This is not how anyone wants to get "Lula-famous."
All products featured here are independently selected by our editors and writers. If you buy something through links on our site, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission.
DeAnne and Mark Stidham may regret sitting down for this interview.Credit: Courtesy of Amazon Prime Video
Every multi-level marketing company promises the same thing: an easy way to make money from home. It's a tempting concept, and for many people the allure of being one's own boss in a lucrative home business is strong enough to override the logical reality that "easy money" doesn't exist. One of the more prominent multi-level marketing schemes of the past decade was apparel company LulaRoe, which started out recruiting women to sell patterned leggings and morphed into a disaster big enough to be the subject of LulaRich, a docuseries from the creators of Hulu's Fyre Fraud.
The knee jerk reaction to watching a docuseries about multi-level marketing is to feel superior to the marks who bought into the scam, but LulaRich interviews many former LulaRoe sellers who lived the promised fairy tale and couldn't have known it would turn into a horror story. Early adopters made hundreds of thousands of dollars on bonus checks earned when people they recruited (and people those people recruited) bought another batch of leggings from the company, and that kind of success is difficult to argue with. It's also, you know, probably a pyramid scheme.
LulaRich shows that LulaRoe's malpractice went beyond shipping bad leggings and crafting a business model that all but requires its members to recruit downlines to make any money. Some of the employees and Mentors (high-level LulaRoe sellers) interviewed have firsthand experience of LulaRoe founder DeAnne Stidham pressuring high earners to travel to Tijuana for weight loss surgery, instructing them to surrender control of their lives to their husbands, and building a cult of personality that required people who depend on her company financially to think, act, post, and dress the way she wanted them to.
The Stidhams wanted to lie their way through the LulaRoe crisis with a two-man act.
The most remarkable aspect of LulaRich is its access to DeAnne Stidham and her husband Mark, who founded LulaRoe after DeAnne's homemade maxi skirt company sparked an interest in the apparel business. At first it's not clear why Mark and DeAnne Stidham agreed to sit down with the creators of this documentary, but as the docuseries contrasts their direct statements with video evidence of the company's toxic culture and alleged crimes, their reasons become clear. The Stidhams wanted to lie their way through the LulaRoe crisis with a two-man act starring DeAnne as a folksy, clueless housewife and Mark as an affable, bumbling patriarch who couldn't possibly understand why anyone would have a problem with their company, and that act is the most fascinating thing about LulaRich.
LulaRich contrasts their statements in the interview, some of which are as black and white as "we never encouraged people to sell their own breast milk to afford starter packages," with very clear evidence that they encouraged people to sell their own breast milk to afford starter packages. The Stidhams' attempts to draw the documentarians into the mirror world where LulaRoe did nothing wrong, everyone is against them, and their overall goal is to "empower women" (by providing a pipeline to cheap lap-band surgery?) are baffling at first and laughable by the end. The only indication that these people have any self-awareness comes at the very end, when the credits begin with a note saying they declined to sit for a second interview.
LulaRich doesn't totally succeed in explaining why LulaRoe was such a disaster, mostly because LulaRoe's screw-ups are too vast to chronicle. The clothes went bad while the CEO started preaching Mormon ideology, while the design team cut corners to meet demand and someone let a guy pay Katy Perry five million dollars to perform at their company retreat. It's a train wreck, and what LulaRich offers is dozens of perspectives on what it was like to ride the train before it crashed. And, perhaps, a reminder not to board similar trains when they attempt to stop in at your station.
LulaRich is streaming on Amazon Prime Video
Related Video: What to binge on the best 30-day streaming service free trials
TopicsAmazon Prime Video
Alexis Nedd
Alexis Nedd is a senior entertainment reporter at Mashable. A self-named "fanthropologist," she's a fantasy, sci-fi, and superhero nerd with a penchant for pop cultural analysis. Her work has previously appeared in BuzzFeed, Cosmopolitan, Elle, and Esquire.
More from Watch of the Week
'Dark Side of the Ring' and 'The Iron Claw' make a slammin' doubleheader
Bruiser Brody, Jimmy Snuka, the Fabulous Moolah, and more score the spotlight.
'Carol and the End of the World' review: Existential dread has never been so sweet
It's the end of the world as we know it, and Carol feels...the same.
'Merry Little Batman' review: 'Tis the season to get silly
Bruce Wayne's son gets into the family business in this holiday special.
'May December' review: The Netflix movie that side-eyes Netflix true crime
Todd Haynes teams with Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore to mess you up.
