The Stop the Amway Tool Scam Radio show with Scott Johnson and Peter Mingils talk about a video that was posted and then taken down by Hannah Alonzo and Young Living modifying MLM Business
On this episode, Scott Johnson and Peter Mingils talk about the video Anti-MLM YouTube Content Creator Hannah Alonzo put up about a leaked email she received from a Young Living insider.
This is a significant development in the direct-selling industry. Since you have a background in both network marketing and business processing, you likely recognize that shifting from an MLM to an affiliate model is a massive structural overhaul that changes how money flows through the entire organization.
Below is a formatted blog post based on your notes. I’ve organized it to be engaging for readers while addressing the specific questions you raised.
The End of an Era? Young Living’s Leaked Shift from MLM to Affiliate Marketing
The network marketing world is buzzing with news of a leaked internal email from Young Living. If the reports are accurate, the essential oil giant is planning a radical transformation: terminating its multi-level marketing (MLM) business model by mid-2026.
This move signals a pivot toward an affiliate-based system, a transition that could fundamentally rewrite the rules for thousands of brand partners who have built their livelihoods on the traditional MLM structure.
How the 2026 Transition Will Unfold
According to the leaked correspondence, Young Living’s transition isn’t just a minor policy tweak; it’s a complete structural reset.
- The Affiliate Shift: The company intends to move toward an affiliate-based system. Unlike MLMs, which reward recruiting and multiple “levels” of downline sales, affiliate models typically focus on direct consumer referrals.
- The Compensation Change: The most jarring clarification from the leak is the potential elimination of commissions earned from recruiting and downline sales. By mid-2026, the “passive income” dream that many have worked years to build could effectively vanish.
The Ethics of Corporate Secrecy
Perhaps the most troubling aspect of this story is the timing. While internal plans for a 2026 shutdown are reportedly underway, the company has remained silent publicly. This raises several ethical red flags:
- Continued Enrollment: Is it ethical to encourage new brand partners to join a business model that the company already knows has an expiration date?
- Lack of Transparency: By withholding this information, the company prevents its partners from making informed decisions about their own small businesses and financial futures.
- The Human Cost: We often talk about “top-tier” reps as statistics, but these are individuals—like the widowed mother mentioned in the report—who may face a devastating loss of income overnight without any time to pivot.
The Impact on Top-Tier Brand Partners
For those at the top of the leadership ladder, the removal of the MLM structure is a financial earthquake.
In a traditional MLM, top-tier partners spend years mentoring and building teams, with their income tied directly to the success of their downline. In an affiliate-only model, that leverage disappears. These leaders may find themselves transitioned from “business owners” with vast organizations to “influencers” who are only as good as their next direct sale.
The Bottom Line: This leak highlights the inherent instability of building a business on “rented land.” When the corporate structure shifts, the foundation of a brand partner’s financial security can crumble without warning.
You can see more of what Scott Johnson has on https://www.facebook.com/stoptheamwaytoolscam
The Amway tools scam is a hidden profit scheme within the Amway multi-level marketing (MLM) structure that exploits distributors, often leaving them with financial losses instead of the promised wealth. Amway, a well-known MLM company, markets health, beauty, and home products through independent business owners (IBOs). While the company emphasizes product sales, the real money for top-tier distributors, often at the Diamond level or above, comes from selling motivational “tools” like books, tapes, seminars, and rallies, not from product sales. These tools, promoted as essential for success, create a separate revenue stream that disproportionately benefits upline leaders while draining the profits of lower-level distributors.Distributors are pressured to purchase these overpriced tools, often costing hundreds or thousands annually, with promises of learning the secrets to building a lucrative Amway business. However, studies and lawsuits reveal that 99% of Amway distributors lose money, with average earnings below $100 monthly after expenses. The tools business, controlled by high-ranking distributors like Dexter Yager, generates millions for the elite, who earn significant markups on items like cassette tapes sold at rallies for up to $10,000 a night in cash. Meanwhile, new recruits face high startup costs—starter kits, training sessions, and product samples—further eroding their profits. This creates a pyramid-like structure where uplines profit from downlines’ purchases, not retail sales, resembling an illegal scheme.
