This is where we broke the story of Arbonne’s impending bankruptcy three months before it was announced. It was one of our biggest scoops ever.
The original article was deleted for reasons beyond my control, but the comments remain.
Arbonne seems to have bounced back with sales at $541 Million in 2016.
Ty, this is so not true! Just … not … true. Everyone should just focus on their own company, and stay positive. A team (all MLM professionals) united, benefits us all long-term.
Hmmmm. Well, I heard the bankruptcy was announced during a VP conference call this week.
Also rumored: Arbonne ENVP out of Parker, CO is joining FORMER AB Marketing VP, Candace Keefe, to launch a new skin care company.
Uh Oh,,,
“Focus on your own company”, “stay positive”, “…united team”..
Sounds like this story might have some legs.
We’ll see!
I heard about a posting on FB from a top distributor at another MLM where he apologized to someone hew new at Arbonne and suggested that if she wanted to move her team that they should talk.
Hmmm, hard to believe, but good ‘read’ Mike, we’ll see how this plays out.
A bit dated, but relevant…. ?
http://optree.com/arbonne-international-lays-off-95-workers/
It is absolutly true that Arbonne has filed Chapter 11. I called the company directly today and the customer service represenitive preferred to call it reorganization. The bottom line is they are in Chapter 11 Banruptcy.
Kim, your information is VERY inaccurate, Arbonne’s Customer Service is NOT open on Sunday’s. Please, if you want to share information, be credible. If they have filed BK this information would be available to the public.
Sorry Dawna, I called the company on Saturday and my information is accurate. Arbonne is a privately held company not public they were owned by Harvest Partners LLC. which is a group of venture capitalist. Unfortunately, they have no fiduciary resposibility to share this information with the public. However,if you read the CEO’S letter to the consultants, she certaintly does not deny it.
I think she refers to it as restructuring with the lender and then goes on to say they do not expect their will be disruptions to their relationships with employees, suppliers,vendors etc…
Yes, Arbonne has found themselves buried in a mountain of debt. They have to restructure the debt in order to survive. Harvest Parters will most likely turn the company over to the Banks and file for Chapter 11 protection. The Banks will have to restructure and make the company sound for a future sale. Many other MLM companies are thriving right now. Arbonne has management issues.
VPs are desparate and doing everything they can to keep the truth from being revealed. Sad…They can package it anyway they want, calling it “restructuring” or the banks are “investing” in Arbonne- doesn’t matter. It is what it is- Chapter 11 Bankruptcy. In my opinion, it is a direct result of unethical and immoral leadership at the corporate level and VPs at the local level working very hard to keep the smoke and mirrors going about their “financial freedom opportunity”; claiming to “love their teams.” The truth is there’s only love when the teams are making their Mercedes payment. God forbid if you can’t “produce” your $2500 monthly DM maintenance. You’ll find out real quick that these people only care about how much money they make off of your efforts. The company is imploding; over 20,000 consultants left since 2006. Why? People don’t leave companies; people leave people. And that’s reality. Time for Arbonne to: Face it. Own it. And Learn from it.
I agree with one of the posts above about staying positive. Whether it’s true or not, there are kinder ways to comment without sounding disparaging :).
I was just asked to join Arbonne on Saturday and there was no mention of bankruptcy. This blog has been very enlightening. I appreciate the information given that is not sugar-coated. Thank you to all who’ve contributed.
Is this true or is this an internet rumor? Please, someone who knows for a fact, please let me know. I have family that is very involved with Arbonne and I would like to let her know the truth. She told me that her NVP is not answering her questions about this. This is the time that will really show the integrity of the leaders (NVPs) in this company. If they have any information that would “help” their consultants financial situations they need to come forward. Hiding this information will cause trust issues in the future and they really will “make a difference” in these consultants’ lives. I know they will do the right thing and be honest.
I called the International Corporate office in Irvine, CA at 949-770-2610 and the operator and customer service rep confirmed that they filed for bankruptcy.
Call for yourself, it is true.
My sister just heard from her NVP and it is NOT true as far as her NVP knows. I am glad to hear that!
I called Arbone myself too and yes it is true they said they had to file Chapter 11. Arbonne could not tell me if they were able to pay commission either.
I feel for all of you who are living thru Chapter 11. I have experienced this with 2 other direct selling companies and although they give you hope that nothing is going to change the bottom line it did and both companies filed for bankruptcy leaving thousands of consultants with no home and no income! 🙁
I hope that Arbonne does become financially sound again for you all to enjoy and prosper!
Michelle, I pray that your family has a back-up plan. The writing has been on the wall for over 3 years, and is just now being exposed to the entire public. If you’ve read the book Who Moved My Cheese, you’ll understand that there will be those people who choose to hang on ’til the very end- totally in denial. I really hope that your sister’s NVP isn’t part of that group because her naiveite will hurt many families in her downline.
Arbonne has not filed Ch. 11. Going through a bankruptcy requires a public filing with the courts – even for a privately held company like Arbonne. Anyone can check court filings to confirm.
Call any Arbonne customer service number and they will confirm that the bankruptcy rumors are true. They are most likely “in the process” of filing. And even that doesn’t mean the company is going away, it’s a restructuring of debt. The only way to confirm or dispell this internet rumor is to call them at their 800 number or at their irvine office number, which you can easily find on the “contact us” page of their official website: https://www.arbonne.com/icOnline/contact_us.asp
No need to banter back and forth unless you’ve called and spoken with HQ directly, which I did yesterday after reading this post.
Let’s be real. Of course the VP’s are going to call this rumor. If people know the truth, they will leave Arbonne. Or stop working their businesses. This in turn will cause volume to decline which will impact commission checks. Many VP’s are already experiencing a dramatic drop in their income, as much as 70% or greater. Denial is all around in the VP circles. Cover up and spins will only last so long. They are desperate to prevent further decline in their pay checks! Actually is it very sad indeed.
My wife is a former successful ENVP…..she has left Arbonne , at the ENVP level, after watching he team diminish by half. Anyone can do research on SEC filing which are private. She resigned on the 1 of November to find the company refusing to pay her commission for the month of October. This in excess of 10K. We have bought and drank the kool aide for too long.
The company has major management issues. The leaders who are begging people to stay in the business are failing to look objectively at reality. I personally find the entire situation completely unfortunate. We have many great friends and love the products, What a story to learn from. Peteor Moericks had a great vision for pure, safe and beneficial product. The company at one point was debt free. The hedge fund has made there money for their investors ( a good thing) but almost bankrupt the company. The company line about restructuring the debt is somewhat amusing. Equity is as high as the value or potential value of the asset. The need a lot of cash……No amount of cash can help poor managment.
In these terrible financial times when even the largest of companies are not able to secure financing I think Arbonne is in big trouble.
My heart goes out to all the consultants, it is a huge financial mess that caught up with a company that was too heavy in bed with financial institutions that want out.
Curiousity just got to me and I just called myself ~ “no maam” we have not filed bankruptcy.
Katie from Customer Service: “Because we grew to 3 times our size very quickly we did incur debt and with interest rates increasing, we did need to re-structure/re-finance to free up funds. We have not filed bankruptcy. We have a new CEO, a VP of product knowledge, and a huge new product launch in March. Those who are leaving will be sadly regret the decision they made.”
Now back to work…those that work the hardest in a recession come out on top!
So the spin continues………………………
It is a very difficult decision to make whether to stay and hope for the best outcome, or leave. I would not wish that on anyone. But stuff happens. It is difficult enough to build a solid team. Having to deal with a company suffering financial woes just makes a tough job tougher. My heart goes out to all consultants right now.
I have heard HP has recovered the initial investment 4x over…the amazing thing is that many people are going get hurt either way. The only real substantial growth that can occur is internationally. My wife has cried for a week because of her resignation. The reality of today’s economy is painful for all. I hope for nothing but better days ahead for arbonne. We had an amazing run for 6 years but the company has lost its focus. RD has become nothing more than a talking head and emotional leader for those who have decided to stick it out. Of course your top ENVP’s will stick it out because they have the most to lose. There have been at least two top ten ENVPs that have left the company in the last week. DJ and CS will stay because as the comp plan works they still make enough money over 50K a month. The company has not offered any “business tool’s” to aide the consultants business. As much a Kay Napier wants to turn the ship around they maybe like the band on the Titantic. I hope not for all our friends sake.
If you are smart, you will get out NOW. I stopped drinking the kool aid 2 years ago when I started sensing the greed and the poor decisions being made at the local VP/leadership level and at the corporate level. It was just a matter of time before the gravy train halted.
Hi. It certainly sounds like Arbonne is trying to get themselves out of some massive debt. And it sounds like they have cleaned house. All of that is good news for those still in the company.
I decided to leave a little over a year ago because I had lost my belief in the leadership. Not necessarily the field, because there are some amazing leaders out there, but in the corporate team.
What I don’t understand is how the corporate office let the frontloading go on for so long? It was reported back in 2006 about the huge opening orders, etc. It sort of seems that with money coming in, eyes were blinded to what was happening in the field.
I wish those who are still working their business success and I hope that Arbonne can turn the ship around for you.
Traci
Quite interesting with all the Arbonne news and I do hope they find a way to refocus as I’m sure many families’ incomes are potentially affected by this. I have not heard anything from the Arbonne contacts I know from social networking sites or even from the company I’m representing.
Are we hearing the same rumors? I’m being told Arbonne is doing a restructuring that will free it to continue to invest in its products and consultants. That sounds like great news to me. Loyal Arbonne consultants are continuing to be paid (consultants who resign do not get paid – they resigned!) and will continue to be paid in the future. This company is not closing its doors, it’s making itself stronger.
Hey joyce,,,she resigned November 2 after close of Month October) I am sure you would want to be paid for the month you worked before your resignation. Compensation ceases for any work done after you resign, not prior to your resignation. Since we are 1099’s not 1040’s they treat us completely differently.
No worries here. I have contacted the California Attorney General’s office and and employment attorney. We have a strong case and deep pockets. After digging, this isn’t the first time this has happened to a consultant.
Seems to me, bad press at this point is the last thing they need. I am just ticked off enough to be aggressive.
i admire your convictions Will. My heart is broken for all the people like yourselves who have been rejected, hurt, lied to and manipulated by Arbonne. I personally know many of these individuals: People who gave so much to their teams and to a company they thought was ethical. Where is the integrity we heard so much about? I know what it feels like to cry and walk around every moment of every day hurting for people on my team who lost their regions and white mercedes. I can’t even look back on pictures of yesterday without a black cloud.
I hope you get EVERYTHING you have earned and deserved multiplied 10 times!
Will, how do you know that she won’t get paid. It’s only the 5th and checks don’t get paid until after the first 10 working days of the month.
Jan,
They have told us in phone conversations that she will not be compensated for October. At this point i have filed complaints with the Better Business Bureau, California Attorney General’s Office and DSA. If the check is not in our direct deposit I will push forward.
FyI – you see the good the bad and the ugly in this, (MLM) business. The grounds for her suspension dealt with the fact that I signed up to do another direct selling company because I am in the fitness business and their products make more sense for my athletes and male clients. My wife received a phone call from RD on Monday asking her if should would consider have me renounce my company. My wife asked RD how she became aware of my involvement with the company. RD stated that she heard my wife was at an opportunity meeting in my city. The interesting part of that accusation was my wife was with me in California. Clueless..but indicative of what Arbonne is becoming.
I am sorry for all the gory details but so many of you are in the blind. We have been slandered by sidelines, downlines, consultants who don’t have a clue. I am using this forum to vent my frustrations. Many of you have had nothing but positive experiences in Arbonne. I hope that continues. Just be objective about any company you contract your services with. Do your own independent research on the company you are investing with.
I subscribe to Dunn and Bradstreet and the writing was on the wall when HP started to leverage the company, almost debt free at that point. SEC filings are public information. Look them up. You would seek professional advice if you were purchasing a franchise.
Fyi – my wife had 20k people in here organization. She made it to NVP in less than a year. She worked her butt off. She earned several awards at various NTC’s. She loved Arbonne. If she new I was speaking about this she would flip. I married way above my head. I will not let her literal blood, sweat and tears be minimized by some yahoo
has no clue,
Thanks for your encouragement Traci and Polli, Good luck
with your current ventures.
What else can you say but……Wow. I am very sorry.
Those new policy rules are crazy. It will be interesting to see if they stand up in court. From what I understand from a friend who was targeted as well, CA focused on the best interest of the person, not the company.
Will – That is very strange, I hope that you received any commission due to your family.
Were you doing the business as well? Or have you ever been a consultant, DM, AM RVP or NVP? I know the policies and procedures manual has some pretty strict guidelines about that…
Now that Arbonne is rephrasing what I was originaly was told I did some research on Chapter 11 bankruptcy and this is what I found on business week
“Chapter 11 Bankruptcy is the form of bankruptcy, sometimes called “reorganization,” available to companies in financial distress under Title 11 of the U.S. Code…”
here is more info on filing
http://bx.businessweek.com/chapter-11-bankruptcy/blogs/
Hey Lisa.
I was signed up intially but ceased from doing the business 4 years ago. This issue on the table for us is commission owed before they suspended her. I just looked at the letter from compliance regarding the issue. They are incompetent. They incorrectly state she was enrolled as a distributor and they misspelled the name of the company I signed up with on 10/28……This is there legal department.
My lawyers are going to have fun with this as the issue is not as much as a financial issue as much as it is a matter of principle. She made over a million dollars in the business. Many are less fortunate as far as the revenue piece goes. They should be protected from similar matters. That goes for all MLM”s not just Arbonne.
I found an excellent resource for those who are interested in many of the legal issues that relate to MLM’s (both distributors and companies). It has a great checklist of issues to research and answer from both sides of the coin.
here it is: http://w-wlaw.com/publications/networkmarketing/book97.pdf
Arbonne is bankrupt, this is not news, the writing has been on the wall for a long time if people are only willing to open their eyes. Nothing good will come to top leaders who profit and benefit from pushing the kool-aid when they are well aware of all the houses that are being foreclosed on and white Mercedes that are being repossessed.
As a former RVP with Arbonne, I had the privilege of participating when the company had a heart and soul so I know the REAL Arbonne Difference. When all the front loading and wholesale buying started, it was pretty obvious the company was moving in a direction very far away from Peter Morks vision. The sob stories being told trying to get people to stay USING his name disgusts me. I was there when ego’s buried him before he was dead.
Good-Luck and good riddance! Peter isn’t dancing in heaven about the next trip as was touted on a recent VP call; he is shaking his head in disgust going you asked for this!
Dear Will and Polly –
Thank you for sharing your stories, as awful as they are.
Will – bravo to you for your willingness to not back down. I agree with your comments. Please tell your wife I am sorry she is going through this.
Polly – I feel for your loss as well.
Having been there myself (but to no where near the same degree) please know it gets better. I learned a lot about myself during this process and I am now crystal clear on what I want in a company, who I want to work for and who I am willing to work with. I’ve adpoted a zero tolerance for BS. It’s great to ask questions and to not follow just because someone tells me too. In the end the whole process was very empowering. What’s that saying – if it doesn’t kill you it will make you stronger.
Stay strong.
Traci
This is Donna Johnson, and I’d like to address these issues. I do not drink the koolaid, I have always loved and edified Petter Morck, and have embraced and promoted our unique culture, even when it’s not been popular.
Yes, we’re going through a pruning of our branches, but we are here to stay. Kay Napier, our new CEO came on board to navigate us through this transition, and lead us to our next surge of growth. This past weekend, I had the honor to participate as one of six faculty (the only female) at our Profession’s Mastermind Event in Houston, TX, hosted by Art Jonak. The theme of the event was ‘elevating our profession’. The old paradigm of our industry was “circle the wagons and shoot each other”. The new paradigm is uniting and supporting individuals, teams, and companies that are doing it right, to elevate our profession. Ty, I’m not sure who you are, but you wouldn’t fit into this new manifesto, and I bet your company is not in the DSA w/this blog tactic. My good friend Art Jonak (who is a leader in another company) spoke w/me today in support of whatever he and other leaders in our profession can do to support us, as we can see the vultures circling.
Unfortunately, our beautiful company attracted people from the corporate and field side that wanted to change our culture. As your field leader, I have dedicated myself to preserving our culture, and our “do no harm” sustainable philosophy that Petter instilled in us years ago. Will, I’m so sorry, there has been some misunderstandings, and you’ll learn more in the next couple days, I hope you set the record straight. Your wife added so much to our company, and she will be missed, this has crushed me, we’ve all been in tears over this. A dear couple friend of mine have also departed, and I will miss them greatly. We all have our eyes wide open and will navigate our teams through this storm. God has given me an incredible peace, and we’ll be stronger than ever.
Donna, I absolutely support companies that do things right. That is why you find a lot of positive news on this blog. If you are going to sit there and tell me that selling a $2,500 package of products to a new person (front end loading) so that they can make up packages of so called “puppy dogs” to hand out is doing it right, we disagree. “Uniting and supporting” with blinders on can easily turn into ignoring bad behavior, which our industry has been guilty of for a long time. Best of luck to you. I hope that Arbonne comes out with clear communication to it’s associates and I hope that this “pruning” get’s Arbonne back to a time when it was known as one of the “good ones”.
Apparently this is the very same reason our beloved Candace Keefe left after 25+ years with Arbonne. She has started her own company and many are leaving to join her.
Actually, why wouldn’t leaders pursue other endeavors? Checks are down 70%. Home foreclosures, mercedes repossesed, etc, etc. Stay, hang on?? For what? On the word of people we no longer trust? That is insanity!
I also suspected that was the reason Candace Keefe left. Interestingly, I’m representing Apriori Beauty, Candace’s new company which launched this summer, and learned more about Arbonne from recent “news”. There is no frontloading with Apriori and just a small fee for the start kit (smile).
Janette
I agree with Donna’s comment about uniting your teams and even other companies. The bad news affect everyone who’s in network marketing in some way. I would encourage everyone to use this opportunity to send out positive energy to all the women who have dedicated themselves to their families and business as they go through this transitional period.
I for one appreciate this blog. We live in a country where freedom of speech is one of our rights. I have a voice here for the way so many have been exploited. I am sorry that the truth is hard but it is the truth. If our voices are heard and change happens, HOORAH! Those of us who have been hurt will rebound, eventually move forward and find peace also. And that may every well be some place other than Arbonne.
It only cost $29 to sign up with Arbonne. That’s it. No product purchases are required, in any amount, ever.
Thanks Ty, I really appreciate that. (this is Donna Johnson back) I absolutely am not a supporter of ‘puppy dog’ systems. It is contrary to everything that has made our Arbonne culture so unique. It is not a sustainable business model, and I am doing everything I can to eradicate this from our business. It does not duplicate, and I’ve seen countless organizations implode because of it. Those teams that are willing to take responsibility for the consequences of this practice are making the necessary adjustments to build a sustainable business, are now coming back to their ‘pioneer leaders’ of our company who never supported that system. Like Randy Gage says, until you’re making $100,000 a month, follow the proven, sustainable system of your upline. Again, we’re being pruned, but I am very grateful for our leaders that are uniting to do the right thing, the right way, for the right reason. We’re going to rise out of this a vibrant company with a united sustainable business model. I will die on a hill to preserve our culture.
To me this is so sad and I 100% agree with Donna about the “puppy dog” approach. However, when I joined almost 4 years ago I was presented with it as “the only way” and was told we didn’t do parties and it would be wonderful, and I would make a lot of money if I would work hard and keep passing those kits! But of course, because if I came in with 4 -6 kits, when those above me would promote, so why wouldn’t they tell me this. It was in their best interest, not mine. I spent nearly 15K my first year trying to build this business. If I was lucky, I broke even by the time I walked away almost a year ago.
Arbonne has great products and good people, but there is WAY too much Kool-aid drinking going on People just believe what their upline tells them instead of researching it on their own.
Given the current economic climate, it is going to take awhile before this turns around, if it ever does. That’s not Arbonne’s fault, many other great companies are struggling out there as well. This just turned into the perfect storm with HP, perhaps some poor management decisions and then came the economic downturn. Its a great industry and I totally believe it’s power. I’ve moved on to another company which is now making my family’s dreams come true and I’m thankful for everything I learned with Arbonne.
Best of luck to all the consultants out there, but my advice would be to keep your eyes WIDE open!
Do you know what is really baffling to me? RD herself endorsed the puppy dogs as well as other long time ENVP’s. RD had trainings on them from well and long established ENVPs. When the Arbonne “Rocket Ship” was red hot and rollin’ it was a widely accepted concept. Now everyone is running from it, claiming they aren’t responsible for what happened or they didn’t endorse it, etc, etc, etc. The problem is deeper than that. It’s in the corporate leadership and structure. In my opinion, that will continue to be a rub that is unsolvable.
Sorry but I just do not believe Arbonne has a bright future at all. Too many strikes against that ever happening again.
This from someone who believed for so long. Not anymore.
Dear Left Arbonne…
You are not alone. The sorrow we all feel is overwhelming because even though gone, I still have friends that are trying to recoup some of their losses and this bankruptcy thing has them scared to death. My husband just said no more when the car payment was 3 times more than the income and our credit card bill got bigger every month trying to maintain.
I also left Arbonne because of the frontloading and the “sign everyone up” mentality. I was an RVP when none of this was going on so to see it transformed is what makes it so sad. I was chastised for not following the “NEW” way to riches. There are good people, but there are more that have been hurt, the changes that need to be made are just too big. We did it the old fashion way, we retailed product, it worked if you worked.
I also know this is exactly why Candace Keefe left and why she started a company. I flew to an opportunity meeting in Laguna Hills to hear what she had to say. As you would expect, she was gracious and never said one derogatory thing about her Arbonne experience, rather praised Petter for his vision and the opportunity he had given her. To hear her speak and to read her book you know she is on mission to do this right and to help others. She was honest and clear about the mission of her company but more importantly about bringing integrity back to network marketing. So many people were just sitting there crying. I haven’t signed up yet, but I was inspired and will soon. She actually discouraged it until I tried the product. As you said Polly, she was our beloved Candace. If you can get your hands on her book, you should read it. I asked her if she would sign my book and she wrote these words “When you know the difference, you are obligated to use that knowledge to make a difference”. Although there are some deep wounds that need healing before I do it again I do miss network marketing and know the power it has. I flew home with products that I now love and new hope for my future.
Your advice is wise, keep your eyes open.
To Dear Arbonne,
Wow! Your story is so touching and I can only imagine what you and so many other women must have felt. I recently partnered with Apriori Beauty because I LOVE the products and I’m a huge fan of natural/organic products, so the opportunity was an easy decision for me. Best wishes to you and sometimes disappointments and setbacks end up making us much stronger! I am learning a lot from this blog (thanks Ty!) and feel that I’m with a great company under Candace’s guidance but I’m mindful that it is my OWN business so I need to take full responsibility for everything. That means, reading everything that’s in the manual and doing my homework. I’m grateful for all of you for being so candid and sharing your stories.
Janette
Janette
I’m a current RVP who has witnessed my team drifting away – I came in during Results and was gratified that we could build a business without having to have parties, as I was a busy executive with kids and didn’t have time or energy to do much after work. When we were told to stop doing Results, then that we could still do Results, but to add parties in, then to stop doing Results all together – the changes in direction and training became confusing and inconsistent. Many on my team told me they felt like they had whiplash with the constant change in training and direction. I remember listening to trainings at NTC about Results – and now it’s taboo?:
We never frontloaded or expected people to come in with huge purchases – most just bought an RE9 set or an RSVP at the most. To us, ‘REsults’ just meant the freedom to meet with people one-in-one and let them try the products in their homes. Most in my area and circle of influence much preferred that to going to the Suzy Homemaker parties. Since REsults has been more or less taboo, my business has dried up. No one wants to hold or attend a party – life is too busy.
A big wakeup call for many on my team was when the company sent out emails to our clients saying they would be charging again them for purchases that had been made more than a year ago, due to computer system errors. That kind of gross incompetence is unacceptable from a company of this size, and made a lot of people on my team have second thoughts.
What I loved about REsults was that I could have lunch with a friend or colleague 3-4 times a week and build a great team without having to stress my family with home parties. I did end up doing several parties a month as my team grew – enjoyed it, became good at it – but in the beginning, I NEVER would have joined Arbonne if my only option was to hold parties. Just wasn’t my style, nor was it appealing for most of the corporate friends and contacts who joined my business in the beginning.
I feel Arbonne is using REsults as a scapegoat for their own failure to regulate those consultants who WERE frontloading, stacking, and flagrantly flouting the rules. Meeting with someone one-on-one to share the products and opportunity isn’t a negative thing – strong-arming a prospect into buying $2500 worth of stuff when they join is.
We long-term consultants in the field would really appreciate being told the truth about what’s going on – I haven’t heard a word about any of this from my NVP and wonder if maybe SHE is one of the ones leaving? It would really be nice if there was some honesty about exactly who is leaving and why.
This is Donna Johnson. First Ty, thanks for asking me to clarify the situation at Arbonne. I will take Kay Napier’s lead, who has been open and honest with her disclosure, and just refer you back to the letter.
Second, “Deep in the heart of it”. It’s sad that the thinking out there is that if you don’t do ‘REsults’ you are ‘suzie homemaker party planner’. The majority of the top leaders of the company built solid sustainable businesses doing one on ones or groups, or a combination of both, leading with the business, trying before you buy w/ full size products at the appointment & samples. This system and culture has built a sustainable business that has lasted and will continue to grow. You are correct however, in that it has felt like the ‘wild wild west’ with everyone trying to do it their way. I think the Mastermind Faculty in Houston said it best: Orrin said: “Stick to the playbook of your company, build your play around the top leaders and your unique culture and keep your head down.” We’re all uniting to make that happen.
Lastly, business is booming at Arbonne. October was great, we’re building that sustainable momentum again, as we’re all uniting. You have very committed leaders that will tell it to you straight, just like Kay has demonstrated.
Okay off the blogs and back to work, we have lives to change.
Will, I don’t know who you think you are kidding, I know exactly who you are and the TRUTH is, your wife may not have been at that meeting that Thursday night, but she was all over recruiting in other teams downlines for many days. So don’t let all these unsuspecting people think you guys are all innocent. What you have done was sneaky, underhanded, and you both know it. The sad part is, it didn’t have to be that way.
You are right, she did work hard with Arbonne, but so did alot of other people on her behalf. She forgot who actually helped make her all that money, or actually I don’t think she ever realized it. She didn’t do it by herself, it was on the very backs of the people in her downline, like me, who also got to NVP in a year. I got to RVP the month she got to NVP, as did several of the other people in her organization, and NOT with ANY help from her!!! So, stop this little act, you have been exposed. People are not stupid.
I am sorry to all of you here, who are feeling a little confused about who is the victim, but I can assure you it is not Will and his wife. This was not, His venture, it was hers and she thought she could take from Arbonne both in income and in recruiting at the same time to build the other organization and it was at OUR (the innocent Arbonne consultant’s) expense because it started all this mess.
We are restructuring our debt, and we will be perfectly fine when all the dust settles. But these people, Will, his wife and several others have taken our vulnerability to take advantage and only tell partial truths in order to build themselves another big check on thebacks of unsuspecting people who get scared and folllow them. They are exactly what gives this business a bad name.
Arbonne, is not in bankruptcy and even if it does file Chapter 11 it will not hurt us in the field the way these people have. What you are doing causes to hurt us more than anything. How many have you taken from Arbonne so far to make your little Bonus check this week in the name of saving them “because you care.” Whether Arbonne was going down or not, I would not go to the Arbonne network and hurt others who are still making money to further my agenda.
Go find new people outside of Arbonne.
Will, tell these people how many that are in “your” downline right now that did not come from Arbonne. I am betting not many.
And tell them how many you personally recruited as opposed to your wife for “your” business.
And tell them how easy it is to scare someone into a business from another one when you can drop words like “bankruptcy” and not give them the whole story. It’s a pretty easy gig isn’t it. Kinda like the snake in the garden, just make it look so pretty and easy.
What are those consultants supposed to think when their NVP calls and tells them, “I am scared and I have to do this for my family, and you are welcome to come and see it.”
And by the way, you are making the same mistakes that were made before. You will not build a sustainable business on start orders, so before you get all puffed up about “platinum” you better realize that’s just buying your way, or in your case, letting your downline buy your way, into a position.
Arbonne does not owe you a living. And your wife didn’t earn her income with Arbonne in October. She earned it with “your” business. If your wife had worked with as much enthusiasm in Arbonne as she is doing where she is in the last two weeks, she could have salvaged her Arbonne business. Our checks are down because we stopped working Arbonne with enthusiasm.
And we made some mistakes on how we built. We are learning and growing all the time. In all businesses that is necessary. You will see where you are now will have its share of ups and downs.
So just let the pity party and go and quite trying to further the damage to Arbonne on blogs like this with people who don’t have the whole story.
May God help you see the truth.
There are two sides to every story, no?
I’m a former ERVP, now EAM, who joined Arbonne more than 5 years ago. I’ve worked very hard to build a business with integrity. It breaks my heart to see how this company has changed since I first joined. Here in the field, we are not being told what is happening at the top levels of this
company. Kay Napier’s letter does not provide sufficient information. My team and I feel like we are constantly having to address rumors about this company. We in the field need some straight answers, for once and for all.
If you look on the “Success Stories” section of the Arbonne website, the Eye on Arbonne stories for Andy Inman, Shannon Johnson and Sibley Gammon are no longer listed. Additionally, Shannon Johnson’s Arbonne website is down, with a message from corporate to contact the compliance department if you’re the owner of the website. What happened here? I recall Andy Inman being recognized with honors at several NTCs, and Shannon Johnson has consistently been in the Top Ten of the company. Are these the ‘branches that are being pruned’, Donna? Did the above listed NVPs resign or were they forced to leave by the company?
Will, are you by chance married to Wendy Mitchell? Jan, are you Jan Kilic? Donna, what couple that you are friends with has resigned? Is it true that Bob Henry had an affair
with Arbonne legal counsel Bettina Simon, leading to both being fired in August of 2008? Or was it due to fiscal malfeasance – if the latter, what exactly? Why was Bob Henry fired?
Those of us in the field who are still working very hard to take care of our loyal product users and our team members would really appreciate honest and straight answers to the above questions. The constant rumors and questions are exhausting – having to address them is taking time away from actually working this business. Surely the truth can’t be worse than some of the wild things that are flying around out there. It’s time to come completely clean and let us all rebuild with a firm foundation.
The VP Support team at Arbonne has always been so wonderful and helpful. I believe in the future of Arbonne. There are too many great, ethical people at all levels, trying to build businesses and help others the right way for it to fail, but it is crucial that the leaders shoot straight with us so we can be fully aware of what is really going on. Otherwise, all trust is gone.
It would mean a lot if these questions could be answered honestly, in keeping with the ethical foundations that Arbonne was originally built upon. If no one will give it to us
straight, it will be impossible for us to continue to continue in good faith.
Bravo Time for Honesty! Instead of the same old tired, worn out speeches that we all know is nothing but smoke screens and mirrors. how about the good ole fashion way of the truth from the leaders??? What is the truth Arbonne? I don’t want to hear another cover-up laced with vague promises of brighter days. This is exactly the reason why all trust is eroded. When will we get the truth???
I am an RVP with Arbonne. I work full time, I am a single mom. I love this business, the people and the products.
I like to get to know my audience and I offer them 3 ways to win. Try, buy and love it, for a fee you can get a great price and lastly, I am looking for more people to join so I can can teach them to do what I do. I start people with whatever they are comfortable with starting with. I tell them how I started with 4 gold bags. One for me, one for events, and two to hand out as testers so people can try them. It was easy. I read the manual. I tell people the truth everyday, I help others, I make lots of money, because I deserve it and because people trust me and because I work hard, one on ones, events, spa parties, meetings and drop offs. There is nothing else to it. As for Corporate issues, focusing on anything other than working hard is a waste of time.
No one on my team even knew Bob Henry so they didnt know when he left. Who Cares who comes and goes. It shows us what you are made of. I do not care. I love my business and I will see everyone at NTC for our 30th anniversary. We will get funds, we will survive and thrive and my name is Debbie Bader, I, like Donna Johnson will speak my name loud and clearly. I live my life openly and honestly and I am excited as usual. If you do the due- your just rewards are coming. Cheers to another 30 years!
car payment was more than paycheck??? RVP since starting- 3 years- car payment $598- car bought and paid for 1st year as an RVP. Still own it, no payment- Arbonne pays me $1400 a month ($800+$600 bonus+overrides) to drive it. Car free- now putting $1400 a month in sons’ college fund! What kind of bad deal did you get at Mercedes? What other than $100prv what were you doing and why? Did I miss something? Umm, did this all while working full time at 20 yr career job……single parenting a young son. Sounds like bad coaching and bad spending and bad money management and bad leadership on your part. Shame on you!!!!
Time for honesty, we are telling the truth. The company is going through a debt restructuring and I do believe there is no reason to move. The Inmans, Gammons, Johnsons, Mitchells and Futrells made the decision to go on their own, but have tried to recruit within Arbonne and so were forced to resign. Their reasons for that are murky, although I have my thoughts about that, but I would rather not hash that out here other than to set Will straight so he can stop speaking untruths.
Suffice it to say, they do not have any more information than any of us do about the financials of this company, but they seem to think they do.
As it pertains to Bob Henry, that is hearsay, there has been no official statement other than to say, they are gone.
The bottom line is this, we, the field, are Arbonne. You do know this is a company of integrity. The only thing that will bring this back where we want it to be, is us. So we are trying to do that.
They can call it drinking the koolaid, but for me, it’s just that I understand how businesses operate and so I don’t panic. As long as the products are getting delivered, then there is nothing wrong here.
Just know that Arbonne is still operating and profitable. The debt restructuring is moving along very smoothly, at least by the reports that we have, and I feel I can put my name on the line about that (and by the way, yes, this is Jan Kilic), and that means I have no problem starting a new consultant.
I have learned alot since I got into Arbonne. I have learned that I love this company, I love these products, I don’t have to be perfect, and I have a lot more to learn.
You know inside yourself what the truth is. No one is trying to hide anything, we just recognize that just because a company has a cash flow issue, does not mean it did something unethical or that its doors are closing.
The analogy I like to use is this, if a builder goes bankrupt and the bank takes back a house, the bank doesn’t burn down the house, they fix it up so that someone can buy it and make it better. We are the house. We are currently in a private restructuring. Whether we end up having to make a public restructuring (which is chapter 11) we, the house, will still stand, because we, the field, are Arbonne.
And if another company buys us, we will still stand strong as a subsidiary of that company. So, I am not making vague promises of brighter days, I am truly optimistic and looking forward to a very strong future with Arbonne.
For what it’s worth, those are my thoughts. My business is not that strong right now, but I am not blaming that on Arbonne, or my up line, I know that my success lies right here with me.
My past does not equal my future. What I learn from my past is what contributes to my future.
Arbonne simply is NOT the company it was 7 years ago when I started nor are a lot of the ENVP’s. Peter was such a gem. So kind and would hate to see what has become of his company. GREED ,GREED & more GREED is what happened to Arbonne. I made it to ERVP in 15 months, as I got close to making NVP, the truth began to shine. And I thank God every day that I didnt make it. I saw the true colors of my upline…. when I had a conusultant make first step for Region, then her second month she was $17,000 from finishing up… and because my sponsor needed $18,000 to finish for Nation. She and her ENVP encouraged her to buy in to finish. I was told I was not being supportive and jealous not wanting her to become an RVP, because I would not get on board of her buying in. I was told…. It was going to help me, ect. Needless to say, she lost her Region shortly after she “bought” it. As I knew she would when you buy in. I LOVED Arbonne, I LOVED Peter…it was such a GREAT company when I started. The “Brazil Queen” of Arbonne was still humble at that time. Not the case anymore. Arbonne turned into… we want more, more. more from you as the consultant and we are going to give you less because you need the bar raised. You can do more!! Arbonne was such a great company at one time, they still have good products,but they are not the same company and they NEVER will be. Candice, Peter, Stian, even Brad they are all gone. It is kind of like the saying goes….you can have remakes and sequels but they are never as good as the original. GREED GREED among the top ENVPS and Bob Henry. If you were not willing to do Arbonne 24/7 and sacrifice all that you are, then you were not deserving of their time. They talk of spending more time with your family……NOT. It got to where you couldnt even take all of your family on the trip. Along with the qualifications more than doubling! When I started the ENVP’s that I met were so humble and helpful. Then….the explosion happened and then my upline became untouchable and definetly didnt have time for the little people who helped them rise to such glory! And you must be willing to wear “fancy” $200-$300 jeans to trainings if you were going to be allowed to wear jeans. What a joke like that makes you become a person of influence because of your jeans.
Arbonne has gotten so good at covering things up or sugar coating their faults and leaving it up to the consultants to spread it around. Its not a bad thing we are out of RE9 samples for 6 months, it is a time to see how creative you can be and see how you can make it through adverse times.!! Thats not dog poop in your front yard its FREE fertilizer! Arbonne has good products, but the business side of Arbonne is just not what it was.! It breaks my heart because I thought Arbonne was my home for life. I have continued to sell the products for the last 2 years because i know they are good, but I refuse to sponsor someone in to the business. When someone wants to order I will give them my discount. Even with me not sponsoring for the business, I will have the title of RVP for the next 3 years from my PA. It brings tears to my eyes to see how everything has changed, but I have learned a lesson about how money makes peoples true colors come out and I know how I dont ever want to be. I believe good ole “Karma” has caught up!!
I find it interesting that no one is mentioning Harvest Partners when speaking about Arbonne’s financial crisis.
Harvest Partner’s also known as Natural Product group LLC which is a Private equity firm is completely to blame for the fall of Arbonne. Please do your research, all they care about is paying dividends to shareholders and that they did!
In order to pay these huge dividends they borrowed debt ! They are much more interested in generating attractive returns to investors than they are in the consultants who have put their blood sweat and tears into building their business.
As Kay mentions in her letter they are now restructuring debt for equity. This is how it works.
Debt restructuring is a process that allows a private or public company facing cash flow problems and financial distress, to reduce and renegotiate its delinquent debts in order to improve or restore liquidity and rehabilitate so that it can continue its operations.
By some measures, only 20% of firms survive Chapter 11 bankruptcy filings.
Debt-for-Equity Swaps
In a debt-for-equity swap, a company’s creditors generally agree to cancel some or all of the debt in exchange for equity in the company.
Debt for equity deals often occur when large companies run into serious financial trouble, and often result in these companies being taken over by their principal creditors. This is because both the debt and the remaining assets in these companies are so large that there is no advantage for the creditors to drive the company into bankruptcy. Instead the creditors prefer to take control of the business as a going concern. As a consequence, the original shareholders’ stake in the company is generally significantly diluted in these deals and may be entirely eliminated, as is typical in a Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
This is a “escape hatch” for incompetent management!
I feel it all boils down to greed from a ownership that has had only one goal in mind and that is profit for their shareholders.
The most important thing for Arbonne Consultants to know is, who is behind the curtain!
I think you should know names like Ira Kleinman, Michael Deflorio, Christopher Whalen.
Do you know these names? They sit on the board for Arbonne and they are Harvest Partners and they are responsible for borrowing all of the debt that is now bankrupting the company.
To all – lots of good comments here. Jan, I tried to read your post, but honestly couldn’t stay with it. Time for Honesty, You Rock! You said so very many good things. Donna, your comment about having “lives to change’ freightens me. My life was “changed” with Arbonne, but I’m not sure for the better. I didn’t like who I became. I was so brain-washed that I thought anyone who worked another NM was the enemy. I was told over, and over and over that Arbonne had the “best” compensation in the industry. HA! What a line for a bunch of women who had no experience in NM. Now I know that is the biggest joke I have ever heard. “Breakaway” plans like Arbonne are the biggest rip-off on the planet. So many,many people have been financially punished for recuiting a “superstar”. Great for the company, sucks for the consultant.
Don’t get me wrong, I learned a ton during my time with Arbonne. Unfortunately, my brain also got programmed to expect failure. How tragic. I had to spend about 6 months re-programming myself during which time I journaled and read lots of fantastic books. All I can tell you is that when I took off the “Arbonne blinders” amazing things came into focus for the first time in years. At the end of my 6 months of healing you know what I found? I DID have everything I needed to be successful in this industry. It wasn’t me after all! Wow! How amazing to find out that reading just that right book, or attending just the right training or closing my eyes and envisioning my future wasn’t going to catapult me to success! It’ wasn’t me!!! It was a product that frankly just not that many people wanted. No one wants to be “sold” and that was the only way we could get people to change from their current brands and use ours. People, especially women, are loyal. When push comes to shove they aren’t going to change for a more or even equally expensive brand, Most likely they were happy with what they were using or they wouldn’t have been using it in the first place.
Again, I don’t have ill will against anyone. But Arbonne, you need to be honest with your consultants and with your customers. Stop the “spin-city” routine. Face the music, take your “30 lashes” and get on with it.
Hello everyone!
This is my first time to respond to a blog but I thought it was important that I do.
The first thing I would like to do is apologize to anyone that feels like that have been taken advantage of or to whom has been hurt.
I am a supporter of all Network Marketing companies. There are many that come in many different shapes and sizes. Some that ask for you to purchase more or have more product up front and there are some that do not.
One thing that impressed me about Arbonne was that eight years ago I paid $29 to join this company and start my life changing journey. I earned an RSVP at my first party and was quite impressed by the people and environment. I did purchase an entire make-up kit the next month because I wanted people to see the great colors Arbonne had to offer. They never told me to do that, I wanted it for my business.
Friends we are in business for ourselves. We have a choice. If I were to open up a store front I would spend alot more on products and overhead than what some of you are talking about. It’s your choice how to build a business. Quite frankly some may have abused the methods in which they chose to build but I would like for you to look at how Arbonne has changed lives. Our products have not changed. They are still phenomenal! We may have gotten a little off track as most companies do but that’s business.
I just have a hard time understanding why it is necessary to create something like this? Because of Arbonne I was able to become the woman I always wanted to be. I lived in car for petes sake as a kid. In my eight years, I wrote a book that I have been able to donate back to children in poor communities and shelters all over the world and now have started other businesses that will serve the world in a greater way. So I can honestly say no matter what you do, or what company you work for, if you look for something bad, you can find it. If you look for something great, you will find that too.
If your not happy with Arbonne than join another company. Why waste your precious hours here trying to tear down something that serves you and no one else? Arbonne is not for everyone and it’s okay.There is another network company out there for you and I wish you the very best in finding it. I have many incredible friends that are top producers in other companies. We never sit around talking about what’s better with one another’s company, we just support eachother and know that if the shoe fits then wear it! If not, don’t.
I just want to end with this one thing. I am forever grateful for Arbonne and the personal development I received while on this journey. I often tell people that I could have never even been taught this at Harvard. If you want to grow and become better this is one of the most beautiful experiences I have ever found but there are also others just like us. Please stop tearing others down to make yourself feel better. In the end, what you put out there always comes back and as a company I believe that the greater the adversity the greater the man, a company is no different.
But what we wish for others we also wish on ourselves. So let’s just stop defending and start understanding that change is necessary for growth and if we didnt have this experience, we wouldn’t have the opportunity to excel to the next phase.
I really wish the very best for each and every one of you. May you be blessed beyond your wildest imagination and may you find the path that fits you. I hope that you see that something better is waiting at your door, but if we keep our eyes focused in on what use to be, you will not be able to recognize that which is so beautiful right before your eyes.
Love,
Christy Dreiling
Independent Consultant
Exec. National Vice President
A little off-topic, but as so many Arbonne consultant’s are on this thread I really would like an answer. First off I would like to say that I know absolutely nothing about this business but I am being requested to buy Arbonne products by signing up to a website for which I then receive a discount. However, having read the Terms and Conditions, and more specifically the Privacy Statement I have to say that I’ve never read anything like it in my life! It would seem that by buying the products I am basically agreeing for my personal details to be passed onto any third party at will for marketing purposes. If I don’t agree to this, I don’t appear to be able to buy your product. Can you tell me if I’m right in this assumption and if so, do Arbonne get paid for this information?
I want to let you know in speaking with Arbonne they are going to do the correct thing with our October compensation. We are grateful for the opportunity they have given us. We hope for nothing but the best for the company and those involved with it.
My final thoughts,
I have nothing but respect for those we have met along our Arbonne journey. We are thankful for the many good years we have had. I have learned and continue to learn you will always find out who your friends are when you are in business. I will tell you that I have complete faith and admiration for my wife. She has been and will continue to be judged by those who think they have all there facts straight. Clearly they do not.
Jan, for you to be so certain as to what Wendy was doing I find it strange that you never called her once to clarify what you were hearing through the grapevine. I wish you the best and hope you continue to grow your business. Perhaps you should be attacking me rather than my wife. She has and will continue to take the high road.
Again, we are grateful for what Arbonne has meant to our family. I am hopeful that the business continues to grow as do so many who work hard to share the product and tell the story. Thanks for a forum to share my story.
I am curious why Arbonne corporate endorsed the puppy dog method and turned the other cheek from all of the frontloading that went on? I believe that many of the top leaders had these NVPS that were doing this in their downline and it was brought to their attention many times. Again, why wasn’t anything said when the paychecks were inflated??
Integrity. Trust your inner questioning voice. If you feel like something is wrong, don’t do it. Trust your instincts. Sometimes money changes good people.
