Gregory Strom sinks Polaris Global’s ethics to new low
Polaris Global, a leader in network marketing and home-based businesses, is urging its members and all entrepreneurs to follow a strict code of ethics while building their business.
Polaris is trying to change the perceptions of network marketing, also known in the industry as multi-level marketing, through its honest and ethical business practices.
Polaris’s leaders believe following good business practices will result in a stronger and better industry.
- June 08, 2010 Press release for Polaris Global.
When we, as an individual or company, conduct business with a third party there’s a certain level of trust involved.
During the transaction, whether it be for electronics, a book, advice or personal development courses, certain personal details are exchanged and we as the consumers often take it for granted that our details will be kept private.
For the most part the world’s business’ strictly enforce their privacy policies because they know that if caught losing or trading their customer’s information – it’s a surefire way to also lose a ton of business.
Not so for Polaris Global. Well, at least not for founder Gregory Strom whose ethics undoubtedly hit a new rock bottom recently.
I was contacted by one of the businesses I’d interacted with recently with a somewhat puzzling dilemma. They’d received an information request from Gregory Strom and whilst they were under no circumstances entertaining the request, weren’t exactly sure how to respond.
The email (published with permission) went as follows;
Hi XXX.
I saw a nice write up on the web site of that Aussie who is living in Taiwan.
Do you know who I am speaking about? I hope so. I don’t remember his name or where you might have sent him the product.
Would like to learn more when you have the chance.
Thanks so much in advance.
Greg Strom
(contact email removed)
Cell: (contact cell removed)
Let me put this information request into context for you. One of Polaris Global’s listed founders, Gregory Strom, has contacted an independent third party with the hope of them giving up personal details on a private individual.
Ethics, what ethics?
What’s more worrying from this latest development is that Gregory Strom is credited with ‘most recently (producing) all media for Polaris Global‘.
By ‘all media‘ one can only assume we’re talking not only about the documentaries Polaris produces, but also that Strom has had input into their personal development course, Beyond Freedom.
Clearly Strom, and by a great association Polaris Global aren’t really fussed about following any code of ethics, let alone respecting and protecting their customer’s personal details and privacy.
How could they when they’re running around asking other businesses to do the same?
Regarding the email itself, it’s quite cryptic how Strom presents the information request as knowledge. The phrase ‘would like to learn more when you have the chance‘ is quite open ended and one can only wonder what Strom is offering.
I don’t imagine he’s naive enough to put out a request believing businesses will comply without anything in return.
I guess it comes down to what your customer’s privacy is really worth. I certainly couldn’t put a dollar amount on it, but I bet Gregory Strom could.
When people talk about their company’s ethics and the leader’s professional conduct and integrity, this is the stuff they don’t want you to see. This is the stuff that usually goes on behind the scenes, behind MLM that nobody is meant to see.
No doubt I’m being hunted down as my coverage of Polaris Global since it was known as Liberty League has been anything less then favourable. Still, I believe the individual has a right to criticise and review any business opportunity they see fit.
And with practices like this coming from Polaris Global founders like Gregory Strom, is it any wonder that when it comes to Polaris Global the discussion is almost always negative?
February 22nd, 2011 at 1:39 pm Boris(Quote)
Strom and his fellow directors at Polaris are now exposed as the snakes that they are. Who knows what sort of threats Oz could expect if Strom had managed to obtain his personal contact details.
I don’t know if Strom is a $cientologist like Shane Krider, but he certainly is “at cause” with Hubbard’s “fair game” policy, which allows anyone opposed to $cientology to be attacked in any way possible.
That Strom, who certainly follows this blog intimately, should stoop to this level, speaks volumes for his own ethics and those of the Krolivers also. I hope some of those involved in Polaris will come to realise that they have been taken for a ride and will give Strom, Krider and Oliver the single figure salute they all deserve.
February 22nd, 2011 at 3:13 pm Fred(Quote)
Polaris Global showing there true colors once again. Going to new lows.
