Why I Quit Beachbody Coaching

Why I Quit Beachbody Coaching {The Truth About Multi-Level Marketing}

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It’s been four years since I quit Beachbody coaching, and I don’t regret it one bit. First I’m going to tell you about my journey and then explain why I quit.

It all began with curiosity…and ended with drinking a lot of Beachbody’s kool-aid (or Shakeology, rather).

Now, I’m all about finding legit ways to make money from home but after being burned twice by multi-level marketing companies, I have made it my mission to share the sober truth about why I’m antiMLM.

Hundreds of women have shared their personal story about how they decided to quit Beachbody coaching for many of the same reasons I did.

Bottom line: if you’re questioning this whole Beachbody coaching thing, you’re in good company, and your feelings are valid.

 

Beachbody Coach Review

One day in 2014, as I was looking through Craigslist (way before Facebook marketplace), I saw an ad for Turbofire. My friend Jocelyn had incredible results from Turbofire a few years ago, and a seller was offering it at a major discount.

I research stuff to death sometimes because I’ve been known to practice extreme frugality.

Jocelyn was now a Team Beachbody Coach, and while I’d seen her posts, I didn’t reach out to her first for help because I didn’t want her to try to sell me.

I called her up that day and said, “I found Turbofire on Craigslist. What can you tell me about it?”

Beachbody Challenge Packs Explained – The Hard Sell

She instantly started telling me about her amazing coaching opportunity and that if I was going to purchase a program, I might as well try Shakeology while I’m at it because it has “changed her life”!

“Well, that sounds amazing,” I said. “But I can’t afford to spend $140 on a challenge pack right now….or ever really…”.

Insert the discount Team Beachbody coach opportunity.

She told me all about how she “doesn’t offer this to everyone” but that I could be amazingly successful in this business! An hour later, I was completing my purchase on a credit card. (Insert face slap)

Related:

 

quit Beachbody Coaching (1)

For the next 11 months, I worked my ass off marketing, advertising, branding, inviting, offering, helping…all of those things that Beachbody says to do including the 3 vital behaviors.

If you want to be successful as a Beachbody coach (according to Beachbody standard ladder of ascension), you have to follow the 3 vital behaviors below:

 

3 vital behaviors

 

Find a Beachbody Coach

It’s not hard to find a Beachbody coach, but you have to do some digging. They disguise their job description using words like “freedom” and “opportunity” but don’t share the name of the business until you DM them. They’re all over Facebook and Instagram targeting hashtags such as:

  • #postpartum
  • #ppd
  • #womeninbusiness
  • #sahm
  • #wahm
  • #bossmom
  • #beachbodycoachlife
  • #beachbodycoach
  • #mommyandme
  • #athomeworkouts

More on this later, but if Beachbody coaching is so wonderful, why are so many coaches disguising their accounts and being less-than-transparent about their biz…hmmm?

 

Beachbody’s  3 Vital Behaviors

 

Vital Behavior #1

Invite, Invite, Invite– You are to become friends with as many people as possible that are driven, passionate, goal-oriented so that you can give them the opportunity to help others as a Beachbody Coach in your downline.

Invite at least 2 people every day. The top coaches invite 20-30 people every day. They want you to friend request people you don’t know and send them messages on Facebook, complimenting them and then offering the “opportunity of a lifetime”.

If it sounds creepy, that’s because it definitely is.

I’ve been interviewed by Glamour, Cosmo, and Forbes. They were all writing articles about Beachbody coaches targeting postpartum women and even grieving mothers (after infant loss) on Instagram. It’s truly sick.

If you’re a victim of this shameful targeting, I’d love to tell your story on the blog. Contact me in the comments below and I’ll email you for follow up.

The Sales Pitch

 

Here’s one of my favorites when a customer says it’s too expensive. “I know that the investment may seem high right now. Do you ever grab lunch on the go or drink Starbucks coffee?

I, personally, LOVE the Starbucks! The cost of this meal replacement shake is only $4.33 per shake!

It is chock full of nutritious superfoods, and it costs less than the price of a McDonald’s meal.

Wouldn’t you rather take the first step in making healthier choices and preplan for your success?

I can almost guarantee you won’t stop for that fast food or that Starbucks as often  when you know you’ve got a delicious treat in Shakeology waiting for you at home!”

See what I mean? Smooth, right? Almost as smooth as a Starbucks white mocha!

 

Vital Behavior #2

 

Be Proof the Products Work– I worked out every day (for the most part), started drinking more water, less soda, and here’s the big one…drank Shakeology EVERY DAY.

They’re big on that. You have to drink your Shakeology every day so that you’re a “product of the product” and so that you can encourage others to do the same.

The funny thing is…when all of the coaches are drinking Shakeology and selling Shakeology, guess who makes more money? Beachbody!

I was told when I started that you CAN be a coach without drinking Shakeology, but no one has ever been successful without drinking it because you can’t sell it if you don’t believe in it.

And you don’t believe in it if you don’t drink it. I also started sharing photos of me working out, drinking Shakeology, eating healthy, etc consistently on my Facebook and Instagram pages.

I spammed my friends and family. Every single post was calculated.

How could I get the most likes, shares, and personal messages?

I feel icky just thinking about it. If you’re looking for an affordable Shakeology alternativeWhy I Quit Beachbody Coaching {The Truth About Multi-Level Marketing} 1, check out this post.

You can find my this Shakeology alternative on Amazon.

If you do try it, let me know what you think!

Vital Behavior #3

Personal Development– This is one vital behavior I can actually stand behind! Every person…especially entrepreneurs…should read for at least 15-20 minutes per day. Read the Bible, read self -help books, read about areas you struggle in such as time management, managing people, understanding personalities, etc.

You WILL absolutely grow as a person when you do this. I downloaded podcasts and started an Audible subscription. I never cared much for reading until I started working on personal development.

Update: I’ve now canceled my Audible for Scribd. It’s cheaper and includes unlimited audiobooks for just $8.99 per month.

Personal Development: Beachbody’s Unofficial Vital Behavior #4

Invest in yourself- Beachbody is ALL about the investment.

You need to attend webinars, live events, team events, and self-help seminars to grow and to be able to be successful in the business. I agree completely that this is important.

I actually attended Beachbody Summit in 2015 in Nashville, and it was a lot of fun!

With so many like-minded individuals with stars in their eyes in the same place learning how to grow their businesses and to help other people, it truly was an awesome time.

I drove to Nashville with two other coaches in my downline, and I put the entire trip on a credit card (including my Summit ticket), which isn’t exactly a good plan when you’re trying to pay off debt. 

 

Beachbody Share a Cart

Recently, Beachbody has come out with a way for coaches to create an order and “share a cart” with customers or new coaches. This was a brilliant marketing technique on Beachbody’s part. Here’s why:

Adding items to your own cart gives you the opportunity to question or second-guess your purchase. The fewer steps you have to complete, the more likely you are to convert. That’s just sales 101.

Be aware of the Beachbody Share a Cart!

 

 

Why I Quit Beachbody Coaching

 

As a person in my own debt snowball journey, trying to pay off debt and save money for my future, I realized something in the past few weeks that was very eye-opening. Beachbody coach or otherwise, I am in business for myself.

I have to think about MY future, MY family, and MY priorities.

I realized that I’ve spent the past 11 months idolizing Beachbody! My spiritual walk has suffered. My family life has suffered.

My kids have had a short-tempered, distracted Mom. My husband has come home to a dirty house because I’ve been consumed by Beachbody!

How is that fair to them? In all actuality, my personality probably led me to obsess over the company more than I had to.

If I had just logged on, sent my invites to challenge groups and coaching opportunity, made new friends and logged off, things may have been different.

But it’s hard to do that when every post you make on Facebook/Instagram has to be calculated and prepared so that it’ll receive several likes/comments/dialogue to keep it at the top of the newsfeed.

I looked at my paychecks in relation to what I’ve invested on Beachbody products such as Shakeology, 21 Day Fix, 21 Day Fix Extreme, Body Beast, Les Mills Combat, Piyo, Summit trip, giveaways, coach fees, club membership, my husband’s account, etc…It was a WASH.

I literally spent everything I made and gave it right back to Beachbody! The original plan was to sign up as a discount coach, and I quickly rank advanced to Diamond but to maintain that rank, I had to spend/invest quite a bit.

This was very eye-opening for me! What I thought was a blessing had turned out to be $0 income (a loss on my income taxes) and had taken so much time away from my TRUE priorities. I don’t know about y’all, but I don’t want to work for free! It really is a brilliant business model.

No investment necessary, but to be successful and hit “success club trip status”, 90 PV per month on HOME DIRECT is required. Shakeology is 90 PV.

Well, that’s convenient.

Related Post-Alert! This post about Why I Quit Coaching prompted hundreds of comments from former coaches and current coaches who secretly wanted to quit. You can read 17 stories from ladies who walked away from Beachbody here.

Beachbody Coaches Quitting

Is it Worth it?

 

I’m going to upset a LOT of people here, but I’m going to be blunt and honest. If you owe any debt other than your mortgage, you probably can’t afford to be a coach for Beachbody.

 

How Much is Shakeology

If you want to be successful (according to Beachbody), the initial investment is $140-220 for a challenge pack including Shakeology.

Shakeology will be set up on home direct, and you will be shipped a new bag every month at $98 plus tax with your coach discount.

As a customer, the fee for a bag of these “superfoods” will set you back $140 plus tax per month on auto shipment.

Side note:

You don’t need to buy Shakeology. Skip the challenge pack and buy the Beachbody workout programs here. If you’re looking for the accountability of a challenge group, check this out.

I lost 25 pounds with Lukas Duncan’s online personal training, complete with meal plans and fitness programs (updated weekly). Lukas is a former bodybuilder who now trains clients online. No expensive supplements needed. No Shakeology. Just a simple, clean eating meal plan and fitness program.

I’ve partnered with Lukas making it affordable for my readers! In fact, you can get 8 weeks of training for just $38 (less than 1/4 of the cost of a bag of Shakeo).  Use coupon code melissa81.

Beachbody Workouts and Programs Worth Trying (Sans Shakeology)

PIYO:

Chalene Johnson is pretty much one of my favorite motivational people to listen to. Her energy is just amazing. I actually attended a LIVE event and worked out with her once. If you haven’t tried Piyo, it’s an incredible workout and can be modified for any fitness level. Available at a great price here.

Beachbody’s Core de Force:

This one is new, and I actually haven’t tried it. But it looks to be an incredible “beat down”.  This one is on my shortlist due to the martial arts style. I really liked Les Mills Combat, and I think the MMA-style workout helps to distract you from the fact that cardio sucks.

21 Day Fix:

This one taught me a lot about portion control. The workouts are great and quick, too. But the real golden nugget is in the nutrition plan. You can order Autumn Calabrese’s cookbook Fixate here.

Beachbody On Demand – Beachbody’s ‘Netflix’ of Workout Programs

Your monthly coach fee is $15.95, and if you want access to Beachbody On Demand (and to receive leads from the company), you’ll pay an additional $40/quarter for a club membership.

They’ll teach you to sign up your spouse as a coach as quickly as possible so that you can get all of the benefits of rank advancing quicker and earning more money in team cycle bonuses as each of you rank advance.

That’ll cost you an additional $50 per month minimum in purchases (50 pv required to stay an active coach) and an additional $15.95 business service fee. Grand total per month comes out to about $195.

Let me put this disclaimer out there: each person’s success is dependent on his or her effort and ability to help others while providing value. I would agree with that.

But tell me this…When others tell me they can’t afford Shakeology, how can I (with a clean conscious) overcome that objection without being hypocritical? I’m still working on my own debt snowball.

“It’s only $4.33 per day for a meal. If you ever eat out or drink Starbucks, surely you spend more than that”. <—How can I justify $4.33/day for one person in my family of five?

The answer is simple. I can’t. And I don’t say the words “I can’t” often, but seriously….life is all about choices. And I choose my family and my integrity.

Why I Quit Beachbody Coaching

 

 

Beachbody Customer Service SUCKS

They don’t make it easy to quit coaching. Initially, when I tried to cancel my Beachbody coaching account, I filled out the form, emailed it to Beachbody coach relations, and two months later, I was still being charged the monthly coach fee.

I had to send the form twice before they finally got it together and canceled my coaching account.

 

Multi-Level Marketing Benefits the Company…Not the Coaches or Distributors

This comes as no surprise. Instead of paying a company like GNC to market their goods, they pay “coaches” but first require them to “be a product of the product” and then recruit and sell to others.

I can’t knock that business plan. Kudos to you, Carl! (For those who don’t know, Carl is the CEO of Beachbody).

If Shakeology wasn’t the bread and butter of the company and/or was more affordable, I might feel differently about this situation.

But it is just TOO expensive for me to try to coerce people who are already in debt and struggling financially that they can afford a $130 liquid meal.

Adding a shake into your grocery budget that accounts for a MAJOR portion of it just doesn’t seem right.

There is NO replacement for real, whole foods.

Shakeology is a wonderful product, but you can live without it.  You can lose weight without it. You can be healthy without it.

Remember…I’m only talking about Beachbody as a business opportunity for ME or others that are looking for extra income or a second job to make ends meet or pay off debt faster.

Beachbody has INCREDIBLE products and programs that I truly believe in. If I had not started 21 Day Fix, I wouldn’t have learned the importance of portion control and exercise.

After sharing my story, as expected, most of the Beachbody team I was a part of has removed me from their lives.

If you have one takeaway from my story of why I quit Beachbody coaching, remember this: Faith and family are life. Everything else is secondary. This was a tough lesson for me but one I am so happy to share with others.

Thanks for visiting my blog. I hope that I’ve shared something of value to you today.

If you’re on the fence about being a Beachbody coach or you’re a coach that is questioning things and want to talk more, I’d love to chat! If you started coaching as a way to make money from home, this entire blog is going to help you save more money, pay off your debt, and create a life you love.

Beachbody FAQ Wrap-Up

How much does it cost to be a Beachbody Coach? $15.95 per month, plus a minimum of $100 per month in Shakeology auto-shipments.

Can Beachbody coaches earn a six-figure income? The truth is very few coaches earn a full-time six-figure income from coaching. The statistic is that the top 1% of coaches earn 99% of the income. So while it is possible, it’s highly unlikely.

Can you just do the workouts without the Shakeology? Yes. Buy the workouts from Amazon, and you may be able to avoid being prospected by a coach.

What do you suggest instead of Beachbody for losing weight? Lukas Duncan’s 8-week transformation is a great place to start on a budget. Or you can save 81% off of any of his plans (up to a year of training) using the coupon code melissa81.

Bottom Line:

If you know someone thinking about or actively engaged in a multi-level marketing company, please share this post with them!

It’s not only for Beachbody coaches! The basic principals are the same with all MLMs.

Based on many of the comments below, you’ll notice so many coaches struggling with the decision of whether to quit Beachbody or continue supporting the company as well as their upline.

You likely signed up for Beachbody as a way to make extra money from home and/or to be your own boss.

The best thing I could have ever done is to start this blog. While it started as a place where I could share this story about why I quit Beachbody coaching and became antiMLM, I replaced my full-time banking income with it!

If you’re curious about how to get started, check out this post on How to Start a WordPress Blog. I’ve had some incredible income, and I didn’t even have to peddle shakes or sell anything at all!

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250 thoughts on “Why I Quit Beachbody Coaching {The Truth About Multi-Level Marketing}”

  1. All coaches and teams are not the same, just like all affiliate marketers and bloggers are not the same.
    I haven’t done any of the things you mentioned, and I’ve been a coach 14 years.
    Trashing a company that you weren’t successful in, to build your affiliate blog, works for sure. People do it all the time! Good for you that you found a way to replace your banking income! There are so many opportunities out there. I love the freedom of network marketing, when done with integrity and good form.

  2. I’m in the middle of creating my vision board for (yes, I know, I’m super behind cause its already March). I am a faith based person, I believe in God. And I believe that he speaks to us in numerous different ways.
    I signed up to do coaching, after questioning it for MONTHS, because I am a single mom struggling to get back on my feet, back out on my own with my son. I just so desperately wanted some hope, some financial freedom.
    I’ve struggled to get in the groove of things with coaching, been kinda taking my own pace. My upline has barely communicated with me on how to really get the ball rolling.
    So, fast forward to now, creating this vision board and I’m searching google for some good images of BOD Coaching. Your book cover was the fifth image on the list to choose from. Obviously, I’m curious of what you had to say. SO….I clicked on it, I read it. And oh my goodness….I truly feel God is telling me to be cautious with this.
    I’m in debt – relying on Credit cards to get me by. I hate being on FB – the idea of going back on it after years of removing it from my life truly makes me uncomfortable. The process of learning everything is already taking so much time away from my son, and my time with God has gotten pretty spotty.
    Going to refocus on God and let him guide me to things that he wants me to be in.
    Just hoping my cancellation won’t take as long. (I just purchased a bunch of product too…grrr.)

  3. Team Beachbody is a well protected Pyramid scheme. How do I know that? I was a REAL TBB coach. A certified fitness instructor. People are sought out and targeted with relentless Team Beachbody membership tactics, partials truths, a lot of lies and promises. I was targeted at the most vulnerable time of my life. And my UPLINE made it sound so amazing as a single mother working 7 part time jobs. She never stopped hounding me until I said that I would give it a try. Then she disappeared and I barely heard from her until I quit 6 years later and took those who joined under me with me. Yes, it took me 6 years to realize I was REALLY, REALLY duped, because some money kept trickling in. (I felt like a complete idiot.) THEN I heard from my illustrious coach asking why I quit when my “business” was still making SOME money. SOME money. Nothing else. NO greeting, no close on the email. SO it was all about the money for her. You join, you are on your own. No help from your UPLINE (aka upper pyramid coach). Make a mistake, don’t read ALL the very fine print, you lose. A lot of the workouts are dangerous, too. People quit because they see no matter how much they pester their family, friends, co-workers and random people on the street, they will never be supporting themselves with it. I did make some money. I worked it. Then I hated it. The best thing was the workouts. YES, I already was in very good shape, and got in better shape. BUT paid for it later with osteoarthritis. These workouts are not for the average person. And no matter how much TBB rolls out their success stories “from fat to fit” “from broke to wealthy”, the truth is that the attrition is enormous. So blaming hundreds of thousands of coaches (YES! I said HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS) for leaving TBB is the blame game trying to make TBB look good. You will not start making good money after the first, second, fifth, twelfth month. Your outlay to keep your personal volume up so you can get a small trickle-down paycheck…you will spend that paycheck buying workout videos and product or the foul tasting, exorbitant Shakeology. The most EXPENSIVE meal of the day. Save your money and sell vintage clothing instead or start an Etsy account, or sell your blood for goodness sakes. It will be a lot less painful. Just find good workouts on YouTube, eat sensibly, meditate and “forget the rest”.