Do you really want to be associated with a company with all of this unethical behavior in their past? Remember, the top consultants are EXCELLENT salespeople, that is why they are the top. I know there are some consistent, good leaders in the top ten. Their business is stable and steady, you can look back at the “Million Dollar List” and see the numbers that have been stable over the past few years and the numbers that have dropped considerably. Oh wait, Arbonne took away the volume that was listed next to their names. Why? That is strange and fishy.
Look at the stable leaders and copy what their teams are doing if you are going to stay with the company. The top leaders that have endorsed unethical methods in the field and now are condemning them…well..you have to work hard to regain the trust of your downline. We just don’t know if we should believe you anymore.
Good luck to those staying in Arbonne and good luck to those leaving. It is sad to see what once was so amazing fizzle away due to greed and looking the other way, just to get and enjoy your large check, home and lifestyle. Your guilt must be awful.
Ok really my final post.
I want to set the record straight. Arbonne has been a wonderful part of our lives. My intention was not to attract so much negativity. I have been very frustrated with the last weeks of my wife’s relationship with Arbonne. As someone noted earlier, there are two sides to every story. We loved the company, the products and people. We will continue to use them.
I don’t know what the future holds. If I have caused anyone to second guess their involvement the company that was not my intention. We have resolved our differences with the company and are in complete peace with where we. We are thankful to have positive closure with the company. Good luck to all of you trying to make it in Arbonne and those who will choose other endeavors.
If you opened a Starbucks, you’d buy coffee, right?
Open an Arbonne business, you’ll need products. That is not front loading, “puppy dog” or anything other than purchasing products for events, personal use and for sale.
If you started an Arbonne business and treated it like a business, you’d still be in business. If you were professional and honest- you will have a profitable business. Certain people make it to the top- and others don’t. Why do you think that is? Because either they are lazy, they quit or people do not like them and wouldn’t give them the time of day to look at their catalog. Anyone on this blog who has anything to say to question the ethics of Arbonne is clearly one of the people who signed on, turned on the TV in their wood panelled den with the orange shag rug and waited for the paycheck. Sorry- it doesnt work that way! Then they spend time on silly blogs blaming people for their failures, the company, the products, the management, the VPs, the sea salt, the computer….it was all a big problem, right? WRONG! IT WAS YOU! No one believed in you. Millions of people in 4 countries LOVE ARBONNE. Love the products, love the history, the business, the GIFT and the paycheck. Doctors, lawyers, accountants, nurses, Physical Therapists, mothers, business owners, all independent consultants………….. an opportunity at their fingertips to create extra income which is much needed in these hard times. The top income earners were NOT salespeople- they were professionals in other proferssions. We do not try to “make it”- we MADE it. In record time, some do, some don’t. From day one some of us chose our path and destiny- and others never had the vision, confidence, drive and determination. Quitting was never an option- you had the option of changing your lives forever and you chose to find a excuse instead!! I love the story on this blog about the person who purchased thousands to promote, where in the manual does it say that. I never spent a dime and did it. Are PEOPLE REALLY THIS STUPID???? Where did that person think the $20k was coming from the following month? It baffles me how DUMB people really are.
Dear Jan,
I applaud your comments, unfortunately I believe it’s too little too late. I know your story and I know you are a survivor, it is heartbreaking. BUT the very names you mention are the ones that help drive sales to a level that Harvest Partners could take the money and run. You are right about all all the stories, who cares?????? BUT
I wish you nothing but the best, I am a realist. Without the behaviors these deserters displayed driving the business to unsustainable levels, Arbonne will not make it back to the levels necessary to survive chapter 11. Poor Arbonne, Everyone will suffer and have a rough go for awhile. If it survives, it will be something to celebrate.
Good-Luck
Hi, I’m just a newer consultant with Arbonne but I can tell you all that my upline has been extremely helpful and ethical in the way they’ve done their bussineses and the way they’ve encouraged me to do mine. I’m sorry for those who bought so much product and acrued debt in an effort to make their bussineses thrive but I feel I need to remind people that we all make our own decisions and are responsible for our own actions and choices (good or bad). If someone chose to come into this company without educating themselves about it and it’s rightful procedures then they also are responsible for this questioning of Arbonne ethics. Why? Because they didn’t question it from the beginning. Does some initial investment help to kick start a business – yes – but in reasonable amounts over a reasonable period of time. One should investigate the rules and regulations that govern any company they’re considering partnering with and when we don’t do these things we run the risk of unpleasant consequences. A great place for people to go to check on any MLM company is the Direct Selling Association website. If someone was offering/pressuring you to start a business in any way that is contrary to their guidelines then you should say NO to them regardless of their persistence. Unfortunately there were, maybe still are, people in Arbonne who were doing the business in an unethical manner BUT that doesn’t mean that everyone does it and that all should suffer. When there are so many people in one’s business how can we be expected to monitor every persons ethical practices? Everyone makes their own decisions and unfortunatly we all are affected by them in some way sooner or later even though we do not all hold the blame. To those who are doing things right: may your businesses be blessed and grow. To those who have suffered the effects of an unethical upline – I’m sorry and I’m sure you’ll be more informed the next time you choose to involve yourself with any company and just so you know – the DSA rules state that all MLM companies have a responsablity to buy back product inventory that has been purchased within the past 12 months at 90% or more of what it was purchased for. Hope this helps a little.
Try it you will like it……FYI, I earned my way to ERVP by doing parties, doing what Peter himself said to do! I NEVER encouraged anyone to buy in, BUT my upline did! Arbonne WAS….but is not and never will be the Arbonne that it was….. trust worthy or ethical. GREED has taken over with those at the top.
I NEVER sat in my living room waiting for those below me to make my check. I worked, lived, breathed, ate, dreamed Arbonne. You HAVE to if you are going to be successful. And if you are not willing to give EVERYTHING up and attend EVERY training, call, retreat, ect. Then you are considered NOT committed and not worthy of your NVP’s time. And you MUST MUST have some upline support. I did it 7 years, I know!
Things were told of dont worry about your credit card….”you WILL one day make one check that will pay off your whole credit card” Give away the farm if you have to, who cares what it costs…. When things started getting stinky 2 years ago….it was pay np attention to that poop in your yard, look at it as FREE fertilizer!!! get out there and find new people! Who cares about those you have sold this dream to and then so long!!!
Bottom line is…there were many of us who sacrificed and worked hard for many years to have those at the top who couldnt decide if puppy dog was bad then good then back to bad and then the consultants started dropping like flies! For 3 years this when on….change every 6 months on their training, what they believed in and it led to major confusion and the RVP’s were left to try to sugar coat everything! And many RVP’s left with no teams!
Bittersweet………..ROCK ON!
Hi Everyone,
I was an NVP with Arbonne and what has happened to many of us is a tragedy. I had a dozen RVP’s on my team but most of them lost their regions and some had to declare BK’s losing houses, cars etc. We were at the point of losing our own house (my check had imploded to 1/5 of what it had been) when I finally decided I had to do something else in addition to Arbonne to seriously make ends meet. I was then set up (by a side line) and terminated by Arbonne. What gives another person the right to play God and take away something you have earned for your own family? I never heard from anyone at corporate or even my upline. After my team sold millions every year and the many other accomplishments I had with the company this was how I was treated. I was asked to respond to the allegations and I did but my version did not count. How can I be so indispensable to my upline and the company? I love Arbonne, my team and the incredible products and I deserved my residual income! I was an NVP that was always sponsoring and showing with my own “doing the do” so to speak, I made sure I was the best business builder on my team.
This whole experience has left me empty and sad. NO ONE in my upline has called me. Is it a crime that I have to take care of my small children? Should I be expected to lose everything and move to an apartment? This witch hunt needs to stop, I know many of my fellow VP’s that have been turned in and terminated, guilty of trying to take care of their families too. The worst part is now without my Arbonne income we are really struggling and I am going to have to spend a lot of time away from my kids to work and make ends meet……..
Forgot to say in my last post that I found out about my termination through an email compliance sent to me. Not even a personal phone call from someone at corporate! I had been dismissed. Also, the allegation letter that corporate received was not shown to me when I asked them for a copy. They made me respond to something or a specific situation that I couldn’t directly address. Compliance said that all correspondence is anonomous. So someone can write in anything they want about you and good luck fighting it. Doesn’t even sound like the United States of America does it?
Bittersweet – thank you SO MUCH for absolutely nailing it!!! That was ME – 100%. No, the P&P manual doesn’t say anything about needing to buy products, but we were taught to find someone in the company who was successful and do EXACTLY what they did.
And FYI for – Try It You’ll Like It – I NEVER bought any level in Arbonne, but I would have had to buy my Area over and over if I had wanted to stay there after a few months.
Sadness – you absolutely break my heart. I wish there was something I could do. You and people like you are why I even looked at this blog (I’ve never blogged in my life…). If I can make a comment about my experience to save one person from a tragic mistake or at least make them think and keep their eyes wide open to the truth, it will be worth it. Don’t give up. There are other opportunities out there – work from home opportunities both in corporate and in this industry. I wish this was the appropriate forum to share with you about what I’m now doing, but I don’t feel it is. Pray and keep searching. You’ll find it! Good luck and God Bless!
I am so sorry Sadness.
Compliance (in any DS company) is there to protect the company and not the independent consultant. As you said, you are guilty unless you can prove you are not and you can not address your attacker. This is very different than our justice system which is innocent until proven guilty.
Sadly, because the compliance rules are so broad – it is easy to break them, on purpose or by accident.
In Direct Sales it is easy to cross the line, especially when it come to talking with someone who is currently with another DS company. And it’s hard to not tell someone about a new business you have uncovered, because you are excited and/or because you care about that person’s future.
How anyone can decide their actions are justifed while someone else’s are not is beyond me. And then to have a company that only enforces those rules when it hurts them (vs turn the other way when it helps them) makes the sting even worse.
Truth be told, we know the rules and if we break them, we know the consequences. Most of time we just don’t expect to get caught.
If we are honest with ourselves, over time we come to understand that our actions were wrong, even if we felt they were justified, because we knew the rules.
The best we can do is learn and move on and never treat anyone the way we were treated.
Best of luck to you in you new business.
Integrity?
I have been most disturbed by the lack of integrity. I feel like I am given a hundred stories and i have no idea what is truth. Here are some examples of what my research has shown.
Pure, safe and beneficial? True and false?
Swiss formulated? False
Debt free? False
Bankruptcy? True
Green company? False
Honest communication? No
Constant changes? True
Corporate Leadership Issues? True
Back orders? True
Rita is President? True and False?
Great Products? True and False
Great Friends? True
I have more questions, but you get the point. I think Arbonne has all the right ingredients for a wonderful company. Why do they fail me on honesty? Just tell us the real stories and we will support you and have higher regard for you. Remember when Candee would say Arbonne is family. In a family you don’t hide the truth. You don’t pretend. You trust and support each other even when times are hard. MONEY, GREED and PRIDE have gotten in the way of this relationship. Own up to the truth. It might hurt but OWN IT!
I’m trying to stick with it.
They say that loyalty will take you a long way in network marketing, and that if you are one that moves from company to company you lose a little credibility each time until after 2 or 3 you’re pretty much done. My friends there is a big difference between being loyal and being smart….and knowing when to cut your ties!! Don’t let your emotions get in the way of making a wise business decision.
One thing that I think is missing here is the customer! Without an end user, there IS NO company! How can I as a customer be sure that only top ingredients are still going into these products? What if I am paying the same $$ for a lesser product than 5 years ago? If they are looking to re-coup financial losses, anything – and I mean ANYTHING is fair game!
I agree with Steve. I would take the first life boat off the Titanic if I were involved as a business person. I don’t believe this is going to end well. Good luck to all out there.
Customers can feel safe that the products are still amazing! And there are some INCREDIBLE ones coming out..believe me! We have Peter Matravers, from Aveda and he is working on some amazing products in the pipeline.
Dear Concerned Customer: That is a good question but I don’t think it has happened. If it did, IMO there would be a lot of unhappy customers.
Dear Jen: I would like to share my thoughts with you. If you want, you can reach me through my website by clicking on my name.
You need to decide what is the best choice for you, regardless of what anyone else tells you. There are many strong leaders who believe Arbonne will be here 30 years from now, but only you can determine if you want to be part of that re-growth.
Here’s a suggestion from a life coach. Make yourself a list titled Stay and Go. Under each column, write your reasons for either staying or going. Next, on a scale of 1 to 10, rate that reason. Then total up the score. This sort of takes away some of the emotion and gives it a bit more objectivity.
Good luck,
Traci
Traci made a good point addressing the concerns about the products. If anything, now is the time for Arbonne to step it up because happy customers will be a huge factor in their regrowth, so I wouldn’t worry about the quality of products. Although I’m just guessing as I’m neither a customer or a consultant.
As for current reps feeling confused or uncertain about what’s going on, someone made a comment about taking personal responsibility, and this has got to be a #1 priority.
When I first got into direct sales, I was completely lost and it’s easy to follow the leader, especially if you’ve come to trust the person. But you learn pretty quickly in this business or at least I did as some things didn’t sound right. I’ve learned to read the manual, studied the different comp plans, and pouring through the P&P in great detail! Call/email and don’t be shy about contacting corporate office. Question things especially if something’s not right to you, regardless of what your upline or anyone else tells you, trust your instincts.
Ultimately, it is your business, and you should never let anyone coerce you into doing anything you’re not comfortable with. If anything, if those things are happening, it should spell major red flags!
For anyone who is looking at Network Marketing….I want to be the first to say. I LOVE Network marketing and I believe in it. What happened to me like many others in Arbonne. Was we caught caught in the wash/greed. My business was steady growing always increasing every month reaching $138,00 by 26 months in the biz. I give all of the credit to the Re 9 system. BUT….that is when the whole GREED began with the top ENVP’s at least my upline. Many of us who built good solid Regions by doing parties then were told, we are no longer going to do that! We want everyone to buy 6-8 Re 9 sets if they want our help or to be a business builder. Anything less is not committed and no belief. And then a year 7 1/2 later it was back to doing parties with the puppy dog……..Point is Arbonne is where it is simply because of greedy top ENVP’s and CEO Bob Henry, NOT because of bad products. Dont be scared of Network Marketing it WORKS!!! Just dont do like many of us and say…..OK what ever you say…. even though every bone in yoru body is saying…. this doesnt feel right! I was a died in the wool if my ENVP says to do it then Im doing it!! Well, it costs me because my gut/head kept saying this is wrong, but my heart wanted to not go against my upline.
Network Marleting is awesome and so was Arbonne when I first started, hopefully those at the top will learn a lesson and may be pull out of this huge whole they have dug themselves in to. I know Peter NEVER wanted this!!
I have more questions, but you get the point. I think Arbonne has all the right ingredients for a wonderful company. Why do they fail me on honesty? Just tell us the real stories and we will support you and have higher regard for you. Remember when Candee would say Arbonne is family. In a family you don’t hide the truth. You don’t pretend. You trust and support each other even when times are hard. MONEY, GREED and PRIDE have gotten in the way of this relationship. Own up to the truth. It might hurt but OWN IT!
I’m trying to stick with it.
Hello~
I am so upset by this whole turn of events. We have used Arbonne’s productts for 3 years or so and really like them.We have wanted to build a business and recently committed to it. And now this! Our confidence is shot! We have been misled on so many ocassions. I only hope the folks still in Arbonne will read this and take heed.
When the Results approach came out we were encouraged by our ENVP to use it and embrace it while at the same time others in the same line were saying to do parties. But you couln’t find anyone to tell you about it or help you. They were raking in the cash using this Results approach. Then all of a sudden..it was back to the Parties and we were chided if we kept doing the REsults appraoch. There was really no suppor with anything. And you could really see there was alot of infighting going on and disagreements happening. When Bob Henry and Candace left; not a word was said. Not one word. When t ey launched this United Nations effort and came wtih a map to use the 6 pillars we felt they perhaps were really getting things staright. But then when we would look for support. there was none. We found our ENVP etc to be very judgemental and partial. Although it was nothing personal I am sure becuase they really don’t even know us! There is a real alck of supprt. And if you need it you are told you really don’t or shouldn’t. Yet if you observe the most successful ones they give and recieve support!Anyway, there simply ahs been no consistent support for anything! The pumps have not been working for months, they kept saying that they were working on it. And now the FC5 are sporadic. We really want to build a NWM business. We really get it now and where is Arbonne? Lots of smoke and mirrors. Having their secret VP meeting s and telling us everything is ok. Perhaps for people who really don’t understand busienss this is easily bought. But for people who know how to think strategically it is not ok! STEP UP ARBONNE! STEP UP. You talk about integrity. Then SHOW IT . If you really give a darn, then demonstrate it. Stop playing favorites, competeing and blowing it for everyone who is willing to work hard and smart to get it! This infighting is destroying people’s financial lives and bringing everyone down. If you cannot tell the truth and really own up to the way you have messed it up then get out of the way and let people know the truth. We, some of us still need to invest and work for our families and to make it. I know I do not need anymore hype! Not another word. I need to see Rita step up and call a spade a spade and really demonstrate the heart she says this company is. What I am seeing now is a big power play. Who cares how we market . Tell the truth old timers and let go of the need to be right! That is what we are seeing. They will bring themselves down.
Give us a reason to stay and not quit til payday! No more Arbonne Speak… no more lies and half truths, stop quotingthe Bible as a way out of this mess adn using it to have us overlook poor business judgement. A divided house will fal. Arbonne is not exempt. If my sponsor, or my NVP or ENVP wont step up and help people succeed why should they allow to conitinue? Either walk the talk or get out of the way.
So sorry for the mispells! Thought I had them all…
So sad… so many good memories of my time with Arbonne. I stepped away about a year ago. It’s hard work even when everything is running smoothly. Many of you are out there wondering, looking, praying for a solution! They are out there. Keep looking!!!!!!!!!! Sadness – you have to have some good things coming your way! I will pray for you and your family. I’m not sure of the odds for companies once they start down this path to still be around in 3 years. I hope it all works out! Keep the faith!
Dear Left Arbonne,
On Nov 6th you said you found a new comapny that was helping you … could you elaborate? I am perhaps looking for a new home as well.
There are unethical practices in every career.. doctors, lawyers, insurance guys, brokers, teachers, priests .. etc..
You want to make sure you do not throw the baby out with the bathwater.. Do not kid yourself.. Arbonne is here to stay.. The AWESOME leaders and people that are respected in the direct selling association and in the industry of direct sales and network marketing are the reason for the sustainability… that is why we are in networking instead of corporate america.. We decide the quality , the mission and the impression on people daily.. Good grief… why doesn’t anyone have common sense..??
SOUR grapes.. in every company.. Husbands allowing their wives to earn the income.. but then being vocal when it does not work out… GET A JOB…
Original leaders of ARBONNE.. wake up and realize it is a new day… .and change is necessary for growth and you benefit huge from it… BE HAPPY and GRATEFUL..
New leaders.. calm down… grass it not greener.. as we see all the time when people try to go do other things and do not succeed….
Corporate .. thanks for all you do.. We know that no company is perfect..and we know your mission each day is not to wake up and see how you can screw us up…. THANK YOU for being so open to helping us thru the tough times….AND OUR PRESIDENT FOR HER HUGE HEART AND OPENNESS.. NO ONE HAS LEADERSHIP LIKE US.
and all the rest of you.. FOR PETE SAKE… You are the only person that decides what you can actually build.. Ethical or unethical.. IT STARTS WITH YOU….
If someone told you that you needed and it was mandatory to start with a certain size order.. THAT IS THE PERSON TO BE ANGRY WITH … YOUR SPONSOR..NOT THE REST OF US……. To accept responsiblity .. for your future.. all you needed to do was to pick up the phone and asked corporate if it seemed unecessary.
STOP BLAMING. GROW UP AND STOP SHOWING YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS A BAD EXAMPLE OF A MATURE AND RESPONSIBLE INDIVIDUAL.. THAT IS WHAT WE NEED MORE OF IN OUR SOCIETY..
STOP BLAMING… START BAILING YOURSELF OUT!!
One thought:
Beware of companies that are led by those who think bankrupcy is a game….. there is one now.. that the leaders main goal in life.. is to succeed no matter the cost to those around…. From Palm Beach…. never had furniture in his house… leveraged … hard core… and all about the money… Sounds like a venture capitalist.. in and out.. WATCH OUT .. and BEWARE.. Make sure you are not romanced and looking for someone to bail you out of your circumstances.. No matter what the results..you are the only one responsible.. for your own choices…… take it to heart. Business can get REAL DIRTY..most are.. ARBONNE is SAFE… and full of people that lead with their heart…. FIND A FIT. and STICK WITH IT..
My comment is for Donna~
Donna, if what you say is true then why not make a larger statement to the Arbonne family. We are really reeling with all the inuendo and the inconsistency with even the NVP’s. .Why is the strongarming continuing? What is the real story behind the petition that 125 NVP’s signed regarding the Results approach? What difference does it really make if people use the Results approach with integrity? And why did 3 top VP’s including yourself, I am told go in and say if the party plan is not embraced we quit?…
Donna,
Many people now days are very sophisticated. We want to build his business and embrace it. We od this to build our financial futre. It’s not a hobby. We are educated and savvy enough to figure things out , dig to find answers as part of our due dilligence. You say Arbonne is for life. You say there is a willable business option. Then please address our concerns in a transparent way. Don’t just do all this talking behind VP doors. You all tell us you are having these “meeting” dangling the carrot of hope before us. Then never another word. No explanation of what is truly going on. We are not minions who just sell sell sell. We in the field are your lifeblood. Stop treating us like worker bees and tell us he entire truth. Quit playin corporate America;the very thing you say is the reason for doing something like Arbonne. (Your behavior is right out of my college Corporate America textbook.) Expecialy since we have been serious and dedicated to buld solid sustainable businesses. Tell your side as to why you cut loose so many dedicated , hardworking and high functioning VP’s.. who contributed to the success of many many VP’s. That is having heart. If the right thing is done the right things will continue. A house divided will fall. And you cannot keep a house standing like this with hype and rah rah and false hope. You have to embed it in fact and transparency. Momentum works both ways.
I, too, left Arbonne last spring because of the very reasons you have all heard about in this blog and others as well. I was a former ENVP and lost my nation. But was a titled NVP because VP’s never lose their titles, they only lose their income, teams and business. I felt like a total hypocrite everyday of my career as a titled vp only. I was disgraced and ashamed of anything I had said or taught that led people to make bad decisions. Unlike you Christy, I take full responsibility for the things I encouraged people to do because I know ultimately I will be held accountable for every word I speak. I apologized sincerely to the people I had hurt whether is was knowingly or not. I made amends to the best of my ability. Some things I can’t change so I have finally let go of the guilt and have found peace but it took a lot of work and time. In trying to make things right, I made some downline vp’s upset but I didn’t care anymore. I decided I would live by my conscience and not what others thought. There are so many NVP’s who are living their Arbonne career as a title or in their PA accounts, including those in my upline and successline. It was one of the most miserable times of my life. Perhaps I am one of those being “pruned” as Donna talked about. Well, so be it. I am more at peace than i have been for years. My family is being blessed and we are prospering again. Maybe after all the people are pruned away Arbonne can grow again, start over with a handful of loyal people who decide to hang on through perhaps years of restructuring. I am just fine with quitting. No one can hurt me if I should be called a quitter. Sometimes it’s the most logical and brave decision to make.
My comment is for Jan K~
I agree that it is important for there to be great products. And Arbonne has that. But honestly it is not rocket science to see there are huge problems with leadrership and how they support builidng this business…. and I mean at the top. It is not “normal” for there to be this type of “debt restructuring”. It is not normal for there to have been such long standing disagreements and infighting and strong arming regrading how one builds this business. And your comments about the Inmans, etc etc etc are very biased. It is never that black and white. I am not tied to any of them or even you in my upline. But I an savvy enough in business to seperate hype and inuendo from fact. And the facts simply do- not- add- up. They just don’t. so please spare us all the rah rah that everything is fine. It is not fine! It is not black and white as you state. There would be far better progress with alot more transparency and honesty. I can see that in my own experience in my own successline. There are contradictions all over the place. The tension is so obvious. And just talking nicey nice and patting one on the shoulder is not going to go the distance.
I witnessed the people you refer to act with integrity , love, respect and truly help people build their businesses in Arbonne and have NOTHING to gain financially. Not one penny. That behavior is not congruent with a lack of integrity or trying to recruit their fellow Arbonne friends . You can slap legal policy changes on anyone but that is not going to stop the cream form going to the top. Plus, there are numerous NWM companies who never “punish” a spouse form participating in another NWM company; even parallel to the product type such as Arbonne. In my opinion this is fear based and power based on fear. You can dress it up any way you like. But if it walks like a duck and acts like a duck it’s a duck!
Did Arbonne put that new “compliance” policy in place in order to justify letting them go and having no consequences in ripping their livlihood away from them because they couldn’t control theri behavior? There is alot more wrapped up in this scenario than meets the eye. And I beleive if Arbonne is going to continue to be a company with a heart they need to act with the same integrity that defines heart.
Dear Jan
My comment to your statement your business is not strong but you don’t blame Arbonne.
Your business is not strong because the structure of Arbonne and its leadership is very much in turmoil. What you are experiencing is a relfection of the problems at the top. For you to say its not is very naive. The infighting and all the tension did not just happen. Restructuring a company with so many other tensions being expressed is not normal. this is not like the house analogy you are talking about. I say this because I believe this is giving false hope. How do you know if Arbonne is bought out or absorbed it wil still be a great company? How do you know? You cannot possibly know. You have no idea what their goals would be. Arbonne would have to give up a certain amount of control to be bought. It would change the dynamics without a doubt. This is the type of thinking gives people false hope. And business minded people know this. I truly hope Arbonne can survive this and I do hope it all works out. We had high hopes to build a really sustainable business. You are right, we are Arbonne. but we are not getting the entire story or the support. This seems to be Corporate America at its best; silence people,, secrecy, pat you on the back do a good job and everything will be ok type of talk.
Have you personally talked with the Inmans, Futrells, Johnsons etc? Have you heard their side? I haven’t. but do you honestly think you really have the total picture? I think not.
Jan,
you say you do not want to hash out here what your further comments areabout what is behind all the buzz about the Inmans etc. Why not here? Why not finish the veiled accusations and suggestion they ar not telling the “whole truth” If you know some thing; speak up. You ring like a cracked bell and simply feed into the very thing you are putting down; and say you don’t want to do. If you want the truth you have to be willing to talk to find out what it is. That is not what Arbonne is doing and consequently they are creating panic in the field. Really bad idea in my opinion.
Hi Katherine,
There are a lot of new opportunities on the market and depending on what interests you, npros.com is great to see a list of new companies. If you are interested in sticking with skin care, wellness products, please click on my name which will take you to my website. It may or may not be for you but while you’re considering a new opportunity, I wanted to at least let you about the company I’ve partnered with. Like Traci, I apologize in advance if I’m being too forward but wanted to give a shout out, just in case :).
Thanks ladies,
Janette
VERY IMPORTANT.. I HAVE BEEN AN NVP FOR YEARS.. THE ONLY WAY TO LOSE YOUR NATION IS TO STOP WORKING … RIDE ON YOUR MAGIC CARPET..( OR TEAM) AND THINK YOU ARE A ROCK STAR INSTEAD OF WORKING SIDE BY SIDE..
YOU ARE THE ONLY REASON FOR THE FAILURE…!!! THOSE OF US IN THE BUSINESS KNOW THIS AS FACT!! YOU MUST WORK NETWORK MARKETING..IT IS NOT A GET RICH SCHEME.. WAKE UP…..!!!!!
I feel like there are so many winers, blamers and pathetic people.. on this blog.. I just found out it exist.. IF YOU ARE ON A BLOG OR WASTING TIME LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO LISTEN TO YOU.. OR GIVE YOU POWER.. NO WONDER YOU HAVE FAILED.. AT THIS…..
NO SHOCK TO ME…
PEOPLE GO BANKRUPT.. NOT BECAUSE OF THE MONEY THEY MAKE IN NETWORKING… BUT BECAUSE THEY ARE FOOLISH.. NEVER LOOKED AT HOW TO USE THEIR MONEY…. AND ALSO LIVED WAY TO MUCH OVER THEIR MEANS…. TOOK TOO MUCH EQUITY OUT OF THEIR HOME..ETC..
GET EDUCATED ON THAT… ROBERT KYOSAKI…. MAYBE NEXT TIME YOU WILL NOT SPEND ALL YOU MAKE AND THEN SOME..
Common sense; who are you talking to? What is the purpose of your entire comment in caps? Isn’t the purpose of a blog to be able to have your voice? i do not hear all this blaming you are referring to. People are rightly upset to be concerned about the direction Arbonne is going? After all this is a livelihood isn’t it?
dear left arbonne… 15k your first year to build this business.. six bags cost approx 1300 dollars.. WHAT THE HECK DID YOU DO AFTER THAT.. ARE YOU KIDDING..
you are either totally exaggerating.. or you bought way too much personal care products and you should have staying in your household budget.. To receive your check and purchase your monthly 65 dollars wholesale.. in one year that would only be approx.. 1000….. more.
15K.. wow.. what an exaggerater…. please use facts.. or at least know what you are talking about…
Good luck managing money.. in your future..
I am hesitant to get involved here, but someone pointed me in the direction of this blog because my family’s name was listed in it. I am a proud member of the Inman family, and an ENVP with Arbonne. I am not a top 10 money earner nor do I have anywhere near the network or size of business my family had with Arbonne, I was simply a part of it.
I celebrate my 5 year anniversary with this company in January. It took me 4 years to even consider doing this type of business because I was completely skeptical of the industry. My career changed in 2004 and I found myself searching for an opportunity that would allow me to have time freedom and flexibility so that I could be there for my kids. It was then that my Uncle, Andy Inman offered me a little gold bag filled with wonderful products to try. My husband was the one who encouraged me to take a look at the business and after considering all the facts I jumped in with two feet and have never looked back. Everything I know about this industry I owe to my family. While they have made a business decision to move in a new direction, I have made a conscious business decision to remain where I am. I believe Arbonne’s best days are still ahead despite the nasty rumors that are circulating everywhere. If people would spend as much time sharing their products and this opportunity as they did worrying about all of this, they’d all be in a better positions.
I’ve never credited blogs as being credible resources for due dilligence because they are simply people’s opinions. You will get alot of people writing on these sites about the bad taste they have in their mouth about any number of businesses. The reality is that you are responsible for your success or your failure for that matter, in any business venture you are involved in. You cannot be successful in any NWM business unless you build a balanced business, which includes consumers and others who want to build a business like you are. While I built my business to NVP primarily on the Results Approach, I embrace all the methods Arbonne tells me that we can use because every person is an individual and should work in what feels the most comfortable for them.
There are many who have built their business doing parties, and many who have built sharing one on one. I’m guessing based on what I’m reading that some people think one way is better than another. As long as you adhere to the code of ethics set forth by the company and the DSA, you can do it any way you like. I have taught my team to ask questions in order to find out what people want, what they need, how they plan to get there..before giving any advice on what they might need as far as tools are concerned to get started.
I can’t tell you how many successful leaders in Arbonne started because they fell in love with the products. Arbonne recommends you try the products before you commit to do any type of business with them. If you don’t love what you are sharing, how can you be effective?
I fell in love with the business…and the opportunity it afforded me to design what I wanted my work day to look like. I have found a place to use all the talents, experiences and skills God has given me to help others. I have made friendships that I value immensely. I have found here what I didn’t have in corporate America truly. I know it’s not for everyone, let’s be realistic! This business only works when you work. The reason your check will go down is because you stop sharing, stop learning, stop helping others. I know very few people who can just stop working and not expect to see their income drop to a degree.
I do believe what I am being told by our Corporate team and I also believe that the internal workings of a large company like ours are best left to them to handle. We are responsible for our individual businesses and not for what goes on at the corporate level. If I wanted that drama I’d be working for a big company again. I do believe that the company has our best interest in mind. Without the independent consultants in our company, there would be no company. WE are the company. There are good people in every company and there are bad people in every company. I know of only One who is qualified to judge people in that manner.
To those of you who are no longer in Arbonne…best of luck in your new business whatever that may be. There is a company for everyone. Focus on the good things you encountered along the way because I’m sure you learned something that made you better.
To those of you who are in Arbonne and feeling lost…get off this computer and stay in activity. This is the first time I”ve ever read a blog, it is a real energy drainer in my opinion! Until you receive a credible shred of evidence that any of this is actual truth, you are doing a diservice to yourself, your team and your business by getting caught up in all of it.
To those of you thinking about joining any business and looking to get info on a blog. Do your homework in a credible place. Look for a company that is an honored member of the DSA. Look for a company that has terrific products. Look for a company where people do have the ability to succeed and there’s a track record of growth and success. Don’t base your decisions on the opinions of people you don’t know. Afterall, they don’t pay your bills!
I do know the whole story. I know everything. Andy and Marcia Inman sponsored me to this business and Shannon Johnson is my first cousin. These are people I love dearly. They made a business decision to go in a new direction, this is not the first company Andy has been a part of. I wish them all well and know they will be successful wherever they go. Despite some of the judgemental things that have been said about my family on this blog, these are kind, wonderful God fearing people. So stands my reason for feeling the need to sit down for an hour and craft this response, I had no idea things like this existed! I am an intelligent adult however, with a mind of my own and a business I”ve worked hard to cultivate and grow. My allegiance is with Arbonne and it’s where I choose to be. I get confirmation every day that I’m in the right place at the right time, with the RIGHT company.
Finally… based on the information that I have been given, I believe that Arbonne is here to stay. There is no hype here. I believe it to the core. If you don’t have factual financial information directly from the people who run and/or own this company, then you should best keep your opinions to yourself. Not one of you has that information nor are privvy to it. You are making assumptions based on heresay, letters, blogs, and rumors. You have 2 choices to make, either get caught up in it, spend your time worrying about it and never be productive…or you can get your rear in gear and keep sharing the gift you have.
I sincerely hope I have not offended anyone by what I’ve said. This is my story, my opinion and what is the truth. Please be mindful of things you may say that harm other people’s abilities to provide for their families. This has been a blessing to so many people I know.
With respect,
Lisa Inman McDulin
ENVP, Arbonne International
PS Common Sense. That is EXACTLY what H Partners did. Drain all the equity out of Arbonne. I think you really need some education on what is really happening. Why was that allowed? There is the Greed you are referring to. That is why people are so conerned. Those are really poor business desicions. And how on earth did that happen? By people not wanting to run this business at the top and who got caught up in the whirlwhind of greed. This isn’t about blame as afar as I am concerned . It is about really looking at Arbonne as a business and not just a little job. You have to ask these questions if youare going to sustain a Nation. I agree it is about continuing to work and support in the filed such as you are doing. but if the Corporation isn’t crossing their Ts and dotting their Is shame on them and shame on you for being so naive. There is no harm in taking another look periodically to see how things are gong and to do due dilligence again when the sands are shifting. Maybe people are trying to help
Wow, for someone using the name “common sense” you aren’t using much.
Do you really expect everyone to believe that no blame lies with the company who is $400 million in debt, the numerous methods of operation changes, the front end loading, the Amway style breakaway compensation plan?
This smells just like Amway/Quixtar. Blame the lack of growth (not on the antiquated compensation plan and bad training system) but rather on the individual who “just didn’t work hard enough”.
Than k you Ty! This person you are referringto ; Common Snese does not seem like an NVP. NVP’ do not sustain businesses with this type of thinking; nor do they get there on this type of thinking.
Bravo Lisa! Your family is terrific and it is a shame they have taken the brunt of the problems with Arbonne. But that is the truth. And, Arbonne IS having serious financial problems. I have a finance background , have been in Arbonne a while and know the signs. It is what it is. And, they ;probably will go through a period of restructuring. AND, it may not work. That is having your eyes wide open. The debt they have now is a result of very poor managment and decisions, in part caused by all the infighting that went on with respect to the type of approach you chose. Chances are they will bea much smaller company in the future and they may be bought. I do not think stating the obvious is necessarily running down Arbonne. your family did take the fall , though.
I am not talking about the re-organization and the company finances in my previous comments. I was referring to the sour grapes and the people that claim loss, bankrupcy and failure because of Arbonne. There are no guarantees in this industry. We can only try. There are not guarantees in any business that you own. There are always problems, changes in management and greed. But the people these blogs hurt are the ones that are honest and making a good living.
The company is not perfect-no company is and it has run into this problem because the growth has been great over a decade and Harvest Partners took the equity out ,leaving Arbonne holding the debt just like a home equity loan, then the market drops. Debt is being cleared and now Arbonne can move forward.
The only way to keep the company growing is the amazing products and great leaders and we have both.
We are cash positive , We have products that keep shipping, paychecks keep coming and a future here.
Just do not want those reading these blogs to walk away in fear of Arbonne.
Great blog Lisa McDulin. I guess some of us say it better than others, but I am with you and believe that even if something happens with this wonderful opportunity, there will be another one that will be a fit.
I can tell you for sure. I would hate to lose my personal care products from Arbonne. That is the BEST part!!
Common Sense:
I understand your sincerity. It is charming.
The loss that some consultants are referring to IS the result of poor leadership. I have seen it first hand. There was NO consistent processes in place; meaning there was not a definitive way to market and transact business. Typically in a business they anticipate growth and have those processes in place as you grow. They need to allow for different styles as everyone has a way of expressing their skill sets. If your sales and marketing is not succinct and strong and you do not know how to meet the growth you are in trouble. Period. you seem to think that HP just went in and skimmed the money. Dear one, someone was not paying attention. And they were not becasue they do not know what to look for. You are correct that there are really wonderful people and leaders in Arbonne. But there is simply a lack of real leadership regarding how to run a Network Marketting company. That is just fact. The Inmans etc did nothing wrong. They intrduced a very viable and good system. the problems in part came because it was not the Party plan and that is all Arbonne has known how to support. No one is to balme, really. It is a matter of poor or unaware business leadership. That is very different than Team leadership. Just becuase an ENVP can lead a team really really well and sell alot does not make them a great business head and leader of processes. That is what is going on. It is NOT normal for a company like HP to cause this problem. This problem was caused by somoeone not knowing what to watch for and how to expand. and grow processes to meet demand. Stating these t hings is not synomymous with running Arbonne down. But they are definitely part of the problem., most definitely.You have to be able to look directly at the problem and not flinch. If you cannot do that you sink your own ship. That is not watching out for you, in the field. It just is not.
Sounds like another GM story. Begging for money with their private jets is what gm did. How can Arbonne keep giving trips and incentives with this going on. Arbonne in Canada just got a new head office and have more corporate people hired. It is a sad story. Petter. M must be shaking in his grave. What happened to his debt free company. His own son was let go from arbonne before he died. Perhaps this is karma.
If there was positive cash flow there would be no reason loan. They are buying time with loans. Now it has gone up to 400 million.
News flash Common Sense…………..look around, check around. There are many many vp’s who lost their businesses and yes, they continued to work their butts off! Myself being one of them. I didn’t expect for my business to sustain itself. I kept working, harder and harder. Too many people were losing belief that they could become successful. You really don’t know what you are talking about. Do your research please. You sound full of the old cliches and platitudes we are no longer buying into. For example, in 2006 there were 70 plus individuals in the million dollar club. In 2009, 21. Catastrophic decline in numbers wouldn’t you say? Did all those ENVP’s stop working their businesses, is that what you’re telling us? Come on, nobody with any business savy to buying that one. I refuse to let anyone, including Arbonne, put all the responsibility for it’s failure on the backs of the consultants.
Dear Common Sense…. Yea – no joke. Did you ever add up what you spent? Well we did. By the time you count travel, gas, wear and tear on your vehicle, lunches and coffee with prospects, gifts, open houses, vendor fairs, NTC registration (my first year I didn’t have many asap points!), airfare, all the make-up, the “Arbonnization” of my home, oh wait…then we dropped a bunch of products and came out with new ones at NTC so had to buy a bunch of it again, new catalogues, new business tools, clothing for NTC OH AND BY NOW IT’S SEPTEMBER!!! Time to buy the Holiday line and on and on and on it goes and on and on and on it went. I am one of many thousands, honey. But hey, I at least broke even before I walked away. Many were not that fortunate. Perhaps you don’t completely understand what is all involved in running a business whether it is in corporate or from your laptop in your home. Thank goodness most of it was tax deductable!
Dear Keep It Real – All I can say is AMEN!
Bravo Keep It Real!
I am not sure that Common Sense is a VP. She sure does not sound like someone who has actually had the experience of building a successful organization. I could be wrong. But her jargon and naivette would not match a real VP having to really work to sustain their dwindling or loss of income. That is the reality. Most VP will tell you that much.
How about this Common Sense…..
Don’t condemn and judge those who have or are quitting Arbonne and we won’t condemn or judge you for staying.
You really are judgmental of people who have experienced bankruptcy. You may have to eat your words one day when Arbonne does the same thing.
Check out Donald Trump’s article on “Know When to Quit.” Sometimes it’s the most intelligence move a person can make.
I am wondering if the heat became too much for Common Sense.
no, heat does not bother me but no time to argue….real life is hard enough.
People have different perspectives. This blogging is not healthy for me
Wish you all the best . You have not changed my opinions or ideas but I believe we all have the right to our own.
Live and let live and well wishes to you all.
I just got on this blog. Common Sense….I wish you the best. I am not sure what you wre up to here but you really are terribly misinformed. I hope you do well.
Which company did all those NVPs go to? I heard Rick Teague went to MAX a year ago and took a bunch of Arbonne people with him. I use to be in the business before but my NVP and ENVP were stealing my own prospects. REally desperate. Then they were both kicked out of Arbonne in the Spring. They were trying to recruit people at ARbonne meetings to MAX. Then they were kicked out of ARbonne. I heard they were both having problems with money. How can someone make 20,000 plus a month and not have any money? Sounds like they didn’t know how to manage $100 and then when they made more it was the same story. What a mess it is at Arbonne now.
Hi Katherine,
I know you didn’t ask me directly, but I have found a great new home as well. I have been there since pre-launch and would be happy to share with you what I do. If you are interested, please contact me at tbkuhn@wideopenwest.com
Thanks,
Traci
Maybe , only time will tell . I am an optimist , Sometimes being optimistic and trusting does work out, sometimes it does not. Either way- I will continue to work and help others , which is my true passion.
I am not judging those who leave Arbonne, nor would I . I just think that when you leave a company or a relationship you should not put all your “stuff” out there as it stirs emotions and you end up in conversations like this that are really silly. Each of us have loved ones that we confide in, believe in and trust. We are all taking advice and sharing with total strangers.. Weird , isn’t it? Everything is all subjective and perspective. When and if something happens with Arbonne, there will always be another opportunity. No rush, would love to be one of the people that help it thru so those that are supporting their families can continue. This is why I hate to see the tearing down.
Again , Wishing all the best to anyone who is struggling, sad, upset or clueless. Everyone is just doing their best to get thru.
Geez Common Sense. You just said you felt blogging here is not healthy for you, and here you still are making no sense at all.
Well, like there the weather, nothing ever stays the same. There is no reason people should get upset since if they are smart with ARbonne, they didn’t go and buy $2000 and just sit on the products. That would be just dumb on their part if they did it that way. If some NVP was buying 20,000 worth of products and is now broke, well you know that is there own fault. There are tons of things out in this world. Everyone, should know that at least they are not living in some poor villiage in Africa. We have water and shelter. We will always have food. The sun will still rise and who knows where Arbonne will be tomorrow. Perhaps it was time for changes since it couldn’t keep racking up this debt.
What I find so intersting is that people do not realize that the 400 million in debt is an example of not knowing how to work with money. Not long ago Arbonne was debt free! What happened? My gosh this is really incredible. So now people like Common Sense get on here and spew all this nonsense like she knows what she is talking about. She/ he does not! Optimism alone will not work for this problem. It is alot like sitting and hoping the moon will turn blue. Thinking positive is not going to m ake this debt or terrible mismanagement go away. She says she is an NVP. Ha… then why is she not better informed. Wasn’t she in those meetings?
It’s sad to read this thread. Arbonne has been around a long time and has been one of the most successful network marketing companies. I for one would be disappointed to see it fail. I’ll also be surprised to see it fail. It’s not unusual to see companies go through tough times and be unsure how to respond. As many would known I’m an avid supporter of Amway, which has been through tough times itself in North America. After a re-examination of it’s core principles and goals it’s been dramatically revitalised and is growing well again in it’s home market. With the right team at the helm, Arbonne can do the same.
Whether Arbonne has the right team I’ve no idea, but for those who have tasted the worth of network marketing, don’t let doubt or fear or even faílure cloud your minds about the great benefits of this industry, just use your judgement and gut instinct to decide what’s best for you and your team.
My best wishes to all Arbonne associates,
/ibofb
Perhaps too many hands were in the pot. I don’t understand why HP had them and then let this debt get out of hand. I thought they were experts at making companies go to the billion dollar mark. It’s a shame.
Beth you sound just like Common Sense! Are you one and the same?
Not sure what you are talking about Name person. I was simply stating things and I actually agreed on some of the things you said. I just found this blog from twitter. I was agreeing with Ty’s comments. Quite frankly, 400 million dollars in debt and everyone not knowing how it happened?
Good night and Good luck
Ok, Katherine asked what I was doing now so here it is: It is a gourmet coffee patented to burn fat – and burn fat it does! There is also tea, sweetener (awesome, natural, non-cephalic) and pharmaceutical grade L-Arginine. All patents are owned by co-owner and Noble Prize-nominated nutritional genius Dr. Ann deWees Allen. Name of the company is Boresha International. It’s been wonderful to get such amazing responses from people! I’m honestly working 1/2 as hard and being twice as successful. It’s relatively new, but solid and growing because it is something people already spend money on and already do – drink coffee and tea! And who doesn’t want to burn some fat? 🙂 ALL are welcome! Even if you are also involved in something else right now! Even if your spouse is!
http://www.boreshacoffee.com and then enter Dist # 2807 to access our email address or just click the link on my name to the left of this post.
