We first reported about the possibility of Rita Davenport leaving Arbonne in February of 2010, shortly after the Arbonne Bankruptcy. We reported the Arbonne bankruptcy rumors about three months before it was announced and over 500 people commented at the time, if you have time, the comments are an interesting read with some insite into whether or not Rita was forced out or truly retired.
Here is a letter that was sent out to Arbonne VP’s about the “retirement” of Rita Davenport:
It is with bittersweet emotion that we share with you recent developments at Arbonne. We are gratified to report that the company has achieved great progress and accomplished so much in just one year following its financial restructuring. Despite an uncertain economy, the Company is at an inflection point of substantial, sustainable growth and has been growing on a year-to-year basis for the past 12 months. This is a major accomplishment, for which each of you should be extremely proud. Our recent success has truly been a team effort, reflecting your hard work and that of our new executive leadership.
At the same time, after 20 years as a dedicated member of the Arbonne team, Rita Davenport has decided to retire. We tried to persuade her to stay, and in fact we offered her many meaningful opportunities with significant compensation that would have allowed her to remain a vital part of Arbonne field development. We respect Rita’s decision at this point in her career to retire from Arbonne, take on new challenges, and we wish her all the best in her future endeavors.
Rita has touched and inspired so many. She has been instrumental in helping many of you achieve success at Arbonne and she has been an important part of making Arbonne what it is today. We greatly appreciate Rita’s hard work, passion and leadership over so many years.
We know you feel the same way. It is clear that you appreciate Rita and all that she has done for Arbonne and for many of you individually. We also understand that change creates challenges and uncertainty. However, it is important to realize that truly great organizations such as Arbonne owe their success to many factors, the most important of which are the drive, passion, vision and leadership that each of you brings to the company, your fellow Independent Consultants and to life in general.
Arbonne has made tremendous progress over the past twelve months, much greater than anyone could have imagined. The Company is in its strongest financial position in years, with healthy free cash flow and modest leverage. This will mean more income for Independent Consultants who are actively growing their business. New executives, with proven leadership and business experience, have been recruited, each of them believing in the power of Arbonne and the outstanding track record of the Independent Consultant organization. Significant investments are being made in business-building initiatives, product development, technology/systems, logistics and financial controls, all with a view toward supporting you and helping you grow your business.
Kay and her management team work tirelessly with that as their primary goal. Of course, there is still work to do and it is impossible to please everyone all of the time, but we believe these initiatives are beginning to show results and we have expectations for even greater success and accomplishments over the coming months and years.
This was not always the case. It is important to realize that in the past this Company’s growth was driven by unsustainable initiatives, and was not supported by the necessary infrastructure, systems and people with the experience to manage and sustain that growth. Furthermore, the excessive debt incurred by prior owners and management, coupled with the worst economic downturn in most all of our lives, created substantial barriers for this Company to overcome. Arbonne has made tremendous progress, in less than two years, toward overcoming these barriers and positioning itself for accelerated and sustainable growth.
We are aligned with and support Kay and her management team’s efforts in leading this business, but even more so we applaud, acknowledge and greatly appreciate the continued hard work, dedication, commitment and leadership of the field. We know – as does Kay and the management team – that you, the Independent Consultants, are the lifeblood of this Company and that sustaining, supporting and growing your businesses underlie all decisions. The ultimate goal of the management team is to make each of you more successful, which will then lead to success for the Company.
Thank you for all that you have done, and for all that you will do in the future, to make Arbonne a success. It will take all of us, working together, to achieve our goals. Truly great organizations, in general, and Arbonne in particular, achieve their greatness because many talented individuals are focused on contributing toward common objectives. As we all heard at GTC this year, “we are better together.”
Sincerely,
Members of the Board of Directors Arbonne/Natural Products Group
There’s no doubt this wasn’t voluntary. Check out the announcement that came from corporate yesterday. Kay admits that Rita was not offered the opportunity to come back as president (she was offered various positions when her contract came up, but obviously not as president). If Kay really wanted her to remain, she would have kept her as president! Why would Rita take a step down after 20 years as president? Also, if you look at the Global Office Executive Team Page (if Rita is still on there), you’ll notice Kay is listed above Rita. There’s only one person who would make that demand. It’s pretty obvious there was a power struggle and Arbonne isn’t big enough for the both of them. Kay obviously won the war.
Here’s what corporate sent out:
——————————————————-
Below is a letter from your beloved President, Rita Davenport, announcing that she has decided to retire from Arbonne, effective May 1, 2011. In her more than 20 years as President, Rita has served to inspire, motivate and train hundreds of thousands of women and men to transform their lives with Arbonne. We are truly fortunate and grateful to have benefited from her many talents and contributions.
As you may know, Rita over time has chosen to focus her efforts as President primarily on field motivation. As we prepared for the expiration of her employment agreement, we hoped she would take on a new position that would have allowed her to continue to motivate the field. Regrettably, Rita decided to retire, and we respect her decision.
Rita has been a driving force behind the Company’s growth and success and has played a critical role in developing our outstanding team of leaders in the field. As you know, this is a very exciting time for Arbonne and our entire family of Independent Consultants. Our field leaders are the very best in the industry and we have been achieving strong growth in the business in recent months thanks to your leadership. Our Company has gained considerable momentum and is poised for more growth in the years ahead.
Please know that over the next several months all of us – myself, Stian, Adri, Gina and others from the Home Office – will be in the field regularly and, even better, you can expect to see many of the top leaders traveling with us.
We are grateful for Rita’s many contributions to the Company and wish her the very best as she embarks on her well-deserved retirement.
Sincerely,
Kay Napier,
Arbonne CEO
After more than 20 incredible years as President of Arbonne International, I have decided to retire from the Company. Needless to say, this was not an easy decision for me, but I have concluded that the time is right and the opportunities ahead for all of us are better than ever.
Since joining Arbonne more than 24 years ago, I have had the pleasure of helping to introduce Arbonne’s outstanding botanical products and incredible business opportunity to hundreds of thousands of Independent Consultants across North America – and indeed across the world. It has been an amazing, awe-inspiring journey, and I am grateful for the love and support I have received over the years from all of you. I truly view our Independent Consultants as part of my extended family!
As I look ahead to the future, I know that Arbonne and our field organization are in excellent hands under the leadership of Kay Napier and the senior management team. The business is in good shape financially and there are a lot of exciting new products and marketing initiatives in the pipeline. Quite simply, I believe with all my heart that the best is yet to come for Arbonne.
Thanks for your best wishes, love and support. I appreciate all that you have done for me personally and for our great company.
Please know that I will miss each one of you greatly. You have been an inspiration to me every day for the past 24 years. Each of your stories of commitment, persistence, love, and generosity continues to motivate me daily. Remember to help each other along this journey. As I have always said, “your job is to love each other.”
Love ya,
Rita Davenport
Everyone knows Rita was forced out. She’s famous for saying, “I’ll turn the lights out when I go.” She was not one to share the limelight. Not with Kay and not with Candace. Stian was brought back to help alleviate the fallout from this. This all started with Rita’s faux pau on stage at GTC in January. The only reason her letter of “resignation” is so nice is because she’s suing Arbonne to get her downline back. VP’s tried to help her, but got threatened by Kay and money talks. More and more VP’s are leaving for other opportunities because they have seen the writing on the wall for some time. If you are new, write off your losses and move on quickly. There are great opportunities out there. Arbonne isn’t one anymore.
Yes, she always said that she would go by a coffin. There is no denying that this is a lie. WE all know how Rita was and she was the heart of the company. My guess is the bank will sell ARbonne and that it goes Retail if there isn’t any more growth. None of the people have MLM experince. P&G, Mcdonalds, Aveda, Disney-they are not MLM but corporate companies. The writing is on the wall and if Rita retired, well you know she wasn’t going to put up with something. Kay doesn’t have what Rita had, that is a heart. She is very left brained like a man and just sees the profit. Rita made it happen. Good- bye Arbonne!
Curious – what was the GTC faux pas ?
Yes, what happened on the GTC stage??
The faux pas was her that she made the mistake of letting us see her true colors about her homophobia. She tried to make a joke of being surprised by the fact that one of the biggest VPs in the UK with Arbonne is gay. He wasn’t hiding it and clearly it wasn’t any real surprise to her. At first it just seemed stupid but then when he left the stage and she called up another consultant she stopped and asked “wait, you’re straight, right?” It wasn’t in the least bit funny. I always found her cloying and fake – I could not understand why so many Arbonne consultants think she’s great. Now I’m proud to be an Arbonne Consultant. Great products and now a truly great company with nothing to be embarrassed about.
