The Ojai Post

HUB is the next Herbalife!!

Another headline that fooled me...thought this one might be about a recent experience at The Hub, which despite its recent renovation still keeps me on the sidewalk, sometimes peeking in the window, before heading into Movino!

Considering the reputation and track record of those who started HUB and those who are part of their faculty I highly doubt they would be involved in a "ponzi scheme." This seems like a great way to benefit everyone involved. Those in great need around the world and those who are HUB members. Time will tell if their vision will sustain itself but it seems to have momentum.

HUB is a transparent company, thus there are no secrets. There are very few companies, if any, that give 80% of gross revenue to humanitarian aid and to those participating.

Our business structure allows an individual or an organization to generate sustainable revenue through both affiliate marketing and multi-level marketing, or someone can choose to become a member and have access to the HUB community without creating a sustainable flow of revenue; it’s up to them. So, "ponzi scheme" what’s your experience with social marketing companies? Is your dislike conceptual or experiential? They are not all built alike.

The Founders of HUB were very sensitive to this issue. They looked at every business model available that would allow HUB members to actively connect with each other, own a portion of the organization and still follow the spiritual principle of universal flow, and found the MLM model to be the best for producing the largest impact. So, the founders based HUB on the best model available (MLM) and then changed elements to better fit with our mission to be the HUB of humanitarian change through sustainable global giving. It’s quite a brilliant concept.

One of the key differences between our structure and a traditional MLM is that members are not required to sell a product to be a part of HUB. Sharing your passion and your giving can be enough. If this is what you choose, HUB supports you. In fact, we specifically designed our infrastructure to include Circles of Brilliance (mini-HUBs) you can use regularly to gain support and build teams to make your personal dreams and projects come true. This is one reason why we say HUB is where humanitarians meet to change the world.

In sum, there are two ways to enter HUB: 1) become a member and have access to the HUB community (without working the MLM side); or 2) become a member and actively work to build the organization and create more monetary flow for you, HUB’s exponential giving, and the world at large.

If you choose to actively work the organization and build your HUB, you may find that it’s more fulfilling than traditional MLMs.

1. Unlike traditional MLMs, HUB does not require you or rely on selling a product to survive. If you choose to focus only on enrolling people who want to give to humanity, you will be very successful and very giving!
2. If you choose to sell HUB products (or product from other HUB members), you will be selling products specifically designed to contribute and make a positive change in the world.
3. You’ll always know your giving is efficiently going toward an important cause. By choosing a MLM structure, HUB is able to be transparent and efficient in giving. You will know where how much you personally contribute to humanity at every stage.
4. HUB’s vision for humanity is to move it from survival to self empowerment to sustained abundance. We hold our company to the same standard. In doing so, we’ve designed our business structure to be self-sustaining. Every person who joins us will be giving globally, and through the HUB structure we will be receiving enough so that each can continue to give globally throughout time. This creates a natural flow that we call sustainable global giving. Think about it. If you are continually receiving enough to give back, there is no end to the possibility of our giving. In fact, the more you receive, the more you will be able to give.

The choices we made above are some of the reasons why global leaders like Nelson Mandela and key organizations like Feed The Children and Nourish The Children have partnered with HUB. We are the new model for sustainable business and humanitarian giving.

We know that together, we will create a united force that will deliver the economic engine needed to once and for all break the chains of poverty and solve humanity’s most pressing needs. The degree to which you participate is the degree to which you personally affect humanitarian change.

so your promoting HUB (a for profit company) as though it were a non-profit? isn't that deceptive dialogue (dd) ty?

Where did I promote HUB as if it were a non-profit? We are a for profit that supports non-profit global impact partners. We give 40% of all of our gross profits to non-profit partners. How many companies in the world do that? This is the difficulty with new paradigm business models. Unless you educate yourself thoroughly conclusions will be jumped to. I'd prefer you ask questions rather than trying to find something wrong or deceptive. As I wrote, we are a transparent company and have no secrets. I'm not one of the executive founders, I am a founding member who did my due diligence researching HUB back in February and found it to be of utmost accountability and integrity.

Raymond, before you fall off the cliff, think back to friends you have who went herbalife or Amway.

Not friends anymore, are they?

There's only so long you can take being constantly pitched to buy, and buy in, every time you think you are going to enjoy hanging out with an old friend, before you just have to say forget it.