Blessings to all.
Keep in mind with “new” and “ground floor” opportunities ladies and gentlemen that the DSA says that only 1 in 263 new MLMs make it to 3 years!!! Do you want to take the chance that your new company is the 1??? Might make more sense to look at a proven company that’s been around at least 3 or 4 years. So many people out there trying to drag their entire sphere if influence into a potential train wreck. Then we wonder why so many people are afraid to even take a look at network marketing! Be smart people.
What the DSA doesn’t say is that 1 in 263 new MLM’s are started out of a persons basement as well.
Everything is important. Who is behind the company. What is the compensation plan? Does the company offer you an online marketing system so that you can take advantage of the Internet?
I wrote a book (along with my friend Bo Short) about the 5 most important things to look at in order to find the right company:
http://www.TyTribbleBook.com (it’s free)
IBOFB,
Probably not the place for it, but I am hearing very different things about Amway’s growth in the U.S. In fact, WWDB, one of the largest groups in the U.S. is down to only 13 qualified diamonds according to my sources.
Dear Arbonne Leaders,
Please give it to me straight. I don’t want “restructuring” fluff. I want to know what’s really going on. I have a family to feed and I am afraid. I am afraid that I am being led down a path by a company and it’s leaders (in the field) and that you are not giving me the whole truth. I love Arbonne products, I love the culture but why is it that I had to call my NVP when I stumbled upon this blog. Why have you not brought this “situation” to our attention? Why the “secretive” conference calls? Someone from another company tried to recruit me and seemed to know more information than I did about the “restructuring.” Imagine my surprise. I want real answers. I am not making any money. Is anyone else making any? Am I alone in this? Please if you are a real leader in Arbonne- give it to me straight. I can take it.
A Concerned Consultant
It saddens me to hear what has happened to the original Arbonne company, and to so many hard working consultants.
The heart and soul of Arbonne was Candace Keefe. When she left, and nothing was said about her departure, I knew that things were going in the wrong direction. She impressed me so much as a woman of integrity, and was a huge inspiration to me as a new consultant, it was truly a shock that she was gone. I am so thankful to be with her in her new company. She has an amazing life story, having overcome many obstacles and challenges. She is such an inspiration to us and brings hope to those who are in difficult times today. We all need people excellent character to be inspired by.
To all of you that either claim to be leaving or to have just left Arbonne – don’t let the door hit you on your butt on your way out. Arbonne is here to stay.
Dear A Concerned Consultant,
I’m not with Arbonne so I’m not in a position to give you any answers. To me, if you’re not making any money and spending more than you’re making, maybe that’s a sign. Someone made a post about making a list of pros and cons i.e. what you’ve spent and what you’re actually making and see if it’s worth it to continue. In business, there are times you need to consider cutting your losses and can’t hang on just on faith alone. I’m not sure if that helps but I can only imagine what you’re feeling.
Janette
Happy make sure you don’t fall on your face and eat your words. Fact is any company with a 400 million debt now a days is looking to get bailed out. Debt is debt. You can’t hide and say everything is OK. You can’t keep giving money if you don’t have any. Yes, you can restructure and change the future. However, with that there will have to be different things done to pay the debt. They were in the green a long time ago and then things got all funny around 2005 and 2006. They were just under a billion in those years. However, it didn’t go over a billion. They should have hit over that in 2006 and 2007 at the rate that they were going in 2005. They are now in 4 countries and 2005 still had higher sales then this year. Arbonne will make it if they have good people making decisions at the top. The products work not they just need a business plan that will work. You can’t borrow more money to help this problem. This is what had happened our country by not raisiing interest rates a few years back and giving houses to people who had bad credit. Debt is debt and a proper plan or repayment has to be established.
Dear Happy,
If you have such gret insights and things to share then share them. How can you be so crass and cavalier. If you are one of the successful ones then share your hope and enthusiasm. You are certainly NOT the Spirit of Arbonne here. And isn’t that what its all about? Help don’t inflict more pain. This is not a made up story. These are really hard times for Arbonne. so contribute or go away.
I agree with this above comment. Being all positive is not everything. ARbonne might be here to stay but by whom. HP is not there for them. Who wil buy them now? Who will run Arbonne? Will they have to change everything. Will Estee Lauder come in and try it out. Arbonne means good things from earth. Arbonne needs to get back to their mission statement. Donna.J or Cecelia.S might be on the top but they are not the founders. The founder has died, his son was let go. Who is the real founder now. Candace is gone. HP is where???? Who is the real leader????
Arbonne is alive and well. M
Big Check directly deposited -Thank you Arbonne!
Standing in the kitchen handling the heat is fun!
Loose and dead leaves fall from the tree- winners will be winners and who cares or ever cared about Candace- she would be nothing if it weren’t for Arbonne. Good bye and good riddance to all depatures…….welcome aboard 93 new excited consultants in November!!
Good you you winner! Enjoy is while you can just liike all the bailouts that the bankers took. They were winners too!
3 Percenter…
Candace is everything that you’re never going to be 🙂
Glad that you got a check since that is all that concerns you. Really sounds like you are doing it to make a difference for ……. Bottom line you said it, got my big check deposited. Guess that is your WHY??
OMG…..to hear anyone say nobody cares about Candice, you are truly crazy! Petter and she were the LIFE of Arbonne. Bottom line is this….Arbonne is now owned by these banks that are bailing them out doing their pre-packaged bankruptcy. You can sugar coat this however the big people are telling you to , but it is FACT! And….Its called KARMA!! The banks only care about getting their money back. Yes Arbonne will eventually pull out this maybe…but they will be like every other just ho-hum company. They do not have the leadership nor the money to be cutting edge anymore they are 3-4 years behind the market trends, where as they used to be ahead 3-4 years BECAUSE OF CANDICE & PETTER, they were the heart of Arbonne. Believe what you want, but beware. And as far as the……” you people that are wining & blogging and that is the reason our business’s failed, WHAT ARE YOU doing on here and not just once but several times. Give that up! Someday you will snap out of the Arbonne brainwash! I was there at one time and looking back that is a scary thing to be afflicted with!
Arbonne WAS an INCREDIBLE company the REAL DEAL at one time and now they are having to eat some big pieces of “Humble PIE”
Which banks own Arbonne now? I just saw this blog and I’m quite shocked to learn this. I remember buying stuff before with this company then I started using other things. What happened to them. There site is still around. They said they were debt free and now 400 million in debt????
What happened to their results approach? Is it gone? I didn’t do the business but that is how I tried it. I never would go to a party(too old Mary Kay style for me) and I didn’t want to do the business but I did buy wholesale. Our family and friends use the account still for the discount and I only buy things for gifts. I did like the RE9 but I only use a couple of the FC5 products in combo with another organic line. My sister still uses the RE9.
If people like parties that is fine but I remember the company went tops with that puppy approach or results or whatever they called it. With any company you will get some of that frontloading.There are always people like that everywhere in this world. However, such a shame that this is happening while they still keep growing internationally. However, like others mentioned above even corporate GM was spending money and denying having problems and then they asked for billions. Now the stock is worth nothing and is owned by the government. So if that happens in the corporate world then I guess in happens in NW world. Funny how when ARbonne got bigger, they lost money. So now they are going to borrow money to keep the business going, and try to pay off this debt?? Where did Candace go? Their fired the founders son??? I didn’t know that the guy who started ARbonne died. We just bought things with friends and family. I never was envolved with the politics of what was going on. Hope they still are around for my sisters sake.
Hi~
Perhaps I can shed some light.
Arbonne has having some problems. This is true.
They are in the process of restructuring their debt. I have spoken with someone quite reliable who understands this type of thing.
Harvest Partners for whatever reason, bled the company . And it hurt them quite a bit.
Arbonne is very big and does many many millions, hundreds of millions in sales. Their products are strong and they have over a million consultants/ customers who love the products. Brand loyalty is high.
The banks will own part of the company’ much like GM. And it is very likely they will remain strong and in business. Why? Because they are almost too big to fail. Of course you can only forecast to a certain extent and it is possible things could not work out well. If they are bought and become a subsidiary of another company; or are bought by say Warren Buffet; who has a reputation of taking struggling companies and turning them around; it will be brighter days ahead.
I can tell you I am continuing to enthusiastically represent the products and sell them and service my customers. I will continue to watch and listen and see where things go. but I wouldn’t jump ship. We are still in very good shape and have the correct people at the helm who are experienced at steering this type of ship.
I do believe it is very UNLIKELY that Arbonne will not thrive as a business and their products will remain very strong. It may change. But I have come to understand they are just too big to go away.
It is not uncommon for large companies to have many many banks involved in day to day and long term business. So the fact they have alot of creditors given their size is not a negative. If people panic and run based on fear and things they conjure up in their minds that just adds fuel to things. It is good to be prudent if you are building a business and trying to attract buisness partners. And at the same time it is still a great opportunity. Why? Because the problem is not that the product is a problem. GM had trouble selling their brand. They were obsolete and did not listen to the consumer. Arbonne has always listened to its customers. So, again the products are strong and sell. It is very possible to restructure and come out of this. When I was in my earlier medical career we had clinics merge all the time. The Drs. were still great. But the structures had to change to be able to deliver the services. So, my chin is up! I am encouraged. And others can be too. I made good money last month and will this month too! Another ENVP’s business grew by hundreds of thousands. They are promoting RVP’s by the dozens. So, think well and be blessed. I am
I just promoted to RVP. I got my first VP payment and it was twice the wage of the full time job i just resigned from (I build my business while working full time in a job that kept me away from my family). Arbonne has given me time and freedom that i have never had before. Check out this woman on utube and then decide if Arbonne was a bad thing for her. I met her in Vegas this year.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iimq9f_xHlU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsVpe6NVvls
And yes, i heard about Arbonne refinancing. When you renovate a house you generally have to extend the mortgage. Arbonne is now being led by an amazing woman Kay Napier (our leadership could not be better – check out her history with Proctor and Gamble and McDonalds Healthy Choice), she is leadng Arbonne into the future and it will be bigger and better than ever.
Arbonne Australia is booming – Arbonne is a new company even in the US with expanding assets and it is expanding globally at a rapid rate. (this growth would come at a cost)Our home office has grown significantly in the last two years, I live in Australia, and i have done parties in the US while on holidays with groups of women who havent heard of Arbonne there.
I cant say i work hard at Arbonne as it is not work to me, growing my business has been so much fun, oh and I didnt have any money to invest, so i had to sell products to buy products. I couldnt even afford catalogues when i started.
I also guarantee I make a difference. I have clients with skin conditions that still thank me daily, and i donate to charities and host fundraisers regularly. I have girls on my team who couldnt pay their mortgages before they started Arbonne and it is not a problem now.
I feel for people who have lost faith because that is all it takes to sink yourself in a business like this, but i am here to stay. I am in Arbonne for Life. I love the products and the people and although the money is great, it is not why i do it.
Thanks good that you made it to RVP and being in Australia is different then N.A. They did close there eastern part in US and had laid off 95 workers. Which was to help cut back in costs. Remortgage to renovate is usually a small part of the house in terms of cost on whole equity of the house. 400 million is 100,000 short of half a billion. That is quite a bit debt for a company that is not even making a billion in sales. They were not even at half a billion this year. Back in 2005 they were just under a billion. After 2005 they spent to build these other places assuming that they were going to be over a billion in 2006. That didn’t happen. It didn’t happen in 2007, 2008 it is not happening this year. Now on top of a company that was debt free back in 2005- fast forward now with 400 million debt and sales lower then 2005. Recipe for major restructuring. Yes, Arbonne is good and consumable but it isn’t the only MLM skincare company and then there are thousands of other companies on top of that. Being new in Australia is an entire different market. In the States people have heard and used it. ARbonne has just had ENVP who were in the million dollar club leave the company the other week. The guy who started the whole puppy dog and result approach is gone. So are both of his daughters Shannon Johnson and Sibley Gammon. They were making way over 100,000 a month. They have left. Now there isn’t any results approach on the web and everyone has to do Parties. Shannon left and she had promoted an NVP in Australia. Why would she leave. There are many unspoken things being kept secret. Now Arbonne is owned by banks until they can get their debt under control. Great that you are doing well and I hope your sake the company stays. However, the company has other people too. It will be interesting to see what really happens. In your parties you can’t say that Arbonne is a debt free company. There are not. Debt is debt and it has to be fixed and swept under the carpet.
Thanks Beth for trying to shake my belief in Arbonne.
Arbonne is actually a 300 million dollar company . Arbonne was only debt free because Harvest Partners owned a portion. Arbonne bought them out as they felt HP assumed too much control without sharing the original core philosophy. Now the bank owns a portion of the debt again. This is great news for consultants as it puts Arbonne back in the hands of the field leaders and Kay Napier and Rita Davenport.
Kay plans to turn Arbonne into a multi billion dollar company and to put things into perspective Amway is an 8 billion dollar company. Arbonne is only just scraping the surface and it has a long way to go both in the US and globally.
Believe it or not, we have thousands of other skin care brands available here in Australia (plenty sold through Network Marketing and Direct Sales). Arbonne products are far more superior and the business plan is better.
I know about the Inmans leaving Arbonne and i have heard why. It has nothing to do with the stability of Arbonne. I have never used the results method to sell Arbonne but Australias first NVP is part of that success line and she is doing very very well. There was even a great post previously from a member of the Inman family who is still doing Arbonne. Not everyone in the family left Arbonne. Just those who were offered a very lucrative position elsewhere.
I dont say we are debt free at my parties, if someone asked i would say we are financially stable.
There are no guarantees in life and any business could go under in these tough economical times, but i believe with all my heart that Arbonne is ahead of market place trends and it took 10 years off me in the first few weeks i used RE9. I will never use anything else.
Like I mentioned before the products are good but the debt is there. Being owned by a bank doesn’t mean they are that free. In 2005 Arbonne was almost a billion and now you said it 300 million. I didn’t know that the Inman family was offered a lucrative position elsewhere. Yes, I see her cousin is still on and Shannon’s real mom is still on. HOwever, it was Shannon’s dad that started the results. That is where the company hit high in sales. It was him who started it and then Shannon and Sibley flew with it. Every other nation adopted that and they all benefited. I wasn’t shaking your belief since I simply stated, that I hope for your sake it stays fine. Amway, actually had their share of problems, perhaps it wouldn’t be could to put Arbonne near AMway since they are also have some hardships too. All I think many people are saying is that Arbonne should just be honest about it and not just keep it private to the VPs. MAny companies are having hardships now but it just means they have to reset their structure. What probably frustrates people on this board is when they hear everyone denying it. The best thing is to acknowledge that and then implement changes and part of that should be addressed to everyone. It doesn’t help ARbonne that Candace left. She moved on but she doesn’t harbour any bad feelings since she acknowledges that if it wasn’t for Arbonne she wouldn’t be where she is at. No one should be faulted when they move on. Petter.M was the founder and somewhere when he gave it over to HP- the foundation and concept of the company was watered down. I wasn’t knocking things but saying they have a long road ahead to clearing themselves. It’s a numbers game and right now the numbers are low. Weekenders had something like this happen and they denied problems too when there was debt and practically overnight they closed down. Their top sellers didn’t even see it coming. It’s too bad that Arbonne fired the founder’s son before he died.
Arbonne is in the news today. Have a look at how they lost 30,000
Arbonne International Settles ADA Lawsuit For $30,000
Posted on 17. Nov, 2009 by Dan Mitchell in Network Marketing News
Arbonne is in the news again…this time settling a lawsuit filed by a disabled (deaf) woman who claims she wasn’t hired due to her disability.
Here’s an excerpt from a blog post at the Illinois Sexual Harassment Attorney Blog:
Arbonne Internaltional which operates as a skin care products company is paying $30,000 to settle an American’s with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) lawsuit. The lawsuit was brought on behalf of Lisa Wilson by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”). According to the lawsuit Wilson who is deaf was not hired by the company because of her disability. Especially today with unemployment at over 10% many companies believe they can discriminate against a prospective employee and get away with it.
In cases like this many people are unsure of their rights and are afraid to come forward and complain. Additionally, many times there is not clear evidence and the complaining person must rely on the investigative techniques of a good attorney. Getting a good attorney involved in the case early is the best way to protect your rights. In addition to the monetary settlement, Arbonne International must comply with prohibitions against further discrimination, train employees on discriminatory conduct and post and distribute a policy of non-discrimination.
I also heard that Tim Molloy resigned from Arbonne as the Vice President of Corporate Strategy. Bob, Candee, Brad, Doug, Ira, Harvest and Tim… The list continues. Gee If everything is going so well, why is everyone bailing out?
I had a friend of mines husband that worked their in a high position and he left about two months ago.
I guess I can see why now.
Beth you are so misinformed. And it is terrible that you are spewingt his nonsense here.
First, many many companies that are successful have a debt load. Arbonne is NO different. It is wise, very very wise they saw what was going on with HP and took it back. That is called Leadership.
The Puppy dog approach is actually called a “close” in sales and the Inmans did not invent it! They just saw fit to use it. It is not a bad system. It is benevolent and very useful. You obviously know nothing about sales!
It is common, very very common for other newer MLM’s to “recruit” successful Distributors for the express purpose of building a newer organizations business when it is getting going. It is a testimony to “their” success not the failure of Arbonne! I was recruited in another type of industry for my expertise. It was because of my success and the success of the other comapny that I was even asked! Do you think Trump said, hey let’s go recruit from a losing coamny? NO, he recruited from a successful company …….that definitively provided for their success! That is called smart! You want to recruit form a successful company! It does your name good!
You are way off base and obviouslt know very little really about big business and have this notion that debt is bad. It is not. I own a home. I have debt. Does that mean I am a fialure, or that there is something to be said for me having a mortgage. I think not.It is expecially common for company to have debt during expansion. you are terribly uneducated and it is people like you that give NWM a bad reputation. You act like and write like you are informed . But to those of us who really are it is so obvious you are not. And I chose to pseak up because you are a fear monger and just plain ignorant!
I had a job once in a large corporation that is still today very successful and thriving. Am I sitting around saying its a bad company because it has debt? Or bad because it did not work for me? NO Beth. This is life and I think ysou should get off these boards and go find one. You are alousy reporter. You truly show your ignorance and how contentious you are by the fact you spew this nonsense out of your finger tips and though you know something. Clearly you do not!
Arbonne is very very strong. I hope that by sharing here i can offer some balanced and true perspective. I mad egreat money last month and am promoting this month! Arbonne ROCKS!
Beth, I really think you just changed your name from Common Sense to Beth because you write and sound just like “her”. Your style is near identical as is your sentence structure! Go…. get…..a……life.!
Kate,
You should watch your spelling as you are cutting up another person and stating they are uneducated. The other girl was only mentioning facts. Truth be told, ARbonne did always say they were a debt free company. Now they have a bigger debt then what they are making in sales. There also appears to be many leaders in corporate leaving. I’m sure your mortgage isn’t bigger then what your house is worth??? Having a balanced debt is fine but this one appears a little out of control. Just so you know, it is against DSA rules for a person to try to recruit another person to another direct selling company. This is what was happening at some of these ARbonne opportunity meetings. An Arbonne NVP signed up with MAX and was going to other ARbonne sideline meetings with the intent to sign them under MAX. A successful person would not have to resort to such measures. Kate use your spell check.
Dean~
When a person starts circulation things that are not verifiable and are clearly speculation that is not educated! It clearly shows to be opinion.
………. However, their debt load is not larger than their revenue. I know for a fact their sales are not as low as you state. Perhaps it is true that someone, and I know who you are referring to was trying to recruit on the way to Max. But that is not a reflection of Arbonne. It is a reflection of that person. Period. It has nothing to do with Arbonne. What I have a problem with in this board/ blog is that people just report whatever they feel like and truly do not know. For example how do you know! their debt is larger than revenue? I suspect you do not have verifiable information. And by the way, I am not the only one who is deragatory on this board.
Leaders leave all the time in corporate America. But you are surmising you know why. You cannot possibly know why and speculation like that hurts perception and others. So, ok I will use spell check and how about you use Fact check! I think it would be prudent if you stick to what you are expert in or really know about. Because truly your statements are filled with supposition and unverifiable facts. I believe that is acting in a stupid way. Certainly irresponsibly. you are putting negative spin on what you appear to be uneducated in and about. You cannot possibly know another’s reasoning and certainly have little business reporting it as fact.
Oh you are the Dean that is reporting gossip. I just saw that. How are you helping the cause of people? What is your aim? You seem more interested in gossiping and adding to fear than knowing much about
Arbonne. So what, they had a lawsuit. This is America. You are drawing a conclusion and parallel that this is somehow a reflection of the character and/ or stability of a company you are not intimate with. You do not know the facts. You are just reporting some tidbit of news with your own personally, biased, extrapolated opinion.
Bravo Kate~ Someone has their feet on the ground.
It is amazing how many seeming opportunists abound on this site. Arbonne is fantastic. At least when they see the problem they are doing something about it. They are really and truly working round the clock to straighten out the problem. Unity is high and anyone who has truly been building a business in this company that it is dedicated to instilling more stability and correcting its problems. I applaud you for taking the risk to report truths and challenge people to do the same. The people who left for other companies have very right to be attracted to an opportunity that fits them and the style they like. That is why there are so many different types of compensation plans . It is called diversity.
FYI: Kate, Grounded, Name (required) and Katherine appear to be the same person or at the very least using the same computer.
Dean~
Ok I will spell check if you will stick to fact check.
Arbonne’s revenue exceeds its debt. Hence why banks are willing to renegotiate and be on it and hold equity. Their 30 year reputation and the fact they have ample, I repeat, ample capital to continue selling products , shipping them and paying us makes it very attractive. Plus they are attractive because they have a HUGE following and a very popular and viable product line that works. Believe me there are far more pluses than minuses. If you knew facts you would know that.
As far as the person who went to MAX….. I know one was actually let go because of problems with integrity. Recruiting inside the Arbonne family is a bit unethical. Speaks more about the person than it does the company.
BTW I see you like gossip….. making sure you highlight their lawsuit. Tell me, what are are getting out of all this anyway. It would seem you are very good at fear mongering and spreading rumor or gossip more than you are constructive conversation that could actually allay fear and allow people to see more than one side of a very dynamic and complicated story. You seem to boil it down to… Bad Arbonne….
if the banks thought Arbonne was that messed up they would NEVER agree to the reorganization. The only punctuation bankruptcy fits is to allow the process to be legal with the fact there are many people involved in the processes here.
I feel people are acting stupid when they talk like they know what is going on when clearly nothing they say is verifiable nor close to the truth. So, where did you get your story that Arbonne’s sales were less than their debt? You see, t that type of thinking is very narrow and shows that you do not know the entire story. You just boil what you know and act like it is the flat out rock bottom truth! NOT….. If you are going to affect people’s lives and influence decisions then at least take time to know the facts .
So, in an earlier post the moderator said that “common sense” had none…. is he to be scolded too………..Get a life buddy.
Thanks Ty. We are one big happy Arbonne Family! Love Arbonne do well and there is a bright future for all of us ahead. Goes to show you there is enough to go around.
You aren’t one big happy family, you are the same person talking to yourself as if there were 4 of you…that is deceptive.
Hmmmmm ,lots of supposition there buddy. You are right about one thing. We do use the same computer.
Tell me if you are into the truth then why not fact check everything people say?
Same computer IP Address, Same Email Address…pretty good chance it’s the same person. I’m not here to fact check everything people say, but when it is obvious that one person is pretending to be 3 other people in order to post positive information and agree with herself, people should know about it.
Wow! You are WAY off base Ty. It is NOT one email address.I am very disappointed this blog started out informationally and now is boiled down to promelgating all sorts of half truths and innuendos that harm people who are really working . Tell me, we have been blogging for days. Why are you choosiing to pick today to reveal there are more than one email addresses coming from this computer. Why now Ty? Seems odd given that I for one am standing up to t he nonsense that people want to report. Who else is using more than one email address? Clever! Seems you cannot dispute the information that is actually credible. Would peoplebe allowed to destroy confidence and the reputation of another reputable company? Or are people here just prospecting looking for someone desperate to jump to another company. Let’s be fair Ty. Let’s be fair.
I just noticed this today…I don’t think being fair would be to make comments as 4 different people.
Grounded
bella03@usa.com
174.97.229.33
Kate
bella03@usa.com
174.97.229.33
Name (required)
bella03@usa.com
174.97.229.33
I wish you well and hope this proves fruitful for whatever purpose it is designed. Obviously it is far different than I thought it was for. I was naive to think it would actually help people in these trynig times to be able to sort through the nonsense that is allowed ot be voiced. Good luck and good bye. Obviously there is no point to exercise free speech here. I think its sad that people want to use this to actually dissuade and hurt others. That sure seems to be what is transpiring. Believe what you want..
Believe what you want…..
No name, grounded and Kate coming out as different people, who else are you. Weren’t you accusing someone else on the board of this. It came out that you were guilty of what you were accusing someone else of. Instant Karma. I think all the people here Kate (or whoever you) also have their right to speak their mind. It is the land of the free and these other people were giving actual facts, even the article posted was true. Unless you are the CEO Kay, how could you possibly know everything behind the scenes. I’m sure you don’t even know what the sales for ARbonne has been this year. If you are posing as 4 different people then how busy is your business if you are on this blog accusing others of being uneducated. You have a mortgage to pay. Go do your activity and don’t worry about comments here. If your business and company was thriving, you wouldn’t be worried about what anyone said in regards to ARbonne. Bottom line is management didn’t have a good handle on things and they are in debt. Everyone can blame HP all they want but who else was the owner? I think everyone thinks its normal to have debt but our country was not like this 100 years ago. I don’t think you were around in 2004 but Andy Inman did start the puppy dog approach. AFter wards Arbonne changed it to the Results approach. Why would Shannon leave if she was making over 100,000 a month. You were mentioning that people left to start other things with other companies. Hope they are making that kind of cash to leave. Fact is, the top ENVPs, Rita and Kay wouldn’t be discussing things with you in regards to private information and the debt. There was a call that involved the NVPs and Rita did mention some status on the company. Of course every NVP is going to be hush hush about the problems. They will be feeding things back in a positive way. That’s business. GM did the same and they were still saying they had cash etc etc. They lost their money from a greedy CEO who was paying himself 16 million a year and a bunch of chair board members doing the same. They actually had the Hybrid car before Toyota but the dumb leader decided to make trucks, SUV and hummers. He also lost a ton of money on the Fiat deal. He was running the show for over 10 years but the company was already taking money from the late 80’s.
Arbonne will just have to pay off the debt with time and just join all the other companies that are in the same boat. If they have a handle on the finances and have a debt repayment plan then they will be fine. Look ever the Donald was broke then went back up.
So Kate, just keep busy in activity and all the rest will follow.
I just received my October check today 11-18-09, dated 11-11-09, post marked 11-16-09, does anyone think getting their paycheck this late in the month is unusual? Could this be a sign of what’s to come?
Your paychecks are sent on or about the 10th business day of each month so that would be correct. Read your policies and procedures manual!
Clearly you received your check by mail because my checks are direct deposited and came on time as usual. If your new to this business – checks are mailed on the 10th of the following month that they were earned and November 11th was a federal holiday, so snail mail may have took longer than usual. Your mail person may also just be slow.
I’m fully aware of the policies and procedures. My point being…..why would Arbonne hold checks that were printed on Nov. 11th, which was a Holiday and not postmarked until Nov. 16th., which the U.S. postal mail delivered it in 2 days, no problem there.
Just saying that my November check was the latest coming this month that it’s ever been. Other consultants in my area experienced the same delay. For others that receive direct depost – theirs was delivered on time.
Two day delivery by snail mail was not the problem. Arbonne holding the checks those extra days are the problem.
I commented before , but yet again someone emailed me to tell my family’s name was all over the blogs again…so I must respond briefly.
First of all, none of you know what kind of income Andy, Sibley or Shannon were making. I can tell you that the numbers you’re throwing out there are way off base though. You are making an assumption based on the fact they were in the million dollar club.
Secondly, Sibley and Shannon made a business decision to leave Arbonne as their husband’s signed up with another company. Our company clearly states that spouses cannot be in 2 different companies, there is a conflict of interest here. They made a business decision and I again say that this is not the first time the Inmans have moved from one company to another. This is the 3rd or 4th company that I know they have been a part of. I used to be a recruiter for a major soft drink manufacturer…and people used to leave all the time to go from one company to the other (Pepsi to Coke, or Coke to Pepsi)..for what they felt was a better opportunity for them. This is no different.
Shannon was one in a number of top income earners…yet all the rest are still intact, still working, still growing teams and still promoting Arbonne as a way to make a living. She is one person. I should also mention that none of the VP’s in the south Florida region left to go with her and we are all very close. It was a personal decision for her and her family, period. We respect and honor her choice.
Lastly, the company has made it clear to us that we may continue to use the Results Approach as a reach out method. While there are more tools to support those who use the Party Plan approach, we are in the process of developing some amazing tools for the field using this other approach. We have not been told we cannot use this approach and we have been encouraged to use all reach out methods to share our products and opportunity with others.
One final note…if you’re an Area Manager or above, you can get your paycheck direct deposited into your account. The 10th business day of the month for November was the 16th due to the first business day of our month being November 2nd and Nov 11th being a federal holiday. Therefore, the paychecks were in fact cut and sent on time.
This is a wonderful company to work for and I count myself as so blessed every day to have this opportunity.
Lisa Inman McDulin, ENVP
I think what has stiffled people here is that they were surprised to be hearing all these things from other people. I think most people who have over a few million in their succesline volume would be making 100,000 since other ENVPs have mentioned that is what they made. There have been some who would show their cheques.
Good for you Lisa to be sticking it out. You are honest with telling your side and even though your family brought you to the business and they have left- you have decided to stay. I think it might be hard for some to people to understand that someone would leave if they made it so far up in this company. It probably is nice for Shannon to take a break as the bread winner and now have her husband do another business. Plus they still have little toddlers and they should have their mom with them. Same with Sibley. She did a lot with Arbonne.
Arbonne is just starting a new chapter and hopefully they become a billion dollar company. There were some people here posing as 4 people and throwing all sorts of accusations. It is obvious that you are an ENVP with this message that you posted. However, I wish Arbonne luck to finish their ties with HP and resume a better business for it.
Best of Luck to you Lisa.
I am now curious about how much they make as top 10 ENVPS..is it less than $100,000? I thought most top ENVPS made $300,000 +++ maybe I was wrong..
I guess it depends on who. There was a interview back in 2006 where Donna Johnson was commenting that she made 400,000 one month back in that year. The interview was a network marketing show interviewing different network marketers. However, that is when her volume was over 30,000,000 in a month. I did also meet someone who was at 1.5 million a month and she said she made a little over 100,000 in a month.
However, this doesn’t happen over night. They must have a huge successline. Like anything, what you put in, you get out.
Dear New VP,
Arbonne’s worth is only what an investor is willing to pay, Arbonne has turned down numerous offers from potential buyers and now the offers will come in lower. Arbonne did not buy out Harvest Partners, HP gave Arbonne back to the banks after they took a multi million dollar dividend for their portfolio. This actually borders on fraud and I hope there is an investigation in the future. Saying that Arbonne is financially stable at your parties is a lie and will come back to bite you later. And by the way, Kay is not the savior. The company is not out of the water yet and Chapter 11 is still a possibility. I know many NVP’s that are not saying anything to their Districts and Areas about the restructuring, when the “worker bees” find out it could virtually implode the confidence and volume throughout the entire field.
I don’t want anything bad to happen to our company but the greed and misguidance from corporate is to blame, not the results approach and of course the economy was a factor as well.
The banks had no choice but to become a “partner” and that was not something the banks wanted to do I can assure you. No one in corporate has any real experience in network marketing and as much as I like Kay as a person she came from McDonalds. What do McDonalds and RE9/network marketing have in common?
I don’t mean to be the bearer of bad news and Australia is a different market than the US. I have been with Arbonne for years and have experience in network marketing since the early 90’s.
Please take care and I seriously wish everyone well in Arbonne but be careful putting all your family’s eggs in one basket……..
Dear Kate,
Arbonne’s revenue does not exceed debt. Do you know what the original amount of debt was? I heard it was over $700,000 and that was direct from some very credible sources. Arbonne’s worth right now is in the formulation/patents of their current and future products plus the value of the field and any assets held free and clear. We all love the products but you must have a healthy mix of a product or service plus a well rounded corporate team. The people in corporate NEVER admit to making a mistake, it is always blamed on someone or something else.
If Arbonne is so proud of its volume numbers why did they take all the volume off of the million dollar club reports? They don’t want anybody seeing the numbers and comparing then and now! Demographics will still give you some info but keep in mind Arbonne lowered their qualifications 20% so some of the new managers wouldn’t have qualified for a level of management .
Keep in mind the banks do not want to lose their entire investment, they could take a partial loss and wait for investors to buy the company. At least then they will get some of their money back and not take a full loss. We still don’t know if all of the banks will agree to the restructuring….
Arbonne’s capital is not ample and recently they had enough popular products on back order for an abnormal amount of time, this raises some concern. There was not, however, a problem with paychecks. We had a holiday which set things back at the home office a day. One late pay check and the field could lose confidence quick, the bank knows that.
So many of my friends depend solely on their Arbonne income. I sincerely hope something goods happens and the company turns around.
I have the highest respect for Sibley and Shannon, they are incredible business women and very smart. I appreciate all they gave to Arbonne and I am thankful for everything they contributed. God Bless.
!
wow…I am amazed at all of this, I use to be a consultant for Arbonne & could never figure out this company…
So is ARbonne really that much in debt? 700 million or 400 million? How can they still manage to pay for all the commissions if that is the case.
I saw on Sibley’s site that she is having opportunity calls for the Trump network. Trump’s new networking company. Is that the one that all their husbands went to? It is only brand new. With these top ENVP having over 3 million in volume to go to a new company? What is the catch to Trump’s new company. Just some supplements with what I see. I saw her site, http://www.youcantoo.com. There are a bunch of recorded calls with Sibley chatting on them.
Did anyone else hear about this??
Wow, someone else just heard this call with Sibley Gammon and it said that Trump networking was going to bring a Swiss skincare line. Sibley also said she will be on an advisory board on this product. It sounded like she said it will be pure and safe. I can’t believe it. It sounds like it will be copy catting Arbonne.
Sadie,
A friend of mine joined Trump although hasn’t done anything with it. I think his brand recognition certainly attracts people to his business. Donald had a couple other companies to his name, a travel site and ACN, I believe he’s still apart of ACN. Maybe someone else can jump in if I’m incorrect on the latter one. The concept behind Trump’s is a custom made nutritional program. I believe Genewize is another company that offers something similar. Regardless of whether it’s Trump’s or another ground floor opportunity, it takes persistence, consistency, and patience to build a business.
Janette
Janette,
Know anything about the rumors flying everywhere that an Arbonne ENVP is joining Candy’s company as President……….
Why is everyone jumping the ARbonne ship? These aren’t low level people that are leaving. The products are good. Is the financial situation that unstable? How can they still have NTC and give away all this Tiffany jewellery if they are that much in debt from what people are saying on this board.
How funny that people jumping from Arbonne to Trump’s company!! That man and his business have filed bankruptcy time and time again! If you were looking for a “stabe” company, Trump is not who I would look towards for stability.
I also haven’t heard about an ENVP’s going to Candy’s company. Let’s be honest – not many ENVP’s have been working the business in years. Most of them built their business the old “puppy dog way” which is what got Arbonne in trouble to start with. They got to the top, but because Arbonne is NOT a pyramid, they stopped making big money. They never created a network of users, and never created a risidual income. I am thankful I never got sucked into that way of building my business. Parties were and still are, the way to build a large lucrative business.
Best of luck to those jumping ship. Most of them hop from one network marketing company to the next. I’d rather just ride the rollarcoaster, knowing there will be ups and down. But at the end of the ride, I will have loved being a part of Arbonne! And yes, I plan to keep on riding and doing what I need to do to be successful. Good luck to everyone!
In the Know,
Just curious- how many parties do you usually do each month? Are you in the midwest? I find myself doing pups and parties- always thougth it was a good mix. People not usually too eager to host here in the north east.
I have been happy with Arbonne, though sometimes frustrated.. now concerned and confused!!
ok, most of the rumors are true but not all of them. We are in trouble we are restructuring and the outcome is still unknown. Restructuring could be good it all just depends on field perception and belief and what they do with the information. What concerns me is that they are not paying for all NVP’s to go to Hawaii this year. This is a trip they promote that you get when you are an NVP and now they are taking it away unless you earn it (not pulling from you PA account which you EARNED!) I thought promotting to NVP was earning it??? This is a STRONG sign that theya re in trouble. Never before have they needed to have a united front of NVP’s and they are basically saying we know that the economy is down and that we have lost roughtly 60% of consultants in past 3 years and now rumors that are hurting everyones business but we aren’t going to pay for you to come on the annual NVP trip unless you EARN it. Wow the company I joined paid for all NVP’s to go on the annual ASAP trip and NVP trip as a reward for being an NVP. Take away the rewards and what’s left? The pay checks for the majority of VP’s are down dramatically. The average RVP is making abou $1K – $2k a montha and the average NVP is making $4 – $8K a month! Much lower than they share on the ICCS statement. They haven’t updated that in years! Wonder why? So with commisions way down except for the top 25 of course who are still making a TON and driving the averages up for everyone else when reality is most are making WAY LESS! The reality is that more than half of the NVP’s are pulling from PA accounts and now they are considering taking away PA accounts and are already using this as a restriction to earn annual NVP trips. You can’t pull from the volume you earned and that is in your PA account. So Arbonne is not as strong as they seem they can’t pay for the NVP trips! Will they make it probably. By cutting out the perks that they seem to be cutting out they will probably be bought out by an Avon or such and will survive just under another company name and guidelines. So who knows as of yet the jury is still out. For those of you concerned about building your business not to worry doors will remain open most likely and checks will continue to come.
Here we have a top level consultant telling it mostly straight. Way to go NVP for keeping it real, sort of. I have to disagree about the business builders not to worry. Hmmm. Just go on, business as usual. Interesting. Checks down, restructuring, company in trouble, taking perks away, etc, etc, etc. Pour your $, time, effort and energy into something as unstable as that??? Are you serious????? Doors will remain open most likely??? Yep, I wanna pin my hopes and dreams to something like that for sure.
Miss NVP,
What is going on with the company? If a NVP has a volume over 2 million then her check wouldn’t be 4 thousand would it? OK, if the volume isn’t 160,00 plus the check would still be over 10,000 dollars. Is ARbonne real badly in debt. ARe they going to pull all PA accounts. Why do they still have all these corporate people in Canada, England and Australia and pay them a nice salary and not pay for a NVP trip. Did all NVPs go on ASAP trips before?
What happened to your downline? Did Results kill the company//////?
The company filed pre-packaged bankruptcy. What does that mean? It means we are in trouble and the outcome is still unknown. No the REsults didn’t kill the company, bad management did. I still have a downline lets just say that it is a fraction of what it used to be. Yes up until about two years ago Arbonne paid all NVP’s way to both the NVP trip and the ASAP trip. Now they are both earned. You can actually be a maintaining NVP with promotted out NVP’s using the pick-up credit from them $40K and still be making around $8-$10K. much less than what they quote.
Ididn’t see business as usual, just that checks weren’t going away and doors weren’t being shut at this point. It’s anything could happen depending upon who buys us and what they decide to do with us. Sell products all day long and feel good about that, as far as recrutting??? who knows! Yes I heard that all PA accounts were going away in 2010 (heard this on a company sponsored NVP call).
Check this out. My hubby just got this from one of his friends. Shannon Johnson speaking at the Launch of Trump Network on November 16th,. This video is on you tube. This is the ENVP who with her dad Andy Inman and sister Sibley Gammon were millionaires from Arbonne. They must have been doing this for a few months. Her she is on stage talking about it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTPd0z5sFso
Miss NVP.
If someone is always growing each month then they don’t have to worry about it. Otherwise there are no banked volumes. So how much debt does ARbonne have? Is it these numbers on the board. Do you think ARbonne will survive? Who is going to buy them? What ever happened to the owner’s son? Why did Bob Henry leave? Is it a bad mess. It sounds like these rumors are quite true.
Sorry – but as an RVP my number and my checks are growing and I don’t see a huge “downturn” in this company like others are saying. If you actually work, and teach and train others to be consistant and do the same, your business and theirs will grow. It’s not “get rich quick” folks – sorry. The word *work* is in “Network Marketing!”
Yes, Arbonne is working to restructure debt. Yes, this will free up money so we can continue to boom with new technology, new products, etc. (Wait until you see what’s coming out in 2010 with Re9 products – it’s amazing!) Is this the best case scenario? No, of course not. But people were leaving before this Harvest Partner fiasco started. The “Atlanta crew” got in trouble for trying to recruit people to their new network marketing venture at Arbonne events. Their teams weren’t growing as fast as when they did the whole buy-in thing, so they moved on to the next quick money venture. Just like good old Rick Teague did when his hand got slapped for doing the same thing – and he’s gone too (that happened nearly 1 1/2 years ago.) Speaking of which, Bob Henry’s little affair with the lady in legal got his rear end in trouble, which is why he left hastily about 18 months ago. So does all this have to do with the current “debt restructuring” – No! Thankfully, a lot of bad apples are being pulled out of the bunch, either on their own accord or by Arbonne’s doing. Am I happy that HP is gone?? Thrilled beyond belief!!!! I feel the same way about all these consultants/VPs who rode the Puppy Dog wave to the top and then complained their couldn’t keep their title. I do parties, my team grows, my paycheck grows, and I’m happy. I suggest that all of those who are complaining get back to work on your business and be **thankful** this time of year for what an amazing company Arbonne really is. If you work it like a business, it will pay you like a business. Now back to work for me!
Wow, in the know, I think that was some new rumor on this board about Bob Henry having an affair. LOL Just the thought of Bob Henry doing that is funny. Anyways, you seem to know everything, what happend to Stian, Arbonne’s founder’s son. He was fired. What happened there. What happened with HP. If ARbonne isn’t owned by HP then how is owned by a bank better. They have to look for a buyer. Who is going to own ARbonne. There haven’t been any takers. It is awesome news to hear about the new RE9 that you mentioned, however if there isn’t any money to back it up then what will it be worth. The buyer has to have money. Arbonne just can’t borrow more money to get these new product out. That will not help the debt. Sales volume is what will help.
Here is Shannon again with the second part of her in this company. She even says she is only with Trump for 2.5 weeks. I guess she must of got her 100,000 plus monthyly paycheck and split. If it wasn’t for ARbonne she wouldn’t be a millionaire. She even promoted a new NVP in Australia and then Canada, now she is gone. What is up with that?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTPd0z5sFso
Tim Malloy is no longer on the website, he is gone too? Wow.
They are dropping like flies. What do they know that we don’t.
Tim Malloy was an HP man…..so was Ira Klienman. That’s why they’re gone.
So Ira hires ARbonne’s new CEO-Kay, then he leaves Arbonne with a huge debt. What kind of fraud is that?? Did they not make a huge profit with Arbonne when they took them over in 2004. So is HP is gone, then who is going to buy Arbonne from the banks?
I was a consultant with Arbonne for 4 years, left in 2007. I have to say, I have been looking for honesty about Arbonne for so long! It seems that everything is so hushed and secretive with Arbonne.
One of the reasons that I left Arbonne was because my NVP (one of the most popular ones there, everyone knows of her) did not address my concerns about the puppy dog approach. Or, the REsults Approach. It started becoming huge around my 2nd or 3rd year in the business. People started becoming rvps in a couple of months. I sent an email to my NVP, I didn’t have an RVP, just an Area Manager. I asked her about the results approach and if all of these people were encouraging new recruits to buy 4 or 6 or even 15 RE9 kits, aren’t we now a pyramid in disguise? Well, I never heard from her. My concerns were not addressed.
I also had a really bad taste in my mouth when at NTC on year, I forget the exact year, Stian Morck was introduced and then they said he was done with the company. There was no reason and I felt like he was forced out because he did not agree with the Results Approach and frontloading of inventory. It was never mentioned again. Why was there no information about his leaving?
Then Candace left, but that was after I left. That was shocking and again, there was no information. I am still technically a consultant because my PA has not run down yet. But I was given no information as to why she left.
Arbonne let teams get away with the Results Approach because it made the company money, it made the top ranking people money and it gave the illusion of runaway growth within the company. The company may have grown, but it’s growth was exaggerated by the actual consultants buying the products due to the Results Approach, not the actual selling of the product. This is a pyramid. Maybe they are discouraging it now because they are having investigations into the type of business they turned into. Not sure about that but I wouldn’t doubt it.
Anyway, I really thought I found a place for me but now that I look back, NTC was very cultish, the income claims were inflated except for the tiny few, and most people ended up in huge debt. At least the ones that I knew. My upline was one of the very most elite that had been there since the beginning. I always thought she was sincere and honorable. Now that I am not in the business anymore, I wonder if she knew how the business harmed many. Even her own teachings said put it on your credit card-one day you will earn a check to pay it off. HA! I am still paying it off. I listened to her teachings and it hurt me and my family. I know it was my choice but another one of their teachings is do everything your upline says. Well I did and I got screwed by the most famous NVP of all.