I vote for fired. I know Rita and I also know that Arbonne is her life. This was planned for a long time and was quickly and precisely executed. Read between the lines … “It is with bittersweet emotion” translated = It is with sweet emotion, because Kay couldn’t stand Rita … her popularity, her wealth and what she created over 20 years. Each corporate piece of propaganda includes tons, if not more, ego lifting copy about Kay and her hand-picked, “friends and family” management team. “We tried to persuade her to stay,” translated = We held a gun to her head not to put up a fight. “We offered her many meaningful opportunities with significant compensation,” translated = meaningful and significant according to who? Kay? It’s meaningful and significant depending on which end of the stick you’re on. Back to the execution … in less than an hour after the announcement to the VPs on a conf call (which was first thing in the morning), all Consultants received an email, a press release was on the wire, Rita was removed from the website, each statement made was added to the website, the Arbonne blog’s comments were turned off and Rita’s Twitter account was removed. If this announcement was bittersweet … what was the hurry to remove everything? The funny thing is there’s a page with a big headshot of Rita on the website that they missed. Whoops! I wonder if the poor sole responsible for missing it will also get fired.
I heard that her and Gordon Fraser got along fine. HE adores her and laughed at the gay comments. In fact, Rita was suppose to be in England for Gordon’s ARbonne event next week. Doesn’t look like he had a problem with her. Kay is as exciting as watching paint dry.
SHe is just business and no heart. Bottom line is they will go down hill without Rita. Unless they are planning on taking ARbonne retail. That’s a different story since Kay and her corporate crew would be good at that. Everyone knows this is not right. NO one has the balls to say anything different because they are scared to lose their VP position. Kay comes from Mcdonald’s and that should say it all
I think she was fired. She was booked to see Gordon in England, along with Sue Cassidy. She wouldn’t retire like this, not after 20 years. It’s a cover up and I think more will come out in the future.
Well, how do we get her back ???????
I think we have to all let go and realize she is gone. For whatever reason she left or felt pressured to leave. This exit is not Rita style. I watched the plugged in that Arbonne put together, can you say BORING. So let’s see how Arbonne changes. The founder adored Rita, bet you anything that he wouldn’t like it if he was alive.
I was a former Top RVP ACE award winner and no longer with Arbonne. I choose to stop actively working my business one and a half years ago. I still took in nice checks until I requested to be terminated. I received a “please don’t leave us” letter. I wrote my upline and downline telling everyone I was leaving and never mentioned why- I sideline found out and “reported” me to corporate- which then supspended me. WAIT YOU CAN’T BREAK UP WITH ME- I ALREADY BROKE UP WITH YOU! Well lets just say – my intuition and hunches a year and a half ago were dead on- I wonder how the Top NVPs are going to try to spin this- lets like when the company went bankrupt they were dancing in the streets saying this is the best thing that could ever happen to Arbonne! I am so happy to be part of an exciting new company that a 35 year old 800 million a year corporate family owned business spun a direct division- and it is the only of its kind- FOOD BASED! I wish all the Arbonne consultants well- especially my downline but I am not optimistic for them. There is no loyalty- its $$$$$$ and it appears the $$$$$ are not what they want so Rita had to go!
When a company changes top level administrators there will always be changes. When those being replaced are highly regarded, emotional attachments are formed, making it very difficult to see them go, and even more so if done in a less than stellar way. Candace and Rita were a big portion of Arbonne’s heart, and now with them gone it is up to the consultants to decide if they can support the company and grow with the changes or move on. It is a business decision. I think where the difficulty lies in network marketing is the emphasis placed on relationships and friendships as an integral part of business and success. When changes come, they are emotionally charged. Each consultant will decide for themselves if they will continue on and adapt to the changes or move on. Your future should be bright, not filled with anger or bitterness. Best wishes for success to all.
What company are you with former Arbonnite? Yes, it still doesn’t feel right. The made this video on the ARbonne site with Kay, Adriana and Gina, however it seems so dry and lifeless. They didn’t post sales of what Arbonne did last year and many people are buying volume again.
Well said Candy.
I heard that the guy from ARbonne Canada was let go-John Darraugh
Not sure if this is true but new NVP Jennifer Paxton is his daughter and a few people made comments that it’s a conflict of interest that he is in corporate while his daughter is NVP. Make sense since you don’t see Kay Napier with her daughter as a consultant and Rita Davenport never had her son or daughter in law be a consultant.
Not sure why else he left or was he fired???????
Keep up the information flow on this subject. Thanks!
There is always a hidden story. This industry is full of interesting departures. Is it just me or has these types of situations been happening more and more frequently since the year 2000… maybe it has always been this way… and perhaps the Internet has just helped to shed light on situation that would have otherwise been overlooked.
the biggest debacle was the cruise incentive trip – the way that ARbonne corporate handled it was inexcusable – as a result many many consultants have left – especially in the Nebraska area – all the way up top –
arbonne corporate is just like any other corporate entity – they only care about the bottom line- what they don’t understand is that the heart of any business, specifically network marketing – is the consultants – and Rita was the heart of the business + elevated what it meant to be a consultant –
With her gone, several high level nvp’s gone – really, it’s a house of cards… just watch!!
So what is everyone doing now? I was caught up in the AIT discrepancy…ugh
After 6 years with this company, I feel lost and disheartened. Any advice?
Any advice on where to go from here? I am so upset and hurt.
Hey Annie!
What do you mean with the incentive trip??? Rita is gone and we all know she didn’t leave on her own. She was the heart of the company. Right now it has a mechanical heart. Kay Napier is a cold fish who ran Mcdonalds. She is as real as a $2 bill. The women has no energy and is as exciting as watching paint dry. Not judging but observing. So not sure how a company who is saying that they are hitting 1 billion only hit 300 million last year. That includes their brand that is sold at Whole Foods= Nature’s Gate. How long can this go on!!!! When is the truth going to be told
I have left, I was a consultant/ area manager for 4 1/2 years Oct. making 5! I am SOO excited and happy I did! There is so much going on, I read all the comments above and it is all true! I have moved on to an amazing company now with a better compensation plan, where the consultants are rewarded for their efforts right away! So much money and ground floor! If anyone is interested in hearing about it send me your email and I will contact you! You just never know what is waiting for you when you are open to all possibilities!
I was one of the consultants that could not go on the trip and I do not feel the same about the company. Any advice?
Dear Confused and whattodo,
I am so sorry to hear that you didn’t get to go on the incentive trip. I had heard from a friend who still in Arbonne that there were issues, but I didn’t realize it involved not allowing people attend. I just attended my first incentive trip – a remarkable experience – so that just makes me all the more sad for you.
I left a little over 3 years ago and that was best for me. Others stayed and that was best for them.
My best advise is to sit down with a sheet of paper, write down the pros of staying, the pros of leaving and give each item a ranking from 1 to 10. For instance, love the products might be an 10. Didn’t go on the cruise might be a 9. Then add up the columns. I did this with my business coach and my decision was very clear.
There are many wonderful companies out there and if you decide to leave, take your time and investigate. Ask questions and interview prospective new businesses and sponsors.
Best of luck to you all.
Traci
I am so sorry to hear all the bad stories. I found a new company and strugglednwith the thought of joining after arbonne. The industry is for real and plz know u can make serious moneynwith a real compNy
Why were these consultants not allowed to go on the trip????
Just heard something else. Not sure if this is true but apparently, ENVP Lisa DeMayo might be leaving. Not sure why or if there was a conflict. Too weird
Now top ENVP Lynn H left Arbonne to go to ISagenix. What is going on ARbonne. Why would someone leave if they are making 50,000+ a month. The Nichols left too. Is the writing on the ceiling.
Well, I guess a captain always go down with their ship. All the VPs who stay are being honourable and I guess that says a lot about them. Will Arbonne make it????????????????
I heard via the rumor mill the company had calculated X number earning it and Y number actually did so the expense got very high and they tried to find loop holes to prevent people from attending. Confused and whattodo, is that correct?
If Lisa DeMayo has left, any idea where she went?
Same company as Lynn
Thanks for the information Beth.
yep, things are changing at Arbonne. Heard of several NVP’s going to another company. Personally, I love Arbonne. Products, people, plan… everything. Yep, it is a business and unpopular decisions are made. I don’t know why these things are decided, I am not privvy to all the inside info. Cecelia Stoll said at the AIT trip that she has seen NVP’s leave before, and NONE of them have done as well as they did in Arbonne. It is very common in most MLM’s this “grass is greener overthere” idea. I am going to work my Area into a Region this year, by loving people and speaking truth and life into people. That is what Arbonne means to me.
