Someone posted here about the Five Pillars in a negative response to a post from a distributor in another company.

I checked out the link in the poster's tagline and found that it led back to a landing page / funnel page for a business called "Mentoring For Free". I am always skeptical when a page has no info about the actual product being promoted, and offers something for nothing ( like the Success in 10 Steps book ).

Mentoring for Free and Success in 10 Steps is by Michael Dlouhy. Is Mentoring for Free a scam? I don't know, but I'm going to break it down.

If you enter Michael Dlouhy's name in Google with the word scam next to it you get 52,700 resutls. That doesn't mean there are 52,700 pages about a Michael Dlouhy scam - just that there are that many pages that contain all of those words.

According to different pages, Michael Dlouhy is an MLM "guru" and a conversational hypnotist.

The Mentoring for Free program is not free. If you are part of the pro version, it will cost you 19.95 a month. The program supposedly offers:

Live Training Calls. Learn the 4 personality types. Saturday night mastermind call. Learn about compensation plans. Learn how to do your due diligence. And learn how to talk with prospects.

Does that require a monthly fee? Couldn't it all be included in a free mentoring guide? Isn't calling it "Mentoring for Free" a bit ...scammy... if it's not really free?

It turns out that the "Five Pillars' touted by the program ( and quoted in the negative post ) conveniently match the company Vitamark - which is also the company Michael Dlouhy is promoting along with the program.

To me, the Mentoring for Free program seems just like Vemma Builder or any of the other secondary marketing programs that are springing up to not only boost sales for the company, but also create an additional revenue stream for the promoter/marketer/*guru* ( as in Michael Dlouhy )

One very well written review said: "If you are in Michael’s company Vitamark, MFF may be a decent option for you if you can handle being deceptive and you don’t mind busting your ass to brand someone else and getting no compensation for it. My advice: RUN when you see Mentoring for Free or Michael Dhloughy."

I did not see one positive review of Mentoring for Free that was not written by someone promoting...Mentoring for Free.

If part of the MFF program is posting lemming like comments about other peoples companies, which is what triggered me here, I definitely consider it to be scammy at best, and douchebaggery at the worst.

Well, I don't condone the negative posts about another company, but you sure seem to know-a-lot about "what this is"... for someone who just doesn't like "someone's website or a negative post".  Are you some successful home business owner? or someone who just likes to criticize any opportunities that wouldn't free you from being tied down to your full-time job income...?

You apparently don't understand that "a mentoring system" or the Mentoring For Free system DOES NOT PROMOTE ANY specific PRODUCTS or SERVICES for any company.  IT IS A mentoring system.  It doesn't "boost sales for any MLM company".  You can plug-in to the Mentoring For Free system for ANY COMPANY or use the system TO PROMOTE ANY MLM OPPORTUNITY.  IT IS FOR PROMOTING ANY 5 PILLAR programs!!

Why would it "conveniently match" a company called Vitamark?  WHY?!  Why would you promote any 5 Pillar program and not choose any 5 Pillar company to work?? THAT WOULD be moronic.  You have somewhat of a backward reasoning for your post other than trying to respond to "some negative response" you saw on this website.  If you need some "SECONDARY MARKETING PROGRAM"... then that must mean that your PRIMARY MARKETING PROGRAM doesn't work, or it's not a 5 Pillar company.

Therefore this is a "Mentoring For Free" system.  It's a system that anyone can plug-in to and promote any MLM company!  I HEAR that there are people now starting to realize that they need to look for some 5 Pillar companies to promote, or that their compensation is FALLING SHORT of their expectation or work effort.

Sincerely,

someone who is using this 19.95 program to promote a 5 Pillar company because "somebody built me the system" for me to use.  Why is it working so well?  Because I read what those "pillars" are in a program (in the FREE e-book) and found a company that the "Mentoring For Free" system works with successfully.  Why?  Because it is a company that at least meets those major support "requirements".  Do you realize how many distributors would love to have any-type-of mentoring system "for free" or pay $20 a month to make their own business and MLM program that successfully earns MORE THAN just $20 a month in profit?  It's a "system of advice" that helps your "Retun on Investment".