February 24th, 2011 at 8:00 am John(Quote)
Boris, are you the only one who questions whether or not Strom is a Scientologist?
EVERYONE, vendors included, must be Scientologists in order to do business with Polaris. Remember the exodus of Polaris employees? Ask any one of them if the “safe pointing” isn’t the reason the door didn’t hit them in the arse.
If Strom is indeed trying to find you, HIDE!
February 28th, 2011 at 2:57 pm MLM Company(Quote)
Polaris Global showing there true colors once again. Going to new lows.
March 2nd, 2011 at 11:38 am Susan Shaw(Quote)
Absolute rubbish! as usual your website is filled with lies. It is no wonder people laugh at this site.
John you are not a ditrbutor so how do you know if everyone has to be a scientologist?
I am not one; I am in Polaris. You all just stand the fact that the company is successful
March 2nd, 2011 at 11:40 am Susan Shaw(Quote)
by the was why is this request unethical? Wnating informiton about you isnt unethical.
You make up lies about Polaris and its members; you allow people to write lies about Polaris members: that is unethical
March 2nd, 2011 at 11:46 am ozsoapbox(Quote)
Contacting a third party business on behalf of a business you work for, without disclosing you work for the business, requesting their private customer details isn’t unethical buisness practice?
Wow. Guess that’s what Beyond Freedom and Polaris does to your ethics then hey. Can’t imagine Polaris management think twice about handing over their associate details to anyone who requests it.
Yes, yes. Because you say so.
March 2nd, 2011 at 3:36 pm Fred(Quote)
Are you drunk?
March 2nd, 2011 at 4:32 pm Boris(Quote)
If not drunk then certainly delusional and without any awareness of the business ethics needed to survive and grow in a competitive world.
Success is relative. The hopeless turnout at the Polaris events in Macau and Whistler could hardly be indicative of a successful company.
April 6th, 2011 at 11:01 am Betty(Quote)
Can someone explain to me how people attached to Polaris can be so completely duped by it?
I have two friends who are intelligent and well travelled and educated but they seem to be having a mid-life crisis and have bought into it fully. The female took the bait first. Mid fifties..no children…a tendency not to get along with other people in the workplace and moving jobs frequently.
She then hooked the husband and this was even more surprising as he is a level headed naturally cynical fellow who seems to have lost it!
Please explain. I fear for them and their superannuation!
April 6th, 2011 at 10:15 pm ozsoapbox(Quote)
@Betty
Your friend sounds like she has issues working for/with people (at a co-worker level).
Someone at Polaris has convinced her that she’ll be working for herself if she joins the company and she’s bought into it. At least that’s what it sounds like.
If you value the friendship might be worth just sitting back and watching how it goes for them. Most MLM marketers these anticipate friends and family dissaproval and upfront tell prospects to expect the negativity and ‘disconnect’ from those involved.
Polaris is their new family and social circle now, you’ll just have to sit it out till it’s over.
April 7th, 2011 at 1:14 am K. Chang(Quote)
It is a combination of multiple factors
* friendship — if I don’t join her she may not like me as much as friend
* sunk costs — I’ve already invested this much, if I quit I lose it all
* cognitive dissonance — Those facts don’t fit with my reality, thus I must reject them
and so on
April 7th, 2011 at 6:45 am Boris(Quote)
Companies such as Polaris often use the type of pseudo psychology which is also used by religious cults. Once people have been convinced to part with quite large sums of money they will often deny that they have been ripped off, even when the facts are staring them in the face.
Nobody wants to look like a gullible fool, so they fall back on the “community of like minded entrepreneurs” for support and comfort. The “community” becomes their support base and reinforces their isolation from critical family and friends.
Polaris seems to target a specific demographic, ie women who desire to contribute financially to their families wellbeing, but who lack the resources, either money, experience or education to fulfill their desires.
This demographic can sometimes be vulnerable because of time away from the paid workforce due to family commitments. If you look at the Polaris facebook page you will notice that the large majority of participants are female.
CULT DYNAMICS LINK HERE