I’m giving you an honest look at what it’s like to be a Beautycounter Consultant! I am answering all of your FAQ’s and giving you the lowdown on the comp structure, why we are an “MLM”, and more. I know I personally sat on this decision for a while and went back and forth before ultimately taking the leap. Hopefully this will help clear up any questions or concerns so you can decide if it’s the right opportunity for you!

If you have additional questions, feel free to leave a comment on this post or email me at maryswholelife@gmail.com. And if you want to be added to my Beautycounter Newsletter about products, promotions, and special incentives, sign up here.

If you’ve made it to this post, I am assuming you already know a little about Beautycounter. If not, we are a Certified B Corporation (not an easy certification to get!), which means we meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. Beautycounter’s mission is to get safer beauty and skincare products into the hands of everyone, and they fulfill this mission by creating products that blend safety and high performance. They also advocate for greater transparency and regulation in the beauty industry. Every other year, Beautycounter sends consultants to Washington D.C. to talk to congress about safety in personal care products, which is pretty cool in my opinion. Beautycounter is a leader in the “clean beauty” movement, and I couldn’t be prouder to be a part of it.

How much does it cost to sign up?

Becoming a consultant is very simple and it can all be done online by clicking here. We have two options for joining. The first is $50 and gets you your personal website for other to shop, as well as access to exclusive training. The 2nd option is $98 and gets you the website, training, and cooling eye gels, body balm, a makeup bag, a tote, and marketing materials. If you are a current Band of Beauty member, you can sign up for $69 (with the $98 option).

What is a starter kit? You have the one-time option at sign up to get product bundles which are deeply discounted at more than 40% off retail price. Starter kits are not required, but if you can swing the investment, I highly recommend purchasing one. Having products on hand can be helpful for kicking off your business, hosting social events, sampling products, loaning them to other people to try, and of course for your personal use! I think everyone who has not gotten one of these kits has regretted it later on (me being one of them!).

Are there monthly minimums or required purchases?

Nope! We are different from many other MLM’s (or so I hear) in the sense that we do not require any monthly purchases, autoships, or anything like that. The only requirement you have to meet is $1200 in qualifying volume (QV = your own purchases + sales) every 6 months. Any starter kit you get at enrollment also counts towards the $1200. This is a VERY attainable number. Most people have no issue hitting it in 3-4 months, and many do it sooner!

But what happens if I don’t hit that minimum?

Nothing! You just get bumped from Consultant status to being a Band of Beauty member – which is still a great program to be a part of!

Do consultants get a discount?

Yes! We sure do. We get 25% off all of the products, all the time.

How much commission do consultants make?

We make 25-35% (you sell more, you make more type of thing) on all sales. We get paid monthly and there are no minimums you need to hit to get paid. If you make a $100 sale, you will get paid $25 on the 10th of the following month.

But is it an “MLM”?

Yes- or for lack of a better term – Beautycounter is a direct sales company. Our founder, Gregg Renfrew, chose a direct sales model for a very strategic reason. Our products and mission are best told person-to-person. If our products are sitting on a shelf in a department store, no one will know why they are safer or what our mission is all about.

And yes – I earn a percentage of sales from those who sign up under me. However, I only get 5-9% of their sales as opposed to 25-35% of my own. So I am definitely motivated to work my own business. The way it is structured, you cannot simply form a team and ride your way to the top based on other people’s sales. You have to be putting in some (or a lot) of the work, too. I personally think the way our compensation structure works is very fair. Being a mentor is a lot of work – I am constantly responding to questions, doing training calls, onboarding, and coaching people. But this has quickly become one of my favorite parts of this business. I LOVE seeing consultants on my team succeed. And I think the cut that we get as a mentor is well-deserved…similar to if you were to get a bonus at corporate job.

That being said, building a team is NOT required. It’s totally optional, but highly encouraged! Plus, doing this with a friend or two is so much fun! But nobody is going to force you to recruit people or build a team if that isn’t your thing.

There is certainly a stigma around “network marketing” but we are turning that old business model on its head. We have retail locations in the SOHO neighborhood of NYC, Denver, and Nantucket. We were the most Googled beauty brand of 2018 and named in the top 50 of Fast Company’s most innovative companies in the World; number one in the beauty segment. Bono from U2 is an investor and sits on our board of Directors as does Seventh Generation’s CEO, John Replogle. We started as a grassroots effort to change an $80+ billion dollar industry and added one voice at a time. That is how signifiant social change happens. So if you think we are just another one of those companies, I would challenge you to have an open mind and look at Beautycounter differently. And honestly, I would rather pour my efforts into an opportunity that not only creates  location independence, but one that also breaks the glass ceiling of traditional corporate America.

Check out this video from Gregg explaining why she chose the direct sales business model:

https://youtu.be/lyGYLfbhwfc

What’s the earning potential?