Lisa Demayo, Joy Schonholtz, Evan Shapiro, Jolynn Bennett, Antonio del rosario, All have moved over to Isagenix…Im sure the TOP ENVPS were paid alot to make the switch…and probably bought in at the highest level of the company….These all equals greed to me..Get to the top levels and leave ??
Dear Runner,
Change is always challenging and some adapt to it better than others…. for certain 🙂 It’s nice to hear you are happy with your business – I think that’s the key for anything we do.
Wishing you great success.
Who knows but people leave corporate positions all the time so what’s the big deal with MLM. Mayber it was time to move on. Many people felt different after Rita supposedly left(as if she really did that on her own)
The problem with ARbonne is that if you use any other product you get let go. I can’t use all there products since I get reactions. I also don’t like their Vitamin line since they hurt my stomach. I think we live in a free country and ARbonne will say things like it all Arbonne products or nothing. What business only buy one line. Maybe Isagenix is better with their health line. But Lisa had the manners to let others know and now everyone is getting caddy. If they were busy in their own business they wouldn’t be making a big deal about it. Life goes on and move on. Let someone else step into the limelight. However, I really wonder on the numbers with ARbonne. They need to stop spending so much on these trips and prizes. Tiffany’s still has not got paid from the bankruptcy deal since they are not a priority. How can they live with giving stuff away when they didn’t pay for it. But I guess that is similar to the bailout money. Companies used that for trips and some rich wifes got 200 million out of it. Shameful. Arbonne needs to clean up it’s top and restart again.
Must say that Lisa has handled her switch with a lot of class. I imagine that the Rita departure has been significant for many people. Can still be an outstanding company, might even be better, but without her it’s not the same.
I respect people for believing in the network marketing industry – without a doubt thee emerging business model for success.
…but what is not acceptable is when a company does not value the consultants. The AIT trip indeed was the reason that many consultants have left.
What is true of this industry is that there many different companies – and once you understand why ENVPs would leave – the real reasons, aside from the short-sighted gossip off of Facebook – you’ll understand.
For one – regarding the incentive trip – when the top leaders have no voice to defend their teams, that’s pretty bad.
Then the compensation model at Arbonne is just not sustainable – it’s an old comp model – take a look at mlm insider – there are 4 different comp models – and Arbonne’s is the most archaic.
Email me if you want more information on why these leaders have gone to a company like Isagenix. Important thing is to understand and then you can make a decision that fits your needs – and not just following the herd because they say it’s the right way –
get informed – information is power.
While Isagenix applauds the Newby’s who have risen to the top ranks so quickly it might be giving false hope to many people. What they don’t know about these so called Super Stars is that they brought their teams with them in well calculated moves. So, it bears keeping in mind that while they have indeed risen; they may have stepped on a few people, may have misled a few more and make it look like they are really special. Not sure if there really is something that special about sort of buying into a new level. I think NWM is great and these folks certainly have “earned” their new rank. I don’t think its the norm though and might set people up for some pretty unrealistic expectations.
I have been around arbonne my whole life. I’m 24 now so I was about 2 when my mom started. And one thing I have learned is Arbonne truly is a family company. I’ve seen first hand what its done for so many. Arbonne is mission driven and not money driven. My mom has seen so many people leave the company when rough patches presented themselves. But also know. Every single one of them that left never had the same lives after. Infact they weren’t any better and if anything a bit worse.
True if money is ALL your after. Then arbonne isn’t the place for you. We are taught to take care of our clients/consultants. We bend over backwards to help each other out. Now its sad to see rita go. But she would want everyone to stay with arbonne. She never has once said anything negative about the company since she’s gone. Yet some people have left. Infact some people in other companies and been doing the wrong proseltyizing (which according to the dsa is bad). But you will never see arbonne dissapear. Because the products are truly incredible. Why would I leave a company with 400 products that are all incredibly good to represent a company who’s products aren’t even half as good???
If your money driven. You could sell anything to anyone without caring whether it’ll really help them. Or if your mission driven. You will be out there in activity. Always making people feel important and special. Arbonne has never failed. But people have failed arbonne. But arbonne won’t go anywhere because of the people that are in it.
So people can speak negative, speak rumours, even if they are all false. Do you represent a company with the best products but a couple corporate people your not a big fan of? Or do you represent a company with products that aren’t that good but just because your a big fan of some people that are in it? Are you money driven or mission driven?
I’m mission driven and always will be.
Awesome, Michael! Thanks so much for sharing!
Michael
Arbonne is owned by the bank and they want to get rid of it badly. How great is that???? Rita was booted out and is keeping quiet about it since she got paid to not disclose. Read between the lines. Good luck in Arbonne but don’t make it sound that ARbonne is so good. The last owners took the 200 million out of the company and took it to bankruptcy. It was 800 million in the hole. The banks own it. How great is that??? 2 billion by this year in sales. They are not even at 200 million in sales. Its down over 350% from 2006.
Thank-you, Jess. And the truth shall set you free.
Just found out today that ENVPs Lisa DeMayo, Lynn Haggedorn, Jerry & Rachele Nichols, motivational speaker Michael Clouse and former Arbonne Marketing officer Adriana Lynch are with Isagenix! Let the spin begin!
When change occurs, people begin telling stories. Some are true, some are speculations, some assumptions and some are made up of false facts and fiction to create hype. In my opinion gossip is the world’s largest evil. It never helps people, it only hurts them. It creates doubt in a person’s belief, it confuses people who thought they were “in the know”, it damages reputations and makes others look like they are the ones to follow when in reality they are the last ones you will want to lead you. I have been involved with Arbonne since 2007, first a client and later a business builder. I work my business between my busy career and 4 children as a single mother, and currently hold a management position. I was on board and sustained as many changes with the company occurred. I LOVED Rita Davenport and still do, she will inspire people forever regardless of her involvement with the company. She was a great speaker and a wonderful leader.
For those who are “confused” go with your heart… or pray about it. For those that have been involved with Arbonne, whether you left or are still involved, you will never be able to deny that at some point, for some reason, the Arbonne product, the company or the people changed your life in a very positive way. Maybe it was through a paycheck that came just when you needed it, a new friend you made, or a shoulder to lean on or learn from during a hard time in your business… I KNOW it happened.
Kay Napier has done amazing things for Arbonne, is she a great speaker like Rita? Maybe not, but that is not why she was hired. She was hired for her amazing business sense, and the ability to turn a comapny around in a financial crisis. (PS> She took McDonald’s out of their not so public bankruptcy) She is keeping her promises and has this company in a forward motion, when it was hurting financially. She has done amazing things in the two years she has been with the company and my admiration for her is huge. I feel secure and happy that I am with a company that offers the ability to help others, and to believe and have passion in something in a really screwed up world. If you want to jump ship as others have? I say go for it…explore; that is your choice and I will never condemn anyone for their choices because there are always lessons in the choices we make good or bad.
There will always be people who leave, I grew up in a network marketing home, it is the nature of any business. Just because restaurants have a revolving door does not mean the restaurant will not succeed, every business experiences it, and change is necessary for growth. Loyalty to a anything will always get you further than turning your back. The grass is not always greener.
Kudos to “Michael” and “Runner” I agree with both of you. If you are a “salesman” you will sell anything to make a buck. I am not a salesman, I have a passion for this company and everything it stands for. Integrity being # 1. I love the products, I love the company… I am a “lifer”. As far as the cruise trip, I am not sure what happened then, but I just got back from the most amazing vacation of my life in the Bahamas…Atlantis for 6 days because of an opportunity Arbonne gave to me to achieve. They only budgeted for 700 consultants and their families to go… however when 2100 of us earned the trip, despite a lot of re-configuring and headache, Kay and her team worked around the clock to be sure that EVERY person that earned it got to go. It cost the company 4.5 Million dollars to send 2100 consultants and their families to Atlantis, not to mention they had to add a second week to make it work. It was a HUGE reality that Kay means what she says, her speaking savvy does not bother me as long as she means what she says and delivers. Good luck to wherever your heart leads you, I for one know I am exactly where I am meant to be. Thank you Arbonne for everything you have done for me and my family! S. Giard
Good luck S Giard. If you believe a company spends more money then they make well I guess that is what the US government has done. So why not some skincare company owned by the bank. Passion is not going to pay the bills. Arbonne did well and yes, if you want to work for a company that got rid of Rita, well do so. Arbonne never paid off Tiffany for all the jewellery they took for the previous years. So other companies have to suffer since they are on the low list for payment. But the company spends over 4 million for these consultants. That sounds like the right company to work for. Claim bankruptcy and then keep spending. Kind of like the payouts that the governments gave. Easy come, Easy go.
