Below is an article that appeared in the Miami Herald and written by Barry Jackson. Note the section in yellow, Ricky Williams “swears by it” in regards to Evolv and attributes the health drink to his success.

As Ricky Williams was scoring three touchdowns Thursday, his “pranic healer” was listening to the game on the radio in California — in between conducting a meditation session — just in case Williams needed his help.

So can a man thousands of miles away help treat Williams’ nicks and pain through deep thinking?

It doesn’t matter if you or I are skeptical. For Williams, it only matters what he thinks. And he’s a believer.

Williams, averaging a career-high 5.3 yards a carry, said the way he cares for his body has a lot to do with his terrific season. There’s the vegetarian diet. The daily breathing and meditation, sometimes for two hours.

The acupuncture and massages. The twice-weekly yoga. The new water-based energy drink Evolv that’s sold online — he “swears by it” after he drank three bottles before the Saints game and then scored three touchdowns.

“He also does things you wouldn’t expect,” Ronnie Brown said.

One is pranic healing, an alternative medical treatment that originated in the Orient 4,000 years ago. Williams, 32, performs pranic healing on himself and uses a pranic healer, Daniel O’Hara.

Here’s how it works: “Ricky will send me a text message saying, for example, to work on his ankle,” O’Hara said. O’Hara, in Orange County, Calif., will then “visualize Ricky’s ankle as if he’s standing in front of me. I visualize him glowing. I make a sweeping motion over my ankle to remove the dirty energy from his ankle that’s creating an abnormality and give his body fresh, revitalizing energy.”

“Ricky could be doing anything when I’m doing this — watching TV, sleeping,” O’Hara said. “It’s like a voodoo doll. I know it sounds strange.”

O’Hara said Williams then text messages him indicating how the body part feels. “He says it’s a four, and I’ll try to get it to a 10. It takes me four minutes with Ricky because he meditates and has positive energy. It could take 25 minutes with somebody else. He’s special.”

Williams, in his Charlotte, N.C., hotel, called O’Hara on Wednesday night and O’Hara said they visualized “Ricky having three touchdowns and 184 rushing yards” against Carolina. (He had three touchdowns and ran for 119 yards.) He also worked on Williams’ slight arm numbness.

Williams, who appears on O’Hara’s website, has done pranic healing since 2007 and said last week, “Usually, I prefer to work on it myself, but for some of the little nicks I’ve had this season, Daniel has really helped me. I know for a fact it works. It’s fascinating.”

O’Hara said when Williams sprained an ankle in the first Jets game, “The second I saw that on TV, I started working on him, and when he got back to the sideline, he was fine. He figured I was doing something. I can feel what is going on in his body.”

Williams, held out of the last series against Carolina, had pain in a chest muscle, but coach Tony Sparano said he will be fine.

Encouraged by pranic healing and the other ways to heal his body, Williams said he hasn’t ruled out playing beyond 2010. “I’m looking forward to my plans after football,” he said Tuesday at his new South Beach restaurant, PROOF. “But if it’s the right situation, it would be difficult to turn down.”

Why now? Entering a network marketing opportunity during tough economic times; the benefits, risks and rewards.

Some might wonder why a company would launch another water product during one of the toughest economic environments we have seen since the Great Depression. First, let’s dispel the myth that Evolv is water. The product in Evolv is called the Archaea Active and the natural spring water is the transport. There are no competitive products on the market at this time. Research has show that many high level executives, business owners and entrepreneurs are looking for alternative sources of passive income and the most successful network marketers use their influence and sphere of influence to launch their business.

There are three strong reasons why now is the opportune time to launch Evolv and join with a successful team that will leverage strengths, resources, time as well as coach you through the different breakthroughs towards mastery.