  4. Ive Recently signed up as a coach
    ive a diploma in Nutrition and i really want to do this as a job.
    But a girl on instagram talked me into becoming a coach because she said that both beachbody and my nutrition diploma would complement each other,
    but i hate the idea of messaging random people to buy challenge packs..
    Have i been sucked into the beachbody black hole,or is she right that being an online Nutrition coach wont work alone.

    1. It’s a pyramid scheme. I hope you got out. Use your degree that you worked hard for to get a legitimate job.

    2. Girl I am launching my coaching business – Trauma coaching not fitness but online fitness and nutrition coaching is a huge business. Coaching is rapidly growing and set to be one of the fastest growing business in the next 5 years. You ABSOLUTELY can make money being an online nutrition coach on your own. AMERICA is FAT and needs your services. You need testimonials, at least a couple good ones. You can always offer coaching for testimonials for a couple clients or do a beta group at a lower price… It’s totally doable

  5. Thank you for writing this post. I am a postpartum mom who was approached by a Beach Body coach BECAUSE of being postpartum. At first, I just assumed this person was genuinely checking in on me and my well being. Then after a few exchanges, she wanted me to join a zoom call about the “opportunity.” I went to the call but I always research these things before jumping in. It’s very irritating to read that coaches specifically target women like myself. It’s not real friendship when people check on you but then really all they want is to make money from you joining their “team.” Ugh. I am glad to read about your experience, and it helps me to make a clear decision moving forward. Thanks again for the post.

  6. Caoilfhionn O’Bhrian

    I don’t live in the US but years ago I heard of P90X and bought the dvds from eBay. Then I bought Insanity. Love them both. Still do them. Recently I left a comment on Shaun Ts Instagram and got a DM from a BB coach. I immediately saw it was a MLM thing, deleted it and then Researched BB as I had never heard of shakeology or coaches etc not being in the US. Your article sounds just as I would expect and I’m very sad to see that so many women especially get targeted by them MLM folks every day on FB. As a women who grew up without any financial education because that was “boys stuff” and had to teach myself how to earn money, save, invest, manage debt etc I truly believe the anecdote to these MLM scams is good financial education for women. Blogs like yours are great resources and there are many others. And of course education in general too so that a woman can learn skills that can be money makers from home/outside the 9-5. Young men learn to code so they can become digital nomads or freelancer. Young women should not be left with the choice of MLM. One more thing we also need to teach our daughters to tell Facebook to go F itself! So many women by age have allowed FB to invade their headspace. They respond to random DMs. They allow strangers comments to upset them and take their confidence when it’s a bunch of MLMs, “influencers”, bots and others with agendas. Don’t let it live rent free it your head! Learn how to manage your finances. Learn an in demand skill. Then tell these MLM to shove their DMs where the sun don’t shine. And if you have daughters teach them about MLMs and the dangers of getting sucked in. In my country women marry later, have fewer children and earn more degrees than American women as 3rd level education is free here. Many American women will find themselves married with small children quite young and they are vulnerable to the tactics used by MLMs so it’s very important to educate the teens of today so they aren’t the MLM victims of 2030!

  7. Hi thank you so much for this blog. I recently signed up as Beachbody coach and while I love the workouts and shakeology the nutrition packs and mlm mentality really weren’t helping me or working for me. I really want to be a coach but I realised I was spending £130 ($150) per month for the privilege of being a coach and all I keep thinking is people are paying the same money to beachbody and I’m the one coaching them and keeping them motivated (etc etc) if I’m generating these leads and gaining these clients that pay £130 per month that money would be so much better in my pocket than in the pocket of Carl and his mates (sorry Carl I’m sure you’re a lovely guy). I have no qualifications in this field myself but I have a lot of knowledge and it shouldn’t be hard to gain the qualifications myself and become a damn good coach independently in my own right. So 2 month after starting beachbody I’m ditching their added extras shakeology and nutrition membership etc, I will keep the workouts for now because I enjoy them, but I’m gonna get qualified and do this myself. Thank you so much for the confidence boost you just gave me xx

    1. I feel your pain…I was doing fine with my old accountability group but I switched to a different coach more aligned with my “goals” of becoming a successful vosch. So I dropped $200 for that total solution pack and peppermint mocha shakeo(which I don’t even like)s. I did all this in hopes it would help bring in income and get me out of a mountain of debt. But instead I’ve already invested $200 and I’m realizing this isn’t the right fit for me. So now i wasted $200 when I could have just stayed on the path on I was

      Beyond frustrated

  8. Pingback: 5 Reasons You Need to Start a YouTube Channel for Business Now | Perfection Hangover

  9. Melissa,
    I was a targeted postpartum mom. I had my baby in a blizzard in 2016 and at a time in my life where I couldn’t find sure footing. My brother was dying from Glioblastoma brain cancer and my dad was at Hopkins for a quintuple bypass at 3 months postpartum. I had extreme undiagnosed baby blues. A friend from high school, church, and random interactions reached out offering to hang out and maybe workout. She never mentioned being a couch. She talked about how maybe a little sisterhood and some endorphins might make me feel better. She showed up one day to do Country Heat – I was so excited! Girl time!!! Dancing!!! She did the first 2 minutes with me and then said she was tired because she’d actually worked out earlier. Then said she’d just WATCH ME WORKOUT. Well, there’s a lot a movement and hopping in Country Heat. I’d just had a baby. I basically peed my pants for about 10 minutes while she watched before I thought “WHAT IS HAPPENING?!”. I told her I was tired too and after she left I started googling Country Heat, Beach Body, coaching, etc., and realized I’d been duped. I’ve never felt so betrayed or like more of a fool. I punished myself by ignoring my health for quite a while. But I swear every time I thought about working out I could only think of haw vulnerable and then ashamed I’d felt.

    1. Oh, my gosh, Branan! I cannot imagine the anger and pain that you felt being taken advantage of like that?! Please hear me when I say that these people (Beachbody coaches) are NOT trained professionals, and they are rather sleezy salesmen and women. Do not allow that experience to hold you back from taking care of yourself. I know the struggle of allowing my circumstances to hold me back. If you ever want an accountability friend, reach out!

      Melissa

  10. I’m not sure if you’ll reply but I wanted to thank you for writing an honest post here. I don’t have a paragraph long post to write, but I do feel like Beachbody is a huge crazy market scheme. There’s nothing wrong with their workouts and such, but the pressuring for sure sucks. I hope this is okay, but could you check @emily.fauver on Instagram by any chance? I feel like she’s very genuine and she’s been one of my favorite influencers for a long time, and I don’t see her posting pictures of drinking shakeology and such, but I really hope she’s not one of the “Hey girl!” or people who pressure you.
    Thank you so much!
    xx Alexandria

      1. Well written article about your personal experience with an MLM.
        In honesty I will state I have been a Beachbody coach for 2yrs+.
        Discount coach until this year where I am now deciding to go back to my roots in natural medicine and health with a focus on working with woman and those working with arthritis.
        Couple of thoughts.
        First in response to the above what does it matter if @emily.fauver is an MLM coach? You say sorry to Alexandria because you believe she is but why are you sorry and why should Alexandria be sorry. If she is inspired by Emily, has not had a negative experience or any pressure why say “sorry hun but it looks like she is” when the experience has been positive for Alexandria. Are you stating that because Emily is an MLM coach she is not worth following or listening to that eventually it will turn bad?
        As a coach in BB who is finally starting her journey back to her roots as mentioned as well as expanding my nutritional knowledge with educational courses as well as working to attain my CPT and another aspect of working with the body, does being an MLM coach mean that all my other learning is a moot point because I am part of an MLM?
        I think that perhaps it would be wise to share with people that instead of dismissing someone because they work with an MLM, instead of saying they are all a certain way, that we advise people what to look for in a coach an influencer. That we advice people who to say no if asked yet still take all the good from that coach or influencer.
        Not all coaches are as you have listed. Many coaches are very well educated and knowledgable. And many do NOT sell shakeology and earn a very good income because helping themselves and others with health is their passion.
        In this modern age so many are quick to say “all are…..” just fill in the blank. We are in an age where everyone is painted with the same label and nobody is given a chance to actually show who they are if it goes against what someone else “thinks” they are.
        I.E. I am a Beachbody coach so I am pushy and pushing products all the time.
        Assumptions cause errors in judgement.
        Yes I am a beachbody coach. I am also a business woman of two other successful businesses. I also do NOT drink shakeology everyday though I do drink it.
        I am also becoming certified as a CPT and expanding my education in others aspects such as nutrition.
        Yes, I am also looking to be financially successful. I am in business. That is what being in business is about. There is no wrong in that.
        No I would never push anyone to purchase what they can not afford or to purchase at all. That is a choice you make on your own.
        Yes I might be the exception in MLM but I am NOT the only one.

        Thank you for the article but there needs to be more balance with the generalization. Yes life does have generalizations but it is important to teach/share with others how to watch/take care of themselves not just paint one group as all one way so dismiss them all.

        All the best to you.

        1. Thank you for taking the time to write a well-thought-out comment, Kim! This article is several years old, but I’ll update my thoughts here. I still believe MLM is a business model that is set up to benefit the company and very few coaches (or consultants in other MLM’s) actually earn a healthy, livable wage. Your extra education and credentials will give you a “leg up” in the business, and I’m sure your customers will appreciate that, but you ARE the exception. Not all coaches are rockstars. Not all are just looking to make a quick buck.

          My problem with multi-level marketing is that it is pitched to women (mostly) who are in a vulnerable state (financially struggling, new moms who want to stay at home with the kids, etc). And most coaches are deceptive about what they do. They require a DM for more information. I hate that.

          I wish you the best as well, Kim! I truly appreciate your comment! Have a great day!

    1. I grew up with Emily we went to the same high school. While she is a beachbody coach she’s a fantastic human and she’s hilarious. I don’t believe in beachbody or their products, but I follow her. Her daughter Ella cracks me up. Honestly I see her moving more towards the influencer space in the future instead of coaching. 🙂

  11. I lost my husband last year. We were extremely close and loved each other very much. I talked to the coach about my feelings and said I was private and wanted to do things slowly. Well, my story was shared to get likes or no likes on Facebook. I felt violated from that point forward. I was and I still am in a delicate mental state. I get posts everyday. Some with a finger wag feel and you almost feel shamed and guilted. One post chastised the less than committed saying don’t be negative. Mentally all this pressure has set me back. I feel like avoiding and I just quit from being overwhelmed with it taking over your life. I was told it’s only 5 minutes of your time. No, it is not just that. You feel like they want to take over your life. I see you are getting some of the insults to. One said lack of time management And disorganization. Just high level intensified bullying tactics. Shame is one of them if you don’t have time to be brainwash to buy. It’s like walking into a used car dealership. You are held captive unless you bat them off.

    1. First of all, Tammy, I am so sorry for your loss. I can’t imagine losing my life partner, and I absolutely hate that they have treated you so poorly! I am glad that you quit, and I would suggest just leaving any Facebook groups that are associated with Beachbody so that you don’t have to see it. Love and prayers to you, sister <3

  12. I can’t stand MLM, ever since a friend couple of ours invited us to an Amway function and I saw other people get up every minute to clap and scream with excitement and I was so embarrassed for them, felt like I did not belong in that room that felt pretty much like a cult. I have to say tho that I do know few people who have made it big in MLM. First a friend and former biz partner who made it to the top of 2 companies but he lives a life on the go, flying between continents to give promotional speeches and it feels like he’s on a string. He lives in a beautiful condo overlooking ocean yet he is pretty much never there to enjoy it. Second is a BB coach who’s an Elite coach top 4 in the company, a Star Diamond something..She has been working for 6 years and she is one of the only people that I met who didn’t ask me if I wanted to join.She talks about her life, hobbies, shopping addictions,what inspires her over the IG, YT and if anyone is interested to know how she makes money,she says to simply write to her..but she will never DM you about it. It’s her personality and love of what she does that drives people to her.Heck I even questioned myself more than few times but then was like no, I am not doing it.She is building homes and let me tell you, her and her husband are making some real $$$$$. One of her sponsored coaches made it to top 10 in 3 years…they really know how to market themselves.But it’s not pushy.And that’s key.

  13. Rachael Wegener

    There are good and not so good pieces written here. Personally, I know a pyramid scheme when I see one, so I’ve never bought in to being a coach. I pay $99 a month for on Demand, and their recovery product is one of the best working I’ve ever tried- and even that I only buy as needed. My coach never pushes anything on me- ever. In the past when I have used Shake (which I love the taste of it doesn’t compare to a lot of protein shakes in the way of taste, in my opinion) O was easily able to go online and cancel it immediately without any issues. I even signed out to be a discount coach one time, got reimbursed the coaches, but the Shakeo for way cheaper, and then canceled the coaching without an issue either. Beachbody or coaching is like anything in life- it’s all what you make of it. I have a great group of Friends who keep me motivated, I’m down 20lbs for the last four years and now after a Shaun T challenge down to 7% body fat, I eat nothing but Whole Foods- no junk, no refined sugar, no grains, and I am extremely healthy. While yes I did the work, having motivation was helpful and aided in my progress. However, I would never be a coach because I don’t have the drive or time to try and sell people stuff they don’t need. It’s about knowing yourself and being responsible and having the ability to say no- I most certainly wouldn’t go into debt for beachbody, but all the same, people go into debt for drugs and alcohol, gambling, their children’s college, etc., so I would say being financially irresponsible isn’t on Beachbody, it’s on the person choosing to spend all that money. Either way, as long as you’re happy now at the end of the day, that’s all that matters.

    1. Thanks for sharing, Rachael. It sounds like Beachbody has finally streamlined the cancellation process, making it easier. That’s good to know! This article is about 4 years old, so some things may have changed, but the business model itself, sadly, has not.

  14. “You shouldn’t buy Shakeolgy, but instead buy this” Commission too?

    “Also instead of Buying the whole course, buy this but don’t forget to use my code so I can get commission out of it too!”

    I think you’re over exaggerating. Beachbody does make more money but it gives people a lifestyle that can benefit in the future. Such as being a coach WITHOUT having to go to school or have any kind of certificate/degree. And you get a nice body!

    You want to make money being a coach and make thousands of money every month? Work your ass off, just like any self employed person out there. If you worked your ass off for 11 months and got nothing, who’s the person to blame? You. Should’ve tried harder.

    1. Thanks for your feedback, Kassandra. There’s a major difference between affiliate marketing and network marketing.

      You’re right. Anyone can be a coach, even unqualified people who have no place giving advice about health and wellness, particularly to people with medical problems. I saw this frequently when I was a coach.

      This is an insult to highly qualified NASM-certified coaches and dieticians who actually know what they’re talking about.

      There is no one to blame in this. The business model is set up to benefit the company and very few coaches succeed.

      Again, thank you for your comment, but you have not dissuaded me from sharing the truth.

    2. Hi! I know you wrote down this post a while ago but I was hoping to reach out.
      I was pulled into the BB coach…situation but thankfully got my head on straight and stopped the shakeology purchases after 3 months ($140 bucks a month?!?! FOR PROTEIN POWDER?!?!).
      I still do the workouts under a coach status but I don’t do any asking. I just do the workouts.
      My question is, have you found any decent alternatives to the workout selection with beachbody? That’s the one thing stopping me from cutting it out altogether – the variety – but I really don’t want to contribute ANYTHING to this MLM anymore.

      any advice would be great 🙂
      (Feel free to just email me haha I left a very long comment)

      1. Honestly the BB workouts are great, and their BB on demand is great. You can also check out YouTube for FREE workouts! That’s what I’d recommend for sure.

  15. Thank you so much for this post! It has hit every anxiety and doubt I’ve had since becoming a coach less than a week ago. After being on the fence about it for over a month I just went “why not”. Long story short, my partner burst my “motivation bubble” and basically brought me back down to reality even though I didn’t like it. I found your article when doing some late night research into coaching when I couldn’t sleep and I am so glad I did. I’m glad to know that I’m not the only one that feels that guilt in telling my friend that I won’t be coaching anymore.

    1. Oh, Rachelle! I’m sorry that you’re having these feelings! I bet you wish you’d never been pressured into signing up to be a coach, but it’s okay to say “no thanks…this isn’t for me”. Hopefully your friend is understanding! Good luck!

  16. I understand why people don’t respond to messages and feel they are just another number. I do see that. There are some people who are more genuine and actually walk you through success in your programs and such, but it’s hard to find that these days. I appreciate you sharing your experiences. There are good and bad sides to MLMs, you know? I’m glad you at least got some good takeaways for your personal journey – that is a definite bonus.

