Once in a while I hear this question. Is Beautycounter an MLM?
The short answer. No. It’s actually very different.
Beautycounter is a Direct Retail brand – sold direct to consumers through multiple channels (online, in stores & pop-up shops, through consultants & through retail partnerships).
Beautycounter did model part of their distribution model on the concept of a channel of distributors who could represent the brand and start their own business. It’s an important piece of our distribution.
The founder of Beautycounter, Gregg Renfrew, knew that our story as a brand is best told person-to-person. She wanted to create a company that not was not just another beauty brand, but a movement to drive change in the beauty industry.
And, that’s exactly what is happening with the Beautycounter consultant community. It’s attracting women who are passionate about the issue of safety and health and who are willing to stand up and help educate others.
So, when you hear that your friend just joined the company or someone approaches you about the brand – don’t go running off without listening first to the full story or you’ll miss out on something really important.
What Beautycounter is NOT…
Beautycounter is not one of ‘those companies’.
You know the ones. The ones where you feel pressured to buy or join. The ones where you are invited to mysterious events without any sort of detail on what’s happening or being sold. The ones where some long lost friend or family member suddenly shows up and hounds you to come to their ‘presentation’ or get in on their ‘ground floor opportunity’.
As a 50 year old woman, I have found the whole MLM thing to be a very loaded question when I hear it. And, I totally understand. We all have stories to share. Back in the day – pyramid schemes were not only common, they were legal. And, companies did weird stuff. I remember some of them.
So, no, Beautycounter is not a pyramid scheme. Those are illegal. And, obviously, I wouldn’t be online promoting some sort of illegal business opportunity.
PHEW! That’s a relief!
So, now that that is out of the way…
If it’s not a pyramid or an MLM, what IS Beautycounter?
What Beautycounter IS…
That’s the COOL part! I love what this company has created – a completely unique business model. (And it’s why we were recently recognized as one of the Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company in 2019.)
Beautycounter is a direct retail, multi-channel business. They sell their products online at beautycounter.com. They have a network of independent consultants (like me) who sell person to person. They also have stores and retail partnerships.
There are LOTS of ways to connect with our brand.
This multi-channel approach is the future of retail. Meeting your customer where they are and allowing your customer to shop your brand in multiple ways.
And, as I mentioned before, Beautycounter knew that our story would best be told person-to-person. It’s a story that could never be told on the shelves of a department store. (And, let’s face it, how many of us are actually shopping in department stores these days?)
That’s why we have 40,000 consultants scattered throughout the United States and Canada. Armed with the mission to get safer products into the hands of everyone. Brand ambassadors who have made a choice to get involved in the clean beauty movement. And to lend their voice to advocate for a cleaner future.
It’s a pretty amazing thing to be part of. And, yes, we get paid for it! Which is even more awesome!
As a sales rep for the company, I get paid a commission for everything I sell. I’m like a mobile pop-up shop. I can come to you. I can hook you up with samples. I can be your personal shopper so you don’t have to worry about what’s in your products and can feel good about what you’re buying.
As a consultant, I also have the option of building an organization – just like any other sales organization. I can build and mentor a team of consultants if I want to grow my business beyond my own sales.
There are people who join Beautycounter so they can make some extra cash to buy cleaner, safer products or pay for extra-curricular stuff. There are others who join to build a business that can replace their full-time jobs.
For me, I’m doing this to build a second career that is both financially rewarding and simultaneously has significant social impact. It’s a dream gig to have in my second half of life because I control my work hours, it’s completely location independent, and I get to be part of something bigger than myself – something meaningful and that impacts all of us.
If you’d like to know more – just holler.
One of my favorite and most unexpected perks of this job has been the people I have met – amazing, heart-led, purpose-driven, transparent, forward-thinking women, who are focused, determined and crazy fun!
Welcome to the new ‘gig economy’! New business models are emerging and the way you reach your customer is changing. The sooner you embrace the changes, the sooner you’ll start enjoying the benefits of better service, increased convenience and new products that just might become your absolute favorites!
Here’s a little more about our Business Model for those of you who love video. Again – hit me up with any questions. Happy to chat further about what makes this company so profoundly unique.
