#58 – Enough Already: Marketing, Manipulation, & An MLM Escape Plan | Jennifer Rajala – Part 2 of 2
In part two with former MLM Coach, Jennifer Rajala, she shares her struggle to sustain top-tier status at Arbonne. In 2020, despite being investigated by the FTC, dozens of MLMs chose to leverage vulnerability and ramp up recruitment during a global pandemic, and Jennifer tells us why this didn’t sit well with her. She also shares how the body-shaming culture at Arbonne impacted her personally, and why she decided to join the inner circle at Rank Makers as an MLM coach.
When her clients weren’t getting the results that the high-dollar investment promised, Jennifer assumed she just needed more training, so she doubled-down, powering through a series of ‘mastery’ events with Tony Robbins. Jennifer tells us what those workshops were like – the tools that were helpful and as well as the misogynistic red flags that were waving wildly. Jennifer also offers us an invaluable peek behind the curtain when it comes to persuasive marketing and the carefully-calculated manipulations that leaders use to justify coercive sales-funnel strategies. Jennifer shares why she left Arbonne and was subsequently excommunicated from Rank Makers when stress led to a health crisis and a series of wake-up calls. The episode wraps with Jennifer’s message of hope to anyone who is concerned that their loved one is stuck in the world of MLM.
Jennifer Rajala graduated from Michigan State University with a BS in Social Sciences & Criminal Justice. Before she was involved with MLM, she worked for State Government investigating cases of child abuse & neglect. Immediately after exiting the world of MLM & Coaching, she began speaking out as a very vocal anti-MLM activist through podcast appearances and on TikTok and Instagram. She currently works for two different non-profits (both helping kids) and loves being active in her community without feeling like she has to recruit everyone. She lives in Michigan with her husband Derek and their three daughters. She loves creating content, speaking, educating, and being a voice for others. IG: @jennifer.rajala | Tiktok: @jennifer.rajala
Referenced in this episode:
- Jennifer’s IG Highlight
- Julie Anderson – anti-MLM
- BuzzFeed re: Tony Robbins
- Ponzinomics, by Robert L. FitzPatrick
- Combating Cult Mind Control, by Steven Hassan
- Take Back Your Life, by Janja Lalich
The stories and opinions shared in this episode are based on personal experience and are not intended to malign any individual, group, or organization.