First, successful companies are built on a foundation of strong leadership. Evolv Health, based in Dallas, TX is led by founder, Trey White, CEO, Brent Hicks, CMO, Jonathan Gilliam, VP of Sales and Dr. Anne Bodak Smith. The strength of their business background and leadership experience coupled with their vision and culture for the company makes one of the strongest executive teams in business today. They are dedicated to giving back to charity and training everyone in the company to succeed. The resources made available are high quality and so far advanced for a launching company.

Second, without a strong product no company can be successful. Evolv is changing lives and testimonials are pouring in each day. From enhanced physical performance to fatigue recovery the product serves the masses and reaches athletes, the young, the old, the healthy and the non-healthy, benefiting all. Just this week, one of our team members took the product to a dentist. He monitored his oxygen prior to drinking Evolv and recorded at 95. After drinking one bottle they tested again. 98! Today, a very well know body builder reported that in all the years of professionally working out, he has never witnessed such stamina and recovery as with using this product. Famous athletes have signed on, business owners and those longing for increased stamina and clarity.

Finally, with Web 2.0 (Facebook, Twitter, etc) you can now leverage a large database and cross network, making your reach and impact unmatchable to the marketing of the past. There has not been a product launched since the age of Facebook has blossomed. Once the market becomes saturated with products, these networks could possibly loose their appeal and value. Today, Facebook stands to be the most powerful resource in network marketing and “net-weaving.” I’ve been asked why the manufactures of Evolv aren’t distributing the product through stores. Why go the network marketing route? My answer is, why not? With the explosive growth of Web 2.0, this marketing campaign is brilliant and no ad campaign can touch the depth and reach of the powerful networks of the right people.

Studies have also shown that the power of a team and leveraging strength of individuals collectively cannot compete with individual performance. By joining a team that provides training, marketing and support a network marketing business can thrive. It has been said that the past if the best predictor of the future, so take note of the people you go in to business with and be confident they can take you to the next level. For more information on joining Team Mezger, please email info@compel-corp.com

Evolv lists its ingredients in the following order: Natural Spring Water, Extracts of Alfalfa (Medicago Sativa), Leaves and Stems, Milk Whey Protein, Bromelain (from Pineapple), Papain (from Papaya), Protease, Amylase, Lipase, Lactase and Cellulase.

Let’s take a look at each of these individually:

Natural Spring Water – Minerals become dissolved in the water as it moves through the underground rocks. This may give the water flavor and even carbon dioxide bubbles, depending on the nature of the geology through which it passes.

Extracts of Alfalfa (Medicago Sativa) Leaves and Stems – Alfalfa has been used as an herbal medicine for over 1,500 years. Alfalfa is high in protein, calcium, plus other minerals, vitamin A, vitamins in the B group, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, and vitamin K.

In early Chinese medicines, physicians used young alfalfa leaves to treat disorders related to the digestive tract and the kidneys. In Hindu societies, ayurvedic physicians used the leaves for treating poor digestion. They made a cooling poultice from the seeds for boils. At the time, alfalfa was also believed to be helpful towards people suffering from arthritis and water retention.

It is used in homeopathic preparations worldwide. Today, alfalfa is suggested by homeopaths for treating anemia, diabetes, to extend appetite and contribute towards weight gain, as a diuretic for increased urination, for indigestion and bladder disorders, and can also be used as an estrogen replacement in order to increase breast milk and to mitigate premenstrual syndrome, a dietary supplement, to lower blood cholestrol levels, and to lower the chances of severe heart conditions. However, claims of homeopathy’s efficacy beyond the placebo effect are unsupported by the collective weight of scientific and clinical evidence.

Milk Whey Protein – Whey protein is a mixture of globular proteins isolated from whey, the liquid material created as a by-product of cheese production. Some preclinical studies in rodents have suggested that whey protein may influence glutathione production and possess anti-inflammatory or anti-cancer properties; however, human data are lacking. The effects of whey protein on human health are of great interest and this protein mixture is being investigated as a way of reducing disease risk, or as a supplementary treatment for several diseases. Whey protein is commonly marketed and ingested as a dietary supplement, and various health claims have been attributed to it in the alternative medicine community.

