MLM Roadblocks

I decided to write this post because I am getting the real eye opener in regards to being in a mlm here lately.
As you may or may not know from my mlm reviews, I’ve been a team beachbody coach for a little bit now mainly for the discount.

I originally joined as a favor to my neighbor who, interestingly enough, does not talk to me anymore…maybe she is just busy?

My only answer as to why is because of the mlm experience…but I don’t know. Maybe she didn’t like something I wrote on my blog but whatever.  She is my upline coach and she told me she would place coaches below me if I joined and it was so easy to make money, so naturally I was like…Ok….let’s do it because I can drive traffic no problem.

I even was partially excited because #1 I like Beachbody products, #2 I know how to drive traffic, #3 I really want to leave my 9 to 5, #4 I have a need to use their product to lose weight and I was already spending money on their Shakeology.  Why not sign up and make a little cash on the side like they say right?

Wrong.

So when I expected to make some cash right away, I found that I didn’t get the coaches she promised and I didn’t even get paid for the people that did buy from my site because I’m not an Emerald Coach. You have to have two people below you that you sponsor in order for this to happen. It’s crazy.

As a Team BeachBody Coach you are suppose to run these challenge groups. So, after I built out a site and made a facebook page for Beachbody Cize (their new workout that is getting a lot of attention), I would place something on the page every once in a while.

Then I noticed in the past week I’m actually getting a lot of hits on my facebook page for Beachbody Cize. Why?

Because I was intelligent enough to make the page called “Beachbody Cize”.

Now if that doesn’t knock your socks off (it really shouldn’t), what’s even better is that Beachbody had a sight and they named it “cize it up”. So clearly there was an opening for me to do beachbodycize.

Why not right?

Not so fast.

Check out this email I got from the BeachBody compliance people this morning:

 

Good Morning Charissa,

Just taking a moment to reach out to you regarding your use of the Beachbody® and Cize™ trademarks on the Facebook profile name, username, and profile photo that you administer/run https://www.facebook.com/Beachbody-Cize. Please be advised that while coaches are permitted to use the trademarks and logos available in the Coach Online Office for marketing/promotional purposes , you are required to identify yourself as an Independent Beachbody Coach and refrain from using such as your official social media moniker (name) and image. That said, please take immediate steps to remove the Beachbody® and Cize™ trademarks from your Facebook profile name, username, and profile photo by 12:00 PM PST Thursday September 17, 2015.

Specific language from our policy follows below for your reference.  If you have questions or would like to discuss this matter by phone, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Best regards,

Guy who wrote the email

Assistant Manager, Compliance

Team Beachbody |  Beachbody, LLC. | Beachbody Certificatio| e.

3.2.3 Trademarks, Copyrights, and Domain Names

Coaches may not use or attempt to register any of the following or their translations (in any language), whether alone or in

combination with any other word(s), design(s), or symbol(s): (1) Beachbody’s brand names, trade names, trademarks, service

marks, product names, domain names, symbols, logos, or other identifiers or designations of origin of Beachbody (“Beachbody

Marks”), a partial list of which is attached as Exhibit A; (2) anything confusingly or substantially similar to any of the

Beachbody Marks as determined by Beachbody, including any portion of, modification to, or derivative of any of the

Beachbody Marks, or (3) the word “Coach” by itself. This restriction includes any use of any of the above as or in connection

with any symbols, keywords, advertisement buys, hidden text, or any other activities that are considered Internet optimization;

as any Internet domain name (including, without limitation, as a sub-domain on the Team Beachbody Web site); or as the

Coach’s account name or user ID within any blogs, social networking Web sites, or any “posting” sites such as (but not limited

1. to) Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, or Twitter; or as the numbers/designations within a Coach’s phone number (for example,

1-800-BUY-P90X).

