Dear Lauren at Forbes Magazine,

I’m a pretty laid-back gal, but then I read your article “Inside Beachbody’s Billion-Dollar Fat Burning Pyramid,” and I’ve got to say:  You’ve got it all wrong, girlfriend.

You sort of remind me of a bully I dealt with in 8th grade named Michael who nicknamed me Krusty the Clown after I showed up at school with severely chapped lips from my new set of braces.  He proudly announced my new moniker to all of my classmates, and for the next six months, too scared to stand up to Michael, I came home from school every day and cried to my mom.  Do you know the difference between you and Michael?  I’m not afraid to stand up to you.

First of all, I think you should know who you are talking to.  Before I became a multimillion-dollar-earning “brown sludge” (as you so eloquently referred to it) dealer, I was the Director of Finance at a prestigious university.  I hold an MBA from a Top 20 school, and I had a 15-year progressive finance career from a fancy investment firm to turning down a VP spot at the university to become a full-time coach, so no, I’m actually neither a soccer mom nor a Stepford wife. 

Shocking, I know.

Forbes About Beachbody

Prior to your article, I was actually someone who enjoyed Forbes Magazine and thought it was a noteworthy, responsible press organization.  Even your title suggests ignorance towards my business.  Surely you know that the use of the word “pyramid” in conjunction with a network marketing company denotes a negative connotation in the minds of your readers.  I have no doubt this was done purposely.  However, pyramid schemes are illegal, and I assure you, if there was anything fake or illegitimate about my Beachbody coaching business, the IRS wouldn’t be so in love with charging me six figures in taxes every year.  The “network marketing = pyramid scheme myth” is at the very least, insulting to hardworking people like me who have worked to build a legitimate, thriving business.  I suggest you educate yourself so you can stop perpetuating this misconception.  You can learn more about what a pyramid scheme actually is here.  I hope you’ll find this illuminating and you’ll take pause the next time you go throwing around the p-word in reference to network marketing.

Six years ago, I started my Beachbody journey with some P90x DVDs I bought off of Craigslist. The only person I was trying to help was myself.  I hadn’t worked out in about 15 years.  I tried the first workout disc, getting halfway through, then vomiting because I was so out of shape.  No one was going to ask me to coach anyone.  I was no fit chick, but I also wasn’t a “couch potato” or a “fat person” like you insultingly suggested in your article.  Like Carl (and millions of others, I might add), I wasn’t a fan of working out or clean eating, so I was really proud of myself for taking my first step in a healthier direction from the convenience of my own living room.

When I lost 15 pounds, my friends and family started reaching out to me, asking me what I did.  When I’d tell them, they’d order the P90x DVDs for themselves, but they felt very lost and overwhelmed.  My friend suggested that I sign up to coach.  I’ll be honest; I didn’t sign up until months later, when my MBA student loans went into repayment. I filled out the coach sign-up form all on my own in an effort to make enough extra money to get the occasional manicure or shirt at the mall without feeling guilty. 

I’d like to touch upon your discussion of the Beachbody Coach earnings statement.  First of all, no one promises riches.  This is far from a get rich quick scheme.  Beachbody has its own income disclosure* about this very topic.  Perhaps everyone at your job works full-time.  My career is different.  Many of us just want a few extra dollars for fun expenses, and that’s okay.  We can work as little or as much as we all want.  In fact, over half of us coaches are merely signed up for the discount on products.  Beachbody doesn’t have a designated status for a preferred customer, like many other network marketing companies.  Their goal is not to sell; it is to enjoy a deeper discount on the products they love, which adds up to far more than what they pay for their coach fees.  So, the average coach making $3k is a ridiculous figure to go on.  I should know; I spent my entire career in financial analytics.

My desire to earn manicure money kind of blew up when all of my friends and family were recommending me to their friends and loved ones.  My phone was ringing off the hook.  I wasn’t prospecting these people; they were referred to me by someone I’d helped. My business was built without social media, a website, or a cold market.  In fact, that year I was the #19 salesperson in the company.  And my earnings were close to $30k.

While there are the lesser-skilled network marketers out there, no successful coach has built his or her business by cold calling and badgering strangers.  In fact, I think you’ll find that the most successful coaches in my business did so by building a solid reputation of honesty, authenticity, and a genuine desire to help others.  Deciding to base many of your assertions on the testimonial of a former Elite Coach who quit Beachbody in 2017 to sell “premium” wine, only to move on to another MLM soon after, is at the very least, misguided.  Any person who has been with three network marketing companies in a year is not a credible source on anything but being a quitter.

My vision for myself grew, and soon I imagined a life where I could help others in a bigger way.  Carl, who you hideously and repeatedly bashed in your article, was a big reason I got out of fear and started to step into my own power.  Carl stressed the importance of working on yourself first before you go out and help anyone else, so I read books that encouraged me.  I had mentors in the business who poured their hearts and souls into me and my goals.

You see, this “brown sludge” you speak of, it’s really not about the product; it’s about the people that come into the Beachbody community—whether as a customer or coach or corporate employee—that make it all so worthwhile.  Our mission isn’t actually “to sell to a nation of couch potatoes,” but more importantly, to live healthy, fulfilling lives. If my example inspires someone to do something a little bit healthier, then I feel like I’ve made a real contribution to the world.

As I suggested, I’m one of those hideous people that actually make money doing this.  I know.  How do I go to sleep at night thinking about all those people “below me” who don’t earn my wage?  You can ask the roughly 10,000 women and men that I mentor if I have made a difference in their lives; I know you’ll get a resounding yes.  Your assertion that “the pressure to expand your network’s sales is intense, and struggling coaches speak of being dropped by their higher-ups if they fail to perform,” is out of thin air.  I cannot dismiss people from my organization, nor can anyone else.  Life is not measured in money alone.  The leaders in Beachbody like myself work tirelessly to support and encourage everyone, regardless of their desire to create income . Most importantly, we encourage them to find joy in this process. 

Moreover, you also stated that those who experience family emergencies or take time off run the risk of losing their business.  This is also false.  What makes my business so great is that I have the freedom to step away at a moment’s notice.  My job is well-suited to flexibility. That’s the draw to becoming a coach; you’re free to travel and spend more time with your family.

Nothing we have in our Beachbody catalogue is a quick fix.  Most of our workouts are very intense and take a lot of heart, soul, and dedication.  I think you’ll find that the higher an income in a company like ours, the more authentic, open, loving, and supportive.  The only way to the top is with a high level of character and a deep concern to put others above yourself.  I’m sorry you missed that while you were focused on our top coach’s blonde hair, blue eyes, and her “McMansion” and our CEO’s Tesla and his third wife, who by the way, is an amazing source of inspiration to many of us in the company.

I’m not exactly sure what made you so angry.  Do you desire to reach the level of happiness and success of the beautiful people you met while writing this article?  You know the thing about bullies, Lauren?  Usually deep down they are jealous of the people they hurt.  There are thousands of us coaches, working hard, and building our businesses.  We’re on social media spreading hope and positivity, and we’re changing lives every single day.  And we’ll continue to do so.  If you could use an at-home workout solution or a way to find a little more positivity and joy in your life, any one of us would be happy to help.  Because that’s what we do.  We learned that kind of heart from Carl.

*Income Disclaimer and Income Earnings Statement: Beachbody does not guarantee any level of success or income from the Team Beachbody Coach Opportunity. Each Coach’s income depends on his or her own efforts, diligence, and skill. See our Statement of Independent Coach Earnings located in the Coach Online Office for the most recent information on our Coaches’ actual incomes.

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