One of my (former) good friends who went Amway way back used to go around the neighborhood and pitch everyone constantly. My mother told him, "Sure, I'm happy to buy some soap. How much?"

He refused to sell her any. "I don't want to sell you products. I want you to come on board and bring in your friends. This is such a great opportunity! In six months, I'll be coming back to buy a house in the neighborhood! You can too!"

Ten years later, he's got a storage unit full of product but appears to be flat broke. And friendless.

A quick review of the HUB shows it to be no different. $99 a month, so they can skim off the top and donate a piece of that to Save The Children? (Which if memory serves has been notorious itself for failing to get a large enough percentage of donations to its cause over the years.)

Why not just donate $99 a month directly to Save The Children?

Better yet: Why not put what little money most of us can spare to work right here, directly, ourselves?

Don't take this the wrong way, but isn't there something perverse in making money off of people's charitable donations?

Meanwhile, I hope the for-profit "HUB" will be careful in how it pitches its alliances - it could jeopardize the nonprofit status of legitimate "partners" it takes on. Check the rules carefully. The key term is "UBTI" (Unrelated Business Taxable Income). Too much of that and any nonprofits associated with the HUB will be in a world of hurt.

I appreciate your opinion and I encourage you to not compare what we are committed to and friends of yours in the past who were pushing soap and vitamins. Until you fully educate yourself about the model we have developed you are simpy reacting form your bias regarding social marketing companies. HUB is quite different than the references you are comparing it to. In terms of the nature of the network marketing aspect of HUB, which in and of itself is unique in the industry, it's not for everyone and there is no requirement, as I wrote previously, to participate in that, the member will still receive all of the high level education benefits as everyone else that are designed to further them in their own projects, careers and personal dreams. For those who are entrepreneurs and understand how to grow a business it takes the same type of discipline, marketing and focus as any business with the plus of residual income. Why not receive so we can give away more? I see HUB as part of the solution, cynicism is, well, cynicism.

Hmm. Raymond, what did I miss about the model?

I tried to educate myself. I went to the site, I watched the video, I read the materials and .pdfs. It looks like the deal is, sell $99/month subscriptions from which a portion will be donated to a nonprofit, and the rest will go to the organization and multilevel sellers. More products, seminars, etc. are available on the same model.

It really does look a whole lot like a pyramid or Ponzi scheme.

That's not cynical, just trying to be honest after looking at what is being pitched.

I still need to ask: Why not just donate directly? Isn't it somewhat perverse to skim profits off of people's charitable donations?

"Why not receive so we can give away more?" Yes, of course. But first receive, right?

"Part of the solution?"

What is the problem being solved?

#9 I hear that this model of business is not something for you. Yet that doesn't mean it's not a viable model and we are pioneering a different approach. How? Read my comment #4 again and if you choose to look at it objectively you will see it's structured quite differently than other companies with a completely different set of core values and focus.

I don't know your definition of a ponzi or pyramid? Pyramids are illegal and we are federally approved. Pyramids are defined as not having a product for sale, just moving money around. Wikipedia define a pyramid as: A pyramid scheme is a non-sustainable business model that involves the exchange of money primarily for enrolling other people into the scheme, usually without any product or service being delivered.

We have a product that we are selling, personal empowerment courses in business, humanitarianism and personal growth. I think the caliber of our faculty speaks for itself.

In terms of a "ponzi" Wikipedia defines it as : A Ponzi scheme usually offers abnormally high short-term returns in order to entice new investors. The high returns that a Ponzi scheme advertises (and pays) require an ever-increasing flow of money from investors in order to keep the scheme going.

That doesn't even apply to what we have created.

Again, I hear it's not for you. In the meantime we are helping to provide clean water, build schools, give microloans and teach sustainability to those in need while you're busy trying to punch holes in our model because people have an opportunity to sustain themselves at the same time they are helping others.

Raymond

Could you please post any specific documentation from the federal government giving approval for HUB? Any type of approval would also be legitimate. I don't believe the FTC grants specific approvals.

You may also want to reconsider your post regarding pyramid schemes. There have been lots of schemes prosecuted, which offerred products for sale. Ponzi scheme, pyramid scheme, endless chain scheme all have their negative aspects. I agree with the other poster in that contributions to charity should all go to charity.

I believe you are in error regarding your posts on the various types of schemes and their definitions. The idea of signing up people below you on the pyramid and profiting from their contributions to a supposed charitable cause is disturbing to me.

Will HUB take Ojai Bucks?