Yes, the products are good but ARbonne is screwing up. Why would Lynn and Lisa leave. Because they knew how Kay was. Their salaries were being capped. Guess arbonne isn’t unlimited. Hopefully for your sake, Arbonne gets bought soon so the banks can stop trying to run an MLM company with no experienced team office
Well, it was refreshing to actually hear that people going to Isagenix were bridged to go. I wondered how you build an organization of thousands of people in a matter of weeks or a few short months and replace your previous incomes. Isagenix “leaders” are bragging on how fast these new people from Arbonne are “building” successes. Its so phony because they really never built they just bridged or transferred all their folks in a well thought out and calculated move. Not the type of integrity that lasts for me. When you leave you take your lack of integrity with you.
Probably Arbonne is in the rough too. Truth is its all suspect.
The litmus test for me; if I can make money honestly, without strife and with people and a company that tell the truth; I’m in.
From what I understand. bridging money is meant to bridge the gap and help people pay their bills in a transition. It has nothing to do with building numbers fast. Transferring people is never an easy thing and you will always lose people, but in some cases it is much better off in the long run. Now going from Arbonne to Isagenix’s Binary Plan is not something I would have done.
Yeah, but Donna Johnson did the same thing. She left Jafra to join ARbonne. Heard people who have been in Jafra for over 28 years say that she took her people from Jafra. That’s how she made it quickly too in ARbonne. So we can say that she did the same too. So it’s all the same thing. Everyone does it in the business world so why do we really care if someone leaves ARbonne. Wish them luck and move on.
something to ponder—
Do you think that if Arbonne had an outstanding bill with Tiffany’s that they would allow them to come back again this year? DUH.
Would YOU continue to extend credit to someone who doesn’t pay their bill?
The company has been around for 31 years…how long has that Lisa “superstar” been in the company?? 5 years? They will survive.
If Arbonne is doing 300 million or 1 billion…who cares? Are you still getting a paycheck? I am .
Are you still coming across people who haven’t heard of the company? I am .
More power to anyone who follows another path. I wish you much success. Just dont operate out of scarcity and direct your people to lie, cheat, steal and step on you “friends” for a dollar, beacause really, who are you being?
Just something to ponder
Seems to me that the wheels are finally coming off a bit. The fallout from the bankruptcy has taken longer than I expected, but people will only believe the same hype for so long…$2 Billion in the next year, really?
I respect you Ty. Could you elaborate on what you mean by not going to Binary plan like Isagenix. Not sure I understand the context or what you mean.
Thank you
I understand what bridging is and it helped while people were religning their previous teams and clients.
Don’t think it is “wrong” just a bit unrealistic from a marketing or recruiting point of view; for me. Perhaps it works for others.
The binary plan, while it sounds great (one leg is built for you) and you just built a second leg, is not what it’s pitched to be in most cases. I have looked very closely at the Isagenix plan and it is one of the more difficult binary plans to build. I built a binary (had the fastest growing team in a company of over 50,000 reps) and if you looked at my team of thousands, only a couple of people made any real money. In most binary plans, the big leaders do well and the people on the teams starve to death.
it’s not as if Arbonne’s plan was any better. I will always love Arbonne products. I just don’t like what they did to Rita and I hope for all the consultants that are working it truly, that it stays afloat. Rita was the heart of the company. Lisa, Lynn and Jerry leaving to Isagenix must say a lot. Why leave if you are making millions. The company had capped the salaries of those top NVPS. Until the company hits billions they have to cap. Shannon johnson left for this reason. Not sure if she is doing anything now.
Thanks Ty. So how would one successfully build in Isagenix? It seems if you can build very fast and have many people start right away and you are close to the top of one of the top people you could conceivably do well. I wondered how you would sustain the volume and growth. Even though they apparently have good products how do you ensure loyalty in people very deep to you or far removed? I have never been exposed to this type of plan and am curious as it seems it would trend fast and be challenging to sustain the growth in a way to cycle consistently. It seems you could make co called fast money but it would phase out versus sustain for a long time….. Appreciate your help understanding this.
The reason people can build fast and show big checks is the volume created when a large number of people sign up in the same month. Ask to see a 2nd or 3rd month check and you will see the real numbers.
Arbonne is an old school Amway style breakaway plan so it is hard to build as well, but a binary plan supplies a lot of false hope to the average person and people tend to see volume and people joining in one leg, (providing excitement), but you don’t get paid for one leg. Seeing people on your team and in one leg won’t make you any money, but it will sometimes keep people in a little while until they wake up.
Also, what is the downside when coming from a break away to a binary plan?…….
I should mention that I just spent 7 days in Bora Bora with a former Arbonne NVP
http://www.arbonne.com/pdf/biz/eoa/winn_norfleet_mnvp.pdf
I personally sponsored her in my company…maybe you can ask her about her experience leaving…
http://www.facebook.com/marcia.norfleet
Thanks Ty.
My understanding of binary is your pay leg is one amount and the other amount comes form the other leg/ maybe larger i.e. for Isagenix it is 600/ 300. Then you cycle.
So, why would these previously successful VP’s join and do this if this is the case?
How do they sustain their volume and balance the binary part to get paid. The Millionaire possibility being what Isagenix is saying they want to do. So, do you just keep sponsoring etc. It seems to me the products are perhaps more trendy than poised to real longevity in the cycle of people buying and continuing to replace their meals with Isagenix. I am open to learn how all this works.
What are the benchmarks to know what to invest your time into?
What is your company? And in your opinion and experience what plans work best?….. better? What does it REALLY take to succeed?
Thank you Ty
I am also a former Arbonner- Left as an ERVP- I went to rastellidirect- love the food the concept – what are your thoughts Ty on this type of company? Family owned shy of a billion dollar biz which just launched a direct to the consumer- I actually see people who don’t want anything to do with the business buy each month religiously even when they first liked the thought of growing a business- I did not receive bridge money- I started like everyone else and promoted to diamond in three weeks by simply doing what Arbonne taught me to do – share- however i still get the same eye rolling many of us get when they hear it is an MLM- that has been the biggest obstacle- After seven years in direct sales wherein I actually made money it is sad to see many never do but buy into the dream
FYI. To the person about Tiffany’s. The last GTC the jewellery was not provided by Tiffany’s. It was another company. Tiffany’s didn’t receive money from the bankruptcy. Which is why they went elsewhere for jewelry. Fact is, the gov picks up bankruptcy. So really the taxpayers get stuck with paying more taxes in the long run with companies like that. Arbonne is for sale by the banks because quite frankly they don’t want to own a mlm company. They just want someone to buy it so they don’t have to carry it.
The fact that Arbonne does not have negative people like Lynn, Lisa and Jerry is a great thing for the company. They also took with them the people that were not working any longer so the dead wood has been transferred to another company where they will eventually have the same fate. They got to a certain level and felt they should not have to work any longer and would still watch their businesses grow. Add to that that one of them was building another business for her last 2 years with Arbonne so of course her Arbonne business had to go in the toilet and she blames Arbonne for it. Shame on her and anyone who believes her.
As for Rita she is a wonderful person but the company is well on its way to the next level and she was offered plenty to stay and she chose not to take it so get some facts straight. Kay is a business woman with the guts to make tough decisions and she will take the company to new heights with the Consultants that have the foresight to work their butts off to make their own millions along the way!!
Dear Realist,
Who was building a concurrent business with another company? Lisa D? I heard her friend was dying and she was asked to run her business at the time of her death? I know she recruited during the Bahama trip. Noticed they are putting their subtle comments about how great Isagenix is to attract former Arbonite’s without getting into legal trouble doing so.I do think the truth is important as they are really putting a bad spin on Arbonne.
Rita had always said that she would never leave, period. She didn’t need the money if that was the case. She was let go and is keeping quiet about it for legal reasons. Don’t you know that is the reason the upclose was delayed in May. Kay brought back Stian. So Lisa had her side coach businesses, so what. Sue Cassidy has her other side business too and promoted it at other ARbonne events-Vision Board. Other Arbonne people promoted their music. Yes, Lisa left because the real high up ENVP have had their checks capped until ARbonne starts making a billion dollar in sales. Yes, sales went up in Canada and UK but it was down in the US. So still no billion sales yet. They also asked for another extension for March 2012 with the finances. ARbonne is still owned by the banks.