  17. Pingback: 81 Legit Ways to Make Money on the Side in 2020

  18. As an actual registered holistic nutritionist who went to school and is still constantly doing continuing education courses, I think these “health coaches” are ridiculous. First of all they have 0 education. Nutrition and personal training require in depth knowledge in anatomy, physiology , chemistry, etc. It’s A LOT more than knowing what foods and exercises are healthy. Proper nutrition plans require in depth personal assessments of each person as everyone is bioindividially different and requires different food and supplements for their health. You have to take into account medications, allergies, and specific health issues. These “coaches” who work out for 2 months and suddenly act like they’re qualified to give nutrition and fitness advice is just not ok. Anyone can lose weight but to actually know how to fix nutritional deficiencies (I have my clients get tests from their doctor) and hormone imbalances
    You need to have education. Drinking shakes
    Isn’t gonna fix anyone’s problems if they’re hypothyroid or have bad digestion or high cholesterol. These coaches are unqualified and there to make the top of the pyramid money, they do not care about “helping people” because if they did they would get the proper education and not take the easy “instagram influencer” way. I understand the appeal but if you truly are interested there are lots of ways to get into the industry without selling MLM products to
    Your friends and family. (And a lot of the times these MLM companies basically suck good people dry of the little extra money they have. I find it sad. )

  19. Thank you! I’m most definitely in the category of failed coach! I love the workouts, think Shakeology is overpriced and just feel icky at the thought of sharing so much of myself on social media. You’ve really helped put this into perspective for me. Especially with my upline telling us to promote the business as everyone is losing money and jobs in the covid pandemic. Icky. Now, let’s see how they react when I tell them I’m quitting…

    1. Good luck, Julie! Hopefully they react better than my upline did! If you feel “icky” sharing the products and business, it’s definitely a sign that it isn’t right for you.

  20. This is a great podcast that also freaked me out about the history of MLM, how far back it goes, and the legal system surrounding it. It’s WILD.

  21. You are just ridiculous. You weren’t successful in the business because of YOUR LACK OF ACTION – not because of the company.

    1. I’m sorry, hun. Did I hurt your feelings? If you read the post, you’d see it wasn’t from a lack of action. I was “all-in” on this ridiculous business that pays a small portion of revenue to the people doing all of the work. Best of luck to you.

      1. I agree. I’ve seen friends be scammed by similar MLMs and the coaches would tell them to get people to sign up even if the people say they can’t afford it. Then they make you feel bad when you say you don’t have the extra money they make them feel like they don’t WANT to succeed when really it’s not a great model for success for 99% of people that try it. Bottom line is it’s to get people to sell their products so they don’t have to have in store markups.

    2. A lot of the information in this article is very biased. Some of it is just not true at all. Yes, before you ask, I have been a coach as well. I can understand and appreciate your point of view but statements like “they hide the fact that they are beachbody coaches” and going on to say they use hashtags like “#beachbodycoach” is contradicting. It’s simply not for everyone and that’s ok! But there’s a difference in sharing an facts and sharing an opinion.

      1. It is my personal opinion. I would say all Beachbody coaches who are FOR the company have blinders on. Let me be clear: Beachbody coaches ARE very deceptive with their marketing. They show photos working out, drinking shakes, eating healthy meals, transformations, etc without mentioning Beachbody in their captions. Oftentimes they say “DM me for details”.

        If their products are truly great, why not put it out there to begin with?

        1. You’re right in saying that! In their captions, they don’t write “beachbody coach” or “beachbody products” or anything “beachbody”. They say “DM me for details” or in the comments section when someone will ask what program they did or anything about their transformation or their workout post, they’ll respond with “DMing you”.

  22. Yes, yes, and YES! The issue at hand is that many of the “coaches” are NOT certified in anything related to health and fitness (RD, NASM, etc). They’re glorified cheerleaders, at the most. I understand that a community is very helpful to many women, but the slimy practices of the Beachbody Coaches is simply distasteful. They prey on women who are insecure, overweight, new moms, etc. And don’t even get me started on Shakeology. Little Lyss Fitness on Instagram has shared scientific, factual information breaking down Shakeology and the ingredients (in case anyone is interested).
    Anyone who is claiming, “Shakeology cured my _________” is breaking company policy, if I’m not mistaken.

    Either way, thank you for sharing! I hope people actually do their research to become informed. 🙂

  23. All the sudden on IG I started getting other woman requesting to follow me, and asking “if I was a coach too?” I didn’t even know what that meant. Or how I would “be perfect” for coaching because I was already sharing my health/postpartum journey (first pregnancy gained 80 lbs, lost it all, second pregnancy gained 58 lbs and lost it all), never stepped foot in a gym, and I DO NOT diet or do shakes of any kind (I’m all about moderation, organic and clean eating). I signed up for Beachbody on Demand after a miscarriage (in the winter) when I didn’t want to run outdoors in the bad winter weather. I’m typically a runner for my sanity. Then by August, after loving some of the programs (mind you, i’ve never completed a whole program start to finish, it’s literally my go-to for a quick sweat-sesh when I can’t get in a run outdoors), and I started asking all these coaches about the bizz (the ones who have been stalking me for the past year). I’ve NEVER tried shakeology. I won’t because it’s not organic and non-gmo. And many of the coaches told me I wouldn’t be successful without shakeology. That didn’t make any sense to me. I finally became a coach, and NOW I understand, that in order to even “qualify” for any of the business perks, I need that 90pv recurring purchase each month sent to my HOME. My coach account will NEVER show “active” no matter how many people decide to sign up as a coach under me, or how many people I sell a subscription to. Because I don’t drink the kool-aid. My challenge groups are ALWAYS free, and you don’t have to have Beachbody on demand to join… and I’m “constantly” told to stop doing that because I’ll never make money. Everyone talks about the “amazing community” you become a part of, but once I signed up under someone, and then asked a different coach a question (who had been chatting with me for over a year at this point on IG), she told me to “ask my upline”… so you really only get to be a part of the community in your own upline… maybe. I haven’t quit yet. And since I only have the year subscription ($99, which I would have had and paid for anyway because I love the programs), the monthly $15 coach account, and the one time $40 coach upgrade charge… I’ve officially broke even since becoming a coach in August. HA! But again… I’m “technically” an inactive coach because I don’t do, and won’t do shakeology. It’s actually quite frustrating. I love the girls on my “team” but I do worry that once I officially quit being a coach, I’ll lose them. And 2 of my previous friends no longer talk to me since becoming a coach. One because I didn’t sign up under her, and the other because I invited her to join a challenge group. MLM is not worth losing relationships over. I know I could “make money” just selling subscriptions… but that’s not why I joined. I really had fun in a challenge group, and I truly love helping people… all of which I was already doing before becoming a coach. It’s seriously disappointing to realize Beachbody is set up to make you SPEND a ton each month, in “hopes” of qualifying for some perks. I’m just glad I’m not the only one who can resonate with this post.

    1. You hit the nail on the head. It’s ironic that the PV for Shakeology is 90PV and that also happens to be the required minimum to be an “active” coach. Thank you for sharing your story. Sounds to me like you have all that you need to start a health and fitness business without Shakeology! Maybe you could become a certified personal trainer!

    1. I am loving Beachbody on demand and the programs are fabulous. I’ve gotten great results, while occasionally indulging in my shakeo(which I also find delicious, yet overpriced). I got it for 5 months and cancelled after realizing I wasn’t going through it fast enough. With that said, my coach has tried to recruit me and I gave her a great big nope. Love her. Love Beachbody. Zero interest in being a coach.

  24. I am one of those people who keeps getting targeted by coaches! Maybe I need to stop sharing my every now and then posts about how I’ve lost weight without Beachbody? They must think it’s a challenge…I have friends who are coaches approaching me, as well as people I don’t even know via social media! I don’t want to be in your challenge groups! I don’t want to pay $150 and then have you hound me to do more challenge groups so you can make money! No! Help please!

    1. My advice would be to add hashtags to the end of your posts about your weight loss. #antimlm #nomlmneeded might work! Good luck! They do seem to go after people who’ve already found success on their own so that they can use them as a case study/success story

  25. I’ve met successful accomplished women at nightclubs who were financially independent, single, unmarried, and who’d admittedly “made it” with impressive passive residual income participants in various MLM/Network marketing companies. One thing I noticed is that they are quick to point out how they feel superior to not only other traditional working class educated and uneducated women reflecting on their secrets to success, but they’re quick to remind men, or prospective dating partners, that their success off of others was because of their own credit of ingenuity, bright talents and hard work. The truth couldn’t be further. Many of these women used their higher sexual market valued husbands, boyfriends and already established social class families to jockey into success because of social circles and prominent prevalent ties to business because of their connections from privilege. I can’t count how many of these women started with an edge because of some degree of marketing advantage from someone else other than their raw talents. Football coaches, doctors, lawyers and business owner spouses who are already successful give you an edge, especially when your church and social circles are tight and close nit. What’s sad is that many of these women, once they surpass their spouses and significant partners quickly utilize hypergamy to upgrade seeking higher valued men for social status and validation. So many of these gals part ways with the men, and sometimes women, and certainly their families who gave them an edge, only to sever ties, divorce and ultimately alienate themselves into alcohol, overbearing egotistical dominance and depression. They often find it lonely on top because they used others for climbing the success ladder. I knew a upper six digit figure income earner who succumb to an overdose because she lost everything she supposedly loved fighting to get to the top, and that included her own children. Her ex husband was awarded custody after the hard divorce and she couldn’t cope. Money and power isn’t everything. You’d be surprised how many Mary K middle-aged women are single, unmarried and unhappy.

    1. Yup! Check out the Beachbody Coach divorce rate. It’s huge. The coaches coming in and defending the sneaky coaches who never mention Beachbody or who accuse Melissa of not working hard enough…come on! When you have to hide your company to draw in prospects, that’s plain icky. And SO many can work their asses off doing the 3 vital behaviors and NEVER make an actual living because they do not have that circle of influence to draw from. The Recovering Hunbot on YouTube covered this very well.

      I too love the programs. I tried being a coach, drank the Shakeology until it made me really sick when they ‘improved’ the formula. I was SO excited about being a coach that I decided to get my NASM CPT…..and that’s when I realized I couldn’t ethically be a coach anymore. Keep in mind, the ONLY way to make money is to recruit anyways, so ‘helping people’ get fit and healthy is the window dressing of coaching….the real job is team building. Which is also classified as a Pyramid Scheme.

      lastly, take a GOOD LONG look at long time coaches who drink the Energize and Shakeology. There is something in those products that disrupts the metabolism and causes premature aging. Yikes.

  26. I really appreciated your honest take on this. I too was a “coach” with Beachbody, after being recruited by a girlfriend, but I simple could not get behind it. I am now involved in a totally separate Network Marketing company, and what I see is that those who are truly successful are the people who put others first. If I’m speaking with someone and their first objection is “I can’t afford it”, I cannot come back with the comment that it works out cheaper than Starbucks. I accept their reservations, and help them with what I can, and make other suggestions that may fit their lifestyle. When we remember to serve others, we offer them the best value possible. ????

    1. Hi Tanya,
      I really like your view and approach. Would you be willing to share what type of MLM you are apart of? I do really think it is about the place you come from. Serving others is a great place to come from. Thanks

  27. So, do you think it’s possible to join Beachbody and just do your workouts and leave the rest? I really want to have this workout at home option. I also love the idea of an accountability group to keep me motivated — actually, I NEED that! But the friend I approached about joining (from seeing her posts on IG) is upselling me to a challenge pack — even though I can’t even drink Shakeology due to some of its ingredients. Next, she hit me with the coach membership thing as I was like WTH? Which led me to a google search … and your blog. I haven’t even signed up yet because she’s been trying to upsell me. Is there another way to join an accountability group without the challenge pack? Or do you receommend just moving on from Beachbody altogether? Thanks for your time and insight!

    1. Honestly, Mary, I would probably stay away from Beachbody because most coaches see you as a number..a “lead” that they can sell products to or recruit for the “coaching opportunity”. The best thing I did was sign up for online coaching with Lukas Duncan. He’s a former bodybuilder. You send your photos to him every week or every other week depending on which plan you choose. The check ins and photos are really the accountability I needed. I felt like with Beachbody, every single post was supposed to be motivational but was really just a plug for their products. If you want to save 81% off coaching with Lukas, my coupon code is melissa81 and his website is https://lukasduncan.com. Best of luck to you! Let me know what you decide to do!

      1. My husband has been a so called coach for 10yrs, we never pushed product! He signed up for workouts and for the Shakeology (which we love). I guess to each their own. We both work full time jobs so we aren’t in it to try and make money, only to stay fit and healthy! So in my opinion someone can just sign up for workouts and Shakeology without pushing product, I mean we’ve been doing that for 10yrs now! And randomly we get a little check from a few someone’s that Beachbody apparently put under us, but it wasn’t of our doings because we never tried to sale anything to anyone!

        1. I think it’s important to note that you guys are buying the product regularly (as well as programs), so he’s what Beachbody refers to as the “discount coach”. He doesn’t make them any money, and he doesn’t make money for himself as a coach. This is way different than what I’m referring to.

    2. I am a coach, however I too am coaching just so my friends can have a group to workout with. All of my “clients” are BBOD ONLY! That is $99 plus tax and I never tell them how they should eat or what they should drink. I don’t care! I just enjoy working out with them and BBOD is super affordable with lots of options, if you choose to do it without shakeology.

      1. If you’re doing it for a hobby, that’s one thing (an expensive hobby but your choice). But coaches simply cannot make money without selling Shakeology. And why would you want to start a business that you don’t intend to profit from?

  28. Jessica Garcia-Teceno

    I’m glad I found something that explained exactly how I felt about Beach Body. I signed up for the Beachbody on Demand so I can workout at home, mainly to kick start my fitness again and to get out of a depressive funk. I haven’t posted anything on social media or told anyone about it because I want to hold myself accountable and not depend on people to make sure I stay on track, but I do have some Instagram friends who are obsessed and post about it everyday. At first I thought wow they’re really dedicated, but the more I see them post about it and have it pop -up on my social media all the time, I thought to myself, man these people are really drinking up this beach body Kool-Aid. While I do think Beachbody has some really good programs to offer, I’m not trying to eat, sleep, and breathe Beach Body Lol. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this, I even learned a little more about it than I knew.

    1. Yes, Jessica! Please know that it’s not just you! So many women have come forward and said that they feel the exact same way! I’m glad you found my story helpful! <3 Best of luck to you on your health and fitness journey!

  29. I’m one of those people who was/is so desperate to help provide for my family. I’ve tried everything from blogging to becoming an Amazon terk worker making pennies, when I finally started working out to relieve some of the stress I decided to start posting my progress on Instagram so I could track my personal growth and hopefully inspire someone who may be in my same situation, and that s when it happened people started coming out of the wood work with complements and asking if I had ever thought about becoming a beach body coach? They would start by asking if I ever go out to eat and when I would tell them that no I don’t because that’s a luxury I can’t afford right now they would all come back with the same saying well you could always replace one meal a day with shakeology and it will pay for itself that way. You have to buy food right? Well why not replace it with shakeology? They can see how desperate I am to help my family financially and they grab onto that all while feeding you this dream of a better life and financial stability. Thank you so much for this post I’m so glad I found it.

    1. Thank you for your comment, Steph! I think you’re spot-on. Beachbody trains their coaches to target women who are desperate to make money to help the family. I’ve actually been interviewed twice this year, once by Glamour Magazine and once by Cosmo, to discuss Beachbody’s tactics and how they utilize hashtags to prey on women in a vulnerable state. I’m glad you found this, too! I wish you the best!

  30. Thank you so much for this review and critical comment on Beachbody. My short story: I moved away from many friends and family to a new city; I left my job, my parents, my circle of friends, my lovely home, etc. I found myself a stay-at-home mom and being both bored and needing a job. I threw myself into this program starting as a Beachbody coach, etc., then going to conventions out-of-state, etc. Basically, I starved myself silly, lost weight to the point of being gaunt, and ended up posting pictures and stories on Facebook to promote this program — with before-after pics and other pics during work outs, making meals, drinking shakes, etc., all at home with a target to get others involved in this “great fitness” secret that I discovered. I ended up looking like a fool on-line with really funny pics, trying to look “cool,” that don’t reflect who I am as a woman or person at all. Your comments are so true, I did not make any money and ended up being a social media stool pigeon for this company. I did lose some weight. I’m thinking of getting over this program and re-establishing regular relationships with my friends and family. Your article really helped me make this decision.

    1. I could have written your comment. I relate to you in so many ways (aside from not eating…I’ve always had the opposite problem). But I’m glad this article helped clarify and validate your feelings! Best of luck to you in the future!

  31. This was a very interesting post! I’ve been doing the BeachBody workouts for over a year now and absolutely LOVE them. About 6 months ago, I decided to stop drinking Shakeology because of the price tag – I ended up switching to a different protein brand and guess what? I kept seeing results! I’ve never wanted to become a coach for many of the reasons you outlined in your post & I felt like the coach I had was much less responsive once I stopped buying Shakeology every month. All that being said, I’ve recently been thinking about becoming a coach just because of all the changes it made in my life – I want to help others in the same way. I’m glad I stumbled upon this post, because I do not want to be any of the things that you have described. Do you have any advice on how to help others find BeachBody & become healthier, make a living for yourself, but without feeling like a scam artist?

    1. This is awesome to hear, Steph! I highly recommend looking into some certified training from the National Academy of Sports Medicine. A personal trainer certification would give you the confidence and knowledge you need to truly help people live a healthy lifestyle. And if you want to make money offering products and services to your clients, you can sign up to be an affiliate or ambassador and share those products with your clients. A great example of a guy who’s figured out online personal training is Lukas Duncan at https://lukasduncan.com

  32. Dallas Kelton

    I’m surprised you didn’t like the Shakeology. I love it! The vanilla and coffee shakes are my favorite. They don’t have a nasty aftertaste or taste gross like GNC brand or other protein drinks I have tried. I loved what you took away from your time with Beachbody! I do, however, agree that befriending random people is not something I want to do. The shakes have actually helped me to turn away from a lot of desserts. Plus Fixate recipes have helped me be more mindful of what is in my food. I have been making healthier foods for me and my family plus I’m working out 6 days a week. 🙂 I enjoyed hearing your story.