Ok, so how will borrowing more money help Arbonne if there is a huge 400 million debt or 700 million(another person on this board said 700) By borrowing more, sure it buys more time and they get some new great products out but the debt is still there and then how will this attract a company to purchase Arbonne if they are heavy in debt. Yes, I know how mortgages work etc etc. However, here is an example of what Arbonne looks like. Say you have a person who is maxed with Credit cards at 100,000 and they are stuck don’t have any more credit. Then they get a few more cards and use the new lines of credit to pay for some outstanding debt and then decide to purchase more items they need and the interest just keeps going up. Then their debt climbs to 190,000. All these other companies have had this happen and then the doors are closed. How can one really think this will help. Perhaps they should go bankrupt and then restart from scratch. Those patents are worth things. The Swiss location is still there. Start all over again. Not sure if you know but the Late Atkins went bankrupt in the 80’s and then remerged in the 90’s. He just reinvented himself. Same deal.
How did ARbonne start? Petter Morch. Right now Arbonne has been so watered down. Rita is the heart and soul of the company. One amazing person. However, she wasn’t running the financial picture. This must have broken her heart. However, she should restart it with Kay. It would have more substance and they would have learned their lesson from HP that going big isn’t always better.
Michelle, who did that? Cecelia or Donna? Do you think ARbonne is going bankrupt??? Everyone is doing parties but it isn’t bringing the breaking sales of 2005.
Michelle, you are still paying your debt with Arbonne since 2007? What were you buying that caused this debt. I remember hearing Cecilia Stoll saying that somewhere in a meeting. One check and that will pay off your credit card. However, wasn’t everyone doing REsults back then. That is sad that Stian was fired and then his dad died a week later. Sounds like some Karma is coming back to haunt Arbonne. That wasn’t a good move to fire the founder’s son.
I am not totally sure of the bankrupty rumors, but as a former employee of another company Bob Henry was at, he doesn’t leave with a good taste in the mouth. He’s probably the reason behind the “Results” program and front loading and buying inventory. The former company he was at was/is huge on that. I came into Arbonne because I didn’t have to have inventory. I realize volume is a numbers game also, but I want it to be in amount of people using the product because I believe in it, not because of how much stuff I have available on my shelf. There’s another MLM in the health and beauty industry that is very big on that.. we won’t name names.
Just wanted to chime in and tell you as an ERVP I am sick of this all. Rumors ruin people’s lives! Please don’t post if you don’t know true and hard facts! Very few things posted make sense or deserve attention. Why someone is successful or not depends on them in any business or industry! This is no different. Why people leave and go to another company is up to them but why they became successful with the one that lead them down the road to another needs to be looked at and studied for what it is worth. Their success is directly realted to what they were associated with and what they were willing to do to get there! Arbonne’s success will continue-thirty years is a milestone- stop looking for excuses to join or not join !
The letter posted in the beginning show the CEO admitting they are restructuring. It also states that they are not with HP which is a fact and not a rumor. The call to the ENVPs was in fact true too. It was said to be quite a bit in debt. It was even mentioned by a few employees at customers service. If you are an ERVP then you were not on the NVP with Rita. The fact is that HP made a profit for a few years and now ARbonne is left with a debt. Arbonne is not a debt free company. Yes, they might be going into 30 years but they have debt. Something they use to pride themselves as not having on all of the business aids. Those are truths.
In response to Michelle’s question of what happened to Candace and why did she leave: Candace has written a great book “How Bad Do You Want It”. She tells her life story which is totally amazing – all that she has had to overcome and how she created her success – hard work and integrity. She says at her new company meetings that she left Arbonne because it was no longer the company that she once started with, and retired. After an accident and back surgery, she realized that she still had so much left to give, a new purpose to help many more people by giving a hand up instead of a hand out to those in need. She has established the Foundation APriority, which is the top of her new company, Apriori Beauty. Profits will feed to the foundation. Her products are the latest science of Nutrigenomics – the molecular relationship between nutrition and the response of your genes. She is determined to bring integrity to the direct selling industry.
It is such a blessing, beyond words, to be with such a brilliant woman! When I realized that she was missing from Arbonne -I loved her Learn and Burns – and nothing was even mentioned, I knew that it was not a company that I wanted to be affiliated with. I started looking for her until someone told me where she was and I am thankful to be a founding independent consultant. She is using her years of experience as hindsight in all aspects of her new company. The products are phenomenal, and she even has a gadget that is rockin’ the beauty world!
Wow, so that is what Candace is doing. When did she leave ARbonne? Sounds like she must of seen what was going on and decided to get out. Does anyone know what happened to Stian. What did he do after ARbonne. That must of been sad for his dad to see since he was fired just before he died. What did Stian do wrong with ARbonne?
Hi Sadie and Chloe,
It was CS and I feel bad that I said she screwed me because I still think that she was caring and honorable. However, it was common for her to say to put your order on your cc and one day you will pay it off. For instance, when the new mineral powders came out, we were told to purchase all of the colors. She then backtracked, I think after some people complained, and said only order the popular colors.
She also always told us to run promotions to build our business, like buy one get one free. Which ended up coming out of my “profits” or going on my card.
I know that I had the choice, but I was brainwashed into thinking that was how it was done.
My debt was around $10000. This includes all NTC costs, airfare, inventory that I was told I needed, training materials, sales materials, etc.
Yes, again, I know I made the choice, so really I am mad at myself. However, I trusted those above me and I so believed in the dream.
Some of the other things that bothered me was how your signifigant other’s objections were to be overlooked and ignored. This is just marraige breakup material. My husband wasn’t a dreamstealer. He just saw reality much clearer than I did.
As for Arbonne going bankrupt, I have no idea. I do know that from Cecilia’s website, there is a major dropoff of promotions from when I was active. One good think about my upline was that they did push the party method even when Results took over. So, I do think they were one of the more ethical teams. I think though, that some of the advice and teachings were potentially harmful.
Hi Everyone,
My nation did a combination of everything, one on ones, samples, parties and the results method. We never taught or pushed people to buy more than one results set. Many times people would only buy two kits instead of four to get started. I can say my upline ENVP was very ethical with this and she really encouraged parties as the method of choice. Even still, with thousands of consultants in my nation everything imploded after it was built the right way.
Before Arbonne pulled my business my last two checks were $4014.00 (Sept) and $4897.00 (Oct) down from almost $20,000 at the high (Nov 06). I never stopped sponsoring and working with new people either. What happened is a combination of the economy and really bad corporate decisions.
I saw it coming and finally had to do something different to help save our home and assets. Everyone will have their own reasons for staying or leaving Arbonne and we all need to be respectful. For me the choice was leaving and starting up again with another network marketing company or else I would be doing my own “restructuring”!
I hope the future will be bright for all of my friends at Arbonne, I wish I had been able to sit it out to see what happens but financially it wasn’t an option for us. Take care and best of luck to all!
I have read the comments posted on this blog for a week or two out or curiosity when a friend told me about it and I must say that it causes me to have a heavy heart. The attempts to disparage one another is disgusting as are the so very negative comments about Trump, Arbonne, and people in both companies that I care dearly about.
When Arbonne was doubling their sales every year from 2001 to 2006 they didn’t do it in a vacuum. There was competition then as there is now. Were bad decisions made at the corporate level, yes. What company is void of bad decisions?
The main problem with Arbonne is the infighting that exists between the direct sales people and the network marketing people. Somehow they must learn to live with each other and to support each other rather than try to defeat one another. It’s that simple. The products are as awesome as they once were so why have sales fallen in half? It’s internal. Wise up folks. If you want your company to succeed you must learn to get along and support one another.
Two of my favorite Lisa’s in Florida (you know who you are) are people of high integrity. They never quit on their team. They never took off to regroup or reinvent the wheel. They, like we once did, supported people that they never received a dime on commissions from. They are the ones that have earned the respect of their peers, whether still in Arbonne or not. I wish them every success. I don’t need them to fail to be successful and they love me and treat me with the same respect.
For those of you who wish to disparage the Inmans, and Johnsons and Gammons, etc., etc.,…grow up. Do your own work. MLM companies weren’t made to enable your lack of effort. Build your own team and quit making excuses for your lack of success. These people in many ways paved a road for you and the fact that you don’t appreciate it reflects poorly on you and you alone. Follow the example of the Lisa’s in Florida and conduct yourselves with grace and dignity.
As for me….I am now with Trump. I made a personal decision for my family based on the information I had at the time as I interpreted it. It’s my decision. It doesn’t effect your business. You are in charge of your team. I have had great success so far and Lord willing will see even greater success in the near future. Be happy for me. Be happy that people in MLM companies succeed. Our industry wasn’t considered a legitimate industry for a long time but now it is. If you are to be successful it won’t matter what others do: Only what you do. Quit complaining and get to work. Show others how good you are by what you do rather than whom you disparage. Show some class.
Arbonne definitely has it’s challenges. It would have been better perhaps if they had been upfront sooner but now that the cards are on the table you have the opportunity to make it into something great. How you respond to your challenges won’t effect how well I respond to mine. Arbonne isn’t going to be a great company again because of a lack of competition for talent but in spite of it. So go prove your worth and shut up with all the griping and complaining. Your wasting time when you could be building a business.
Sadness, what company did you go to? That must of been hard to see your downline dispurse. However, many people have gone elsewhere from what this board is stating. That happens in everywhere job place too. Hope you have enough commission from the last 2 checks to tie you over.
Sadness,
You were a nation with a 4k paycheck? I make that as an Area! How is that possible? If you continually sponsor new people and bring them to DM, etc, how can you not be earning?
Arbonne “pulled your business?” Why??? Were you recruting for another company like so many others?
It is very hard to sort through all of this and decide what is right.
What an interesting time. Where many have hit the nail on the head on this blog, there are many that haven’t quite got the facts straight. At the end of the day, companies come and go all the time. People come and go all the time. What’s interesting is that those that are defecting from Arbonne are jumping from the frying pan to the fire. Any company that offers a front end loaded bonus for signing someone up with a large order is in the churn and burn business, not network marketing. Be cautious and do your homework. This very activity was the downfall of a great company. If you are a super sales person, you can get 3 to 5 years of churning before you alienate everyone and you will need to jump to the next “BIGGEST” thing, which is why people are leaving Arbonne. The jumpers came in, drove it up, HP took the money, and then the jumpers jumped when the ship started leaking.
If your reputation is stellar, you can jump 2 to 3 times and then you are known as the jumper, several have been mentioned in this blog. Along the way, you burn so many people out that you must have a personality type that allows you to overlook the fact that you used innocent believers to get you where you wanted or needed to go knowing it was next to impossible for them to get there. You just signed them up and took their big order and left them with phone numbers to “life coaches” that were going to guide them finding their inner successful self and the silver bullet to riches. Really all they needed to do was find others to sign up and place a big order like their “up line does” no selling, no parties just get rich. Desperate times, desperate measures, ego, you name it, they are all disguises for how one justifies it all in their heads until the conscience they once had slowly and surely emerges that is if they had one to start with. Most end up emotionally and financially bankrupt and at the end of the day network marketing gets the bad rap. That being said, it happens all the time and where great leaders once led, they find themselves desperate in desperate times looking for the magic they once experienced at any cost.
The unfortunate place Arbonne finds itself in is that what made it great no longer exists. Trying to regain momentum will be next to impossible because the leaders that made it great, who are “all in”, are forced to milk the poor souls at the bottom who cannot get where they are and sustain it under the current financial circumstances. Couple that with the bad reputation it has gained from the frontloading activities of the last few years, it simply spells disaster. Most are “all in” because of polices that have them handcuffed to the deck of the sinking ship or they are the lucky 1% at the top that made enough off everyone else that they can afford to ride it out and /or in 10 years, under new ownership (if it survives?), will be viewed as the savior (ego). This is the ugly side of network marketing at its finest, the black hole of failure great companies find themselves in when improperly managed. In this whole process Arbonne lost its identity and continues to be managed by egos and camps who believe they have Kay Napier’s ear. To quote a top leader on a recent conference call “Kay does not make a move without talking to me”, while others are forming their own factions and groups to create the vision for Arbonne (happening right now in Arizona) while the CEO and president don’t even know about it. All the while the results approach is alive and well. “Investing” “loading your wagon” “Arbonne household” are all the fancy words used to get the big first order driving volume to the top where leaders are either ego bashing or riding out their performance accounts. Sad but true.
Don’t be fooled be smart, and take this opportunity to be honest with yourself. If you believe in the company, the product, the one (mmmm???) method for success it embraces and that there is solid leadership then good-luck. Otherwise, a move for stability is inevitable and necessary. The denial people find themselves in is a waste of time especially when peoples livelihoods and families are at stake. The real Arbonne people knew and loved is long gone. Do your homework and know what you are moving to and what it looks like in 5 years for you and for others that you bring along. Take this opportunity to come clean and quit dragging people into the mess that is. If you need to replace your income fast, you may find yourself in the same boat in the near future if you are not smart in making choices. Hype and name recognition only go so far and for so long.
If money is the only thing that matters to you at any cost, look for a company full of jumpers with a frontloading program in place. Stack your family members as you build, putting the oldest family member at the top. When the younger ones jump to the next biggest thing, it all rolls up to the oldest to ride out and collect the check for the family. It’s what family does? Be prepared and save your money for a change in 3 to 5 years. Either it churns and burns itself out or the FTC shuts it down. Either way be prepared and save the money you earned on the backs of others who came in with blind faith.
If relationships, culture, stability and your reputation matters long term, the company you choose looks completely different. Look for product, people and leadership you can believe in for the next 30 years. This was the magic of Arbonne and unfortunately it is no more. There are too many different camps with too many different agendas and not enough money to save it while it deals with bankruptcy. In the meantime it continues to nurse all the bruises it now carries on their once solid reputation.
Well, what do you know Name required. Finally, someone has spoken the truth from beginning to end. You have so eloquently stated what I believe to be the exact reason Arbonne is where it now finds itself. Your description of the culture, the people, their egos, all of it. I have been involved in this industry for 30+ years and you have expertly nailed it down totally. Hoorah! And THANK YOU! You are a genius in my books.
So Name(required) was it the top ENVP having this meeting in Arizona? How can they think they are above corporate and make a new vision of Arbonne? ARe you still doing Arbonne? IF HP took off with the money, then how is ARbonne able to still exist? The banks are giving up on other bigger companies, why wouldn’t they just close the doors are ARbonne. Who owns ARbonne and what is going to happen?
I just wish to say that before you disparage the Gammons and thier extended familes that if you are taking time to do this please realize that everyone has a right to make a career change as they see fit. Sibley did Arbonne, she made a change. Get over it. As for the Inmans who are probably in thier 60’s~ yes they have been around a while and Arbonne wasn’t thier first or last rodeo. SO funny to me how they were all so “brillant for thinking of the puppydog thing” when it was working and now they are all a bunch of scammers. So funny to me how Candace hung the moon while up on that stage in Vegas and now “we are better off without her.” and finally so funny to my how so many people on here are taking the time to predict the failuer and doom and gloom that will befall Trump or Rodan and Fields all b/c some of our Arbonne consultants are making the switch. Get a life. Be responsible for the decision YOU are making to stay in Arbonne as well as the decision YOU are making to persuade your followers to do the same.The purpose of a leader is not to recruit more followers but to attract and develop more leaders. If you are truly developing and recruiting leaders then you DO NOT need to persuade them or sell them into anything. You may however find yourself doing some damage control b/c there has been so, so much damage done to this beautiful, wonderful company we have all loved so much and that is indeed a sad thing. If you are chasing down team members trying to patch up the damage, I have a better idea. GO GET A NEW TEAM. Momentum in Arbonne will not happen again to the degree of which we have seen. But growth will indeed happen again. One thing remains after all else is stripped away and that is the PRODUCTS we all know and love. I can’t say that for the Rodan or Trump companies b/c I haven’t tried any of the products but one things for sure: these are the two next big things. Good luck to everyone b/c there is ROOM for us all to succeed. Network Marketing is alive and well and a magical thing.
Arbonne just didn’t know how to handle it’s money. HP just took away their wallet and spent it . However, arbonne is behind. Certified organic products is where skincare is going.
Botanical with synthetics is in your local drugstores. Fc5 still is not natural or organic. It is ok but not that great.
Organic Skin Care? Please do your research! To be honestly organic, it would need to be refrigerated! Are you going to keep your skin care in the fridge? Hmmm….
So while the idea is nice, it’s not realistic. And companies who say they are totally organic or “natural” are not be truthful when it comes to skin care.
On the otherhand, more medical based skin care seems to be growing. So what’s Arbonne to do? I think they need to stick to Pure, Safe, and Beneficial philospohy.
As for Arbonne not handling money correctly, it was HP who’s to blame for this mess. Thank goodness Ira and his chronie TIm Malloy are gone.
Intheknow, Organic has nothing to do with refrigeration and to assume that all companies who sell organic and natural skincare are not truthful is silly.
I appreciate your devotion to your business, but there are some obvious “blinders” on here.
Just so you know it the know, it takes money to get cerfified organic. There are organic products out there. That is the new trend. Our bodies can’t recognize synthetic chemical breakdown. Eminence(around since 1958-not MLM-sold to Spas) is a certified organic line from Hungary and the many top spas use it. The USDA just ceritified few of their products. There are natural emulsifiers out there that work with the products but it has to be used up in 6 months. Btw, ARbonne still uses parabens in their facial powder. It’s not in their skin care line but still listed in their powder. It does cost more money to have an organic line and it is something that ARbonne can’t do. The website, Skindeep gave ARbonne a unsafe rating on the skincare.
The products are good but ARbonne is not the safest line in the world. Sugar is PURE but it doesn’t mean it is good for us. I have to agree the FC5 technology is not anything new. Loreal uses it for some of their products.
Being organic, biodynamic takes more effort for a company but it is going in the direction. Parabens is a no no these days, however SLS is still not good either.Here is a list of some other ingredients in FC5. Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Phenoxyethanol, Polyquaternium-10, Butylene Glycol,Cis-3-Hexyenyl to name a few. These are not exactly natural. It also doesn’t list if their ingredients are non GMO either. There are many others who are ahead of this game then ARbonne. They have fallen behind. To get certified organic, takes a process that most companies can’t qualify for. It is a label that not anyone can get. If it says organic but it isn’t certified, then it is not organic. If ARbonne was totally certified organic then would be a billion dollar company.
Intheknow, there are many good organic skincare and makeup that are making headlines. Many celebrites are going that way. Now sure but if you google Zuii cosmetics, apparently that is one of the best makeup lines. Many make-up artists swear by this and yes it is certified organic. It does exist as do other skincare lines. They just are not part of MLM and are purchased at high end health stores and Spas. ARbonne is not organic and is a mix of science and nature. I think some consultants don’t feel comfortable and say organic. I was at a trade show and there was an Arbonne booth next to an organic skincare booth. The girls there were also boasting that ARbonne was organic. It is botanical. However, this was a whole foods show which probably wasn’t a good fit for ARbonne. It is still a good line but not everyone reads labels or care. There are many “Green” people who want everything organic and if they can’t read what the ingredient is, well then they say it is a chemical. They also follow if you can eat it then don’t put it on your skin. FC5 is nice but it is not organic or completely natural. The use synthetic ingredients because it helps keep the cost down. Going completely organic is more expensive.
Whoops, I meant if you can’t eat it, don’t put it on your face. I forgot the word don’t.
What ever happens I think Arbonne will still keep going. They still have their big conference in Vegas in a few months. If they were in that bad of shape then how could they do a big conference with 8,000 people. I wish them well.
Just heard from VP Support that Carol Hukari, VP Customer Service is no longer at Arbonne. The rumor is she was fired but that seems impossible since she was always available to help. Does anyone know if this is true or what is going on?
I’m concerned about so many good people leavingt the company. So much is up in the air. …but welcome to 2009. I do feel like Arbonne is getting more grouded and creating tools to help consultants build a SUSTAINABLE business rather than just leading with hype. I’m hoping these changes will weed the people out that were focussed solely on making the quick buck and those who are left will build upon the principles and culture that Arbonne was originally founded on. Time will tell…
Getting more grounded……..seriously? How is that? Have you not been reading the posts on this blog? Have you not investigated anything for yourself? This is more “stick your head in the sand” mentality. How is Arbonne getting more grounded when Chapter 11 bankruptcy is on the horizon? Not to mention 400+ MILLION DOLLARS IN DEBT! The backbone of Arbonne has crumbled, many of the corporate leaders, many of whom did have integrity, are GONE! What does it take for people to face facts when they are right in front of them? Do a comparison just from 2008 to 2009, much less from 2006 to 2009. Facts are facts, they do not lie.
I’ joinmed Arbonne in 2006, just when the sh_ started to hit the fan. Beleive me., I have done my research and definitely am not one to keep my head in the sand. I’ve done the comparisons, looked at the demographics etc. We were taught to give away the account right and left which benefitted the the upline but basically raped the hard working consultant. This is not a sustainable system. It became NVP or bust plus the system created a lack of incentive for customer service and follow up. The company grew fast but not strong. Their is no way any company can keep up with that kind of growth. The infrastructure needs to be rebuilt. This is what is now being done with the preferred client program, the systems for gettijng started, scheduling, presentations and follow up etc. The products have kept me in the game. While many people have left, those who have come on board are awesome — i.e. Dr. Peter Mctravers from Aveda.
Tag Archives: Arbonne bankruptcy
Arbonne Chapter 11 Impacts Business Builder Recruiting Ethic December 1, 2009
Posted in Arbonne Ethics, Ethics.
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Arbonne Chapter 11 Impacts Business Builder Recruiting Ethic
The Arbonne Opportunity Presentation states that those considering being an Arbonne business builder should do their due diligence. Part of that due diligence is checking out the stability of the company. In the past Consultants who shared the Arbonne business handled this in various ways with the three most common being:
In the ancient days Consultants stated that Arbonne was debt free. This fact eliminated a significant amount of financial risk.
When this ended Consultants would list the years Arbonne had been in business. In addition they stated Arbonne was a financially solid company.
When Harvest Partners took over Consultants would refer to Harvest Partner’s financial stability.
But all this ended with the current financial difficulties Arbonne is facing as they go through a “Reorganization” or what is legally termed a “Chapter 11″.
So in light of the current situation how does a Consultant handle the issue of due diligence as it pertains to Arbonne’s financial stability?
There is an Ally Bank TV Commercial where an adult asks a young girl if she would like a pony. She says yes. He takes a toy pony out of his pocket and gives it to her. She says thank you. He then asks the next young girl if she wants a pony. She says yes. He calls to a pony and a real life pony comes walking out. The first girl says, “You didn’t say we could have a real one.” The adult says, “You didn’t ask!” The announcer then says, “Even kids know its not right to hold out on somebody.”
The same is true when a Consultant shares the Arbonne Business Opportunity knowing Arbonne’s current financial difficulties. To withhold information from a person that could alter their decision contains the same ethical load as lying to them.
By withholding this information you prevent the potential business builder from knowing all the risks. Now there is nothing wrong with risk. All businesses carry some risk. But risk, in order to be ethical, must be known by the person taking the risk. Even if I think it is worth the risk, this does not justify the ethic when someone else is making the decision for themselves and their family. The only way to justify the ethic is to give the full information to the person making the decision.
So the question is, “What is the risk to join Arbonne?”
The answer, to be honest is, none of the Consultants in the field really know what the true risks are because none of them have seen the books. All the field hears is what they hear from Arbonne Corporate. So is that enough to satisfy due diligence?
When I was the Director of an IT department I would regularly receive calls from head hunters who were looking to fill a position that my skills set matched. If I was interested I would take the information the head hunter provided about the position and the company. But my due diligence never stopped there. I never took a head hunter’s word when it came to the financial stability of a company because there was a conflict of interest. The head hunter had a vested interest in making that company look as good as possible in order to get me to say yes, because my yes benefited them.
The same is true with Arbonne. Arbonne Corporate has a conflict because they have a vested interest and are naturally going to put the best possible spin on things to paint the brightest picture. And any one who is already a Consultant in Arbonne, who is building a business, also has a conflict of interest because they want what Arbonne Corporate is saying to be true and to work out because they have time and treasure invested in the process.
So in light of this what does an Arbonne Consultant who is sharing the Arbonne business need to do to meet the ethics of full disclosure? The following provides full disclosure and is the only ethical way to share the Arbonne business in the current environment.
State that Arbonne has been in business for over 30 years.
State that Arbonne is still a leader in the industry.
State that Arbonne is currently going through a financial reorganization.
To be accurate make sure to use the terms “financial reorganization” and “Chapter 11″.
State that no Consultant has seen the books, and there has been no independent audit published.
And, in the Arbonne spirit, encourage them to do their own due diligence before they make a decision.
Any less than the above does not fulfill the ethical requirement for full disclosure of risk.
And what if you are on the other end of the conversation? What are you to do if you are being recruited by an Arbonne Consultant to do the business? Ultimately it is up to each individual. But there is one fact to keep in mind. You must know all the risk to weigh all the risk.
So my advice is — Rah, Rah does not replace due diligence. Only facts provide due diligence.
© copyright 2009 VoiceWind & Greg Loveless
OK, so what really is the truth on this board. Is Arbonne going to make it through? How can there be an NTC 2010 with these statements on this board? There are still having promotions and people are still getting paid. Is HP really gone out of the picture??
I guess no one really knows for sure. I heard HP is out of the picture. Ira Kleinman and Tim Malloy are gone. I’m sure the banks are looking for a buyer. Banks aren’t in the business of owning anti-aging companies. The products are amazing. I hope it will survive, reclaim the culture and principles that the compnay was founded upon and emerge stronger and better than ever.
Arbonne does use organice when possible. However, some of the ingredients they use in order to make their products as effective as possible either can not be found in organic form and/or it would be absolutely cost prohibitive to use these ingredient(s) in organic form.
will this matter? Aren’t they just in the proces of reorganization? It doesn’t mean that they are going out of business.
Chapter 11 is not bankruptcy but a restructuring. Arbonne is not bankrupt but in a new phase of restructuring. Chapter 7 is totally different. GM went into chapter 11 and they just had to restructure and get rid of the top people who made the wrong decisions. ARbonne is doing the same thing. Read below to know the difference.
The chapter 11 plan
Chapter 11 is reorganization, as opposed to liquidation. Debtors may “emerge” from a Chapter 11 bankruptcy within a few months or within several years, depending on the size and complexity of the bankruptcy. The Bankruptcy Code accomplishes this objective through the use of a bankruptcy plan. With some exceptions, the plan may be proposed by any party in interest.[3] Interested creditors then vote for a plan. Upon its confirmation, the plan becomes binding and identifies the treatment of debts and operations of the business for the duration of the plan.
Debtors in Chapter 11 have the exclusive right to propose a plan of reorganization for a period of time (in most cases 120 days). After that time has elapsed, creditors may also propose plans. Plans must satisfy a number of criteria in order to be “confirmed” by the bankruptcy court. Among other things, creditors must vote to approve the plan of reorganization. If a plan cannot be confirmed, the court may either convert the case to a liquidation under Chapter 7, or, if in the best interests of the creditors and the estate, the case may be dismissed resulting in a return to the status quo before bankruptcy. If the case is dismissed, creditors will look to non-bankruptcy law in order to satisfy their claims.
To be organic the product has to be 95% certified organic. If you just have a couple of ingredients that are organic but then they are mixed with synthetic ingredients, it then defeats the purpose of being organic. You can also have it labelled 70% organic if 70% of the ingredients are indeed organic. However, ARbonne doesn’t have 70% of the ingredients organic. Yes, it costs money to be organic but there are many companies which are going that way and it doesn’t have to cost you an arm or a leg. The laws are strict with being organic since lately everyone is trying to go on the green wagon. That is why in order to be classified organic you have to show that you have 95% organic.
Hi everyone! I just found out about Arbonne filing for bankruptcy from an extremely reliable source. It is true. I feel bad for all of you!
FINALLY…. the scare tactics, lies and unethical behavior MANY Arbonne reps have used to sway customers to their brand is catching up to them. Oh don’t you just love that cracker in the mineral oil trick, or telling people that other companies use ‘road kill’ in their products. But the best lie of all that sold people on Arbonne is that ‘we’re all natural’. I am still amazed that people bought in to all that. In the last two years, Arbonne has had two recalls: Peanut Butter chews for possible contamination, and their Sea Salt Scrub because bacteria was discovered. Not so ‘pure, safe and beneficial’….
Arbonne is not and never was all natural. AND, as a chemist – I can tell you there is absolutely no scientific proof that all-natural or organic products perform better – and no scientific proof that products with preservatives cause harm to humans. NONE. All-natural and organic marketing is probably the most successful marketing ploy of our time… Every company that formulates and markets beauty products must comply with federal regulations and failure to comply would be detrimental to a company and their reputation.
I am intrigued by people who get fanatical about ‘all natural’, ‘all organic’, no parabens, no mineral oil, blahh blahhh blahhhh – But….. I have yet to see them giving up driving their cars that pollute the air we all breath, they still get their hair color done with chemicals, they wear their chemical based nail products, etc….. Unbelievable!
I know several former Arbonne reps, and the one thing they all had in common was none of them had any customers outside of their family and a couple friends. A true pyramid.
It’s unfortunate for the reps that were working the business in an honest way.
Justice ALWAYS prevails in the end…
Actually, I do have my PhD in Chemistry and preservatives such as parabens have been proven to be in humans. It because they are fat soluable. Where were the parabens found, breast tissue-fatty tissue. However, that is not to mention all the chemicals and preservatives that are in meat when a person eats them. Skin products do go into someone skin. Think about the smoking patch or estrogen creams. They go into the tissues. Or look how certain products cause skin irritation. That’s the cells that are reacting. Best rule of thumb is, don’t put anything on your skin that you wouldn’t eat. Skincare is basic.
Whether ARbonne survives or doesn’t is yet to be seen. However there is no proper regulations in the skincare industry. The back log is so huge of products to be investigated. It would be good if there was stricter rules in the personal care products but there isn’t any in NOrth AMerica. Why do you think there is so much junk in drugstores and department stores???
Look at the Green Beauty Guide. It shows anyone how to make skin products in their kitchen. Probably much cheaper and safer. You just need a fridge to keep it for a week.
I just wanted to say this stinks for Arbonne. I’m not a rep, but 2 of my friends are – I get my baby stuff from them. 🙂 I think everyone will be fine. There are a couple new companies on the MLM business. I just joined another company that launched on 12/1 and it’s been HUGE. Good luck to you all – I think everything will be just fine.
Just found out that they pulled my RVPs number. She was doing parties and didn’t do anything wrong. Someone else accused her of something else. ARbonne pulled her number with no questions asked. I can’t believe this happens in AMerica. What happens to innocent until proven guilty. This feels like some dictorship is going on. Someone can snitch on a person and they are gone. They didn’t even call her to get her side of the story. She doesn’t even know who said what. She also didn’t get her November check. Sounds like ARbonne is trying to cut costs by getting rid of people and not paying them. Isn’t that how the communists work!
There is no doubt about it. ARbonne is having problems and they have brainwashed the consultants to not know anything about it. They are pumping up all these great products coming out in 2010. They give products to the teenagers and solders-which is a great tax write off and a good way to get rid of old inventory. The founder’s vision is gone and now they are all scrambling to keep it alive. They are firing people left right and center. How can a CEO from MacDonalds know what to do with a skincare company and has no experience in the Direct Selling industry too.
I believe there are two possible outcomes here:
1. Arbonne survives whatever current challenges there may be and goes on to thrive from the fine cultrual and product reputation it has always carried, and those of us who have maintained our loyalty and belief will be richly rewarded.
2. Arbonne does not survive the current challenges that may be, and people who have worked and trained as a consultant with the company move on to other businesses, network marketing companies, jobs, etc. If this is the case, the free training and experience Arbonne gives will certainly benefit those moving on.
In the event that I find substantiated, factual information that I can properly source in the future, I shall post a link to it on here for everyone to make of it what they will.
The ways in which I have benefited from working with Arbonne for 3.5 years are numerous, and for that I am eternally grateful. I have met some absolutely amazing people and had some really incredible experiences building my business in 3 different countries.
All the best to everyone… here’s to an abundant 2010!
Does anyone know who the NVP is who is going to Apriori as President? It would be hard to top Rita.
Did Arbonne have a secret meeting with the ENVP’s?
http://mlmblog.net/2010/01/envps-walk-out-of-secret-arbonne-meeting.html
Who is the NVP? I haven’t heard that.
Arbonne’s new managment is just running in fear of what is to come.
We saw it all.
We know what is happening with some big names.
This is horrible.
The truth always comes out.
The old Arbonne is gone.
Yea…sure you know what is happening with some big names…anyone can say that. I think it is so hilarious when people post funny information like this. Anyone reading this who has any sense is thinking..wow..post a comment with no name and no valid proof. What is “we saw it all” anyway?
I wonder if former employees or even people who wanted to see them crumble at GM….started yelling out “the sky is falling…GM is done..blah..blah…blah..
No doubt the old Arbonne is gone. Peter died, years have past…so?
I, for one, would not buy from GM again. I support businesses based on integrity.
Also, valid proof has been given on this blog over and over again. The proof is out there. I did my research and if you would, instead of jumping on the “hype wagon”, you would find it also.
So, the company I thought was built solidly on integrity is gone. So, there you go. Do some honest research yourself instead of denying facts. If you want to stick it out, go for it. But how about being real for a change? It’s rare out there!!!!
You wouldn’t buy from GM again? Integrity is found in individuals not just “ARBONNE”. I used GM as an example but if you had a family that worked for GM and you BELIEVEDand Although many may have lacked integrity it doesn’t mean you stop doing the business or use the products (same goes for GM). A person would have to make their own products and walk to work if they thought Integrity is the only reason for buying or working for someone. I am not saying that Arbonne isn’t facing Bankruptcy..I am saying that when a person comes on here and starts to babble about they know people…and Well that explains why you just want to throw in the towel on Arbonne. Due t
Don’t know what happed to that comment..it got chopped while sending..Basically if everyone thought that this world only turned on integrity than no one would go to work. YOU are the integrity…Things happened to Arbonne just like they happen everywhere else. I won’t stop buying from Arbonne because some lost the integrity. Arbonne is trying to fix the situation (maybe/maybe not) ..being real is giving seeing that not everyone or everything is perfect. If you don’t have compassion for change then your own Karma comes back to get you.
OK. I’m need some help here for our Canadian team. They just got an email that the guy who was second in command in Canada is now the managing director of ARbonne Canada. It use to be Stuart mcmillan. Does anyone know what happened to Stuart since they moved the guy who was below him to that position. Why would this head guy Stuart get moved around?? Anyone know on this board????????
Stuart resigned and left last week. mmmmmmm
Why would the head guy of Canada resign if they were bragging that they were having growth over there. That doesn’t make sense. He resigned after they just got a new building last month????? The girls have all these questions and since this email shocked them today. He only started 3 years ago. His track record shows that he stayed with other companies longer. What is the real truth here?
Yes, it is true. Stuart mcmillan is gone. So weird since he spoke at a meeting last month and he was so up abour Arbonne and the great things for this year and now he is gone.
John Darraugh is the guy who is replacing him. He is nice but he doesn’t have the same experience as Stuart. However, a few girls told me that his daughter is a RVP in Ontario and that sounds like a conflict. Jennifer Paxton is her name. She was sponsored by Sonya Shields and John introduced Sonya to Jennifer. A few people have always talked about it being a conflict. John is good friends with Stuart and was second in command to Stuart.
They even went to church together.
Stuart McMillan is heading to a nutritional company to work in the U.S. Weird, since he was Canada’s #1 for Arbonne.
Sad is the only way to say it. Has anyone stopped to think that the little shocks everyone has felt over the last 3 years has made them immune to the fact that they are being electrocuted. Stian Mork gone. Candice OKeefe gone. Bob Henry gone. Jack Crowly gone. Steve LaHood gone. Brad Wayment gone. Carol Hukari gone. Tim Molloy gone. Stuart Mcmillan gone. These are just the executives. This kind of turn over does not happen in a thriving company especially in this job market. Of course Stuart would talk about Arbonne in a positive way he was still there but looking for another job obviously. How can you blame anyone who looks for another opportunity? Sales declining, bankruptcy filing imminent, top leaders leaving, results vs.retail strategy, 52 million different systems and all the while current management may be looking for that intersection of green and fashion instead of fixing the real problems. These people left because they had a front row seat to the circus Arbonne has become, and could see the truth every day. Who is left that knows this business? And who, with any real MLM/Network Marketing experience, would join with this going on? It’s a mess for sure.
What company did he go to?? It wasn’t the Trump network was it? So he is leaving Canada to go to the States? This guy John is OK but he is a little goofy so it is different having him run Canada. Stuart was better since people would take him seriously and he had more finesse in business. I know a few girls who didn’t think it was good that he got his daughter in ARbonne since it can pose conflicts. They both tried to keep it a secret that he was her dad. That isn’t good for other people to see in business since people do talk about it behind Jennifer Paxton and John Darraugh’s back. Now that he is the #1 person in Canada I don’t know how serious business will be taken. He was always looking for a young women since he was single. Stuart was married and didn’t act that way.
I heard that he went to Univera, a company with good products but no corporate leadership….they had a meltdown not long ago that costs their associates 60% of their income. They couldn’t ship products or pay bonus checks on time. (A flat out disaster that they have not recovered from) Funny that he is heading up the U.S. sales for this other company when he was the guy in Canada.
How can arbonne grow if they don t have a staff
that know what they are doing. Mcdonalds and arbonne.
Hmmm…. That’s is where the CEO came from. What does
fast food have to do with Swiss skincare. What heck is going
on with arbonne???? are the done or is some rich person going to buy it. what a mess.
I have been with Arbonne for 12 years and I am happy to tell everyone here that I am an Arbonne lifer no matter what!! I have read all of the comments so please don’t respond to me about how I need to be afraid and run the other way! I am honestly happy that Arbonne is cleaning house because the management team that has been in place for the last 5 years stunk!! Yes we had growth but in the end of it these people helped to contribute to the problems. HP took us down the wrong road and I remember exactly the thought I had the day they announced Bob Henry as the new CEO. I thought we were doomed because of his past MLM backround and the companies he was with before, I just knew he was not a fit for our company. Let Arbonne clean house and let’s get some new talent into managment and I could really care less if the new CEO has past MLM experience or not. She is a business women and she is here to make it as successful as possible. I didn’t think Carol H. ran the customer service dept. all that well because the past year has been terrible c/s. Good riddance if you can’t get your people to provide good c/s then get out and get someone else in to do a better job.
When the Inmann’s came up with the Puppy Dog system, not everone in the comapny went for it, I knew it was not a great way to build a lasting business, so I didn’t participate. I knew it was going to blow up in people’s face and I am glad that
A. Inman is gone because his idea contributed to a lot of problems that happened. In the end of it all the people that are leaving and gone were either not a good fit for Arbonne and or we have had our time and now it is time for someone new. Candace did a great job for us but her leaving allowed us to get into the company even bigger and better talent! Good luck to her but I am glad we have Peter M.
Everyone out there that is trying to place fear in people or get people to jump ship to your opportunity… heads up, Arbonne will make it through and even stronger and better. If you never make a mistake in life how do you become stronger and better? IF you stay the same you become stale and stagnet, and other people pass you by. It is the ebb an flow of life and every person and business will go through it. As any company grows it never stays the same or the way it used to be. It is just a fact of life, the only thing I can say is is that All of the original NVP’s are still on board, the vibe of what is going on in the field is better than ever, the true integrity is coming back, tools and systems are getting put into place and WE WILL SURVIVE!!
Blessings to all who are in, stay in, come in the future or leave!
Wow. How can someone be more loyal to Arbonne than they are to their own family? That’s kind of what I am hearing.
Amway IBO’s have been saying the same thing for years “there’s never been a better time”.
Can you really look at what has happened in your business over the last 6 months and say that without feeling something in your stomach?
My point is not about family loyalty, too bad that you missed it.
I am not here to recruit anyone and I didn’t mention “timing” in anything. I am only stating that we will make it through this and we will be a stronger company. If you think the company shouldn’t come through this a better and stronger company then I feel sorry for you. This is what I am hearing out of your comment…
And Yes the feeling in my stomach over the last 6 months with Arbonne have been peace and joy about what I am doing and where Arbonne is headed. 🙂 Peace to you…
That was my whole point….your loyalty to Arbonne even though it may not be in the best interest of your family’s future.
I hope Arbonne makes changes so that the newest and average person makes money, but I don’t see that happening, especially with the comp plan.
For all who don’t believe in what many are saying, I feel sorry for you.
Great loyalty though.
The company has lost “itself”. The “hope” that they gave seems to be gone.
It will take a MASSIVE comeback for them to be a Force again.
And no, I’m not instilling fear. I am telling my truth from 6 years of information.
When Top Management begins to disappear or bankruptcy rumors start or Top Reps begin to disappear or we cannot order product at particular times or CEOs come in and go start other companies within years, it has to make you go hummm…..
There are many who will continue to be the “worker bees” of the business to keep them going for a while.
Believe what you want and we will watch it unfold.
Always question when someone leaves and they need someone new, i think this is a sinking ship, believe me they will keep everyone on board until they have made their last penny!! It’s like GM the good times are gone, be careful when you believe so die hard in something you truly know very little about, im not talking about the product but what is going on in the headquarters, unless you work in there you have no idea, ive been in business and at the helm, that is where you learn the most.
So MB and Disappointed greatly, where did you guys work in the company of Arbonne? Is it really that bad. How could they do that trip for those NVPs in Hawaii this week if things were that bad. What is the real story of what is going on? Please share more if you know.
PLEASE share what you know. I either want to sh__ or get off the pot.
Ty — what’s wrong with the comp plan? It seems very fair and balanced.
The only fact on this entire post from “TY” is correct info he posted from a phone call. And maybe from the one’s who have a fact on someone leaving by giving the actual corporate name. Everything else is from others who can’t post their name, give names and or just want to make up crap so they can feel like they have contributed to something they have no real idea is going to happen or truly what is going on. No one can really say what is going to happen to Arbonne. This is all speculation. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone on here posting isn’t working or being paid to blog comments about a company they have no idea about or is upset that they couldn’t even get to DM or didn’t pick up the phone to make their own business work….and blah blah about inside stuff going on..give some facts…anyone can read into this that most of these posting are self gratifying and have nothing to do with Arbonne. As for the trips..I just earned the trip to AZ all paid for…so yes..banks own Arbonne….things happened…control is going now…NVP’s in Hawaii paid for by Arbonne…so how can the sky be falling so hard on Arbonne. As for other companies who have gone through something similar and faced doom….at this point they never would be spending (or being allowed to spend), checks would be delayed or not paid (mine still comes on time)and these great trips besides NTC would have been called off. Ladies and Gentleman never let people who have no names guide you into quitting anything or joining anything. The comp plan is the best it has ever been now if people get off their a__ and make it work for them. Why am I here posting unless Ty doesn’t allow me…So that anyone who is looking at this business and may find this site has another side to read.
Arbonne has a 1950’s compensation plan in the mold of Amway…a Stair-step Breakaway.
Here is a link that explain this type of comp plan:
http://mlmblog.net/2010/01/network-marketing-compensation-plans-part-1-the-stair-step-breakaway.html
Arbonne has a stairstep breakaway for those who want to be in the business as business builders growing a team. Amway business builders in the past made millions. They are business builders…not everyone wants to build an organization. Arbonne has either a way to earn 35% to 50% for those who sell Retail (I have several on my team who do just sell Retail)and a Preferred Client Program recently added that enables a person to earn 15% on top of the STAIRSTEP so if a person can just sign up PC’s earn 15% and not even have to place their own order to get a check off that 15%..so not the same as AMway 1950’s module. Because Amway didn’t have a PC program or better yet…didn’t have a sign up and a person could earn without placing an order to get the commission. So, Arbonne has 3 ways to make money. I have a mixture in my organization. I Would not want to just make 50% and sell product and only earn 1% in most companies. This way in Arbonne those who want to work it differently can.
Julie, companies from the governments great bailouts were still spending their loan money on lavish trips. That happened last year. A company took their employees to an island and they spent 500,000. So, yes, ARbonne can be doing that on borrowed money. In fact, the US has done things on borrowed money. This is what got us all in the economic mess. EVeryone fell for these loans and cards and presto…… 2010. Everywhere you turn, econonmic this and that. ARbonne is no different.
Mary, that same company who spent on trips, is still growing and is STILL in business after the spending happened. Whose fault was it? Not everyone in the business you speak of is a Devil. People will alway spend and any business will have it’s issues..The company you are using as an example is doing very well. Everyone FELL for loans and cards..how about those who took out cards and loans knowing they didn’t have the funds to pay should take responsibility too. Of course Arbonne is no different…they will continue also. From my understanding the money to borrow isn’t there and wasn’t when others were involved, so where is the money for these nice trips and product development. If the topic is bankruptcy..than you tell me who is giving them money for trips? Nobody…Growth is happening again and cut backs have been made. Your comment can be made about 80% of the companies out there. What are we going to do…just lay down and wonder if tomorrow will bring an email…saying don’t worry everything is going to be okay or vice versa. People brought in methods to Arbonne that changed everything and from what I hear..those people are GONE. Okay, I have spent to much time here…Actually I love debate but need to stop this so you guys can continue to have a few days to bash and wonder if Arbonne is going to make it.
Funny with you bringing in the devil, that must be your issue. However,ar, did ways pride on saying debt free. This should never have been said. I also don’t think we should be like all the other companies and say oh well, everyone else has debt.