Bromelain (from Pineapple) – Bromelain can refer to one of two protease enzymes extracted from the plant family Bromeliaceae, or it can refer to a combination of those enzymes along with other compounds produced in an extract.

Bromelain extract is a mixture of sulfur-containing protein-digesting enzymes—called proteolytic enzymes or proteases—and several other substances in smaller quantities.

Bromelain has a number of medical uses. It was first introduced in this area in 1957, and works by blocking some proinflammatory metabolites that accelerate and worsen the inflammatory process. In vitro research has shown that bromelain decreases migration of neutrophils to sites of acute inflammation, and in vivo bromelain has generated a 50-85% reduction in neutrophil migration. It is an anti-inflammatory agent, and so can be used for sports injury, trauma, arthritis, and other kinds of swelling. Its main uses are treatment of athletic injuries, digestive problems, phlebitis, sinusitis, and aiding healing after surgery. Doses of 200 mg have proven to be an efficacious alternative to NSAIDS.

It has also been proposed for the treatment of arthritis, chronic venous insufficiency, easy bruising, gout, hemorrhoids, menstrual pain, autoimmune disorders, and ulcerative colitis.

Studies have shown that bromelain can also be useful in the reduction of platelet clumping and blood clots in the bloodstream, especially in the arteries.

Bromelain supplementation may increase heart rate; care should be used by those with heart disease.

Papain (from Papaya) – Papain is a cysteine protease (EC 3.4.22.2) enzyme present in papaya (Carica papaya) and mountain papaya (Vasconcellea cundinamarcensis).

It consists of 212 amino acids stabilised by 3 disulfide bridges. Its 3D structure consists of 2 distinct structural domains with a cleft between them. This cleft contains the active site, which contains a catalytic triad that has been likened to that of chymotrypsin. Its catalytic triad is made up of 3 amino acids – cysteine-25 (from which it gets its classification), histidine-159, and asparagine-158.

Protease – A protease (or proteinase) breaks down proteins. A protease is any enzyme that conducts proteolysis, that is, begins protein catabolism by hydrolysis of the peptide bonds that link amino acids together in the polypeptide chain forming the protein.

Amylase – An amylase is an enzyme that breaks starch down into sugar. Amylase is present in human saliva, where it begins the chemical process of digestion. Foods that contain much starch but little sugar, such as rice and potato, taste slightly sweet as they are chewed because amylase turns some of their starch into sugar in the mouth. The pancreas also makes amylase (alpha amylase) to hydrolyse dietary starch into di- and trisaccharides which are converted by other enzymes to glucose to supply the body with energy. Plants and some bacteria also produce amylase. As diastase, amylase was the first enzyme to be discovered and isolated (by Anselme Payen in 1833). Specific amylase proteins are designated by different Greek letters. All amylases are glycoside hydrolases and act on α-1,4-glycosidic bonds. It will start to denature at around 60C.

Lipase – A lipase is a soluble enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of ester bonds in water–insoluble, lipid substrates. Lipases thus comprise a subclass of the esterases.

Lipases perform essential roles in the digestion, transport and processing of dietary lipids (e.g. triglycerides, fats, oils) in most, if not all, living organisms. Genes encoding lipases are even present in certain viruses.

Lactase – Lactase (LCT), a part of the β-galactosidase family of enzymes, is a glycoside hydrolase involved in the hydrolysis of the disaccharide lactose into constituent galactose and glucose monomers. In humans, lactase is present predominantly along the brush border membrane of the differentiated enterocytes lining the villi of the small intestine.

Lactase is essential for digestive hydrolysis of lactose in milk. Deficiency of the enzyme causes lactose intolerance.

Cellulase – Cellulase refers to a class of enzymes produced chiefly by fungi, bacteria, and protozoans that catalyze the cellulolysis (or hydrolysis) of cellulose. However, there are also cellulases produced by other types of organisms such as plants and animals. Several different kinds of cellulases are known, which differ structurally and mechanistically. The EC number for this group of enzymes is EC 3.2.1.4.

