ISBN: 1955905258
by Emily Lynn Paulson
on May 30, 2023
Goodreads
She signed up for the sisterhood, free cars, and the promise of a successful business of her own. Instead, she ended up with an addiction, broken friendships, and the rubble of a toppled pyramid . . . scheme.
Hey, Hun: Sales, Sisterhood, Supremacy, and the Other Lies Behind Multilevel Marketing is the eye-opening, funny, and dangerous personal story of author Emily Lynn Paulson rising to the top of the pyramid in the multilevel marketing (MLM) world only to realize that its culture and business practices went beyond a trendy marketing scheme and into the heart of white supremacy in America. A significant polemic on how MLMs operate, Hey, Hun expertly lays out their role in the cultural epidemic of isolation and the cult-like ideologies that course through their trainings, marketing, and one-on-one interactions. Equally entertaining and smart, Paulson’s first-person accounts, acerbic wit, and biting commentary will leave you with a new perspective on those “Hey Hun” messages flooding your inbox.
I picked this book up because I was curious how someone “made it” to the top of the pyramid in all the MLM stuff. A friend of mine wanted me to help sell Mary Kay. I liked Mary Kay, but Ulta has much better products and selections, if I could be 1000 percent honest. If I lived out in the boonies, I could see why a company such as Mary Kay could help. I may be in Central Appalachia, but I got an Ulta about 15 minutes away, so you can guess which one I would pick. By then, my heart and soul were beyond ULTA and Shepohra, so I was even less invested in the pyramid. And let’s be honest: MLM, at its core, is a pyramid organization.
I have always had suspicions about those kinds of organizations, and after reading this book, I think many people are afraid to speak up. That is the not-so-glitzy side of it all. Most MLM people know how to sweet-talk people into trying to make money from whatever. I finally gave in on a Young Living friend. I love and use Young Living products, but I lack the nerve to annoy people in the hope of getting a few extra dollars. I bought the kit but did not try to force people to buy with such sayings that we can be rich!! We can retire our husbands! I sat down, and guess what? You can only make good money at the TOP of the pyramid. You will never make much money if you come in in the last few years due to oversaturation. When I saw that the author agreed with me and that it had been proven, I felt a LOT better!
I thought the author covered the reality of an MLM marketer’s life well. All these happy people are talking and selling makeup and oils on the outside. I used to use Mary Kay until Central Appalachia got a ULTA. I started going there because when I lived in a big city in the north, I LOVED going to a makeup store and just looking around and checking out what was new in the fashion and makeup world. Someone at home or online does not have that same vibe.
I have to admit that I never even thought about the intersectionality of white supremacy and the MLM world. I have always prided myself as someone who could tell if something was exclusionary. It took reading this book to know just how much I had missed how MLM “favors” middle-class white Christian women. What I found amusing is when a woman would set “retire my husband” as a goal. Like seriously? The market is oversaturated, so unless you get in on the ground floor ain’t, nobody is retiring.
I am all new age spiritual, so I do not fit the demographic, which explains a lot of…feelings that I had during my time with Mary Kay and Young Living. I was wondering why everyone was so damn religious and had goals such as “Retiring my husband” and more along that line of thinking. Now I know.
Not to belittle anyone who finds enjoyment with an MLM, it is not that much different from being around others in a more traditional office setting, but re-gazing at the lengths that I have seen some friends go to break even doesn’t jive well with me. I quit before long before I went broke. I learned quickly that I am not extroverted enough to get out there, which is a quality a person MUST have if they want to be successful at network marketing. I would rather be someone with a good cup of coffee and a book, so that was a no-go.
All in All, I have no regrets for myself. I just chalked it up to a learning experience, and most importantly, I did not invest much money either. I was okay. I watched the documentary Lu Lu Rich on Amazon Prime and was horrified. I bought quite a few items from another friend and LOVED the leggings. They were so burrty soft. Then, for some reason, the quality started being….not good. That was that. Anyway, that documentary showed how many people were fooled into thinking Lula would make enough money to once again “retire husbands” when, in reality, everyone went bankrupt.
I can’t judge people, though. If my Dr had not figured out the proper meds for my Schizoaffective disorder and I was no longer manic and the life of the party who became a bookworm introvert on Asttyraida, I very well could have been one of the people who went bankrupt.