    1. Thank you so much for your comment, Dallas! Yeah, I tried just about every flavor and they did have an aftertaste to me. That being said, everyone’s taste buds are different. 🙂
      I didn’t jump into the befriending strangers or old high school classmates with the intention of selling them Beachbody. It just didn’t feel right to me at all. But it was coached from many of the multi-star diamond coaches and therefore “encouraged” on our team as well.
      I’ll say 21 Day Fix helped me realize portion control as well. I don’t hate Beachbody. I just really dislike the business model. I wish that their products and services weren’t attached to a multi-level marketing business plan.

      I’m glad you enjoyed the story! I appreciate the thoughtful comment! Best of luck to you

  33. I’m glad to know people in the business feel the same way I do. Two of my closest friends started coaching a few years ago and they’ve turned in to “hot mess” “I change lives” “look at my shakeology” robots. They always spew out the same posts everyday and it’s so fake.
    The other day I posted that it was one year until my wedding day! My real friends texted me about how excited they were and these two decided to ask me again if I wanted to sign up for Beachbody, because me getting engaged would be a great sale right? It’s so upsetting to see so many friends get sucked in by this company and it’s awful “marketing”

    1. Ashley, this is such a common thing! In fact, I just finished an interview with a writer for Glamour magazine who’s putting together an article on multi-level marketing companies targeting specific hashtags, such as “postpartum”, “ppd”, “bodypositive” etc and cold DM’ing them. Just terrible!

  34. I had heard about BeachBody so many times. It sounded great but I just couldn’t justify it! I finally told someone, I just want to do the workouts without all of that extra crap… well guess what? Oh, yeah, you can do that. Excuse me?? I’ve known about BeachBody for how many years now? And I’m JUST NOW learning that I can get ONLY the workouts? And ALL OF THEM? Yeah. I signed up as a coach because I wanted to try the shakes and since it wasn’t that much more. But I have since got rid of the shakes and just do the workouts. I definitely try to do my part by telling people the workouts are available for home for a pretty reasonable price. I’m not 100% against the company… but 100% against the tactics.

  35. Hello! I really enjoyed reading your article! I just signed up to be a coach and did my initial FB post and received 3 people to join me in a challenge group. Now my anxiety is SO HIGH and I don’t want to do this. I’m doing it with another coach (my coach) but how do I get out of it after this? I don’t want to sell and reach out to random people and annoy people. She’s telling me to do all these things that I find very uncomfortable. Looking for some help and advice 🙂 Thanks!

    1. Hi, Susan. If your heart isn’t in coaching, you need to just tell her that. If she’s nice, she won’t “out you” from the challenge group because you’re no longer coaching. I wasn’t given that choice. Everyone I knew and cared about (and thought cared about me) in my upline totally turned their back on me. Just don’t let it get to that point. Best to rip off the bandaid now.

    1. Thanks! I especially like this reference: “As we have seen, BeachBody has raised all 5 red flags in Dr Taylors MLM evaluation model. According to research, if an MLM raises 4 or more flags, then you have less than 1% chance of making a profit.”

  36. IMO, the best customers of all those MLM companies are the people who sign up to sell their products. It’s not worth it the time and financial investment for what you get. Sure there may be the few stories of people making thousand of dollars and becoming millionaires; that is one out of hundreds of thousands.
    Losing wait with shakes is the biggest and unhealthiest scam ever and it is definitely not sustainable. This is more of the idea that just because you “pay” you are entitled to the happiness of having the beach body physique or whatever. It’s simply more and more consumerism that keeps pushing everybody into the rabbit hole of debt and financial stress. The same applies to Herbalife, Tastefully Simple, Pamper Chef, Mary Kay, and the likes.
    Just like losing wait: plain work and savings(Calories or money) will get you there.

    Thank you for your post and honesty!

    1. I agree completely! Thank you for commenting! Too many people get sucked into the MLM business model with the hopes that they can attain financial freedom and leave their day job for six and seven figure incomes. It’s just not likely!

  37. I’d like to follow your site but this was the first article I’ve read and you had WAY too many ads sprinkled it that made it hard to even read. Please consider minimizing your ad space for content.

    1. Thanks for the suggestion, Sam. I have some already-generated ads from adsense and Amazon. I’ll definitely pare it down for this post. Appreciate the feedback!

  38. I just shared your article on Facebook, I so strongly agree. I have used a coach (aka bought some Shakeology) and it always befuddled me why Beachbody chose to go down a MLM route. Their fitness programs are awesome and they have decent nutrition tips (I think the Shake is processed poison, but to each her own). I am sad that trainers like Tony Horton and Shawn T even have to be associated with the crazy side of the business. I think they would be a far more credible company if they just marketed their products directly to a mainstream population. The workouts are a beast, but can be done at any fitness level AND at home. It really is a perfect combination, no additional scam needed.

    1. Heather, did we just become best friends?! 🙂 I couldn’t agree with you more. I LOVE the trainers but just can’t stand the platform of pushing the shakes. It has left such a bad taste in my mouth that I literally cringe anytime I receive a pm on Facebook (and I know it’s going towards the mlm route).

    1. Thanks! Several people have recommended this podcast! Maybe I should apply to be a guest! I’ve certainly got a strong opinion about the MLM scam. I’ll definitely check it out this week!

  39. I signed up as a coach and watched the first training video and literally sent my stuff back and cancelled everything (changed my card to). It gave me such a bad vibe!

    1. Smart to cancel your card and get a new one! I was a banker for 8 years, and I know that subscriptions (auto-ship) can still be charged even if you cancel, depending on the circumstances. Good call!

  40. I have literally been contemplating leaving BeachBody just as a coach. I will still do the workouts and even partake in the shakes but I will NOT be fake. That’s the part I don’t get. I hate the “hey girl” messages and scripts. It sounds fake!!! All of it. I can’t do that. I felt so much better about myself just doing the workouts and just focusing on that. Once I started coaching I started to feel like crap, and using your family to rank advance? Seems like BS to me. I don’t mind helping people who just want to get fit and healthy, but in order to really make any money you have to sign up coaches and they have to sign up coaches etc. I’ve gone back and forth so many times and I keep finding myself in this spot of “is this worth the money I’m spending trying to create my own business?” and I keep coming up with no. I’ve spent more money on Beachbody shit since I became a coach than I did before. UGH! What a waste. This post definitely confirms what I have been thinking and I can tell you by the end of this week I will stop being a coach all together.

  41. I’m interested in finding, or even creating, a support group for spouses of Beachbody coaches who are drinking the koolaid and having relationships damaged. These “new friends” offer an incredible amount of encouragement and support that has almost a cult like feel. I know of 4 other men in the same boat and we all feel like we’ve entered into a 3rd relationship that’s crowding into our marriage. Another really bad by product of TBB

    1. That’s actually a great idea! Why don’t you create a Facebook group? You could share the group on Reddit in the r/antimlm sub. I’m sure there are a lot of people who would appreciate a group like this. Sometimes it helps to get support and ideas on how to approach your spouse

  42. Does your upline coach responsible to help me to start get me going as a coach or do I figure everything on my own? I mean, if I get new prospects, she will getting some of the money right?

    1. I’m probably not the person to be asking that question, but typically…yes, they *should want to help you succeed. That’s unfortunately not how it is for many upline coaches, though. And you’re an independent contractor, so you’re ultimately responsible for your own success (with or without their help).

  43. WWw this is eye opening! I had a feeling that becoming a coach is a get rich quick kind of scheme. Is there anyway to be a part of beach body and get the workouts and couching from people who actively still coach for Beachbody without being a coach. I’d like to have a workout program but I want to be coached and not coach others. Is this a good program in that sense or should I look for something else?

    1. Absolutely! You can be coached by Beachbody coaches and encouraged if that’s what you’re looking for. But be aware that many coaches look at you as a prospect until you’ve become a Shakeology auto-ship customer OR a coach. So they’ll be constantly upselling you. The workout programs are great, but in my own personal experience, I found that actually getting out of the house and having accountability buddies in real life helped so much more than being part of a Beachbody challenge group. Look up LBD training by Lukas Duncan if you’re interested in custom workout programs (you can do at home or in a gym), meal plans, etc. He has 8 week transformation specials, and you have every-other-week check-ins (weigh-ins and photos). Best of luck to you finding a program that works for you!

  44. Thank you so much for all this info. I recently had to bow out of being an “active” coach because I can not afford the Shakeology. I love the workout programs, and I have learned a lot. I will continue with them, BUT I don’t want to sell to people that (like me) are struggling financially…Yes, I am focusing on my health, helping others do the same, loving my family, and growing emotionally WITHOUT trying to sell anything. My coach hasn’t texted me back since I texted her that I could no longer buy Shakeology…really feeling the support there.????. Thank you. Laura

    1. Why does that not surprise me? It’s sad, but I feel like so many in the “business” are not truly in it to help people. Of course, there are a few exceptions, but my entire upline turned their back on me when I left.

  45. I am SO glad that I found this blog post. I was sent an invite for one of the beach body challenges by someone I follow on instagram–it sounded great and I love fitness challenges so I asked her to send me more info. I got an e-mail from her detailing the program and the cost ($80) which I felt was unreasonable as I am currently participating in the Runner’s World Run Streak “challenge” for FREE! Also, I am out of a job at the moment, so I don’t have a great deal of additional income to spend on non-necessity items. (After reading this I’m sure part of the cost was Shakeology). Anyway, I e-mailed back and stated that as I can’t afford to join but to keep me in the loop for future challenges. Then I got an invite to join as a coach so that I could afford these opportunities. From the e-mail it truly seemed like a dream job until I found out the cost to sign up; but even then I was considering it because the videos and other things I was sent were really convincing and I truly do love fitness and helping people, which is what it was marketed as. I am so glad I did my research and didn’t do it. And It is baffling how you could try to convince someone who already can’t afford your product to sign up for something even MORE expensive. Thank you so much for your honesty with this post!

    1. I’m so glad you found this, Kat! Thank you for your sweet words! It truly is all about sales and less about helping people. Coaches will try to say they’re passionate about helping people and they don’t care about the money, but you don’t go into business without a profit in mind. If you do, you’re not a very good businessman (or woman :))

  46. Hi there—
    I just read this after googling “The problem with Beachbody Coaching.”
    I have two cousins that are very successful (or so it seems) being Beachbody coaches—two of them are sisters. Another cousin is an actual Yoga instructor to the stars in LA and is used by Beachbody for their videos etc. Every day on social media I see the constant posts about how wonderful their lives are—posting their workout videos and pictures of their shakes or their shopping trips, invites to join challenge groups etc. One cousin is a single mom with no other job but Beachbody and it seems that she is definitely not struggling with all the amazing trips and music festivals she attends with her other Beachbody buddy as business trips. Her sister is a little more low key but she does mention that she has had so many more opportunities financially since she has become a coach. The first sister I mentioned, has a friend she attends these festivals with that states she makes a six figure income and “you can too!” I just wonder how realistic this is and also how many friends and family you lose along the way in doing so. I signed up under one of these cousin sisters as a coach a few years ago and was put under her strong leg but definitely did not make it! First off, I didn’t feel comfortable putting up videos of myself working out or constant pictures of myself drinking Shakeo. It also was so expensive for me as a single mother at that time. I knew as a working mom I didn’t have the time to put into it like it requires to be “successful” (though they state it is easy and you can still be a stay at home Mom etc). To me it just felt like it has become an idol to all these gals that I am related to that are “successful” at it. Their world is completely revolved around it and even obsessed with nutrition and fitness and looking good…”me, me, me”—all to make a buck and attain fame in the business. Not only that, when I see their social media accounts, I feel so insuperior and inadequate as a woman because I don’t eat as well as they do or exercise as much as they do or aren’t as successful as them. Here I am just working two jobs trying to raise my kids and be a good mom and hopefully someday pay off all my bills and maybe buy a house.

    1. Sarah, there are some coaches that have achieved six figures and even seven figures in their Beachbody coaching business. Sadly, I believe Beachbody is a “vanity” business, and most of the coaches (99%) are probably already fit and gorgeous (which is, of course, a goal of prospects).

      You’re right. Idolatry is a scary thing, and I found myself revolving my entire life around it. And it just wasn’t fun at all. Truth be told, I have a desire to help people….but not in that way.

      The side hustle struggle is real! Keep working hard, and it will all pay off in the long run as long as you’re aware of your spending patterns and behaviors. If you’re looking to pay off that debt and eventually quit that second job (and potentially start a side hustle from home), sign up for my email list! I send exclusive money, blogging, & business tips to over 2,400 women and counting every week! Just click the “Count Me In” button at the top of the page 🙂

  47. Kind of the opposite. I switched teams where there wasn’t any pressure ,and I do love the products and programs. I don’t feel pressured to ‘make a sale’. I’m strong enough to know what feels right and what doesn’t.. period. Goes for any business or job though. If you feel forced to do something you don’t want to , and/or you don’t love it . Leave. Pretty straightforward.

    1. Oh, I never felt pressured to do something I didn’t want to do. I hope others don’t misunderstand. Beachbody didn’t hold a gun to my head forcing me to sell Shakeology. But you can’t be successful in their business model without promoting it. I also am a huge fan of the workout programs and even some of the supplements. I have no beef with Beachbody.

  48. Just what I needed to read as I just cancelled my coach account! I could never in good conscience coherse people to fork out $130+ dollars on a protein powder!! Once you are in and looking back out you see how very fake it all is with all the scripting! This was my third try with BB because I would get sucked into the whole “I really do care about you” scripting. All that changes though once you get sucked in. The support and everything promised beforehand kinda disappears. I do love their programs and will continue to use them but I just don’t know how anyone can justify paying that for a glorified protein powder. Thank you for your honesty and just as this helped me knowing I did the right thing it will help others!

    1. Yes, the scripting just felt SO inauthentic! Once in awhile, I’ll receive a friend request from a fellow entrepreneur, and they’ll pm me to strike up a conversation and BAM! They offer me with a “life-changing opportunity”. #thanksnothanks

  49. I really appreciated your post so much. I loved Turbo Jam (still do!) after years of doing it and now all the new programs they have years later. A friend encouraged me to try BOD then the shakes. I was skeptical all the way but I honestly loved both once I tried them! I know the shakes are expensive but as someone who used to be a vegan raw foodist I know how expensive superfoods can be, and it’s loaded with them. Anyway…it makes me feel better than any other shake I’ve tried. The price is hard to swallow of course. I just think that overall it’s a very good product.

    The hard part came when I was asked to think about becoming a coach. I thought it sounded intriguing, and as someone else said, if I’m already working out and drinking the shakes why not earn extra money promoting something I love! But I felt rushed into becoming a coach and my gut told me that this was not me. I didn’t want to post my life all over social media.

    I will say that I believe a lot of people have benefited from the programs and done great things for their health, many who were first contacted to join by a coach. The tactics and upselling are what get me and anything that tells me ‘this is the only way to success’.

  50. Melissa ~ Wow ! I truly have been sitting on the fence about quitting BB for about 6 months. This blog has helped me so much. You seriously touched on everything i had been contemplating…

    I’ve been a coach for about 2 years… I never once recruited anybody. I signed my husband up (behind his back) and felt icky about it for months- so i eventually stopped him as a coach…. I have about 2 consistent customers and that’s about it… Why did i stay for so long ? Because I feel like they depend on me for accountability and the challenge groups… Plus i felt loyal to my upline….

    After reading your blog- I contemplated on everything BB has done for me: got me out of my comfort zone; kept me accountable to my workouts; and most of all personal development….

    I’ve learned so much about myself reading books; that my interest is leading me down a different path- not just physical fitness; but nutrition and healing the gut. I’ve been also studying so much on the Law of Attraction that I recently have started my own blog (nothing published yet- still learning)… So with this new endeavor and a recent opportunity that was offered to begin a small boot camp twice a week (I’m a personal trainer)- I think i’ve made my decision….

    I can now walk away knowing i’m making the right decision. The business decision of leaving BB would be a smart one; since my pantry is filled with 4 bags of Shakeology and some Performance Line supplements… It’s just no longer worth it… I love their workout programs and I will still be doing them and even sharing to my LIKE page. My like page is my Personal Trainer page so i can still encourage my followers….

    Thank you ! I’m so glad your site came up when i googled ‘quit beachbody coaching’…. As someone stated above; i saw the sites that reeled you in; but then ended up being ‘ they would never quit coaching’… ugh ! and then i found a few that said they were fired from BB and started a wine business….. So when i found yours…. yours said everything i needed to hear ! Thank you !

    1. It never gets old hearing that I have helped someone with this blog post! I am so happy to share my story with others, and I hope that people find it and share it with friends on their team who may be struggling to let go. I will never knock on Beachbody as a company. They have made a lot of money from their platform. 🙂

      I’m also happy for you that you found your passion and niched it down! There is a high demand for personal trainers, and when you narrow it down to clients who are dealing with gut issues…lactose intolerance, hormonal issues, etc…I think you’ve got a good starting point! Thank you for commenting, and I wish you the best of luck!

  51. Your story has really hit home with me, and I appreciate you sharing all your insight. I came across your blog when doing a bit more research into Beachbody stocks and profit, after having quit coaching myself, and feeling a bit like a failure. It just was not really my “thing” to flood my friend’s and family’s Facebook feed with nonsense about health and fitness when I have no official nutrition or exercise education.

    Although I have been exercising regularly for a few years, this is what led a “friend” of mine to essentially pick me out, showering me with many compliments and promises of success due to my bit of knowledge on fitness and the fact I had lost 50 pounds post baby, I must have looked like your typical #MomgirlBOSS material. It’s truly the quality of the workouts that drew me into Beachbody, as they are perfect for any fitness level as well as challenging and fool-proof, but the cost of the shakes is what threw me off. Regardless, I bit the bullet as many of the Facebook posts pressure you to just “do it”, and I quickly found myself spending my commissions on Shakeology. My up-line then continuously pushed me to post as much as possible on Facebook including sponsored ads to generate new customers, which began costing me much more than what it was worth.

    Your post has come to help me realize that all the glitz and glam of Facebook is a wide-angle highlight reel, and some things just aren’t meant to be. Ultimately, pyramid schemes and pushy companies are not positive environments for growing a business and are simply not worth the time and investment.