Below is something Trey White posted on the corporate website in regards to the ongoing dispute and lawsuits regarding The MD Anderson Cancer Center.

I have some information that I would like to share with you regarding our involvement with The MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC) and recent developments.

As you are aware, we used MDACC for specific testing on the Archaea Active Formula to further validate the years of anecdotal testimonials that Gene Kaiser was receiving from people drinking the Archaea Active-enhanced water. After reviewing the stack of testimonies, I was intrigued enough to invest into the first round of studies at MDACC and Futureceuticals Inc..

Our manufacturing partner, Health2o Products LLC, engaged MD Anderson to test the “anti-inflammatory” properties and also retained Futureceuticals to test for increased oxygen utilization. Both studies came back with positive results which engaged our interest in conducting further studies and developing our plan to bring the product to market.

We launched the Evolv product using the Archaea Active formula knowing that we have a product with GRAS (Generally Regarded as Safe)-only ingredients delivered in natural spring water and in vitro studies from two world class independent research facilities. The testing from both facilities yielded data that supported the anecdotal testimonials from Kaiser’s lab which has created the foundation for Archaea Active products.

We launched our product making it clear that neither testing facility endorses our product. Our original plan was to launch the product as a traditional retail product. However we changed our business plan to launch the product through a network marketing model.

Unfortunately the networking marketing industry still has some level of misunderstanding associated with it; some people still do not understand the thriving and legitimate business that is direct sales. Great business leaders understand. Warren Buffet, for example, owns the very successful direct sales company, Pampered Chef. Direct sales companies such as Avon, Mary Kay, Amway and Shaklee have been in business for decades, doing billions of dollars in annual revenues and changing millions of people’s lives.

However some feel a negative association to be tied to this industry. MDACC recently shared their concern with us and asked us to remove their trademark and name from our packaging, even though we had their approval originally to do so. Because we paid for the testing and have shared the abstracts on www.archaeaactive.com, we believe that we are in our legal right to state who did our testing. To reiterate, we make it very clear that MDACC does not endorse our product in any way.

In regards to this dispute, Health2o decided to ask the courts to make a determination. The University of Texas Board of Regents (MDACC’s sponsoring organization), replied to our lawsuit with their own suit against Health2o Products and EvolvHealth in an attempt to change the court venue from Dallas to Houston. We believe based on the facts that we are within our legal rights to state on our packaging that MDACC conducted the testing for us. We have no signed documentation stating otherwise.

Most importantly, the results of the in vitro tests are not in question, it is whether or not we can print their name on our bottle and box. It is really that simple. We are confident that we will come to a resolution on this issue soon. We will keep you up to date on the outcome. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us to get the facts. We have an open door policy at corporate and with our Members so please contact us if you have questions related to this matter.

Thank you for your continued support with EvolvHealth.

Trey White

Chairman and Founder

Did you know that an extra few hundred dollars a month could change the lives of millions of Americans? With the highest rate of unemployment in decades, we are proud to say that Evolvers are doing their best to help make up that difference.

According to industry trade groups, Evolv’s first check run was 3 times larger than the average first month run of a new network marketing company. That means hundreds of thousands of dollars in commissions will be paid out to Evolvers this month, and millions more as we move towards the official launch.

If you qualified to receive a check, then you will receive an overview and breakdown on how your commission was calculated. All this success and it gets even better. Commissions are only based on Fast Start Bonus, retail and preferred customers profit and business builder bonuses. The Binary and the additional bonuses such as Check Match, EvolvDNA Coded Bonus and the other personal enrollment bonuses will begin after your first 4 weeks of activity.

Want to know how to increase your checks? Be sure to plug into the training calls, learn about the Two Foot Rule and Give.Share.Evolv daily!

