This was a really interesting look at MLMs from the inside. I quite enjoyed the memoir aspect of things, but I don't think the social commentary part was as strong. There is definitely something to be said for the racism, sexism, and doubling down of normative roles that these companies enforce and represent, but the author's critique felt tacked on and underdeveloped. The memoir parts are really where the meat of the book are, and they range from mundane to unbelievable. I am absolutely baffled by some of the things Paulson was expected to work through.
It's worth checking out for insight into the mindset and techniques that lead people to stay in something they know deep down is kinda shady. The information control aspect was especially fascinating, albeit disturbing. They really do use some culty recruiting tactics.

What a hoot! This book is a deep dive into MLMs and Emily Lynn Paulson's experience being involved in an MLM.

1. I didn't know that the KKK started as a MLM.

2. Emily weaves her sobriety story throughout the book in a tasteful way that doesn't feel pushy about peddling her own program.

3. This book will make you think a little differently about the people who have slid into your DMs in the past.

What a fun ride this book was

Thank you to @rowhousepub and @netgalley for providing a free advance copy! I could not stop listening to this one! I saw @mytobereadstash post about reading it and immediately requested it. I love MLM stories and memoirs, so this was a great combination. The author's story is so interesting, and she doesn't shy away from her own mistakes/regrets. always find it fascinating to get an inside look into MLMs, and since the author was in the upper tiers of one she has some unique insight I hadn't heard much of in previous MLM shows/podcasts I've watched or listened to. Highly recommend this if you find MLMI culty vibes fascinating.

As a military wife, the MLM culture and the vulture like attitude is everywhere. This book brought all of those memories to the forefront of my mind. This was a beautifully raw look into that culture!!

A good insider look at MLM culture and why it can be so damaging. I appreciated her consideration of minorities and underprivileged women. I didn’t think all the coarse language was necessary, however, and the book seemed a bit repetitive and too long.

This book is a memoir that provides a scatching insider's critique of the Multi-Level Marketing industry. Emily Lynn Paulson, a former rep for a company called "Rejuvinat" (not the real name) where she made her way up to the top 0.5%. This memoir looks at everything in her journey, from the circumstances that made her consider selling in the first place all the way up to her departure from the company and the subsequent consequences and reflections.

And Paulson doesn't hold back. She talks here about the recruiting processes, conventions, social media presence, and pressures to conform to the norms of the company during her time as a consultant. She talks about how she was pressured to post aspirational (and misleading) social media content in order to recruit new consultants in her downline, how her compensation was very dependent on the pyramid structure of the company, and how much of her money just filtered right back into her job through attending conventions, purchasing products to acheive sales goals, and and buying gifts for her downline. She even discusses how the "free" car she earned wasn't as "free" as it appeared.

It basically confirmed everything I felt like is really happening behind the scenes when my Facebook friends start selling these types of products.

The general idea here is that Paulson explains how MLMs work very much like cults, which is an argument that I've seen before (and agree with), but was happy to see fully fleshed out here with tons of details from an insider. It works particularly well here because Paulson made it so far in the company -- she was actually successful, but still paints a picture of why these companies are destined to fail...even for "successful" participants. Paulson applies lenses of gender and social class successful to her analysis of her own story, which was probably my favorite aspect -- she really talks about why white upper middle class women are particularly vulnerable to these companies, and why that is harmful. She does consider race in her discussion, though that discussion is a little bit less sucessful as it is more of a surface-level analysis, since she is a white woman and can't really speak on minority experiences from an insider perspective.

As this is a memoir, Paulson also covers her personal journey with her family and her own alcholism as she gets deeper and deeper into her "business."

This memoir is as juicy, if not juicier, than I expected and I FLEW through it. I read it both on audiobook and in print, and both were a delight -- the audiobook narration was seemless and felt like listening to a long-form podcast giving me all the dirt on these scammy companies. I highly recommend this to anyone who has ever been approached by a hun on Facebook...it's definitely worth the read.

I don't often listen to audiobooks but after listening to this one I think I'm going to listen to more. Emily is a wonderful storyteller and her voice is soothing. She speaks with knowledge and authority. I learned a lot from this audiobook, both about her personal story and about the MLM world in general (which was pretty shocking). I didn't know too much about MLMs going into this, and I feel like she did a great job of explaining all about MLMs without sounding patronizing at all. I've already recommended this audiobook to friends because of how much I enjoyed it. Thank you to NetGalley and OrangeSky Audio for this ALC!

