One of the more worrying aspects of the MLM industry is people racking up long term ongoing debts they cannot pay.

As anyone in the industry will tell you running a MLM business successfully requires an ongoing monetary investment. Leads aren’t just going to fall into your lap and more often then not, be it via direct purchase, advertising or just talking to people – you’re going to be outlaying some money to get them.

Over time if you’re not successful with your MLM business though, these debts can rack up and cause a world of pain. Without money coming in it can feel like you’re digging yourself into a hole you’re never going to crawl out of.

Of course many when asked about this many uplines will simply advise their downlines that they’re not trying hard enough, following the business template properly or that it’s simply not their problem.

So… left out on the cold on your own by an industry that values success and ignores failure, what is the struggling MLM business owner to do?

For Ellery Bennett the answer lay in murdering his wife and then attempting to take his own life.

Ellery Bennett started his foray into the MLM business by joining Liberty Leauge International back in March, 2007. After a year of working Liberty League and his corporate job he quit his corporate role in 2008 and solely focused on his Liberty League business.

Of his Liberty League International business, Bennett stated

I work for myself and I create the life I want for my family. I have time, freedom and a tremendous lucrative opportunity.

I live life on purpose, I know what I want, I believe in who I am, this company and the products. Anyone can be successful, it’s a choice, so choose wisely…

Presumably after some moderate success Bennett remained with Liberty League until late 2009 when Liberty League International changed over to Polaris Media Group (now Polaris Global).

Bennett’s next MLM venture was then with the LGN Prosperity group where he remained until recently.

Despite projecting the image of success Bennett appears to have been battling a long term mounting MLM debt as a result of his involvement in the MLM industry. So successful was Bennett at hiding this debt and employing the all-too-familiar ‘fake it till you make it’ mantra that his friends and family had no idea.

Bennett’s wife however was fully aware of the situation and presumably after years of struggling, finally decided to call it quits and filed for divorce on August 11th, 2010.

Coupled with his failed MLM business ventures and mounting debt it appears that it all became too much for Bennett. On Wednesday 18th of August, Bennett took the life of his wife and then attempted to commit suicide. Unable to go through with it however, Bennett presented at a local hospital and told authorities that they would find the body of his dead wife in their home.

Bennett has since been charged with pre-meditated first degree murder.

Of particular note in this story is Bennett’s involvement in Liberty League International (Polaris Global). Liberty League International were in the personal development industry and offered a flagship 90 day course, Beyond Freedom that is designed to be ‘life changing’.

One can’t help but question the effectiveness or long term benefits of these programs if the end result is resorting to murder and suicide.

Secondly is the worrying note found in Bennett’s home indicating that he also wanted to kill his neighbour. Bennett’s neighbour appears to have at some point shown some interest in his LGN business venture but then failed to commit.

Presumably Bennett had approached his neighbour as a prospect but then became frustrated with his or her lack of committing to the LGN business. Thankfully the indications that Bennett wanted to harm his neighbour left in his letter were never carried out.

What we have here I believe is the ultimate end result of the faking it till you make it idea that is so heavily pushed onto new MLM recruits joining the industry.

People no doubt respond to success so in order to be successful you need to project a credible image of success. If you aren’t having that success though then you need to fake it until you are, regardless of what is really going on behind the scenes.

BehindMLM reader ‘Eye Opener’ described Ellery Bennett as being

the gentlest person with a kind heart, who loved life, his wife, his daughter’.

Whether this is true or not I can’t say but it does appear to be the image Bennett chose to project to the world despite his business failure.

To those in the MLM industry be careful what you’re getting yourself into financially. Debt is debt and it doesn’t go away, nor does it reduce in size on its own.

And to those already struggling with MLM debt please think about the future and talk to someone.

Anyone.

Like any business venture the prospect of financial failure often results in the devastation of people’s lives as they know it. Unfortunately a common theme in the MLM industry that differentiates it is that your personal success if often directly tied into the financial success of your upline.

Succeed and you’ll get all the support and encouragement in the world. Fail and you’ll more then likely be shut out and kept in the dark, where Ellery Bennett appears to have finally wound up.

Debt management might seem unachievable but with a bit of persistence and proper planning is viable for anyone. There are far better solutions then killing your wife and trying to take your own life out there.

Take care people.