Last week we were excited to see Evolv as the #1 Most Sought-After Network Marketing Company. Evolv was listed as the NUMBER ONE gainer in popularity, with a 102.81% gain in the last 30 days by MLM Company Rankings. Safe to say we have created quite a buzz and people want to know about Evolv!

You brought us here! Keep spreading the word and take advantage of this incredible momentum to build your business!

Robert T. Kiyosaki’s CASHFLOW Quadrant has been studied and employed by millions across the US and Internationally. Whether you know if you are E, “employee”, S “self-employed” B, “business owners, I, “Investor” or are some version of the four you have probably thought about wealth building and retirement, passive income before. Now, thinking about it and achieving it can be two different things.

In Kiyosaki’s “The Business School” he identifies network marketing as the 11th way to become rich. He goes on to say the reason he put network marketing business as the 11th way and totally separate way of becoming rich is that it is a very new and revolutionary way to achieve wealth. He goes on to show that in the first 10 ways to gain wealth, most don’t focus on a lot of people becoming rich….the focus is on the individual becoming rich. He puts network marketing as the 11th way because it is a revolutionary new way of sharing wealth with anyone who truly wants to acquire great wealth. A network marketing system is set up to make it possible for anyone to share in the wealth. Kiyosaki calls a network marketing system a personal franchise or an invisible big business network. The system is open to anyone who has the drive, determination and perseverance. The system does not care what college you went to, how much money you make today, what race or sex you are, etc. Most network marketing companies care primarily about how much you are willing to learn, to change and grow, and do you have the guts to stick it out through thick and thing while you learn to be a business owner. Though he recognizes that there has been some controversy over this form of business and has had its share of greedy and sometime crooked people trying to make a quick buck, Kiyosaki believes if you step back and look this system is a very socially responsible system of sharing wealth. It is the perfect business for those who like helping other people. The only way a network marketing business works is by helping someone else become rich as you become rich.

Kiyosaki goes on in his book to identify what to look for in the company you choose. He believes more than product of compensation you should look for the education plan. Look for companies that promote real world business skills such as: An attitude of success, Leadership skills, Communication Skills, People skills, Overcoming personal fears, doubts, and lack of confidence, Overcoming fear of rejection, Money management skills, Investing skills, Accountability skills and Time Management skills.

Many people fear the rejection of sales and network marketing. Kiyosaki believes:

Rejection and Correction = Education and Acceleration

Rejection is where education begins and the people who avoid rejection are, in the long run, less successful in life than those that face rejection. Most people are not successful in life because they have not been rejected enough. He goes on to identify why successful network marketers become more successful. From his studies he found a formula. 1. Build a business and commit 5 years. 2. Reinvest in the business. 3. Invest in Real Estate.

Kiyosaki’s wife, Kim ends the book with why the network marketing business is an opportunity for couples to build together. Her reasons are: It is a business you can begin together part-time, You dictate the hours to fit your schedules, the industry supports families in business together, many of the most successful people in the business are couples and the education allows couples to grow together. L

Other highlights from Kiyosaki’s book Business School.

“If I had to do it all over again, rather than build an old style type of business, I would have started building a network marketing business.”

“The richest people in the work build networks. Everyone else is trained to look for work”

“Network marketing gives millions of people throughout the world the opportunity to take control of their lives and their financial future.”

“The network marketing industry continues to grow faster than franchises or traditional big businesses.”

“Network marketing businesses are business schools for people who want to learn the real world skills of an entrepreneur, rather than the skills of an employee who wants to become a highly paid mid-level manager in the corporate world.”

“In the world of network marketing, you are encouraged to learn by making mistakes, correcting, and getting smarter mentally as well as emotionally.”

“If you love to lead by teaching, influencing others to find their own world of financial abundance without having to beat the competition, then a network marketing business may be right for you.”

“The network marketing business encourages people to dream big dreams and achieve their big dreams.”

Evolv’s “Senior Executive Promotion” will end tomorrow, October 30, 2009 at 11:59pm Central Time.