Fact is sales went down, that is why the #s are not being shown.
Again, believe what you want. I know what I heard, what I saw and witnessed many things.
If it makes you happy to build your business, have at it; but,
don’t bash people who are telling the truth.
It is obvious that it’s not good to share identities.
We can do that once the company shuts down.
The products may be great for those who can still afford them. Loads of other skincare companies have figured out that herbal botanical is good. That edge is gone now.
People are spending smarter and unless you are offering 50% off, they are buying 1 product here and then mixing it with a department store brand or something from cvs
I watched loads of people take out second mortgages, max their credit cards and then get into nasty family fights over trying to sustain this company.
They became wise and that run is over.
I am only sharing the truth from my view. You can beat this up all you want; but, this is my truth.
Just like many other companies, Arbonne may survive but to thrive takes integrity and that is now gone.
As people struggle to put food on the table, Arbonne takes its NVPs to lavish locations. How long can that last?
How can you walk into a home party and promote a white mercedes when people are battling to pay the mortgage.
i know the saying…well then they SHOULD do this if they can’t pay their mortgage.
Again, I say, get out the credit cards, take out the loans and hope that your friends have plenty of spending cash to keep your volume up.
Hey disappointed. So do you think Arb will go down? What is cvs??? So is just taking the nvps to Hawaii on credit no doubt. Were you a VP that left. No one is saying and this Julie person is another consultant who might be from WAHM boards. Her answers always end with I’m not going to say anything since I will be busy with my business and then she keeps coming back to the boards to comment. She isn’t a VP and she doesn’t know everything.
Disappointed, is Pierre from Switzerland gone too. I didn’t see him on the corporate site either? So what else is really going on with ARbonne. I think consultants and people should hear your truth.
I am so disappointed that Arbonne DM would go back to blaming Andy Inman. I guess they didn’t ask you when they gave him the Spirit of Arbonne Award, huh? Like one man, all by his lonesome, changed the whole company. It is pretty clear that the results approach was largely responsible for corporate sales doubling every year for 5 years until the corporate team decided they didn’t like that approach. 3 years later and they had lost half a BILLION dollars in sales. Tim Malloy said that the folks that came in with the results approach continued to buy products consistently more often that the folks that came in for $29. Quit bad-mouthing people. It really shows a lack of character.
Secondly, I was a VP. I saw what happened and I hear from great sources what is continuing to happen and yes it’s bad. Just wait. The Kookaid continues to pour….
The management of the company allowed the tail to wag the dog. The top 10 meetings were cat fights. Harvest Partners gave up on trying to get everybody to agree and since they had gotten all their money back, they bailed. I heard from friends on FB about the financial problems weeks before we heard it from corporate. Shameful.
I continue to be surprised by the number of consultants who haven’t been told that the company is in a financial tail spin. Why? Need to keep that check coming right? We get calls all the time from people that “just found out” and are mad as heck. Whatever the “plan” is for the company to recover, they are doing the worst job possible with PR. I continue to hear from NVP’s and RVP’s that are bailing the ship for something else more stable. For those that stay I wish you the best. I don’t have to hope you do badly in order to well myself. But, staying “no matter what” sounds like a battered wife excuse to me. The top executives seems to have gotten the message. But, oh yeah, they were bad for the company, right? DM, they WERE the company that you were bragging on..the team you wouldn’t leave no matter what…hmmm.
Look for more intimidation, mis-information and spin…Whatever they have to do to make a buck right? Integrity went out the window a few years back when Candy left. Did you know Candy? Did you personally know of her passion for Arbonne? Did you know she left to start another skin care company? Hmmmm.
DM, did you know ANY of the people who have left personally? Did they bring in a District Manager into the strategy sessions? You haven’t a clue what you are talking about but I appreciate your enthusiasm. So sad that it is a blind enthusiasm.
Why do you think the NVP’s and RVP’s are leaving? With such a great recovery plan, such great financial opportunity, with all the kool aid available why in the world are they leaving? We’re talking the most successful people in the company..Some in the top 10. They aren’t all leaving for one company either. Different personalities, different opportunities, same disgust.
Why are the very top NVP’s staying…Hoping not to loose millions of dollars. Why aren’t they telling their team about the financial problems??? Hoping not to loose millions of dollars….Integrity? How do you bring someone into this business and NOT tell them what’s going on? Really, that’s soooooo unethical…
Mary….you are so right…The people deserve the TRUTH. Everybody just needs to keep asking hard questions…
Hey TY…The sad thing is…if this rumor is true….is that the NVP hadn’t lost all confidence in the company until it effected HER paycheck…What about all the “little people” who have been hurt? Sad, Sad, Sad….
Hi Everyone,
I haven’t been on the blog in quite awhile so here goes more of my opinion. I was a top producing NVP and my team did millions a year. We were very blessed until the corporate greed, arrogance and stupidity ruined Arbonne. I made a decision to start working another company as well so we would not lose our home. Long story short Arbonne changed their policies in October 2009 and I ended up losing what was left of my business. Arbonne dismissed me with an email after all I had achieved with them, this was a horrible way to go let me tell you!
There is a huge internal upheaval going on right now inside the company. From what I understand they will have to start the Chapter 11 proceedings very soon unless they can get ALL the banks to agree on restructuring. If they do end up filing Chapter 11 I believe by law every consultant/client has to be notified that has been active with Arbonne within the past 24 months. I personally know business builders that are actively recruiting new people and not telling them A THING about a potential BK! How embarrassing it will be when these new people come back to their upline feeling like they have been taken advantage of.
I agree with Ty that Arbonne has a very old compensation plan. It does not pay well and you get punished with pay cuts in some instances for promoting new team members. There are many MLM companies out there that have much better pay plans with unique consumable products. Network marketing has really exploded in just the past 3 years and it will only continue to get better and more accepted in the future.
Arbonne is coming out with some great products this year and they will try to lure people in on that pretense. But the reality is there should be so much more to a company besides products. I personally knew and worked with all the executives that left, there is no one at corporate that has any real experience in network marketing. Contrary to what someone was saying in a comment, this experience can make or BREAK a company. As we have seen with the demise of Arbonne. In the past 2-3 years they have gone from almost a billion dollars in sales down to about 300 million. They hide their numbers now and if you look at the million dollar club it is still shrinking. Plus they took off all the NVP’s numbers from past years. They are hiding things as best they can. Do not be fooled by promotions, they reduced their qualifications by 20%. And there were only 2 NVP’s that promoted in the US in 2009, all the rest were international and maybe 16 total. That is nothing compared to how it was.
Of course they will still do the NVP trip, if they lose the confidence of their remaining NVP’s it’s all over. By the way the total number of NVP’s that attended was WAY down from even last year- a very bad sign. But paying Duran Duran at NTC? That’s a pure waste of money they don’t have……
Only time will tell how Arbonne gets through it. But I can tell you there are MANY VP’s working another business as well to try and make ends meet. And our “free” car- well I continue to pay my “free” car payment of $1,100.00 a month. I received a $1,000.00 car payment from Arbonne so it wasn’t a big deal AT THE TIME. Our family needed a SUV so the car we needed came with a payment like that. They force you to buy a Mercedes which I always thought was wrong. So now I am stuck making these huge payments with no Arbonne check. My car has imploded in value and I am so upside down I can’t trade it in. Every time I have to drive it I am reminded of this whole saga. I am not the only VP that feels this way, there are many others.
I don’t mean to bum anyone out, but this is the absolute truth of what’s going on. Take care everyone and really think things through!
What’s going on? Did they file the chapter 11 yet? So many top leaders have left. Just heard that Jerry Nichols joined another company. They were just on a call a little over a month ago denying all these rumors. With all the top leaders leaving and the executive staff something must be up. Now I’m worried.
Sadness, how did they change the comp plan in Oct 2009??? Yes, even the top guy of Corporate ARbonne Canada left. He went to a different nutritional company. You don’t leave when Canada is doing well with promotion. He must of seen more since the sales of Canada can’t sustain the whole company. OUr states have more sales and it is not helping. He left since he saw what is coming. Of course he wouldn’t tell his Canadian consultants. What does he do? He leaves to a better offer elsewhere. He said he was happy last month and now he’s gone. Now Nichols is gone to another company. Is his wife Rachel still doing ARbonne.
Sadness. what happened to you. Which company did you go to??? Tell us some more truth. Hey, if you are not with ARbonne now, let us know. What is this Kay person like?
I heard they have some Ayreveda type of line coming up?(Vata, Pitta and Kapha types etc) ancient indian way of living.
Mary, it hurts to hear your uncertainty with Arbonne. You obviously have worked really hard to build a business and yes Canada was doing really well and no it can’t sustain the whole company.
I think you would be wise to keep your options open. It is a fact that many of the top executives have left. Makes you wonder why if the company was as stable as the present management suggests. And, if what Ty said he heard is correct then there may be some extra doubt cast on how stable it is if the company is seeking to reduce compensation to the consultants. You’d think they’d cut back on some of the extravagant spending and focus on helping the consultants. Of course the present management is going to spin it in a positive direction. What bothered me was that there was an apparent overt attempt to withhold information from the consultants.
No, I’m not with Arbonne any longer. I’ve had all sorts of MLM companies trying to recruit me over the years and although I looked at some of them I was basically unrecruitable. I was so into Arbonne…But when Arbonne abandoned me I felt like my family was more important so I began to look hard at what was out there. The company I chose isn’t in Canada yet but it’s one of the first that we are going in to. I wish that there was a way for us to chat about it but it would be unreasonable of you to throw away all that you’ve built to let everybody know that you were looking at something else. Arbonne might yank your number like they did mine..However, I will say that I now have the enthusiasm that I once had with Arbonne and my team is growing daily. Maybe we can figure out a way to chat…
Ok everyone. Should I stay or go from arbonne. I love the stuff and have been doing great. However, do I keep bringing in people or stop. There is truth to the debt and all I want is the truth. This way I know how to proceed.
Mary, can’t anyone make your mind up for you….You have to do that…If you think you can bring people into this business with a clear conscience and you honestly think you and your team can continue to do well when they file for bankruptcy or become owned by the banks then you should continue…I just know that before the mgmt team told the NVP’s that we actually did have a problem with debt, there were friends of mine on FB telling ME that we had a problem. If they file for bankruptcy is will be big time news and nobody but the mgmt team and those that have paychecks to protect will believe that is a good thing. EVERYBODY be talking about it on the internet. Would you join a company knowing that they had allowed their organization to be covered with a mountain of debt? Would you join a company that knew they had a problem that big and kept it from their most loyal and successful people? Wouldn’t you be asking “what else are they hiding?” Would you join a company that when you did your due diligence you found out that most of their top people were jumping ship? What if when you “googled” Arbonne you found out that they had just filed bankruptcy? How would you feel toward the person that tried to get you on board if they didn’t tell you the things that you just found out? I’ve not independently confirmed what Ty wrote on here about the mgmt trying to get the NVP’s to give up some of their commission but I find it hard to believe that with his reputation he would print that if he didn’t believe it was good information…So, what do you think that the NVP that stormed out of the room is going to say to her team? Do you think she’ll try and get others to join? If it wasn’t true I would have expected someone to come on this blog and say so…but even without that being true what you KNOW is true is enough to create a personal conflict in most people who would consider speaking to someone about investing their time and money into Arbonne. But, as long as you tell someone the truth and they want to do it anyway…ethically I think you’re off the hook. It just was more than I could stomach and I had to leave. I really wanted to have the opportunity to do well in what I was spending my time at and I felt it was going to be impossible with Arbonne since people were already beginning to talk on the internet and when the bank ownership or bankruptcy becomes official it’s going to go viral. For one of the top MLM’s in the country to implode in 3 years is pretty big news in this industry. But, at least they got Duran Duran, right.
Hey truth,
Did you say you were a nvp before? How did
arbonne change the comp plan. Apparently right now
arb is owned by a few banks until they decide what to do.
How long did you do arb for? Why did they get rid if Stian
and is Pierre from Switzerland still involved?
Mary,,Yes, II was an NVP…I also have a bunch of great friends that are/were ENVP’s. The comp plan wasn’t changed. The policies and procedures were changed. Shannon Johnson (top 10) was given an ultimatum to either have her HUSBAND leave the Trump Network that he had joined or have to resign. Apparently, the mgmt team thought it was worth loosing Shannon rather than to have her husband you hadn’t sold $25 worth of makeup to anybody, go to work for another MLM. She thought about it and resigned. She doesn’t like to be intimidated. I guess that style of mgmt worked at McDonald’s but it cost Arbonne some of their best people and the fall out is just beginning. …..I understand that there are 12 banks that are involved with the loans that Arbonne is collateral for. That may be off by one or more but not many. I was in Arbonne for over 5 years. Stian wasn’t a part of the new ownership (harvest partners) and they wanted their own people. They saw him as expendable. I believe his position was negotiated when Pieter (sp?) sold the company. Petre died last year. Candace was the one that I believe they all hated to see go. She got fed up and left and started another skin care company and I hear she got one of the top NVP’s to join her mgmt team recently. They also hired a guy named Jack Crowley to head up their international expansion but he, like Brad Weymont and Tim Maloy didn’t last long either. It’s really been sort of topsy turvy at mgmt for some time. The problem that they have is that none of the mgmt team really had/has any experience with network marketing. Some of them had experience with direct sales. Not sure what selling hamburgers and french fries has to do with a network marketing company but so far Kay’s decisions have left a lot to be desired. I think it’s telling that the banks want to take control of the company. And since banks don’t want to own it they will do their best to sell it. Perhaps Avon or somebody will buy it. Lord knows what will happen but you can rest assured that there will be another mgmt change. All in all its just real unstable right now. Unless you listen to an ENVP who has a huge check they are trying to protect then everything is great….whatever.
Hey guys! I am also a former ENVP from Arbonne and all that you are hearing is true. I left because of an opportunity that is actually bigger than I have ever seen in Arbonne. I made 6 figures in Arbonne and moved over to this company….along with several other ENVPs and VP’s in general. I would love to tell you about it!! Our team is flying up the promotional ladder and we haven’t even entered the momentum stage yet. Leaving a 6 figure income didn’t make me blink because of how good this is! Email me and I will get you information!!! If you are SERIOUS about making income please let me know….if your business is a hobby then please just stay where you are. Blessings to all no matter what you do!
Mary and others: First CVS is a pharmacy chain that has things similar to Rite Aid.
Second, the job of Arbonne and it’s top management is to make you “believe” that you still have an opportunity.
Third, my faith is very strong. God will not allow this greed to continue to hurt others. Arbonne again, is not who they were. They are doing what God said not to do to others. Because of that, I know that His answers will prevail for that company.
Fourth, I saw things happening over 1 1/2 years ago; but, kept working, hoping it would get better. Instead it got worse and put our family into a financial tail spin
Fifth, this Julie who bloggs, you are either an NVP who doesn’t want to lose millions or someone who does not care about others. People are telling their Truths on here and instead of using your “head”, you just begin to bash them. Were you hired by Arbonne to do this? LISTEN…There are people who are telling their stories.
Sixth, Arbonne has a long way to go, if they ever make it.
I hear of people who are looking at many ways to get back what Arbonne took from their families
JUST ANOTHER CORPORATE GREED CASE…Corporate first, people last; but pretend they are first by throwing a bone here or there.
GREED, LOSS OF INTEGRITY, DECEIT, LIES..What does that typically do for a person or company? hummmm…..
Did you see that Cecelia nearly fell out of the top 10 ?? See November Million Dollar Club ranking…Down to number 9. Wow.
This is Jerry Nichols. I was notified that this blog recently posted false information about me. I wanted to make a “one-time” post that the rumor that I left Arbonne is false.
Both Rachele and I are committed to Arbonne, our amazing consultants and the wonderful friendships that we have with so many consultants in Arbonne. There are many things in this world worth fighting for and Arbonne is certainly one of them.
This year we are celebrating Arbonne’s 30th anniversary. We are committed to working with Arbonne and celebrating many more decades together.
Truth, I didn’t see that on the Nov/09 rankings. In fact they don’t have any listed. It only shows rankings for April/09
All the other months doesn’t show. They did take the actual numbers now and are not showing them. They just have the people ranked in order.
Wow. thanks Truth and Disappointed for sharing. It is such a shame that funds were mismanaged. So right now sales are just maintaining the expenses. So what are the banks doing with ARbonne? Chap 11 means restructuring.
So is Pierre still around then??? The french guy from Switzerland. He was fstill on the website when Candace was around. Candace was great. Sad that she left.
To: Jerry Nichols
Just to be clear, this site has not posted any information about you and your wife.
Someone may have done so in the comments, but we have not.
Thanks,
Ty Tribble
Founder
MLMBlog.net
Hey Mary….Seems like I just say it the other day…Wonder if they took it down? I guess they took down the numbers because they continue to drop and that wouldn’t support their claims that everything is hunky dory, right….
Not sure about the Pierre Batigleria (sp?) I was thinking the was still around. Quite an amazing fellow.
I’m not sure what’s going to happen….Bankruptcy or Bank Owned…No new info coming out of corporate since October..knew they had gotten some sort of extension…But time is running out…something will be done…And, whatever happens may be better than what’s going on now but if Bankruptcy is better, then what does that say about how bad it is now?? Glad to see that Jerry addressed the rumor. I would have been surprised to learn that he was leaving..too much invested and too big a paycheck to bail now…Loyalty is a virtue but gee whiz you would think that his training would cause him to be careful about being so optimistic given the high stakes nature of the whole debt restructuring deal with the kind of sales they’ve been posting. But unlike so many who have gone to such lengths here to bash people, Jerry is the kind of guy that you can’t help but wish well personally. At least he and his wife have stayed busy trying to support their team unlike so many NVP’s and RVP’s that are jumping back on the Arbonne bandwagon after being totally removed from doing anything for 2 years or better…it would be interesting to know how much info about the financial condition of the company has been passed down to the little people on the teams. Like I said I keep getting phone calls from people that just found out…amazing. It really is past time for mgmt to get real with their people…
Hey Mary, I just checked yesterday..Look under The Spot and follow the prompts to Millionaire Club..they had them up through November….
I think Pierre is still with the organization. He was quite a talented person so they say.
I think you are right about Chapter 11 and reorganization. Never experienced it personally so not sure what all it means. A/B mgmt seems to think it’s great. Maybe compared to the present mess they’re in it is but being debt free and kicking butt like they used to be was far better. Something they don’t seem to understand is that MLM organizations fall apart from the outside in. By that I mean the little people on the outside are unable to make money so they quit and then that effects the ones above them and so on and so on until it impacts the big check people. I guess that’s the reason that they have been reluctant to make sure EVERYBODY is aware of the financial difficulties. It’s also why the only people you’ll hear speaking about Arbonne are the big shots..It used to be that the most important people on one’s team were the last one’s to join…doesn’t appear that’s the case any more. Out of curiosity Mary, when did you find out and how? Did your upline tell you what was going on and when did they tell you. The NVP call was in late October.
Just a little FYI… Cecilia Stoll did not just suddenly “almost fall” out of the top 10 in the million dollar club. It is now just posted alphabetically, so STOLL would be towards the bottom. Again folks, crazy rumors and assumptions flying here. Be careful what you believe!
Okay, on to other things now. Yes – the “restructuring/bankruptcy” is coming up. The is a HUGE public relations blast that is going to be coming out at the same time. Arbonne is still a cash-flow positive company.They will be putting their best foot forward. Are they up to their eyeballs in debt thanks to good old Harvest Partners and the loans that they took out to buy lavish boats/homes/cars etc? Yes. Right now, that is. Thanks to Ira’s greed and others, they nearly ran Arbonne into the ground. But now, Arbonne will be able to go thru the restructuring/bankruptcy and come out without the massive debt load they have now. There are several other direct sales/network marketing companies that have done the same thing lately. In fact, I was a part of one that did it 4 years ago before I joined Arbonne. (Yes, I am a consultant and plan to remain one!) The other company that filed Ch 11 is doing very well right now, and no one even mentions it or worries about it any more. So I’ve been there/done that, and I’m here to stay with Arbonne.
Intheknow: So you left the other company 4 years ago. Interesting that you would change companies. And now you are here to stay with this one. Isn’t that ironic? So many have come into Arb from other companies yet when someone leaves Arb they are ridiculed and criticized. Double standards abound. If you choose to stay, more power to ya.
Wouldn’t it be great if the truth came from corporate instead of people speculating about what really is the truth? They are covering up so much. They used to post the top ten by volume instead of abc order. Since they no longer post volume numbers they have gone to a different system. Who would know since they didn’t tell anyone their new system. Don’t be surprised that people are trying to find the truth elsewhere because up until now, you can’t get it from corporate. Why aren’t they posting volume numbers?
here is the million dollar club and it is not in alphabetical order!! Look it up!!
1. Johnson, Donna Cave Creek, AZ
2. Wilkinson, Deana Sandy, UT
3. Linder, Euphiazene Brentwood, TN
4. Newcomb, Julianne Scottsdale, AZ
5. Irwin, Neta Fountain Hills, AZ
6. Waugh, Carol Brentwood, TN
7. McIntyre, Martha Norman, OK
8. Tillinghast, Sandra & Ted Cardiff by the Sea, CA
9. Stoll, Cecilia Edmond, OK
10. Pipkin, Cindy Oklahoma City, OK
11. Parker, Linda Edmond, OK
12. Collins, Dana Savannah, GA
13. Herrin, Deanna Edmond, OK
14. Osborn, Deanna Dublin, OH
15. Nelson, Carleeta Oklahoma City, OK
16. Hagedorn, Lynn Blair, NE
BTW….I would LOVE to see my name on this list.!!! Just because you aren’t #1 all the time doesn’t mean you are going DOWN!.
Keep it Real, the truth will be coming from corporate very soon only because they are being forced by law to tell it. Based on information from my NVP who was in Hawaii the banks do not agree on a prepackaged bankruptcy, it will be public and arbonne must notify in writing all consultants and clients who have been involved in the past 24 months in writing. Evidently the final bank vote (50 or so banks) is complete weds. I was told that top management feels pretty certain that the vote will not meet the 2/3 necessary to keep it private so they prepared everyone there for the “onslaught” that will come with public notification of the bankruptcy on Weds. Lots of PR and lots of “keep it positive and protect what we have” speak. I am not sure how I feel about it all. My husband is much more a realist and recommends I do my best not to create more deception by painting a pretty picture of this to prospects. He has been told numbers and he is very concerned that the real truth is quite bad. I feel really bad for everyone and even more grateful that my arbonne income never reached a level that we required it to keep our household in tact. If I needed my check desperately like many do and I had an expensive car payment on top of it I may find myself compromising my true beliefs and values to keep the roof over my head. My poor ENVP was in tears when she shared this information and apologized for not sharing it sooner, she feels like she has been so deceptive because she was aware but kept it secret also because she needs her check and car payment. I got the impression that top NVPs have known this for a while but did not share because they were hoping the truth would not be made public. In the Know, did you leave the past mlm/direct sales company because of the financial problems they were experiencing 4 years ago? And will you share the company name? My husband wants to do some serious research on the situation before I continue to build my arbonne business this information could help.
Did you say this Wednesday??? I heard this from a side NVP. Name, please share since I’m in the same situation like you. It is not right to keep people in the dark. I love the biz but had 3 nvps above me taken away. They were doing crooked things and got caught. I have side lines who also stopped the biz so I’m being a lone ranger right now. Your ENVP told you this from this past trip.
Mary: Don’t be so critical of your upline NVP’s! I am only guessing but the “crooked things” you are talking about are probably working another business. If that is the case, they were trying to find a way to replace their lost income. Do you have any idea of what it’s like to watch your income disintegrate by 70% as you literally WORK YOUR BUTT OFF to no avail? Sleepless nights of wondering how your family will survive? How you’re going to pay the bills, perhaps maybe losing your home, etc????? My heart aches for those who have depended on their Arbonne income, being reassured time and time again that Arbonne would prevail, come back stronger than ever. Lied to over and over and over again. The desperation some are experiencing over their loss of income is heartbreaking.
Many have stopped working the business because it has been absolutely FUTILE to continue or their conscience wouldn’t allow them to paint a picture that did not exist. You get no reward for being a lone ranger.
Not sure why you are being so critical of me. Those ENVP got kicked out for stealing my prospects that I had signed up. It was illegal since they were signed up. Really messy. Then they tried making our comp plan a binary system. Another illegal thing since it is a break away comp. So yes, I don’t have any above vps to work with but I have my MAC pro and iphone. You don’t need a NVP to get to the top. You just need to be in your own and work it. Everyone starts as one and then moves up. Why are you so bitter with me. I was only on the site for some truth not to be backlashed for using the words lone ranger. Every success started as a thought since energy preceeds matter.
Whoops forgot one more thing. They also made up people who didn’t even exist using a fake security number. They didn’t have to bring another network company in since they were too busy with all this. They had done this to 10 on their team. So if you don’t call that crooked………
Then they also wanted us to follow some personal coach called Dani johhson and they had people go to those seminars and buys leads. Glad I didn’t waste money on that. So in some ways, they couldn’t see that they could do the job. It is sad that they are 50+++ and had to act that way. They would be preaching the lord and then you turn your back and they would steal. The one lost her house since she also was buying over 5,000 worth of inventory to try to hold her title. Then lost rvp after that and now is very ill. So moral is don’t do something to someone that you wouldn’t do to yourself.
I was never in debt with ARb and kept making sure that I had a positive cash flow. However, many people didn’t know how to manange their money and overspent. They were doing what seems to be happening in Upper management now.
It is so sad to see the desperate sharks circling based on rumors and inaccurate information. Way to go Jerry and Rachele! Arbonne with flourish and the CREAM will rise to the top, as always.
I guess nonsense must be trying to hold onto her cheque too! Please enlighten us with your accurate info, if the rest is all just rumors.
The red flags have been waving for sometime now. No one can excuse the many changes that have been going on with Arbonne, whether you admit it or not.
I would like to enlighten with you some info regarding the demographics. No rumor here. This is in black and white! The demo’s have been gone for awhile off the site,for a good reason, they are dropping drastically!
Through research,here are the most recent demo’s to be found. May 2009 back to sept 07. Texas 264 rvp’s down to 84. Oklahoma147 rvp’s to78. Georgia 104 rvp’s to 41. Hawaii, this really fell in the ocean, 38 rvp’s to 5, and 148 am’s to 10!! There a few, very few states that haven’t changed. The rest have decreased anwhere from 40-80% less managers and vp’s. Ummm, know we really know why this isan’t for our eyes to see. If someone has the very latest demo’s that show an increase, please do share! This along with so much else being taken off the site, and upper management leaving without us knowing. I guess one could say if you don’t have anything to hide you won’t hide it. A lot has been hidden from all of us! Quit denying the cold hard facts that there is trouble brewing! And do be honest with your potential buss builders too! They will find out about this eventually like the rest of us!
Tired of hearing that it’s all HP’s fault! Are you kidding, they seen the writing on the wall and bailed! Do you really think if they seen a billion dollar company on it’s way, they would have bailed? Really!
I’m disgusted with the deceit and lies, from our once wonderful company, and the people who have their heads stuck in the sand! How could anyone possibly believe anything Arbonne tells us now, how great things are going to be, blah, blah, blah. They haven’t been honest with us up till now!
Arbonne if they survive, will never be the same. It will take years for this to all turn around if it does, and with major changes too!
I do hope they pull through for the many families, and single mom’s that solely rely on their Arbonne income.
My belief and trust is gone! Trust is someting that is earned!
Hey Facts…pretty amazing down turn in the RVP and Manager numbers…Especially when one considers that each undoubtedly had a pretty big performance account that carried them for months…..One hates to be cynical….but one has to wonder if this might have played a part in the mgmt increasing the length of time for title maintenance…hmmm.
Keep It Real…you hit the nail on the head for me. I lost my ability to be able to present a realistic opportunity to prospects. I no longer believed that they could do what I had done. When all you have left to present is some sort of illusion…it’s time to move on…
Hey Name…at least your NVP finally told you something…Many at the bottom of the ladder still haven’t been told but they are definitely finding out. I still get calls from people who are in shock…But, in all fairness, I would imagine that there has been some pretty heavy pressure put on them to be a “Team” player by the other NVP’s and mgmt. It takes courage to go against the flow especially when you have a pretty big check coming in and you’re basking in the Hawaiian sun…It wouldn’t surprise me to see more and more VP’s come out of the closet on it soon.
If they don’t they will loose all credibility which would be tragic if they find themselves looking to another MLM. Who would want to follow a person who treated their downline with such contempt? If they cross that invisible time line on coming clean they better hope that Arbonne turns around because they won’t have the option of starting over with a new organization. Trust is a key element in this industry.
Well, well, well, so Arbonne finally let everyone know that they ARE bankrupt. All you bloggers have been spouting about how ethical and honest they are. I was raised to be honest and pay my debtors. This is dishonest and dispicable. I am sick of hearing that it’s ok to file and pretend they didn’t screw up hundreds of lives. It is wrong! I am done believing as they are saying in all the marketing fluff. Believe in WHAT?
It is obviouse that you have a PR agency trying to spin this for us. That too is dishonest! Stop it! Just stop it! Rita, I do believe you are a just and honest Woman. I’m sure you need to stay for the good of your family and I feel sad thinking of what you must be going through.
I am so done!
No more rumors, the truth is out. $804 million in liabilities??????
http://www.reuters.com/article/bankruptcyNews/idUSN2722426020100127
Hey nonsense! You better go put your head in the sand and work it.
YOU ARE GUILTY ARBONNE OF BETRAYAL! Betrayal to your consultants and to your own code of ethics! SHAME ON YOU! You are now a disgrace to your people who believed in you! I am so sorry for this sad day!
Let the spin begin…806 Million in liabilities!! Wow…Down to 378 Million in Sales from well over 800 Million in 2006. The game is over.
Mary, My head is not in the sand, and my decision is crystal clear. I will ethically continue to support my team and their incomes, and will deal with this restructuring transparently. It is the downline’s decision to stay or go. I could jump to another company in a second and get paid to do so, but I won’t. I stand by my team and my love of Arbonne. We are all free agents. Some will, some won’t… My team members were all aware of the situation, and made their own decision. 100% of my managers and VPs decided to stay. Arbonne will survive and flourish, and the people who had faith, and are loyal, will prevail. Read below:
Here is the rest of the story…. The debt will be cut by 80% in 60 days! Arbonne is NOT closing the doors, and it will emerge from this restructuring stronger than ever. The real test of character is how one operates under adverse conditions. Arbonne consultants are smart and resilient, and they will see the bigger picture. This is a small bump in the road for a 30-year old LEGACY company!
Here is the start of the Reuters article:
* Expects to emerge from bankruptcy in 60 days or less
* Assets of $286 million, liabilities of $804 million (Adds details about new ownership, company history)
By Tom Hals
WILMINGTON, Del., Jan 27 (Reuters) – Natural Products Group, owner of the Nature’s Gate line of organic shampoos and soap, filed for bankruptcy protection on Wednesday with the support of its lenders and expects to exit Chapter 11 in two months.
Lenders holding 90 percent of the bank loans voted in favor of the restructuring, which will cut the company’s outstanding debt by 80 percent, the company said in a statement.
i am an investment banker and my wife is with arbonne. I just wanting to ring in here. the past two years , this economy has really done a number on thousands of companies. banks have tightened lending and are not business friendly right now. i have dealt with lots of companies that have gone thru similar situations. This is very normal but has been more frequent recently. General motors, pilgrims pride, general growth properties, to name a few have emerged from ch.11 stronger than before. their stock has risen 500% in a matter of months. private equity firms like HP do this to companies alot. borrow against strong profitable companies then dump them. they have a short-term outlook.
arbonne sales have dropped because of the economy..plan and simple. canada and australia sales are on fire, because their economies were not hit as hard.
Arbonne i think was not being deceptive but rather dealing with upper level business which is beyond the comprehension of the average consultant.
in closing, both i and my wife have been employed by many companies and none have informed,,accommodated, and rewarded like arbonne
Hey name required…. You said Wed the truth will be told, and you nailed it! I don’t want to mention the mlm companies that have filed before, as you inquired earlier to know. However if you google past mlm companies that have filed Chap 11, you should find some answers. Companies can come out of this, however who knows how much debt they had?
Our debt is huge, the numbers don’t measure up well in any area we know about. I know that we don’t all struggle with the amount of debt, as much as the deceit and misleading paths we have been taken down. Very sure there is a lot more being hidden, why wouldn’t there be!
Lowering the qualifications certainly seems like a last ditch effort to keep people on board. Another hoax thrown at us! Think about it……. Arbonne knew what was coming when they lowered qual not long ago. Fully realizing that more rvp’s are going to promote, get their car,quit their jobs possibly ,because they are on top of the world, only to have to face the reality of this. It is going to be a struggle for sometime to build and maintain at any level, if we last! And to have the stress of a car payment on top of it! Everyone is going to find out about this now, no more sneaking the truth from your team. When they do find out, hmmmm….. how hard are they going to work for a unstable company that has filed bankruptcy and mislead us for so long!! Sad, sad situation!!
Reuters article beginning:
* Expects to emerge from bankruptcy in 60 days or less
* Assets of $286 million, liabilities of $804 million (Adds details about new ownership, company history)
By Tom Hals
WILMINGTON, Del., Jan 27 (Reuters) – Natural Products Group, owner of the Nature’s Gate line of organic shampoos and soap, filed for bankruptcy protection on Wednesday with the support of its lenders and expects to exit Chapter 11 in two months.
Lenders holding 90 percent of the bank loans voted in favor of the restructuring, which will cut the company’s outstanding debt by 80 percent, the company said in a statement.
But you are still owned by the bank even if 800+million is down 80%. Then 160+ million still owing and you are owned by banks. The company is not private and that means it is still up for sale. The bank is holding on because it is in their best interest to get their money back. This is business lingo. 95% of the population doesn’t understand it.
So here we have 800+million
200+ million is assets
Then arbonne needs 200 million for everyday operation.
The sales are only 300+million but that was lower in 2009. Remember that is not profit, it is revenue.
This is skincare not real estate, oil or gold. The most common consultant only understands their simple bills and mortgage.
Good luck people. The road is going to be topsy turfy.
today…..
While I agree wholeheartedly that the economy is a little rough right now, that is NOT to blame for the free fall that Arbonne has gone through in the last few years.
More than the issues with economy, a larger problem was the front end loading that became popular in about 2004 or so with the “puppy dog drops”.
Before the pups, the business was built slowly and surely (and solidly, IMO) by doing the usual personals and group presentations.
And also.. the whole “pure safe beneficial” thing is getting waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay old. The playing field has been leveled by many other companies coming out with similar (or better) products that are packaged equally well (or better). There’s lots of effective product out there at more reasonable “real” prices than what Arbonne has been trying to push lately.
JMO (former Arbonne District Manager)
Hey Jo. You are right about the puppy dog/results approach. Arbonne grew at 3 to 4% a year up until we started using the results approach: Then sales doubled 5 years in a row. From 25 Million in annual sales to over 800 million in annual sales. Tim Malloy said that the folks that came in doing the results approach continued to buy products for a longer period of time than those that came in as just a product buyer. He had the corporate numbers to prove it. So to say that the “front loading” caused Arbonne problems is an urban legend promoted by VP’s who were loosing their place in the top 10. Since discontinuing their support for the “results” approach, sales have dropped by half a BILLION dollars…According to the bankruptcy filing comments on Reuters, there has been a drop in the number of consultants by 250,000. The person above compared stats that were once published by Arbonne to show that there has been a drop in the number of RVP’s and other managers, in some states by as much as 80%…All of this since they discontinued their support for results…Arbonne doesn’t have a spending problem…they have a selling problem. But you are totally correct about the playing field being leveled. Nu-Skin is announcing a new product that is based on activity at the cellular level. Others will follow as the science and technology becomes common place. Roden and Fields has already taken quite a few VP’s with them because of their focus on skin care and corporate stability…DM’s who see that they will never get to R and the car are switching over to other companies that give them a reasonable chance at financial success..Maybe they’ll continue to use Arbonne products but they’ve figured out that they don’t want to take 15 years to get to RVP like it took in the “good ole days.” Oh, and by the way…200 in assets, 800 in liabilities = a NEGATIVE NET WORTH. If somebody was to say that Arbonne was worthless they wouldn’t be all that inaccurate.
Sent to all VP’s yesterday –
We announced on a special VP Conference Call earlier today that we received overwhelming approval from our lenders on a restructuring plan that will reduce our outstanding debt obligations by more than 80 percent and materially enhance our financial position. In order to implement this “pre-packaged” restructuring plan, our parent company Natural Products Group, along with its subsidiaries, including Arbonne, filed voluntary petitions for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. Under the plan, all of our obligations to our Independent Consultants, employees and suppliers would be fully honored. Because of the extraordinary support from our lenders, we expect to complete the restructuring very quickly…most likely within 45 to 60 days.
We wanted you to know as soon as possible after we made this filing. We also want to assure you that this is a very important milestone we have achieved to strengthen Arbonne financially and ensure that our company is well-positioned for the future.
We understand you and your SuccessLine team members will have questions and want information about this process and what it means. We have created tools for this purpose for all our Independent Consultants, which are available online for your use.
Please log on to arbonne.com > Internet Consultants > Arbonne Restructuring to view:
Videos
– An Interview with CEO Kay Napier, Facilitated by ENVP Tiffany Bufton
– President Rita Davenport Discusses the Restructuring
– CFO Mark Lehman Provides an Overview
– ENVP Donna Johnson Shares Her Perspective
– A Discussion with our Financial and Legal Advisors
Written Materials
– A Letter from CEO Kay Napier and President Rita Davenport
– Frequently Asked Questions for Independent Consultants
– An “Elevator Speech” Independent Consultants Can Use to Explain the Restructuring
Press Release
– “Natural Products Group Takes Action To Reduce Debt” (January 27, 2010)
Useful Links
– Court Filings and Claims Information, click here or copy-paste the following URL into your Web browser: http://www.npginfo.com
– SEC Information about Chapter 11, click here or copy-paste the following URL into your Web browser: http://sec.gov/investor/pubs/bankrupt.htm
– U.S. Courts Information about Chapter 11, click here or copy-paste the following URL into your Web browser: http://www.uscourts.gov/bankruptcycourts/bankruptcybasics/chapter11.html
There will also be FAQs and other information posted online in the public section of our Web site at arbonne.com > The Company > Corporate Information > Arbonne Restructuring.
If you or any of your team members have additional questions that are not addressed by these materials, please call VP Support or Arbonne Customer Service.
Thank you for your continued support as we work to make Arbonne better than ever before! As we have said, Arbonne continues to be an exceptional business opportunity because our fundamentals are so strong. We have tremendous products and an amazing and talented team of Independent Consultants and employees supporting all of our efforts around the world. Our improved balance sheet will permit us to capitalize on these qualities and enable us to focus on developing new and innovative products for you and your team.
Sincerely,
Kay and Rita
Note: This e-blast is being sent to all Arbonne VPs.
Heres the official statement…and Cecila Stoll is doing a call this afternoon for those of us in her success line.
https://www.arbonne.com/company/info/restructure.asp
Truth…
I totally agree with you about the “selling problem”.
Line up 100 female prospects that have income and skin.
How many will buy a $300 retail skin care set? 2? 5?
Then, when that approach fails (typically MLM – sign everyone up to get the discount that a person needs to bring the price down to earth – so much for the idea of really retailing product to make a profit!!!!)… you might sign on another 2-5 people “into the business” as personal consumption “clients”. Maybe.
Taking a look at this industry (and I’ve been at this for a while, now), go look at the quarterly reports for BeautiControl. Their product is more highly retailable (is that a word?) because of pricing, packaging, sales systems. Even then, the heads over there have no problem making official statements about how having “custo-reps” (instead of real salespeople) has hurt them over the past year or two. Compared to their goals, they are suffering “internally” because they don’t have a pool of qualified salespeople from which to pull new managers into the program.
In the early 2000’s, the final straw for me was their incompetence in even how they handled money. They were doing “checks by phone” for our payments at one point, and instead of pulling a $400something (that’s HUNDREDS) draft through my account, they kinda blew where to put the decimal and a $40,000.00something (yes – 40 THOUSAND) dollar attempt was taken at my bank account.
Now how the hell do you make that kind of mistake without seeing something is really messed up on the books?
I met a gal in 2005 who had gotten her Mercedes within months – doing the REsults approach. While impressive, it looked to me (even at that time) of a system where the bottom of the bag will fall out because it couldn’t sustain itself. There just aren’t enough “yeses” of real consumers buying upwards of $200 (at a discount) or $300 (retail) products like that.
Now.. jump into the current economy: do a Google search for “trading down” as it relates to cosmetics and skin care and it is a proven fact that there is a HUGE flow of consumers leaving top shelf brands at the department store and looking for products that perform equally well that also give more value.
From my vantage point, it’s sad to see women pushing to get people to sign up with $1,500 (or more) and they still (IMO) won’t be able to really “sell” (as in retail and make a real profit commission) those goods.
The bottom of the bag just had to fall out there.
JMO.
I just went to the official blog monitored by the company. Hilarious! They only post comments by the Arbonne cult zealots. Sad part is, I see many women posting with the sound of desperation. They want to believe. Unfortunately I don’t see how you can sign someone up? How can you tell them to devote all their time and effort for a company that blows through 770 MILLION and turns it’s back on over 40 lenders? Not to mention over a million consultants! Reputation is everything. Arbonne is contributing to the bad reputations that have been a part of this industry for years. They should be taken out of the DSA.
New blog post with questions. Give us your opinion:
http://mlmblog.net/2010/01/arbonne-bankruptcy-questions.html
I found this interesting…the very first comment on this blog post was from “VP”:
This blog let people know what was brewing a full 3 months before Arbonne made any announcement to the consultants.
That, my friends is sad and wrong.
Arbonne has used manipulative tactics, lies, spin and deception for months. This is now fact, no more rumors here. So, please tell me, how can anyone believe what is being put out now?
I can promise you this, if I was being prospected into Arbonne and heard the word bankruptcy, I would absolutely not have anything to do with it whatsoever. I don’t care what the spin would be. It would just be plain stupid to align oneself with a company in bankruptcy. Yes, bankruptcy! Please don’t correct me with the chapter 11 bs.
I wonder for those staying to be loyal to a company not worthy of loyalty, how many of you will be making your calls, scheduling appointments, keeping a full calendar? You may talk about doing the necessary income producing activity, but who is actually doing that???? Seriously! The numbers don’t lie! The VP’s may promote it, but let’s be real, they aren’t either! So, for those staying it’s a waiting game. Wait and see. In the meantime, checks continue to dwindle and numbers decline and the mass exodus continues. Arbonne rocks?
Hey Ty…Glad you kept that post…It just affirms what many have been saying for some time…Deception and Denial…
You know what I haven’t heard from the Arbonne management….It’s our fault…We goofed up…We let our people down….We made a mistake but we’re going to correct it…Not one admission that internal mistakes were made. They are in a state of total denial…It’s all good…right.
I find all of this a repeat of my past experience…I left
Arbonne in the mid 90’s….
Leopards never change their spots! The lies and corruption, manipulation and coersion starts at the top…
Your female lead has been the problem for years!
I have read and followed this, and want to scream to each of you, RUN FOREST RUN ! The future of home party is dim…the future of MLM is gloomy…and a company that has never been run fairly, honestly or ethically, will never last.
Those who think this is going to be a blip on the screen…you are living in lala land!
Set the koolaid down…start over, keep your personal integrity, since that is all you will have when they close the doors. Dont contribute to the continuation of the lies…jump ship now!
I am sitting here reading these comments (not sure why I am-it’s a waste of time and I can’t now get that time back!). I am a consultant in Canada and I can’t believe what I am reading (especially from “Mary”)!! Firstly, as far as Arbonne Canada goes, we are in good hands! Have you seen John’s resume? How do you know about how many years Stuart was a each company and wow, you have a lot of free time! I have been a consultant for 4 years and I will tell you that we are being lead by great people. I am so upset that peolpe would talk about our corporate staff’s personal life! This is horrible and I am shocked that this would happen with Arbonne consultants! We are to protect our own and either shape up or get out! You also need to get your facts straight! Do you know for a FACT that Stuart was married??? Hmmmmm…. Do you know for a FACT that John is single??? Hmmmmm AND so what if his daughter is doing the business!!! Rita has family in the business and why is that different??? Leave these people alone and go and build a business! You should be ashamed of yourself “Mary”!!!! Mind your own business and stop your gosspi!!
So sad. I went on that Arbonne blog and it is mostly VPs saying thank you arbonne. ARe they smoking some wacky tobacco. You are in Debt! Hello, is there anyone inside their brain??? Now, how do you bring a business builder in with restructuring plan on the consultant top left side of the page. How are they going to present at parties now. This is what they are being told. Now, if someone asks you say let me direct you to our experts. Yeah right. How are you going to get 80% of 800 million gone in 60 days. Are you bring cocaine into the country and selling it and then giving the sales from that to the bank.
Who is going to bring in people? Everyone is going to have to be a salesperson and sell the product.
IT’S A SAD DAY AT ARBONNE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Try the Arbonne Balancing cream, it works wonders for female (and male) hysteria… LOL.
Calm down, and go about your own business.
If you don’t like Arbonne, GET OUT! If you are already out because you failed or were terminated, MOVE ON to something else, or focus on your new business.
If you are trying to prospect on this forum, think about it… who wants disgruntled, bitter, failed or serial jumper MLMers on their team? Not me!
