TRANSCRIPT
Shady Vibes? | Busting the Biggest Myth in Network Marketing
Thank you for the difference you've made in the health of my family.
Thank you for helping my son overcome XYZ with the help of this water.
Or thank you for allowing me to live more in that life of freedom and being able to quit my 9-to-5 job and be more present for my family.
You know, things like that.
It's like, we did that.
So we didn't sell you anything, no.
We opened a door for you to a beautiful opportunity.
We are moms, we are bosses, and we're living abroad.
And in this brand new season of this exciting podcast, we are boosting the woman-to-woman connection through deep, intimate conversations to pause, reflect and go beyond the skiing deep.
And we are here to celebrate your unique journey.
No matter how old your business or your babies or where you are in the world, you are not alone.
It's time to go deeper, understand better, and lean into more harmony and fun along the way.
We are Desiree and Iva, and this is Mom Bosses Abroad.
Hi and welcome to a new episode of the Mom Bosses Abroad podcast.
I am Iva Perez and along with my business bestie and podcast co-host Desiree Gonzalez.
Hi, Des.
Hi, Iva.
We are so, so, so, so excited to welcome Jess, Jessica Handley in our podcast today.
And we are going to really dive into this whole notion around the misconceptions that sometimes surround businesses where we are affiliated with directly, through direct sales and all those myths and a little bit of misunderstandings that come from the topic and sharing about that with friends or acquaintances, or anyone that asks us what is it that we do and how does things work.
So Jess, it's so such a pleasure to have you here with us today.
Welcome.
Oh my goodness.
What a beautiful welcome.
And I feel so humbled and honored to be sharing this space with you both.
I just absolutely love this idea.
And I love sharing what it is we do online and how it is nothing compared to what I actually originally imagined it to be.
So excited to dive into this.
Amazing.
So that everyone, so that the other mom listening to this can get to know you a little bit more.
So Jess is a single mom who always had a passion for small business.
So 18 months ago, Jess fell into a business opportunity online that aligned with her values.
Jess is now a passionate online entrepreneur in the health and wellness space, and she's a big advocate for sharing the power of electrolyzed reduced water that creates the most potent antioxidant in the universe, molecular hydrogen.
It's the free radical scavenger that supports our systems to reverse the oxidation process in the very toxic world we live in today.
Jess not only loves to share the product, but she's passionate about showing other soul-driven entrepreneurs and business owners how they're able to really diversify and expand their income in a way that can really elevate their business and also their health.
I think we really found something that is so the best of both worlds, isn't it, Jess?
Oh, most definitely.
Yeah, it really, I've said this a few times in different conversations that I've had with people, and I don't think you really can deliver what it is we have, not only in product, but in community, in a way, in just words.
It's something that you also like feel, like when you're surrounded by the people who do this business also.
I'm sure you felt it as well.
When we first met, I remember meeting you for the first time in Japan, and it was just like the most incredible energy of connection, of someone that just, you just know that that person understands, not only a product that can actually really amplify, enhance your health and well-being, but can really generate such a beautiful income for your family.
And it's just, yeah, I just love sharing this and meeting people who are on the same path, and also being an influence for others to show them what's available.
I know, totally agree.
And I love that we all share this space together.
Yes.
And so Jess, we really want to jump right in into addressing the elephant in the room, because we have nothing to hide, right?
We just want to show that the elephant is not really an elephant at all.
It's like something completely different.
So maybe we can start off by asking you, what you think are the reasons why people are so quick in labeling Enagic as a pyramid scheme?
What do you think contributes to this perception from your experience and where you are now, having had this journey already for quite some time?
Love this question.
So I actually recently had someone comment on one of my stories recently about, you know, no one likes being sold a pyramid scheme type thing.
And I find it a really interesting comment that people sort of tend to throw away without really understanding what a pyramid scheme actually is.
For me personally, didn't really have, I mean, I've heard of the word pyramid scheme, but I've never really looked into it.
I don't really know what it is.
And so I now sort of, you know, I challenge people and I'm like, oh, that's really interesting.
Like I'd love to know what your idea of a pyramid scheme is.
And I feel like a lot of the time, people actually don't really know.
They just attach it to something because they've heard somewhere along the line that online selling or network marketing or, you know, those types of businesses where you sell for people are pyramid schemes.
When really, I actually sort of, just sort of diving more into this myself, I actually feel personally, we live in one of the biggest pyramid schemes known to mankind, really.
