After working five different jobs, I know what it means to earn an honest paycheck, and today I want to write about Vemma, a company that acts within the law, but is by no means honest.

Verve! is a healthy energy drink developed by Vemma to fill the gap in an energy drink market that is saturated with unhealthy alternatives. The drink has been on several shows such as “The Dr. Oz Show” and has been featured in several health magazines. Although some dietitians question whether or not the drink actually is good for a person, due to the high levels of supplements that can throw off the body’s rhythm, it appears Verve! is what it claims — a healthy energy drink. Until a final ruling is made, I am inclined to believe the pitch.

But what makes Vemma so interesting is not that it is following the law of supply and demand. What makes Vemma interesting is its business model.

On the pages that detail the company’s mission, it is clear this is a company that wants to help people, specifically through its young person “revolution.” The founder, BK Boreyko, explains in many of his YouTube videos that his idea rests with the concept that when young people love something and they get paid for it, they will be the best advertising tool money can buy.

To do this, Boreyko details a multilevel incentive plan that allows young people to start their own business and go as far as they can dream (a cheesy line, but I stole it from Vemma). The way this social network marketing works is people sign up, then earn the title “Vemma Brand Partner” and pay to get a Verve! — or other Vemma product — “Business Builder” kit. At this point, their mission is not to sell this product, but rather to market the product in whatever way they see fit and get others to sign on.

When I learned Vemma did not make the majority of its profits off its only product, I went from doubtful to severely skeptical. Vemma does not make its money off its product — it makes its money off people signing up.

Before I move on, I want to insert my personal experience with Verve!. After doing my research on how great Verve! was, I decided to try it out. After discovering it was exclusively online, I went to the website and tried to place an order. I had no intentions of joining this business because I already had a pretty good income from my other three jobs in high school. However, after creating an account, I decided to hold off on spending nearly $70 for a case of 24 8 oz. cans. I was very surprised to receive a phone call the next day from a Verve! salesman. To summarize our two-hourlong conversation: I convinced him to ship me two cases of Verve! overnight.

The reason I was able to outsell this salesman was that I convinced him I would promote the product at an event I was having at my fraternity. He told me he was not concerned about the loss of product, only that I brought in new members. Fortunately for me, another brother in my fraternity took over the role in handling the drinks so I could focus on other parts of the event. Today I realize how lucky I was — to this day, he still is receiving insistent calls to join Verve!’s “revolution.”

But if Verve! is such a good product, why is it so difficult to buy? If it is a true competitor to other drinks such as Red Bull and Monster, why is it not competing with them in the mainstream market? I trust all the product reviews of Verve!, and I would buy it if it was in a store. However, coupled with other suspicious things I have mentioned, I do not trust the company from which I must buy it.

An argument from some brand partners is that this is a legitimate business and not a pyramid scheme because not only is there a concrete product, but it also is possible to move up within Vemma — hard work is rewarded with more pay, rewards, titles, etc. But the “hard work” necessary to move up in this company is not the same as most companies. Verve!/Vemma employees do not get promoted based on how much they sell (remember, they do not sell anything; that is not their job); they get promoted based on how many people they can get to put money into Vemma. Therefore, if one’s idea of hard work is to separate fools from their money, then yes, hard work is rewarded within Vemma.

The reason I am against this company — not its product — is that to succeed, you must exploit other people. I am not arguing that it is impossible to earn money with Vemma; I am just saying it is impossible to earn money ethically.

There are no shortcuts on the road to success. The cliché dogma about something being too good to be true holds weight here. It is important to question an organization that markets itself as “revolutionary.” Many within the Vemma cult feel they have discovered what no one else has, that they have found the easier path. Remember — there is a reason people do not take shortcuts. It is not because they somehow lack clarity; rather, it is the opposite.

Jameson Joyce is a guest columnist at The State News and a James Madison sophomore. Reach him at joyceja1@msu.edu.