Hey, Hun
By: Emily Lynn Paulson
Narrated by: Emily Lynn Paulson
Review Score: 3 1/2 Stars

Five Key Feels
-It was interesting to see the similarities in how all MLM’s function.

-You can really see how the growth of social media also helped the growth of MLMs.

-This book is shocking at times, especially when she talks about how her health takes a dive during her time in the MLM, and yet that’s considered a good thing.

-This book felt a bit too political at times.

-I did enjoy learning more about the back end, and why MLM’s can be so dangerous to a vulnerable person.

——
Hey, Hun was kindly provided as an ARC by Netgalley and OrangeSky Audio. Thank you for allowing me to read this wonderful book!

Release Date: Out Now!

Wow. What an interesting read. Hey, Hun takes you into an MLM. Paulson talks about how she got there, how she grew her business, what that really looked liked, and her own evolution as a person during her time there. It really is an engaging book.

If you were ever the target of someone in an MLM, were in one yourself, or more curious about the back end of how one functions, this is the book for you!

#bookstagram #books #readingnow #boogiereadsbooks #fivekeyfeels #audiobooks #audiobook #nonfiction #arcreview #netgalley #orangeskyaudio #heyhun #emilylynnpaulson #mlm

3.5/5 stars

This book presented an interesting and unique perspective on the MLM industry in America. The central position that the author places herself within one of these organisations gives it an authentic feel, and an interesting spin. She doesn’t shy away from admitting the mental hoops that she had to jump through and the manipulation that she took part in during her time as a ‘Girl Boss’. I don’t think this book is groundbreaking in terms of its conclusion and definitely could have gone further into theoretical and psychological factors, but it did wonderfully at what it presented, which is a detailed account from the inside.

While I think for some people, this book may feel very closed to their lived reality and give a “oh this could happen to someone I know” kind of feel. For me, who couldn’t be more removed from the type of people typically engaged in these activities, it gave me a glimpse into a world that I would have no idea about on my own. It’s interesting to learn up on the culture of MLMs but it is something else entirely to hear an eyewitness account, and feel like you’re witnessing someone get manipulated before your eyes.

Listened to this on audio. If you don't know much about MLM culture this book is a great introduction to the toxic culture of it. If you're more educated on the subject a lot of this information will be repetitive but still a good listen/read if you want to hear one woman's personal story with it.

A top earner and high ranking consultant of a multi level marketing company sheds light on what her success really meant - exploiting the women she recruited for her own gain, faking the luxurious lifestyle her down line coveted, and waking up to the cult-like behaviour that her company used to keep people invested.

I thought this was really interesting, but at the same time, it gave me the ick. I know that the point of this is to shed light on how horrible MLMs can be, but it felt more like a privileged women who exploited a bunch of other women complaining that she was spending so much money and not having time for her family?

What I appreciated about her story was the journey of becoming sober, and how the MLM lifestyle exacerbated her alcohol problem. She obviously felt guilt for everyone she had taken advantage of, enough that she only passively benefits from her down line by the end, but she knew what she had been pushing was not reality far before this point, so I didn’t feel too bad for her.

I know that this is meant to shed light for those involved in MLMs, but they aren’t really going to read this, right? The indoctrination of the MLM helps to push back against the ideas that they are bad and exploitative. I know she didn’t make as much money as “million dollar earner” makes it sound, but this just feels like another way to make money off this experience? At least she is no longer causing harm in the MLM, but it leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

I appreciate the work she is trying to do now in her coaching business, but I’m still feeling gross about the whole book. Her writing is captivating, and I can see why she got another book deal, but even though I was curious enough to pick this up, I don’t think this was the book for me.

Hey, Hun: Sales, Sisterhood, Supremacy, and the Other Lies Behind Multilevel Marketing by Emily Lynn Paulson is a memoir written by someone who beat the odds and found success in an MLM and goes into the tactics they preach and why she ultimately left.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. I don't think I learned anything shocking or revelatory, but the author, who narrated the audiobook, does go into detail about some of the sleazy marketing tactics that she herself preached to consultants designed to help them prey on their friends and family more effectively. She also explains the negative impacts to her life that participating in that behavior so enthusiastically only served to exacerbate.

I will say, the wrap-up was a bit of a letdown. I would have liked to see a stronger stance in the conclusion.

