Rob Sperry: The State of the Network Marketing Profession

OPINION | By Rob Sperry

No fluff. No spin. Just real perspective.

In the last two years, we’ve seen some big-name companies in network marketing take hits:

• Tupperware – Filed for bankruptcy in 2024, but still in business, and with the restructure, many leaders have said they’re going strong.
• Modere – bankruptcy; recently closed its doors.
• Thirty-One Gifts – bankruptcy.
• BODi (Beachbody) – switched to an affiliate model in 2024.
• Rodan + Fields – switched to affiliate.
• Seint – switched to affiliate.
• Lorde and Belle – switched to affiliate.
• Beautycounter – shut down.
• Epicure – privately owned; closed operations.
• Color Street – privately owned; also switched to affiliate.

Many of these larger companies (notably Color Street, Seint, and Epicure) are privately owned, while Tupperware remains publicly traded.

Private equity (PE) firms can be geniuses in many other industries; they know how to scale, raise capital, optimize and exit. But when it comes to network marketing? They “typically” don’t get it.

They don’t get the emotional side of this business.  They don’t get the single mom earning $400 a month to bridge the gap. They don’t get how real this is to the people building it. They look at bottom-line profit. They make short-term decisions. Those short-term decisions eventually catch up to them.

And when a business model depends on relationships, culture, and belief—you simply can’t lead with cold spreadsheets. Now, I’m not saying private equity never works in our space. I’m saying it’s harder. The results we’ve seen speak for themselves: many of the companies that failed or pivoted were PE-backed.

Now let’s zoom out for a minute… This doesn’t mean the industry is “collapsing.”
But let’s also not pretend we haven’t had some bumps. And we’re probably going to hit a few more. We’re in a weeding-out season.

Some companies weren’t built to last.
Some leaders stopped building.
Some business models didn’t evolve fast enough.
But that’s how every great industry grows.

And through that… I’m already seeing bright spots. New ideas. New innovation.
New founders stepping up with fresh energy. New systems being built. New creativity being sparked. Because it doesn’t necessarily take money to make money—it takes creativity.

The forces shaping our landscape:

1. Amazon: With 2-day shipping and seamless checkout, it’s raised the bar for how fast and clean we need to operate.
2. The Gig Economy: Uber, Airbnb, DoorDash—people have more options to earn extra income on a flexible schedule. That’s not bad. It’s just more competition for attention.
3. Affiliate Culture: More people are familiar with earning money for sharing products or services they enjoy, which means we’ve got to explain and show what makes this model so great.

It’s all forcing us to be sharper. Faster. Better. Smarter. And that’s a good thing.

Because this profession still has something no one else can replicate:

• A community that lasts
• Products/services that change lives
• A model that builds people while building paychecks
• Leadership that isn’t based on titles—but on impact.

Let’s not sugarcoat. Let’s not downplay the challenges. But let’s also not forget the truth.

Here’s my final perspective:

Some companies will adapt, evolve, and grow bigger than ever before. They’ll lean into innovation. They’ll lead with clarity. They’ll double down on developing people which will lead more profits and long-term sustainable business. Others won’t.

And depending on how well they’ve managed their finances, they’ll either fizzle out fast…
or slowly fade over time. This is the season where decisions matter most. This is where direction beats speed.

So, take inventory. Get real with where you’re at. And build with vision, purpose, and alignment. Because for those who do? The next 3–5 years will be the biggest yet.

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Rob Sperry is a globally recognized network marketing consultant and keynote speaker who has trained leaders in 23 countries. Rob helps companies and leaders grow through innovative strategies. A bestselling author of 13 books and host of a podcast heard in 172+ countries, Rob is known for his no-fluff strategies and high-level consulting with top leaders and companies in the profession robsperry.com

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