Life it too short. Don’t worry, be happy! Arbonne will survive.
BFF….
Even if Canada and UK are doing ok, the mother ship is here in California. It is the total numbers. Sure, for its size Canada might be doing well but it is not bringing in 100 million a year. Face it, 500 or 800 million is not good.
I don’t know your Stuart is but he left 2 weeks ago and now this. That is not a good exit. Everyone knew at head office. The pre package was already in the works. There will be no other country if it fails here. It makes me ill when I think about all the people here who were saying this was not true the other day and then it happened yesterday. Now those same people who said this wasn’t true are trying to say OH Chapter 11, 800 million, no problem it will be gone in 60 days.
Shame! Stop prolonging the lies. It is what it is. A MESS!
Most businesses run a debt. Thats smart business because of tax. If Arbonne was really in trouble the lenders
would not allow them to bring their vp’s to maui a week ago. AIG ring a bell…now is up and running. CIT,UNITED AIRLINES, AIR CANADA, CHRYSLER,etc.
here’s some legal talk:
Federal bankruptcy laws govern how companies go out of business or recover from crippling debt. A bankrupt company, the “debtor,” might use Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code to “reorganize” its business and try to become profitable again. Management continues to run the day-to-day business operations but all significant business decisions must be approved by a bankruptcy court.
I’m a former employee of Arbonne and have confirmed with several, current employees that the company filed for bankruptcy yesterday.
What can happen …. debt is too large and cannot get financing . Close Arbonne and restart under new name. This I think would be highly unlikely considering the size of Arbonne and the years been in business. The expansion in other countries are being targeted by Arbonne to pickup the slack from the US. I think Arbonne just purchased a new building in Ontario canada and another in Australia. Lenders want Arbonne to survive. They make more return on their investment.
My personal feelingis that they will make it. I think the partnership with Harvest Partners hurt them, hence someone needed to be the fall guy. That is the reason we saw alot of execs leave. Banks/courts need to blame someone.
As far as Arbonne not revealing itself on certain matters.
Most of NVPs know what is going on and rightfully so since they are at a higher management level. Each consultant shouldn’ t be concerned with day to day issues since it is way over their heads.
After watching every video, reading every letter and listening to Kay on a call with the VPs, this VP is done.
Do you want to support a leadership team that thinks going through bankruptcy is fun?
Do you want to support a leader who was worried about how her hair looked?
Do you think that joining a $378 million (not $400m Kay, I would say maybe dyslexic but the numbers aren’t even close) start-up in bankruptcy is a wise thing that has over $800 million in debt and will be 90% owned by the banks.
Do you want to support a company that is using the disaster in Haiti as a recruiting tool, are you kidding me? Just text Haiti on you phone and donate $10 it is that easy to help the poor souls there.
Facts… ARBONNE has been “repossessed” for failing to pay its lenders. My husband works in finance too.
Debt= $530m(loan1)+ $213m(loan2)= $743 million
Additional Bankruptcy Debt=$145 million ($125m + 20M debtor in possession) I heard we had all the cash we needed on the call Kay, what’s up with that?
Simple Math $743m+145m= $888m DEBT with $378m revenue
85% with potential for 90% owned by a group of banks that need to recoup some of this money.
This “restructuring=repossession”(sorry PR firm) has been going on for a long time and the banks finally had enough. The lenders are not in the business of collecting companies that do not meet their financial obligations. It will be hyped to get sales so it has more value and can be sold.
Reality and deception make strange bedfellows. I suggest ambien for anyone who continues to recruit. You will need it to sleep. And new lambs to slaughter, don’t forget to come to NTC prepared to spend upwards of $1200 for the greatest product launch ever. THIS IS SICK! My team is upset and scared and I AM RESPONSIBLE, the buck stops here. I will not support this deception one more day.
FINAL POINT. Donna we are “business people” which is why I quit. I don’t think you all realize how insulting all this is to the average person and how many lives have been ruined.
It is insulting that this is a great thing and we all should just hold hands and sing songs.
Now you are saying you are “Debt Free” because the banks own 85% of the company & you don’t have to pay that back. Please.
I guess I’m Debt Free too!!! The bank ownes my house, cars, and credit cards too!!@
I’m sick over this. I started Arbonne in 2008 based on figures earned in 2005-2006 – I think I would sue, but they aren’t worth anything! What would I get???
You know, I would have to question the integrity of a VP who missed the part about Arbonne is a “product driven company”. At first glance No Name VP, your story is compelling until you read between the lines and recognize that you missed the whole Arbonne opportunity. I am sad that like Harvest Partners, VPs that overleveraged their asset portfollio in a drunken ecomony are paying the price for “recruiting” for selfish purposes. The bottom line is that you always got your paycheck on time from a company who said they would send you one if you sold their product. There have been no secrets within my line of sponsor ship and i am just an AM. You are your business. Tell me what you know about skin care.
Dear VP,
I am so sorry. I don’t know what else to say. What a difficult decision that must have been for you.
I applaud that you are brave enough to post your thoughts and to stand behind your convictions.
Good luck,
Traci
It is what it is. DEBT. To compare it to Air Canada or car companies is a joke. GM stock is gone. They are owned by the government. They had to do that because it is tied to the country’s economy. Arbonne is just another skincare company. They will at best be bought by someone else from the bank, now that it is public. Then management and the compensation plan will be redone again. Petter.M vision was watered down after he left. It is called, too many hands in the pot.
What do you think happened to Donald Trump’s DEBT? It was forgiven and he goes on about his business. He is not GM either!
Hey Ty, you’ve been in the business for a while now…Weigh in here. You’re neutral on the subject. What do you think? Do the consultants have a right to know if the company is preparing for Bankruptcy? Once the higher levels of consultants know is it unethical not to pass it down to the “little people.” What about the spin/elevator talk? Is that normal? What would your advice be to a fairly new person who just got started? Should they try and stick it out or cut and run?
I would be cautious if I was new. If Arbonne says that in 60 days they will be fine, then why don’t you wait and see. Trump went bankrupt but he is Trump and a celebrity. I liked his first show he did. That’s show biz.
I liked Arbonne but this is too much. Until yesterday, VPs were denying it and now they are saying it is a great thing. They are in shock and have to keep it up. They seem desperate to make it work
Petter Morck didn’t leave. He died.
I’m not sure I ever claimed to be neutral, but my biggest concern from a consultant perspective is “How is this going to impact my ability to bring on new customer and consultants?”
Simply put the facts are not being looked at when the upline spin is in full swing.
The upline is not telling you that there was a virtual bloodbath of attrition in the last couple of years. (It’s in the financial reports).
The upline can’t possibly explain why Kay would say “we have plenty of cash”, then fail to mention that they are borrowing another $20 million.
Sticking with it depends on a lot of things. If you have lost trust in the company and upline, it becomes very difficult to put your best effort in.
I spent a lot of years trying to build the Amway business when deep down, I knew it was an uphill battle because of the reputation and compensation plan. Sadly, I see a lot of the very same behavior and spin coming out of the Arbonne camp that I saw out of Amway.
That said, it’s hard for me to answer. I would never be involved with a stair-step breakaway plan in the first place (same plan as Amway), so….
Arbonne is going to come back stronger than ever!! It is ppl from sites such as these that would like to see us fail. There is not alot of MLM companies that have been around for 30 years so that along means alot about the stability of Arbonne. Plus, they have claimed Chap. 11 not chap. 7. There is a difference and I suggest you look it up.
800 million in debt doesn’t sound debt free to me. Oh well, 800 million is only an illusion. No big deal right. Just monopoly money right???? 60 days with this pre package and we will be the best company ever. Keep on believing.
I think you really have to stop and smell the coffee. Truly, this seems like the batter wife syndrome. How many wacks can you take before you leave????
Look at this site below. There are over 7000 views on this subject of bankruptcy. Now the consultants who were saying the rumors were a lie are now praising the bankruptcy. Has everyone lost their minds. The writing is on the wall and they are still hoping.
Thanks TY…..Hey, KnowtheTruth…any chance you could give us some specific reason why you think Arbonne is going to pull through other than some BS about what other companies have done? What’s the plan? How are you going to deal with telling people you went bankrupt? What happens when more VP’s bail? Are you just drinking the kool aid or do you have some concrete reason to believe? How would you answer TY about Kay’s comments of having plenty of money but failing to mention even to her own VP’s that they had to borrow another 20 million? Have you read the filings? To be honest it doesn’t sound like you have. PS. We don’t want to see you fail…You already have..Bankruptcy…look it up.
A friend shared this with me yesterday….Some of you might appreciate it…
A prudent person foresees the danger ahead and takes precautions; the simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences. Proverbs 22:3 NLT
HI all, lets not get vicious here. I love the Proverbs quote. For many of us, Arbonne has been a way to change our life and the lives of others. We want to believe that the company that has always looked out for the best interest of their consultants will continue to do so in the future. I have worked in corporate for 12 years before Arbonne. i have seen enough corroption and care only for the bottom line for long enough. In the US a person is considered innocent until proven guilty. I look honestly at the company. They are being transparent. They are sharing all this info with thier consultants openly. For those of you who didnt hear anything from your VP before the announcement, realize that no matter what level you are at with Arbonne everyone was informed of the filing on the same day, some a shorter time in the day than others, but on the same day. To me, there is no reason to “tell” anyone anything that has not been confirmed – that is all rumor and speculation and in most cases more damaging than the truth. Arbonne didnt know exactly what path it was taking until it was done and the votes were in. A pre-packaged bankruptcy is where all lenders agree, prior to going to court, on the conditions of the terms. Arbonne’s lenders, instead of getting paid back, chose to own a piece of the company. This is a sign of support of the potential in Arbonne. Continental Airlines did the same type of pre-packaged bankruptcy and look how much stronger they came back from it. Arbonne is launching 158 new products in March. Compensation, trips, advances, commissions, incentives are all the same. Take your own internal fears out of your decision. Do you love the products and the opportunity? Can you still represent the products, no matter what monetary missteps may have been made in the past? Everyone has taken a financial hit these last few years. Arbonne is at least open about theres and making a better place for tomorrow. I Know i cant live without my products and have seen peoples lives turned around for them. I am an Arbonne lifer-if it is right for you, I hope you will be too.
I see the light!!! Amen.
Despite the frosting and candy-coating, this is a BIG deal. I have always thought highly of Arbonne, but the last few days have been eye-opening. Chapter 11 gives a company some time to scramble. Hopefully they can make good, but the sponsoring environment for the individual consultant will take months to recover.
Bankruptcy is never a good thing. (For the record, most companies who file Chapter 11 have a plan to be out of bankruptcy within 60 – 120 days.) The debt is “reduced” on paper, but in reality, that debt still exists because the debtors are taking the profits instead of the company. In this case, 85% of the profits go straight to the debtors. Let’s assume that Arbonne is a “cash cow” as many have stated here on this blog. The profits that could have been funneled back into the company for R & D or comp plan enhancements now goes to those holding ownership. Do you think they have forgiven that debt? Of course not. They are relying on Arbonne to continue throwing off cash so they can still get their money back but now they have ownership. That means that when (or if) Arbonne does come out of this financial mess, the debtors still own 85% of the company! Even after the remaining debt is paid off they still own the company. Who do you suppose these debtors are thinking of? The independent consultant or their own pocketbook?
It’s one thing for a car company to restructure, but comparing Arbonne and GM or United is asinine. Here’s why: Arbonne’s thousands of independent consultants are considered “unsecured debtors” in bankruptcy court, which means that commission owed to them is the LAST PRIORITY of all debts. Scary. (Besides, take a look at how United restructured their debt–it had more to do with how the depreciated assets to give them a more favorable balance sheet.)
One of the most telling things is that $20 million Arbonne borrowed for “operating expenses.” If Arbonne is really the cash cow that people claim, why do they need $20 million to operate the day to day?
Voice of Reason here!! Attention! Honest Answer.
I know you love ARbonne but you are so attached to it that you don’t seem to make sense. ARbonne up till a couple of days ago was still saying, We are a Debt free company……. Yes many companies have hit hard times but those are the ones that weren’t handling their funds right,. You can’t compare airlines to make-up. There was a problem at the top Corporate and it didn’t happen overnight. Maybe they will pull through but now they have to gain customer confidence. However, to say everyone else hit problems in finances shouldn’t be the stand that ARbonne takes. Their product was consumable. Airlines have to try to get people to fly. They are two different industries. Try something like Pamper Chef, Mary Kay, Send out Cards as an example(other MLM companies)
With great power comes great responsibility!!!!!!
It was ARbonne’s responsibility to tell. ARbonne only fessed up now because the law made them do it. If Jan 27th didn’t happen, do you really think they would have said anything. Absolutely not!!!!! It is like a wife/husband who gets caught having an affair. They deny, deny deny until the full story comes out. Stop!! Stop the insanity.
Why do you think Stuart Mcmillan-head guy from ARbonne Canada left 2 weeks ago. He knew. He was offered a job at Univera, I guess an offer that looked better then staying at ARbonne.
Candace left and she saw exactly what was happening.
The original founder died and his vision has been watered down.
It is a Sad day at Arbonne. I loved the vision and I know it was good but too many other energies came in and changed it to serve their purpose.
I wish everyone who stays good luck.
You won’t see “How A New Arbonne Consultant Really Feels” at the Arbonne Blog (stay tuned here):
http://mlmblog.net/2010/01/how-a-new-arbonne-consultant-feels-right-now.html
most companies take 60-120 to find financing. Arbonnne has that in place already. i guess time will tell. Funny thing is that i still will be paid this month for working at home and driving a MB. I still have 1000 of my clients who love the product and buy from me, my business, every month.
Shameful!!!! How could someone do that to a new consultant.
This is the best time to be a part of ARbonne!!!
If only Petter M could see what has happened to his vision. I guess his son Stian is watching in disbelief. In
a funny way I guess it is a blessing for Stian that Arbonne let him go. He is away from this mess and in Norway.
Tell,
Good for you but this is not about you. I think you shouldn’t be here bragging that you have a car and that you have a check coming in. Do you see what you are painting about yourself. Will your 1000 customers sustain $800,000,000 dollar crisis. Did you send your clients a copy of this.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN2722426020100127
I’m sure you wouldn’t give them a copy of that would you. You would do what ARbonne does and sugar coat it and say everything is OK on the mother ship. You would do this so you can get your check from ARbonne and your car allowance for your car(yes that free car and is leased)
Stop your drama and go get your sales in so you can get your check. Please don’t give you clients that link because you don’t want them to think you are a liar,
My clients care abouit the products. My team cares about the business. They all know about the restructure and are educated entrepeneurs and know how businesses are run. We knew this was coming, so it is not a surprise.
There has been no interuption in service by Arbonne thru all of this.Many have and will leave and will continue to leave as in any company.
Many of th etop dogs in arbonne were asked to leave, stealing Arbonne formulas, clients, contacts, recruiting and misleading practices.
I tink this is a great way to cleanse the company of dead weight.
Of course there hasn’t been any interuption, ARbonne also received another 20 million to help with day to day operations. That is because, just incase there isn’t any cash around.
Funny, you knew this was coming but all the consultants right up to the very day on this site were calling Chapter 11 a rumor. Please go sing to your choir and get busy with activity. Your clients are wondering where you are since you are busy here chatting.
I guess your educated folks now economics since chapter 11 is so accepted as the norm. You better get a tune up for your MB. I don’t need one since I drive a BMW since you brought up cars. Al paid for by smart investments with real solid Gold.
I am dumbfounded that those who want to stay with Arbonne think comments like:
“Well, they will be out of Chapter 11 in 60 days, that’s GOOD”
-and-
“Many of the top dogs in Arbonne were asked to leave, stealing Arbonne formulas, clients, contacts, recruiting and misleading practices.”
-and-
“Bankruptcy judge ALLOWS commissions to be paid…”
are helpful. Bankruptcy is not positive. Lying to the entire sales force and defrauding (by promoting the company as debt-free) every single “entrepreneur” who has signed on since Arbonne posted their first penny of debt is not positive. That the “top dogs asked to leave” stole formulas, clients, contacts, et al is NOT POSITIVE. None of those things are positive, reflect well on the company, or are a reason to be thankful, and certainly nobody would want to say any of those things during the recruitment of new customers or downline members.
Everyone needs to remember that we have no way of knowing that Harvest Partners is the big bad guy here. Companies do not get into $800m+ of debt without spreading the cash around. Maybe the company overspent. Maybe they over-commissioned. Over-discounted. Maybe over-compensated their staffs, or over-dividended their investors. Maybe it’s still happening. We have no way to know. It is my best guess that the biggest single monthly expense for Arbonne are those commission/bonus/Mercedes checks, and that will be the first line item examined and adjusted as part of restructuring. Product costs are fixed. The comp plan is the low-hanging fruit.
Don’t forget to add the expense of NTC. Free admission NVP and their free rooms at MGM. They need to get their new products out. It is such a shame since this is what give MLM a bad name. Too many hands in the pot.
They have all these great bonuses, just like all those exes from banks etc.
If a company was going under why would a bank loan them 20 million? NOt one person in this blog or consultant knows what is going on and never will. I guess we have to wait and see.
Harvest Partners is responsible for this, because part of the restructering also effects Nature’s Gate. Nature’s Gate and Arbonne products are maunfactored by Levlad, Inc. Harvest Partners purchased Levlad in 2004, meaning HP owned us in a group called Natural Products Group. Nature’s Gate was also part of the bankruptcy package because of HP’s greed and error in business.
Actually, you CAN figure out what is going on by researching the court documents that Arbonne provided on its own website. Do your due diligence, take the time and read through the court motions and proceedings for yourself. You will find your answers there in black and white without hype and rhetoric. In these documents you will find out exactly when the loans were taken out and how much they totaled. If you are considering joining the Arbonne business or remaining in it, do your OWN research so you can rest assured that you have made an informed decision based on what YOU know and believe,and not only on what others have told you. Corporate, your EN/RVPs and the bank are hoping that things will work out, but no one really knows for sure.
You do not need a legal background to get the gist of what is going on when reading the court reports. All you have to do is log on to: https://www.npginfo.com/KeyDocuments.aspx, go to ‘First Day Motions’ and then check out the filings and proceedings. The one entitled “Motion to Pay Prepetition Wages, Compensation and Benefits” is very informative. You will see that Arbonne’s monthly expense to pay its employees is approx 2.5 million/mo., Ind. Consultant commissions are approx. 11.5 million/mo., plus the cost of insurance, benefits, operating costs, vendors, etc….
These documents also explain EXACTLY why a bank would now loan Arbonne 20 million dollars. In a subsection entitled ‘Capital and Debt Structure’, Arbonne reported that on November 30th, 2009, they had 24 million in cash and cash equivalents. By the time the motions were filed on January 27th, they had 4.3 million dollars in cash. That’s a difference of 20 MILLION dollars! So in 58 days, Arbonne’s cash flow was depleted by 20 million, and for the next 60 days we can assume that while Arbonne is getting it’s ducks in a row, they will need another 20 million dollars to keep the boat afloat and its employees, consultants, & vendors paid!
Let’s hope after the 60 days is up this ‘cash-cow’ can continue to produce enough revenue without having to milk the banks yet again to keep things going.
The products are fantastic, the majority of the consultants who work this business are hard working, caring and honest folks trying to help others and make a living. They OWE it to themselves, their families, consultants and customers to do their OWN due diligence and take the time to actually read and try to understand the court documents. You will get answers to so many questions without having to filter the hype.
I truly wish the best for those who choose to join or remain with the company. It would be sad to see the demise of a company that was once considered one of the best in the industry.
The animosity that some of you have is palpable. It’s one thing to feel misled by the company but some of you are downright obnoxious to other posters on this forum. Completely unnecessary!
Some companies file B and fold, others are able to recuperate. I will personally be hoping for the latter. Only time will tell.
The products do offer great results– I have plenty of clients that LOVE them. They will not care about the recent restructure. I have plenty of members on my team that do care, but have business backgrounds and will wait it out, because they have seen these things turn around.
Our team is STILL promoting- based on REAL sales with REAL clients. One gal just got her car last week. Yes I am feeling cautious but hopeful as well. Focusing on sales right now.
Thank you to nohype for your links and calm explanation. We are independent consultants and I agree, we need to educate ourselves! But I am not going anywhere– not any time soon.
Thank you nohype!
My Arbonne check came back unpaid at the bank. So, I guess that’s a sign that not everything is going to work out as planned.
I am with you Area Manager. See you at Rita’s next week!
I posted this message under bankruptcy questions. Any advice arbonne people. This is not good and I’m sure I won’t be the only person that this has happened to in the last few days.
Apparently I just read that we are suppose to get an email about this bankruptcy. I haven’t received it yet. Legally I thought it had to be sent in direct mail. Our NVP hasn’t emailed us either. All I got from Arbonne was that we are raising money from our sales to Haiti in February. The nvp only sent a batch email about a training with some personal coach. However no response.
Now, I also have a DM who also didn’t know since she wasn’t home but away. She didn’t see the restructure until she launched a new consultant. The new consultant’s husband freaked when he saw it. Especially since he works in finance and now at the party his wife sold 1,000 worth of products which put her in first step district. What a mess since I think our NVP really should have told this if she knew.
Now all you other consultants who keep coming on here. How would you handle this. How are you going to tell new consultants about this,. No matter how nice they make the front page of the restructure look like. Your average person who is not around all lingo will say no way, especially one that works in finance.
ANy input on this???????
Call it restructure if you want but if you keep robbing peter to pay paul it won’t last. Be realistic the truth hurts…..
Bankruptcy is Fun. You have beautiful hair. Lets borrow more money. This is good for us, I am glad we are going through bankruptcy. This is really a blessing. OMG!
My VP Legal is so beautiful. I told her she should become General Counsel. These are the words of advice from your General in the VP Calls and propoganda you are being given to work with as you batlle through what one can only hope will be a successful fight for all of you who have worked so hard on your Arbonne businesses.
The business is about what you can do, Dont put faith in leaders that have let you down time and time again. Just do it yourselves.
Bankruptcy is not fun. It is scary and serious. It is not a blessing. It is a monumental error which hopefully you can recover from. No one cares about who’s hair is beautiful or who is lovely and pretty or what nice shoes they have, They care about their business, their income, their lifestyle and the investment of hard work over many years, The tripe coming out of the senior management team at Arbonne and sadly being echoed by many field leaders is insulting to all of you who work so hard.
Yes you can come back. Yes there is still opportunity. Yes their products are among the best in the world.
Focus on that. Not standing in a circle singing Kumbaya like the band playing Abide wth Me on the Titanic.
Arbonne is sick. Seriously sick. Hopefully for all of you it will get better. Pretending its not sick is a bigger problem than the illness itself.
But, then again, having never been through a bankruptcy before, I may be wrong, Maybe it is fun. Somehow I doubt it.
I found the official e-mail from Arbonne about the bankruptcy in my spam folder.
There is another court hearing scheduled on Feb. 22nd. For more info about this hearing, go to: https://www.npginfo.com/KeyDocuments.aspx, then click on “Key Documents”. Scroll down to the section entitled:
“Order Scheduling a Combined Hearing to Consider the Disclosure Statement, Prepetition Solicitation Procedures and Form, and Confirmation of the Prepackaged Plan”. At this point it would be prudent to remain informed and cautiously optimistic if you are still getting a paycheck from Arbonne. Just be sure to have a ‘plan b’ or an exit strategy in the event that things don’t work out in the long run… Hope there aren’t too many people out there who have had Dave J’s experience when his check was not honored by the bank. My check went through and hopefully the next one will too!
Did you people vote for Barak OBama? I think we have more important issues concerning the demise of our entire country to worry about! Get over this “stuff,” do what you’ve got to do and MOVE ON! Only 1 person knows how this is all going to play out! “There’s only 1 True Judge and that’s God, so chill and let My Father do his job!”
Hello All,
Instead of rallying behind a great visionary , wonderful products and amazing leaders in the field., I am seeing the eagerness and excitement of the possiblility of failure for all types of regular people who are working their business or looking to start one. You cannot say to someone ” THIS WON’T WORK” because you really do not know do you? Unfortunately alot of consultants that have stopped networking get this same “lack of support” by people that they care about , Most people are not strong enough to do it anyway. During these tough economic times , people are looking for help , hope and support, even with companies like Arbonne. Why would you want such an amazing company to fail? You want to see it crash and burn? That does not even make sense for our country and the people that are working it hard and ethically.
I do not see compassion in these blogs, I see hate, anger, dispair, regret , and a huge passion to see Arbonne go down. Why is that the case? I believe it is pain and sorry and fear and a deep down resentment. Arbonne will always be there because the products are branded and work , and many will never stop using it, Even those that have left, who are my friends,are still purchasing and using our products and this is serious validation in what Arbonne brings to our networks.
What option do you have that is better? I have yet to hear one. Is there a guarantee, will other companies never go thru this? Can you ever guarantee someone that if you offer another company for them?
This will all pass- There will be another focus for many in a couple of months. Arbonne will re-emerge stronger than before. Many will stay and continue their passion and support and many will leave. I would love to see this blog in 10 years when Arbonne has had another explosion of growth. My advice to all who read blogs. Make up your own decision, do your own research and then stand in your own convictions. Do not be a tumbleweed and “repeat ” things you have never researched on your own. Take control of your own future instead of putting it in someone elses hands, especially those you do not know. More support , more tools and more opportunity with Arbonne now than in the last two years- now would be the time to reach down inside yourself and make it happen.
I was wired for such a time as this. Thanks for letting me share.
Of course there are no guarantees, but there are also a lot of companies out there who did not put themselves in this financial situation.
The latest
liespin is that Arbonne will be debt-free again when they come out of this. It’s not true. They just burned through $20 million in cash in the last 58 days and borrowed another $20 million. On top of that, they will still owe $120 million.Arbonne sales have dropped in half between 2007 and 2009 and Arbonne’s compensation plan is an Amway style stair-step breakaway.
As I have said, my biggest concern is not whether Arbonne can come out of this, it’s whether the newest person can build a team in this environment. If you thought it was bad between 2007 and 2009…watch what happens in 2010.
Hey Wow….are you suggesting that everybody that is in Arbonne should just sit on their hands and pretend nothing is going on why you and God work it out? Are you being serious? I think there are a LOT of people..apparently…that are going to move ahead into something a little more reliable and with greater integrity…while you work in out with God…Hey, I wonder what ole Pat Robertson would say about Arbonne’s demise? Have there been any recent earthquakes in LAX? Somebody told me that they took down the whole Million Dollar Club list…I guess some of them in Oklahoma got their feather ruffleled when someone pointed out how things had changed…That’s encouraging.
truth…..’somebody told me’..your kidding right….thats reliable…i’m gonna take a shot and say that you were a rep.
failed at the business and now mad at Arbonne because you lost your $29 .
And i’m gonna say that we won’t hear from you in 60 days!
I have faith in Arbonne’s products and our company. Time will tell, but until then I will waste no further time blaming, whining, defending, or fearing. I will go out there and keep sharing a product that people know, love, and want. It’s really that easy of a decision for me.
Dear Cheryl. If you knew who I was you would freak….My little team was doing over a million a month and you’ve undoubtedly listened to me train….The arrogance that has permeated the Arbonne family has obviously spilled over onto you…Yeah, nobody but some poor $29 client would ever think Arbonne was going down hill…You obviously are unencumbered with individual thought but that doesn’t mean the rest of us are.
Hey Lisa. I think you have a point…There are so many in the Arbonne consultant family that are working their behinds off in this tough economy just trying to make ends meet for their family..and it’s difficult at best…so why in the world would you lie to them and misrepresent the facts so that they would believe that everything is good? Why did you wait until you were forced by the court to inform them of the problems…?? I met with some people last night that were mad as they could be that their RVP and NVP never told them a thing…The NVP won’t even return their phone calls…Is your concern for their well being only to the point that they continue to sell so you can have a paycheck? Why didn’t you allow them the respect they deserved and tell them the truth back in October? Were these hard working people too stupid to make an adult decision for their own family so you felt obligated to make one for them? Well, based on the conversation last night I believe its fair to say that it didn’t go over very well. It fact they’re done with Arbonne and your hype…In fact, I’m hearing from contacts all over that most of your little worker bees are nearly afraid to tell their buyers anything because they now suspect everything that is said to be a diversion of the truth…Oh, and the people that have signed up since the call in October…that spent money to start a business with Arbonne that were never told about the issues at hand…OMG, you wouldn’t believe the resentment that’s beginning to pour out…Husbands are talking to lawyers, product is being shipped back to corporate, friendships have been severed….But, that’s what you were told by your mother would happen when you lie…should have listened to her, huh?
I’m not sure when it happened. Does anybody know when the climate at Arbonne changed from respect and admiration for their people to one of distrust, deceit and deception? Do they really think some PR firm can change how people feel about being treated like that? People have been watching what you do and that has drowned out what you’ve been saying…and for some time…
Ty’s right…Arbonne has VP’s out there telling their people that Arbonne will be debt free again in 60 days…Totally not true…VP’s are saying that whatever problems that are occurring in the US won’t effect Canada, the UK or AU…Wrong again. Deceitful again.
Row, Row, Row your boat gently down the stream….that’s really not Niagara Falls you’re hearing…row….besides going over the edge is good.
Hey Truth – why don’t you tell everyone WHO you are – or are you too embarrassed about the way you are acting to let people know the “REAL” you! If you are not, you should be because you are displaying a very mean spirit and a heart of hatred! But if that makes you feel good about yourself………. And let ME guess – you are going to build a “HUGE” business with the Trump Network! So glad Arbonne is “weeding out the fat!”
Why don’t you first focus on who you are…You keep telling your team that you’re one thing and then showing them that you are another…My pointing our the hypocrisy isn’t mean spirited unless you are still trying to keep people in the dark. When did Arbonne become a company that had to deceive people in order to either bring them into the company or keep them there? When did Arbonne become so concerned about what somebody might say on a blog? Didn’t they just create their own blog?? Go there and enjoy the wonderful comments.
Trump, Nu Skin, Roden & Fields, Apriori, the list goes on and on….they all have some of Arbonne’s finest…..If Arbonne had remained true to their core NOBODY would have left. But they didn’t…they changed…and people left.
What makes people so angry is how Arbonne has gone about communicating to their own people…From new consultants to VP’s…they kept things from them at best and misrepresented the information at worst…That seems like such a sneaky way of doing business…So, to point it out isn’t being dishonest or mean spirited. We didn’t do it. Arbonne did. You reap what you sow….Perhaps you have the ability to change the culture of Arbonne. I wish you the best but you hurt your chances trying to blame it on anybody and everybody else…Take responsibility, make the changes and bring the company back to its former glory if that’s what you want to try to do…But shame on you if you continue with the elevator pitches. To a lot of active and former consultants, not to mention a lot of people in the industry who just happen to be paying attention…that’s mean spirited.
.
Truth, since you have such a STRONG conviction in what you are saying and obviously dislike @ so much, I am SURE that you have resigned your ID# and are no longer a VP…..right? So I would think that you would be anxious and down right PROUD to tell everyone your real name so we can all know who was the only one to share the “Truth”. Could it be that you don’t want your new company to see this side of you cause if they make you mad, they could be the next ones you rip on this blog …or wait…is it possible you are still drawing that dirty @ paycheck??
Truth, I did not lie to anyone . I sleep well at night as my mother did raise me right.As a matter of fact, it is refreshing that people do know the truth and are my friends as well as partners have read these blogs are really quite strong in their own convictions. You cannot build a sustainable business without strong people that have their own minds. I do not work with anyone that has been mislead as I am not afraid to tell the truth. It is what it is , I do not run the company and each person has the right to decide. I did not become successful because I lied. I became successful because I care. My team is awesome.. I have shared this information for months and only shared my committment at the same time. It is up to them individually, but will not make any difference in my success.
Do not assume things you do not know. Is it hard to believe that when you are honest , you get loyalty? I think that most have been honest and that is why we are more determined than ever. Do not be so ugly and nasty to me. I am a pretty cool person and a really great friend. Talking to me as if you know me, not really valid.
Amen! “Still a Secret “and “Lisa!”
“Truth” (and I use the term very loosely) – Your posts don’t even make sense!! Just FYI! I wish you all the best!
Lisa..glad you can sleep well and that you told your team. I’m sure they respect you as a leader..How should the consultants feel whose leadership didn’t tell them? Its pretty obvious from reading this post that there were many who were left in the dark on purpose…Should those leaders sleep well?
Still a Secret…Wow. you must not have told your team…Maybe we can sit next to each other at NTC…Won’t that be fun.. I think I’ll just cash my check in total anonymity since I earned it and shouldn’t have to give it back just because I don’t like how the company handled this mess. It’ll be on my terms for sure…
Play Nice. Thanks, I guess…
Truth…we were all told that Arbonne was going thru restructuring. They , we and everyone don’t like to do the bankruptcy way ,but we knew change was coming. i’m sure some people alot smarter than you and i have figured out the best way. but you knew that because your team brought in 1mil a month. That made you a nice paycheck and a vp. Those big NVP’s that left with 5 and 6 digit paychecks left to start with a 0 paycheck with another start up company. yeah right. its called human nature.
Nobody is going to do that unless they are stupid or were kicked out.
. nobody knows and should care.
see ya in 60 days
If Arbonne really is one big, happy family, then why attack Truth for calling it like she sees it? We’re all entitled to our perceptions of what’s going on, and we’re all entitled to speak freely about it.
I’m a former RVP who started out of the gate at the very tail end of the prosperous years. I got my Mercedes REALLY fast. I couldn’t believe my eyes as my team grew and grew – we worked our tails off, and had a great run. Had many AMs making good money on my team, and it was a time of true joy. Soon, though, the reality was that we just couldn’t sustain it. I watched as one by one, my team started to fall away. No matter how many parties I held, no matter how many one-on-ones I did, I couldn’t maintain a Region when I was the only one really working it. I had a few core business builders who stayed with me, but soon I lost my Region.
I felt like a failure. What had I done wrong? For a while, I spent money out of my own pocket to try to keep it going and ended up with more product than one person ever could use in a lifetime. It didn’t take long to realize that was no way to run a business so I stopped and watched as my small Area performance account became smaller and smaller. I found it ironic how, when my numbers stopped exploding off the webstats page, how quickly those leaders who had praised me and my team to the heavens stopped calling . . .
I will say when I got to the magic Region level, I became very disillusioned. It was like someone had ripped away the curtain and I got to see what the Wizard of Oz really looked like behind the big, wonderful mask. I participated in VP meetings where I was told to keep plates spinning, to bring people in faster than the others could fall out. I saw a refusal to listen to people with real-life business experience when they suggested methods that didn’t dovetail with the suggestions of the Big Leaders. I saw people being urged to load up for December ASAP points, when I knew from first-hand experience that it was nearly impossible to earn the trips on points alone. Believe me, I tried. Learned later that many people who went on the trips had to do the buy-in plus ASAP points to go. I heard so-called spiritual and inspirational leaders rip on peons beneath them for personality eccentricities. I saw ego coupled with greedy spending marathons that made me cringe. Did I really fit in with these people?
I trained at big conferences. I hung with the big dogs. And beneath it all, something deep inside me was squirming uncomfortably. Everything was happy happy shiny happy on the surface, but talking to other VPs I soon learned that I wasn’t the only one struggling. I soon noticed that manager promotions were waaaay down, and that very few RVP promotions happened in our area after mine. Recognition started focusing on other obscure milestones than volume and manager promotions.
I really had a crisis of conscience. My gut kept telling me something was way wrong, so how could I morally bring others into the situation that wasn’t working for me? So I sat back, tried to help my now-tiny team keep what they had, and really listened to what leadership said with all senses open. And what they said came across as strained, false and desperate.
I will say this: Arbonne was wonderful for me and my family when it was working. It taught me to learn financial responsibility and allowed me to reduce much of my debt. It taught me how to read books that uplifted me and helped my attitude become more positive. Even after the last few years of disappointment and heartache, I would never trade my successful Arbonne years for anything.
So what went wrong? Because Arbonne started to falter at least a year before the financial crash in September 2008. I’ve analyzed and analyzed. I believe it was a ‘perfect storm.’ (Heh, there are those reading who just chuckled as they fit reading this into the ‘nooks and crannies’ of their day.)
I believe it was 1) leaving the REsults method and insisting on doing just parties that started the death knell, followed by an 2) introduction of products that were too late for market trends and priced too high (the spa line), 3) mixed messages from leadership and 4) changing the 35% off, $29 sign up for new consultants that started to sink the company. Things were lagging, and when the economy got bad, it just exacerbated the situation. I believe Arbonne thought the giant boom would last forever and they were spending money based on that, rather than setting aside for rainy days.
I’ll clarify: 1) REsults v. party system – most women today work and do not WANT to go to a cheesy home party. If you rule out any REsults drop-offs, you eliminate a large segment who would otherwise look into this business. Arbonne’s big boom was due to REsults – regardless of those slimy few who stacked and urged unrealistic and large initial purchases, the actual method really resonated with busy professionals who could fit Arbonne into their schedules while still working. When our leadership insisted we go back to doing parties only, more than half my team quit. Your mileage may vary – just sharing what happened to me. Parties are fine and I did many – but most of my team started doing parties after hitting DM using REsults.
2) Spa line – couldn’t sell it to save my life – and I can sell, and I tried. One exception was the lotion for those with eczema and psoriasis. Overall, nice idea but epic fail in terms of really rocking the market with something new and different. About a year behind on trend and priced way out of reasonable range.
3) Mixed messages from leadership – was told not to overtrain your teams, so I canceled a training that my team was clamoring for. One week later, joint training call with 3 big NVPs, and was told to do more trainings for our teams. WTF? We stopped sharing what our plans were with top leadership, because we’d be told not to do it one week, then to start doing it the next week. Micromanagement! Just let people do what they are good at! Just an example – my team members would joke about getting whiplash because of all the changes in direction from leadership. It’s ok to do REsults, but do parties too – then, do NOT do REsults, only parties. Then REsults is just a reach out method to add to parties. Blah blah – noticed most of my team just quit calling into trainings and coming to National Meetings because there was so much contradiction and message dissonance.
Finally, 4) new sign up levels and costs. I’m sure they meant well, but it is confusing as heck and stupid. I understand the logic behind it all – so many 35% off consultants never buy again but COME ON! Admit it was a mistake and change it back. Do you really think penalizing a new business builder with the threat of losing her 35% discount in early days is going to encourage her to keep working? I’ve been doing this a looong time and it was confusing to me – can’t imagine how a new recruit would feel hearing all the terms. I had many 35% wholesale buyers just stop renewing their ID when it fell to 20% off for $29. Want to recover? Arbonne can start by changing the consultant plan back to the way it was and always worked.
Sorry for such a long post. I really thought I was over Arbonne, but re-reading my words, I must still care on some level. I hate to see what Petter, Stian, Candace and Rita built become such a mess. I do have my doubts that Bob Henry did anything but bring chaos to the party. And I don’t have a clue what will happen next, except it would really be smart if Arbonne were to say, “Hey, guess what. We screwed up. A lot of mistakes were made, in leadership, in management, in financial decisions. This economic situation coupled with errors along the way have brought us to an uncomfortable place, but we’re working to fix it.”
Honestly, all the brilliant shiny happy la la talk on the Arbonne blog does NOTHING to help reassure those on the fence. It’s like it was created by an internet kittens-unicorns-and-rainbows generator – be real, people. Admit you’re surprised, disappointed, yet hopeful. Or perhaps they’re afraid of peer disapproval if they spout anything but the party line?
I applaud Arbonne for at least making the effort to counter all the negative rumors on their website. However, it’s almost too late and is insulting to those with intellect. You have to ask yourself if any of that website content would exist if their filing hadn’t been made public. Good crisis communication involves a sincere apology and honest explanation, and I don’t see either. Just more of the same platitudes.
The bankruptcy rumor has been out there for months. When I asked leadership, I was told everything was fine, it was just a rumor spread by malcontents. Clearly this is not true. I don’t know if we’ll ever learn the real reason for the Chapter 11 filing, nor do I know how things will end up. I’m definitely sadder, and wiser and wish the best for all my former Arbonne colleagues who are out there in the trenches trying to explain to customers and consultants what happened and what it means for their future.
I am An Arbonne Consultant & I am SOOO Excited about this KIND of Bankruptcy restructure we are not doing just a chapter 11 but a pre-packaged & there is a difference FOR SURE!!! There have been LOTs of companies that are doing GREAT now that have gone through these & I am can see into the future of Arbonne & with what I KNOW is coming our way this year we are about to EXPLOD the industry of MLM & I am so proud that God has chosen me to be a part of this company during this time!!! We are going to come out STRONGER THAN EVER!!! I think you have to know the FACTs before you just start ASSUMING because we all know what that does I am a lifer in Arbonne & I know I will look be and say thank GOD this is the road I chose!!!
Well, “Truth” your assumption is wrong about me, just as it was about Lisa. I have been upfront with my team about everything …after several years of working together as a team, they expect ( and deserve) nothing less. So far, not one person has chosen to leave, which I am grateful for.
I must confess that I am just a “small change” compared to your “little team that was doing over a million a month.”
Congratulations on your financial success!
You talk a lot about all the people you know in @ that hide the truth and lack integrity. However when I hinted that you could still be drawing a check from @ you replied, “I think I’ll just cash my check in total anonymity since I earned it and shouldn’t have to give it back just because I don’t like how the company handled this mess. It’ll be on my terms for sure…”
Wow… hiding on a blog, spewing hatred for the company that made it possible for you to churn out a million per month, and issuing statements like that just doesn’t exactly ooze truth and integrity.
It is obvious that you have been hurt . You may or may not believe this, but I am truly very sorry for whatever it is that has caused you such unhappiness. I wish you luck in the future.
will somebody help sheri up there? she is so drunk on the kool aid she makes me want to charge Arbonne with providing alcohol to minors.
This was exactly what i posted earlier. The issues may be a challenge and could; although with their current management team of mlm rookies, bankruptcy experts (yes a couple have been there before) and deliberate spin doctors (notice noone here actually has been in a successful mlm company- Not one) actually recover, it is doubtful The only way is for the field to show the professionalism the management team lacks. To reign in the nonsense talk about this being a GOOD thing, and for field leaders to wrap their arms around the misguided like sheri above and help her succeed not through blind faith and empty words thown out by people who’sonly hope is that you believe. Hey! That should be the NTC tagline. Oops it is! They want you to believe! but have they really given you anything to believe? Help Sheri Help yourselves, Do the business. But dont listen to Management tripe and just repeat it , It only serves to make you look stupid and for people to question your judgement and sanity, You can t recruit if thats happening
Isnt anyone going to mention the complete lack of integrtiy involved in a sponsoring campaign tied to Haitian Aid?
Sponsor x amount of recruits and we will give money to Haiti. Tieing relief for this disastrous situation to a recruiting goal is borderline dispicable. If you actually give a shit; tie some of the 20 million dollar loan you just got to aid to Haiti. If times are tight and you are not in a coprporate position to give then so be it. But to say e will give to Haiti if the field does X is smelly ripe with the kind of stench that has left senior employees and field leaders no choice but to find other homes. Send the money Arbonne! In your hey day you made a big deal of giving 200k to the Red Cross, This represented such a miniscule portion of the 800,000 million dollar debt that was incurred to line pockets and compared to what other companies in their space did that they should be ashamed. Now, they are trying to tie results to money for Haiiti! have you no shame?
Someone has been sharing incorrect information about Haiti.
Arbonne is NOT doing a relief for Haiti as a company . The independent consultants have used their own discount and offered it to their friends, consumers or otherwise ,a way to purchase a case if they would like to for 25 dollars , which in turn would provide 12 protein shakes for children in orphanages,– These shakes are being delivered by a very credible resource, Dr. Terry Lyle ,on a military plane and these products are directly given to the children in these orphanages. This is product from Arbonne and people raising donation individually that are involved in Arbonne. This is an outreach , except this is an outreach where we know the meals are going directly to help, no politics. This is independent of the company and only certain business builders are choosing to participate.
NVP’s , RVP’s and others will leave Arbonne, but remember those same people might not have had the same long term interest for this company or they got bored, as I have ( it happens sometimes), or they just found something better. Most people stay in a job for about 5 years , it is normal to change companies and careers, and even more normal to complain when you do leave!
This is a volunteer business, and for the amount of loyalty Arbonne has I think it is pretty amazing. If you are trying to decide to do Arbonne or not do Arbonne from this blog, my advice is to NOT do it, as you have already created massive doubt and will probaby not be one others will follow in Arbonne. I have learned that who you are in life will determine how successful you will be in NM. If you are a person of influence , people will follow you , it is all about trust and admiration. On the other hand, if you have not been a person to admire and trust, it does not matter what company you join, most likely you will need to change or start to grow and it will take years to see results, but it CAN happen and does happen if you are willing to do the work. This can be the most frustrating and painful part.
I do not love network marketing , I am in this business because I strongly believe in the product line and I just don’t want to use anything else. As long as women can still buy products , Arbonne will make money.
. One thing we do not want to do is look old and tired, Thank you Arbonne for providing healthy amazing products that really work! 50 is the new 30!
Lisa, did you make a typo error. You said you DO NOT love network marketing. Why do Arbonne then. You have to like the industry and the product. Doesn’t sound like you are very influential or trustworthy there.
Bottom line in any business or relationship is being sincere and true. A liar can be extremely influential, doesn’t mean they are successful. You really have to leave your ego behind and work from your heart. EVeryone can feel the energy of a person.