Or just "struggle" with what your doing with leadership tells you lies while you struggle trying to figure out why you can't make "their company work" when THEY WOULDN'T EVEN BE ABLE to make it work if they WERE DISTRIBUTORS working their own company's program!!!

FYI... IF YOU'RE THE COMPANY OWNERS . . .THEN YOU ALWAYS MAKE MONEY FROM THE DISTRIBUTORS NO MATTER WHAT!  DUH?

Why do you think there are so many "start-ups" that fail as the "flood of people" hype themselves into "giving the failing start-up" a "lottery of hype to get in first".   It's like a fake IPO that every investor can't make their money back from because of a weak business plan or compensation.  But people still run to try and get their next "winning ticket" in the next IPO start-up.  I can't go on enough about hyped "untruths/missing information" companies keep from their own distributors they already lured into their pool while "they relax by their pool" counting all the money from "hyped-bait".

Typical program that works for the person that launches it, in this case Dlouhy, and they make as much or more money as they do from their MLM.  In this case everyone in this deal is in or ends up in vitamark.  The mentoring for free thing is in fact not free,  just like the rest of the non-duplicating systems being promoted as the answer to everyones problems in MLM, there is a place for a credit card when you get right down to it.  The worst thing about this program is that they bash all the other companies as not being as good as vitamark and make the company the reason people fail.  This is wrong for two reasons, number one Vitamark is not that great, they are a tiny company that has been around longer than monavie, agel and some of the other newer companies, but are a lot smaller and number two people blame the past company for failure when they failed because they didn't do the work or learn how to build the business correctly in the first place.  Dlouhy won't show them how to build the right way even though Big Al is the owner of Vitamark and teaches people what they need to learn, dlouhy just screws people up, Big al must be sick to his stomach.   Dlouhy is just a little fish in a little pond, that's why people think he's a big deal, but he's just a minnow.

I'm sorry you feel that way, but I know Michael Dloughy; he is one of my mentors.  He is also one of the top trainers in the business.

If you would like to know the "Real Truth" about Michael Dloughy and Mentoring For Free, I can tell you that he is for real. He is one of my mentors. He is one of the top trainers in the business and his mentor is also one of the best, Tom "Big Al" Schreiter.  The training is free and is open to anyone no matter what company you work with. There is no deception involved. Join and see for yourself.

I guess I don't really have an opinion on the subject as a whole.  I did recognize the name and realized that I do get mailing from Mentoringforfree in one of my junk email boxes.

I've enjoyed the mailings and I think the reason I didnt take any action on it other than reading the emails is because Im not looking for buy anyone elses mentoring.

It seems that is a tricky part of our business and some of the people that are drawn to it.  As best as I can tell, all the free training and information anyone could need is out there and some people are looking for someone that will do it for them and not just mentoring.

I've always enjoyed meeting people in the our direct sales business and have made some good friendships.  I like people that are self-starters and marketers at heart.  After all, we are in multi level MARKETING.  So I consider myself to be a marketer.

Then there are those that join our industry that are looking for someone to show them what to do and then do it for them.  I don't worry about those people to much since I know that they won't be around by the time the next event rolls around.

So, he can send me the emails but Im not buying.

From what I've seen, I can't say that Mentoring For Free is any more a scam than any other MLM company. I do find that the title of the package as a whole really isn't very accurate, but in any area of standard or MLM business other than profit figures; what is? The meatiest parts of the program are obviously not free with a "Pro-version" (Probably the part that works heh) coming at a cost of $19.95 a month. This consists of capture pages, a few of which promote the free ebook "Success in 10 Steps" and another for $29.95. There is also a CD called Color to Success which rolls in for $19.95. This entire selection of items more or less contain the Mentoring For Free program in its entirety, and the price overall sort of discredits the name. The "free" part of these types of programs are simply hooks that's all.

Now I have to be fair and say that it doesn't mean the system doesn't work, nor does it mean that Michael Dloughty isn't a stand up guy. I couldn't tell you that one way or the other I've never met him, nor am I involved with any of his business ventures. I will say that I haven't found very much online as far as negative press in regard to him, or this particular product. If the information in this program is good, well excellent, that's great, but don't think for a second that there isn't a design behind the title, what you actually get for free, and the more vital info only being available in the stuff you pay for.

