I started a business that is the best kept non-secret in the business world.

They call it social selling nowadays! No more doing the door to door thing exhausting your personal contacts! Do it online in your pjs and money will come, they say!

Two years ago, my best friend Leeka started working for a ~~network marketing~~ social selling company, called Monat. I have watched her feed fill up with beautiful hair pics, fun trips and a lot of stories. I have been following her journey, happy for her success for months, absolutely not interested in doing what she did, before she reached out to me and said “Elena, this is frigging amazing! You need to join! People are making SO MUCH MONEY! Join me!

I laughed and explained how swamped I am and how I already have 4 “real” businesses and a kid and a part-time travel schedule and a boyfriend ( hey, they need attention too) and there’s just no way on the planet I could add something as “silly” as network marketing to my plate. Even if I wanted to. Even if it makes money.

-“But you would be sooooo good!”- she pleaded.

-“I know, babe! I love you but I don’t need this right now and it’s not me”- I replied.

I mean seriously selling shampoo? No, thank you! But I guess that’s what all the previous annoying MLMs taught us to think. The people hustling, bugging everyone to buy their Itworks products that did not work or join Roden and Fields that required more money in than you could realistically get out.

It had been many months since that initial conversation with many more of her pleading, telling me how I am going to be so amazing at this because I already have so much experience and how much money people are making. The numbers she threw out there were fun to hear.

5K/month, 10K/month, etc…

Table of Contents

Who couldn’t use some additional 10K a month in income, right?

I still said no, citing lack of time or interest, but started paying more attention to her live videos and her posts. Mostly because I was really cheering for her to succeed. I loved to see her rock “the virtual stage” and motivate others. She is so good at it. I watched her move up in ranks, get her free car ( yup, they give a free car once you reach a certain level).

I cheered for her and, as I did, I became a witness to all the amazing changes she went through. She stopped working so much, lost weight, started going on amazing free trips with the company, smiled more, started wearing weird hippy hats ( haha this is just a by-product of hanging out with all the girls).

I started paying attention to her story and how she never believed that what she was doing was possible, that it was possible to earn so much money that you quit your other businesses (NOT JOBS, BUSINESSES), that your hubby can stay home, that you do not have to know anything to start.

And she wasn’t alone, there are stories of women who had to borrow money and now make 6 figure income, stories of women who did not speak good English, women who were terrified of being on video, women who thought they were not pretty enough. The only thing that can stop you is your preconceived notions and self-limiting beliefs.

I loved it, but it never occurred to me ONCE to even apply it to myself. It’s something for other people. Not for me.

It was all pretty cool… for amateurs. But not for me, right? Someone who has been in online marketing and social media for 15 years, someone who trains brands’ social media teams on how to run their social media. I don’t need this… Right? Right?…

I mean she was a very successful photographer ( a career path that I am proud to say I pushed her onto when I talked her into quitting her job at Kroger 12 years ago) for years and now she does this? It was strange, but whatever works for her, right?

JUST NOT FOR ME.

Apparently, I was wrong! Because fast forward to a few days ago and she GOT ME! I finally caved in and joined. I still can’t believe it. But I honestly could not deny the opportunity any longer.

Even though it’s in network marketing ( which I always disliked).
Even though, I have over 3500 items on my to-do list ( real number, not exaggerating)
Even though, I run 4 businesses already
Even though I don’t NEED the extra money ( would be nice, but it’s not a need)

I don’t do ANYTHING without researching and thinking everything through. And I especially don’t do anything that is going to add any sort of additional work to my life. But I joined. And after seeing how it works, I believe this particular company is very very different and is capable of changing lives

Up until then, I had a lot of reasons why not, a lot of objections. But at that moment, I was like “Why not? It’s $199 worth of product ONCE. I don’t have to buy anything ever again. I lock in the shares by doing it before end of the year and then we see what this is all about.

After being added to a few FB groups and seeing the amazing success ordinary women, like us, were having, it was hard to deny the reality of this opportunity. This is not just people who joined years ago. It’s people who joined a few weeks or months ago, reaching ranks and making money. With the initial one time purchase of $199 to use the product.

