Thursday, June 23, 2016

Pigs Don't Know Pigs Stink: An Inverted Case Study

Disclaimer: The thoughts in this blog are my own opinions. Names (if any) have been changed in order to protect everyone's privacy. The thoughts in this blog do not address Amway directly, but rather the motivational organization known as URAssociation (URA).


"Pigs Don't Know Pigs Stink." A very famous phrase that's been said throughout every AMO most likely. This phrase is the name of a speech by famous Amway Diamond Dave Severn. While I change the names of people in the URA, he's not, so there. 

This speech is probably the most "iconic" (I use that word loosely) of all speeches in the Amway Motivational Organization world. Severn presents himself as a "good ole boy" from Idaho and gives a TWO AND A HALF HOUR speech about essentially the same ol 'your job sucks, you're going nowhere, blah, blah' rhetoric with the phrase throughout that "Pigs Don't Know Pigs Stink." 

The phrase basically means that people who are doing the boring ol' 9-5, bill paying, routine life don't realize they're wasting their life away. Just like pigs don't realize they have a strong odor coming from them, these people don't realize that all they're doing with their lives are "going 10 feet forward and 10 feet back" according to this near three hour parade of bullshit (pun intended). 

Pigs don't know pigs stink. Well let me tell you something about pigs. Pigs don't CARE that they stink. They don't care that they live in mud, they don't care that they eat slop from a trough. It's the way they live, because they're NOT HUMANS...they're PIGS. If you give a Pig a good home with plenty to eat and space to run around, I guarantee you that pig is HAPPY with the way it lives. It doesn't need a gold-plated trough, or a carpeted, insulated barn to sleep in. As long as it's well fed and you don't make bacon out of it, that pig will die a happy animal. 

What is the goal of your life? Is it to be rich? Maybe. I think we'd all LIKE to be rich. But do I need it to be happy? NO. As long as bills are paid, kids are raised right, and I have a wife who loves me unconditionally, I'll be able to make the best of life regardless of money. Which is the REAL goal of everyone's life: TO BE HAPPY. 

But Severn stands on his pedestal preaching about how that life is no good. Rich is the only way to live and selling Amway products is the way to become RICH. 

And here's where we turn the tables. 

Those "comfortable people" that are living in a "rut." May VERY WELL BE taking 10 feet forward and 10 feet back. But put that pace against 99% of Amway IBO's who go 10 feet forward and 20 FEET BACK! Let me know who finishes ahead on that one Davey! Severn may very well have built his Amway empire "the right way" back in the 80's but today's market is a whole different ballgame. 

Amway's products can't compete with the markets of today, mainly in part because it doesn't LET THEM. People are burning money to travel to show plans, purchasing products, and spending a BULK of their money to hear douchebags like YOU tell THEM that "they can do it too." Thousands upon thousands of dollars are lost every year by IBO's and people like you keep encouraging them knowing damn well that most of them will never come close and then they go from "in a rut" to deepening the rut so bad that they bury themselves. 

Pigs really don't know pigs stink. And you oinkers definitely need a shower. 


Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Skittles, Mt. Dew Freezes and Tiger Woods: A Love Story

Disclaimer: The thoughts in this blog are my own opinions. Names (if any) have been changed in order to protect everyone's privacy. The thoughts in this blog do not address Amway directly, but rather the motivational organization known as URAssociation (URA).

Oh the GREAT Amway products! Out with the old and in with the new! Suck it Right Guard! Amway's got deodorant! Hit the bricks Dawn! Legacy of Clean is your daddy now! Ride on out Red Bull! XS is the new you!

Ok, I'm being a tad harsh. To be fair, Amway makes some GREAT products. I'm a huge fan of XS, Perfect Water, and yes, even legacy of clean. But Mr. Prince and the rest of the EDC (Executive Diamond Committee) know that ya ain't gonna get points and get any closer to "freedom" if you don't purchase as many Amway products as possible.

To be fair, it IS true. Your job in Amway is to SELL THE PRODUCTS but Mr. Prince has a rather uncomfortably passionate view on the products. In one of Mr. Prince's "tapes" he was giving a speech and said "If you buy any other products (than Amway's) SHAME ON YOU! SHAME ON YOU!

Shame on ME? I don't make the kind of money Mr. Prince does. He's got a huge house with a giant outdoor pool and a GOLF COURSE. I'm making MINIMUM WAGE!

To be a little more informative, let's break down the cost of Amway products:

Store deodorant: $2-3, sometimes you can even get two for that price.
Their deodorant: $5

Store shampoo: $2-3 for a good brand
Their shampoo: $10

Energy drink: $3-4 maybe even less
XS: Not sold individually, $27-40 a case.

Whey Protein Powder: $20-30 for a 2lb tub
Nutrilite Whey Protein: $82 (For that much money, I better look like Triple H in a week!)

Most of us "little people" are too busy saving/burning money for the rallies, gas money to show plans, etc. but yet we're supposed to pay WAY more for our everyday products (even with the Amway employee discount, you're still paying more). SHAME ON YOU MR. PRINCE! If I was making the money HE was making, sure I could buy Amway products with no big hassle.

Mr. Prince once said "Would you ever see Tiger Woods wearing ADIDAS? Then why would you buy other products?"

Oh my cheez whiz...

First of all Mr. Prince, Tiger Woods gets all of his Nike gear....FOR FREE. They also PAY HIM to endorse the product. I tell ya what, you give me my Amway products for free and HELL YEAH I'll endorse them! But it doesn't work like that does it?

If you are an Amway IBO and you use that as a point of reference...WHIFF!

But of course, my upline would've stuck their head in fire if Mr. Prince told them they could see hell. So at Summer CONference I was confronted about such an issue. I had just got paid the Friday that we left for CONference, so I went to Wal-Mart and got some snacks for the weekend since we weren't going to be leaving the hotel. Also, earlier in the week I had posted a picture on my Instagram of a Mountain Dew Freeze I was drinking. (LOVE those things, especially in the summer)

So while we're waiting Saturday night for another round of "We're awesome and there's a slight chance you can be too if you keep pouring money into our pockets" I pull out a box of Skittles I had bought. Matthew decided to call me out on having them. He said I needed to buy our products and then said that I needed to stop buying Mt. Dew Freezes and start ordering XS.

Hold the fuck up...

I got paid the Friday we were leaving. I didn't have TIME to order the Amway products. THEN, as far as the Freezes are concerned. They're 85 CENTS!!! He said that I needed to start saving up money to buy a case of XS.

WOWWWWWWW

So basically it's "I'm thirsty, got a dollar in my pocket, need to save it back and hopefully by the end of the month, I'll have enough to buy some XS to quench my thirst that I have now!"

BRILLIANT!

Of course when I called Matthew out on this, he backpedaled severely. This was another major red flag that fell when I realized the URA's cult-like tactics. This wasn't a part-time gig, it wasn't even a business, it was a LIFESTYLE. AN OBSESSION. A CULT.

Shame on YOU Mr. Prince for laying a burden on the financially anemic forcing them to buy overpriced products and still pay money to listen to your blitherings. I sincerely hope one day that you're exposed for the FRAUD you and your organization are, I hope you have to pay reparations...

And I REALLY HOPE Tiger Woods gets sponsored by ADIDAS! Damn I'm thirsty...time for a Mountain Dew Freeze!