    Thanks for sharing!

    1. Thanks Melissa and Sabrina for also sharing your experiences. I am a UK coach – it all started up in October. Everyone was excited. But if someone would have been straightforward and honest with me from the beginning of what is “expected” of a coach then I would not have joined. I am an introvert by nature and frankly I find this stalking of friends, family and strangers on social media to be creepy, over the top and frankly, tasteless. If I could be left alone to “lead by example” and do posting at intervals that feel natural and comfortable to me then maybe I could continue. But really I’m getting push push push from my immediate upline and a really rude and snarky comment from her upline. The stress has left me feeling like a failure and really down on myself. I also suffer from mental health issues (depression and anxiety)… and frankly I was doing fine until I started getting all this pressure to do stuff I am not happy doing in a way I’m not happy doing it. If I could find an upline who would treat me kindly and as an actual human being instead of a sales employee I might stay. I thought my upline was a friend – but instead of messaging me and saying “hey how are you today?”… I get – “can you jump on the group and post something to welcome the newcomers?”. Thanks. I’m glad that I matter. So much for it being a “relationship culture” and not a “sales culture”.

      1. Do NOT allow yourself to get down and out about this! You DO matter. And as long as you can make a decision for yourself that makes you happy, that’s all that matters. Merry Christmas to you and Happy Holidays!

  52. Yes! Your right about all of it. I’d say my experience was worse. I could write a whole blog post about it as well. But for starters, think of this. It’s easy to sell something one time to someone. Anyone. But w shakeology, you’ve not only got to hook them to start, but then explain that they need to order it continually!? Like every month. Most ppl are like…”what!? Ummmm no! Sign me out, please!!!” It was an endless cycle of being embarrassed, posting uncomfortable pics on FB like All day every day. I felt soooo Fake, so annoying…so Not me. I scared away a handful of friends or potential friends. Everyone knew what I was getting at..by posting all these pics of me drinking shakeology. I could go on and on…

  53. I quit almost 6 months ago after 2 1/2 years of doing the business. I needed my life back.
    Things are just that, things. And time is so precious that we will never get back. So I have learned to spend my time wiser in making memories with my family and enjoying life.

    It was never about money for me with the biz but I walked away making less at a higher rank than when I first started which was crazy. So it made the decision even clearer for me.

    I still help people my own way it’s just free ????

    Your post is so relatable. Thank you for sharing .

  54. I’m in the UK and coaching has just been launched here. I’ve been using BB workout programmes for 4 years now and love On Demand. Funnily enough as I have a good IG presence I’ve been inundated with DM’s to sign up as a coach under various “friends” I’ve never met. I signed up yesterday. After looking at the ridiculous prices of Shakeology $189 £139 with current conversion rates I soon realised this is going to cost me a fortune along with the £15.95 per month coach inrollment. I’ve just phoned up and cancelled my coach enrolment and shakeology monthly shipment as I can’t afford it. If I can’t afford the astronomical cost I can’t force it on others. I take daily supplements (pill form) and eat right, it costs me £45 per month for my pill supplements and I’m happy. I workout daily and inspire others and I know I can’t make money being a coach unless I dedicate my entire life to it and, if we are honest, get lucky. Thank you for your blog it inspired me to do the right thing after waking up several times last night panicking about what I’d signed up for. I’ve dodged a financial bullet.

    1. You certainly shouldn’t be having anxiety and panicking over decisions that enrich your life. For some people, it’s a great opportunity. But if you were stressing it and feeling regret instantly, you probably made the right decision. 🙂

  55. Hey! So I’m having the same problems as you’ve discussed having. I won’t get into specifics but it’s sucking me dry. How did you bow out gracefully? What about your clients? I don’t want to seem like a quitter because I truly love the products but it’s exhausting always trying to plot and plan how to recruit and sell. Thanks in advance ????

    1. Hey Holli! I just had a honest conversation with them. I sent them all the same message, explaining my thoughts and feelings. I guarantee you they won’t judge you for it. If they do, they need to look at themselves first before judging. The “team” that I thought were my friends mostly unfriended me, blocked me, and we haven’t spoken since. If that wasn’t an eye opener! Do what’s best for YOU and there’s nothing to worry about!

    2. Seriously! It feels like that every day. Plotting and planning every post, every pic. I was dying to just be “normal” again. Lol. I didn’t love the product though. I thought I did when I started, but then it was just gross. I couldn’t find any combo of fruits or whatever to add to it, to make it taste good. I told my upline that I just couldn’t do it anymore. She took the few clients I still had and I let my clients know what was going on and that nothing would change for them. I explains that for personal reasoned I just couldn’t coach anymore.
      Everyone understood, and by the time I was completely out….I felt FREE!!!! Do it girl. 🙂

  56. Beachbody coaches are purely in it to make money. How selling protein shakes and workout videos is truly helping people be healthier is beyond comprehension. There is the proper way to lose weight (which is strictly individual) and there is telling everyone they should drink shakes and watch workout videos. Anyone can pick up a protein shake or workout video at their local supplier for half the cost (or even for free). But why beachbody? Because “coaches” can make money.

    Beachbody I find to be the worst of all the mlms because it targets people’s health in a very unhealthy way. Body shaming is one of them, providing unqualified guidance is another.

    I have yet to meet a genuine beachbody coach – I have met 9. All 9 would compromise someone’s health to make a sale. One is so disingenuous that she talks about how genuine she is. One example was how she changed these people’s lives by doing these good deeds for them. She talks about her daily experience in how she made these 2 women at a retailer, who were speaking poorly about their weight and she approached them and could complimented them both on their beauty, resulting in these 2 women feeling so good. Guess what – It is no longer a good deed…. because u spoke about it.

    And those body shaming after/after pics are sickening. Worshipping body image is a really toxic mentality. You will never see people posting before/after shot she the other way around, why?? Because of body shaming.

    1. During my “journey” with Beachbody, I was called a body shamer by some of my friends. I couldn’t believe they were calling me that, but I get it now. There IS something to be said about health and wellness and exercise, but worshipping the goal isn’t healthy mentally, spiritually or emotionally.

      And you’re right..a good deed doesn’t need to be broadcasted for a public pat on the back. It’s supposed to make you feel good inside.

  57. Thank you! I’m struggling as a Beachbody Coach. I cannot afford it and I have made little to no money. I have not hit success club in a year. I want to quit but feel guilty. I feel like I’m abandoning people. I can’t seem to connect with people I don’t know on Facebook! I’m taking the Country Heat instructor training and I hope that by teaching, it will help generate something! If not, I’m done! Reading this has helped me tremendously! Thank you again!

    1. Oh Lisa! I’d say it’s time to let it go! No success club in a YEAR?! I know it’s hard to walk away from something, mostly worrying what other people will think. I guarantee you people will respect you for following your heart. And they’ll probably be happy to be able to “follow” you on FB again 😛

  58. Hi!
    I know this is a delayed response to the original posting of this, but I’m glad I found it! I’ve only been a ‘coach’ for like 6 months, but I really am in a tough place right now. I kinda want to quit, but to be honest I’m scared to. When I first joined I really trusted my upline, but once I became a coach I have been questioning her authenticity. I have no doubt she is a wonderful person, but learning and seeing all of the premade ‘scripts’ for talking to people make me question whether she actually did think I could do it or just want another coach for the commission. I am not a public person, I rarely used SM except for keeping in contact with overseas friends, and I feel like no matter how many videos and ‘trainings’ I have seen, I just am not getting it. Because I ram resisting everything that I would need to do in order to advance. Never made it past coach. I signed up for the team Beachbody cup which is going on this month, AND I am registered for next year’s summit… both through encouragement from my upline. But that just adds to my dilemma. I’m scared to leave and disappoint everyone involved. And I have this feeling if I try to tell them it isn’t me, they will just tell me to keep trying, that I’m not trying, or I just don’t believe in myself, or whatever.

    I’m sorry for the novel… it is just really a major struggle and stressor for me right now, but have no one to talk to who would understand and have ‘been there’, so I jumped at this chance….

    1. How are you doing now, Julie? Did you make the decision to quit? Sorry it’s taken me awhile to get back to you! My main focus this past year has been on other things (family, faith, etc). If there is any advice I can give you it’s to just listen to your gut and follow your heart. There is not a true friend that will be disappointed in you for following your own true path and choosing happiness!

  59. I feel like you had a really bad experience and everything comes from self perspective.

    You completely have undermined the value of the product. You went in with this vision to make money and not change lives. Being a product of the product doesn’t mean to drink shakeology or do the workouts just the “show” social media. You’re doing it because YOU want change in YOUR life!

    In 2011 I gained over 100lbs…I had just had my 2nd child and was 150lbs post partum…but over the year I got up to over 250lbs!

    I was in an abusive marriage and was depressed. My mom was in the military and was stationed half away across the country and I was alone.

    I ate and ate until I was so obese I could no longer walk up the stairs in my house. After my now ex husband decided to almost choke me to death one day I knew something had to change. But that change didn’t happened for another 6 months when I was up late one night and saw an infomercial for slim in 6. I ordered it know I needed something to start getting to a healthy place for myself.

    It came in the mail, I popped in the DVD and watched the whole thing while sitting on the couch munching on some cookies.

    The next day I decided I needed to try and I did, I got through 5 minutes. Then the next day 7 minutes, within 2 weeks I was lasting through the whole workout and moving on to the other workouts. I started dropping weight and eventually found shakeology. I had hit a weight loss wall and a friend of mine suggested shakeology so I switched her to be my coach and ordered shakeology every month.

    It gave me all the vitamins, protein, minerals, probiotics, antioxidants and fiber unneeded to get me going everyday.

    I found I had more energy, my hair, skin and nails were looking healthier than ever. People said I was glowing. My gut health improved. I no longer felt bloated or gassy and was regular (something I desperately needed help with!).

    With my insides being nourished properly I was able to detox and feel better. I was able to amp up my workouts and started TurboFire.

    Over the course of 1 year I lost 120lbs…

    Think about that 120lbs!!!!

    I changed my whole self…I became a discount coach with no intention of making money or selling just so my shake was $3.33 a meal. Guess what people saw me and wanted to do what I did and next thing I knew I had 4 people signed up!

    I didn’t go on social media and post every 2 seconds, I didn’t have challenge groups. I just did me…

    Through all these changes I learned to value myself and realized that no matter what I did my husband at the time would never change. He became more angry as I was making positive changes in my life.

    After he physically attacked me again in front of my kids, I was done! I left him…I divorced him and yes I was a single mother of 2. I had been a housewife for 10 years and was now working as a waitress. But it didn’t matter because I had my kids and my health both physically and mentally.

    I dropped more weight and went from obese to athletic build and looked great in a bikini!

    I met my husband now who is amazing and we had a child together 18 months ago. I had to stop using shakeology while I was pregnant because I had terrible morning sickness called hyperemesis. I couldn’t keep anything down and had to stick to crackers and water.

    Eventually around 7 months pregnant my hyperemesis went away and I ate like a person who hadn’t eaten for 7 months lol!

    I ended up gaining 35lbs after I had my son. I was nursing and didn’t start shakeology up again because I wasn’t focused on my health just my son and making sure my milk supply was on point. After my son was weaned when he was about 14 months old…I had gained more weight and now had 60lbs to lose!!

    I found a new coach as my old coach was no longer very active because she’s now the wife of some big shot politician and has a very busy life with that.

    I found this new coach and she is very active and helped me immediately get back on track. It’s been 3 months and I’ve lost 34lbs already!

    Yes I lost on social media and run my own groups now. But I don’t let it consume my life. I work full time as a nanny. I have a husband and 3 kids at home. I go to a therapist to help me with the PTSD I suffer from because of being 10 years in an abusive marriage. My week is full!

    But I’m not in this to make money…if I do that’s great! Yay!

    I do this because I know where I’ve been…I know the desperation of being overweight, of sacrificing every part of your body to be a mom and forgetting to value yourself first.

    When I learned to value myself first, I became a better mom. I wasn’t angry anymore, I was happy! I had more energy to keep up with my kids. I was able to be a better me all around and when you’re a better you, it benefits the whole family, your co-workers, your spouse and friends.

    I want to empower other moms to value themseleves and take the time for their health both mentally and physically! I help them learn how important it is to take care of yourself before you can properly take care of your family.

    Guess what??? My workouts are spent alone…I do them in my living room where all my kids including my adorable 18 months old come and join me! It’s fun!

    I take my shakeology everyday…why? To be a product of the product? No I rarely ever post pics of my shakeology on my social media! I drink it because of the abundant health benefits it gives me!

    My step dad who was almost put in the hospital after his triple bypass surgery had his blood pressure and cholesterol at dangerous levels again! I wasn’t playing around anymore and I begged for him to do shakeology and guess what? After a month his blood pressure is normal, his cholesterol has improved greatly and he’s lost 7lbs!

    Shakeology has great value…so yes that person paying $15/mo for Netflix, paying $3/day for coffee, $6/fast food…they can find the money.

    My husband and I survive off of $36,000/yr with a family of 5 in Chicago. Yet we aren’t suffering financially since I started with beachbody again. In fact we are saving $$. Because I no longer stop at Dunkin Donut for my veggie egg white flatbread and coffee in the morning. In fact I haven’t drank coffee in 2 months! That saved me about $20/week. That’s over $80 a month I saved.

    Plus now that I’m paying $98/month for shakeology I sure the heck am not going to ruin it by eating unhealthy. So our grocery bill dropped by about $50 a week because I’m buying meats and produce.

    I don’t by lunchables for my kids anymore I make healthy versions. I’m making homemade 20 min chocolate chip muffins for them, making fruit cups and veggie cups for their snacks.

    So after getting back on the beachbody wagon we save around $280/mo now.

    Once again beachbody and Shakeology can be a $$ stream but if you’re doing it for just money you aren’t going to be happy doing it!

    If you’re doing it because you want to help people achieve a healthy lifestyle for themseleves and their family then you’ll be more successful and happy!

    I have one customer who is over 300lbs and has lost 20lbs already in a month! She had a strained relationship with her new step daughters and now they come and workout with her and they have a better relationship through health and fitness!

    These are the stories I want to hear and help create. I’d rather make less money and make real changes in someone’s life than make a ton of money and give no support.

    So while your experience may have been not idle…it certainly is not because of beachbody or shakeology.

    I spend 1 hour a day on my business and an additional 1 hour a week for a team call. I do not let it consume my life. I have 3 kids, a husband and a job! I do me and my life and simply post what I’m doing.

    I’m working out with my kids…snap a picture post and done.

    I made a great healthy dinner…snap a picture post and done.

    I dropped another pant size and am trying on some new clothes while clothes shopping…snap a pic and post!

    I’m feeling down in the dumps because I didn’t lose the amount of weight I was hoping to lose…find a quote online about never giving up…post and done…

    I’m posting on my life the Jos and downs and how health and fitness work in it everyday.

    I add friends takes 5 minutes to add 10 new friends.

    if people see what I have and want it to, they message me and I tell them what I’m doing and if they want it…here it is

    If they don’t want it…that’s fine! I’m always here when you’re ready!

    Shakeology isn’t a scam…it’s real nutrition that helps people meet their health needs.

    I love beachbody on demand! I get bored easily so I have all these workouts on demand whenever I want to change I do! I’ve found that Piyo and Cize are my favorites and really get me going.

    How else are people supposed to lose weight and get healthy???

    Eating healthy?
    Working out?
    Support?

    That’s what beachbody is!!!

    You get a shake that provides you with invaluable nutrition. You get meal plans that fit into everyone’s life with endless recipes! You get support from people going through the same thing as you!

    I tried Vega One as a cheaper alternative to Shakeology. I used it for 2 months and lost zero weight!!! I felt no energy. I was hangry 1 hour after consuming it. Sure it was cheaper but that’s because it wasn’t as good. I compared nutrition labels and the difference is staggering!

    Anyway…shakeology and beachbody can be a way to make money…but if that’s your focus and you consume yourself so much into it that you’re annoying everyone on your social media and neglecting your family of course you won’t be happy.

    Life is always about balance. Guess what my birthday was August 4th and my breakfast was a cannoli! Yep I still have cheat meals and still lose weight…because life is about balance.

    My son got sick this week and yesterday and today he’s just needed to have me hold him. So I called of work yesterday and today because my sons needs came before my job and even the $$ I am now losing because I took 2 days off…yep there’s no paid sick days as a nanny!

    I even took off working out and didn’t do as much as I normally do on social media because my son needed me!!! It’s about balance.

    Beachbody and Shakeology is amazing and saved my life in 2011! And now it’s helping me again in 2017…

    If I end up making enough money to quit my job and finally go back to finish college (this is my goal) then fantastic! If not that’s okay too! At the end of the day it’s about me giving back what I was given!

    1. Wow! Thank you for taking the time to share your story! And congratulations on making the decision to get yourself help! I applaud you for taking control of your life and if Beachbody and Shakeology work for you, that is wonderful! I just know that for the majority of people, it is not the case. Healthy eating and exercise can happen with or without BB.

      I think I stated in my post that I’m not blaming Beachbody for having an incredible business model. I am just 100% anti-MLM. They drive me nuts lol, and no one will ever convince me that they aren’t skeezy.

  60. Thanks Melissa for this post and, as others have commented, for not bashing BB or its programs or products.

    My story is that I’ve been a fitness fanatic since my teens – I’m now 50 – and have always belonged to gyms or been part of fitness programs. That being said, it was easy, and actually more economical, for me to give up my gym membership and sign up for BB. My daughter was the “coach”, and I saw her good results and so willingly signed up for the shake to support her. I do think the shake is expensive, but it’s an awesome afternoon snack in-between lunch and supper when I’m at work.