The sky is really the limit here! It really depends on how much time and energy you want to put into this business. In the beginning, I was earning just enough to cover our house cleaning service on a monthly basis + 1-2 of my kids’ extracurricular activities. However, now that things are picking up, I am covering our mortgage on a monthly basis (and then some) AND I was just able to put in my notice at work! Because of Beautycounter, I am now able to focus what little free time I do have doing what I LOVE-  blogging and growing my business. I am still kind of in shock that this was even possible, especially because I NEVER thought I would make more than a couple hundred dollars when I first signed up. It’s pretty incredible. See below for some monthly income averages based on title (I am at Director now).

Earnings as a Beautycounter Consultant in the U.S. may vary significantly and depend on many factors, such as dedication to selling/mentoring. Not all Consultants will earn money. To see more about the earnings and costs of Beautycounter Consultants, please view the 2020 Income Disclosure Statement at www.beautycounter.com/ids

I am a blogger and I am an affiliate with other companies. Is this similar?

Yes! Similar, but better. I am an affiliate with many other companies, and Beautycounter has by far the best earning potential and most generous compensation structure.  Beautycounter can be an awesome way to add to your streams of revenue. Why not use your platform to help people start using safer products?

But I don’t have a blog, can I still be successful?

100% YES! I would say less than 10% of my personal team are bloggers, with the rest being career women, nurses, accountants, stay at home moms, and everything in between. There is no pre-requisite for becoming a consultant. If you’re passionate about the mission and love the products, you will be successful. Social media is just one way to share information about Beautycounter. You can also host socials (not required either, but so fun!), drop off products for friends and family to try, send samples in the mail, and just TALK to people about what we are doing. I am still floored by how many people are interested in switching to safer products. You will be surprised – lots of people want to purchase, they just need to know how and where to go. As long as they know to add you as their consultant before they check out on the website, you’re good to go. Think of all of your communities and networks – school, neighborhood, kid’s schools, gyms, salons, etc. You probably know more people than you think that would be interested in making some healthier changes.

How much time do I need to dedicate?

This is completely up to you! In the beginning, I probably put (maybe) an hour of work per week into my business. Now that I have a team and things are picking up, I would say I work between 5-8 hours per week on Beautycounter stuff. What you put into it is what you get out of it. I hear from so many people that “it’s not the right time”, for whatever reason. I joined when I was 6 months pregnant with 2 other young kids, working as a recruiter, and having a blog. It definitely was NOT the ideal time, but I am so glad I took the leap. Even thought I couldn’t dedicate a ton of time in the beginning, I started sharing which products I use and love on social media and it began to grow from there. You have to start somewhere!

But I’m not sales-y and I don’t want to be “that person”!

I think this is the #1 question/concern I hear when I talk to people about this opportunity. It was the #1 reason I was so hesitant. There is definitely a negative stigma around direct sales companies, but that doesn’t mean you have to be annoying and pushy. Actually, please DON’T be 🙂 There’s a lot of ways you can be successful. We are an education-first company, so focus on sharing information about our current laws (or lack thereof) surrounding the beauty industry and helping people make safer choices. Share what products you use and why you love them. Talk about your WHY – why did you decide to join? Make a private Facebook group and invite people to join so they have the choice to actually be there and don’t feel pressured. If you feel like you are posting a lot on social media, there are probably less people than you realize actually seeing your posts (stupid algorithm). Just BE PROUD to be part of such an amazing mission and stop apologizing. The products honestly sell themselves. The clean beauty movement is just getting started. The more people learn about what toxic ingredients are in the products they’re currently using, the more they are going to want to make the switch.

That being said, you can’t feel defeated if you post once on Instagram stories and don’t see sales start rolling in. This business takes patience and CONSISTENCY. It’s going to take more than that – people need to see something 5-7 times before they take action on it.

So, you actually enjoy what you’re doing?

YES! 🙂 This has honestly been one of the most fun and rewarding jobs I’ve ever had. And I am still in disbelief that I’m now able to make a significant income while making an impact on an important social issue. I’ve met so many amazing ladies on our larger team and I am so excited to finally meet them in person at our LEAD conference in Arizona at the end of this month! There is so much support in our larger group (we communicate a lot through our big team Facebook page, IG, and Voxer – a walkie talkie app), and it’s so nice to know there will always be someone there to answer my questions OR to lift me up if I am struggling!

Ok…so if you’ve been considering joining or thinking about it for a while, I want you to ask yourself what’s holding you back. Fear? Insecurity? Nothing great ever came from comfort zones. You have to step outside yours if you want amazing things to happen. I’ve realized this over the past 2 years since I started my blog. And it’s been incredible what’s happened since I decided to stop worrying about what other people think. It’s time to start saying YES to the opportunities in front of you. You’ll never know unless you try! And I truly feel like there is NOTHING to lose when it comes to Beautycounter. It’s such a small investment with such huge reward(s).

Ready to join? Amazing. Sign up here and make sure to list me (Mary Smith) as your mentor! Our mission needs more voices and I would absolutely love to have you on my team.

Have more questions? Email me at maryswholelife@gmail.com. I am happy to chat with you over the phone, too. Just let me know!

xo,

Mary