Just look at anyone who has ever left Arbonne over the years. None of them has ever become more successful than when they were in Arbonne. Also how many other companies have they been in over the years? The fact that Arbonne still has amazing people in it going on 20 years or even 25 years shows that this company truly has longevity. If money is all your interested in then join those companies who were doing illegal activities like proseltyzing which check your dsa rule book sometime you will notice prospecting people in other mlm companies and telling their downline to switch companies is ILLEGAL!!! I like family companies. Arbonne has always made the best products and its compensation plan was all long term. Its never been a get rich quick scheme. Hence why it takes many months and sometimes a year or two to build a successful network. Its because it’s called fair business. Level playing field. You can be negative all you want. But see how successful these people are in these businesses 10 years from now. I promise you they won’t and it will be several companies later. Longevity in a good mlm company proves you have a good reputation in the community. In the mlm industry and yourself. So let them do what they want. But it’s interesting how other companies try to get Arbonne consultants.vbecause they know aarbonne has the best consultants. Its really a compliment if you look at it.
Mickey, I love your enthusiasm but you are misinformed.
1. There is absolutely nothing illegal (it’s not even a DSA rule) about recruiting people from other companies including Arbonne.
2. I have many people on my personal team that are former Arbonne and they make more money and are getting greater benefits.
3. There is only one major company that has filed bankruptcy in the Network Marketing industry and it’s Arbonne and we all know that they have not recovered since.
4. People move companies all of the time. In most cases, I do not recommend it, but Arbonne was an extreme case (bankruptcy) and I would bet that most people
are better off today especially given the alleged cap on Arbonne leaders income.
Ty I’m curoius. Do you think Arbonne will recover? I am currently a consultant and right now they have lowered the registration fee which tells me they need people. I think they would have more success if they lowered the price of their products. I don’t know if I should hang in or start lookin elsewhere. Any advice?
Personally, I think Arbonne had some significant issues with the compensation and method of operation before the bankruptcy stuff. The company has great products but (in my opinion) it is being run by people who could care way more about the bottom line than they care about the associates.
@Dawn – if your gut is questioning the whole deal with arbonne, then you should consider looking at other otions.
I was with Arbonne for just under 2 years… and got into network marketing because I met someone who told me about it. I didn’t have a point of comparison. Most successful network marketing professionals very seldom stay with the first company they join… the first company they are with finds them.
Second time around, now that you have experience under your belt, you now have some knowledge to look elsewhere if that suits you and know what to look for…
What I came to learn is that arbonne’s compensation plan is the old “stairstep / breakaway” model – which is quite difficult to sustain. Alas, if you love the industry – look elsewhere.
Arbonne for me got “too corporate” and coming from that background I saw the writing on the wall when they GE involved as an investor.
Network marketing should be led by leaders with network marketing experience – not a corporate bunch that literally start cutting corners to meet profit goals – it’s such a classic formula for disaster.
True NWM companies should focus on what’s right for the consultants/associates and make them center stage when making decisions.
feel free to email me for more information on why so many of those leaders left… and it’s not that they had a bad attitude, it’s simply that they were tired of not having others go to the top with them.
And, NO they did not get a bonus for going to Isagenix – I just think that’s sour grapes from people who are have been conditioned to think that Arbonne is the end all be all.
Best, Pat
Ty,
Would you please elaborate on why Arbonne’s comp plan is archaic?
There seems to be alot of movement in Arbonne to build and recruit. But it seems its now just recruiting to sell versus build a true networking organization.
I have heard its Kays job to get Arbonne ready for a sale. It seems confusing to my wife who loved Arbonne but now finds it harder to make really good money since they changed their program to preferred client. And it seems there is some desperate move to promote sales of products etc etc. How does one really know how to gauge what is true from what is spin in this type of dynamic. We just want peace and are not finding it. Arbonne puts alot of spin on how the only way to fail is to quit. But how do you stay and make it work? It seems the cards are really stacked against you and there is such a feeding frenzy among past consultants who are in different businesses now you cannot know what is the real story. Please help if you can.
Thank you
To put it simply, Arbonne’s comp plan is an old school Amway style breakaway plan with great, yet expensive products. Just looking at it makes a persons head ache. Qualifications this and Maintenance that. The thing appears to be written with a ton of “gotchas”. Jump threw this hoop and hurdle that or else you don’t qualify. (Heard something about this for a recent Arbonne cruise.)
http://www.arbonnemarketing.com/PDF/IC/tools/US_EN_SuccessPlan_080111.pdf
Shaklee had a similar plan but updated it (in a big way) about a year ago. Just look at the difference:
http://images.shaklee.com/library/76055_drivethedream_chart.pdf?primaryTab=training&secondaryTab=library
Simple and lucrative. Create a certain volume, help a couple of others and you get paid with cash, a car and luxury trips.
(Just using Shaklee as an example…several other companies have updated plans as well)
Regarding the Arbonne spin, I saw this a lot when they filed Bankruptcy. People swore up and down (at me directly a few times) that Arbonne was not going bankrupt.
I can understand how people want to protect what they have worked so hard to build by remaining positive but the spin reminds me of the classic Amway spin.
1. We have the best compensation plan in the world (just don’t compare it to any others or you are being negative).
2. It has never been a better time to build Arbonne (except that sales have declined drastically in the last few years).
3. Everyone who leaves is a failure (I personally have several former Arbonne people on my team, including an NVP and they will tell you a completely different story).
Arbonne used to be one of the best companies out there. They cared about the reps and had amazing growth and momentum. But things change.
It’s just not the same today and many people are deciding to leave. There are pluses and minuses to leaving a company especially if you have a team.
If you have no team and your not growing and not building, then the choice is an easy one.
Hot off the press from an ENVP at Arbonne that is telling people to get out of ARbonne. They are capping salaries for some top millionaire earnings and will change only after it hits 2 billion $ in Sales. It is not happening this year. They said in 2009 that ARbonne would hit 2 billion even though they were in Chapter 11. Well, it’s December 2011 and there isn’t even 500 million yet. So the message I’m hearing is to get out while they can. The banks have tried to sell ARbonne. They have been using Mag articles, social media etc. The bottom line, there isn’t any billion dollar years. Is 2012 going to be any different. Rita was the best. Kay looked dreadful on TV the other week. That woman should be told to either cover up her flabby arms or go do some major arm exercises to tone up those arms. Seriously, how can a CEO not see this. lol
When we saw Kay in Today I could hardly believe it.
She was like ice! It was amazing to experience her arrogance and very disheveled look.
I am not buying the Arbonne story anymore.
She oozed Corporate nonsense . Her appearance and her flat affect spoke volumes! This company is in much despair in my oponion and the spin can only last so long. I still amazed how the ENVPs spin things but also realize this is their business. The Today appearance was very embarrassing. I simply won’t buy it. She looked like she rolled put of bed!
Yes, very phony. Rita was all heart. Kay just didn’t make sense with what she said either. The bank that owns ARbonne should get rid of her and hire a real person who knows about personal care. Someone please help this woman with her image. What was she thinking. Her neck was very wrinkly. How can ARbonne promote that the RE9 line is great when she looks like she needs it. Truly, this is not a good sign!!! Personal care requires the look. That Gina person in marketing also looks like she needs to wear clothes that make her look slimmer. She should use the detox line and vitamin line and lose weight. How can the company not see that these top people need to look the part of Health and Wellness. GREED is so loud in the 2 of them.
Look at this site below. Apparently Sue Cassidy is under investigation in England. She was encouraging people to sign up with $2000. Looks like it is not doing the party system there but the buy in system and get others to do the same. Oh Dear
http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/article-2002488/Wife-Seventies-pop-star-David-Cassidy-alert-pyramid-selling.html
It is sad to see what is happening to this company. Quite sad.
I saw the system used before. Maybe this follows how they need to get sales up so they can get back their pay ranks; those making high six figures.
I am sure this is not easy for Arbonne.
Hey Ty care to chime in?….
I am a former Arbonne ENVP. I walked away from my huge team and my huge income this past summer. I was not forced out….I resigned on my own. Arbonne is not the same company I joined 10 years ago. Sadly, the products are no longer effective. The prices are way too high. There is no retail opportunity anymore. The CEO is all about the bottom line. I lost my respect for the leadership when I was told what I had to say when Rita’s contract was not renewed. For me it came down to my reputation which is more important than a paycheck. I did not want my name attached to a losing company. Arbonne has become a cult. If you don’t drink the koolaid you are told you are negative. If you leave the company, you are a traitor. No amount of money is worth being aligned with this company. I am happy to say there is life after Arbonne. There are lots of great opportunities and companies out there that are honest and ethical. I found one and am so much happier. What a shame that this once great company has become such a disaster.
