Hey, Hun

“She signed up for the sisterhood, free cars, and the 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.”

This 384-page book, which came out in 2023, details the novelized journey of Emily Lynn Paulson through her years in a multi-level marketing company - based on her own experience. This book was hyped to me as essential reading for the anti-MLM movement, and I was happy to dive in.

The book relies heavily on Steven Hassan’s B.I.T.E. Model, which is used to identify cults. It stands for Behavior, Information, Thought, and Emotional control. The book posits that MLMs are commercial cults, and I would be willing to agree with that assessment.

It’s too specific to be relatable (even though I was once in Avon, and should be able to relate) and somehow too universal to be usable. It wasn’t actively bad - it didn’t make me angry as I read it - but it also wasn’t good. It was just kind of meh.

This book is very pro-girlboss, and I was expecting an anti-girlboss narrative. The book talks about how predatory MLMs are, but it never misses a chance to mention the coaching that she offers.

It also claims that there are white supremacy issues within MLMs, but fails to discuss why that is or even how they can keep it up. The author owns her privilege but does nothing within the pages to dissect her biases and move forward toward being a better person.

I don’t know the author. I’ve never met her. And, given how she presents herself within this book, I don’t want to.

Hey, Hun is a 3-star read - not memorable enough to be better or worse.