Chopra-endorsed MLM runs into trouble
Filed under: Make Money Fast, Fraud
Back in May of 2008, Zrii was one of the most hyped-up multi-level marketing launches in history. The amalaki juice bears the endorsement of bestselling author and wellness expert Deepak Chopra, but the company is now in the midst of some serious drama.The Salt Lake Tribune reports that the company terminated its seven top distributors after they were unsuccessful in an effort to oust the company's CEO William F. Farley. In a letter to Mr. Farley, the distributors wrote urging Farley to "immediately remove yourself as the CEO of Zrii." "Your behavior both in your person and professional life, neither represents the ideals and principles of our team nor our brand. To continue our association with you would not only represent a severe compromise in principle but would also put every IE's [independent executive's] family at great risk."
Mr. Farley then terminated the distributors by email. 35 top employees have also left the company amid suggestions that Mr. Farley was inappropriately using the company as a personal piggybank while bogging it down with unnecessary debt. In a statement, the former executives wrote that "Farley was formerly the chief executive of Fruit of the Loom. According to a Wikipedia entry on that company, he was forced out in late 1999, after having piloted the company into massive debt and unproductive business ventures, including structuring the company into an off-shore entity in the Cayman Islands to avoid taxes."
I wouldn't recommend that would-be entrepreneurs get involved with any network marketing company because of the extremely low chances of success. But with all the turmoil and allegations of malfeasance, Zrii looks like an especially bad bet.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
8-02-2009 @ 10:54PM
Linda Stranger said...
"immediately remove yourself as the CEO of Zrii." "Your behavior both in your person and professional life, neither represents the ideals and principles of our team nor our brand. To continue our association with you would not only represent a severe compromise in principle but would also put every IE's [independent executive's] family at great risk."
What the heck, exactically does that mean??? Bill Farley behaves badly? He's putting the IE's families at great risk?
What HAS caused, possibly unrepairable harm, was the actions of those top distributors and founding executives. That is a fact.
What a mess!
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2-09-2009 @ 8:34AM
richard said...
hi there,
there goes another company down the drain . why do "so intelligent" people from the industry not take an opinion from a consultant ?????
i am associated with direct selling for more than a decade , and have stayed with one company for always.
i was visiting India last month and was surprised to see that the small time and big time direct selling companies do take consultancy from the experts "IN INDIA TOO" and that made me think positively about the attitude of companies in India.
one such company goes by the name of strategy india . not sure if you have heard about it , but they seem to be consulting more than 40 direct selling companies there .
when will we learn to reduce risks and take protections against misadventures by the corporate staff.
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