Vision or Illusion? My Wake-Up Call on MLMs and False Empowerment
The truth behind MLMs and how they sell us dreams that don’t hold.
Let me be real with you: I almost didn’t share this.
Vision or Illusion? My Wake-Up Call on MLMs and the Deaf Community’s False Empowerment Trap
Not because I’m embarrassed, but because I know how sensitive this topic can be. MLMs are everywhere and they promise so much. But this isn’t about dragging anyone. It’s about truth, lived experience, and making sure others don’t fall into the same trap I did.
I speak from experience and research. This isn’t personal – it’s advocacy. I hope we can respect each other’s journeys. – Donna Melena
This post reflects my personal experience and research. I’m sharing it as advocacy, not accusation with care for the Deaf community and those navigating similar paths.
Thoughts from Deaf Financial Advisor
As soon I posted my reels, IG stories & shared my blog post online. I kept collecting more information and data for my blogpost, and luckily, a few hours later, I found his vlog that aligns with this topic.
Special thanks to Miles Gonzalez (@milesgonzalezz) for his openness and content that sparked this conversation.
And credit to Mitch for the vlog that helped illustrate how quickly MLM narratives can spread online, sometimes unintentionally.
You can watch his video directly.
Especially Kangen Water MLM on strike over across Instagram (once again).
Kangen Water is the brand name for alkaline water produced by Enagic Corporation, which operates as a multi-level marketing (MLM) company.
Sources: Life Ionizers, Aqua Ionizer Pro,
I recognize there’s a Kangen Water Deaf “leader” who is actively on Instagram with over 9k followers.
She posted over 1,000 posts/reels, but if you take a look at her IG account, you will notice she has a lowest engagement online.
📉 Low Likes, Low Comments, Low Saves
She also only follows those accounts who are on her team.
That brings me to the pattern I’ve been noticing and why I finally decided to speak up.
If you read carefully, you will notice in her captions, it’s all Kangen Water MLMs textbook. She uses emotional storytelling and inspirational hooks to frame a business opportunity, but it’s layered with MLM cues.
🔁 Frequent reels with familiar phrases like “freedom,” “growth,” “dream life”
🧠 Mindset-shifting language (“You don’t need another degree… you need purpose”)
💬 Comments triggering DMs instead of real value exchange
🎯 High-frequency posting and carefully branded highlights around mentorship, biz, freedom, water, mindset (often tied to high-ticket MLM health/wellness products or biz coaching)
Sooo…. With that being said. What if they read this and get upset or offended?
That’s not on me.
I am allowed to share my truth, protect my Deaf community, and ask for transparency.
Especially when Deaf people are being targeted by companies that often prey on marginalized groups.
While there are people who are already on a team behind the Enagic Corporation who consistently say that Kangen water is not an “MLM” business structure.
🥱 If you go on Google and type “Kangen Water MLM?”
The result shows up as
I am not the problem.
Silence is. MLMs like Enagic Corporation thrive on the silence.
It’s not enough to simply say “this isn’t an MLM” when the business structure checks every MLM box-tiered commissions, rank incentives, distributor-based sales, and recruitment-based “ownership.”
Even since I posted reels about “anti-”MLMs online and shared on my IG stories. I’m being watched by those groups and some did commented under my reels. This is one of a few examples.
It’s their MLM tactics.
Even if that person denies that Enagic isn’t an MLM business structure. On their website, Enagic says so. The FTC doesn’t define MLMs by vibe or intention.
Red flag 🚩 That comment is very carefully worded but it’s also incredibly dismissive of what I’ve actually trying to do.
That Enagic earnings disclosure proves it’s an MLM. They literally admit to using a multi-rank compensation structure (from 1A to 6A26+) and that commissions depend on both recruiting and personal sales. That is the definition of an MLM, no matter how much people want to rebrand it as something else.
🧠 Just to clarify, I’m not here to shame anyone’s past choices
I’m here to expose systems that thrive on silence.
This isn’t about “having a tough experience.” It’s about facts: 0.03% of Enagic distributors earn six figures, while nearly 50% earn less than $500 per year. And that’s not from me
That’s from Enagic’s own disclosure.
The issue isn’t Deaf people joining something risky,
it’s being misled into thinking it’s a guaranteed path to freedom. I believe Deaf people deserve real wealth, real equity, and real truth.
We’ve been sold enough dreams. It’s time for receipts.
There’s that person online who claims she earns 6 figures, since she’s 6A but the chart from Enagic explains she, on average, earns $9,074.92 annually.
Let’s cut through the crap – this Enagic “opportunity” is just another MLM illusion wrapped in cherry-picked success stories and smoke-and-mirrors income claims. Their own official disclosure states in black and white that the earnings are annual, not monthly, and the median 6A distributor brings in just over $9,000 per year.
That’s poverty-level, not “boss babe” status. Meanwhile, the people flaunting this lifestyle online
Half of them aren’t even showing real paychecks, just vibes and manipulation.