And if you really sort of take a moment to sort of think about that for a moment, I think you sort of understand that what we're really doing is a beautiful direct sales model where everyone who starts, starts at exactly the same place.
And everyone has the same opportunity.
And everyone can, you know, grow and develop their business in a way that suits them, that it's a true way of earning in a way that feels good for you and without feeling like you're being left behind.
Yeah.
I know.
I always cringe at the word like pyramid scheme.
And then like I kind of roll my eyes when like inside internally, of course, when people say that because I'm like, man, that's fraudulent.
That's actually illegal.
Like people have outlawed this type of scheme because it's just, it's not allowed to be done, right?
It's actually about making money based on recruiting an ever increasing number of investors and recruiting and recruiting.
And then, you know, when you actually look at the proper definition of it, it actually says that it's a business model rather than earning money or providing returns of an investment by sale of legitimate products to an end consumer.
It mainly earns money by recruiting new members with the promise of payments or services, right?
So that's completely different to what we are here for.
First of all, we have a beautiful product that we are affiliated with and that we all truly believe everyone needs in their life.
So it's like, what are you saying to us?
And I loved what you actually wrote.
You made a post about it because obviously that comment, like it confuses us.
And for me personally, it triggers me.
So can you share with us sort of how you answered to that person?
Yeah, of course.
So as I sort of mentioned before, I sort of, you know, the person reached out and they said to me, no one likes pyramid selling.
And I was like, oh, hey, because it was someone that I knew on my social media, because that's where I feel like you get most of the negative feedback from.
I was like, long time no hear.
Interesting response.
Would like to know what you think pyramid selling is.
And they went completely quiet.
There was no response.
So I knew that there was nothing really behind it.
It was just maybe they're seeing me, you know, really start enjoying my life or, you know, who knows what the reason behind that was.
But what I know is, and here's the thing, is that, you know, we can don't like big corporations selling.
And all businesses, corporations have someone at the top.
And that's like the CEO.
And we become the CEO of our business.
So it's very, very different.
And if you think about a corporation, they have the CEO and then the managing director and then the manager and then the blah, blah, blah.
So it all sort of, you know, biggest down like, so it's sort of like the pyramid, right?
Because they're at the top.
So it's, to me, that is the true pyramid scheme.
Not what we're sort of, not what we're doing here with the business that we're in.
Hey, Mama, if you've been looking for a way to make an impact on health, create long-term wealth for your family and design a freedom lifestyle, all while being part of an amazing supportive community, then listen up.
We found a business model that's not just about making money, but about doing soulful work that's truly aligned with who you are.
No more burnout, no more trading time for money, just a powerful, proven way to create real change for yourself and others.
If this speaks to you, head over to mombossesabroad.com and watch a quick 30-minute video that could completely shift your perspective on what's possible for your future.
Because, Mama, you deserve freedom, abundance and purpose.
Let's create it together.
Yeah, I know.
So when explaining that exactly, so I had a personal situation as well where, well, my husband is in the hotel industry, and one of his executive team members actually made a remark that I heard from through the great fire.
And I got really, it triggered me without end.
But this is when I was in my previous network marketing company.
It triggered me so much.
I was like, do you know what?
You are in a pyramid scheme.
Not us, you are.
Your whole hotel is a pyramid scheme.
Because if the waiter, is the waiter ever going to earn more money than you sitting, like managing this hotel?
And he's like, no.
I was like, well, there we go.
You are in a pyramid scheme.
Congratulations.
You're never going to out earn your boss.
The supervisor will always earn more than the waiter.
The restaurant manager will always earn more than that supervisor.
It's like, that is the way society is actually built.
And yet people are sitting there behind their screens, actually saying, oh, no, you're doing a pyramid scheme.
No.
I had an interesting conversation as well with someone that was in the insurance industry for a long time.
And this person is really, really high up there.
Like, he really went up the ranks, and this person has so much experience.
Like, he's a much older person as well.
And we were having a conversation about, yeah, insurance, because I was looking for insurance for myself and my family and so forth.
And at some point, this person said, you know what?
At the end of the day, I can tell you, because I worked in this industry all my life, pretty much, that insurance companies are a bit of a pyramid scheme when you really dissect them.
And to me, that really just opened up my eyes to this idea that we have, through this contracts, through this social contracts that we are all part of, in a way, we have accepted some sort of pyramid structure for certain industries.
But then in others, when the power is in the majority, in the collective, that's when it starts to become, I guess, a problem.
And I think that is a pattern.
So I feel that the pattern is, it's more convenient to keep the majority or the collective up to a certain ceiling or up to a certain limit and not allowing them to move forward.