    I have a history of eating disorders and anxiety, and find the daily routine of Shakeology and workouts that I can choose from (currently redoing PiYo and the 3-week yoga retreat) beneficial to my state of mind. Love love love the workouts! And, yes, the shake and supplements are expensive, and I could likely find equivalent products in my local stores, but don’t want to have to sift through them all to choose, especially when the BB ones are currently working well.

    I signed up as coach to get the discount, and have only signed up one person who was wanting a program that included nutrition – I’ve been her running partner in the past so we already have a relationship based on friendship and fitness. I’ve avoided the push to “grow my business” as that felt icky, as others have noted in the comments. Indeed, moderation is everything! I take what works for me in BB, and choose to leave the rest.

    1. Virginia, I appreciate you sharing your story. I have nothing against a company that is out to make money. Beachbody does help people. I just think there are far too many people who fall for the “six figure income” speech, and Shakeology makes BB so much money. I believe you can get the same nutrition elsewhere without spending so much money, thus eliminating the need for the discount. Just my two cents at this point 🙂

      1. This is where I’m lazy likely and take their nutrition and pay the big bucks for it! Do you or anyone other readers have some equivalent products or brands to suggest? There’s so much out there it’s hard to know where to start.

        1. I prefer to use Complete Nutrition’s sea salt caramel toffee 100% whey isolate protein shakes. I shop at Aldi for most of my groceries because a dozen eggs is .24, milk is $1/gallon, and boneless skinless chicken breast is on sale for $1.49/lb frequently. I also use 1Up Nutrition’s Make Her Lean fat burner, although, I would recommend consulting a physician before taking any supplements.

  61. OMG! Thank you for saying all of this. I’ve been a BB coach since April 2016. I joined because I love BB products, wanted to share my experience using the products with others and I (stupidly) fell for the hype. You know, that ‘life by design’ line all of the elite coaches seem to push. I’ve regretted my decision to do this almost immediately, but I didn’t want to just give up. I really wanted to give it a shot. I knew this wasn’t for me when I caught myself trying to get my aunt to enroll in the monthly Shakeology subscription and I tried to convince her that if she signed on as a discount coach then she could more easily afford it. And just a couple of hours ago, I placed a Shakeology ad on my blog and I mumbled to myself, “what are you doing?” I came across this post because I Googled how to quit BB coaching and I’m so glad I found your blog. You know, I even wrote a blog post about the positive impact BB coaching has had on my life. I joined a blogging challenge and needed something to post for that day. I actually wrote it last year, shortly after I signed up as a coach, and I was full of enthusiasm. Was it difficult to quit? I’m fully prepared for some of my upline to unfriend me. Actually, am upline diamond coach just left my team which is what made me Google how to quit BB.

    1. Since I left BB last summer, most of my upline who had been making very good money (or so they said) have quit! Most of it was because BB made some serious changes to their policies which pissed a lot of people off. Funny thing is I see so many Ellie coaches branching out into other related business ventures like fitness Apps and E-books about nutrition and I don’t understand how that doesn’t violate the no compete policy since BB creates meal plans and fitness routines. But I guess they are the money makers so can’t kick out the top earners!

      1. It definitely seems like it would be a violation of non-compete, but I agree….it’s making BB money, so for now they look the other way.

  62. Elizabeth Sienkowski

    I am reading your blog as I sit in the airport waiting for my flight home after leaving Summit prematurely! Long story, which I will not bore you with…but upon arrival I was very inappropriately and rudely disrespected by my direct upline…as I tried to rely on my faith and strength to persevere and stay to experience this incredible event, I realized I was doing that to stand up to Beachbody standards…not MINE. Now, as a rational person, I’ve made no decisions about continuing or not—but your post spoke to me and I just want to thank you for sharing it!!

  63. Wow this is exactly why I quit! I had amazing results with program and believed I had something great to offer. I put every waking moment into the biz. Every moment with my kids was an opportunity to make a fantastic post on Facebook. My marriage was suffering, my kids were getting in the way of trying to make posts and build relationships and I was obsessed with seeing responses. I quit and I felt I let me down line down. I also felt like I was using God to build a biz by connecting with people through faith and then offering opportunity to be on my team. I have recently been thinking I made a mistake by quiting and have even considered join again on another team but this post reminded me of all the reasons I quit. Thanks

  64. You wore everything I’ve been feeling! I lost 40 lbs with 21 Day Fix & Core de Force, but I feel like I’m throwing money out the window. Trying to think of at least three clever, unique, an for engaging posts every day, inviting friends, and friending strangers always felt unnatural and stressful. The best part, besides losing weight, is the personal development. Thanks again for your candor.

  65. I had a sister I was close to until she joined Beach Body, but since I’m not interested in joining her and her new like minded “friends” on their fitness journey, I’ve been classified as a “hater” and we don’t talk much anymore. Everything you say is so true….the programming, the canned lingo, the hours of videos she takes of herself, the hundreds of selfies of her drinking the king of all nutrition, Shakeology. The mindless way she walks around with her nose in her phone, checking some social media post while her kids scream and fight. Anyway, glad you got out!

  66. Thank you so much for this post. I am in the midst of a “should I stay or should I go” dilemma. I have been coaching on and off for 2 years. I love Shakeology, running challenge groups, and the feeling you get when someone in your group reaches a goal and feels good about themselves. But I really don’t enjoy having to build a team under me in order to make “the big money.” Something about that just doesn’t feel genuine and training other people on social media is just not my thing.

    The funny thing is – I came into coaching from a really good place. I felt good about myself, had high confidence, felt great in my body… but coaching (specifically, my “inadequacies” in becoming a successful coach) is the one thing that has started to wear on my confidence. I spent so much damn time on social media, but it was like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. Suddenly, I was facing self-negativity and feelings of dissatisfaction. Once I decided to take a break from posting and pursuing new customers, I felt a huge relief.

    It feels like if you quit, it is because you didn’t work the business hard enough or believe in yourself, but honestly, running a social media business is not for everyone. I’m a pretty private person and I just don’t enjoy exposing myself online very much. I also need a little variety in my life, so while I love the workouts, I also want to be able to take a few months and do a bootcamp, or run outside, or go to the gym. And sometimes, I just don’t feel like checking in with other people!

    Thanks for providing a place for me to kind of rant out my feelings on this! It’s good to know I’m not alone. The BB forums are full of people still trying to make this business work and there really isn’t a place to be honest about leaving.

  67. You don’t have to purchase Shakeo or anything else as long as you are selling it to others. It counts towards your PV…. So not sure why you spent so much on products yourself as it isn’t necessary as long as you are actively selling to others.

    1. Well, Chuck, if you’re going to be a “product of the product”, you DO have to purchase and drink Shakeo daily. You do have to purchase the programs. You are encouraged to attend summit, etc.

  68. Eunice Moreno

    Good morning,

    I am so very glad to have read this blog to help me see the reality of what Beachbody truly is. I originally signed up to get a handle on my fitness and get back on track after having had 2 children. And the products truly worked that I was excited to share with others. I agree with others who have posted here on how fake I felt trying to sell the products because I don’t like to sound salesly and just force things on people. However, i actually became emerald the first month and earned 6 SC points and I was so excited! I found out that I was getting a personal call from Carl and I was like “wow.” Mind you, this just happened last month and a few nights ago, my husband was subtle but form that Beachbody is a scam and that I should stop doing it! At first I was angry at his request, because I had the need to be “my own person” and I wanted to be the one to earn a free trip for my hard work! I was truly motivated but I ate, breathed, dreamt and shit Beqchbody! Lol I was so consumed in it and I just wanted to make a sell to keep afloat and not lose money! It was a sick way of thinking, but that was me! I was willing to do anything to make a buck and climb the ladder! It’s hard for me to believe that people actually do this for a living! Where do you find so many suckers??? After my amazing first month, I lost momentum and fell off the track. No one wants to buy the product, no one wants to say “yes” and even my “clients” already signed up we’re thinking of quitting before I did. I finally pulled the plug and cancelled my coach membership and all of my products and my clients soon followed me. I am so glad to have read this and assured me that it was the right decision and that wasn’t my husband trying to rain on my parade! Thank you and I hope to hear from you soon.

    1. Hi, Eunice! I think it can be fairly easy to get started with any MLM. Everyone knows a couple of people near and dear to them who will be their first people to sign up. It becomes more and more difficult, however, once you exhaust all of your friends and family. Beachbody wants you to add three to five new friends everyday (random people), pay them a compliment, and hit them with the pitch, but it just feels inauthentic.

      I’m glad that you and your husband are on the same page now and that it didn’t turn ugly. It can seem like a spouse is unsupportive when they say things to discourage you from “following your dreams”, but when you think about it, how many people’s dream is to be a Beachbody Coach. I think everyone craves more money and freedom, but there are so many other ways to achieve that if you choose to let go of BB.

      Best of luck to you! Thank you for your comment

        1. I didn’t have a post from “[email protected]” until now, so as far as I know, this is your first comment. As for why I may not have responded…I have a family and a career I’m focusing on. I keep this blog up for BB coaches that are looking for other experiences to compare theirs to.

  69. I couldn’t agree more! I did get in the best shape of my life, but it really cost me.No, it is not a scam but it is a multi level marketing endeavor. To even get the possibility of making any money you have to put out quite a bit of money to be a coach or to stay active. You also need to hound everyone you know to buy the products. The coach who recruited me was very aggressive and appeared to be very interested in me and my life, but the moment I signed, she was pretty much gone. The workouts are great, the shakes and supplements, not so great. There’s better on the market and for less. If you’re lucky you get some help from the coach you were assigned or the coach who signed you. I had virtually zero help. Which meant learning it all on my own and making quite a few mistakes that cost me money. You can work full-time on growing this “business” for less than part-time compensation. The rules change all the time. And the ways you can earn continue to change and benefit their top diamond coaches. I was a coach for seven years. I hung in there. It wasn’t like I got started and then gave up because it was too hard. But it did get harder and harder to make money without nearly accosting everyone you meet with this opportunity for their health and fitness. People are really vulnerable about that. But when people start running away from you when they see you coming or start hiding you on Facebook because of all your posts, there’s something wrong. It is no different than any other multilevel marketing company. If you attend all the coach summits and as many events as possible and meet the CEO, celebrity trainers and a lot of the top earners you may get somewhere and you may get some help. But I don’t guarantee it. The financial outlay ends up being enormous. The hook is they tell you it’s very inexpensive to get involved as a coach. And a lot of people not only want to help themselves, but want to help other people be healthy. It really plays on your emotions. But the costs mount and mount. But unless you are a top earner you really are on your own. If you need something to do and have money to spend, go for it. I recommend you just start your own business doing something that you love and you are good at without contributing to the multi millions made by this company. When I started out there were about 22,000 coaches throughout the US. But now with it being in Mexico and Canada there are hundreds of thousands of team beach body coaches. There’s nothing really new and the market is already saturated with all the health and fitness products, workouts and supplements there are out there. Find something else to do that pays you instead of you having to pay the organization to be a part of it. And that’s my educated two cents.

    1. Very well-said, Romie! Thank you for sharing!

      See…when you started, there were 22,000 coaches. When I started, there were about 200,000 (I think).

      I agree completely that the workouts are amazing! Supplements are mediocre IMO, but Shakeology is the bread and butter (without the carbs :P) of Beachbody lol

  70. Thanks for sharing, girl. I know a lot of people can relate, but I definitely can’t. My background is different though. I have been a fitness professional for over 10 years and worked endless hours in gyms. My degree is in exercise science and I have many certifications on top of that. I actually found Beachbody 2 years ago when I hit bottom from the exhaustion of working so many hours at a gym. It stood out to me because I could help more people everywhere and make a better income. It’s been a hard journey – not easy by any means! BUT I will share that I replaced my training salary and brought my husband home from his corporate job in 2 years. We are not millionaires, haha, but we value quality time and cut back on other expenses to be able to bring him home and work as coaches together. It’s been a god send to me cause I can still do what I love as a trainer, but be home with my 5 month old.
    My story isn’t typical tho….and I get that….but just wanted to share. It’s really hard for a mama trainer to make a great living working in a gym and for others so BB works well for us.
    Oh…. Of course, I do believe in shakeology too, BUT I’m also someone that is obsessed with nutrition and would legit make my own “seaweed” shakes in the past to get the results I wanted. 😉

    1. You’re one of the few coaches that has legit credentials, and I respect that. As I said in my article, I believe that Beachbody has the perfect business model, and some people CAN make a good living with it (especially with certifications and contacts from the fitness/gym world). I’m sure it’s awesome being able to stay at home with your kiddo!

      I became a licensed realtor and work from home on my own terms now as well, and there is nothing better than that!

  71. You know I was going to read this post next! 😉 Very valuable information here and definitely some things to consider. I like that you’re a former coach but don’t completely bash everything about Beachbody. Their vital behavior of personal development absolutely changed my life. As a current coach myself contemplating quitting… I do LOVE their workouts and that’s what keeps me hanging on, but the shakes drive me nuts. You’ve given me some things to think about. Thank you!

    1. Beachbody has an incredible business model. They’ve really figured it out! I couldn’t speak poorly about the company as they ARE helping people get healthy and fit (or at least makes people think about what they’re putting in their bodies).

      Personal Development has changed my life as well! I never enjoyed reading until I started reading about ways to improve my life.

      Thanks for stopping by! <3 Have a great day!

  72. I am a coach and I haven’t quit. Ive been going back and forth for months because when I started it WAS all about helping people and that was all I cared about. Once you get deeper into the business everything changes. I actually feel guilty wanting to quit and am having a hard time justifying it when I have made so many friends that are coaches on my team and I do make enough to cover my shakes and business fee every month.. but I just don’t think it is the business for me.

    1. I know that feeling all too well, Kaylee. The question I had to ask myself was, “If I wasn’t making enough to pay for my shakes and business fee, would I want to invest $120ish every month on meal replacement shakes?” For me, the answer was no, for reasons I outlined in this blog post. I just couldn’t justify spending that much time and money on something that wasn’t for me.

  73. Thank you for your honesty, and not totally bashing BB as a whole. I’ve been a coach for 2 years. Honestly, I haven’t put my heart and soul into it, but it’s hard for me to do that coming from an eating disorder background. I wanted to make it work, but I think what I wanted more than anything is to be a part of something. I can’t afford to be a coach either. I’ve put off quitting because I kept asking myself…Are you really doing everything you can to make this work? Now I’m saying, Why aren’t you willing to do everything you can to make this work?I am not good at friending people I really don’t know on FB, just to have more people to reach. It feels less than authentic, for me. When I look at Shakeo (which I do like) I could buy a plane ticket to see my daughter in England for what it costs me to buy the stuff. Seriously, what is more important, powdered nutrition, or seeing my kid? I didn’t want to admit to myself that this was the wrong endeavor, for ME. Anyone out there that wants to be a coach, and can be successful at it, more power to them. This is what I needed to read right at this moment. Stars align, and God works in ways I don’t always understand. Thank you for sharing honest feelings, for not being one of the “I quit BB minions”, who people click on, only to read what a great opportunity it is.

    1. Thank you for sharing your experience! Being a coach is hard enough. I can’t imagine the emotional toll it takes when you have an eating disorder. The Shakeology is just too expensive for MOST people. There’s nothing wrong with it. It’s just not a sustainable, smart investment. I agree with you wholeheartedly. When given the choice between seeing my kid vs paying for a shake every month, of course you choose the kid. Most BB coaches would tell you that you can earn more than enough to pay for that plane ticket by just inviting more, friending more, etc. It’s just not for everyone.

      I’m so glad you found my post, and I hope it helped give you some clarity. <3 Hugs to you!

  74. I never comment on blogs, but I have to comment on this. I recently decided to quit BB as well. Thank you for writing this. I feel like I’m letting my coach above me down, but I don’t believe in Shakeology (it’s way too pricey). And I honestly hate selling to people I know and even don’t know! Their workouts are great, however there are so many cheap or even free workouts online. If anyone needs a new workout plan, Lauren Gleisberg is great! I love her stuff and a lot of it is free!! Anyway, I feel bad making people believe they need to buy something as expensive as BB, when in reality there are so many cheaper options out there! Thank you for writing this again 🙂

    1. You’re so right, Krista! Thank you for your suggestion of Lauren Gleisberg! I have also found some stuff on Bodybuilding.com website. I found an online personal trainer who offers meal plans, workouts, and check ins that are tailored specifically to your goals and your body. And he’s running a special right now for $50 for his 8 week plan. He adjusts meal plan as needed throughout the program, too! Check him out at http://www.lukasduncan.com 🙂

  75. I had this very same thing happen to me. I was a huge fan and I do believe in their workouts. But I don’t like the way it operates. It is not genuine. The coaches (and I was one of them) say they are there to help people but in the end it is about making a buck. And if you are not in the club they cut you our of their lives. Not real friends at all. very disappointing.

    1. Their workouts are incredibly helpful…especially to those that don’t want to/”can’t” go to a gym or don’t know where to start. I have a few friends left from that group, but most have since abandoned me, and I’m actually thankful for the experience. It taught me a lot about my own worth.

  76. Felicia Rutledge

    I am so glad I found this. I have VERY recently just had a 10 year friendship fall apart because of BB and what it has done to my friend. I feel it’s changed her quite a bit. She was my BEST friend, and now we will likely never be warm towards each other ever again.
    I didn’t even bother to go into depth with how I felt when it all unraveled but I saw her spending an excessive amount of time on FB/SM, going away on summits/trips regularly, and faking this perfect wonderful amazing life online. All while shirking out of her mom duties. That’s on her, not BB. But still.

    I feel like if I really get into it I’ll ramble on. But I am so much more at ease with my decision to stay away from her after reading all of this.