If someone’s claiming life-changing money but can’t back it with actual income proof, that’s a red flag, not a flex.
And the top earners? They’re in the 0.03% club – statistical outliers, not something anyone watching their videos is likely to become.
This isn’t empowerment; it’s predatory marketing dressed up in pastel filters and fake hustle. People deserve the truth, not polished lies hiding behind “entrepreneur” branding.
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) defines them by how they operate. Enagic/Kangen fits that structure.
Again, I’m not here to attack individuals.
I’m here to stand for transparency, especially for marginalized communities who are constantly targeted under the false promise of empowerment.
🤔 If Kangen Water Is So “Healthy,” Why Don’t Doctors or Hospitals Use It?
Because there’s no strong, peer-reviewed scientific evidence proving that Kangen water (or other ionized/alkaline waters) provides real medical benefits.
1. Hospitals rely on evidence-based treatment.
Medical institutions and doctors follow protocols based on rigorous clinical trials, not marketing hype. Kangen water hasn’t passed that level of scientific testing
– no FDA approval,
– no widespread endorsement from major health organizations like the CDC, WHO, or Mayo Clinic.
2. Alkaline water benefits are overhyped.
MLM reps often claim it:
– Boosts energy
– Detoxes the body
– Cures or prevents diseases
But most of this is pseudoscience. Your body already balances pH levels naturally through your kidneys and lungs.
Drinking alkaline water doesn’t change your blood pH and if it did, that would be dangerous.
3. Conflict of interest in promotion.
Most Kangen water “experts” you see online are distributors. They’re not unbiased researchers.
They profit off sales. That’s why you’ll hear emotional testimonies instead of real citations.
4. Real hydration = water, not a $4,000 machine.
Hospitals use sterile water, saline, and IV fluids that are tested, regulated, and safe. They don’t invest in devices like Kangen because they have no medical necessity or proven health advantage.
If Kangen water truly cured illness or improved outcomes, you’d see it used in hospitals.
But you don’t!!!
Because the health claims are exaggerated, unsupported by science, and often rooted in marketing, not medicine.
There are hundreds of MLMs, after all! – Please visit The Anti-MLM Coalition: The MLM Master List
Kangen Water is on the list.
As well as….
MONAT
Primerica – (see The Primerica Lesson below)*
Farmasi
Gemstra
LuLaRich – (see LuLaRich is just one exposé! below)*
H20 At Home
And more!!! You’ll frequently see new MLM companies launching, often reusing or slightly tweaking established plan types.
But brand-new structural models (i.e. compensation plans) are far less common and tend to emerge slowly over months or years.
Psychological Techniques MLMs use
Major credit to the Deaf Counseling Center for speaking out boldly on the psychological manipulation behind MLMs especially how they target Deaf individuals under the label of “empowerment.” Their reel and ongoing advocacy help expose the emotional tactics and false promises used to pull people into these schemes. If you’re wondering whether an “opportunity” is legit, their resources are a must-read: deafcounseling.com
It’s not about drama – it’s about protecting our community with facts, transparency, & support.
What MLMs Promise
Empowerment, freedom, sisterhood, passive income!
It’s a shiny package with a bow on top!!
MLMs know how to sell the dream, especially to people who’ve been left out of the mainstream economy.
For Deaf folks, that promise hits different. It whispers: you don’t need to hear to thrive here.
It says you can work from home, use your own language, build your own team, be your own boss.
It taps into real gaps: access, equity, connection and wraps them in a feel-good hustle.
But behind the polished slogans is a machine built to win off your losses.
The MONAT Trap
The truth is…
I once fall for that trap before!
I also fell for MONAT during COVID. I really believed it could help me earn and grow. But over time, I realized it wasn’t what it claimed to be and I lost more than I gained.
One of the biggest red flags in my MONAT experience was how recruitment was prioritized over the actual product.
The focus wasn’t on haircare. It was on pulling in more people.
I felt constant pressure from friends who were already involved, pushing me to join calls, post online, and “hustle” harder.
When I raised concerns or didn’t hit their expectations, the response was emotional manipulation.
The statements like “you just didn’t work hard enough” or “you have to believe more.”
It wasn’t about support – it was about control masked as motivation.
That Kangen Water moves the same way as MONAT. Just different product. Haircare to Water Health.
And yes, I lost the $ I “invested” in and wasn’t even making any profit. 🤣
Lessons learned.
I’ve collobrated with Deaf Counseling to explain some part of my MONAT story. You can watch the vlog on their Instagram profile!
The Primerica Lesson*
I recently had a conversation with someone who opened up about their difficult experience with a well-known MLM company, Primerica.
They had to navigate a mess caused by clients who were pulled into misleading financial promises.
Thankfully, they were able to connect with a Deaf financial professional who helped them sort things out but the damage had already been done.
This person also mentioned dealing with friends being recruited into other questionable ventures, like Enagic/Kangen Water, which are often denied as MLMs even though they follow the same blueprint.
