My husband has been a very successful lumber wholesaler for 35 years! We began in Quixtar 6 years ago. It didn't take him very long to begin to suspect there were "unqualified" pin levels amongst us. We were working hard building a good solid business. Helping others to think like leaders and business owners. My husband who is tough in business was very patient with people in our downline but expected more from our upline. The first big problem came from not being able to get accurate information from our upline. Everything was always secretive......no one would tell you what they were actually making, it seemed suspicious....They kept the cheese out in front of us..."Tool Money was coming if we got to a certain level!!" My husband started to doubt whether or not this was actually a legitimate business. We started figuring out that most of the Platinums and Emeralds that were at the Business Development Seminars, (as they use to be called), who were running the show, were not even re-qualified and hadn't been for awhile? This starts causing some major problems when you have people pretending to be something that they aren't...the Title, you know!! I asked my husband why they would continue to be recognized at a certain pin level if they really were no longer at that level? His answer was pretty good. He said, "Because they continue to need Worker Bees at the seminars and functions AND you wouldn't want anyone to know that "the business" wasn't really working!!" My husband is an excellent businessman and he took our Quixtar business seriously. We worked our guts out to get to Founder's Platinum. With the leadership skills he developed in traditional business, and the vision to win, he led one of our legs to Founder's Platinum and Q-12 in the same year that we went FP. When he was faced with the choice of us going Q-12 or our group going....he chose our team. It was because he knew, he had the confidence, we could catch it the following year. And after all, this was about building teams long-term. It was a grand celebration indeed!! We would do it over again the same way!!! This is the thing......there was so much stuff that was not the truth in Quixtar that it was almost impossible to keep gaining ground! Always 3 steps forward and 2 steps back.....Always a problem that no one wanted to solve....we went to mediation, but when people stop coming to the table to talk, it's over as far as fixing things! My husband wanted to quit long before we actually got out, but he is not a quitter and so he just kept going, it was one of the hardest things we have ever done! Our Double Diamond was always saying...."Just keep going, you can do it....if I was to bet on anyone to Go Diamond, it would be you guys!!!" So, we'd take another deep breath and keep running! There were just so many things that were not right, that didn't add up....like when our upline Sapphires kept our monthly leadership bonus check, because we forgot to take our "M" off one month....we were building a HUGE team underneath them, but THE RULE said you had to take the M off....so they kept it....we had all the records, we had the proof of sales, but nobody cared!! Quixtar didn't do a thing to help us get that money back.....after many calls to Quixtar we finally gave up, knowing that God was watching it all!! When we tried to get help from our Emerald and our DDiamond....all they did was tell us their own horror story!!! And then said, They were "Too far removed from the problem to help!!" OH BOY!! If our immediate upline in our area, would have left us alone and stayed out of our groups and stopped causing people in our business tons of doubt and confusion, I know that my husband's determination and great leadership abilities along with the ingenious DOT1STEP program AND the long overdue integrity and transparency that TEAM brought to Quixtar business builders....I know we could have been "successful" in Quixtar! When TEAM came onto the scene....it was a miracle and it kept us going and gave us a renewed hope in believing that the people we brought into the business could actually succeed!!! TEAM is the best thing that ever happened to Amway/Quixtar!!! TEAM was the LIFEBOAT on a sinking ship!! Amway made a big mistake not grabbing on and jumping in!! TEAM is doing us ALL a huge favor by continuing to expose Amway. They have to be held accountable by someone!!! We should thank our lucky stars the day that Orrin Woodward and Chris Brady came into our lives at Quixtar and stood up with the truth and for the truth and said enough is enough!! They knew the real truth and they cared enough about the rest of us to tell US the truth as well!!! Does anyone else understand how valuable that has been to all of us who were working our guts out to get free??? How would we have ever found out this vital information??? Even if my husband and I would have made it to Diamond, we would have been owned by Master in the end!!! Oh how sad....and disappointing to know that you are living a lie, after as much time, energy and sacrifice it takes to get to Diamond!! That all the while you are getting people's hopes up....maybe for the very last time for some people.....they are taking a chance to give it one more try....to get their dreams....and you looked right into their eyes and YOU know, that they really aren't going to make it. Can you really lie down and sleep in peace???? You say to yourself... everybody before me has done it this way!!!! Well, I am very thankful that Orrin and Chris didn't!! My husband and I were not on the TEAM in the beginning, we were in Legacy, but we will be forever grateful for what TEAM has done for us. We are praying for all of you, who are still on the front lines. We love you all....Tim and Amy, Doug and Sheri, George and Jill, Bill and Jackie, and ALL the other TEAM leaders who stood!! Chuck Goetschel, we always knew you were the real deal.... and everyone of you who have stood for right!! You have been the bright shining sun in a very long dark tunnel!! Thank all of you!!!! Our faith is restored in Direct Marketing....that it really is, "an idea whose time has come!" Thank you Dallin as well!!! Thank you for a great product that we can believe in and share with others. Our faith is restored that the truth will prevail. It is a necessary evil to continue to expose Amway....Orrin thank you for continuing to bring information to us through your own sources. We appreciate that you keep us up to speed on global news as well as at home. We all need to do our own homework and research on the matters brought to our attention through this blog and other sites as well. There is nothing to fear but fear itself. Keep it coming Orrin!! God Bless