Typical program that works for the person that launches it, in this case Dlouhy, and they make as much or more money as they do from their MLM.  In this case everyone in this deal is in or ends up in vitamark.  The mentoring for free thing is in fact not free,  just like the rest of the non-duplicating systems being promoted as the answer to everyones problems in MLM, there is a place for a credit card when you get right down to it.  The worst thing about this program is that they bash all the other companies as not being as good as vitamark and make the company the reason people fail.  This is wrong for two reasons, number one Vitamark is not that great, they are a tiny company that has been around longer than monavie, agel and some of the other newer companies, but are a lot smaller and number two people blame the past company for failure when they failed because they didn't do the work or learn how to build the business correctly in the first place.  Dlouhy won't show them how to build the right way even though Big Al is the owner of Vitamark and teaches people what they need to learn, dlouhy just screws people up, Big al must be sick to his stomach.   Dlouhy is just a little fish in a little pond, that's why people think he's a big deal, but he's just a minnow.

Your name says a lot: Kool Aid Drinker

I have benefited much from the last 13 months of listening to Dlouhy and his team.  In all that time I have grown as a person, gained confidence, and advanced my business.  And until now I never knew the name of the company he was "promoting".  He offers mentoring for free, just as advertised.  I am not currently, nor have I ever been a member of his MFF  "pro" version.  Therefore I have never had to pay for any of this.  But I would not hesitate to recommend it because it seems to be helping the people that are involved.

I just happened across this website and this was the first post I read.  If the rest of the site has similar bashing of good, decent people who are sincerely  trying to help others I will not waste any more time here.

Never criticize something you have not experienced.  You just proclaim your ignorance.

Speaking of ignorance, the person who started this thread has no direct knowledge of Mentoring For Free.  He is only rewriting what other websites say about it.  Think about the logic of that.  This man is not a reliable source.  How about if I start writing negative, or at best, "neutral" information about your company's products without ever using them for myself.  I feel like I'm back in junior high here.  Someone is in a bad mood so he starts calling someone else names, in this case: scam.  Grow up.

Never criticize something you have not experienced.  You just proclaim your ignorance.

Speaking of ignorance, the person who started this thread has no direct knowledge of Mentoring For Free.  He is only rewriting what other websites say about it.  Think about the logic of that.  This man is not a reliable source.  How about if I start writing negative, or at best, "neutral" information about your company's products without ever using them for myself.  I feel like I'm back in junior high here.  Someone is in a bad mood so he starts calling someone else names, in this case: scam.  Grow up.

Talk about ignorance, how do you know II have not experienced this?  Maybe the person starting the thread has no experience, but maybe they do.  

Here's what you are missing, is some of the information at MFF good, of course, but there are also many other opinions out there from other people that are just as good.  Are there things at MFF you can learn to advance your business?  That's debatable.  

There are dozens to hundreds of people that have used MFF to "try" to advance their business, and failed.  Not for lack of trying, not for lack of effort.  When you join a company are are excited about it, you are passionate about it, and then you get told at MFF to not talk about your company, or I'm not here to promote my business, are you kidding?  

Hundreds & Hundreds of people pay $19.99 a month for replicated sites that take penny's to support, and then they promote MFF to everyone else they can find on the internet.  Dlouhy is a typical "tool hustler" just like the rest, pay your monthly fee.  People buy and promote his ebooks and CD's for him and he makes tens of thousands of dollars each month on others peoples efforts, and keeps it all to himself claiming it's expensive to operate MFF.   Almost every other tool hawker out there offers a commission on their personal efforts, not this guy, he is greedy and keeps it all to himself.

Now here's the part that you need to get through your thick skull, there is way too much negativity at MFF.  Company A is a scam, Company B has a bad pay plan, Company C has over priced products, Company D has bad policies, and on and on.

Then there's the personal development call where everyone talks about being abused and their horrible past, ALL negatives.  The irony is that Hill talks about "we become what we think about" in Think and Grow Rich, a book they use, but yet all they talk and think about are negative things.  

I'm just one of hundreds that spent time using this to advance my business, and if you were honest with yourself you would realize that if you were doing so great with your business you wouldn't need MFF.  Instead of wasting time listening to calls all week you would be actually building your business.