Yes Errett it is sad. I use this laptop with a few friends and I to finally admit that I ethically can’t do Arbonne anymore. It just doesn’t feel right. I know our products aren’t organic and it makes me ill when consultants say that Arb is organic. Why lie??? NVPs are leaving because the house of cards are falling down. Kay was terrible on the Today show, simply cold. ARbonne is still over 200 million $$$ in debt. It is not getting better
Yes, Tessa it is all a lie. Arbonne is not organic. I wouldn’t even call it pure and safe anymore. It has never been approved by the EWG – Skin Deep website for safe cosmetics. There was always the spin while I was in Arbonne as to why we weren’t on that website. I bought into it as a top leader. Now that I am with a certified organic skin care company, I know the difference.
I was in the Million Dollar Club so I imagine if I were still in Arbonne my income would be capped? Scary. I am SO glad I left Arbonne.
Nancy, did they really cap NVP incomes?? I heard they can only make a max of $49,000 even if they have 10 million in success volume. Shame. What made you leave if you were in the million $$$ club??? I hear that there is so much debt of 200 million because I guess they didn’t hit 2 billion like Kay said would happen. Glad that you made your comment. ARe the other NVP’s in denial and think it will change. I know on FB there was a backlash at Lisa D for joining Isagnenix.
Well, When I came to this blog I was still holding out some hope for Arbonne. I was one of the brainwashed who when thinking about leaving would hear in my head all about how you shouldn’t quit til pay day; if you build a District you can build a Nation, You don’t need your upline you need your down line and on and on. Thing is there is so much dysfunction in Arbonne; my opinion, the above things would be hard for any normal person to achieve because the culture has become a Cult! My opinion, again.
I have quietly sat back and watched VP’s cover the truth with Spin and think I cannot tell the difference. I have watched women tear down other women in one breath and preach Christianity in the other. I have watched the RE9 deteriorate to a point my own skin had terrible reactions after the “new ” formulation came out. I heard myself be told that it was basically all in my head when NO! it was all on my face!
I reached out to other VP’s for guidance when I still held hope only to find out what I thought was genuine care about others success to be a phony as a 3 dollar bill.
I am tired of the backstabbing, manipulating, hypnotic punctuation and the assault on my perception when I remotely stand up and articulate some truth.
I cannot keep dipping myself in a vat of self deception to keep my dream of the potential of Direct Sales or Network Marketing and all of its possibility. I am tired of and fed up with backstabbing, spying on Facebook, two faced and duplicit Arbonne women who are so self deluded they can’t lift an ounce of integrity to stop deluding the poor souls who come in under the Spin delusion, bust their butts only to wake up berating themselves of wondering what they! are doing wrong that this Arbonne thing is not working. I guess I wouldn’t mind nearly so much if they would simply leave God out of the conversation as some sort of validation that Arbonne is reputable because of it. Treat it like a business and stop preaching to me how I am doing something “wrong” because I can’t fit a square peg into a round hole!
Oh Kate, that sounds like abuse to me. What kind of business has this turned into. I really think the company has turned desperate and they really don’t know what to do. Kate you are right. How can they make anyone feel that they are doing something wrong. So sad when I hear new consultants saying it’s organic. Please stop the lies and be upfront. I guess it is better to look elsewhere. I will take a break from Arbonne. I never lost money but I did see people put up $$$$ and not get it back. The most I made a month as an ARea was $5000 which was good. Then some funny things happened to our VPs. They were kicked out and what they were doing wasn’t right. We found out that they signed others under them when other consultants brought them to 3 on 3 calls. Anyways those vps got what they deserved. However, this happened to 6 of our vps in a row. All my Vps were gone and I did fine without them. What the problem was when the bankruptcy thing happened and then the lies about Rita wanting to leave. That was enough. We all know Rita said that the only way she would leave was in a coffin. Well she is still alive and I know better things are coming to that great Lady!!!
There is greed and alot of misleading I feel. I think the Comp. plan and lack of real leadership in how to run a viable Network Marketing or Direct Sales Business set it up for where it is today.I saw Rita pushing for “sales” at weekend meetings and I could see there had to be serious problems going on.
I let the whole Cult thing invade my life because at first I didn’t know any better and I was terribly excited to have Arbonne be a part of my life and a strategy for my future. But as you learn this business and if you are experienced you will see the truth.
They couldn’t understand how I could get 7-10 new clients a month selling product! I would say I was mistreated and certainly disrespected. I am so relieved that I have stopped putting myself through all this.
I am speaking up because I know that there are others. I am not going to burst anyone’s bubble. Everyone has to find what is best for themselves and act accordingly. This was my experience. I would say my ignorance did not provide any bliss!!! But it sure did educate me and give me some new confidence in this whole industry.Some people just do not want the light of day shining on their delusions. I choose not to be a part of it anymore. You cannot fly like an eagle clucking with chickens on the ground.
BTW You did really well as an area it sounds. Good for you!
Wow. I’m almost scared to jump in on this thread but feel compelled to do so.
I resigned from Arbonne in July of 2011 as an RVP. It took me 4 years of incredibly hard work to promote to Region. I earned every single incentive trip in Arbonne… Including BOTH NY Tiffany trips. I was also in the President’s Circle in 2011. So… Why did I resign?
I was finally in a place where I was making a great income but watched the people on my team struggle month after month because they were working so hard and not making money.
The newly formulated products were not working – they were very drying and Imhad numerous customers who had reactions. On top of that – the price had gone up and the container volume had gone down and customers were running out of that expensive product very quickly.
Factor in that Arbonne is NO LONGER formulated in Switzerland … Yet Consultants were never notified of this change – and in my emails to Gina Murphy and Peter Matravers was never given a straight answer on where our products are now formulated and under whose guidelines.
But the nail in the coffin for me aw Rita’s “supposed” retirement. Come on people! Wake up! If someone had been in a company for over 20 years and retired, wouldn’t there be a celebration? Oh no… And then on a monthly VP call Kay had the audacity to say that she had begged Rita to stay. It mad me literally sick to my stomach. Integrity is very important to me – more so than money. I knew at that moment that I could no longer represent Arbonne.
Yet, when I resigned, I foolishly thought that I would be treated with respect and that these people I had worked with for over 4 years would remain my friends. Wrong! I was slandered, lied about and made to be a villain. I went to another company after I resigned and most of my team CHOSE to come with me – as did most of my customers after they tried truly certified organic products that cost less than half of Arbonne’s pricey, reformulated products. I guess when people’s checks are affected you learn who your true friends are.
I have to say – the longer I am out of Arbonne the more it seems like a cult to me. God forbid you voice a concern or objection! It is just all so sad.
Hey Tessa,
I read about the capping of the top income earners on this blog. I want to verify if this is true or just another rumor. We all have to be careful not to repeat rumors….only truth.
You asked why did I leave Arbonne when I was in the $M Club? I said it in my earlier post. The money doesn’t mean anything if there is no integrity. When I was the only one earning a big check while my new Consultants struggled to pay their bills, then I knew something was wrong with the program. When my long time customers stopped re-ordering RE9 when the formulas changed, I knew something was wrong with the products.
I earned the Tiffany trip in 2010….the only ENVP who did. I was not even recognized on the trip by our CEO since I had challenged her on some issues. I am not one to kiss up to anyone who I believe is unethical.
I love the direct selling industry and I know I can go to the top in any company that has a good product and a good marketing plan. I have found a good company with a good product line and most importantly with integrity!
Don’t be afraid to leave Arbonne. There is a huge world of opportunities out there just waiting for you!
Hi, not sure what happened to my last post.
but i do agree with most of you.
former envp arbonne
Do think that Arbonne is trying to “smoke out” all of the NVP’s and ENVP’s that are making the majority in commissions by capping their salaries? I think they are banking (no pun intended) on them leaving that way it would free up extra money to apply it to their debt. Think about it. Arbonne can’t lower their prices. This would cause an increase in demand which would mean more money to their suppliers. How else can they cut their over-head? On a side note. Any thought about Mary Kay? I was looking into joining. I love the skin care industry and their company isn’t carrying any massive debt.