Sorry Lisa,
you seem like a really wonderful person, but you need to click on this link to see what is happening.
https://www.arbonne.com/company/opportunity/helpHaiti.asp
Again – Worker Bee Syndrome
As committed Reps for Arbonne International, you wil be the “worker bees” who are necessary to keep this company, barely afloat!
Your enthusiasm, your commitment and your credit cards will be greatly needed during this time period and in the future.
Your “blindness is greatly needed as well!
I feel so sorry for you.
From what happened years ago and with the Integrity gone now, Arbonne WILL NEVER be the company it used to be.
Times have changed. The new CORPORATE Management is now on board, so get ready for YOUR CORPORATE JOB BACK!
WOW – The Worker Bees are still deceived.
I hope you and your families have a lot of money to waste.
This is so shameful and so sad.
A huge corporation, using the little guys to save them from the utter chaos that they created.
Guess what?! God is doing HIS WORK.
HE IS PUTTING ARBONNE BACK RIGHT WHERE IT BELONGS. They became too FULL OF PRIDE.
YES – GOD IS DOING HIS WORK 🙂
I printed off the members of the Million Dollar Club in Feb. 2009. So glad I did since it has now been deleted from the Spot! I also printed off Sept. 2006 MDC just for keeping. Ok, here are the numbers:
Sept. 2006 There were 65, yes, SIXTY – FIVE in the MDC!
Feb. 2006 One year ago there were 21 in the MDC. I will going to list the 21 and yes, they were giving the numbers back then!
Feb. 2006
1. Euphiazene Linder 11mil. Currently #3
2. Donna Johnson 9 #1
3. Cecilia Stoll 8.8 #9
4. Neta Irwin 5.8 #5
5. Martha McIntyre 4.5 #7
6. Deanna Herrin 2.9 #13
7. Julie Newcomb 2.6 #4
8. Dana Collins 2.1 #12
9. Linda Parker 2.1 #11
10.Shannon Johnson 1.8
11.Cindy Pipkin 1.8 #10
12.Deana Wilkinson 1.7 #2
13.Carleeta Nelson 1.3 #15
14.Carol Waugh 1.3 #6
15.Donna Weiser 1.3 not a member
16.Lynn Hagedorn 1.3 #16
17.Sandra Tillinghast 1.3 #8
18.Kathy Lutz 1.2 not a member
19. Deanna Osborn 1.1 #14
20.Sheila Green 1.1 not a member
21.Lisa DeMayo 1 not a member
Sept. 2006
Donna Johnson was #1 AT A WHOOPING $37,980,060.00 MILLION! Linder-26.5 and Stoll – 19.8 MILLION respectively.
THESE ARE THE FACTS!
So judgemental GreatlyDisappointed! Wonder what kind of work God is going to do on you! Better look out! Wish you all the best!
My wife has been a rep since 2005. Any details about the future-looking pay to reps has been focused on the next 60 days, or until the company emerges from BK.
What I want to know about is what happens after they emerge? Does BK give the company the right to terminate previous contracts with the reps? Are they allowed legally to “cut the cord” with longer-term (and generally higher earning) consultants?
Right on the mark ‘bankruptcy is fun’! Thanks for the link ‘Check it Out’. Anyone with a shred of moral fiber should be outraged! The real headline for this campaign should read: “Helping Haiti Helps Arbonne!” This is low, really low. In a desperate attempt to rebuild a business that was totally financially mismanaged, this new and EXPLOITIVE campaign is actually considered a good idea? What about using some of that 20 mil. and donating the money because it is the right thing to do, and not because there are any strings attached! Whoever thought this morally reprehensible idea was a good one, should be shown the door. If it’s the new PR company hired to improve Arbonne’s image, they should be fired, their fee refunded, and Arbonne should use that to donate to the victims in Haiti. I shudder to think of how it will look when Arbonne reps plead for folks to sign up for the ‘good of Haiti’. Anyone with common sense will be properly offended and see right through this desperate and dispicable campaign to rebuild Arbonne on the backs of the human tragedy in Haiti. What an embarrassment, what a disgrace.
Per the P&P, Arbonne can change, amend, or terminate their relationship with any Independent Consultant at any time, for any reason upon written notice for which there is no “minimum notice” that they must give to an IC to terminate. Just like an IC does not have to “give notice” within any time frame, neither does the company. These agreement are terminable at will.
IOW, they could decide (or be told by the BK court) that they have to stop paying commissions TODAY and so long as they give written notice they are not liable to pay any theoretical future payments, even on previous sales volume.
The “Agreement Terminable at Will” clause is section 10.3 of the SuccessPlan & Policies & Procedures Manual.
This is normal for any MLM and, lacking contract language to the contrary, for any Independent Contractor relationship of any type (i.e. a home cleaning business, home secretarial business, etc.). If one is not an employee there are generally no protections unless specifically stated.
Being in business FOR yourself means what it always did – being in business BY yourself. Sometimes risk = reward, sometimes not. But being in business for yourself means there are no guarantees. Be informed.
The “Haiti Campaign” has been moved to the front page.
Shameful.
Kathy, Bankruptcyisfun, and Nohype – I know SEVERAL churches who are getting people from their congregations to donate “relief packs” that include washcloth, soap, toothbrushes, etc – do you think when they go to Walmart and buy the stuff they are saying please don’t charge us for these it’s because we are donating them to Haiti – no – waartales money on that – do you think when different retail stores have their “angel trees” up at Christmas to get people to donate gifts to needy families they are thinking they are going to sell an extra bike today because that is what “little Johnny” has said that is all he wants for Christmas – it is not a coincidence that the angel trees are placed in the malls and other retail stores – ALSO – I know several companies who are matching donations that their employees make to the red cross or salvation army for the people of Haiti.
So – I think it is kinda “shameful” that ANYONE would want to rip on companies or individuals who are trying to help in any way they are able – Arbonne consultants who are working their businesses are going to sign up new preferred clients regardless of whether or not Arbonne gives $ to Haiti or because people LOVE the products and everyone wants a discount. It’s just that simple.
For everyone else on the blogs – what do want all the consultants in Arbonne to do ? Do think EVERYONE should just quit? Should ALL the consultants storm the home office? It is very apparent that many of you just want to see Arbonne and all of the people who have worked really hard at this business fail and go down in flames! Would that make you all feel better? Would your life be perfect then? If you have been in Arbonne and for some reason you are not now or if you have never been in Arbonne – how does saying hateful things on a blog help you achieve your goals, desires, and dreams? If you are still in Arbonne – make a decision about whether you are going to take a risk, put your blinders, and build a business or make a decision to get out – either way, in the end only YOU can decide what you are going to do! There are so many incredible people with the highest of integrity building an Arbonne business – yes I I know not everyone (which is the case for EVERY business/company out there – heck look at our government) – so you have to decide if you are going to be an example and be a leader like you are expecting others to be or are you going to sit back and let others lead and ridicule them because you do not want to step up? And this is not just for Arbonne but for EVERY aspect of your life! I wish EVERYONE the best of luck with whatever you decide! Trust YOURSELF – trust YOUR heart – lots of things in life are risks – everything will work out the way it is supposed to! This too shall pass! Life is way to short to be mad about things YOU can’t control! Just do your best at whatever you decide – show mercy and grace – have a giving and loving spirit – and you can’t go wrong! Because in the end it’s not about what you have, $$ or otherwise, it’s about the people you loved and helped and the relationships you built!
WOW – You are deceived; but I admire you.
Your blindness may help the company; but, unfortunately everyone around you will be hurt.
OR
PLEASE DON’T GO EMOTIONAL ON US!
“It’s not about what you have…” OH PLEASE!!
Heard that story before – people you loved and helped and relationships you have built – STRAIGHT OUT OF THE ARBONNE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES!
My goodness be Smarter than that!
DONATE TO HAITI – with no strings attached! THEY DON’T HAVE TIME TO WAIT ON YOU GUYS TO SPONSOR PEOPLE INTO A COMPANY THAT FILED BANKRUPTCY!
Great Pep talk on “Quitting”.
ARBONNE QUIT ON ITS CONSULTANTS when they held information from them. When their NVPs held info, sugar coated the truth and kept families, spending, spending, spending to keep their MILLION $$ PAYCHECKS COMING IN!
Don’t STAY DECEIVED! My goodness!
WOW, (and I DO mean WOW!!!) I can’t believe that you don’t get the wrongness of this…especially at this time when the company NEEDS new recruits more than ever to keep business going. Buying wash rags at Walmart or Angel Trees has nothing to do with this. Don’t you see that one new recruit is far more valuable in $$$ to Arbonne right now than the $2 or $5 they will donate for them?. Since we KNOW that is true, you are saying that it is perfectly OK ethically, in your eyes, for Arbonne to come out by far the biggest winner in that trade.Tell me again… who is this suppossed to really benefit the most??? .If it is REALLY Haiti, I have an idea…if instead they ask every consultant to give a dollar and they will match it, I’m all for it. A TRUE win/win for Haiti!!! Heck, we can give them $2…$5… for every $1 that they pledge, and Haiti will wind up with 4 or 5 times the money that Arbonne has put on the cap that they will donate. I will send them $100 to get things rolling!!!! THIS is the TRUE Arbonne spirit of giving that I KNOW!!!
ARbonne is arbonne let’s not bring any earthquakes in to distract from what is going on.
Btw, many schools in North america are donating and the government is matching their donations $ to $. We don’t have to go into a big production and sponsor people for it.
Just make your donation and go.
Now back to this BK business. So 80% of this debt is just wiped out like that. What message does that send to everyone. Will the bank do that for my mortgage too? The AMerican people will keep paying for all these bankruptcies in taxes. This is a shameful thing to be proud of. It’s as if you think you really can just wipe away this debt without affecting anyone. People stop pretending and be responsible and realize everyone some how contributed to this mess. Yes, many ARbots out there were encouraging frontloading just so they can get a promotion. Then even Cecelia Stoll herself said it many times, don’t worry about your credit card debt…. you will make one big check and pay it off. Yeah, that might be her story but she did say those words. Now they will haunt her. All of her downline NVPS were having these Lifestyle meetings. This is where these NVPs would have these meetings at their house to showoff what they have with ARbonne. They are still conducting them. Now is not to time to rub it into other consultants with what you have. Trust me, there will be some mad consultants out there that will be knocking down their doors and I don’t mean nicely either. They should be humble and realize that they knew this DEBT was there and they lied too!!!
What Haiti needs right now is MONEY. Donate that $150 RV to the Red Cross. They will get it where it needs to go.
THAT is meaningful action.
This is all so wrong. They are doing all the wrong things.
I don’t want anyone to fail. I didn’t and don’t want to! But one can’t run a business against a stacked deck! This BK is obviously pertinent info we all needed to know!
And I still believe every single IC signed up since Arbonne posted their first penny of debt was willfully DEFRAUDED and I can’t believe more people don’t see that. Their claims of being a debt-free company are in their goshdarn recruitment literature!
Arbonne did bad things. The best thing they could do right now is to just be honest. We lowly ICs are not and never were too stupid to understand the finances. They did not tell us because they DIDN’T HAVE TO and that is corporate arrogance in a nutshell. That corporate love-fest culture was all just an act to sell more RE9s. THAT is what is so distressing.
is it true that many RVP’s/NVP’s left knowing this months ago?
Arbonne has pulled my ID# and not going to pay me my check that I have EARNED from being with Arbonne 9 years! I have owned a salon this whole time and carried other lines of products in my salon. I was an ERVP for 5.5 years. I chose 2 years ago to only work part time in my salon and draw my HARD EARNED residual check from Arbonne from those years of doing half way to NVP for 3 years of thos 5.5. I had a baby and no longer wanted to do the high paced work of an ERVP. I am a member of other MLM companies and have been for years. My ENVP was full aware of this and it was NEVER a problem. I cant use Arbonne’s shampoo on everyone. Also Arbonne doesnt keep candles year around and their weight loss tastes terrible and doesnt work for everyone. Anyway I am a member and offer these other products out of the salon if someone wants them, just as I have did for the past 9 years! I only do Arbonne as a business or did I should now say.
I get an email telling me this week that I NO LONGER will have an ID# with Arbonne and no longer will be getting my check!! This pays my house payment!
My upline has always talked about being able to draw your residual income when you wanted to walk away for awhile and come back to it later when you wanted to do it again!
I guess Arbonne is scrambling and on a witch hunt for any reason to stop paying consultants their check!!
I dont work another business but I do have memberships with friends and neighbors who do ther MLM’s I like some of their products as they have memberships with me for some of the Arbonne products they like!
Arbonne has hit the lowest for me!
No I wont be going back to my Arbonne business as I previously planned to do when my little on got bigger! I will however be sure to tell all of my clients about what Arbonne has done to me.
I devoted many years to Arbonne and to be treated this way!
This is over the top!
I now cant make my house payment for February because I wasnt expecting to suddenly be let go from Arbonne.
And for all of you Arbonnites who are going to say your speech about this isnt true, I promise you it is!
Ive been where you are when you are suppose to sugar coat everything. Save it….
Has Arbonne gotten so depserate they are researching names to see if your name comes up as a consultant for another company! My friend who sells Mary Kay is listed as a consultant for Arbonne because she paid the $29.00 2 years ago for the Phyto Prolief and the vitamins so she could get the 35% OFF, hope her company never gets that desperate to do that to her!
I am truly sick to my stomach and what a slap in the face. I guess when Arbonne was rocking and rolling they could care less about the other products in the salon,because I was selling so much Arbonne for them, driving the car and now they are desperate and Im not sponsoring or out beating the pavement so they will trim the fat. Those of us who are enjoying and drawing our RESIDUAL that we EARNED! Will be canned.
Arbonne you are showing how desperate and greedy of a company you are. This is a long ways away from the evening I spent sitting at the table next to Petter and his wife in Cancun visiting with them. That was the last trip Petter took with the company and I know he would be sick to see what has become of Arbonne now.
Totally explains why Candice left, she saw this coming.
Katrina — American tax dollars are not going to be responsible for covering anything when it comes to ARbonne.. Investors/lenders traded debt for equity. It was a business deal — pure and simple.
I completely agree with the comments about Arbonne’s Haiti campaign. Give me a break! …so unethical on Arbonne’s part, not to mention desperate…
Shelly,
That is a terrible story. I am sorry.
Traci
If you can’t make your house payment then that is your own fault. You are a typical story of someone who doesn’t know how to manage their money. If you were making good money then you should have been planning for your future a little better
Sandy, you are a despicable person and I dare any Arbonne fanatic to come on here and defend you. You’re pitiful. No one that I have known in Arbonne would want you as a part of their organization. When I leave it will be to wash people like you out of my memory. I have copied and pasted your comments in a word document just so I don’t ever forget how sick
Arbonne people can become. You and the Haiti thing…OMG.
Hey Sandy,
You are the perfect person to head up Arbonne’s PR department. In fact, I am going to nominate you for the Spirit of Arbonne Award since you so eloquently embrace the Arbonne Spirit. You’ve captured the smugness and arrogance that so completely dominates their culture now. What a proud moment for Arbonne.
Shelly,
I am so sorry- losing your ID # is like getting an unexpected pink slip. Has Arbonne offered you any explaination why they did this?
I love Arbonne’s products it sad see them filing BK. I’m just a customer…
But what even sadder is to seeing 750,000 consultants loosing their income …sales are down 40% to 50%
RVP’s…NVP….are losing their income and cars…and thousands of AM and DM are realizing they were sold a dream, and have lost thousands of dollars promoting the dream…$$$$$$
It brakes my heart to see any MLM have problems like Arbonne. It gives are industry a bad rap…
I know Arbonne will make it out of BK but will their reps????
I beleive Arbonne will rally from this but it is going to take some serious reflection on what this company is about. I truly love the products and I am going to try and stick it out. I do belileve it is time for Arbonne to realize that we are a NETWORK MARKETING COMPANY AND NOT A DIRECT SALES COMPANY. That is what has hurt us. We are in a recession so naturally sales are going to be down but if people had been buidling this business like they should have – by leading with the business instead of pushing the results approach and talking people into buying 4,6 or 8 kits to build the business we would be a lot better off. I do not think you need RE9 kits to build this business, a few samples would be fine. Network marketing is about finding people to build a business and then for those who don’t want the business you offer them the products. Until every VP realizes this and teaches their team to build a business and quite holding parties we will not grow very much. I believe in the philosophy behind these products and I beleive that the founders had a phenomenal idea when this company was started. It is time to get back to the roots and build this business like it should be. I also think that yes you must have some loyalty to a company because it is the company you chose to build a business with but i also think it takes more than rah rah meetings to help others build this business.
Oh, Shelly, what a story. Do you have contact info? I would like to ask you some questions….
To: Keep it real and truth. I think you miss understand. Part of being a business owner is knowing how to handle your finances. I am not condoning any of the rah rah mentality that some cosultants build their team on. this is a real business and people should be trained on how to handle it. Ii am sure you have heard of lottery winners that blow the entire fortune and are broke again. It was because they were no taught how to handle money. If the girl who lost her id and can’t make her house payment had been in some other industry and lost her job she wouldn’t be able to make her house payment then either. It is not a companys fault if someone does not know how to put money aside for just such an occassion. Unfortunately in Arbonne we have so many leaders that teach belief instead of life skills. I am training my team on the big picture – the industry, the company,the products and how to be a successfful business owner.
Sandy,
You say “part of being a business owner is knowing how to handle your finances.”
Again, you are just another person expecting an IC to do what the COMPANY ITSELF HAS NOT DONE.
If Arbonne had handled their finances properly, nobody would be in this mess.
I can feel sorry for Shelly for losing her ID while knowing at the same time that Arbonne does explicitly forbid working another MLM while being an IC at Arbonne. I think it’s wonderful that Arbonne was making her house payment, that is just the type of story Arbonne wants in their literature. So yes, I can see why her ID was terminated, but still feel bad for her financial situation.
There are a lot of things I don’t understand about MLM, from the impossibility of internet marketing to (what I feel are) the overly restrictive policies about working another MLM business in conjunction.
This is all just a sad mess.
just want to chime in…heard about the news from the boss. FOr some reason she is not too worried. I am a bit, although i do work part-time and stay at home and watch the kids which i would hate to see come to an end. i love the products especially the vitamins and the shakes. It also would be nice to be the breadwinner again.
With the field I’m in I see alot of these chpt. 11. Arbonne is in an ideal position although anything can happen, as with anything.
I have seen my wife’s team players come and go, but I can’t comprehend how some girls need to be spoon fed to run their own business, because in the end , that is what it is. I have seen some succeed , and usually it is the strong ,busy, confident women succeed, and they are doing it full-time.
Sandy, you have no idea, nor do I what challenges that Shelley has faced financially so to assume that she mishandled or didn’t prepare is careless and insensitive at best…..I think the larger picture to be discussed here is that for those of us who are attempting to hang in there by our fingernails this story is horrible. How many people do you think know and love Shelley? How many people will she tell this story to? How many people are reading this blog? How will cutting Shelly’s legs out from under her help me grow my business. How will it help Arbonne’s image which has suffered as of late? How will it help improve profits? How will it help improve average incomes…We are posting income averages on our web site that are from a period before we lost so much money and had to file bankruptcy. Explain to everyone here how misrepresenting income potential is less damaging to the integrity of the company than a consultant selling Arbonne in her store…
I think I just hit my limit…I’m done.
Sandy,
I have heard this stat repeated over and over – that the average family is 3 months from bankruptcy. I tried to find that on lthe internet and instead found this..
“According to the study, in 1991, 46.5 percent of people who filed bankruptcy had college degrees. By 2007, that figure had increased to 58.9 percent. ”
http://www.buffalonews.com/opinion/anothervoice/story/929796.html
I don’t think it’s education that would have made a house payment.
And how’s this for irony – it was an investment firm that helped create all this mess. They have specific educations on how to handle money and are paid to do it well.
I continue to agree with Truth and Kathy.
My head has been spinning reading all of these posts. I am an Arbonne IC and recent DM. I have been doing it for about 8 months and currently have no team……this is what I can tell you…….
Bad Stuff…..
I found out about the chapter 11 filing from my sister in law…..who read it online. When contacting my VP i was told that “oh yes, I didn’t want to worry you:”. Only then did I hear from Arbonne with a letter, the information on the site and also my direct VP email. I had no idea it was coming….from anybody and I understand that I am not that high up….but a little info would have been nice. Also, I feel as though I should have heard from my direct VP before finding it out elsewhere. Also I had been prospecting 4-5 women at this point and was told not to inform them of the filing, because it would all be behind us in a few months. I found that unethical and wrong. I informed these women and they have all declined joining. Can I blame them….no.
Good stuff……
Thus far Arbonne has given me everything it has promised….I make a decent paycheck just from booking parties and selling the product. I DO feel the product is superior and offers sought after results. This I cannot discredit them for. I have received gifts, support and rewards as I was promised as well as other things I didn’t even know I would receive. So that much I cannot deny.
My plan as an IC caught in this mess…..
I plan on waiting out the storm……but only expecting myself to do it. I will continue to sell the product that has not lost any intergrity in my eyes……the product is amazing. I plan on plugging away at both the REsults drop off method and also parties as they do give me profits. BUT, I will not be offering the business oppurtunity to anyone anymore…..not until I see that Arbonne has come thru the chapter 11 and still held to their promises of no day to day change. Then I will do my research on quaterly profits….etc until my eyes burn from reading so much! Then I will make my decision whether to resume recruiting or stepping out of the business all together. I am on the fence right now and will back only what I know is true and solid and right now that is the product!
For all of those who suffer to loose so much more than me at this point…..I hope that Arbonne can make good on what has happened……i personally know a lot of women that have brought their husbands home and have lived the Arbonne way of life for many years and if Arbonne were to fully go under….it would be devastating to them and their families.
If Arbonne goes under, I can sit on this blog and be angry….or I can get up, brush myself off and move on and be wiser for it.
Shelley,
My heart hurts for you! I am angry at this injustice that was dealt to you, You have successfully, for years, run your business. You no doubt have a team who loves you and clients that appreciate your stellar service to them. You gave your best and in return, you were kicked in the teeth. Sad, sad, sad. I would cherish a team member like you. For Arbonne you are a throw away. I am cheering for you to overcome this, find a way to stay at home with your baby, and bounce back from this BETRAYAL from a company who has lost their greatness as they lose more and more consultants like yourself.
Amazing to me that Lisa for all her depth of understanding about how Arbonne would recover , had no idea that they were posting a campaign for recruits under the guise of helping Haiti. Just one more example of a blind field doing whatever their upline and management tell them.
If Arbonne recruited 5,000 new consultants this month (unlikely but lets assume for kicks and giggles) that would mean they would be giving Haiti 10,000 dollars. Are you kidding me? The campaign, as someone so eloquently said above, helps fuel recruting when most needed and does next to nothing for Haiti, This is utterly dispicable. While organizations are giving hundreds of thousands and sometimes millions to the relief effort, Arbonne tries to jump on the charity bandwagon with a paltry few bucks a recruit. The folks who mismanage that company spend that in bad hair dos.
Why dont the execs stand up and put some of their salry money into the pot!
The only Arbonne people I have ever seen do that are Rita Davenport for sojourners and Stewart McMillan and his management team in Canada for Shelternet.
The people running the show would rather you pay by doing a little something for them. Then thyll throw in a couple of bucks. Disgusting.
Arbonne Bouncing Checks?
http://mlmblog.net/2010/02/arbonne-january-checks-bouncing-coming-back-insufficient-funds.html
Reuters:
Natural Products Group, owner of the Nature’s Gate line of organic shampoos and soap, filed for bankruptcy protection on Wednesday with the support of its lenders and expects to exit Chapter 11 in two months.
Harvest Partners LP, a New York private equity firm, owns the prebankruptcy equity in Natural Products Group and it will be wiped out.
Harvest formed Natural Products Group in 2004 to buy Arbonne International LLC, a direct marketer of personal care products, and Levlad Inc, which owns the Nature’s Gate line.
Harvest, with other investors, provided $93 million of equity for the acquisitions.
Natural Products Group, based in Irvine, California, said in court documents that it grew rapidly in 2005 and 2006 as Arbonne added a large number of direct marketing contractors, providing an unsustainable boost to revenue.
The company’s net sales began to fall in 2007-2009 due to a loss of direct marketers and downturn in the economy.
While the bankruptcy wipes out the initial investors, Natural Products Group paid them $200 million in dividends in 2005, according to a company statement dated Jan. 4, 2006.
Natural Products Group’s annual revenue consists of $378 million from Arbonne and $73 million from the Levlad businesses.
Natural Products Group employs 867 people worldwide, according to court documents.
Arbonne has a direct sales network of 750,000 independent contractors and the company said they would receive their pay and compensation as usual during the bankruptcy.
I can remember 4 years ago, stumbling across an anti-Arbonne blog. I was disgusted by the terms “orange fog” and “Arbot”- so much so, I signed in to give the haters a piece of my mind.
I had been in Arbonne for 3 years at the time and had earned my Mercedes. This was on the cusp of the “puppy-dog” approach which I was strongly against despite the cohersion from my upline and sidelines.
I joined Arbonne when you could still call Corporate and they knew you by name- when Rita called to congratulate you on becoming DM. Those times are long past.
I phased out of my Arbonne business because I saw the handwriting on the wall. At the time, I had over 500 consultants in my successline and numerous managers; however, sales were falling. I remember the day Arbonne had a BIG announcement to make. I was relieved because I thought, finally, they are going to lower qualifications again in order to save us! To help those of us who were working so hard save our struggling businesses…WELL, guess what? The BIG announcement was that they were increasing the prices?!? AND, charging tax on the full retail amount of PWP’s and $100 for $20’s…oh, and an increase in shipping as well. I was devastated. It was plenty difficult to sell a $266 skin care line, much less a $300+ skin care line. It was at that moment I realized the consultants were NOT in Corporate’s best interest…not even on the map!
The lies. Oh my. This is what finally became the nail in the coffin for me. I saw NVP’s losing their Nations and became an RVP in title maintenance myself. The moment it happened, I wanted to have a meeting with my team, BUT, my upline wouldn’t allow it. Why? Well, because if I lost my Region, then that meant their Nations were suffering. Smoke in mirrors.
I knew that I would have to transition slowly. It took about 2 years to phase out of the business completely. AND, those people I surrounded myself around for 5 years; the ones I stayed overnights with; flew across the U.S. with; dined with; cried with; celebrated successes with- GUESS what happened? They left me, high and dry. Because it is an unspoken rule that once you have a ‘bleeder’ you must cut it off from the rest of the group, otherwise, negativity will spread like wildfire. It took another 2 years to recover from the depression of losing my identity and life.
I TRULY loved my downline. I gave to them every chance I had. I rarely drew my paycheck because I invested it back into them. THAT is why I had to get out. I could not continue to sponsor them into the lies and deceitful money-trap Arbonne had become.
And now, everything has come into fruition. Exactly what I said would happen, has. I am sad for those who were decieved and scrambling to decide what to do next, but I do feel some sort of vendication- be that good or bad, it is true.
why are all these stories coming out now….years later. these blogs have been up for years.
no one was complaining when bringing in big money.
in any business things change, you need to change with it.
goto any bolg on any direct sales company and you’ll hear the same stuff.
just heard fron my vp that they just moved the date to come out of bankruptcy to FEB 22…
To Undecided: I totally agree with you about the products, they are fabulous and, it’s going to be a sad day when I will have to go in search of something to replace them.
I commend you for your decision to not offer the business to prospects. I mean, really, how could you? What are ICs supposed to say……”yeah, Arbonne is going through a restructuring right now but, everything is just GREAT and we will come back stronger than ever!” ? The blog on Arbonne’s website is laughable and looks like they had their NVPs line up at the computer (at their retreat in Hawaii) and contribute their healthy dose of Arbonne speak. Last time I checked, $800 million in debt is not something to be “so excited” about!
Considering that everyone is here on Ty Tribbles website spouting their disgust at Arbonne,Ty included, I thought it might be interesting for everyone to know that Ty’s opinion is a little bit biased. You see, Ty is a part of another network marketing company, Eiro Research!
Sandy,
You go ahead and blame the blogger and ignore the fact that there has been tons of positive Arbonne news on this blog since 2003. In fact, at one point, I listed Arbonne as one of the 5 companies that Quixtar IBO’s should take a look at.
I happen to be a successful Network Marketer, with a team that grew by 650% in 2009. Three people on my team earned BMW’s in January. Does that change the facts that are presented here or the open forum that even you are allowed to share your comments and judgement of me?
I have read every single comment on this blog (over 500), both positive and negative and tears came to my eyes on multiple occasions. My heart is breaking for the consultants who are in danger of losing everything they worked so hard to build.
I am also saddened by the spin of the leadership. Chapter 11 bankruptcy, (pre-packaged or not) is nothing like refinancing your home.
I am so sorry to hear what’s going on with Arbonne and the people here like Shelly and FormerRVP. I am with another company but I won’t mention the name here. Just so grateful that I found NM and have leverage in my life with the same company since 2003… never did any MLM ever before that.
I just want to add to Shelly Smith’s post. These #s are from court paper filed by Arbonne. Dont know if any NVP knows any of this before the BK filing.
Annual Sales:
2007 $722,494,000
2008 $569,157,000
2009 $370,993,000 as of Nov 30, 2009
2005 Added total 434.000 AICs
2006 Added total 612,000 AICs
“net” Loss of AICs (# joined minus # quit)
2007 108,000 AICs
2008 270,000 AICs
2009 145,000 AICs
So Annual Sales dropped since 2007 is congruent with Net Loss in AICs for the same period which is about 50%. The question is “How did the company have portrayed themself to their reps during that period?” Granted they are not public so they don’t have to share any #’s but the truth is out now.
For a 30 year old company which has good product to be in debt over $800 M in a few years has to come from poor financial management. No doubt it will come out of BK because it’s a “pre-packaged” deal with the banks, but how healthy the company is going forward time will tell…One thing though Why are they launching over 150 new products? When ANYONE filed BK they are more conservative afterwards. Will they have the # of reps to push those new products for new profit? From the 50% downtrending reps last 3 years it’sdifficult to say how that will look like for Arbonne in 2010, especially when people are angry about not knowing about the BK directly from the company.
In any event the bank that now owns 85% of the company is only doing the deal for investment sake. Arbonne still owes them $125 M. If there is a buyer who will make a good offer, the bank will sell. They are not in it for long-term investment. The future is not clear and stability is not guaranteed after BK in this case….
Arbonne claimed that their debt is partly because of the recession, but if you research the personal care/cosmetic industry they are mostly doing well with increases in fact. My company just had record breaking annual sales for 2009 after 25 years in business (almost $1.5 Bil). I know this because it’s public company trading on NYSE
May be one day we will know how they come to accrue $800 M in debt…. well at least $200 M is accounted for when they paid Harvest . One common practice that most start up MLM companies do is to pay for top distributors from other companies to join them. There is usually a money contract signed. Some of these guys jump from one company to next, created huge organization, complete their contracts and run with the money…. to another MLM they go…When they go, their downline go with them thus bringing down the company. It takes about 3-5 years for this to happen of course, but in the mean time, the company is promoting and enjoying big increases. There are some “juice” companies out there that may be in trouble….. again private companies don’t have to disclose anything so the truth is out after it’s too late.
For those that love the leverage idea of NM I would suggest doing research before joining another company. NM is a nightmare with the wrong company. Good luck to all!
To Former Arbonne Cheerleader. Thanks:)
All i can do is HOPE that is does come thru stronger than ever……i saw this post on you tube and thought it made sense……http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScCr6bellAI
but i have to see it for myself before I sell it to someone else.
ahhhh life is never dull, right? As soon as you think you have a sure thing, the rug can be pulled right out from underneath you!
Update: Someone at Arbonne corporate must be reading these blog entries. They have announced a decision to donate the $100,000 to Haiti relief…no strings attached…due to the ‘overwhelmingly positive’ response they have gotten to the campaign! Way to go Arbonne! That’s one step in the right direction…803 million to go…..
Not judging you Ty just letting everyone know where your loyalty lies.
Just so you know, Sandy, my loyalty lies with my family.
It kills me to see people more loyal to their upline and company than they are to their own family. Reminds me of Amway.
Ty why is it that you can not come out with a straight comment. All I said was instead of promoting what Arbonne is going through your thoughts and actions should be with all of the lives that this is affecting.
Sandy,
I was the one who told our readers about the bankruptcy 3 months ago. Don’t you think that alone shows my concern for the people involved?
After spending some time reflecting on the things I said I must apologize to the above mentioned people. I am guilty of the same thing that I was blaming everyone on this blog for doing – spouting off without having all the information. I was extremely bothered by the attacks on Arbonne, and I do sympathize with the people that have been hurt. All I ask is that lets try and look at all the people that this company has helped, not just with the business but also the products that have literally changed some people’s lives. Let’s move forward, because I do believe in a power greater than myself.
To Undecided….You have a good head on your shoulders. You are going to do fine with whatever you decide to do in life.
To Former RVP….You hit the “nail on the head”. I echo absolutely everything you said, and you said it so very eloquently and with truth and respect.
To Shelley… I’m so sorry.
The whole thing is just so disappointing. It’s so sad for those who have had the veil lifted, but even sadder for those that are still trying so desparately to cling to their belief that if they just keep at it they will accomplish everything they have hoped and dreamed for.
Good luck to all!
I got a notice from my bank that a check issued by Arbonne was returned for Insufficient funds. The check was for $6.60. They do not have cash left if they are bouncing checks for this amount.
My husband who is a finance executive told me a long time ago that these businesses are a scam and cannot last. Now that I am out of it, I have met many people who did MLM and every single one ended up losing money in the end. It is indeed a pyramid scheme. And it is over. Time to stop focusing on get rich schemes and get on with a real life.
Julie, I do not think that Arbonne is a pyramid scheme. They are certainly in some financial trouble, no doubt. Please don’t let one company’s financial woes and mistakes tarnish an industry that does have a handful of great companies.
I also just received a notice of failure of funds. Check was for $53 436.09.
I called arbonne and they said that funds have now started coming out of different accounts and need to be changed.
They stated that direct deposit is going thru.
keep you posted
Oh my weeping goodness, they had to know those checks would be returned. Why in the world would they not have said something???
Maybe if they didn’thave people like Andrew Warburton “motivating” small arbonne crowds… poor Annette…. what comes around goes around doesn’t it Andy ole’ boy.
I’m a lifer – the products are fabulous and work like no other. We ARE part of history and this is simply a detour on our journey. Before bashing, appreciate the honesty and integrity Arbonne has for VOLUNTARILY going into this pre-packaged agreement. Let’s get this behind us and move on!
Hey anotheronebites……….
What did you mean by your reference to Andrew & Annette Warburton? Just curious.
Excuse me Donna but I can’t let this go another time. I’ve always thought the statement “Im a lifer” with Arbonne was ridiculous at best. I’ve watched those very same people make that “feel good” mantra as they’ve dissolved their marriages. Just a tad bit hypocritical I think. I have only stood before God and others and made that commitment once in my lifetime; It was to my husband of 30+ years and counting. This “I’m lifer” dogma is a little over the top in my eyes. Some people are more committed to this than to their marriage covenants. Is it me or is there a definite lack of priorities here? It’s a company for heaven sakes!
To: Keep it real. I can say I am in this for as long as possible. To build a business, any kind of business, takes dedication and passion for the company and the product. I can say this with absolute convition because I came from a family that had their own business, a very successfule one. It was my mothers business but my father supported her 100% because he knew it was her passion. He did what ever he had to do whethe it be cooking, cleaning or taking care of the kids while he also worked a job in order for her to live her dream. If a business dissolves a marriage then the marriage was not strong enough to begin with. Just because network marketing doesn’t take a lot of money or skill to get into does not mean it is not a real business and should be treated that way. When you decide to own your own business it should not be with the thoughts “Well if this works ok and if it doesn’t then i will just walk away and bad mouth the company because I couldn’t make it work” When any one of us start looking for somewhere to lay blame we need to look in the mirror first.
Sandy…..
“I am in this for as long as possible” is a far cry from “I’m a lifer”.
I understand, more than you can imagine, about hard work and commitment.
You seem to be doing a very good job of judging people you don’t even know.
Keei it real,
You are the one that said people have a lack of priorities, not me. All I said was that I understand when someone says they are “in it for life” , they have made a committment to their business. All of this bickering back and forth is a waste of my time. I have a business to attend to
Sandy you could not have said it any better:) Tell me Keep it real what makes you so perfect? Or what is it that you do? All I’m getting from you and Truth, is that you are very ignorant bitter ppl. Why are you judging people?
Well Ty, I have not been on in a few days as I have been travelling but I want to say a big thank you on behalf of eh people of Haiti, If you ever worried that there was not a place for a blog such as this, you have received your answer. The negative press in these posts caused Arbonne Senior management to ashamedly donate 100k without any strings. Well done! Now if we can just get them to fire the spin doctors and their CFO who’s dept continues to make mistakes year after year and is most responsible for the mess they are in. Instead of sitting on a stage in Hawaii smugly telling everyone that everything was alright, he should have been tending to the business. The fact that checks were bouncing at this time is inexcusable. Did he not know which account money was going to be coming from? Did his boss not tell him that in these difficult times, liittle things like this would send shockwaves through the field? MY guess is not. The incompetence within that group of people is legendary.
Any more references to McDonalds, McHappy meals or McSalads is going to make me McBarf.
Just do THIS business well.
Once again, congratulations Ty on creating a vehicle for pressure to do the right thing on Haiti.
I hope Sandy that you are telling people upfront about the restructuring. I already heard consultants who are down playing it.
Girls……..
Sandy, yes, you have a business to attend to so you better fill up that calendar.
Nancy, what about you? Don’t you have phone calls to make?
I agree with you K.I.R They probably are just having a hard time in telling the truth that Arbonne is 800+,million in debt but wait, 80% or that will be covered in restructuring. Oh yes and Arbonne also just took another 20 million out for everyday expenses but don’t worry, ARbonne has cash.
So sad that they are really trying convince themselves to believe everything is OK
This beats all. On a recent call our president was talking up the Area party in Arizonia this weekend. So many coming that Brinks had to bring the blue bags from Tiffany’s. The disgusting part is on the actual bankruptcy filing posted for us all to review, Tiffany’s is on the “list of creditors holding 30 largest unsecured claims.” The exact amount owed $351,099.00. Enjoy your gifts ladies and make sure you send Tiffany’s a thank-you, this one is on them cause the bill was not paid.
just goes to show you that any company can put up smoking mirrors with lavish gifts and expensive parties! very sad for all the consultants who made it to RVP and above. I made it to AM & realized I was spending more time doing arbonne than I was spending in quality time with my family so I backed off and of course now I am just a consultant who enjoys the products. I hope for all who are working the business that this restructure will help and not become a negative aspect for all of you.
Donna — either you are a con artist or clueless. I don’t know which is worse. I am going to give you the benefit of the doubt and consider you a con artist. Because nobody in their right mind could possibly state that Arbonne is VOLUNTARILY going through bankruptcy proceedings. We could only hope that the individuals at the top could communicate to us with honesty and integrity. If, in fact, this statement stems from your complete ignorance, God help us all. I can only hope that you are not THE Donna. If this is who we need to become to get where you are, NO THANKS!
It is interesting to read these blogs. For the ones saying I should have handled my money better…..I was one of those coached and told to quit my job at AM level so I would have more time and then I would promote to RVP!! Since I owned a salon…I kept my salon, but I was never there. I let most all of my clients go & start with someone else because I was always gone, burning up the road! Then a couple of years ago I had a baby and decided I wanted to be home instead of on the road all of the time and doing calls..meetings…ect. And went back to working in the salon. As many of you know when you stop working your business at that high pace your paycheck will start to go down. Not too mention my upline was one who always told us we had to do BIG recognition!! You have to give up to go up…..and dont worry about your credit cards you will make one big enough to pay it all off one day! Well…my car presentation cost $4,000 because you have to give a gift to everyone and back then you served a whole meal…you had to make everything flashy and BIG!!!! And I was told by my upline that was great because she spent way more than that! Bottom line YES…I should have handled my money better.I should NOT have been putting NTC, HOTEL, PRODUCT, and ALL of the gifts on my CC …..BUT that was what I was told to do! Until I got the BIG check…. And at that time you did whatever your NVP told you to do!!!! Otherwise you were not SERIOUS about your business or you didnt BELIEVE in the business!!
YES…..I wish I had just said NO…to all fo that. But you were to dress the part, drive the car….pay for trips for your downline or the word is “Challlenge” your downline. As a brand new RVP, I had to turn around and pay $700.00 for a SPA trip for a downline member. Right after I had just paid for a car presentation. I could go on and on about this but anyone reading this knows what I mean!.
The reason that check pays my house payment because my other small income from my salon and my husband’s is trying to pay off ALL of teh CC’s left over. Not too forget I have kids! And quite frankly that is money I earned. I made good RVP money ….but I had to spend so much of it trying to keep up with all of the mailers, challenges, traveling, and of course meetings, flowers, CASH challenges….ect. And of course my favorite you had to wear as they called it…”Fancy Jeans” to their retreats….that would be $200-$300. jeans
Yes…I am rebuilding my salon clientel but it takes 2-3 years to do that.
And…..Im not working another MLM business….but I do believe in supporting my friends in their business as they do me! Yes I have a membership with a couple of other MLM’s to get the discount… HELLO…..I worked a MLM so I believe in buying products from MLM’s I also have a Sam’s Card to buy wholesale… It is just interesting for years Arbonne has been sold out of my salon along with other products and it has NEVER been an issue until now. It was never a secret and my upline was fully aware of this.
I am at this point trying to pay off my Arbonne CC debt. IN Arbonne unless you make it to NVP you pretty much spend what you make from Arbonne trying to keep your business going.
Im not looking for pitty from anyone….yes ultimately it is my fault because at one time…I too would have defended Arbonne to the end.. I had the Arbonne FOREVER attitude and would get offended by people who even questioned Arbonne. But I watched several people get divorced in my upline and saw them turn into people I did not want to be like when they promoted to NVP! And I made the choice to be a mom first and then an Arbonne cons.
I just did what I was told I had to do in order to…..”you have to give up to go up” and of course do what you have to in order to make it. use those credit cards it will be worth it in the end!
Ive seen so many lives changed all right in the past 3 years and it has not been in a good way.
I worked hard for Arbonne for a long time and I deserve my check because that is from hard work and sacrifice…. plus my CC debt I still have from it all! I could never pay them off because there was ALWAYS something else coming up to pay for in order to work towards NVP.
Bottom line is…Arbonne is wrong and I feel like they are looking for any little thing they can find to not have to pay.
Good look to you guys who want to stay, you are going to need it.
Arbonne does have good products, but the integrity of the company is gone and you need both in order to get back to where they were 5-7 years ago!
Shelly, I know you speak the truth. It is true and I have seen our former nvp lose her nation and then lose her region. Her debt was crazy. You see even as a nvp she wasn’t out of debt. You are better off taking care of your family. Look Donna might be the top income maker but and she was married a couple of times. So just because someone has money, doesn’ mean that everything is ok in the family life-no matter how they portray everything.
I heard Cecelia many times say, don’t worry, you’ll get a big check and all the debt will be gone. Those are true words that were even mentioned when she spoke at one of the NTCs.
I wish you the best too. You deserve better then being treated like that.
Shelley,
Each time I have read your Arbonne experience, my heart breaks for you. I can hardly take it all in. And the thing is, I have many such stories from those who were on my team. So many of the RVP’s in my successline are struggling financially because of the very same things you have shared. I could take your name out and put theirs in and the story would be the same.
I will not tolerate the old, trite, worn- out and untrue phrases that I hear spouted on this blog! I am going to hold people accountable for the words they speak. I can’t tell you how many people were duped by “just charge it, you can pay it off later with one big check.” How irresponsible as leaders and mentors to tell people such things. But all of that is hind sight now. However, we can get the word out so others won’t be devastated by such ignorant “Arbonne speak”.
Another thing……the grass isn’t greener? That is also a lie. I know PERSONALLY many who left and are thriving SUCCESSFULLY in another venue!!!! More lies and propaganda for the Arbonne desperate. How about the top income earner in Arbonne who came from another company. I could list those who are ENVPs and left other companies to join Arbonne. Why is it ok to come from another company to Arbonne as soooo many did when it was red hot and rollin’? But don’t you dare leave Arbonne for something else! You will be crucified. More hyprocrisy.
I am intolerate of the status quo in Arbonne, the irresponsibility of it all. I know of it first hand and I am done watching people blindly follow “leaders” and “mentors” who have an agenda to keep!
Shelley, I see so many, many wonderful qualities in you. I know right now you are carrying a load of pain and grief. So much has been lost. Something Arbonne can’t take from you is your heart, your passion and your work ethic. Even though the next few months will be difficult at best, you will make it because of who you are as a person. The resources are within you. It will take time but there is the other side and I believe you are strong enough to get there. In time, you will see that this all happened for a reason and you will come out on top, even better for triumphing over it.
Many, many blessings to you and your family.
.
To Shelley and Chloe. I am truly sorry for what has happend to you. I must say though that in this industry there are good companies, bad companies, good teams and bad teams. I do believe Arbonne is a great company and has some great teams. On the flip side there are also teams that have their own agenda and if you happen to follow that team then it will only lead to disaster. I believe that this industry offers so much to the average individual that they are willing to do what anyone tells them to acheive success. That is a problem that I see. I am not trying to sound conceited when I say this, but I am one of the individuals that does care about others and I want to educate my team. My vision right now is to begin a blog as sort of an advice column where consultants and individuals considering mlm can come and post questions and comments so that they are able to see the whole story and understand what it takes to make it in this business. I believe as network marketers we need to educate people on not only how to build a business but how to run it and manage it and keep their finances in order. I would never suggest someone quit their job until they are ready to. Shelley I wish you all the best and I hope in turn you can wish me success as well, because I do not believe by getting on this blog and bashing a company is going to help anyone because there are teams out there that do have your best interest at heart you just have to find them.