It’s really a simple concept. Leeka kept telling me “You share what you know. You share your results and people pay attention”. For me though, it’s not about the shampoo. What I am seeing is a much bigger picture.

Oh Shoot, I Got Myself Into An Mlm! What Now?

Why I am doing this

I want to approach it as a challenge to help other women succeed (and if I do, we succeed together). It’s not about shampoo or skincare, despite how amazing they are. I want to help and teach other women how to take this business and make it successful! The entry requirements are so low, which means with my knowledge and support I can help make a difference in many women’s lives.

I want to share the whys and the hows because I truly believe it can change anyone’s lives and I actually get giddy at the prospect of possibly helping someone become financially stable and learn skills and change their lives.

I resisted this opportunity for so long because I thought of it as shampoo and now I realize how stupid that was. But it wasn’t until just a day after i joined that I realize that the one thing that is driving me the most is my ability to make an impact on lives with my knowledge through this company.

Not all MLMs are the same

In these few days I have had a lot of people turn their noses at the MLM aspect of this. They have either tried it and failed or never tried it and think it’s a scam and stupid.
I understand being cautious of something you already failed at ( though failure in my mind is part of success).
I understand labeling something you don’t understand as stupid ( I was right there) and to be honest, some of these MLMs are stupid. So I don’t blame anyone for reacting this way. It’s natural to lump everything together and hate something that has a bad rap and you don’t understand.

SO WHY DOES MONAT SOCIAL SELLING WORK SO MUCH BETTER?

DEBT FREE COMPANY, GREAT COMPENSATION PLAN

Monat was started by a family of Venezuelan immigrants who refused to go into debt and sell out to investors. Instead, they kept Monat as a family-owned, debt-free company so that they could share all that extra revenue with their partners ( like you and me). Because of this a huge percentage of revenue goes to commissions. Because of that, everyone in the company has the opportunity to make money. Their bonuses are extremely generous, they spoil their market partners with free trips, a free Cadillac once you hit a certain level. There are no monthly fees.

NO PRESSURE SALES

No one has to pitch anything, you just live you live authentically, using the products or talking about the opportunity. People will see that it works well and will want to try what you have. Sales never work. Influence and trust does.

Monat allows you to make a lot of income through a very generous comp plan and in some countries through revenue sharing (Poland and Ireland)

I fully realized that what gives me energy and excitement isn’t the selling part or the money. What really excited me about it is finding women who need help to become financially secure, learn skills that will help them succeed, become confident in themselves. As I was thinking about this, I was getting more and more excited because of how much I could transfer onto them in terms of knowledge. Seeing so many success stories, it made me encouraged that anyone could do if only they had the right tools. And I knew I could provide those tools!

I started thinking about all the things we could do for this: FB ads and funnels and social media events and giveaways and I loved the idea of doing it for and with everyone on my team and teach them how to do it on their end, too! Or even transfer recruits over to other team members. It got me even more excited!

ABOUT THE COMPANY

The company is called Monat and it is a VEGAN, cruelty-free, natural hair care, pet care and skincare company that taps into a network of women, like you and me, to spread the word about their products and opportunities.

The products themselves are magic, so everyone in the company uses them and sees amazing results for postpartum hair loss, smooth shiny healthy hair, clear skin. So if all one wants to get out of this is some free products, that’s cool, too! (Could your hair be better? I bet it could!) But it is sooo much more than that.

WHY MONAT?

Because of their compensation package, you can make SOOOO much more than any other similar setup.
Because the products are amazing.
Because you don’t have to buy any product to sell it
Because there are no monthly fees or requirements
Because of the support the teams provide.
Because of all-expense paid trips they send you on (Not that I need any more trips personally, but I bet you could use some).
Because you do not need ANY experience to get started ( and I love the idea of using my experience to help women).
Because it’s family-owned and not a huge corporation
Because they take care of their market partners ( like take them shopping and fly them all over the world)
Because you don’t need to sell anything. You just need to be YOU!

How much can one make?