So we make the air gets rarer at the top, right?
There's less opportunities, there's less space, there's less positions and so forth.
And so I think that it's a paradigm.
I don't know, Jess, how you feel about it, but I feel it's a paradigm that luckily is shifting.
Like it's starting to change.
And hopefully there are new generations that are coming in, not really understanding the whole concept of why do I have to slave away for such a long time, to never really get to the top of anything.
I just get to contribute just at the bottom, so that a few at the top can have, I don't know, the perks or the position, right?
But I think it is changing.
And even those who are in on what it's really about, they confess that that's what it is.
So I find that truly interesting as well.
That was powerful.
Yeah, I feel there's a definite shift happening.
I don't, it's hard to, because when you're sort of in the online world, you sort of do start to see more people that are moving this way.
But even like out in the day to day, I talk to people and I very rarely, I've actually never had anyone that I've spoken to about the business, like sort of one-to-one conversation ever bring up that sort of resistance in that way.
So it's interesting.
I just find it interesting.
It is like what Des said, behind the screen people feel a lot more powerful.
So, yeah, yes.
And I think besides the whole pyramid scheme label, that we are very quick to just slap on anything and everything that we don't understand, and that we have no intentions of, as you say, researching more or educating ourselves on more.
There is also this other aspect that where Enagic really differs from this other perception of other MLMs or network marketing places, where there is this sort of team pressure, where it's like, you come in, but now you have to really do it this way and do what I say, and this is what has to happen.
And if you don't make it happen, then all these things, you're being signaled with the finger and so forth.
Do you feel that that might also be a little bit of where people have this fear of, oh, when I hear the word, direct sales, this is what they're going to make me do.
There's this peer pressure that is going to follow me all around 24-7, once I join, for example.
Honestly, I hadn't had any experience in this network marketing arena before.
So, but in the 19 months that I've been here, and listening to other women who have come in completely burnt by that, by other companies that are a little more, sort of, you feel like you're under the pump, and that you have to make these deadlines.
And I hear about how, you know, what we've landed in here is vastly different.
And like I sort of mentioned before, it's a business model where you're in control, and it's your business, and you can really build it in a way that feels right for you, and you can build it as fast or as slow.
There's never any way that you can sort of fall down ranks.
And there's just this most incredible commission structure that no other company has ever or can ever use, which for me I found incredibly powerful.
It's sort of almost a bit like you don't believe it, but I mean, they're Japanese and it's patented.
I'm going to believe them.
Exactly.
Trust me, I live in Japan.
When they do something, they really do something properly.
Like it's really, they don't joke around.
Yeah.
No, for sure.
I also really love how you kind of asked that question.
And we had conversation around this.
It's like when people really challenge you with these, it's like, oh, it's MLM, it's like pyramid scheme.
It's like people often, first of all, don't know the differences.
But you also said something interesting, like it says a lot about them.
Right?
So what do you think it says about them?
And how do you think we could take that and kind of turn, like be able to turn the conversation around as well?
I love this question.
I think that what it says about them is that, and this is no disrespect or anything, but they're very channel focused and they're not willing to sort of look anywhere else.
And you don't know what's going on in other people's worlds for them to sort of throw these comments around.
What I'd really like to do, and I am starting to do more, is really educate people so that they really know the difference and that they can see that this isn't a pyramid scheme.
It's completely legal and it is definitely, it's a way that you can earn in a way that's fair.
It's like if you go to your job every day and you get paid your hourly rate, but this is very different in the sense that, and that's legal and fair, like that's the rate that you've agreed to pay.
And this is the business we've agreed to be in, and it's extremely fair in the way the commission's distributed.
And like anything in life, the more you move up and the more you grow and the more you learn, and you can sort of be able to impact more people, then obviously you get paid accordingly.
So yeah.
Yeah, exactly.
And I think it's really our opportunity to educate, right?
Like you said, to really clear that up, but not from a point of defense.
That's where I used to come from, being super defensive and super triggered.
But really now I'm so, like, first of all, I'm used to it.
But second of all, I'm so convinced, and I'm so like, I know so well sure that this is not what it is.
And I know I'm confident to bust that, right?
That kind of argument or that almost, not what word am I looking for that?
Yeah, anyways, what they're trying to tell you, right?
Like what it is, or also it's like, would you really think that I would go into a scheme like that, you know?
What you really think?
First, I used to take that very personally.
I was like, no, that's not what it is, right?
But so now, I've more come into, well, you know, this is what it means.
