What is That Crazy Wrap Thing? My It Works! Review

One day I met a really cool lady in a Facebook group in which we shared a common interest. I had posted a picture and she made some comments on my photo and liked it. Within moments I had a friend request from her. I accepted because we’d had a good rapport in the group. She was a prolific poster on her personal page. She had this fabulous life and was wildly successful. She would post multiple times a day about various products that she used and adored. She posted adorable pictures of her kids. She always had so much engagement on her posts, I wondered how she did it.

She was one of those people who was instantly likable. She was always friendly, self-deprecating and hard-working. She loved her family, and I could see from her posts she fiercely supported her friends and lifted them up. The more I saw her online, the more I wondered about her and what she did to become so successful. She never bragged but I knew that she was doing incredibly well. Her posts often referred to her working very hard, and her hard work was paying off.

One of her posts struck a chord with me. It was long, it was personal, and it was heartfelt. It got me. She’d said that her husband and her had worked hard all their lives. Her husband used to pick up extra overtime shifts to pay the bills, and she was never able to be with her kids because of her work. Her kids were little, and all she wanted was to spend time with them. She couldn’t. It broke my heart. It reminded me of so many stories I knew – where people just wanted a break so they could be in the moment and be present for their kids while they’re growing up. I also wanted that feeling of being able to spend time with the kids without having to worry about going to work.

She said how much she used to dread Sunday nights when she knew the weekend was over, and she’d have to do it all over again. I knew that feeling myself. Then she said that since starting her career from home, both her and her husband gave up their jobs and earnt US $1m plus every year. I knew she was for real, there was no BS with her. We’d been connected for many months and I could see how well she was doing.

Then one day she sent me a very brief message. She suggested that I join her on her journey. We got talking and she said she was in It Works! and she’d worked her way into one of the highest tiers. She knew a little bit about me because of our common interest, and she suggested that if I join It Works! she could help me get to know the business and be successful. It just so happened that they were lowering the price of the starter kits for a short period of time, and if I signed up I could join for $10. It was usually $99. So I thought ‘what the heck, why not?!’ and I signed up. It felt a little crazy because I knew nothing about the products or the company, but I wanted to take some control over my life and create an opportunity for myself.

I was given my own standard It Works! website with back end to manage the administration of my business, and within a few days I received my starter kit in the mail. In the meantime, I did as much research about the company as I could. Let’s dive into this and I’ll share with you what I know about It Works!.

My It Works! Review

It Works! is something that you’ve most likely come across at some point in time if you’re online. Whether it be someone you’re connected to on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn, if you’re well-connected it’s almost a certainty that someone you know or have some sort of connection to has dabbled in It Works!. You may have also heard about ‘that crazy wrap thing’ or seen ads for keto coffee. You’ve probably seen It Works! advertising and not even realised it.

My It Works! review will take you through the following sections:

• What is It Works! ?
• How It Works! works
• Is It Works! legit?
• My recommended way of making money online

What is It Works!?

Some basic info:

• Website: https://itworks.com
• Brought to you by: Mark and Cindy Pentecost
• Founded in: 2001
• Price: $99 to become a distributor
• Recommended: If you’re into MLMs

It Works! is a beauty and wellness company that all started with a body applicator product, often referred to as “That Crazy Wrap Thing.” The wrap is their flagship product, and since then the product line has grown into a fairly extensive offering covering:

• Body wraps
• Various creams, cleansers, toners and peels
• Greens powders and blends
• Probiotics
• Anti stress products
• Shakes
• Keto coffee products

How It Works! works

It Works! is known as a MLM (multi level marketing) company. In a nutshell, in MLMs there are basically two ways you can earn money:

1. By selling a product, and
2. By receiving commissions from the sales of your downline (i.e. people you recruit into your network)

What this means is you need to able to sell products to people. If you REALLY want to be successful in a MLM company, you want to be recruiting new distributors who are also selling products. In the latter scenario, as well as selling products, you need to be able to sell the ‘lifestyle opportunity’ as well.

The sole purpose of the MLM company is to sell their products. The theory behind MLM is the larger the distributor network, the more product the business will sell.

To become a distributor, an initial investment of $99 is required. This will get you the distributor’s starter kit of products and information. After this initial investment, distributors are required to spend a minimum of $80 each month in products either for resale or for the distributor them self.

Sales can be achieved through wrap parties, loyal customers, or the purchase of starter kits by new distributors.

There’s a few different ways to earn, including:

• Wrap cash
• Fast start bonus
• Residual income through team and personal sales
• Leadership bonuses
• Promotions

I always found the compensation plan quite confusing, and because I don’t want to confuse you either, read the full It Works! compensation plan here.

MLM is a legitimate business model. Whilst it isn’t for everyone, you can earn money. It is about the products, and moving as much product as possible for maximum income.

The lady who referred me to It Works, whilst she did make a lot of money (and I know this to be true), she worked what seemed like around the clock. So whilst she was at home with her kids, she was pretty much working all day every day. I remember when she was pregnant with her most recent child, she was posting videos about products, posting selfies with products, posting videos for her team, and working incredibly hard. In fact, when she was in hospital in labour, she was posting about products. I am NOT joking.