That number ALWAYS depends on the person! Plenty of people who start fail, or those who start businesses fail, or those who start jobs quit. If you’re not committed to making it happen and you aren’t interested in growing, you will always fail regardless of what you start. So everyone is different, but here are averages:

There’s an MB level that makes on average $1000 a month. It’s pretty easy to get to.
There’s also a MM level that makes close to $5000/month and gets a free Cadillac
My BFF is at an AED level that averages about $18,000/month and she’s very close to moving to $35,000 a month level

I mean these are the kind of numbers most people dream of. But they are a reality and anyone can achieve them. There are people in the company that started with nothing. No skills, no knowledge, no social media, no confidence, some without good English. Success can be achieved anywhere, but it helps when the compensation and support system are really good!

These are real numbers, not invented or hypothetical. They are averages, but people are making that. There are people in the company who are making $60,000 a month! A MONTH! A MONTH!!!!
Some girls make $300,000/month and 1 girl is close to making 1 million a month. I don’t even want to think about figures like that, because who needs that stupid amount of money, but apparently it’s doable if you do want it.

I don’t want to sell shampoo.

No one wants to. And no one really does. Selling shampoo happens in the process by “accident”. Most people who do this, they simply live their lives and show how they use the product, and how their hair improved, talk about signing up, just being authentic, resharing other member’s success and content. No prior skill or selling or any following required.

There are two ways to make money and you can combine both.

1. You promote the product by using it publicly on social media and through word of mouth.
We all do it. We love something, we tell our friends, post about it on social. Except we do it for free. So how about we get paid for this effort, huh? (and I have built a database of posts for you to use, so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. You’ll just speak from the heart, no selling, just sharing what you think. Plus some awesome motivational posts we will supply you with)

2. You find other market partners who love and use the products to join and train them ( or WE train them if you do this with me) and they help promote, as well.

3. Combination of the two: this is what most people do.

The truth is this is the kind of stuff we are all already doing. We are already using shampoo and skincare, we already talk to friends about things we love and don’t and post on social media. It doesn’t have to be any different, it doesn’t have to be incessant, or salesy.

It’s just sharing your life with people you love and who like and follow you and showing them a better way to bring income to their families and live how they WANT instead of how they HAVE TO.

In the 15 years of working in the online medium, I have learned so much about what works and what doesn’t, about social media, advertising, marketing, FB ads, funnels. I went on to teach others about it. And I really love the idea of transferring all of this onto people who want to do this WITH ME!

I will help you get set up, help you get going, and help you be successful. Without sales-y techniques, or annoy MLM type stuff. Just by being your authentic self.

Does it cost anything?

Yes and no!

There is no monthly fee! There is no huge buy-in!

You have to purchase a package that costs $199 (that gets you $324 worth of products to try) or higher. That’s literally nothing compared to what you can make. AND YOU NEVER HAVE TO BUY ANYTHING AGAIN. There’s no product to carry. This is just so that you could learn the products initially and a small buy-in so only serious people join.

For that amount, you actually get almost double the value of products (over 324 for the $199 package). So all you’re actually doing is buying luxury hair care products for yourself (because your hair deserves it) while starting on a path of making money. For everyone on my team, I make sure they hit their bonuses so fast that you will pay off that tiny “investment” in themselves 3 fold within a few weeks.
To give you an example, Leeka (my BFF) made $1200 in two days when she started and then $4000 for her next paycheck. I made $1100 in the first 3 days. So it’s ridiculously easy. Also, if you just really decide you don’t want to do it, there’s a 30 day money back guarantee.

What are some of the common objections and why they are not valid?

Is this an MLM? The success rate is 97%

Yes both are true!

Technically it is an MLM because of its structure.

Technically most people who join MLM don’t succeed.

The reason why we see stats like that is because the entry requirement for MLMs are usually low. No skills, no experience, no knowledge, no capital needed. So it’s understandable that most fail. However, it’s not a rule.

There are plenty of people with the right grit and support system that have succeeded. And I am making it my personal goal to make sure everyone on my team does, as long as they are determined to be successful.