And often they're like, oh, okay.
And you see, they had no idea.
And a lot of them also kind of rolled their eyes at, oh, it's network marketing.
It's like, yeah, but isn't that beautiful that it gets to be network marketing?
That you don't have to cold call like people you don't know and you have no idea who they are, what their background is, where they've come from.
But you actually get to tap into your network.
People you know, people you're familiar with.
And those people get to tap into their network and those people.
So everything has like this more warm feeling around it.
I mean, like I asked the other day, I was asking someone for, I needed some travel advice for somewhere we're planning to go.
I'm not going to ask someone in like random in the internet that has no idea who my family is.
They have no idea about us.
I don't know about them.
They could recommend me something, but they could be like so different from what I am.
I'm going to ask my network.
I'm going to ask my friends who know me, who knows what I like, and I'm going to take advice from the people.
I also like respect or like the way they travel.
And that's kind of similar, isn't it?
That we, like, I think it's just the most beautiful thing to build a business based on each other's network and grow our network of trusted and like people around us as well.
Mm, love that.
Yeah, and Jess, you started off the conversation today with something that, I mean, two things that I find really powerful and that I wanted to highlight.
The first one is that we, we all seem to forget that most of the businesses out there, most of the way the businesses out there work, whether you sell cars, whether you sell food, whatever it is, they all rely on sales, right?
So selling is part of this whole concept of being in business.
And not only that, but I think this is a little bit word, the difference might come in with what you say, with this control and this autonomy that you get when you affiliate yourself and become someone who starts working with the enagic business model is that this is not about recruitment, it's about product sales and a product that enhances your family's well-being, your health and your wealth along the way, right?
And it has so many benefits in and of its own.
So I feel that this is something that for many people, it might get lost unless you have been in the corporate world, like I have, for example.
And I can tell you, there's constant pressure to be selling more product, because that's the way that you sustain the business, that's the way that you pay salaries, that's the way that you pay for the overhead costs and the building where people go and work in the office space and whatever.
But it's because you need to make sure that you send the communications and the marketing out, that there's this product and why it's beneficial and why people should have it and own it and buy it, etc.
And so I feel that that's also one of the things that makes this patented as you and Desiree were sharing, right?
This is a Japanese company with a patented model that is not relying exclusively on this idea that, oh, you have to recruit and hence the peer pressure that we were just talking about a few minutes ago.
I feel this is something that is important to highlight so that it creates a separation between, okay, what is it that we're really talking about?
Do you feel that in terms of the selling part, because as you say, you have control, you're the CEO of now of your own business when you join Enadic, how do you view the selling part?
How do you incorporate it or have you incorporated it within your own journey in this past 19 months?
I think through, honestly, pure excitement for what's available for my life and for other people's life.
And I've seen the growth in people who, and just the health changes and benefits, not only in my personal home, but in the homes that it's been in.
So that kind of continues to ignite the fire in to want to share it more.
It's more of a sharing.
I sort of talk about it more as a sharing rather than a selling.
Like, I'm actually really sharing this with you because this is what it's done for me.
This is what it's going to do.
And I just really want to invite you in if it's something that feels good.
And that's why you've attracted such beautiful people into your team as well, because they all came from that space.
Like, wow, that's amazing.
I want that.
I want to feel like that.
I want to up level my health like that.
I want to, you know, so you're right.
I totally agree with the fact that we're not really selling either.
We're more sharing a lifestyle or sharing an opportunity of what's out there.
We're literally not knocking on doors and doing like door to door, like cold, meaningless selling for products that people don't really need.
And the contrary.
And we've received, I know we've all spoken about this, received such beautiful messages, haven't we, from people we've brought into our teams of thanking us for either if it was product related, to like thank you for the difference you've made in the health of my family.
Thank you for helping my son overcome XYZ with the help of this water.
Or thank you for allowing me to live more in that life of freedom.
And being able to quit my 9 to 5 job and be more present for my family.
You know, things like that.
It's like, we did that.
We did that.
So we didn't sell you anything.
No, we opened the door for you to a beautiful opportunity.
So yeah, it's all mindset, isn't it?
Yeah.
It really is.
Yeah.
And that's so powerful, this, because it's true.
It's sharing how you are using, you know, the Enagic products as tools for, you know, personal growth and fulfillment and transformation.
And it's not just this business where you have to churn, churn, churn and sell, sell, sell and do, do, do.
But it's, it's just this beautiful creation of a community and like-minded individuals who are also wanting to up-level many things about themselves, right?