To benefit from this great opportunity and receive the Senior Executive Level you must:

Become an Evolv Member

Order a Family Pack or greater

Register for a 2 Case Auto-Ship order to begin the following month

By doing this before 11:59pm Central Time, October 30, your new member will be automatically positioned at the SENIOR EXECUTIVE POSITION. This rank position will be good for 90 days from October 19th giving you this period to build up your DV4 volume to retain pay at that rank! Review the Evolv compensation plan for details on the benefits of ways to earn at the Senior Executive Level.

With your Evolv product in hand, Evolv Team Moran conference calls and coaching, and the upcoming 7 city GIVE.SHARE.EVOLV Tour with Trey White and Brent Hicks, there is no better time to create a recruiting blitz for your business!

Contact Evolv Team Mezger to learn how to take advantage of this opportunity and to start building wealth with Evolv!

Are Evolv and Multi Level Marketing Pyramid schemes?

Simply put no, however, it is understandable due to public perception that consumers and potential distributors would raise this question. Pyramid schemes are illegal in the United States.

A pyramid scheme is a non-sustainable business model that involves the exchange of money primarily for enrolling other people into the scheme, often without any product or service being delivered.

Pyramid schemes are illegal in many countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Norway, Albania, Canada, Romania, Colombia, Malaysia, Poland, Bulgaria, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Italy, Nepal, Iceland, Philippines, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Iran, the People’s Republic of China, Mexico, Portugal and The Netherlands. These types of schemes have existed for at least a century. Nowadays, subtler schemes exist, whereby wealth is still attained by the owner, but not unless those at the base are also earning.

A successful pyramid scheme combines a fake yet seemingly credible business with a simple-to-understand yet sophisticated-sounding money-making formula which is used for profit. The essential idea is that the mark, Mr. X, makes only one payment. To start earning, Mr. X has to recruit others like him who will also make one payment each. Mr. X gets paid out of receipts from those new recruits. They then go on to recruit others. As each new recruit makes a payment, Mr. X gets a cut. He is thus promised exponential benefits as the “business” expands.

Such “businesses” seldom involve sales of real products or services to which a monetary value might be easily attached. However, sometimes the “payment” itself may be a non-cash valuable. To enhance credibility, most such scams are well equipped with fake referrals, testimonials, and information. The flaw is that there is no end benefit. The money simply travels up the chain. Only the originator (sometimes called the “pharaoh”) and a very few at the top levels of the pyramid make significant amounts of money. The amounts dwindle steeply down the pyramid slopes. Individuals at the bottom of the pyramid (those who subscribed to the plan, but were not able to recruit any followers themselves) end up with a deficit.

Some network or multi-level marketing businesses, which sell real products and rely on the price differentials between the manufacturer’s dispatch ramp and the retail counter, may verge on the borderline between “smart” and “scam”. However, legitimate network or multi-level marketing businesses can be distinguished from illegal pyramids by their compliance with these three criteria:

1. Substantial sales of products or services to end users
2. Commissions paid only on product usage, not on new enrollments
3. Company buys back the inventory of terminating participants

Other variations of pyramid schemes:

“8-ball” model

Many pyramids are more sophisticated than the simple model. These recognize that recruiting a large number of others into a scheme can be difficult so a seemingly simpler model is used. In this model each person must recruit two others, but the ease of achieving this is offset because the depth required to recoup any money also increases. The scheme requires a person to recruit two others, who must each recruit two others, who must each recruit two others.

The “8-ball” model contains a total of 15 members. Note that unlike in the picture, the triangular setup in the cue game of eight-ball corresponds to an arithmetic progression 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 = 15. The pyramid scheme in the picture in contrast is a geometric progression 1 + 2 + 4 + 8 = 15.