But what makes it different from others are the following things (combined):
Timing: you’re starting early on. They are still giving out shares of the company. The company is expanding into other countries ( where you can sell too, if you have anyone you know, can make a connection). This is the time to join, not in 2-5 years where everyone is already on board.
Compensation Package: Monat has the MOST generous compensation package out there. It’s because they are debt-free and can share the profit a lot more with it market partners. You can make amazing money because of this, plus all the bonuses, the car, the trips.
Team: this is huge! If you don’t have a supportive knowledgeable team to walk along with you, you will fail every time. Both Leeka and I will be helping all our team members. Leeka is very knowledgeable on the product and company end and I have mad skills when it comes to marketing and automation. She will train and motivate, I will help you automate so it takes the minimum amount of time for you.

I don’t want to be an annoying MLM salesperson

The world of direct sales has changed even since 1 year ago. It’s no longer about badgering everyone you know to buy products or join. It’s no longer about face to face. Now it’s about living your life, being yourself, sharing the products you use. No one likes being sold. It doesn’t work anymore. What works is authenticity. Most of the successful Monat girls literally just live their lives with gorgeous hair.

My friends will hate me for all the posts. I hate when people post about the products they sell. That’s lame and embarrassing.

So much I can say about that, starting with ” YOU WILL NEVER BE SUCCESSFUL IF YOU CARE ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE THINK!

It’s all about changing your mindset to do what you want to do! If your friends don’t support you, they are not friends worth having. Clear that Friend list.
and ending with ” You do know there’s such a thing as “Friends Lists” on Facebook? You create a list within your profile only with those FB friends that you don’t mind seeing your MLM posts ( others who aren’t a fit or you don’t want to deal with it will not be in the list). Then you set all the MLM posts to only show to that list of friends. Voila!

Also…
They are simply doing it wrong. Take Leeka for example. All her posts were always authentic, so while I wasn’t interested it was super fun to watch her journey. You’ll get a library of content, you will have an option to have that content go to you for approval before you post. And then you just fill it in with your own pics of you and your family and what you like to do and how the amazing Money and rank you’re earning through Monat are helping you live that life. They are thousands of success stories: rags to riches. Remember you’re not selling anything, you’re sharing a lifestyle and great hair/skin. ( what if you don’t have great hair. You will with Monat!)

I have done MLMs before and I wasn’t successful

Did you know that most people fail more times than they succeed? Edison failed 10,000 times before he invented the lightbulb. Just because you did something a few times wrong doesn’t mean you can’t do something right this time. You have to do it at the right time, with the right people, at the right time of the company’s growth. For this one it all lines up.

I don’t have time!

Let me put this in perspective. Leeka has 4 kids, 2 dogs, a successful photography business and she managed to grow her Monat business to this level in just 2 years.
I own 4 businesses, have over 30 team members I manage, run 15 Instagram accounts, launching another marketing business as we speak, have a 7-year-old and a part-time travel schedule ( I travel 6 months of the year). And I am doing this because I see huge potential. You can spend an hour a day on it, a few hours a week, or 40 hours a week. It’s up to you.

I don’t really need extra income. My husband makes plenty of money.

This is valid. And if money isn’t an issue or you’re comfortable where you are at, or you need no self-fulfillment or improvement, that is fine. However, let me tell you a little story. I had a friend who was a stay at home mom with 2 kids and relied solely on her husband to provide for them. She gave up on her nursing career and spent days being a good wife. Fast forward 5-6 years, her husband gets caught cheating, not once, but for years and they decide to split up. The amount of stress this brought to this woman was awful. She felt betrayed, but stuck because she could not provide for herself and the kids. Luckily, things turned out because she managed to pivot in time and find her talent in something else that took off super fast. But this could have turned out very badly.

So this is another point for empowering women to take care of their own financial situations because life is unpredictable. We are mothers first, entrepreneurs second, so it is ideal that our businesses don’t take us too far away from home. That’s how I have it. And I will never trade a situation of being able to work remotely with anything else. While this is an MLM type of business, it still can be done absolutely remotely and easily thanks to social media.

MUST WATCH IF YOU ARE CURIOUS

Monat Magic with Joi Kimbro and Jo Irigoyen
Posted by Toni Vanschoyck on Monday, December 30, 2019

Let’s do this, girls! My email is contact@dailymom.com

I have put together some useful links to groups you may want to follow if you’re curious.

BEAUTY FROM WITHIN is my Monat group where I post beauty tips and tricks, sales, before and afters and everything that has to do with health and the product.