Including their health and their wealth along the way.
As a final, as a final remark, if somebody were to ask you, so Jess, what is your take on someone joining?
Like, what type of characteristics or, or what would make someone really thrive and be successful into joining and doing this for themselves?
Do you think there's like certain parameters or what would be your take on that?
I feel like the type of person that usually is attracted to this is someone who is really searching for something different.
They've come to a point in their life.
I know it was like for me, I was like, there has to be something else.
And so generally, I would find for me, it's usually someone who is looking for a different solution.
And they can see what they're currently doing isn't going to be able to support them in the way that they'd like to be supported.
I think, you know, just someone who wants to be, who's willing to learn and just to be the student and who is coachable and is just like, yeah, I don't think you need to be any type of person.
That's fantastic to know that sometimes we put those limits on ourselves thinking, oh, this is, you know, you have to be aggressive and stepping on over, over someone else, you know, to get ahead and you have to be like this hardcore type of personality to get ahead.
But at the end of the day, as you say, if you're sharing from a space of authenticity, what has been your own personal journey, and, you know, how you pretty much work and collaborate with others that are also attuned to this core values that you have, then that's really, you know, a great foundation to get started and to just move on ahead, full steam ahead as the saying goes, right?
And that's the most beautiful thing.
You get to actually find out all things about you that you never really know, and you get to share that in ways that just feel good for you.
It's just, yeah, it's like a gift.
It is.
We definitely want to thank you so much, Jess, for being here with us today and sharing your journey, dismantling some very common myths that, misconceptions that people have, and getting inspiration from how you have answered and handled those comments, especially on social media and through direct messages on your platforms, and noticing that at the end, there's really nothing behind them, other than just spewing out some random words that they think they understand, but no one can really explain it back to you.
So that means that they really don't know.
And to do it in such a beautiful way that it still holds your own high vibe energy, like you're not stooping down fighting against trolls.
You're just saying like, oh, that's interesting.
Thank you so much for pointing that out.
Do you mind clarifying that a little bit further?
And that's just more than enough to let them not say anything else and silence them in a way.
So we really want to thank you for being here with us today.
And if you want to know more about Jess Handley, her journey and all the amazing things that she's doing, we're going to put all of those links in our show notes.
So be sure to check them out.
And we cannot wait to see you on the next episode.
So thank you Jess so much for being here with us today.
Oh, thank you, Iva and thank you, Des.
It's been an absolute pleasure.
And yeah, just love this space.
So thank you.
Thank you so much.
And if you also want to know more about what this business model is all about, how we get to collaborate with such amazing people and really uplift ourselves as us while sharing health with everyone else, then please go also see the master class that we have recorded to show you what this is all about.
And hey, we love to expand our team as well.
So check out the show notes, and that will guide you to where you need to go.
See you in the next one.
If you found value, inspiration or a nugget of wisdom in any part of our conversation, we would be so grateful if you could take a moment to show your support.
Leave a rating and review and share this podcast with another mom.
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Until next time, keep being the amazing mom that you are.
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Guest Bio
Meet Jess Handley, A single mum who always had a passion for small business. 18 months ago Jess fell into a business opportunity online that aligned with her values.
Jess a now passionate online entrepreneur in the health and wellness space. She Is a big advocate for sharing the power of Electrolysed Reduced Water that creates the most potent antioxidant in the universe, ‘molecular hydrogen’, the free radical scavenger that supports our systems to reverse the oxidation process in the toxic world we live in today.
Jess not only loves to share the product but is passionate about showing other soul driven entrepreneurs/ business owners how they are able to diversify and expand their income in a way that can really elevate their business and health
IG @_jesshandley, Facebook https://web.facebook.com/jess.handley.12?mibextid=LQQJ4d&_rdc=1&_rdr#
Resources
Hey, Mama! 🌟 If you’ve been looking for a way to make an impact in health, create long-term wealth for your family, and design a freedom lifestyle—while being part of an amazing, supportive community—then listen up!
We’ve found a business model that’s not just about making money, but about doing soulful work that’s truly aligned with who you are. No more burnout, no more trading time for money—just a powerful, proven way to create real change for yourself and others.
If this speaks to you, head over to https://www.oilyessentialsfamily.com/mombossesabroad-webinar
and watch a quick 30-minute video that could completely shift your perspective on what’s possible for your future.
Because, Mama, you deserve freedom, abundance, and purpose—let’s create it together!
https://www.oilyessentialsfamily.com/mombossesabroad-webinar
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