The end of an era

Yesterday afternoon, I held my final jewelry show. I've been selling a particular line of "high fashion" jewelry for two years, and am relieved to be done with it. As I drove to the venue, I reflected on how much I had grown through my experience as a direct sales jewelry lady.

When I started direct sales, I had little experience with the industry. I didn't know that most of my potential customers would be extremely wary of me and my business. I bought into the hype-- the "I make $400 a night, and you can, too!" sales pitch was pretty exciting. Also, the woman who signed me-- my "mom"-- was very friendly and got along with my dog, which is usually a good sign. We'll call her A. I earned a few hundred dollars worth of free jewelry at my first show, and I was hooked.

I did my research and investigated other direct sales jewelry companies, but decided the low price point and quality guarantee of the company I chose would encourage the most sales. My biggest worry was the blurb about "Christian values" in the catalog-- was this a heavily religious company? Would I be expected to promote values that weren't my own? A reassured me that I would not, that the religious aspect of the company was very small, and they were welcoming to all. I signed my papers and paid my $400 excitedly over lemonade at Panera.

I made $494 at my first show, and earned a few hundred dollars worth of jewelry for my sample table. I went out and bought a table, a rolling cart, prizes, and various tools of the trade. I was excited. $494 was a lot of money for a 21-year-old girl used to minimum wage retail jobs. During my second month, I had 4 home shows, earned $1021 before fees, and signed on a new jeweler to my downline. My upline was so proud of me. I felt like I was accepted, loved, and valued-- and I had money to spend on more jewelry!

4 months after I signed up, I traveled to Texas for a national convention. I was told "Rally" would change my life. I watched thousands of 50-year-old women scream like teenagers at a Jonas Brothers concert when the aging founders of the company rolled into the convention center-- on a horse-drawn carriage. I watched videos of missionaries spreading the gospel to people across the world. I heard stories of how this company saved so many struggling women's families by offering hope and money. The only part that really inspired me was the announcement of the company's highest grossing jewelers. I wanted to grow a massive downline and make thousands of dollars a week on their success.

At rally, I asked A to be a bridesmaid in my upcoming wedding. I felt like she truly cared about me, was accepting of me, had taken my hand and guided me through this bizarre land of jewelry ladies. She told me she was honored. I felt that I had a real friend.

I continued doing between 2 and 4 shows a month, far from my 2-a-week goal. I continued offering the "opportunity" to women at my shows. I had a few bites, but no catches. I started to deal with the unhappy customers-- the ones whose jewelry took too long to arrive, arrived broken, was starting to deteriorate. I had my first hostess fall off the face of the planet after scheduling a show. Despite being unable to contact her, I showed up at her doorstep and watched her feet through the blinds as she peeked out the peephole and ran away. Needless to say, my fiance stopped going to her for haircuts.

A few weeks after Rally, A called me up and sadly explained to me that she wouldn't be able to be my bridesmaid. There was a local jewelry lady training event the day before. I emailed her, letting her know that I would be perfectly fine with her flying out the evening before the wedding, but she didn't reply.

Nine months after I joined the company, I moved across the country. I was excited to be a full-time jewelry lady and start a huge downline in Las Vegas. There were few jewelers in Vegas, and I had plans to become a matriarch of sorts, with my own training and fans. I attended the west coast regional rally with my fiance, and we laughed at the cringe-worthy musical entertainment and religious testimonies.

A gave me a farewell gift, took me out to lunch, and promised she'd record the monthly training for me. She told me she'd always be there for me, and that she would miss me.

In Las Vegas, I held a few successful shows on the Air Force base and met a few promising prospective jewelers. After their husbands got relocated to various bases across the country, I didn't hear from them again. My business in Las Vegas started dwindling. Shows got cancelled, guests didn't show up. I never received any training from my upline back east. Money got tight. I started applying for "real" jobs. I realized that the $400 income from a great show was awesome, but elusive. I was making about $200 a month. I decided to continue with jewelry sales as a side job.

Shortly after my one-year anniversary with the company, which fell a few days before my wedding, I started a full-time job as a nanny. I continued to schedule the occasional Sunday afternoon jewelry show. I had a good set-up, and the extra few hundred dollars a month was nice.

At one show, a woman ordered an $89 watch. The jewelry was shipped to me, and I offered to mail it to her. She told me she'd rather pick it up from me, and she promised to call when she was in the area. After a week of holding her watch, I let her know I'd be going out of town for a few weeks, and I could mail it to her beforehand, or she'd need to wait to pick it up. She said she'd wait. I called and left a message when I got back, but didn't hear from her for a while.

Finally, she called and demanded to know where her watch was. She told me that she had been waiting for me to mail it to her ever since the show. I politely told her I'd get it in the mail to her the next day. One hour after I mailed it, a woman from the home office called me. She told me she had just heard from this woman saying I had stolen her money and never sent her the watch. The woman from the home office didn't want to hear my story. She told me I had to refund the woman her $89 immediately. I asked if the company would be refunding me the $44.50 I paid them for the watch, and she said no. It was my problem. I had to let the woman have the watch, and her money, or my business would be shut down. I grudgingly sent off a check for nearly $100 to the thief. I never heard from her again.

After this incident, I realized that the "Christian values" the company bragged about in their catalog were only a front to get more money. The company was there to make money, and that was about it. My upline didn't want to hear my problems, in fact, they didn't want to hear anything from me other than how much money I made for them. I realized that A was not the kind, caring friend I had imagined her to be. She was an obsessive jewelry lady with one goal-- money. When I sent out my wedding invitations, my upline-- always bragging about their insane income-- all regretfully declined.

During my last year, I held a handful of shows and dreaded each one. I never heard from A after the watch incident. I think she was a savvy business woman after all. She knew when to cut her losses.

As I headed out the door yesterday for my final show-- more of a sample sale-- my husband asked me, as he did before every show, if I was excited. For the first time in a year, I said yes.