How Multi-Level Marketing Shaped Who I Am
Today, upon reading an article about multi-level marketing and get-rich-quick seminars , I would like to share a little secret of mine:
"Almost all the mindsets, perspectives, knowledge, and skills that I possess today originated from the time I struggled in multi-level marketing and scam schemes."
The story began right after my university entrance exams, when I had a very long vacation. During that idle time, scrolling through Facebook easily exposed me to posts from peers boasting about earning money from side gigs or participating in various projects.
I was swept into the mindset that I needed to do something to:
Earn pocket money (partly because back then there were so many things I wanted to buy, but my parents were very strict with money regarding their children).
Escape a dull life (having several months sitting at home doing nothing, with my favorite hobby being gaming but not even having a computer at home to play, leaving me mentally suffocated).
Unfortunately, driven by the burning desire to prove myself along with the temptations of monetary promises , I joined a few multi-level marketing teams.
Throughout a year and a half of navigating the multi-level marketing world, I participated in training sessions such as:
Having my head submerged in a basin of water by four muscular men until nearly suffocating.
Walking barefoot across red-hot coals.
Pressing the sharp tip of a steel rod against my throat to bend it.
Being locked inside a sauna for an extended period to find a way out myself.
...
Besides extreme training sessions like those above, I was also scammed out of over $1,923 (50,000,000 ₫) when I was just a freshman (looking back now, $1,923 is a modest sum, but to me back then—with no skills and having never earned money—it was a huge burden). Those were deeply uncomfortable experiences both physically and mentally, the exact kind the media always warns the public about regarding multi-level marketing rings.
Nevertheless, reflecting on that period, in exchange for all the costs I had to pay, I gained pivotal life lessons for my future :
Presenting on stage in front of auditoriums filled with a thousand people.
Sales and marketing skills.
Interpersonal and communication skills.
Mindset regarding personal value and life goals.
Appreciating the value of hard-earned money.
The habit of reading books.
…
And most importantly, firsthand experiences across numerous facets of life: from family anxiety and the pressure of repaying debts, to the darker corners of society. Looking back, that was perhaps a profound gift that life fortunate enough bestowed upon me (both in the lessons learned and their timing).
There is no denying that multi-level marketing in Vietnam carries numerous potential risks and dangers for participants. However, viewed objectively, this model also offers certain genuine values to participants (if they are perceptive enough to recognize them) as well as an effective sales distribution channel for businesses (provided the business offers good products and utilizes the model's distribution strengths ethically).
Thank you for reading my article!
Kim,