Dawn,
I also love the skin care industry and that is where I looked when I knew I was going to leave Arbonne. One positive thing I will say about Arbonne, it led me down the path of understanding ingredients and reading labels. Prior to Arbonne, I was completely oblivious to the ingredients in the products I was using. I would say to look very carefully at MK – they do not disclose their ingredients. You can find the ingredients of some products if you dig around enough on the internet. It was not anything I would consider using on my skin. I chose to go with a company that has certified organic products (even stricter than Arbonne’s botanically based, and, suprisingly, less expensive!). Do your homework. There are great companies out there with simple, lucrative compensation plans and great products! Best of luck to you!
food for thought:
i am a former envp and arbonne consultant/pioneer of 24 years. i was one of the very few who by the early 90’s earned the mbz program.
(hmmm….sounds like an addiction correcting mtg).
i had no intention of starting over in nwm early this year after gtc but knew the old arbonne i loved and respected was no more. coupled with 5000 new, some just released discounted products on ebay and the fact that the re9 new advanced formula products dehydrated my skin rather than hydrating was the last straw. so!!!! what did i do??? what many other ‘stay at home, former teachers and nurses moms’ do when struck with the empty nest—-i got my real estate license.
but that didn’t solve my ‘never a wrinkle before and suddenly new lines appearing daily’ problem.
thus, i asked a friend/former envp for samples from her new company. i knew they had to be pretty good since they were developed by arbonne’s former fantastic product development vp under whose marketing and product wisdom perpetuated the arbonne pure, safe and beneficial legacy petter morck had created so many years before.
wow. overnight difference. unbelievable. hence, i started with that company in spring of this year. i am so pleased with what my team is doing and how happy we all are.
pretty amazing……..i say ‘no’ to the grumbling naysayers, because i didn’t fail. nor did i fail 24 years previous when i left jafra and my roll up window company car oldsmobile to join arbonne. and in this new company–my consultants (many said …. heck, it must be good! some even signed on without trying) are all so happy with their weekly retail commission checks from the company and their monthly overrides.
what a novel idea: use a product, love a product, sell a product and teach others the same. hooray for retail!
in fact, my 250 mgr and consultant downline is doing more in sales with 25 products than my old company downline production with 2000 consultants in my group and 400 products.
in close and in regards to anyone that looks down on those who leave their old company to start with something new, innovative, truly organic and extremely effective plus all the good stuff and none of the bad in the biz plan.
just remember this: the top money maker in arbonne, myself and countless other leaders in arbonne came from other cosmetic direct sale companies; petter morck worked for another direct sales cosmetic company before leaving and starting arbonne.
and really????? 5000 new products listed for cheap on ebay. give me a break.
God Bless America and freedom to choose!
I have a couple very good friends who are Arbonne reps, and have to live through this very unfortunate and precarious moment with the Company, and I can’t help but notice their dismay and disappointment after investing so much energy & time into their businesses. What happened at a very high level (greed with their former Holding Company, Harvest Partners) has affected everyone involved, right down to to bottom rung. And ousting Rita was the frosting on the cake in terms of demoralization. The Arbonne family adored her and when the decision-makers at the top cut Rita off at the knees, the proof was in the pudding just how ruthless things had become.
I, on the other hand, was contemplating joining an MLM at the EXACT time Arboone’s bankruptcy was to be announced. I even went to an Area VP’s monthly meeting two days before it all rolled out, so you can imagine what went through my head when, two days later, the internet was laden with the bad news of their mismanaged Company. I couldn’t even come close to finding one good reason to join.
*****Ad for her new business removed by editor*****
Wishes for a health, happy & prosperous New Year to you, All! Patty Tomaskovic
Are there any Arbonne NVPs out there (ex or current) willing to confirm this rumour that NVP overrides are currently capped?
I have a comment thinking about the last post.
I have been around corporate America long enough to observe that when a company needs to cap salaries it typically becomes public knowledge and generally not hIdden from people especially if that company is trying to be transparent during hard times to foster confidence and trust.
Arbonne has not been upfront on much lately.
I know ENVPs who left over integrity issues and others equally disgusted who have left.
If you cannot find someone within the Arbonne community to refute it , if they /corporate are not doing something direct to dismiss or refute what is being said that alone speaks volumes
Arbonne has taken a serious hit in their skin care line and shifting to nutrition without telling the truth about the formulation, firing Rita and not being forthcoming , playing games with the Bahamas trip EtcEtc ; to me gives me enough reason to believe that is the tip of the iceberg. If they are capping salaries and waving the “at will firing ” clause around to gain compliance I doubt the people whose salaried are capped will say do.
Doing so, in this situation just would point to sell the other subversive tactics being done.
You cannot build back if you have to our ceilings on people who have a dream and are willing to work for it. What incentive for those already busting their burrs?
Arbonne desperately needs sales! Desperately! And they are not going to foster snyrhinf that would confirm its loss of integrity, value nor their “reputation” they are trying to rehab!
They play power games and that says enough to meet that if they had do little regard for Rita and failed to disclose about product changes they sure would NOT care about me! …..or anyone else( even the ENVPs!
Food for thought and for me logical deduction.
Capping salaries is nothing to be ashamed of if you are an honest company going through tough times.
Not doing so says volumes! Either way . It shows lack of character and certainly how little they value the work horses!
What are they not being truthful about in their formulations with the nutritional line. I didn’t anything about that. I’m also on the fence with ARbonne lately here in Canada. I know of some teams that are doing parties and that is hard. However, a bunch of musician/ actors are doing more of the resulta approach and they are telling people to buy large. It is happening here in Toronto and I think the same thing will happen that happened in the STates with that. It is going to crash. Many are already calling it a pyramid and it is starting to be more about buying in then it is about the great products. I hope it doesnt happen to these people since I know some of these starving artists are making money.
Oh, dear. What will happen with Arbonne. I do see tons of stuff on Ebay with Arbonne products. Of course consultants are selling the products online.
It is sounding like a train that is going to crash soon.
truthful? sugar in the shakes (used to be stevia); formulated in switzerland….yes, anything left in line that rita, stian, candace, petter and pierre were involved with were formulated in switzerland.
now? not. just read the re9 advanced labels—made in the usa.
check out the latest catalogues. swiss sign is gone, formulated in switzerland is gone. okay that it all is formulated in usa but!!! they neglected to tell the field. so people are still presenting product as to formulated in switzerland.
also, there are rumors that the ebay and amazon sales are being sold on line by corporate itself. i wonder about that one but then all of the other rumors about the future demise have turned out true.
and the rumor about kay taking the company to the point of saleable (banks don’t want to own cosmetic companies) is further credible by rumors that proctor and gamble is one of the contenders to buy arbonne and put it in target. target apparently has been seeking ‘natural’ high end lines as they appeal more to the savvy, affluent consumer. i will try to find the article that supports that. it was forwarded to me earlier in the year.
my advice to arbonne consultants/mgrs/vps: stop frontloading and stop encouraging others to do the same. and if you are stuck with a lot of inventory, sell it back to the company. if you bought it within a year’s time then you can return it for 90% of what you paid.
if you love nwm, then find a company that is more in line with selling product and teaching others how to sell rather then signing up a bunch of wholesalers, giving away your commission, and watching them end up as hundreds of zeroes on your stats.
if a year has gone by that you ‘frontloaded’ then ta-da…there is always amazon and ebay to sell your stuff on.
one thing that is fact: petter morck preached ‘no frontloading’. he insisted that we all didn’t need stock/inventory.
in closing: if someone is wanting to earn money the right way in network marketing, there are many many companies that you can look
into and find the right fit. nwm is here to stay and i have found that when i believe in something, know it works for me, my consultants and my clients then i can succeed as long as the company i am affiliated with is up front, innovative and has a solid business plan.
good luck!
here’s the marketing study i mentioned:
It’s a case study/presentation with recommended products for P&G to purchase and put in Target stores!
It’s JUST a presentation, but interesting nonetheless. Link: http://www.docstoc.com/docs/29679211/Target-Sustainability-Case-Study
Take it with a grain of salt.
So I have been searching around on the internet looking for another business because I really think Arbonne is headed toward the point of no return and found the business that Candace started. Does anyone know anything about it? Is it solid? Does it offer a decent compensation plan? I saw Candace speak at several events in the past, and I just love her perspective and outlook. I really want to start this year off going in a positive direction. Thanks!
hi dawn. yes. loving it! website: http://www.useloveshare.com/ic/wowfactor
Wow!!! That’s a lot of info with Arbonne. Is that true about going retail. Kay did work at P & G before ARbonne. What a blow that would be to consultants, can that really happen??
My heart goes out to the people who feel abandoned and hurt. I’m sure this type of thing would be tough.
