Update: This blog is shut down. Seems that Shaun's Amway journey has ended. I wish him well. Having blogged for about 7 years now, I've seen this so many times. New IBO's fired up, starting an Amway business and if they sponsor some folks, there is great excitement. I experienced this myself. I wish Shaun and his family a great Christmas Holiday and a bright New Year! Below is Shaun's story from 2011:
http://expeditionoftruths.com/tag/wwdb/
I've been following the journal of an IBO who is in the WWDB LOS. Essentially, I believe the dude is hard working and wanting the best for his family. The problem I see is that he has apparently fallen for the deception that was and continues to be taught by WWDB. Pro Amway folks have criticized Joecool because they say my experience is old and outdated. Yet, here it is on the journal of a current WWDB IBO, pretty much verifies that the same material taught in the late 1990's is still taught today. The only difference I see is that the WWDB leaders are not lying about nobody making a cent of profit from tools. Although they have their own spin on that as well.
Ironically, his website says "Sto Pro Veritate", which means "I stand for the truth". I would guess that Shaun believes what his upline says is the truth but his blog is littered with material that is dicey, but because his upline said so, Shaun believes. I was once there myself, but realized the scam after a number of months. Sometimes it's hard to discern because your sponsor or upline is often a friend or family member. They get you to agree on various issues to build a degree of trust and slow up your level of commitment. Shaun is a perfect example of this.
Basically, Shaun's wife got involved and eventually, Shaun also jumped in. The couple went 1000 PV in March 2010 and even posted copies of their checks. Nothing indicating further progress has been posted since. I would assume any new pin level would have been an article that was newsworthy on such a blog. Lately, there has been more mundane material, and Shaun does not allow comments on his blog anymore, which in itself is interesting. Shaun, in 2009, posted that why wouldn't someone want to work hard for 2-3 years and never have to do it again? 2012 is around the corner, about 3 years since he got started. Food for thought.
Some of the interesting things that can be found on the blog:
The couple plans to purchase a home in cash.
Denied that Greg Duncan (One of their mentors) had bankruptcy issues
Amway/WWDB IBOs have a 2% divorce rate compared to 60% for the rest
Will be Double Eagle Rubies making $117K in 2011
Will be job optional in November 2011
Debt Free (True, but sold their home and cashed in 401K to do so)
Here's a recent quote: "We’ve got some pretty big dreams and today the dream of owning an aircraft was at the forefront. Don’t laugh, get your own dream!"
**Now let me say I wish Shaun and his family well. I hope he does succeed and is able to fulfill his goals and dreams, but not exclusively at his downline's expense. What troubles me is how the leadership at WWDB is apparently teaching him the same junk I saw as an IBO and is filling his heart with false hopes and dreams that are unlikely to ever come to fruition. Even the miniscule number of people who do succeedin Amway, do so at the expense of their trusting downline. Seems that Amway accreditation did nothing to alter or shape the teaching of these LOS's. I will continue to follow his progress and hope that he will eventually see through the facade.
9 comments:
I saw tha plan 30 years ago I could never get a straight answer upline but thought at my age then it would be an experience. I never sold or used a product and never showed a plan. I was good at prospecting and always said to my sponsor to stp as i knew he wanted an emerald leg. And he was brilliant at it. I went platinum in 7 months. Then i quit. Could not be convinced you could make money at this. And certainly was not comfortable have a group of 100 people knowing they would not make money. All my uplines to diamond are all out of the business. So i was also intrigued by shaun's'story and follewed it waiting for the demise of his enthusiam. I think he was in this whalen group which i expect will fall apart also in due time. Even though i admire anyone who has 6 legs qualifying platinium by end of first week of month. Even though there must be enormous garage filling behind this.
I followed Shaun also. At first he was open and honest about his business. He was enthusiastic. But later he shut down comments on his blog and started to parrot certain upline teaching. For example, the one about WWDB having a 2% divorce rate, etc. He denied obvious truths such as one of his upline diamonds being in bankruptcy. I think he got it, had some success and eventually fizzled out. He may not have quit but I somehow doubt he's making any money. If he learned correctly from upline, he will blame himself for his situation. Yeah, I think he was a part of that Whalen group.
I wonder if he quit? Funny how they act like big shots at first and then slink away when the business and excitement fades away.
Totally predictable. I've sent him a few emails questioning his progress, and I even offered to buy the site if he isn't using it anymore.
I also have left a comment on his most recent blog telling him I wasn't the only one who noticed he has become the statistic he swore up and down he would never be.
I guess he's just negative and the people he was dealing with didn't have the integrity he thought they did.
Funny how the most obnoxious and belittling can't seem to make it work time after time.
It's virtually a mathematical fact this Amway losing interest when you start losing money thing.....too bad he did as he was counselled and cashed in his retirement and lost the equity in his home.
Retirement has never been further away....
Ricket, Merry Christmas to you and your family!
I amd sad for him. He sold his home and cashed out his 401K to get out of debt. He likely used the money to pay for functions. There were warning signs like how he said he got a tax refund due to his write offs, which means he lost a lot of money on tools. He "retired" his wife because he sold his home and cashed out his retirement. I hope we are wrong but somehow I think his Amway career followed the script to a "T". I wonder if he is now negative about Amway or is he still indoctrinated to blame himself while proclaiming that Amway is a great business but his shortfalls caused his failure?
Unfortunately Shuan's story happens all too often in Amway. I'm all about having hopes and dreams, but my goodness! Amway is just a network marketing business, no different than any other one out there! They do have some of the most charismatic team building leaders, other than that it's still a Business! And for some reason, people forget that they are in a business and that a business is suppose to produce profit. They get caught up in "lets change the world through Amway!" and forget the reason they got in the business to begin with "to make money." It's a great Environment for someone who wants to feel good about themselves, but it's one of the weakest business opportunities out there for someone starting up a new venture. Diamonds not all it's cut out to be either.
I dont agree its a business. I define a business as receiving reward in exchange for delivering a value. There is no value in any of the amway activities. In a prior post i described the model as downlines donating to up lines. Nothing more. All the 3 million ibos would be better off sending a monthly 50 cheque upline. And ignore all these meetings and tools. And of course avoiding to autoconsume products. They can buy the products significantly more cheaply in a local store. All this would mean is that amway corporation would no longer exist. And so what. The ino networks could continue to grow -th the same result having a few at the top making money and the rest losing 600 every year they stay in. A pity but less than today for most of them. No doubt the FTC would cry pyramid. But maybe not. They never realised thats what happening behind the shield of products.
Hey Joecool,
I had a brief exchange with Shaun shortly before he got defensive and shut down all communication on his site several years ago. The pattern is sad, but so predictable.
As for the income (or lack of income), I recall early in my WWDB experience hearing my upline Platinum tell me that he'd stay in the business forever... even if he never made a penny.
Then I went Platinum and realized that virtually no one was really making any money...
As for that particular individual, he quit his job years early and then lost his home to foreclosure. Saw him recently and he's still singing the song that the business "works if you work it," which by way, along with a number of other WWDB classic sayings, was lifted from Alcoholics Anonymous.
Keep up the great work.
I've been blogging for about 7 years and it's a pattern that's common. They get pumped up, start a blog, and disappear after a few years. I think Shaun lost a ton of money but blames himself and is in denial about what really happened to him in WWDB.
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