They had already fallen for the trap once themselves with another company and were brave enough to admit it, learn, and move forward.
What stood out most was the honesty: MLMs don’t just sell products: they sell a delusion.
One that relies on team-building more than product value. It preys on trust, hope, and confusion.
Conversations like these are why awareness matters.
If you’ve ever felt pressure to join something that didn’t sit right with you, you’re not alone
and it’s okay to question everything.
LuLaRich is just one exposé!*
There are entire playlists, documentaries, and FTC reports showing how these companies really work.
Again, according to the FTC, 99% of people in MLMs lose money.
That’s not a typo.
Behind all the “boss babe” talk about and empowerment branding, most reps end up broke, burned out, or both.
“The Empowerment Trap” unpack the emotional bait-and-switch baked into these models.
It’s not just LuLaRoe.
It’s the blueprint.
You can read more at “The Empowerment Trap: How LuLaRoe sells women a false vision”
“The Beauty Industry & False Empowerment: Why You Shouldn’t Buy What They’re Selling”
Deaf Community & MLMs
Here’s the truth:
A lot of Deaf people never got access to real financial education.
Not in school. Not at home. Not in our language.
Most of us grow up figuring it out on our own – or not at all.
So when someone shows up promising “financial freedom” and fast money, we listen.
We want to believe.
Because let’s be honest,
Many in our community rely on government benefits.
We live check to check.
We’re tired of being broke. Tired of being ignored. Tired of surviving.
So MLMs swoop in.
They smile. They sign. They make it look Deaf-friendly.
They show off their rank, their downline, their dream life.
They say, “You can do this too.”
But here’s what they don’t say:
That most people lose money.
That it’s built to keep you chasing, not winning.
That you become the product.
Real talk.
I’ve seen Deaf folks go all in.
Empty savings. Max out credit cards. Hustle friends and family.
All for someone else’s pyramid.
This isn’t empowerment.
It’s exploitation. Dressed up as opportunity.
The Cost of Believing the Illusion
You bought in.
Not just with your wallet –
but with your time, your trust, your energy.
You wanted to believe.
That
this thing,
this person,
this path,
this promise was real.
So you ignored the gut feeling. You quieted the questions.
You kept showing up, giving more, waiting for the payoff that never came.
Here’s what it cost you:
Time. Months, maybe years. Gone. Chasing something built on smoke.
You can’t get that back.
Money. Spent on hope. On keeping up. On trying to make it work.
It bled you slow.
Friendships. The ones who warned you? You pushed them away.
The ones who joined you? You bonded through the lie and when it cracked, so did the bond.
When it happens, they all choose to stay silent for a long time until they find the courage to share their unfortunate stories with others.
Even if it’s not now, it’s only a matter of time before they will reach that point one way or another.
No matter what.
Mental health.
The constant second-guessing.
The burnout.
The anxiety of keeping up the illusion long after it stopped serving you.
That’s the thing about illusions: they don’t just disappear.
They collapse.
And when they do, they take pieces of you with them.
But now you see it.
And once you see it. You don’t go back!
Now you rebuild.
This time, for real.
💸 Reality Check: According to a report from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) & First National Banks, 99% of people who join multi-level marketing (MLM) companies either lose money or make less than minimum wage.
These aren’t just bad outcomes – they’re the norm. MLMs rely on recruitment and unrealistic earnings projections to lure people in, not actual product sales or sustainable income.
🔗 Source: First National Banks, FTC Gov.
What I Know Now
What I know now is that real empowerment doesn’t come from titles, followers, or being chosen.
it comes from choosing yourself. My mindset has shifted from seeking permission to creating my own path.
I’ve learned that before joining anything: a job, a group, a movement.
You need to ask:
– Does this align with who I am, or am I trying to fit in?
– Is this building me up, or am I just trying not to be left out?
Empowerment means being honest with yourself and bold enough to walk away from anything that dims your light.
It’s okay to want more. You’re not crazy. You’re not alone. You deserve real community (and real wealth).
Don’t believe me???
Listen to Brenda Tress’s story from Deaf Counseling!
Also, deep respect to Deaf Counseling Center (@deafcounseling) for continuing to amplify real experiences from the Deaf community. Brenda Tress’s story on falling for fast-money schemes is featured in their “Real Stories” series — a powerful reminder of how emotional vulnerability and financial pressure intersect. They’ve been advocating for Deaf mental health since 2001, and their work is invaluable.
Please support their work, follow, and learn more at deafcounseling.com.
If you’ve ever been pressured into an MLM or are unsure about a business model, I want to hear your story. Let’s build awareness together.
If this opened your eyes, please share it with a friend or repost on IG. The more awareness, the stronger our community becomes.
Donna Melena
The Life of Donna is a Deaf Lifestyle blog that contains life, beauty, travel, food, and personal growth. Donna writes honest personal stories about relationships and life as a Deaf person and featuring Deaf World.