Prior instances of this scam have been called the “Airplane Game” and the four tiers labeled as “captain”, “co-pilot”, “crew”, and “passenger” to denote a person’s level. Another instance was called the “Original Dinner Party” which labeled the tiers as “dessert”, “main course”, “side salad”, and “appetizer”. A person on the “dessert” course is the one at the top of the tree. Another variant “Treasure Traders” variously used gemology terms such as “polishers”, “stone cutters”, etc. or gems “rubies”, “sapphires”, “diamonds”, etc.

Such schemes may try to downplay their pyramid nature by referring to themselves as “gifting circles” with money being “gifted”. Popular scams such as the “Women Empowering Women” do exactly this. Joiners may even be told that “gifting” is a way to skirt around tax laws.

Whichever euphemism is used, there are 15 total people in four tiers ( 1 + 2 + 4 + 8 ) in the scheme – the person at the top of this tree is the “captain”, the two below are “co-pilots”, the four below are “crew” and the bottom eight joiners are the “passengers”.

The eight passengers must each pay (or “gift”) a sum (e.g. $1000) to join the scheme. This sum (e.g. $8000) goes to the captain who leaves, with everyone remaining moving up one tier. There are now two new captains so the group splits in two with each group requiring eight new passengers. A person who joins the scheme as a passenger will not see a return until they exit the scheme as a captain. This requires that 14 others have been persuaded to join underneath them.

Therefore, the bottom 3 tiers of the pyramid always lose their money when the scheme finally collapses. Consider a pyramid consisting of tiers with 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and 64 members. The highlighted section corresponds to the previous diagram.

No matter how large the model becomes before collapse, approximately 88% of all people will lose.

If the scheme collapses at this point, only those in the 1, 2, 4, and 8 got out with a return. The remainder in the 16, 32, and 64 tier lose everything. 112 out of the total 127 members or 88% lost all of their money.

During a wave of pyramid activity, a surge frequently develops once a significant fraction of people know someone personally who exited with an $8000 payout for example. This spurs others to seek to get in on one of the many pyramids before the wave collapses.

The figures also hide the fact that the confidence trickster would make the lion’s share of the money. They would do this by filling in the first 3 tiers (with 1, 2, and 4 people) with phony names, ensuring they get the first 7 payouts, at 8 times the buy-in sum, without paying a single penny themselves. So if the buy-in were $1000, they would receive $56,000, paid for by the first 56 investors. They would continue to buy in underneath the real investors, and promote and prolong the scheme for as long as possible in order to allow them to skim even more from it before the collapse.

Other cons may also be effective. For example, rather than using fake names, a group of seven people may agree to form the top three layers of a pyramid without investing any money. They then work to recruit eight paying passengers, and pretend to follow the pyramid payout rules, but in reality split any money received. Ironically, though they are being conned, the eight paying passengers are not really getting anything less for their money than if they were buying into a ‘legitimate’ pyramid which had split off from a parent pyramid. They truly are now in a valid pyramid, and have the same opportunity to earn a windfall if they can successfully recruit enough new members and reach captain. This highlights the fact that by ‘buying’ in to a pyramid, passengers are not really obtaining anything of value they couldn’t create themselves other than a vague sense of “legitimacy” or history of the pyramid, which may make it marginally easier to sell passenger seats below them.

Matrix schemes

Matrix schemes use the same fraudulent non-sustainable system as a pyramid; here, the participants pay to join a waiting list for a desirable product which only a fraction of them can ever receive. Since matrix schemes follow the same laws of geometric progression as pyramids, they are subsequently as doomed to collapse. Such schemes operate as a queue, where the person at head of the queue receives an item such as a television, games console, digital camcorder, etc. when a certain number of new people join the end of the queue. For example ten joiners may be required for the person at the front to receive their item and leave the queue. Each joiner is required to buy an expensive but potentially worthless item, such as an e-book, for their position in the queue. The scheme organizer profits because the income from joiners far exceeds the cost of sending out the item to the person at the front. Organizers can further profit by starting a scheme with a queue with shill names that must be cleared out before genuine people get to the front. The scheme collapses when no more people are willing to join the queue. Schemes may not reveal, or may attempt to exaggerate, a prospective joiner’s queue position which essentially means the scheme is a lottery. Some countries have ruled that matrix schemes are illegal on that basis.

