MLMs and My Responsibility to My Readers

For the die-hard reader, she's already picked up her computer, read this post within minutes of it being published and thought- "Christ, this woman really does not sleep." True. Oh how true your statement is, my friend. What prompted me to grab my laptop BEFORE the obligatory cup of espresso this a.m. is some feedback I got on the MommyGyver facebook page and in a separate email. First, I want to state that this post is meant in NO WAY to attack the person commenting or offering insight. I could easily be flippant about the comment and say- "If you don't like the content, then don't read my shit!" But I think this is a good talking point and it is an important one to address. I make no qualms about expressing how much I generally dislike MLMs. To be fair, I understand that I can't speak to all of them. I also don't like to be wrong, so I refrain from saying ALL MLMs are bad, and I will NEVER endorse x,y, or z. I think it's irresponsible to use blanket statements like that, because it would be just my luck that one company would come along and get me. Haha! Yeah... that would really and truly be my luck! But the issues I have with MLMs aren't usually the products. Sometimes, it really is that the product is crap. But mostly my challenges come from the method in which they run their business. I'm not a fan of inventory loading and pressure sales. A true benefit to joining a DS/MLM business in my opinion, is to have financial gain with MINIMAL investment. The whole reason anyone joins a direct sales or multi-level marketing company is to control the amount of time invested, and to not have to suffer the legalities and tediousness that is involved with starting their own business from scratch. It is entirely possible that some are afraid, or lack the wherewithal (financially or otherwise) to start up their own project. And that's ok. But I don't endorse the exploitation of people in this position. I dislike calling it your own business because it is not. An independant contractor who sells a product on behalf of a business is not the same as owning your own business, even if you have incorporated yourself for tax purposes. This topic will spark much debate and is a whole other discussion entirely, and one I will reserve for a later date. However, having this position in my mind does not discredit or discount the amount of effort an individual may express when working in this type of business. There is often MUCH work to be done to get to any level of success. Work ethic is on the individual, and often a business model like these will state that if you work hard, you will succeed- but that is simply not true. Business is complex and strategic- involving insight outside of just grinding out results. There is the aspect of supply and demand, quality control, viability, relevance, and so on... all of these factors are out of the control of the individual that has enrolled and should be considered when investing large sums in this type of opportunity. With all that being said, a person had made a comment about the MommyGyver page being geared toward MLM sales. One of the aspects of this blog is product review. In a nutshell, I take an in-depth look at products that are of interest to my reader demographic. That demographic is women, and mothers. Direct sales companies do nothing short of target this market for recruiting and sales of products. Not accepting a direct sales product for review- or not offering it the same caliber of review as I would any other product does my reader a disservice. I will not neglect a huge number of women with this interest in the name of preservation of a false understanding of what my blog is about. Granted, many of these types of products may come in at once for review. However, I do try to offset the timing of these with reviews of other products outside the DS world. I don't just review makeup- or toys. Women don't fit into one category, and hence, neither will MommyGyver- BY DESIGN. A woman is much more complicated than her title of "mom" or "home maker". Her interests far surpass baking pans and cleaning products. It is because of that that I seek out products from diverse market reach. With regard to contests and promotion that involve direct sales- this one, I might be flippant about. An advertiser is providing a free product that has significant value in return for a slight interaction. I see the opportunity of winning products from those that wish to increase their reach as an added bonus to my loyal readers. Personally, I don't care if those products are from Target, Nordstrom, or pick a direct sales company. SOMEONE has an interest in that product. So if you don't share that interest, that's when I'm going to respectfully ask you to scroll on. To date, I've done two contests, and I have many more lined up. The first was two necklaces that were provided at my expense. There will be many more of these to come. This is my way of thanking those readers who engage. Those gifts will not cease. The second is a clothing contest from a generous direct seller. This is at HER cost to hopefully gain interested parties for her facebook group. I will be reviewing items from this seller and I see no issue with allowing this to transpire- as she is not actively recruiting people. I WILL NOT incentivize recruiting or sharing the "opportunity" of DS/MLM on my pages. But as I stand a firm advocate for the women who work these businesses, I would be remiss to remove her offers or rewards from my lineup simply because my personal stance on this type of company structure has brought other individuals that do not like them as well. To these people, I ask that they simply do not participate, but I add the caveat that they might miss out on a truly wonderful product. Direct sales or MLM are chosen channels to deliver a product to an end consumer only. I believe the quality of a product should not be judged based on the chosen delivery channel. I will use Tupperware as an example- as they sell with the DS method, as well as in every retailer with any sort of kitchen goods up for sale. Please be conscious that I run this blog objectively when it comes to involving interests outside my own. This isn't "The blog about Christina Hinks' likes", it's MommyGyver- and it's a blog that covers all things a mom and woman might be interested in. I said MIGHT. Not will or should. This is all-inclusive territory, and I ask that we all try to remain as objective as possible when evaluating a product itself and not attempt to pigeonhole either the product for the channel of delivery- or my blog for being open minded to learning about products I might not have personally sought out. I learn about things every day. This is mainly because I allow myself to be open to it. An example of this would be that pink Bradbury dress. It truly surprised me, and was such a welcome "I told you so". Remember, I approach all reviews with- "Ok, tell me why the hell I need to buy this too." Because I know you open these reviews looking for that answer. I'm committed to delivering the answers with a truly open and respectful mind. Thank you for being a part of this amazing and quickly growing community being built around MommyGyver. You are so very appreciated- every single one of you from every background and business. Especially those that are in the business of running their homes. Here's to you, moms! Cheers!