    1. I am so sorry you’re experiencing this. I would never advocate ending friendships (true friendships, where both people are putting forth positive energy into each others’ lives). I hope you all are able to work things out and continue your friendship! Sometimes it’s better to sever ties and walk away from a toxic relationship, if that’s the case, but sometimes a little grace goes a long way. <3

  77. Wow! I feel like you and I are in the same place at the same time. Have you quit yet? OMG this blog is just blowing my mind right now… Every time I search “quitting beachbody ” it’s always some tag line that a coach has put and in the end talks about “how they just could never quit”. This is the first real thing I have seen. I am just at a complete heart ache right now deciding to stay or go… I’ve been a coach for two years now and there are so many things I LOVE about BB that I am so torn. I reached diamond at this time last year, kept it until May, then dropped to emerald and am now at coach. Looking at my COO makes me want to cry thinking “I let it all go” and “wtf is wrong with ME?”. But the truth is I haven’t been building my biz all year and since June I just mentally couldn’t handle seeing any more messages. It’s so much work and burden having to “help others” and pull their “why” out of them. Having people quit on you, change coaches, stop replying, etc, I AM emotional but I just really let this get to me and affect my self esteem! I know that’s what PD is for but its just been really getting to me. I decided to go back to school in the summer and I have been trying to balance both but it feels impossible and defeating. I am getting married this year, in school and I hate being glued to SM every other minute of my life! I told myself that I would decide what to do about coaching by New Year’s Eve and this REALLY helps! I am dreaming of deleting my Facebook and unplugging for a LONG time because I feel like SM has just run the show for two years now! I’d love to chat more.

    1. I think so many people are lured in by the thought of making a quick buck, and they’re “afraid” of leaving their upline AND downline. What will people think of me if I quit? Ya know?

      The most important thing, IMO, is to think about what makes YOU happy. Don’t worry about everyone else. I promise…if you leave, your downline will be taken care of by your upline. If you stay, well…that’s your choice. But it sounds to me like you already have major reservations, and I can tell you that it was one of the best decisions I ever made.

      I still stand by the statement that personal development (learned through BB) has helped me grow immensely in the past year, and I continue reading more books than I ever dreamed about before I became a coach. I am thankful for the experience, but I don’t miss it! 🙂

    2. You are so right! My life for two years was lost on FB and IG! It makes me sad actually when my “on this day” posts show up with an adorable pic of my kids and I see that I was just posting about shakeo or my workout…not my kids 🙁

      It took over my world and my self esteem. I’ve been going to a real gym lately, connecting with real people and also took an entire week off of FB (my notifications are stacking up!) and I feel awesome! I know some deep secrets on my team upline and how they keep rank and what they sacrifice to keep rank and a lot of it is financial sacrifice they run multiple business centers for every family member they can get ahold of just to keep rank and it’s like a house of cards that is ready to fall in a second. Enjoy your time away from social media! It’s amazing! Do it I recommend it! Best wishes for you in school and your wedding! Congrats!

  78. Hey girl! I too was once a Beachbody coach (actually signed up twice lol) and ended up not liking the cult-atmosphere in the end. Although my reasons for no longer actively coaching are a little different, it’s nice to see a real review and reason, leaving the reader to make their own decision. Great blog post!!!

    1. Thank you for your sweet comments, Tanya! We all have our reasons for everything. It felt so good being able to let out so many of the feelings and emotions I was going through at the time.

  79. Wow, this is everything I have felt for over a year now. Probably the beginning of this year I quit caring. I was spending more time trying to get a good “workout selfie” and write the right post to get attention than I did actually working out. Feeling fake doesn’t even begin to describe how I started to feel.

    I think if you like the hustle, truly love Shakeology, you will see success as a BB Coach. Me? I’ve never really loved Shakeology; the Starbucks line is a bunch of BS and gimmicky.

    And how about the gimmick of being a 365-er by having purchased 12 consecutive Shakeology HD orders. If you skip one, you lose the the ability to be a 365-er… doesn’t matter if you drink it daily, just matters that you purchased it every single month.

    1. Jennifer, that Starbucks and/or McDonalds comparison is weak, isn’t it?! I guarantee you if someone eats McDonalds or drinks Starbucks every single day, if they cut that out, not only will they save money but they’ll lose weight! No Shakeology needed! lol

  80. Thank you for sharing this post. I was debating on whether or not to be a coach because it looked like it was fun and possibly rewarding but I really cannot justify spending $140+ a month. What I also noticed was how the BB coaches aka “consultants” advertise that they coach you into workouts and meal plans that are right for you meanwhile when I did inquire about the opportunity and the plans I was told to purchase a “challenge pack” which had a link to the site to buy shakeology and some exercise video for $140.00 (how personalized is that)?

    1. Exactly, Gina! I think the idea is to save people money by offering them the challenge pack because it’s offered at a discount as a challenge pack. However, most of the time they’re selling you a workout program that you really weren’t interested in (you may have wanted 21 Day Fix, but it’s not currently offered as a challenge pack), so you end up with the wrong program for you and a bag of powder! At this point I can say the smartest thing I did was walk away from the Shakeology and start eating clean, whole foods. There is no substitute for real food (even if it is SUPER as they claim). Thanks for reaching out! Glad I could help!

  81. Thank you so much for this post Melissa! I’ve been a BB coach for about 6 months and am in the process of quitting. I was FULL ON when I first started. The workouts and improved nutrition really helped me out of a funk, and the ladies in my upline seemed like amazing “like-minded” people. I was so excited! I was totally drawn in by the promise of, if you work hard enough, you too can have a “life by design”. Working from home, making 6 figures, living the dream…it was what I wanted so badly, so I guess I was willing to put blinders on.

    I went hard for those first 6 months and had a little bit of an income. But could not for the life of me grow my team. And then out of the blue one day, it was like I just woke up. All of the posting on fb, ridiculous videos of myself working out (shudder), messaging people, and just feeling icky (which, I was told, meant that I was just “doing it wrong”)…ugh. I feel like such an idiot now looking back at how quickly I drank that kool aid. I too went to Summit in Nashville, and while some of the speakers were amazing, I was disappointed when I met a lot of these “like-minded” women in person – so not who I thought they were…and a lot of them looked quite a bit different than they do online 😉

    Anyways, it helped me get out of a funk, and REALLY pushed me out of my comfort zone, which in a way, hasn’t been a bad thing for me. But I’m very happy to be leaving it and no longer spending $150/month (Canadian) on Shakeo (ugh – I also shudder to think how I tried to justify the cost of that to customers). I’ve just started a self-care blog, with nothing icky behind it, and I feel amazing and like I’m actually helping people…and not just using that as a guise to convince myself I’m not selling.

    Thanks again for writing this! There are a lot of us who can relate.

    1. Erin, I’m so glad you chose to pursue a health and wellness blog without pushing products that aren’t necessary! One day you may even decide to add some fitness affiliates. Just make sure you believe in whatever it is you’re putting out there. Whey-isolate protein is very effective in building muscle, but you can buy it for significantly cheaper than the superfood goddess Shakeology! lol Keep up the good work! I’m proud of you!

  82. Thank you so much for this post. You have Said so much of what I feel, but is also my worst fear because I’ve been coaching for over a year now, and I hate to feel like I’m quitting at something I’ve devoted so much time and energy too. I’m an “emerald” coach and have had lotS of family and friends follow me on the journey – I jumped in, went to events, created a likes page and posted workouts and starting friending the crap out Of people! I have so many friends now i don’t know, I feel like it’s fake and wierd more and more to be friending all these people. I get no response from so many people I message it makes me feel icky and o I don’t want to feel the pressure to keep doing it. It’s one thing If people want my help, you know where I am, but I’m feeling done messaging and following up with people. I have no extra time and I just don’t want to use my extra time on beachbody instead of my husband or my kids, The workouts and meal plans have taught me so much and I am grateful for that! And I do still love our challenge group but immfeeling like yeah are these people really my friends? If I stop drinking shakeology is everyone still gonna be so nice? i am grateful to beachbody and the community of amazing inspiring women and I’ve learned so much from their programs l on what to eat and how to fit in regular movemnt. the challenge group helps keep me accountable. I consider so many of the girls my true friends and it makes me sad to think some (if not all) of that might go away if I quit. I am so sad for you that you lost so many friends as a result! What about your challengers? I don’t want them to feel like I’ve abandoned them, how did you tell them? I have so many people who want to “learn more” and Peole who want to start after the holiday – do people still contact you about programs? Did you post about your breakup on social
    Media? Did you go clean break like no shake or challenge group ever again?? One of my biggest hangups is feeling like I’m letting people down, and abandoning my challengers – like its an image ive been keeping up that now I’m losing, did you write them messages about it? I would Def want to fill people in but not offend the people I really do care about that do work the business. It’s such a hard decision bc I do still believe in the programs and I’m the accountability groups. I wonder if I can still be a challenger but just not a coach of Any new people – just hold at the group of people that ive sponsored. Did you still help them stay accountable? I don’t run he challenge group I’m in, Id still like to stay but just w/o coaching and shake. I have so much of the stuff I can still drink it for awhile! right now it’s on delivery once every other month to cut down price but the monthly fee adds up and i subscribe to bbod and it’s just a loT!
    Its so refreshing to feel like my feelings are validated cause the stuff you are saying speaks to what I feel at times about the company and the whole beachbody world – thank you for helping me see that I’m not alone! You have helped me see that this is the right decision, hoping I can still continue the parts I like but losing the rest. And what did you do about all the new “friends” aquired? Did you purge??
    <3

    1. Ok, Brooke. Take a deep breath and release. Let go of the need to be everything for everyone. I called my upline (who was my ex sister in law and one of my “best friends”), and I told her that I had found an online personal trainer running a special, and he writes a full meal plan for you (daily all five meals) as well as a workout plan tailored to lose weight or gain muscle. He always says you can’t chase two rabbits at once! He also did biweekly check ins for accountability where I send in photos of my progress. She told me that he was a “glorified” challenge group and that it was stupid that I was considering using someone else. This was a gut punch to her because she was supposed to be coaching me, but she wasn’t helping me. That was when I quit. And I actually wrote this blog post and talked to all of my challengers and just let them know that it wasn’t in my heart. Then I posted the blog, and the mass exit of Beachbody friends began. Nearly all of them deleted me immediately, which actually surprised me. But I guess when you write a blog post like this one, you better expect to piss some people off!

      As for unfriending potential challengers, I may have unfriended a couple of people that I friended just for the sake of having people to message, but for the most part, they’re still there. I DO need to do a purge of my account, though, because my friends that I actually CARE about keeping up with are getting lost in my feed by folks I don’t even know.

      I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions! My advice? Cut the cord before the holidays and enjoy some times with your husband and kids! You won’t regret it!

      Merry Christmas!

      1. Wow Brooke! I feel like you and I are in the same place at the same time. Have you quit yet? OMG this blog is just blowing my mind right now… Every time I search “quitting beachbody ” it’s always some tag line that a coach has put and in the end talks about “how they just could never quit”. This is the first real thing I have seen. I am just at a complete heart ache right now deciding to stay or go… I’ve been a coach for two years now and there are so many things I LOVE about BB that I am so torn. I reached diamond at this time last year, kept it until May, then dropped to emerald and am now at coach. Looking at my COO makes me want to cry thinking “I let it all go” and “wtf is wrong with ME?”. But the truth is I haven’t been building my biz all year and since June I just mentally couldn’t handle seeing any more messages. It’s so much work and burden having to “help others” and pull their “why” out of them. Having people quit on you, change coaches, stop replying, etc, I AM emotional but I just really let this get to me and affect my self esteem! I know that’s what PD is for but its just been really getting to me. I decided to go back to school in the summer and I have been trying to balance both but it feels impossible and defeating. I am getting married this year, in school and I hate being glued to SM every other minute of my life! I told myself that I would decide what to do about coaching by New Year’s Eve and this REALLY helps! I am dreaming of deleting my Facebook and unplugging for a LONG time because I feel like SM has just run the show for two years now! I’d love to chat more.

  83. That you for writing this! It says everything that I have been trying to say but couldn’t find the words. Trying to explain to my up line the whole “I don’t believe in the supplements” but the workouts are good, was a foreign concept to her. Again, Thank you!

  84. Thank you for writing this. Took the words out of my mouth. I feel so stupid for believing all that crap. I went to a leadership meeting looking to launch my ‘business’ forward and one of my uplines literally said, ‘you can’t waste too much time on a coach.’ Meaning they really have to prove themselves. Well I proved myself, and then I proved myself out the door. I have always wanted to help people and when I said I had repeat challengers from month to month, my uplines said that I eventually need to kick them out to run their own group. Um, no. I guess you have to have no conscious to work this biz, but I will not give up my passion for helping others genuinely. I have already lost sight for a moment about what a stay at home mom is about, but I’m glad I quickly realized how much of a scam it is. Thanks for writing and thanks for letting me vent in your comments section 🙂

    1. You can vent here anytime, Amanda! Thank you for your comment! I really think that so many coaches truly believe they are helping other people. And to an extent, they are helping people by holding them accountable. I just saw through it all and realized that it wasn’t for me.

  85. I totally relate to this post. I love the workouts!! When I signed up as a coach my upline lied saying this was no sales and was just “sharing”, all the people on my team are script robots sometimes their posts have the exact same content….to the point I started doubting their “debt free” posts questioning if its even real?! I made it Diamond too and yes! I am a mother of 3 and felt I neglected my family sometimes as all I had in my head was “how to make my biz grow and make it work like my other team mates claim they do?” I wasnt working outside of home because I joined after I had my 3rd child with the hopes I could make a full time income…long story short it NEVER happened even tho I followed their behaviors and yes every post on fb had to be calculated it wasnt me anymore…

    I found an outside of home job also in Real Estate and I live the normal adult life. I now realized Beachbody coaching is not for me I have priorities in life and cant idealize a life I see from others over a screen. Beachbody may work for some but I could assure their significant other is the provider OR they started way before the business became over saturated.

    Nothing is as good as it looks…and I was too naive.

    I LOVE 21 Day fix and Shaun t and will always rather workout at home than gym for convenience. But coaching I could say its a scam.

    1. What a crappy way to recruit you! I bet you quickly realized (once your fb friends list filled up with BB coaches) just how much time, calculated fb posts, etc it actually would take to “make it”.

      Where do you sell real estate? Do you enjoy it? 🙂

  86. Thanks for writing this! I’m a coach currently and haven’t made a single sale except for my mom! I initially signed up to coach so I could make a little extra cash (I work in a classroom so have summers off) for my daughter and I. I also just wanted to get to a better place with my health and fitness so I could be a better influence on my daughter because I broke up with her abusive father a few months before becoming a coach. So basically I thought that by becoming a coach it’d help me in all aspects of life. Now I’m not so sure. I kind of feel like many of the top coaches I know come across as fake and not genuine. Almost like they don’t REALLY care about the people they are supposedly “helping”. They just post stuff on fb to get those likes because those likes are potential customers. I too think there’s a lot of good within Beachbody but I can’t get behind it and back it completely when I think the shakes are way too expensive, most of the coaches that say “anyone can do it” are middle class white women who have husbands to help them, and the name is BEACHBODY which is in itself pretty excluding and to me makes it all unapproachable to entire populations of people. I don’t know. I’m just happy I found someone who has lived this and who decided not to continue coaching but can actually back it up with great insight. Thanks for reading and hope to hear from you soon!

    1. Lindsey, I still cringe when I think about how fake I felt when I was “just trying to help other people”. I know so many people thought I was annoying and a joke, and I hate that I even did it. The one thing I learned from my BB coaching experience is that personal development is vital to growth. I haven’t stopped reading since I quit coaching, and I realize the importance of it. Thanks for your comment!

  87. Hi, Melissa –

    I’ve been a BB coach for about 10 months, and I have to say, I was SO excited at first. I love my coach and had already been an active member of several accountability groups. I thought “Great….now, I’m going to get paid for stuff I already do anyway!”. Well, I completely underestimated the time commitment….not to mention how much I hated feeling fake (I’m NOT a salesperson and absolutely dislike following up – AKA “bugging” – people). I just wanted to thank you for your post. I’ve been on the fence about quitting coaching, and after reading your story, I’ve decided it’s OK for me to admit this isn’t for me. I love Shakeology and I love all of the BB workout programs. But I can’t justify a “Net 0” income after spending hours on Facebook. If I’m on Facebook, I’d rather look at cat videos…LOL! Anyway, I appreciate you. Now, to deal with the people a BB corporate who will probably try to convince me NOT to quit. 😉

    1. I hope the process of quitting was easy for you! It did take me awhile to get my paperwork approved because they make you fill out a manual form and scan it in and email it (even though they have an online form). At least that was the process when I quit….what a pain in the ass!

  88. I found your blog, Melissa, after doing a Google search on the topic of the Beachbody coaching feeling like a cult.

    See, here’s the thing with me: I work in sales and marketing as a content writer. I’ve also had experience in direct sales (Avon, Mary Kay). And sadly, I was fortunate enough to leave a church sect that used “programming” tactics that are *very* similar to Mary Kay and BB.

    But I won’t tell that story. What I will say is that I signed up to be a coach, and within 24 hrs, I was calling customer service to walk me through a cancellation. Now, I need to ask them for a refund.

    So reading through your story and all of the comments, I know for certain that my instincts were correct. And my situation is more interesting because I refused to buy the Shakeology. I told my “coach” that a) I’m already on a supplement program and I don’t want to overdose on vitamins and minerals. Also, I take two different types of probiotics, so I don’t need the Shakeo ingredients.

    I won’t air out the details of the failed recruitment out of respect for this person, but the point is, as I quickly did the math in my mind, I realized that I was being squeezed out of money, especially at a time when I JUST SIGNED UP.

    Again, I won’t post details publicly, but it’s all too clear that the business model for the sales force (coaches) is VERY culty/programmy in nature. And I refuse to be sucked into anything like that, ever, EVER again.

    One last note: At first, I was told that I could be a “discount coach”, and I compared that to signing up for Avon to get a discount. But here’s the difference: Avon NEVER, EVER makes the reps buy into products, especially not for the purpose of staying active.

    They’ll *encourage* you to buy products in the same spirit of becoming a “product of the product”. When I was a rep, I wore a fragrance that someone asked me about, and that was a sales lead. But that’s organic in nature. No harm, no foul!