Notable recent cases

Internet

In 2003, the United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) disclosed what it called an internet-based “pyramid scam”. Their complaint states that customers would pay a registration fee to join a program and purchase a package of goods and services such as internet mail, and that the company offered “significant commissions” to consumers who purchased and resold the package. The FTC alleged that the company’s program was instead a pyramid scheme that did not disclose that most consumers’ money would be kept, and that it gave affiliates material that allowed them to scam others.

Pyramid schemes may use email to persuade others that they are multi-level marketing (MLM) business plans. MLM plans—such as Amway, ACN, Mary Kay, Tupperware, Avon Products, MonaVie, and Pre-Paid Legal Services —are sometimes criticized, but remain legal by offering genuine products; pyramid schemes do not.

So how is Evolv and network marketing different?

Multi-level marketing (MLM), (also called network marketing) is a term that describes a marketing structure used by some companies as part of their overall marketing strategy.

The structure is designed to create a marketing and sales force by compensating promoters of company products not only for sales they personally generate, but also for the sales of other promoters they introduce to the company, creating a downline of distributors and a hierarchy of multiple levels of compensation in the form of a pyramid.

The products and company are usually marketed directly to consumers and potential business partners by means of relationship referrals and word of mouth marketing.

MLM businesses operate in the United States in all 50 states and in more than 100 other countries, and new businesses may use terms like “affiliate marketing” or “home-based business franchising”. However, many pyramid schemes try to present themselves as legitimate MLM businesses.

Because pyramiding (getting commissions from recruiting new members including “sign-up fees”) is illegal in most states, to remain legitimate in the U.S. a company that uses multi-level marketing has to make sure commissions are earned only on sales of the company’s products or services if they cross state boundaries. If participants are paid primarily from money received from new recruits, or if they are required to buy more product than they are likely to sell, then the company may be a pyramid scheme, which is illegal in most countries.

The European Union’s Unfair Commercial Practices Directive explicitly includes self-consumption as legitimate.

In a 2004 United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Staff Advisory letter to the Direct Selling Association states:

Much has been made of the personal, or internal, consumption issue in recent years. In fact, the amount of internal consumption in any multi-level compensation business does not determine whether or not the FTC will consider the plan a pyramid scheme. The critical question for the FTC is whether the revenues that primarily support the commissions paid to all participants are generated from purchases of goods and services that are not simply incidental to the purchase of the right to participate in a money-making venture.

In a 2007 Wall Street Journal interview, FTC economist Peter Vander Nat stated, “If people are buying because they want to use a company’s products, those sales can count as retail.”

The FTC offers advice for potential MLM members to help them identify those which are likely to be pyramid schemes.

For question and more information on Evolv – Team Moran, please email info@drinkandevolv.com.

Evolv Web Marketing – Use SEO to Grow Beyond Your Network!

As we pointed out in the last post (Money Making Ideas), leveraging Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to promote your Evolv business is a key strategy to reach beyond your immediate network of connections.

Evolv True Content: Quality is Essential

Creating useful and interesting content is necessary for SEO to really work – contribute some ideas and avoid duplicating content that exists already or spamming across the Internet. Instead of spamming on Craigslist, create an Evolv Health article at Google Knol or Squidoo. In the next post, we’ll advise on the best places to post content in order to create awareness of your Evolv business and to draw in prospective customers and build your Evolv MLM downline.

Choose the Topic & Keyword to Write About and Stay on Topic!

Now, the first thing to understand is what keywords to use in your content – what are people interested in and searching for? A couple useful tools for mining out keywords are:

• Google Insights for Search
• Google Keyword Suggestion Tool
• Google Wonder Wheel