Beachbody does not allow the use of the Beachbody Marks by any person or entity, including Team Beachbody Coaches,

without its prior, written permission. Any and all use of Beachbody Marks shall be consistent with the high-quality image used

by Beachbody and associated with Beachbody Marks, and shall in no manner reflect adversely upon the good name of

Beachbody or upon the goodwill and reputation associated with Beachbody, the Beachbody Marks, and Beachbody products or

services. Beachbody will review all proposed and actual uses of Beachbody Marks to assure that the high quality associated

with Beachbody Marks is being maintained, and reserves the right to deny or withdraw its consent for use of any Beachbody

Marks in its sole discretion. Coaches may not do anything that impairs Beachbody’s ownership of or the validity of

Beachbody’s Marks, and all benefits of any approved use of any Beachbody Marks inures to Beachbody. Any approval of use

by Beachbody is specific to the individual requesting, and may not be transferred or licensed. Coaches may not translate the

content of any Beachbody Mark into any foreign language for any purpose, including Web site content, advertising or other

promotional purposes.

Coaches may not copy or produce for sale, distribution, or advertising any copyright-protected material owned by Beachbody

or other Coaches, including recorded Company events and speeches, without express written permission from Beachbody or

the individual Coach, nor may Coaches reproduce for sale or for personal use any such material including any written materials

or recording of audio or video presentations. If a Coach utilizes or adopts Beachbody-produced or -owned materials in his or

her promotional material, the Coach agrees that Beachbody shall have a license to use the material and shall not have any

obligation to pay any form of remuneration or compensation to the Coach.

To the extent that Coaches become aware of any activity that may infringe on any trademark, copyright, or other intellectual

property rights of Beachbody, Coaches should immediately inform Beachbody via email at compliance@teambeachbody.com.

Coaches should not, and are not authorized to, act on Beachbody’s behalf in such situations for many reasons; including that

any action could harm Beachbody’s ongoing enforcement efforts.”

Wow…I mean that’s a lot of words right there.

So here’s the thing.

I didn’t read it when I signed up so shame on me. But what really gets my attention is that they let you use their trademark, but they don’t.  You can only use it if you promote yourself.

So you can’t even do internet optimization.   So they want you to sell their product but not do it better than they can.

Personally, I think they should reward me for the attention I just got them but whatever.

You see, here is a problem with mlm.  If you have a good idea, they will own it anyways. Did you catch that little bug above about how you can make something and if it works (basically), beachbody can use it without owing you anything?

It looks like it’s time to cut the cord with the beachbody coach thing.  I have stopped using the Shakeology because it was causing me to break out and to be honest, I gained weight (but I didn’t exercise like I should have so it’s my fault).

I really wanted it to work out, but if I can’t do what I know to do to get traffic, which is how you make money with Beachbody, then I feel like you are restricting my talent.  I’m not just good at motivating people, I’m good at getting them online.

I would be so much happier knowing I could get more than one or two people to participate in a Beachbody challenge if I was allowed to get a whole group but Beachbody wants you to get coaches before you make money.  You make nothing on the traffic you bring in, so to start out, you work for free and the people you bring in don’t benefit you in a monetary way.

It’s weird.

The focus is on getting coaches first and then making money off the sales.  It just seems wrong.

I’m sure you can argue that they want their coaches committed to the beachbody product first before they are allowed to sell it, but look at me.  I’ve purchased beachbody products for several years and I’ve even got into really great shape with the beachbodyinsanity product, but I’m not allowed to have an optimized site to help me make money from sharing my experience with BeachBody?

I’m torn because I understand them wanting to make sure they own everything, but I really dislike that they force you to get two coaches before you can make money.  There are no retail sales perks in Beachbody until you’ve monetized off of two people to make them coaches.

So while I’ve been working to bring in traffic, my upline coaches have been making some money off my own PV and any of the customers I have brought in.

There is a better way.

A less frustrating way.

It’s not mlm.

I work with millionaire mentors now.

It’s a way to make money from home where people pay you because you do know how to drive traffic and get leads.

Just this morning I received two people who emailed me personally because they want my help.   My 9 to 5 days are close to an end because I have people knocking on my door for the valuable service I provide….which is being able to do local lead generation and optimize websites.

About two weeks ago I found out that I can rank websites on an international level because of the skills I have obtained from my online coaching program.

Is this something you want for yourself?

Do you want to make over $400, $500, even $1000 extra per day, week or month?

It has happened to me.

I make cash in many different ways now and it is very rewarding payoff.  I have a guy who texts me almost weekly because of the great leads I send him excited about the sales he is making.

It’s really cool to be appreciated.

Why not check out the program?

Check out this video by Brad and then Schedule a Call.   Whether you have a struggling website or would like to learn how to build websites that rank, this is the program for you.