforts of Pan-National, Mega Corps to control content. No, I'm not saying Sony Corporation operates like the former Soviet Union, but that blogs erode the historical power of the "Gatekeepers." That erosion is similar to the success of RFE and equally irritating to the regimes it impacts.
But unlike radio, blogs can be published by anyone, from anywhere. The Corporations know this but most have yet to develop a coherent strategy on how to deal with this new, blogging reality (similarly the Soviet Union failed to develop an effective strategy to deal with RFE and resorted to "jamming"). Books like The Cluetrain Manifesto and The Red Couch outline ways in which Corporations can embrace blogging (or the Net in general), maintain their Corporate identity and help the bottom line in the process.
Yes, the idea of surrendering control over information scares the crap out of the average CEO but the alternative is a slow, painful slide into irrelevance. "What if they say my company sucks? What if everyone starts complaining about product X?" Well, the truth is that the conversations will occur in spite of the Corporation's efforts to control them. So, why not earn some of that coveted "good will" by encouraging (maybe even facilitating) that dialogue instead of trying to control it? That makes sense and will, in the long run, help the bottom line.
Conclusion
Like RFE, blogs are here to stay. Like RFE, they can't be silenced by spin, "jamming," fancy propaganda or Google Bombing. Unlike the Soviet Union, Corporations can successfully coexist with blogs and even join in the fun. Does your business embrace blogging? Why or why not?
March 12, 2005
Wakeup Factor #2 - Ongoing Income
By Dorothy Still In Oz in March of Perceptions
Where have all the Diamonds gone? I count 25 out-of-qualification Diamonds from WWDB alone (out of the 56 total that I know of). I was devastated when I first learned of a Diamond falling "out." Now, I see that it happens all the time. So is there freedom in this business or not?
Do you have to be "Brad Wolgamott-driven" to keep your current legs growing without personally sponsoring? We haven't made ourselves do this thing yet — how will we stay that driven for the long haul? It's not who we are, and it's not why we started this.
We started this to fund our true passions, but those dreams are long gone. Now it's only acceptable if this biz is our #1 passion. As I see it, it will only work long term if we work it fulltime forever. Who is there at the top that doesn't work it but has a true legacy? Ron Puryear, Greg Duncan, Brad Duncan?
Brad Duncan shared at Go Diamond Weekend (Platinums & above only) that he worked this 5 nights a week for 10 years straight to have the freedom and money he has now. And he didn't include driving time, function time, voicemail time, counseling time, call-in/pickup time, or nuts & bolts time. In January, all current Diamonds made a public commitment to sponsor 24 new "legs" this year. Why? Just to be an example? Diamond freedom isn't good enough? Or, is it that if a Diamond doesn't keep up CORE habits, then his downline won't either?
That's not what I was shown and not what I signed up for. What happened to 8-10 hrs per week for 2-5 years? When will I get time for my dreams? No, not the fancy house and cars, not the trips with Quixtar IBOs, but the dreams I had when I started this thing — the real passions I had before I attended a hundred functions and listened to a thousand tapes?
The "March of Perceptions" is a special Quixtar BLOG project featuring the perceptions of four guest bloggers during the month of March.
Overheard...
By QBlog in
"That's a sweet ride you got there. How much you pay for it?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you. You looking to buy one of these?"
"Sorta. Why? You trying to unload this one?"
"Actually, yeah. I was really thinking of selling it but there's some sentimental value attached to it so I didn't want to sell it to just anybody. But if you're interested, it's yours."
"How much?"
"How much you got? Make me an offer."
"Well, I want to know more about it first. How's it run?"
"Oh, it runs like a stallion. Best car I've ever driven. Ever."
"Well, let me take a test drive."
"You don't trust me? Come on man, it's a great ride. You can take that to the bank."
"Hmmm. I don't know. I really want to drive it first. Pop the hood and let me take a look underneath."
"That's really not necessary."
"Why not? Do you want me to buy this thing or not?"
"Well yeah but you really don't need to pop the hood. The engine is fine, trust me."
"I trust you but I want to take a look at the car before I buy it. You have a problem with that?"
"Whoa! Whoa! Calm down. No need to get upset. I can see you're not really interested in this car so maybe I'll just move along."
"What?!? I am interested in the car but for some reason you won't let me check it out. Is there something wrong with it? How many miles does it have? How much oil does it burn? I just want to know about the car."
"Look. The car is perfect but I can see you don't want to accept that and so you're obviously not the right person to buy this car."
"Whatever dude. Bye."
"Bye."
March 11, 2005
- Disaster of pyramidal proportions
By QBlog in Quixtar Chatter
- Disaster of pyramidal proportions
"Interesting time observing this sub-species of kingdom animalia"
QBlog's Farcical Help Desk - 16
By QBlog in Farcical Help Desk
Every Friday, the QBlog Farcical Help Desk™ answers the Quixtar questions that nobody dared to ask. Additionally, each Help Desk answer is guaranteed to end with some form of punctuation or we'll refund your money. No fooling!
Question: Hey dude! Did you hear that crazy story about
that dog that bit that mailman?
Answer: Wha? No, I missed that one chucklehead. Breaking news huh?
Q: Yeah. It was ka-ray-zee man. This dog was like roaming
around this neighborhood and come up on this mailman and bit him. Ouch!
A: Right. Ok, bye.
Q: Wait! Wait! Wait! Don't hang up man. Just heard on
the news about the Pope, you know that Catholic dude...
A: What, did he die or something? I know he's been sick.
Q: Nah man. The Pope, he wears a pointy hat!
A: ...
Q: Yeah. Ain't that crazy?
A: That's the news? You're a freakin' moron. Get lost. What is this anyway,
some sort of phone prank?
Q: Ah man. Don't be like that. I'm just telling you
the news. Gettin' informed and all that.
A: I see. Who are you anyway? Do I know you? Something familiar in your voice?
Q: Yeah you know me. We met at that picnic last year.
I'm Harold VanderVander, news editor for the IBOAI.
A: Gotchya. That explains this,
this
and this.
Great work Harold. You've got a true nose for news.
Q: Hey, what I gotta do to start getting some of that
juicy tool money?
A: 'Scuse me?
Q: The money that you get for selling tapes and Internet
subscriptions and speaking and stuff. I want some of that.
A: I know what tool money is, it's just a strange request. To get tool money
you must build your Quixtar business to a certain level and then you start getting
the money.
Q: How long does that take?
A: As long as you want. Some people do it quickly, others it takes a
long time.
Q: So I'm guaranteed a percentage of the tool money
when I get to that level right?
A: Well, yeah.
Q: Can I see a copy of the contract?
A: What contract?
Q: The contract that gives me all that tool money!
A: There's no legally binding contract you silly person.
Q: What?!? You the silly person. No contract? Then how
do I get my money?
A: The Diamonds that own the tool business give you the money.
Q: But without a contract, they ain't nothing making
them give me a dime right?
A: Right. But they will. You can trust them to give you a cut of the money that
they receive and are not legally bound to distribute to you because they are
just great guys.
Q: Forget it. This tool money stuff sounds too weird
for me. I'm going to Vegas.
A: What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.
Q: I am NOT satisfied with Great
Hot Buy. I want my money back.
A: We