Sandy,
Good luck on your blog and in Arbonne. However, Ty has already provided here the very blog you are speaking of. Weird.
Maybe you want to start your own blog because on yours you could delete any negative things about Arbonne.
I thought you had a business to attend to yet you keep popping up here. Interesting.
Where did you see the debt amount to Tiffany’s???
susan
the bankruptcy documents can be found at http://www.arbonne.com under Corporate Information, Once there click on Arbonne Restructure. You’ll see our CEO video but if you scroll down you’ll see the links.
oh, I found them…ugh
where did you find the actual list of creditors? It seems as though they may have removed it as there is nothing under the claims section.
Keep it real, I am going to address you for the last time. Are you president of the fan club for bitter and cynical people or just their best memeber?
Sandy,
Promise……. this is your last time? For real?
Sandy, it’s not your fault. Some of the people on this blog are mad, they are angry and when you come on here and start talking the same ole crap that these folks have heard for years, well it just makes them more angry. They honestly in their hearts aren’t bad people and you aren’t either..They just have been hurt by people that they trusted. We probably ought to extend each other some grace…You just need to understand that you aren’t going to come on here and spout some Arbonne elevator talk and win them over…They are way past that. They’ve heard all the talk they care to hear from Arbonne. They knew in their heart something was wrong and the events of the past month or two has proven them right and all the talk in the world about things being good…well, you probably would do better talking to yourself…Please try and understand that they have really been hurt…emotionally and financially. Their reputations have been tarnished…And for you to say that the company is great and wonderful causes wonderful people to act in less than wonderful ways..I’m sure they’ll eventually get over it…I’m also sure that Arbonne never will.
Bankruptcyisfun, The list of the 30 top creditors is part of the original filing at the end of the Chapter 11 Bankruptcy forms. It is not on the claims list It is the actual list of creditors prepared by Mark Lehman, the CFO, as part of the Chapter 11 filing. I sure hope all these companies don’t get stiffed. It appears Tiffany’s is not alone!
‘Truth’ that is so well said. This was getting out of hand.
I contacted an Arbonne Area Manager here in the UK who I had once considered joining to see if she and her team were okay. I got a rebuttal and denial of anything being wrong. A ‘restructure’ and going from strength to strength was her respsone. I should not have expected anything different. Either she is ignorant of the facts or in denial or afraid for her future and repuatation. Anyone who reads and truly understands the facts realises this is not a good situation. It is a great shame as the products do have a loyal following and the parent company seems to be at the root of the problem.
I agree this may well tarnish the reputation of the industry as a whole. We can only watch, wait and support those involved.
Truth — you have hit the nail on the head. Trust has been betrayed. Consultants have been used and abused to perpetuate an unethical and unsustainable business model which was used to drive volume rather than substance. The band has been instructed to play louder and louder to cover up the fact that the ship has been sinking.
However, I have not lost all hope. The products which I could not live without, the team of ethical women that I continue to work with and my long term vision of what Arbonne can and should be keep me in the game.
I am greatly disappointed in seeing a lot of the hype, the spin and the ‘elevator talk’ continue…this could and should be the time where they come out of the closet with humility and grace, admit their mistakes, learn from their mistakes and promise to reinvent themselves.
The wisdom that can only be gained from having made some very grave mistakes could be used as the fuel to launch Arbonne to a billion dollar company and beyond BUILT the RIGHT WAY. I truly believe that the company can be restored to its former glory. It comes down to honoring rather than USING the most valuable person in the company — the NEW consultant. (they are the new seeds that grow the company)
Rita is the heart of Arbonne and that message can only come from her. I would love to see her heed her own advice and “put her big girl panties on.” Sadly, I’m not sure she fully understands what has happened in the field — and if she does not, her attention has been misplaced and she has been seduced.
It is never our mistakes, but our cover ups that bury us. I am already seeing some ownership on Arbonne’s part and look forward to seeing more. Let’s hope for the best. I want to get off this blog and on to sharing products and a company I believe in…this is a critical time for Arbonne and I’m waiting for them to do the right thing….if they do I KNOW that my team and I are going to knock the ball out of the park.
One more thing — the preferred client account created the necessary boundary between a ‘consultant’ and a product user who wished to Arbonnize their home and consistently purchase products from Arbonne. It was a brilliant move on Arbonne’s part. But instead of taking accountability and admitting that this was put in place to stop the bleeding and that it should have been implemented years before, they spun it as if they were giving the consultant a “15% raise.” Again, they covered up rather than owning up. I don’t have a problem with them having made mistakes — I make them everyday, but not owning them is unacceptable. I hope they are reading this blog….there is so much they can learn from it.
Well it looks like this blog is slowly losing hype….except for a few who just want to keep bashing…the talk of misleading, betrayal, unethical business and ‘seduction?’
Unfortunatley that is big businesss 101!!! Either you hop on the train and play and make money or you sit on a blog and complain.
I guarantee Arbonne will continue to operate, whether you continue to make money at it is up to you and your ethics.
Those of you who were NVP and stopped because your ethics didn’t let you collect a $50 000 paycheck …BS…never happened and never will…human greed is too strong.
You can still keep attracting business builders by telling them the truth. If they are scrared of the bank chp 11, then they are not business builders, they have no idea how companies operate and what it takes to become successful.
Let them continue being 9-5 employees, paycheck to paycheck, consumers. THey have no drive to become better because it takes hard work.
Ask any millionaire who didn’t inherit or win their money in the lottery. Their life was their work for 2, 5,10 years till they made it. Some have tried many businesses till the right one worked…ask Ty Tribble…some work out, some don’t, sometime things change, sometimes you need a change.
People give up way to easily, they want easy money and now.
So they cant achieve both so they go for the easy money…work fo someone…coffee and washroom break every ten minutes, watching the clock till 5 rolls around then waiting for friday to get the money. Brainless activity.
Let the dust settle, folks! I happened on this blog last week, and was amazed at the amount of animosity, blame-shifting, ill will, and judgment toward Arbonne and each other recorded here.
Maybe Arbonne will come out of this stronger and wiser and learn from this nasty situation. Maybe they will fold because the problems are too big or the current management is too inept or because they allowed the continuance of unethical practices by unethical Consultants and this ruined the company reputation irreparably, time will tell.
But, honestly, what are you expecting a company in trouble, who must know all too well what they did wrong, to do? Write on their home page what dirty rotten blighters they are and what a sinking ship they will be to all who stay or join? Show me any company that has gone the route of bankruptcy or financial woes that hopes to regroup and repair and stay in business that does anything other than present the current situation in the most positive, hopeful light possible. Come on, really! ALL businesses put their best foot forward and attempt to do damage control if they hope to rebuild, to buck up and go on!
MLM is a great business model. But one thing you learn about network marketing- you are your business. YOU decide how to manage it, you make choices. All MLMs give Consultants “Policy and Procedure” type manuals that spell out in explicit detail how to conduct yourself as a Consultant with the company. Code of Ethics on recruiting, inventory loading, making demands on your downline, using deception, misleading, unethical, or immoral behavior. Not belonging to other MLMs with a potential for conflict of interest. How you can market, where you can market. Cross line switching, or disparaging the company. Manipulating enrollments and sales volume.
Some of these comments are unbelievable blame-shifting! Upline making you buy expensive gifts and trips and costly presentations…”I had to….” No you didn’t! You made wrong choices-we all do, but own it, okay? You apparently followed an unethical Consultant right into disaster because you weren’t clear on your own business goals and ethics, you hadn’t read your own company Policies and Procedures to know what was wrong and what was very poor practice. Don’t blame a company or a Consultant for your lack of due diligence or healthy and balanced business practices!
I don’t care where you work or have built…..another MLM, corporate America, a nail salon, doctor’s office, public school, church, shoe store, auto mechanic, department store, garbage dump. Really good chance you have had unscrupulous and even unbalanced managers, administrators, upline, bosses, supervisors. People who are controlling, abusive, liars, thieves! Asking you to do all kinds of manipulative and conniving things for the sake of the company or your paycheck. Mistreating, neglecting, using you. You decide, by your own principles and ethics what you will do, or where you will stay. Its not just some bad leaders at Arbonne, its everywhere…take ownership of unwise decisions you made, re-evaluate your goals, read the Policy and Procedures Manual for any company you join with, take a financial management class if you have problems with excessive spending. They don’t call it “Independent” Consultant for nothing….you are the captain of your own ship! I surely can see why you could feel taken advantage of or mislead by a pushy, self-serving upline manager, but come on! Its up to you to set your boundaries, have your own ethical standards, make choices for yourself and your family. That’s one of the alluring factors of MLMs: you are your won boss!
Listen, you can do an online search for just about any MLM or business out there and find many disgruntled and critical ex-Consultants/Employees. I suppose it can be chalked up to “human nature” that we blame others when we are not successful at something, or don’t attain to something we told everyone around us we were going to do. Like, “Next year, I will be driving a white Mercedes!”
Well, when this doesn’t happen, I guess its easier to tell others, “I left the company, because they went bankrupt and were deceiving everyone,” or “my upline was evil,” or “even the great so and so left, so I am getting off the sinking ship, too,” or “God told me to leave(even though you probably had already told your confused listeners that God had told you to join in the first place….), instead of saying: “I didn’t work my business so I am not where I had hoped to be,” or “My propensity to slander the company or other Consultants caused me to not attract clients or business builders to my team,” or “I approached my business as a get rich quick endeavor, and when I realized Arbonne was a product driven company and I would have to build my own client base of product purchasers and be diligent to sponsor and train a team, it was too much for me.” It certainly sounds like the majority of complainers here were not doing very well BEFORE Arbonne came out with the bankruptcy news! Now it is a convenient excuse for not doing very well in your own business. Tsk tsk!
Maybe another company would be a better fit for you. Maybe your personal standards, ethics, and values will cause you to decide to build elsewhere, with a company that you believe has better integrity and you can represent with pride. That is your prerogative, and what good business builders determine for themselves everyday. They make informed, positive, command decisions, they are self determined leaders! They usually leave on principle, with convictions, following the code of ethics they ascribed to, and not damaging others, maligning or slandering, creating havoc or creating emotional storms.
Maybe Arbonne will go down in infamy as many of the contributors here seem to think, or even, want. But this seems to be the cold hard reality: wherever you go, you take YOU, which, might be the biggest problem of all. The grass is usually greener on the other side of the fence because you don’t water yours or you poison it.
Unbelievable!….finally…awesome…..your comments are right on!!
Thanks Unbleievable and Tammy. Finally someone else who agrees that a consultants business is their responsibility and it shouldn’t have to be spoon fed to them. Even Robert Kiyosaki states that when a business doesn’t work out for someone the first thing they do is blame everyone but themselves.
Unbelievable…you make very valid points. Thank you. Believe me…I’m rooting for Arbonne, but many things piled on top of more things caused me to lose faith and trust in this being a fair and viable business for a new prospect. Because faith and trust are the essence of recruiting others, it has been a very difficult time indeed.
This will be the last time I post. It has been therapeutic for me. I have learned a lot and I am grateful for my Arbonne experience no matter what happens. Interestingly enough I believe Arbonne will survive and thrive. Like I mentioned I am seeing a shift. All the best to everyone with love and respect to all.
Arbonne gals, this is an open blog and I think you are also judging and not allowing for Shelly or others to say their truth. Let’s face it, they can’ post it on the ARbonne blog on the Arbonne site. It would be taken off immediately if they posted there. Perhaps, you should be grateful that Ty doesn’t erase your posts here. For one thing he wouldn’t because he is a gentleman and plus he is open.
So perhaps you need some manners as you point your fingers at others here. You have the frreedom to post You rock on the Arbonne blog and you come here too. Now post what you want but let others have their say here too. You don’t own their voices you just own you own. If you can dish out here be prepared to eat your words. Best rule of thumb is don’t judge or the same judgement will happen to you.
Wow, that was so insightful, Shelly. Thank you. I always wondered about all of that but I thought once you were at the more sr. levels, much of that could be written off as business expenses? At least here in Massachusetts, we can write a lot of those off, especially food and travel costs, it becomes “entertainment”………It’s funny, I have a lot of extra product sitting in my office, I just started an excel ss today, to try to sell as much of it as I can…….I luckily did not renew my web site this past December………I would say the comments about all the Tiffany’s gifts now on the list of owed debts, is rather sickening – no way did it just hit the Arbonne executive team, that finances were going down the toilet…….that is the key issue for any of us – the management team screwed up royally…………I am now an active user of Xango juice and distributor and it’s going great. A truly healthy fruit drink that all my friends and family want to buy, and have seen results with various health issues……..it rocks.
By the way………..a reliable source told me nearly a year ago that Arbonne wasn’t paying their bills. How unethical.
I, too, want to thank Ty for providing this blog. He has taken so much heat from those who want to silence and censor anything negative about Arbonne. It is the only place where all people’s voice can be heard.
Chloe
I have not judged or pointed my finger at anyone by expressing my thoughts through the vehicle of this blog-nor did I take sides in the “I hate Arbonne/I love Arbonne” debate that you seem to be engaged in.
However, it seems patently dishonest for you to regularly correct others for their observations, insights, or beliefs, if they do not line up with yours. You have been the judge and finger pointer, and would be voice of suppression if Ty did not moderate this blog.
Let everyone have their say! Shelley, AM, you, Keep it Real, Tammy, Ty, me. That is supposed to be the purpose of a blog….free expression, conflicting viewpoints that challenge us, information dissemination. Why would Ty even consider taking down anyone’s post that might have a message contrary to your agenda? Kissing up to Ty seems manipulative, Chloe.
It might come as a surprise to you, but others on this blog don’t need your permission to “post what we want.” It seems to be YOUR expressed intention to not let others have their say, not mine or the “Arbonne gals.” Lumping people together reveals an unhealthy them-us mentality.
Why not have an open mind and heart to hear what everyone is saying, give freedom of expression to everyone, be gracious to all? Your commiserating with anyone who has a juicy Arbonne disaster story to tell while at the same time correcting and confronting bloggers who don’t share your position represents the attitude you are charging others with….not letting them have their say.
Think of this: Why is it okay in your eyes for Shelley to relate her story and her experiences and her observations and her perspective and for you to respond to her post with your comments, and it is not okay for me or others who might think differently to respond and post ours?
What in the world, Chloe! Why is it okay for you to reflect on what I write, but not okay for me to reflect on what Shelley wrote?
Let everyone share, this is a tough time for Arbonne, their Consultants, the industry, the workers who left, the tough decisions many have to make in the days ahead. Some Consultants feel really burned, some want to wait and see. All count.
Why not consider stopping the moralizing and condemning of others with snide remarks like ” you need some manners” when someone doesn’t think in the same box as you.
I don’t post on the Arbonne blog, but don’t feel that anyone who does should be shamed or insulted by you for doing so either. Although I have not read it, I would imagine, like any company that has a blog, they don’t allow slander or gossip or back-biting or disparaging comments to be posted.
Ty
I am new to this blog, and perhaps won’t read or post here in the future due to what seems like a few of your regular bloggers disrespectful attempts to quiet or shame anyone who has a thought different from theirs. It is tiresome.
However, could you address for me what seems to be “insider information” just posted from Keep it Real who wrote: “I, too, want to thank Ty for providing this blog. He has taken so much heat from those who want to silence and censor anything negative about Arbonne. It is the only place where all people’s voice can be heard.”
Is this true? Have you taken “so much heat” from “those who want to silence and censor anything negative about Arbonne?” Because, if it is true, would it be possible for you to please explain who has done this and how? If it is not true, don’t you have an obligation or ethic to address rumor, innuendo, and untruths that foster ill will and conspiracy theories?
Thanks!
Unbelievable, thanks so much for being the voice of unbiased reason….just stating what is true and keeping the emotion out of this. One thing that you have pointed out so well…as with all situations like this, is there are always 2 sides, but the REAL truth always falls in the middle with enough blame and responsibility to go around to everyone. One thing is for sure…there is always a lesson to learn, and the big one is exactly what you said and I preach to my kids everyday. Take responsibility for yourself and the decisions that you make in life. If YOU are not in charge of you and the choices you make, then who is??
As I mentioned earlier this is open and all these other people can have a voice, even you. However, these comments wouldn’t be displayed on the ARbonne blog. Ty is a true networker and he posts many good things for people to read. Not once does he promote his business. If you like then start your own blog.
Yes, you have to be clear that this bankruptcy is real. You can’t deny the facts. If Shelly or who ever is saying their truth then so be it. There is not need to go into such a production of backlashing. I not disaggreeing with you on the company but you have to take the good with the bad in every sitution. There have been comments from the ARbonne gals-calling people here greedy and even saying she mismanaged her funds. Yes, those are judgements and you don’t know what she had done with ARbonne. She had her car and did see things that maybe some of you new consultants didn’t. You can’t expect things to clear overnight. That is foolish to think that. Yes, getting things from Tiffany’s and knowing that it has been paid is not good business. That is a fact on the bankruptcy sheet. It is in black and white.
However, people are waiting to proceed with business builders because everyone has to be open with this restructuring to any new prospects. Yes, people have backed down as soon as they read that. Even many CPAs and financial people who I know have read it and they have said to stay low. The sales in each month will determine how things go for the following year.
Thank you all for the kind words. I started this site as my personal blog back on 2003 and it has transformed into the top blog on the subject of Network Marketing and a top 100 small business blog.
Whenever the news is not good, people tend to attack the messenger. I’m pretty used to it. This site is taking heat because it allows both sides of the story to be told. If you go to the Arbonne Blog, you get one side.
The sad part is that the people who would attack me for posting bad news, completely ignore the positive things I have posted in the past.
It is my hope and prayer that current Arbonne consultants find a way to make their dreams come true, whether it be with Arbonne or another company.
Ok Shelly. I’m not really feeling sorry for you at all. You have a CHOICE in everything you do. I am a AM, former RVP, and I CHOSE to make my RVP Presentation/Recognition simple. You chose to put it on CCs and chose to pay for someone else, none of which was your responsibility. No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. No one can MAKE you do anything. You have a choice.
You’re talking like this is true? ANYone here do their research? Appearantly not. It’s all rumors. Its obvious most people decide to listen to the government-controlled media. You really think this is factual? Barely, and rarely.
Arbonne is actually 400million in debt, and they are being bought out by another company. None of the payments to consultants or percentages will change. They did recently create the Arbonne credit card, to try and get back some of their debt from interest.
And for the rumor of ‘insufficient funds’: that is because of changing of accounts, which was before handled by a different bank, and now they are banking through Bank of America. If you call Arbonne, they can correct the issue.
So consultants, don’t stress, keep doing what your doing while Arbonne is working out it’s troubles.
Ty, you have been great with your site here. You are a true networker and yes most people don’t like it when they hear something different if it is black and white infront of them. You first went with this back in October and then you had the same people calling you a liar and that there was no Chapter 11 coming. Now these same persons are saying it is a great thing even though the claim shows it has an outstanding tab over 300,000 to Tiffany’s. Those are actual court documents and yes I had a bracelet given to me last year. However, I feel it is wrong to gift us and then not pay Tiffany’s for it. So yes, it is nice if my boyfriend gave me a big diamond ring but if I found out that it wasn’t paid for and I was wearing, let’s say I wouldn’t feel good. How can we consultants feel good if our company is not paying for these gifts. Just some food for thought.
Rebecca,
So who is the knew company if this is true and why would would anyone buy it at a 400 million debt???? The banks finally got a taker?? Do enlighten us?
Rebekah H:
I agree that people are in charge of their own finances, though I know personally that the pressure to put on a spendy recognition is great. I equate it to people who go into debt putting on a lavish wedding. They feel it was worth it to them at the time, but regret it when the bills come due.
I find your comments about the “government-controlled media” laughable. This blog is hardly government-controlled. The bankruptcy filing documents ARE government-controlled, which is to THE BENEFIT of everyone involved in this mess. To imply there is a government conspiracy driving Arbonne debacle is ludicrous.
On their debt: Arbonne IS NATURE’S GATE. They are the SAME COMPANY. The company is $800m+ in debt, a small percentage of which will be written off by the debt-holders. 85-90% of the rest will be swapped for equity. The remaining $125m will be carried AS ONGOING, SERVICABLE DEBT. All of this information is perfectly clear in the filing documents and the math is basic addition. This company is in debt 3x + their PREVIOUS yearly revenue and nobody knows what their revenue will be this year or if the company will be able to manage their Chapter 11. One has to just wait and see. At best Arbonne will come out of this as a company owned by banks, who have no experience in managing, nor desire to manage, an ongoing MLM skin care company. If I were a bank holding Arbonne paper, I would be working my butt off brokering a deal with QVC or HSN right now to salvage what can be salvaged of the brand.
The Arbonne co-branded credit card has been out since at least 2006, it is hardly a “recent” creation. What I find interesting is that you apparently think that Arbonne encouraging carrying a credit card balance and paying the company interest is a good thing. First of all, Arbonne preying on it’s reps to overspend and have a monthly interest nut to pay is not positive, and second, Arbonne does not collect that monthly interest nut. The issuing bank does. Companies make a small percentage from each purchase with co-branded cards, they do not “collect the interest” to their own benefit. Last time I looked, there was no “Bank of Arbonne.” That interest will not be benefiting Arbonne. At best, the Arbonne co-branded card only makes it easier for reps to —drumroll please— BUY MORE ARBONNE!
My issue with the returned checks is that Arbonne knew they would be switching banks, could easily have notified those holding bad checks from the company, and did not. In my eyes that is at best incompetence resulting in bad faith and at worst deliberate, outright fraud. They perpetrated ACTUAL DAMAGES by not telling what they knew. When you are a business owner and you deposit a check that is subsequently returned, you suffer ACTUAL DAMAGES in the amount of fees (which can be repaid by Arbonne), the bigger problem is the intangibles, like goodwill. Your commission check bounces, the checks you wrote on that money bounce, you can’t pay your suppliers, utilities, etc. If they had bounced a check on me, I would have sued them. I would not have waited around aimlessly reading EOA flyers waiting for my “new” check to come in the mail.
My issue with Arbonne remains what it always has been – they knew in advance about every single issue that is giving them bad press and creating bad feelings right now, and they did nothing. The spin machine will not change that. They are killing their own company. No blog posts or comments can do any more damage than what the company has done to itself.
Correction,
In my last comment I said “Arbonne is NATURE’S GATE.” I means “Arbonne is NATURAL PRODUCTS GROUP.”
A thousand pardons.
Chloe you are indeed a brown noser!!! To Sandy and Unbelievealble, thank you for posting something that makes sense for a change. It seems like all these TY followers have not done their research very well. I know from personal experience that Arbonne is a great company. It’s just too sad to see that some ppl are so ignorant and judgemental. There is and always will be people that make Arbonne or anything else for that matter look bad, But you are your own judge and you make your own decisions and that ultimately it makes you who you are as a person. So stop coming on here with your sad stories because you had a choice and you made your own decisions. I know that Arbonne will come out of this. They have owesome products!!! I love them and so many other people do too!!!!!
Nancy, what you are saying is what you are, a brown nose yourself for ARbonne. Perhaps you should go back to your ARbonne blog and quote you rock. Remember, this isn’t your blog and you also should just judge yourself and instead of again judging other. Why don’t you start your own blog and then you can command others to stay away. Its called freedom of speech and it is not a communist country here. If you don’t like what someone else says then you go away and stop acting like some micr managing mommy.
Chloe, I have liked your comments. I think they are insightful and at times, touching.
But you are allowing some other commenters to bait you into their game. They are doing what they can to distract themselves from the issues. Don’t help them. You are better and smarter than that, I can tell.
Keep your head up! You know your truth and have educated yourself on the facts. Don’t sink to their level and enable them to distract themselves from the facts.
I’ll say it again, ad infinitum. The issue remains what it always was. Arbonne has good products (IMHO). Their products are sellable. Their compensation plan is OK.
They made CRITICAL recruiting mistakes FAR BEFORE the Chapter 11 was filed. Their policies sucked, so they lied. They lied in their literature, at their motivational events, and they allowed their recruiters to lie. They can’t stand back and point the finger and cry “we couldn’t do anything, they are IC’s!” They could have corrected the recruitment issues. They didn’t want to because the biggest offenders were putting up the biggest sales and recruitment numbers.
Then, they made CRITICAL mistakes in the way this Chapter 11 filing was handled. When further (and I believe, predictable) problems like checks being returned due to a banking change happened, they compounded those mistakes by hiding behind rhetoric instead of alerting their (voluntary) sales staff as they should have.
That was just stupid. Some people will stick around to be abused, but only for so long. Only until the money starts to dwindle. Arbonne’s biggest cheerleaders would do a 180 TODAY if Arbonne stopped or altered the way they are paying them. That is a stone fact and I dare anyone to make a coherent argument to the contrary. This has happened many, many times in MLM. The company makes mistakes, doesn’t correct them, allows their IC’s to engage in shady practices, gets into financial trouble, then alienates their IC’s, who go elsewhere when they no longer make money from that company. That is what I believe is happening with Arbonne right now.
Arbonne preaches the family. When these terrible things happened, they would have been much better off to “virtually link arms,” apologize to their consultants for the problem, had a nice cathartic family “cry,” and moved on. DOING THAT would’ve saved their company. Their actual actions make me think they don’t want it to be saved, or that they are incompetent, or that it is hopeless.
well…just received my direct deposit paycheque from Arbonne….what a wonderful company. I continue to work from home selling a consumable product to who ever wants to buy..unforced. I guess we will stop hearing from some on this blog soon and i bet in a month or so this blog will die a slow death.
A few from our team attending Areas in Paradise. Amazing ….this company is unique.SPOiled these girls.
Obviously all this debt is just some lawyer banker talk which is way above you and i ,
A company going under would not be allowed to spend money on anything.
I feel for those who jumped ship too early and now have to try something else.
All those who stayed are abviously business minded and have a likelyhood of succeeding in any business they pursue.
“All those who stayed are abviously business minded and have a likelyhood of succeeding in any business they pursue.”
That is probably the quote of the day. Yes, staying with a company that went bankrupt…one that you have to sit across the table from someone and explain why the company is bankrupt before they get involved with you in your business…that is “ABVIOUSLY” an incredible business mind.
Nancy,
Talk about bad choices………Arbonne is the ultimate bad choice maker. It was their poor decisions and choices that has them in bankruptcy at a debt load of $850 million (from completely debtfree I might add). If it’s facts you want just go to http://www.npginfo.com. Do the research. Talk about bad choices. Amazing. How ignorant is that!
I am interested in how ppl are going to talk to their prospects about the business. No one has an answer to that one. DM on here went to her prospects 4 or 5 I believe and told them the truth. Not one of them wanted to get involved at this point. But hey let’s just make ridiculous statements like what a great company they are. They once were, but now? Outstanding bills, embarassing to try to represent a company like that.
There was a time when it didn’t matter that Shelley offered other choices to her clients. I know for a fact that other ENVP’s were signed up to buy products with other mlm’s to get things at a discount that Arbonne didn’t have! In fact, one of the top ten was signed up to get weight loss products for her own personal use because she didn’t like Arbonne’s. What’s the deal? Could it be that A now is so desperate and that they are looking for ways to cut costs by terminating ppl like Shelley? Why didn’t it matter then but does now? Why?
You are heartless and cruel if you can dismiss what has happened to ppl so easily. What I have discovered from many Arbonne people through this experience is that relationships are conditional. Conditional on being an Arbonne brown noser. Being 110% Arbonne and nothing else. If you are not, you are dismissed, rejected, maligned and yes, even terminated. The unspoken code of behavior is talking the talk, ignoring the truth and facts and follow like dumb sheep being led to the slaughter or else. Don’t question, just listen to your upline, and then repeat it over and over. Don’t think for yourself. And whatever you do, don’t have anything contrary to say about Arbonne at all. Down right scarey.
Good luck Nancy. I really think you fit well into the Arbonne mold. You are a dyed in the wool loyal Arbonne person right down to your calloused attitude towards hurting people.
I would be surprised if there were many Arbonne Consultants who themselves are not angry, frustrated, and deeply concerned about what has been happening at Arbonne. Assuming what they think and feel is ignorant. Being judged as brainless arbonnites is cruel.
Weighing the pros and cons of the current situation is not easy. Many Consultants have a lot invested in Arbonne making it: their livelihood, they have worked hard and honestly to get where they are, they have teams they care about, clients they service, they really believe in the products, they had hopes and dreams for themselves and their families.
They didn’t see this coming, they are not entirely sure what to do. Should I leave and build elsewhere? Will Arbonne survive, make the right changes necessary for me to stay with them? How will I honestly present the bankruptcy to anyone I wished to join my team?
I imagine many are pensively waiting and watching and maintaining their business with integrity and balance until they have a better understanding of what is going on, get through the initial shock of realizing things like: their company has been having financial problems of a magnitude they never imagined, that there were teams out their doing things unethically, that admired leaders are leaving the company, that what they thought was their future has to be re-evaluated and tough decisions might have to be made.
Most of them are probably smart independent leaders who don’t want to make impulsive moves, but don’t fault another Consultant who does, knowing it is their choice to go or stay. They are not stupid Arbonne groupies who have cult mentalities and move through their days like zombies mouthing insipid mantras like “Arbonne Rocks” oblivious to the seriousness of this issue. They are sentient individuals who would like to be able to pause and consider, read through materials, take counsel, then make an informed decision based upon facts-not speculations, rational emotions-not knee jerk hysterics.
They might stay with Arbonne and find in the longer run that this was a great decision, they may leave and have success elsewhere. If you have honest and sound ethics, work diligently, and have good people skills, you will most likely be successful wherever you are. The flip side of this is true too: if you are a bitter gossip, maiming slanderer, blame oriented individual, who is lazy and uses others you will most likely go from endeavor to endeavor creating ill will and havoc wherever you unfortunately land.
Arbonne Consultants who decide to stay with Arbonne should not be judged so harshly for their decision. Shaming, criticizing, demeaning, telling them to go elsewhere and start their own blogs if they see things differently then you, calling them names(like dumb sheep) is insulting, rude and unnecessary. If someone has an alternate perspective than yours, can you not appreciate this? Why does everyone have to agree with you or jump on the same band wagon you ride around on day after day shouting the same angry and condemning messages?
Everybody does not have to think alike, make the same decisions, agree on everything. Free world, okay? But continually shaming and belittling people who disagree with you on this blog with derisive and hurtful words is pitiful and prevents any real dialog about the issues at hand.
I am intelligent enough to understand that not everyone fits into the Arbonne brown noser category. If the shoes fits, wear it, if not, fine. My heart goes out to those who are at risk of losing everything they have worked for.
There are those who see things as they are and aren’t going along with the status quo period. No more swallowing the hype. We are not Ty followers or any other type of brown nosers for that matter. It goes both ways doesn’t it unbelievable? You want to defend and that is understandable. But, I too, want to defend those who have been hurt, continue to be hurt, yet are made to feel like pond scrum because of Arbonne’s failings!
On this blog you are going to hear things you won’t like. You’re not going to be able to control what is said. We all have a choice here. Read this blog, respond to it or if it is too distasteful, I would recommend you find another.
This is what the site is telling consultants to say to their downline and prospects. I will paste the other letter too.
Arbonne Independent Consultants’ “Elevator Speech”
What should I say to my SuccessLine, downline, Clients, friends and family about the debt
reduction plan?
We are conducting business as usual at Arbonne. The company has taken action to reduce its debt
obligations by over 80 percent and enhance its future fi nancial performance. Arbonne’s Independent
Consultants can be confi dent that compensation from commissions and overrides is secure, along with
all the amazing trips, incentives, training and product launches planned for the future.
Our future has never been brighter. You should be confi dent in communicating the Arbonne opportunity to
new and prospective Independent Consultants and selling Arbonne’s amazing products to Clients with the
same unwavering passion.
This is the letter that corporate is giving us. I only received the bankruptcy letter and now this was is only on the site but not sent yet.
February 5, 2010
Dear Valued Consultant,
I am writing to provide you with an update on our “pre-packaged” debt restructuring, which overall is going
very well. Most importantly, we are on track to have our debt-reduction plan approved by the court later this
month and to re-emerge from Chapter 11 shortly after that.
Thank you for the many messages you have sent me expressing your continued confi dence in the Arbonne
opportunity and your excitement about the many events and product launches planned for 2010. I’ve shared
these comments with our leadership team and with the steering committee representing our lenders—who
soon will be the company’s proud new owners. The lenders have reaffi rmed to me their strong confi dence in
the future of our business.
Even the judge overseeing our case has had positive things to say about Arbonne! I thought you might enjoy
this quote from Judge Brendan Shannon from the offi cial transcript of our fi rst court hearing: “I read this as
a fi nancing restructuring. The business itself seems to be well managed with valuable relationships with your
Consultants, the AICs (Arbonne Independent Consultants), as well as the vendors and suppliers, and the
issue was basically a crushing debt load.”
The judge also expressed an interest in our RE9® anti-aging product, but acknowledged that he’s probably
not allowed to sign up for it!
Clearly, our continued success with RE9 and our many other wonderful products has also captured the
attention of our competitors. In fact, I have received several reports that a number of distributors for other
MLM companies have been aggressively trying to recruit some of Arbonne’s most talented Independent
Consultants. This behavior is unethical and in violation of industry policies—a point I have made personally
to the leaders of these companies. It is not entirely surprising that in these challenging economic times,
unscrupulous predators will resort to spreading false and misleading information in an attempt to poach
proven business–generators.
Indeed, it is a tribute to the success of the Arbonne people and products throughout its 30–year history
that these distributors are so eager to reap the benefi ts of your hard work and dedication. Please be
assured that we are vigilant and working hard to protect and preserve the Arbonne family! And most
important, you have been incredibly positive leaders in guiding your SuccessLine on how to handle
these situations and return to focus on the positive aspects of our business.
The debt restructuring process has been a learning experience for all of us, and there have been a few
bumps in the road—like these poaching attempts—that have required our immediate attention. We are doing
our best to address these challenges quickly, effectively and in an open and transparent manner.
One such bump in the road was a recent incident in which several hundred Independent Consultants in the
U.S. and Canada were unable to cash a check they received from Arbonne. In our preparation for our “prepackaged”
debt restructuring, we were aware that immediately after the court fi ling our bank would have
to suspend our account temporarily—for no more than 24 hours. We believed the bank would hold any
Arbonne checks submitted to them and then accept them once the courts had ruled to reopen the accounts.
However, due to administrative errors by the bank, our account was closed longer than expected and some
checks were rejected during this extended timeframe. Upon learning of this situation, we immediately notifi ed
9400 JERONIMO ROAD + IRVINE, CA 92618
T 949.770.2610 ARBONNE.COM
the bank and put in place a process to clear up the problem. We also addressed a similar bank error that
affected checks issued to a small number of Independent Consultants in the UK, even though our operations
in the UK (and Australia) are not part of the restructuring process. We also are sending a letter to all affected
individuals to apologize for this error and explain what went wrong.
We deeply regret this situation, particularly since it has given certain unscrupulous distributors at other MLM
companies an opening to spread false and misleading information about Arbonne. If you receive questions
about this from anyone, please reassure them that these were isolated events due to administrative errors by
our banks. This has impacted only several hundred of the 61,000 checks issued for December overrides and
commissions. If you have questions or concerns regarding this situation, please contact Customer Service
at 1.800.ARBONNE.
Likewise, some of you have reported that you received a copy of the “Notice of Commencement” by certifi ed
mail, even though we had indicated that this Notice would be sent to Independent Consultants only by
e–mail. In fact, only a handful of Independent Consultants received the certifi ed letter, and that is because
they were entered in our accounting systems as vendors because of prior payments they may have received
outside of our normal commission check process (i.e., travel reimbursements).
In the interest of maintaining transparency, and preparing you to handle any future questions, you should
know that a second e–mail will be sent to all Independent Consultants and Preferred Clients in a few weeks.
Like the fi rst letter, this notice is required by law. It will announce that the court has approved our debt–
reduction plan, provide a deadline for the claims process, and report that we have offi cially emerged from
Chapter 11. We currently expect this to occur in early March—hopefully before NTC.
Speaking of NTC, it is scheduled for March 18–20 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. We have many exciting
speakers and events lined up for this 30th anniversary extravaganza. I expect we will have a lot to celebrate
and I certainly hope to see you there!
In summary, I am pleased with our progress and am looking forward to putting the legal process behind us
within a few weeks. With that process soon to be in our rear–view mirror, we then can turn our full attention
to the road ahead…and to the many promising opportunities ahead for Arbonne.
Thanks for your continued support.
Sincerely,
Thanks Rebecca because Im not looking for anyone to feel sorry for me. Im way beyond that at this point. I just dont want anyone else to make my mistakes. And YES I HAD A CHOICE……My mentor and leader was Cecilia Stoll! I had many phone calls with her and was in her living room for many trainings many times. To hear “if you believe……”. I have no one else to blame,but myself for getting sucked in to the Arbonne Cult!!! I own up to that.
Trust me I wish I had not been so influenced but at the time the pressure was high. And at that time it was what everyone was being told to do. Bottom line is….things have been going down hill for 3-4 years. Nothing was done until the downfall started affecting the NVP’s paycheck. Tom Barrett said it best when he said STOP acting like you make more money than you do, and be honest with your downline…
Arbonne is wrong in the things they have done and telling the NVP’s to deny and then sugar coat……Those top NVP’s who have encouraged those below to “buy in” to get to the next level because that AM is right behind you and you dont want to get passed….I know of many who ran specials that cost them well over $10,000 out of their own pockets to move up to RVP! And then get the pat on the back of job well done and by they way….I promoted up too!! Yea for the both of us!
GREED GREED GREED GREED…….It caught up to many NVP’s and it caught up to Arbonne the company.
NOT all NVP’s fall in to this category,but many many of them do!
Arbonne is wrong & desperate right now! Trimming the fat is going to cost them in the long run. I am & will be telling everyone in my salon and that long list of about 800 wholesale clients I still have listed on my roster sheet from Christmas will be getting a letter explaining what Arbonne did to me. And I know there are MANY others out there like me and I just dont think this was a smart move on their part.
Arbonne needs to own up to you “REAP WHAT YOU SEW”
Arbonne WAS a great thing and I loved Petter and Candice and those days of the genuine Arbonne
Why is the Arbonne motto “Fake it Till You Make it”, which is really means “Lie till you Cry” is an ethical statement?
I was recruited with inflated number from 2 years before. I spent a fortune, and “believed” all the way to the poor house. I promoted to Area and helped 3 DM’s promote – to not have them count for my DM bonus anymore. I actually earned more as a DM than an Area. CRAZY
Ethics – Everyone in my upline was faking it. Faking incomes and how successful they really were. I never knew this until I left. – UNETHICAL. I think anyone should be able to recruit anyone at anytime. That way, companies would keep consultants not only happy but profitable. Then they wouldn’t have to worry about them leaving.
I am new — I signed on a few days before the bankruptcy announcement. How am I supposed to sign on new prospects with this looming? And how long will I have to wait before I feel comfortable enough with Arbonne’s financial situation to ask anyone else to join me in this venture? I am not too optimistic right now.
Well, how do you feel about that elevator speech that ARbonne is putting on the site for consultants to use? Have you not talked to your sponsor? What does your sponsor say and how are they viewing it?
Quite frankly, I have shown a few people since the bankruptcy announcement and no one wants to join. However, on the flip side they are thank ful that I have told them the truth. They are all educated and are not dumb about what is going on with companies. I had one of my consultants sign someone on and we had no idea about this when it happened. To the new consultants horror, she saw the Restructuring part on the IC page. Her husband had told her to enjoy the discount but not venture until he see full disclosure as the months go by.
You should be communicating this to your sponsor. They should help you.
Wow — didn’t think I would be coming back here, but it is a heated and interesting discussion. This business is different from others that have filed Chapter 11 in that the success of the company is contingent on one thing and one thing only….TRUST.
The comp plan, the products, the business building system… all important components, don’t add up cumulatively to the power of trusting the leaders and the parent company. I feel like I’m dealing with an irresponsible teenager who maxed out the credit card. I still love my child (and my ARbonne business). I know that people make mistakes (and so do companies), but gosh darn it I am waiting for some ownership and contrition. This would give me some peace of mind that the mistakes are recognized and won’t be repeated.
And yes, I know we determine our own success, but how on earth can an honest consultant, whose success is contingent upon sharing this opportunity be successful when trust has been betrayed and not owned up to?
Arbonne has a new CEO, new owners, new products coming out, a new comp plan, the best legal and financial consultants money can buy, the big PR firm…but none of it matters if they can’t restore the one critical component to success…TRUST… They have one thing right in terms of their tag line for the National Training Conference and that is their consultants need to BELIEVE.. But how to restore the belief, to restore the good faith…? I have an idea — How about telling the truth?
I have stated before and I stand by this…I BELIEVE that the best thing that Arbonne can do right now is to clarify in writing the mistakes that have been made. Rita should stand on the stage at NTC with humility, grace and integrity and set the record straight about the misrepresentations, lack of responsible communication to their sales force and recklessness that are now so apparent yet continue to be ignored in lieu of more hype. The buck stops there. If they don’t want to be blamed, they need to stop blaming external circumstances (the economy and blah blah blah) for the mess that has been created by their ignorance (ignoring).
I have been telling my upline and my team for years that the business model that was being allowed to continue was unsustainable and corrupt…that it robbed the poor to feed the rich…not exactly the Arbonne Spirit the company says that they ascribe to. No one would listen until it negatively effected the bottom line and the pockets of the higher ups. It was allowed to continue for WAY TOO LONG and now we are left to clean up a terrible reputation.
Again, yes, I know we are our business. My reputation in this business is flawless. I have always done right by my clients and by my team. Yet my business suffers (as so many others do who have built the right way) because of the backlash caused by negligence and greed. I am constantly running into someone who knows someone who has been burned by Arbonne…pretty difficult to sell the business. I want to be able to say, yes you are right. They have addressed all of that, owned it and I TRUST THIS COMPANY implicity now. But how can I??
The reason consultants are called “Arbots” and blind sheep is because that is how they have been treated. Please Arbonne give us the respect we deserve and lay down the cards for all of us to see. Even those posting “Arbonne Rocks” must admit that this would be a relief.
And the truth shall set them Free…
AM,
I loved reading what your wrote. Know this for certain: THEY WILL NOT, SHE WILL NOT EVER ADMIT TO WHAT THEY HAVE DONE. The Arbonne arrogance won’t allow it.
PRIDE, PRIDE, PRIDE! We can cry for honesty endlessly but it just won’t come. The company that was, as Rita put it, blessed and favored is now dark and dismal. The big, black cloud of failure now hangs over it’s head.
Thank you Keep it Real…I don’t want to be called a brown noser 🙂 but I have enjoyed your insights as well. I try to keep an open mind and an open heart.
I’m just waiting and hoping for their insides to match their outsides — but how long is a person to wait?
In the meantime, I will continue to share the products and will be working on a backup plan. I fear that what you say may be accurate. Pride comes before the fall…
AM, you sound like you are making a good decision in your approach. I agree with your comments too. It’s that line, With great power comes great responsibility. It is time for them to speak the truth and put their big girl panties on! They can’t sugar coat it any more. Yes, it’s nice that they have done these trips and incentives, but like your story with a teenager and a credit card- now the credit card statement has come in the mail. Party is over. Time to set the record straight.
I just pasted what someone else sent me. This is from the ; to arbonne or not to arbonne
site
This would be sad if it happened
Stacey Elders Says:
February 9, 2010 07:18 PM
Is it just a rumor….You watch, I predict that Rita Davenport will be leaving Arbonne….What on earth is going on? This is from the same source that told me about Stuart mcmillan’s departure.
Stacey Elders
jerry Says:
February 10, 2010 10:18 AM
My wife has heard this rumor as well. I hope not but we’ll see.
Just wondering : What Did Rita Know? and What Does Rita Really Do?
Rita needs to leave…all upper management needs to leave. Someone needs to be accountable. Now they have another woman figure in a high position. No need for another spokesperson. Im sure she wont lose her paycheck.
Time for her to retire anyways. Arbonne will be sold to a large company who will change everything and take it to
a whole new level.
I have deleted several comments that directly attack Rita’s looks. Please stop it. You want to suggest that she has mismanaged Arbonne and should be fired, knock yourself out. But stop the schoolyard name calling.
Thanks
I have met her and she is incredible. However, she wasn’t in charge of what was going on in the financial department.
She is a woman of Gold and if she had it her way she would say everything but there are all the lawyers and the CEO that still control what she can say. This must be crushing her. She is a very unique person with a heart of gold.
It is especially rewarding to see you continuing to practice what you preach in a simple and unequivocal way. Thanks for your willingness to spend your time in the lab testing what really works and then freely sharing the results with the rest of us.
Arbonne is 400 Million in Debt! =-0 & MAYBE Some Other Corp Might Take Them On to Recover? Wonder who it is going to Be? NATURES GATE? & Why is ARBONNE"S MOTTO,,, Fake It TILL YOU MAKE IT?
Any low class competitor can write a false blog about a competition company… and uneducated people will continue to believe it.
Corrine, are you suggesting that Arbonne did not file bankruptcy?