Here’s What Joining a Pyramid Scheme Taught Me About Over Thinking

To succeed in business, relationships, and life you need to be a bit “unhinged”

Photo by Hunters Race on Unsplash

But you’re wondering, WTF does a “pyramid scheme” have to do with conquering self-doubt and over thinking? What even is that?

Everything.

You probably already know over thinking is holding you back.

You know it’s not helpful. But you’ve done everything. Maybe you’ve tried to think “better” — you know, more positively. Or you’ve attempted to repeat a mantra or an affirmation, but none of it’s working.

The problem lies in how much you are thinking.

This is why you don’t need brains to be successful. Why else is the phrase “ignorance is bliss” so prevalent?

Because the average person manages to get by in life without being a genius or having everything figured out.

I’m not saying the average person isn’t smart, but most of us could benefit a lot by thinking less. Trust me, life will continue on regardless of how much you ruminate.

Here’s where my pyramid scheme story begins — and how it relates.

An MLM (Multi-level marketing) or sometimes known as network marketing is a business model where people earn money by selling products directly to consumers from a corporation.

In this case my story, revolves around Amway.

“Marketers” make money by selling products and recruiting others.

It’s pyramid-shaped in structure, but not “legally” a pyramid scheme.

The more people you recruit, the more money you can potentially make through your “downline.” With your sales and their sales combined, this is what incentivizes people to join these organizations.

One day, I was at work, just minding my business. I used to work retail, so I used to deal with a lot of weirdos.

This guy — who we’ll call “Brad” walks up to me, asks me where something was, and I showed him. He was outgoing, extroverted, and talkative. I didn’t think much of it — I figured he was trying to be nice by making small talk.

But I had this inkling that he wanted to sell me something.

Anyway, a few minutes later he came back up to me and introduced this idea of “networking marketing.”

I was intrigued and this is where the story begins.

About a week after we met, we met up at a Panera Bread, and he “showed me the plan.”

He went through a PowerPoint slide about how if I “build a team” (recruit people) I could be free of my job for the rest of my life. Eventually, I joined and was going to their meetings weekly and getting personal mentorship from Brad routinely.

One thing Brad and his upline hammered into us constantly was the importance of “contacting.” (Which is kinda like doing “pickup” except it’s for business)

They’d say, “You need to go out and talk to people!”

“Anyone. Everyone! Get them interested. Show the plan. I don’t care if you ‘show the plan’ to your dog! Just do it!”

They encouraged us to strike up conversations with strangers in grocery stores, parking lots — wherever. And y’know, I followed that advice, but it came with a lot of self-doubt.

I’d walk around places like Walmart or Target for hours.

Looking for the “perfect” person that I could comfortably talk to. I’d go out in the rain, the snow, freezing temps, blistering heat, it didn’t matter.

I would be out for hours, only to talk to like 1 or 2 people because I overthought every approach.

Conversely, what stood out most about “Brad” was that he didn’t care how people perceived him. I’d watch him approach people.

He’d talk to anyone without hesitation. Rejection didn’t faze him; he just moved on to the next person.

It wasn’t about charm or wit — it was a numbers game.

The more people you talk to, the more chances you have to succeed.

It’s the same principle I once heard about dating: “You can’t make a sale if you don’t knock on the door.”

Brad lived this advice to the letter (in business), and honestly, it worked.

For someone like me — or maybe like you — it’s hard not to overthink how people might react, but the truth is, success often comes down to showing up and doing the work, over and over again.

Like so many people, you might get caught in the trap of overthinking — whether it’s about a toxic breakup, your job, or what others might think of you.

Paralysis by analysis

You spend hours replaying every exchange, every interaction, every relationship. You analyze when everything went wrong in your life, wondering if you could have done things differently.

You hold yourself back at work, you second guess every decision, and you’re afraid to take a risk by getting a new, better job because you’re afraid “the grass won’t be greener on the other side.”

In short, you hold yourself back in every area of life because overthinking is making you afraid to take risks.

It’s analysis paralysis.

However, what Brad understood, though, was that success — whether in relationships, work, or life — doesn’t come from analyzing every possibility.

He knew that success only comes from doing. Because it’s a numbers game (like we talked about a little bit before).

Doing is the biggest difference between winners and losers.

Winners act, they make mistakes but learn from them. Losers stay stuck pondering endlessly about what could have happened or why they’re not good enough.

I admire Brad for his persistence, but his business practice was ethically and morally questionable.

He didn’t need to have everything figured out before taking action; in fact, it was better that he didn’t.

The more you think, the less you do. The key is to take the first step — even if it’s messy — and trust that everything else will fall into place.

(I’m not saying to never think — thinking is useful when used correctly, but thinking is usually toxic and draining)

• Brad was the polar opposite of the average person. While most people are thoughtful and careful, Brad acted impulsively and without fear of judgment.

• Brad’s success had nothing to do with being inherently “better” or smarter than anyone else, but it had everything to do with the fact that he didn’t let fear of failure stop him. He approaches people confidently, makes mistakes unapologetically, and learns as he goes.

If you’ve read this far, you’re clearly interested in what I’m saying.

This is just a glimpse of a chapter in my upcoming book, where I describe in greater detail how Brad’s effortless approach and my personal journey help break through self-sabotage and overthinking.

Stay tuned — it’s coming soon!

(If you’d like to read an exclusive chapter to my first book, upgrade to a premium subscription.