I recently made a company change as well and am happy I did it! Cheers!
hi. i’m new to this blog. i was in arbonne and a vp for a long, long time. i saw the writing on the wall after i attended gtc. all the stuff i suspected and thought were wrong, were manifested. including that cheezy letter from kay apologizing for rita’s joke. duh. i have gay friends that attended and they did not find it offensive! rita is funnier than heck and as a comedienne she can make fun of lots of people and things and all who love her know it is just in jest.
candy, nothing is true until it happens. all rumors. but,with that said, it seems to follow the course. kay, a corporate success story, was hired to prepare arbonne to be sold. like susan said, banks don’t want to own a cosmetic company. 18 banks own arbonne just hoping to get their $8,000,000.00 back.
i looked up the marketing study someone mentioned and there it is on page 7 of the study, arbonne listed as part of the companies p and g should buy to put in target’s new high end department. we shall see. truly a tv reality show on jeronimo rd in irvine california.
ryan, don’t feel sorry for those that are getting checks from arbonne and are just figuring out or suspecting the truth.
if they make ‘pin money’ then they can go to any other company they want. if they are making big money in arbonne then they too can start over just like you and i and the many others sharing on this blog. because whether they believe it or not they are the ones that attracted their large organizations to the business. they can start over and succeed quickly if they leave and introduce all those zeroes on their stats to something fresh and new.
arbonne is a company of the 20th century. sorry folks, this is the 21st century. i too tried products from other lines looking for one so good that i could get my nwm passion back. i found it and worked hard these past months to match my arbonne vp check. and a lot of it i did by retailing. a solid clientele is the basis of a solid downline.
A few months ago Candace Keefe said “If you are selling rotten eggs, could you also ask your friends to sell rotten eggs so that you could make money?”
If you are selling products that are not the most innovative and no longer give good results, then your Professional Reputation is in question.
If you ask anyone else to sell your outdated products so you can make money, then your Personal Integrity is compromised.
Who will trust you when you try to start a new business with another company?
It takes time to earn trust and have a reputation for integrity. It will take a long, long time to rebuild a Professional and Personal reputation that has been damaged, if you can rebuild it. At the end of the day, your reputation is your most valuable asset.
You should be able to trust the ethics and integrity of your corporate leaders, and be able to offer the most innovative products and lucrative compensation plan to all. Your energy should be in building your business, and a bright future. Mine is!
Yes, the writing is on the wall. There is no denying that. Too many weird things that went on. Also funny in Canada was that John Darraugh was let go back in June. Not sure what happened but he was in tears the month before that. He must of known that he was being let go. However, it happened when his daughter Jen. Paxton promoted to NVP. He wasn’t at her big party. You can tell that she is hiding it too. How can she go on with what they did to her dad. Though she is bragging on FB that she makes money etc but at what cost. It is really starting to be just buying inventory here in Toronto. Which is what happened back when they fired Stian Morck a few years ago and now he is back. But is that true that corporate is selling on EBay. That is terrible. Someone posted on the previous page.
arbonne on ebay and amazon: a rumor circulating that corporate sells new products in this manner. again…just a rumor.
but at the ntc less than 2 years ago when launching the re9 advanced and the new color, that night immediately after, all the new products were on ebay! not just hearsay. my friend and i heard a top envp mention it so we went back to our room to check online and saw pages of all the new products that were launched that night.
That’s horrible, but how else could it have been put on Ebay so quick.
Hi Nancy
You were right. Look at this site below that talks about how Arbonne is NOT pure, safe or beneficial
http://www.greenwala.com/channels/eco-beauty/blog/15895-Arbonne-Not-Safe-Not-Pure-Not-Beneficial
hi. correction on what arbonne owes to banks: 800m not 8m
New Blog Post About Arbonne, Target, Kay Napier and Proctor & Gamble:
http://mlmblog.net/2012/01/arbonne-positioning-to-be-sold-in-target-stores.html
Arbonne is not the same Arbonne when I first started. It’s foundation is all gone. I think the doors will change this year for sure. Maybe it will be found in Target. Such a shame!!!!
correction: I misspoke when I said Arbonne shakes didn’t have stevia. They still do but the number one added ingredient is sugar.
Ok
So now there us another Arbonne war going on on Facebook!
Group A is frustrated with group B because they are ruining ” their ” industry by promulgating the concept of actually letting the Internet WORK for them to enroll in their business and not ” work” as they do by ” developing ” relationships through group A s methodology.
So because group B builds networks differently their way is jeopardizing Group As work and all the honor “they” bring to NWM as an industry
Amazing!!! And they wonder WHY people leave Arbonne .
Arrogance at its best !
BTW Arbonne is breaking records…. Again.
Promoting new VPs etc
Well sure front loading ….. Again just cleverly disguised and… Lots of VP s leaving rumbles the rankings!
The hype just continues…… On and on and on. …
Facebook has become the juvenile playground of clever wordsmiths!
Errett – can you post a link to the Facebook page?
I have come to a conclusion.
Because of poor financial management Arbpnne has suffered and is no longer the company it once was. The products have lost so much of their integrity and it has the distinct flavor of corporate America……
I wantedto believe and hang in there.
And as an educated well read person I cannot delude myself any further. I personally have painstakingly looked at this from many sides willing to be wrong or right . I just wanted to know.
While I do believe in the industry the incongruences and strife and backbiting and pointing of fingers does not at all represent the industry. ……. At least for me.
Arbonne does not care about me. They have made that perfectly clear on many levels in many ways . I am deciding that I am done. Done coming to comment , done playing games with my head ever thinking this company will be a great company for me to keep sinking my teeth into.
For the person who asked if I would provide the Facebook link I say:
Is this a trick question?
Speaking of FB, Sue Cassidy has a post telling the Isagenix people to leave her downline in US, Canada, Australia and UK alone. Funny how she thinks she owns her downline. It is quite funny. It is basically geared and LIsa DeMayo and a few men. Perhaps they mean Micheal Clouse. The fact is if she is printing that on FB, of course there are people in her downline who aren’t doing well. So what. Donna Johnson make a comment too but what a hypoCrite. She herself left Jafra to go to ARbonne. She too went to her Jafra downline and brought some over to ARbonne. Who is calling the kettle black. It happens everywhere.
Get over it ARbonne ladies. Nothing personal but it is just business.LOL
If the “PEOPLE” in Isagenix were doing so well..as their posterboard checks indicated…why are they recruiting from other peoples downlines??? Isagenix is binary…and what happens when people cancel orders all you have is a title and NO PAYCHECK….
It’s the same with ARbonne, no volume, empty title. There are many VPs that have been buying in their volume. Shameful on all parts. But remember Donna Johnson did the same when she left Jafra to come to ARbonne. She brought her downline too. So it happens everywhere.
Errett, I know exactly how you feel. I tried to hang in there as long as I could. I truly wanted to see Arbonne become a force to be reckoned with but unfortunately I need an income and could no longer spend my days trying to overcome the bad publicity about Arbonne with evey prospect I encountered. I will never speak badly of Arbonne or any other company because I believe that only weakens the entire industry. I too believe whole heartedly in this industry so I have gone with another company. I am not going to get on here and say it is the best company, with the best product and the best compensation but what I will say is that I see a lot of potential with this company and if you would like to learn more about it just let me know.
Truly, I don’t know what the big deal is about ARbonne. There are other products which are much better and not to mention ARbonne does have synthetic ingredients. It has fallen behind in the organic and vegan section of skin care. The trend is going certified organic. Arbonne is not listed on the Safe Cosmetic site.
Personally, I tried the products and didn’t like the burning feel. I also felt sick when taking the supplements.
Arbonne is not the same without Rita. The GTC 2012 was boring without her. No matter all the social media that they have added it is still left with no heart. Kay is just a cold person who doesn’t have the dynamic energy that Rita had. The company only made 350 million in sales. So they are not even close to a billion. It has been since 2009 that they said they would hit 2 billion. Without Rita it is still in finanicial stress. They keep hiding it but with those free trips etc It is like America’s debt. Just like getting a 2nd or 3 rd mortgage and not changing the spending habits. Good luck people in ARbonne. I think P & G will buy them and then go retail and then sell the stock on the stockmarket. Only way to change it around. Just saying………………..
How sad reading all of this. Today I listened to a Networking for Savy Women Seminar and was delighted to hear Rita Davenport. I did not know who she was, but she was a true delight. In ordering her new book, I stumbled upon this blog. I did not know she was with Arbonne for 20 years. I am with the most AMAZING skin care company (Rodan+Fields.) This company continues to grow through the roof. Please contact me if you are interested. The sky is the limit! dinadlg@aol.com Good Luck to all!! 🙂