I thought she must have been terribly driven. As it turns out, whilst she was incredibly driven, she was pushed very hard for those results. And not long after she gave it all away. She was burnt out. Her $1m+ plus business just stopped. She shut down her Facebook group without explanation and that was that.

I later found out she felt that the company really did not care too much about her well being and only cared about how much money she was making for them.

I wasn’t surprised at all when I saw a few short weeks later that she had joined another MLM and was killing it all over again. Some folks are just brilliant at it, and she is one of them. She is one of the very few that make it in MLMs. The majority of people don’t sell a single thing.

It’s important to know a few statistics about MLMs.

Jon Taylor PhD, in “The Case For (and Against) Multi-level Marketing” published by the FTC, researched MLMs and his research found:

• In the first year of operation, a minimum of 50% of representatives drop-out.
• After five years of operation, a minimum of 90% of representatives have left the company.
• By year 10, only those at or near the top have not dropped out – approximately 95% of representatives have dropped out by then.

When analysing It Works! compensation figures, their most recent data is from 2016, and it shows you the various levels within the company, the monthly high and low for each level, and the monthly average for each level:

If you read this carefully, you will see that is says “the average monthly income for Distributors (active and inactive) in 2016 was $179”. They go on to say that “these figures do not represent a Distributor’s profit, as they do no consider expenses incurred by a Distributor in operation or promotion of his/her business”.

When I was associated with It Works, there was a $30 per month payment for the It Works! website which includes the administration component for you to manage your business. You’re also required to purchase a Basic Kit. The figures also don’t take into consideration the products purchased by the distributors themselves, or the costs associated with hosting parties. For those who are new and aren’t selling yet, you can purchase products that will allow you to become ‘commission qualified’. The company does not provide you with products so you can try them in order to be able to know what you’re talking when you sell them – you need to purchase them yourself.

For the full It Works! income disclosure statement of 2016, click here.

Can you market It Works! on your own website?

Looking carefully at the It Works! policies and procedures, you can’t develop your own website to sell It Works! products.

“No Distributor may independently design a website that uses the names, logos, or product descriptions of It Works! or otherwise promotes (directly or indirectly) It Works! products or the It Works! opportunity, unless previously approved by the It Works! Compliance Team.”

So if you’re relying on your internet marketing skills to get visitors to your page so they can purchase your products and/or become a distributor, then think again. Whilst the corporate team might approve your site, they also might not. You are not allowed to sell products via avenues such as eBay or Craigslist.
The preferred marketing methods are word of mouth, hosting wrap parties, and social media (within guidelines).

Is It Works! legit?

Yes, it’s absolutely legit. However, the It Works! BBB rating is not great, and there are several complaints against the company:

However, I’ve seen firsthand people making money with It Works!. I’ve also seen numerous people fail (in fact practically everyone I started with), which does not mean that It Works! is not legit. All it means is that many people are not suited to MLMs, and that the majority of people who do join MLMs do not make much money (if any at all). Many give up very early on (like me!) because there is just a misalignment with personal style and values. Most people don’t want to hassle their family and friends, so there’s a barrier right there. Unless you’re naturally an awesome salesperson who doesn’t come across as ‘salesy’ – because it’s all about the relationships – then you likely won’t do too well in a MLM.

When I first joined, my sponsor asked me to write a list of 100 people I knew, presumably who might be interested in the products and business opportunity, and invite them to a “wrap” party. The problem I had was that I did not want to hassle any of these people to buy products or come to a wrap party. I liked and respected those people, and many of them I had met from professional networks who would have been shocked if they knew I was selling It Works! products at wrap parties on the side. Not that I really cared about that I suppose, but it was worlds colliding that I really didn’t want to collide. And then when I really thought about, how comfortable was I hosting a wrap party? Totes uncomfortable!! It was clear to me within days that I would not make it in It Works!. I still have my starter kit somewhere, unopened. I never did try that crazy wrap thing …

There is a MUCH better alternative to MLMs

If you don’t want to hassle your family and friends with products that they don’t want or need, there is a much better to start a new career from home.

My preferred way to make money from home is via the affiliate marketing model:

Remember that once you have built your own niche website and learnt how to attract visitors (using free methods), you can repeat this with as many of your own websites as you like. The basic premise is that you:

1. Choose an interest
2. Build a website
3. Attract visitors to your website
4. Earn revenue when they make purchases from your site (via affiliate links)

Once you have built your own niche website and learnt how to attract visitors (using free methods), you can repeat this with as many of your own websites as you like.
The platform is perfect for ANYBODY who wants to find a way to earn money online. You don’t need experience, and you don’t need to be technical. You will be taught everything you need to know.

My preferred platform allows people to sign up for free to have a look around and see if it’s for them. You even get two free websites, and the first ten modules of training for free.
What you see is what you get. Nothing hidden, and nothing over promised. I personally use this platform and it is a genuine way to learn how to make money online the right way, using legitimate techniques and methods.