Since retiring from the working last year, I've been able to live comfortably, despite the fact that Covid 19 has caused some interruptions in my life, such as constraints on my ability to travel and other lifestyle constraints as we deal with the pandemic. But it will pass eventually, and everything will presumably return to normal. Hanging out with other retirees is one of the things I do on occasion. There are retired fire fighters, police officers, electricians, office employees, salespeople, and the list goes on and on.
What I don't know about or haven't come across are any Amway retirees who developed a successful business and then retired to a peaceful but prosperous life funded by residual income from Amway. You'd think that after more than 60 years in business, some of these people would be retired and living happily ever after. This is the Amway utopia that is continually marketed to prospects and IBOS. Isn't it true that you should go diamond and leave your job? I've heard it a lot, and my friend's daughter works for Amway and is hoping for the same thing.
So why don't any of the existing gems retire to a tranquil yet comfortable life? You know, the kind of thing they pitch at weddings and other events? Isn't it true that all of these diamonds would rather be roaming the world's beaches than hurrying to parties and meetings? I've seen a few crown ambassadors pass away in the previous ten years or so, but none of them walked away to enjoy their retirement. A serene and serene way of life. Maybe they all liked what they were doing? Maybe, but considering they're the ones advertising residual income and early retirement, that seems unlikely.
However, allow me to present a counter-argument. It is not inexpensive to live a diamond lifestyle. Flying first class and staying in five-star hotels can be too expensive, particularly for a family. According to Amway's own figures, a Q12 diamond earns roughly 600,000 dollars per year, whereas a non-Q12 diamond makes less than 200,000. Because a Q12 diamond is an outlier, most diamonds make less than $200,000. This does not include revenue from selling tools and functions. Assume a diamond generates an additional $100,000 in gross income from tools and functions, for a total of $300,000. After taxes, business expenditures, health insurance, and other other charges, you won't be able to buy mansions in cash, nor will you be able to live the jet set lifestyle unless you are living beyond your means.
And perhaps that is why we don't see any Amway retirees. The gems simply cannot afford to not work. If they stop recruiting new members, their tool and function income will cease, and their Amway firm would most certainly collapse. And it's for this reason that a diamond appears to be indestructible. They can't afford to miss up on this opportunity. I've challenged Amway apologists and IBOs to offer a few names and some supporting proof of Amway retirees surviving on residual income over the years in my blogging experience. I haven't seen or heard of a single one yet, despite the fact that there are several examples.
DeVos and Van Andel issued a statement in one of their circulars several years ago, expressing their displeasure with this misunderstanding. According to them, several recruiters told prospects that if they built a large downline, they could retire and live off residual revenue. This was simply not true, according to DeVos and Van Andel, who said that telling prospects that "persons who had developed a strong Amway firm were not actively and routinely involved in maintaining its viability" was a deception.
In other words, in Amway, you CANNOT survive off the guise of "residual income." You CAN'T simply sit around collecting checks after you retire. You must remain in the industry and work it indefinitely.
From the mouths of DeVos and Van Andel, this was a remarkable and forthright acknowledgment. Today, no one in Ada, Michigan wants to talk about it or remember it. It's most likely been erased from the public record.
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