    But NEVER do Avon’s reps have to buy into product and seminar schemes in order to stay active-at least, not at the lower levels. The managers have to pay into things, but these are top-tier reps who have the money to buy in. The lowest level reps could really coast without recruiting anyone, buying their own products at a discount.

    I’m not currently an Avon rep, but I’d go back to them because they treat their reps like as they are-independent sales reps, emphasis on “independent.”

    Yeah, there’s some pushy Avon uplines out there who just want to generate money from your sales, but if you tell them upfront not to expect anything from you, that you’re just in it for the discounts, then they’ll either respect that, or they’ll leave you alone.

    1. I can’t speak for the other MLM companies, but I can say that BB has turned me off from ever wanting to be a part of something like that again. Thank you for your comment!!

  89. I submitted my quit notice yesterday after a little more than a month. Friends and family who initially said they’d support me balked when it came time to actually make a purchase. “I’ll just borrow your DVD’s” and “buy it for me with your discount and I’ll pay you” and “I’m mot paying over $100 a month for a shake” were the responses. I got chastised by one of the team’s top producers for not pushing shakeology. My doc made me stop using it. After some experimentation we’ve determined there’s some ingredient that affects my blood pressure. I can’t in good conscience recommend it to anyone without consulting their doc first. I also don’t like the way some of the team coaches present themselves as experts when they don’t have formal fitness or nutrition training. On the business side – no customers, no business. I don’t need the shakeo discount anymore because I switched to Sun Warrior. On the personal side – I’m a failure at the vital behaviors. Once someone says no, I’m done. I don’t want to make my social media profiles public. I don’t want to post 3-5 BB posts a day trying to lure people in. I don’t want to “friend” people I don’t know. I have less than 100 friends on Facebook and I like it that way. I don’t want to gently nudge people I haven’t talked to in years to soften them up for a purchase. This isn’t me. So I am done and I feel really good about that 🙂

    1. Yes! The amount of “experts” drives me nuts!! When I finally quit coaching and hired a REAL online personal trainer/coach, I lost 25 pounds and learned so much about health and fitness that I never knew as a coach. I still don’t know everything, and I don’t HAVE to! I’m helping myself, and I don’t need Shakeology to do that. I’m proud of you for sticking to your guns and not recommending it to others without doctor’s approval! Thanks for your comment!

  90. This post has opened my eyes to so much! Honestly, I have not been a beachbody coach for long, but I am in college, and I already am starting to feel the extra stress. I have been recently contemplating on quitting. I am not a put it in your face type of person, and just this past weekend alone, I did not post anything…so I received a text message and facebook message from my coach because she was concerned. I appreciated the thought, but all she was concerned about is if anyone that I knew signed up for the new challenge group. I love the shakes, but I can make a protein shake and be just fine. I have my boyfriend as a coach under me, but now that is going to take more expenses out of my pocket. They made it sound so easy…”all you have to do is reach emerald”….yeah and SC points and 90 PV….they are crazy. It is not likely for me personally to make money because like I said I am in college….what college student is going to pay an extra 140-220 dollars..none that I know of.

    1. Kaylyn, thank you for sharing your experience! Unfortunately, that’s the mentality of most of the Beachbody coaches I know. They want you to push push push to “save lives” and “everyone matters” blah blah blah….

      You’re absolutely right in that you can get the exact same benefits in a protein shake as Shakeology. BB likes to compare the “superfoods” in Shakeology as if they actually make all the difference. SINCE I have quit Beachbody coaching, I’ve lost 21 pounds (in six months), and I attribute it to hiring a REAL online personal trainer, eating healthy with a meal plan that he has given me (every single meal planned out), and working out daily (workouts change every week, too). It never gets boring, and I am seeing more results than I ever did when drinking Shakeology. I drink Complete Nutrition’s sea salt caramel toffee whey isolate protein shake post workout, and it is delicious and provides the nourishment and gains I need.

      Best of luck to you in your decision! You know my advice would be to hit the road! 🙂

        1. I actually had a few friends who had participated in his 8 week transformation contest. They had amazing results, so I asked them about him before actually speaking with him to come up with a plan for myself.

  91. Wow Thank you for sharing this, I feel the same way. I was the coach from 2010 to 2011 and I felt the same way and it got to the point that I could not afford the shake anymore myself as I have other bills to pay. I felt so very fake telling people to buy a shake that I myself could not even afford. I do agree with you though that the workouts are great and I have seen results with them. However, I do agree I just recently again lost weight and it had nothing to do with Shakeology at all. So yes people can lose weight and be healthy without Shakeology. it’s a huge marketing tool.I hope eventually people wake up and see what’s happening. I also agree with you I love their workouts and products. I had the same thing as you some people actually stopped talking to me and stopped associating with me when I was no longer a Beachbody Coach. I’m thinking all these people were completely showing me their true selves asthey don’t really care about me. All they care about is the next dollar. I even had a coach tell me that she thought it was unfortunate that I was no longer getting the shake anymore that I was missing out on the benefits. No I’m missing the benefits because that coach was continuing to make money off of me if I continued Shakeology.This person is a diamond status anyway but my coach was wonderful in all other aspects. It’s about making money. She was about making money and I don’t I don’t blame people for making money because it is a business but I’m just not sure if this is the best way. Thank you so much for sharing your story.

  92. Thank you for writing this. I’m a new (lonely) stay-at-home mom. And I’ve been approached by a few different women that I thought wanted to be friends. Turns out they saw me as a target for their Beachbody “business.” I can’t tell you how much it hurts to realize someone’s not really interested in being your friend but just trying to recruit you for their scam (and make no mistake, Beachbody is absolutely a recruiting scam). These MLMs train women to abuse their relationships, and prey on the vulnerable. I can’t stand it. More people need to speak out on this. Thank you!

    1. Thank you for your comment, Colleen! I receive frequent friend requests from people I don’t know, and I have to do a little digging to see if we have mutual friends or if they are targeting me as a potential recruit. I get it often from ItWorks reps as well. Thanks but no thanks! I’m not drinking the kool-aid ever again! Please feel free to share!

  93. Wow I needed to read this! Thanks! I have been a coach for nearly 2 years and feel like I am still where I was on week 1. I launched out of the gates quickly but then it fizzled out and I too struggled with the balance of family and “fortune” honestly I just wanted to make enough to stay home with my kids (I’m actually a fit pro with a degree and certification)

    Even for me it was hard and I feel like it doesn’t allow me to use my skills as much as I thought it might. “Training” people online with canned workouts then I have to go through and try to modify things for people who have physical restrictions….I can’t imagine what a non trained “coach” would try to do for these people. I have been doing a lot of reflection lately and this article surely helped me validate my feelings! Would love to talk more about how you approached your upline/team about it

    1. Thanks for your comment, KG! Well, my former sister in law was my upline, and she wasn’t exactly receptive to me quitting. I had grown rather close to many on my team, and shortly after I started this blog, many of them vanished from my friends list. I wish I had some good advice as to how to approach it, but all I can say is to follow your heart and share your true concerns with them. Best of luck to you!

  94. Hi! I’ve been a coach for 2 months and love to help people, but I feel so fake. I don’t love shakeology, it’s overpriced and I don’t need to be a “coach” aka distributor to help people. I feel Beachbody has paid the top phsychologists to make people think they’re coaches are credible and can offer the same advice as someone with a degree, or certification. I believe they just follow the script. While many have reached out to me, I agree with most, they just can’t afford it. And while I would rather use that $100 for a stress free trip with my family or pay off credit cards, I feel horrible offering it to someone who is struggling financially. I researched YouTube videos about quitting, I guess I need validation from others and make sure I’m not the only one who feels that way, I have noticed there aren’t any videos posted… Does Beachbody have them taken down? I’m assuming a multi million company would do such thing. I’m only able to find blog posts like these … Thank you! And thank you again for saying everything I truly feel. I would much rather get my personal training cert and sell my services that is MY business, not Beachbody and offer to help without pushing products. I can keep going…

    1. Thank you for your comment, Simi! I understand that “fake” feeling all too well. I also thought Shakeology was completely overpriced, and I know that no meal replacement shake is a good, healthy substitute for clean eating. You don’t HAVE to have a degree or be certified to personal train. That’s the scary thing. I actually found a trainer online that had 7 years of experience in bodybuilding competitions prior to becoming a trainer, and he has helped me far more than my “coach” ever did (and his services were cheaper than Shakeology every month!) I need to make a Youtube video telling my story. Thank you for the reminder! I don’t think that Beachbody takes them down. My thought is that most people don’t do it out of fear of backlash from their Beachbody “family”. Please feel free to share my post with others you think could benefit from it. 🙂

    2. I am a former BB coach. I have the same story as many and could have written this blog post-
      I quit and am now getting certified as a personal trainer and health coach. Feels so much more authentic- and not just slinging shakes!
      And my upline that recruited me and were so nice pretty much abandoned me as friends once I decided to quit, despite being very open and professional about it. That in itself reinforced my decision that I had done the right thing.

      1. That’s awesome, Daina! Congratulations on making the decision to do something BIG! You’re right! For some reason, I think upline coaches take it personally when you decide to do something YOU want to do! They drop like flies from friends lists! Haha

    1. You’re welcome, Cate! I’ve been told by many Beachbody coaches and even Doterra reps that they are feeling the same way. It’s just hard to justify the time and money for a dream when, in reality, very few people make it to the top! Feel free to share 🙂

      1. Yes! This. I have been on the fence for so long- and kept thinking, this month will be different… and it isn’t. Of the three vital behaviors, the only one that I truly feel successful with is personal development. Before Beachbody, I was eating healthier and exercising- I was making progress in the right direction… but I always though pd was hoaky- until now. It is one of the most valuable parts of my day! As far as coaching goes, I am trying to listen to my heart, wallet, conscious, etc…(I think we may be very similar souls) but then I think- what about all of the people I have met through the process? The people I thought were my friends? When I brought up to some of my team my questions and doubt, they told me- “without coaching, you would loose is and ourcsupport”. I guess I really resonated with your last thought- most of the Beachbody connections left your world- but faith and family are where it is at. If they are true friends, you relationship will survive- with or without Beachbody. Thank you for some clarity.

        1. Rebecca! How are you doing?! Did you make a decision to stay or quit coaching? What a jerk thing to say…”without coaching you would lose us and our support”. I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised, but they actually said that out loud?! Geez! Glad I could help!

    1. Thank you, Leslie! I sure hope so! I know that most of the reviews of MLM’s are from the active distributors/coaches, so they’re very biased! Hope this helps someone!

      1. how is this not biased either. For the personal development you have done, sounds like you need more with your negative mindset. Sorry it didn’t work out for you but have you ever put the accountability where it needs to be instead of bashing a company?

        1. This is absolutely biased because it’s based on my experience, but if you’ve read any of my comments, hundreds of other former coaches agree. It is definitely a poor business model set up to make the company rich and only about 1% of coaches actually make a decent profit (after selling their souls to the company).

          Best of luck, “[email protected]

          1. Thank you for this! I’d say I make a minimal income for what I give my participants as a BB coach. I’m looking at branching out and making my income 100% instead of a 25%commission. I definitely haven’t lost money, I’ve gained incredible training but was also sold the dream of the big income that I now see just isn’t plausible without insane hours of work.

          2. Well, best of luck to you, Jenn! It sounds like you’ve found your calling! Now you just need to figure out how to monetize it on YOUR terms!

        2. Amen!!! I love what I do as a coach!! They give me all the tools I need to better help women improve their health. I also coach them all year long. You can’t get that from a gym If your a middle class American. And the Shakeology, well she on is didn’t do the research. That product has improved my own heath including and not limited to, balancing my hormones so much that my hot flashes cease when I am taking it regularly. I have tried other careers that I hated but I don’t blame the companies. It just wasn’t for me. There is no secret hidden agenda. It’s an amazing opportunity for those who can’t afford the gym or like me who don’t have access to a gym to workout out and have a community.

          1. 1. A gym membership costs $35-50 per month so it is cheaper than drinking Shakeology.

            2. There IS a secret hidden agenda, though. Go look at Instagram. How many coaches are hiding that they’re affiliated with Beachbody? They share plenty of photos, selfies, inspirational posts…but they don’t publicly share that they are Beachbody coaches. I wonder why that is?

        3. She’s not bashing the company. Maybe you need to reread her post. She’s saying why she should be have signed up, why it wasn’t a smart decision for her, and why she felt guilty for inviting friends to get involved, while they were in debt. You’re probably drinking the kool aid.

        4. Jill Chapa BEACHBODYCOACH

          ? How is it beachbodies fault you could not time manage and when you join and purchase anything it tells you exactly what you’ll be spending everyone knows you don’t do this to make money you do it to get your stuff free or discounted lol it’s like something for people who like myself a stay at home mom I don’t have to work my husband makes the money but I also refuse to be aDNB do nothing b*+< so this allows me the opportunity to wake up and make something of my day and help someone else do the same and to get their feet wet in the health and fitness game also you can quit just like u did at anytime no contracts super cool ehhh btw anyone need a very positive BB coach HMU [removed self-promo] but sounds like u found what makes u happy that’s excellent I don’t BASH u for doing this either bcuz ur telling someone your experience however it does help people it seems to have helped u find your new thing your doing and helped u to know “what NOT to do when joining BB” good luck thanx for sharing

          1. Thanks for your comment, Jill. I truly do wish you the best in your endeavor. I share my story to educate people on the fact that multi-level marketing is set up to benefit the company far more than the coaches or distributors. Only about 1% of them are truly successful, and I do believe there are better ways to share your gifts and talents/serve the world. Like I said, best of luck to you. I do hope you find what you’re looking for!

    2. Yes, this was valuable information as I’ve been seriously considering “getting out of the business” myself for the last couple of months!

    3. Thank you so much for clarifying this formme. I literally just signed up a week ago , did the online training and tried to reach out on Social media. I felt so stressed and anxious about what I was doing. I’m in a tight spot with money right now. Knowing I could potentially put someone else in my shoes didn’t feel right to me. I agree Shakeology tastes gross.

      1. You’re welcome, Laura! Go with your gut when you feel anxious or stressed about something! I’m glad you found this post helpful! Be sure to check out my affordable Shakeology alternative here. 🙂 It tastes SO much better and is literally 75% cheaper than Shakeology! If you do decide to try it out, let me know what you think!

        1. Ummm
          Are you for real?
          I thought it was gonna be at least Vega one or something with substance other than protein.

          This is just a protein powder
          And one chalked full of harmful chemical ingredients
          The reason you didn’t believe n shakeology is you really didn’t understand what’s in it
          And that it’s not just a protein powder like this one
          It has 7 servings fruits and vegetables , 70 superfoods , protein, probiotics and all your essential vitamins and minerals. My husbands colitis is better because it has helped his gut health . I no longer get sick because my immune system is strong.

          It’s whole freeze dried foods never cooked so ingredients are pure and potent .
          You literally can not even compare the two products

          If you just want a protein power
          Fine

          But don’t mislead people with very wrong information

          1. Go home, Kay. You’re drunk! You’ve ‘bought in’ to the Shakeology hype! You truly believe that those “superfoods” are a cure-all. It is NOT liquid gold! The protein powder I recommend is a whey isolate, good for building muscle post-workout. It is NOT a meal replacement shake because no shake should replace whole food. Have a great day and best of luck to you. My suggestion is to stop drinking the Beachbody kool-aid.

    4. I think a lot of your frustration comes from a place of disorganization and lack of time management skills. If you plan out your day and schedule your work in blocks of time, you shouldn’t be COMSUMED with beachbody. I’ve been in the business for about 3 months and I have never felt consumed and I still have big goals. Quality time with my family and friends has actually increased and so has my relationship with Christ. Maybe you just needed better training or a better mentor. Just stating my opinion since your shouting to the world how terrible it is when I know plenty of women, personally, that have been able to quit their jobs and stay home with their children from this opportunity. We also don’t scream beachbody online because curiosity marketing is key. The people on my friends list actually look forward to my posts, clips, etc. Because I’m not there to SELL, I’m there to help, encourage, and inspire. It is not about the money for me, although that is a plus for sure, I’m there to help women change their lives and if you’re in it to make a quick buck then you’re in it for the wrong reasons. Again, I just think your mindset was, and still is, in the wrong place.

      1. While I appreciate your honesty, with all due respect, Alicia…you can’t deny the fact that hundreds (if not thousands) of women have experienced the exact same as I did.

        We all started Beachbody to 1. help ourselves get into shape. 2. obtain freedom from the 9-5 (quit our jobs to stay at home with the kids) 3. help people. In that order. If you say you’re putting the customers first, that’s just bologna.

        Every single human being puts ourselves and our families first (as it should be).

        I DID need a better trainer and mentor, for sure. But I’ve found that through a real personal trainer.

        I know you think that people appreciate your videos, clips, photos etc but would they tell you if they didn’t? I’m willing to bet that the majority of your likes and comments on your posts come from OTHER Beachbody coaches.

        Understand this…my mindset is in the right place. I believe with 100% certainty that I made the right decision quitting Beachbody.

        Best of luck to you.

        1. Honestly, I think your experience with mlm is the way it is because u made yourself to crazy about it. I’m not saying mlm is good. But at least beachbody has great workout programs. The fact that you promote purchase from amazing is insane. It belongs to the company, pay for BOD, do the workouts, call it a day. I’m never push shake on people. If they want it they want it, if they don’t, they don’t. But don’t make it seem like everyone pushes everyone. Cause we don’t. It takes five minutes to post something on Instagram. That’s it. Even a simpler look I got it done thing. I feel like as an mlm company they are pushing health living instead of useless junk.

          1. Honestly, you’re entitled to your opinion, but I obviously disagree. The coaches who are “successful” ie making any actual net profit are those who are constantly on social media and/or blogs and YouTube pushing the product. It’s okay…it’s their choice. I just wish that they’d be more transparent about it instead of hiding the company they work for as many do.

            I stand firm in my belief that MLM is not a good business model for 99% of the population.

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