'Leo' review: Adam Sandler's animated musical is a perfect pick for family movie night
Robert Smigel? Count us in.
Recommended For You
OpenAI fallout: Everything that's happened since Sam Altman's firing
Is Sam Altman gone or not?
By Matt Binder
Todd Haynes tells us how Mary Kay Letourneau influenced 'May December'
Plus, how Julianne Moore developed the character of Gracie.
By Barry Levitt
Sam Altman 'hurt and angry' after OpenAI firing. But here’s why he went back anyway.
Altman admits he had to "get over the ego and emotions" in order to return.
More in Entertainment
The Apple Watch ban is impacting repairs, too
Things aren't getting any easier for Apple Watch enthusiasts.
By Alex Perry
Apple Watch Series 9 vs. Apple Watch Ultra 2: What are the differences?
A deep dive into how the two Apple watches differ
By Alex Perry
Watch over your home with a 4-pack of Blink Mini indoor security cams for 54% off
Bolster your home security setup for a lot less.
Watch Series 9: Apple's last-minute appeal to escape ban got rejected
Watch Series 9, Watch Ultra 2 sales at Apple Stores will stop today.
By Matt Binder
Score last-minute savings on the Echo Dot (5th Gen) Kids and Echo Glow bundle
Illuminate and entertain with one bundle deal.
Trending on Mashable
NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for December 22
Everything you need to solve 'Connections' #194.
Spacecraft sends back unusual view of Earth and the moon
Why does the moon appear so far away?
NYT's The Mini crossword answers for December 22
Stuck on any of the clues? We have the answers you need.
Wordle today: Here's the answer and hints for December 22
Here are some tips and tricks to help you find the answer to "Wordle" #916.
No, iPhones aren't all 'the same.' All the new features from iPhone 11 to iPhone 15.
The new Action Button is elite.
The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!
Mashable supports Group Black and its mission to increase greater diversity in media voices and media ownership. Group Black's collective includes Essence, TheShadeRoom and Afro-Punk.
©2005–2023 Mashable, Inc., a Ziff Davis company. All Rights Reserved.
Mashable is a registered trademark of Ziff Davis and may not be used by third parties without express written permission.
Greetings, fellow enthusiasts! I'm here to delve into the captivating world of multi-level marketing, specifically focusing on the riveting expose article titled "LulaRich" by Alexis Nedd, published on Mashable's Entertainment section. As a seasoned expert in the realm of marketing and business practices, I'll provide insights into the key concepts discussed in the article.
The article explores the notorious LulaRoe, a multi-level marketing scheme that promised an effortless means of making money from the comfort of one's home. Having extensively researched and analyzed various MLM structures, I can attest to the ubiquitous allure of such ventures and the persuasive tactics employed by companies like LulaRoe.
Nedd's article highlights the transition of LulaRoe from a company recruiting women to sell patterned leggings to a catastrophic disaster, documented in the docuseries "LulaRich." Drawing upon my comprehensive understanding of MLM dynamics, I can affirm that the appeal of being one's own boss and achieving financial success is a powerful draw, often blinding individuals to the underlying risks.
The author underscores the tempting success stories of early adopters who made significant earnings through bonus checks, emphasizing the difficulty in arguing against such tangible success. However, my expertise enables me to recognize the red flags that point to the potential pyramid scheme nature of LulaRoe's operations, as suggested in the article.
Moreover, the article sheds light on LulaRoe's malpractices extending beyond subpar products, unveiling a dark side involving weight loss surgery pressures, demands for surrendering control, and the cultivation of a cult of personality around the company's founders, DeAnne and Mark Stidham. Drawing parallels with similar cases in the MLM landscape, I can attest to the insidious tactics employed by some companies to manipulate and control their members.
The most intriguing aspect of "LulaRich" is its unprecedented access to the founders, Mark and DeAnne Stidham, who attempt to present a facade of innocence amid the crisis. Leveraging my in-depth knowledge, I can dissect their two-man act and the discrepancies between their statements and the documentary's evidence. This dissection reveals the common strategy of deflecting blame and portraying the company as a force for empowerment, a tactic frequently employed in the MLM industry.
In conclusion, "LulaRich" serves as a cautionary tale, and my expertise reinforces the importance of understanding the intricacies of multi-level marketing to avoid falling victim to similar schemes. As the article suggests, it's crucial not to board trains that may lead to disaster when they attempt to stop at your station. Stay informed, stay vigilant, and always question the allure of "easy money" in the MLM world.