Hey, Hun
Sales, Sisterhood, Supremacy, and the Other Lies Behind Multilevel Marketing
Ratings8
Average rating4
15
Sales, Sisterhood, Supremacy, and the Other Lies Behind Multilevel Marketing
Ratings8
Average rating4
She signed up for the sisterhood, free cars, and a promise of a successful business of her own. Instead, she ended up with an addiction, broken friendships, and the rubble of a toppled pyramid... scheme. Hey, Hun: Sales, Sisterhood, Supremacy, and the Other Lies Behind Multilevel Marketing is an eye-opening, funny, and dangerous personal story of author Emily Lynn Paulson rising to the top of the pyramid in the MLM world, only to recognize that its culture and business practices went beyond a trendy marketing scheme and into the heart of white supremacy in America. Also, a more significant polemic on how they operate, Hey, Hun expertly lays out MLM’s role in the cultural epidemic of isolation and the cult-like ideologies that course through their trainings, marketing, and one-on-one interactions. Equally entertaining and smart, Paulson’s first-person accounts, acerbic wit, and biting commentary will leave you with a new perspective on those “Hey Hun” messages flooding your inbox. "I expected Emily’s account of her time in an MLM to be eye-opening. I didn’t expect it to shine a light on so many dark aspects of American culture. Hey, Hun blew me away. An incredibly smart, vulnerable, and jaw-dropping expose. As entertaining as it is important." — Laura McKowen, author of We Are The Luckiest and founder of The Luckiest Club "As a former boss babe myself, I thought I knew everything I needed to know about multilevel marketing. I was so wrong. Hey, Hun delves into the underbelly of how women are targeted to feed a deeply patriarchal system under the guise of empowerment. You will laugh, you will cry, but most importantly, you will see the truth. And it’s more nefarious than you ever imagined. — Celeste Yvonne, author of It’s Not About The Wine “If sunlight is the best disinfectant, Hey, Hun throws open the curtains! Emily Lynn Paulson’s insider take on ‘girl boss’ culture brings transparency to an opaque world and offers real-life insight into the difficult choices women face when re-aligning our work with our values. A riveting read.” — Becky Vollmer, empowerment expert and author of You Are Not Stuck "Hey, Hun is a must-read exposé of the dark world of MLMs. Paulson's experience as an MLM rep, mixed with her background as a chemist and an advocate for the truth, takes the reader on a journey of the fascinating Venn diagram of MLMs, cults, and the virality of misinformation. Paulson eloquently weaves her personal narrative of alcohol abuse and isolation of SAHM (stay-at-home mom) life with how MLMs prey on that very isolation by offering The Answer. Hey, Hun effectively cautions the reader how that same isolation (and believing you found The Answer) opens the door for other misinformation and conspiracy theories." — Tawny Lara, The Sober Sexpert, co-host of the Recovery Rocks podcast, author of Dry Humping: A Guide to Booze-Free Sex, Dating, & Relationships (Quirk, 2023) ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Emily Lynn Paulson is the author of Highlight Real, a speaker, and the founder of Sober Mom Squad. She has given two powerful TEDx talks, both challenging the status quo of parenting, alcohol use, and feminism as we know it. Paulson has also been featured in major publications such as the Today Show, New York Times, Washington Post, The Seattle Times, Chicago Tribune, Next Question with Katie Couric, and the Tamron Hall Show.
Reviews with the most likes.
ugh I was excited to read this but it wasn't quite for me. I am interested in MLMs/scams/cults and ofc have been on the receiving end of some “hey hun” messages myself, so I was interested in this. UNFORTCH I think I like...already knew too much. I also kind of felt like the author maybe just learned about white supremacy and white privilege in 2020, which I mean of course better late than never, but the way she talked about race in this book felt really awkward and tacked on and I was like....maybe you are not the best person to address this. I think I might have preferred if it was just a straight-up memoir about her own experiences in an MLM rather than also trying to be an all-encompassing history of MLMs and also of like, race in America? ANd I know...if she hadn't addressed race at all it probably also would have been uncomfortable but ... there must be another way here.
I think this might be of most interest to people who have themselves been in (or are currently in) MLMs, and/or family members trying to understand a loved one's intense MLM situation. And also honestly to Nice White Ladies who are new to the concept of white privilege I guess. (Not to say that I have a perfect understanding or whatever but this is a little 101 for me.)
My main recommendation is just to listen to The Dream podcast.
as someone who's niche interest is anti multi-level marketing content, I ate all the stories and insides into being in one UP. this book has its flaws, especially at the end but I also didn't come to this book trying to learn new stuff bc I pretty much know most of it already. yeah the virtue signaling was cringe at times and the last chapter made me eye roll at her, but at the end of the day I just wanted some entertaining recounts of being in an mlm and I got it