Recommended for: Anyone that already doesn't like MLMs, but wants a peek behind the curtain. I don't think this book will convince anyone that's not already anti-MLM.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me this audiobook for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This is a book that everyone who has even heard of the phrase "pyramid scheme" should read. Whether you were burned by an MLM, know someone in it and need examples of why they should leave, or are just curious, this book delves into the author's journey through it and the aftermath. The only thing I wish the author had touched on more is good argument points to dissuade close family members and friends from joining an MLM, or tips on how to leave one and mentally recover from it. A huge thank you to Netgalley for an advanced listening copy of this.

Paulson bares all in her time spent as one of the top earners in a multi-level marketing business. What started as catching up with a long lost friend quickly turned into nights away from her family, forced purchasing of products to drive up sales and stats, and finally, her spiral into alcoholism, recovery, and realization that she had to choose between her family and her business. Paulson also explains how it's so easy for people, especially stay-at-home moms, to be manipulated into joining pyramid schemes, and how much harder it is to leave them.

This is why white women like me are dangerous ELP states in this personal deep dive into the mlm world where she was a top seller. ELP goes into detail about the way white supremacy is part of this scheme. Detailed not just researched but what she experienced and the damage she realized she has been a part of. I highly recommend listening to the audiobook as ELP reads her story and the realizations of being a shining star and the down line she walked over to get there. She takes ownership of how she is part of this white supremacy system and finally left when she couldn’t stomach it anymore as they started saying the quiet part out loud. Though ELP still struggles with her politics as many white women do she does know she can’t be involved as her peers join Q and are involved in the insurrection. We have so far to go and ELP profited off it all for so long but she does start to do the work and this book is a good start. NetGalley gifted me this audio arc in exchange for my honest review. Please pick up this jarring read especially if you are a white woman buying into this dream being sold to you.

Paulson recounts her experience as in an MLM. She talks about how she and other woman in vulnerable places in their lives were preyed on, the drinking culture within the MLM world, and the privilege that allowed her to become one of the rare success stories within the MLM for a time. I thought she brought an interesting perspective to understanding MLMs and how people not only get pulled in but feel like they have to stay in.

Un-put-down-able. Paulson tells the story of her time in a Multi-Level Marketing business and pulls no punches. She shares her story through a feminist and anti-racist lens, showing how MLMs manipulate and target everyone involved, but especially those most marginalized. Her story is the rare "success" story because she actually made lots of money in her business. However, she pulls back the curtain and shows that even when an MLM "works" it really doesn't. Funny, illuminating, riveting, and perfectly read by the author. Highly recommend!

Absolutely addicting! I devoured this audiobook. The author also makes a really great narrator. I have an overall fascination/obsession with anything relating to cults and this book did not disappoint. This book goes through all the ups and dark, dark side downs of being in an MLM (Multi-Level Marketing Company, otherwise known as a Pyramid). The author did a really great job of showing how the training and words (that she also used!) can be manipulative to recruiting and keeping a person in these type of companies. Before reading this book, I did know how predatory MLM's can be but I didn't know the different tactics of manipulation they use (behavior, information, thought and emotion). Highly recommend this book!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book!

This was such a cool concept for a book and I really enjoyed it. I went into it knowing how predatory MLM’s, and how the wealth is largely untrainable and unrealistic for the vast majority. This was still an interesting read because of the memoir part. I loved hearing how the author got involved, how she managing to climb to the top, and how the rose-tinted glasses became more clear. It’s extremely honest and informative..

I could also never understand how people could fall for pyramid schemes and think they’d be successful. This book sheds a light into how exactly that happens for many. And it does so in such a humanizing way, which is the best part. It doesn’t make out every MLM-er as villainous and greedy, but as people with good intentions trying to provide for their family. The author’s honestly regarding whether MLMs should be illegal and the morality of people in them was thought-provoking.

Thank you to NetGalley and OrangeSky Audio for the arc. All thoughts provided are my own and freely given.

- I have a weird obsession with MLMs (not engaging in them, just learning about them) so a lot of what was discussed in this book was information I had already heard in similar stories through podcasts, documentaries or other accounts of former MLM sellers. While the information was presented well I didn’t find it more engaging or informative than other sources.

This was a very enjoyable and informative inside look at life in a Multi Level Marketing business as a retail consultant. The author not only dealt with the high pressure tactics to raise profits by any means necessary, but also overcame her substance abuse disorder. All the names and the company name is changed for the book, but a quick Google search will tell you which company she worked for. I appreciated all of the insights that she brought in alongside the memoir sections, although the early chapters has such an overreliance on the BITE model of cult behaviors. It did seem a little repetitive, however, that doesn't last for the entire book. All around very informative and interesting!