MLM Myth #5: “If I’m not wildly successful within 1 year… the company is broken”
“You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.”
– Jack London
Success Doesn’t Have an Expiration Date
One of the stealthiest myths in network marketing is the belief that if your business doesn’t explode in the first year, it’s somehow broken or hopeless. That mindset kills momentum, confidence, and progress. In reality, real business growth—especially in side hustles and online ventures—often unfolds steadily over time. Let’s reset expectations and celebrate slow-cooked success.
This is one of the greatest MLM myths ever told, and it’s always told by people new to network marketing. It goes something like this: “If within 1 year you’re not earning more money than you’ve ever earned in your life, then the company is broken”.
It sounds silly, but the people who believe this are the ones who go from company to company, trying to work out why nobody is paying them hundreds of thousands of dollars, right from the beginning. There are so many things wrong with this picture…
If we just shift our focus here slightly, we’ll see why this particular myth exists.
In truth, it’s all about personal growth.
Network marketing has one main thing in common with every other business you could ever try you have to put the required amount of effort in for it to work. No one is going to come along and make it work for you. You have to make it work for yourself. The company is the vehicle – it’s all about how fast and well you drive it.
- It takes time to build meaningful relationships, get referrals, and create repeat orders.
- Long-haul success means building systems that support you—email follow-ups, drip campaigns, multiple offers—not just chasing quick wins.
- Variety in your income sources keeps your business stable, not fragile.
If you have never in your life earned $10,000 a month, why enter into Network Marketing expecting $10,000 a month in your first year? You’ll get paid what you’re worth, no matter what you do or where you work. You have never managed $10,000 a month before! It doesnt mean the company is broken it just means that you need to work on YOU as much as you need to work on your business.
Thats why you should jump at the chance of attending any training sessions your company offers. You should try and attend the webinars or watch the recorded replay. Read the email your upline sends.
You’ve got to get all the information! Not only will all this training provide the insight and knowledge that will help you develop your business, you will also find you can meet and share experiences and knowledge with other like-minded people.
In the end, the biggest investment you will ever make is in yourself. The more you grow as a person, the more success you will achieve. But we all grow at different rates and thats why our businesses grow at different rates too. It doesnt mean some of us are better than others; it simply means some of us learn at faster rates than others.
Almost everyone who succeeds in MLM could join ANY company and succeed, and the failures could join ANY company and fail.
Remember what Jim Rohn said: “Its not the success thats the prize. Its the person you become in order to succeed thats the prize.”
Building Long-Term Momentum
1. Track Progress in Months, Not Weeks
Use milestones over deadlines. Focus on steady KPIs: email list growth, content published, calls held. Small wins compound.
2. Cultivate Consistency, Not Overnight Fame
A YouTube channel with steady weekly uploads or a blog on Tuesday mornings grows over time. Even slower income paths become reliable revenue streams.
3. Reinforce With Systemized Follow-Up
Use automated reminders to follow up after samples, demos, or meetings. Systemized action keeps prospects from slipping away through the cracks.
4. Diversify Within the Same Business
Combine coaching calls, physical products, digital downloads, membership tiers. Multiple touchpoints deepen engagement and cushion against slumps.
5. Learn From the Evergreen Entrepreneurs
Many top earners didn’t go viral—they built patiently: sharing helpful content, refining messaging, investing little by little. That’s how they became stable, trusted leaders—not flash-in-the-pan sensations.
The Best Businesses Grow Over Time
If your year-one results aren’t headline-making, that doesn’t mean the company is broken—it means your business is in the early chapters. Slow growth that builds relationships, systems, and trust outscores explosive starts any day. Put time on your side and you just might build something sustainable—and profitable—for the long run.
Ready to build growth that lasts longer than a viral moment?
Explore the featured opportunity below and learn how to create a system that appreciates in value—year after year.
