Retra Review: Mark Jarvis’ Zurvita clone spinoff
Retra fails to provide ownership or executive information on its website.
Retra operates from two known website domains:
- retraglobal.com – registered in 2022, private registration last updated on August 20th, 2024
- retranews.com – privately registered on February 1st, 2024
In the footer of Retra’s “global” website we have the familiar LaCore Enterprises address in Melissa, Texas. Retra website footer also reveals Retra’s parent company is GNO Holdings.
Corporate records name three GNO Holdings Directors:
- Terry Lacore – LaCore Enterprises’s owner
- Jenifer Grace – Lacore’s long-time attorney
- Mark Jarvis – Retra’s CEO
Mark Jarvis (right) is the founder and former CEO of Zurvita, a religious heavy MLM built around its Zeal dietary supplement drink.
Zurvita filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in December 2024. What was left of Zurvita was sold off to Zinzino for $9.4 million in February 2025.
Jarvis partnership with Terry LaCore dates back to 2019. From the Bondoro bankruptcy link in the above paragraph;
In 2019, Mark Jarvis, a former co-CEO, sought to start a business venture in Asia leveraging loyalty to the Zurvita brand.
Following negotiations, the Board licensed Zeal for Life to GNO Holdings, Inc. (“GNO”), an entity owned by Terry LaCore, for exclusive sale in Asia. In exchange, Zurvita would receive a 1% commission on sales, and Zurvita retained 25% ownership in GNO.
GNO violated the agreement by selling rebranded Zeal for Life products in the United States. Concurrently, Jarvis allegedly harmed the Company’s reputation and recruited Field Consultants.
[Zurvita] initiated multiple litigations against GNO, Jarvis, and other entities, citing breach of contract, fiduciary duty violations, misappropriation of trade secrets, and trademark infringement.
From the sounds of it, Jarvis went off on his own. Teamed up with Terry LaCore and began pillaging Zurvita, eventually leading to bankruptcy. There were likely other factors contributing to Zurvita’s bankruptcy but as far as Jarvis’ history with the company goes, that’s what we get from bankruptcy filings.
Why neither Jarvis or LaCore are disclosed as company owners on Retra’s website is unclear.
Another name we can attach to Retra is Mark McKnight:
McKnight is a co-founder of Globallee, another dietary supplement MLM company. According to his LinkedIn profile, McKnight is still Globallee’s CEO.
As always, if an MLM company is not openly upfront about who is running or owns it, think long and hard about joining and/or handing over any money.
Retra’s Products
I’m a bit confused with Retra’s product line. As per the screenshot in the introduction of this review, we have a May 18th video featuring Mark McKnight introducing “Rise”.
There is no mention of Rise on Retra’s website however. The company’s sole flagship product is R:Zip.
R:Zip is marketed as a “healthy energy drink that helps you burn fat & maintain lean muscle”.
R:Zip retails at
- $85 for a canister of 30 servings
- $85 for twenty single-serve bottles
- $25 for six single-serve bottles as a “trial pack”
Retra’s Compensation Plan
Retra’s compensation plan pays on recruitment and sales volume generated by orders placed by referred retail customers and recruited affiliates.
It should be noted commissions and bonuses in Retra’s compensation plan are paid on sales volume.
A volume example provided in Retra’s compensation plan is an R:Zip canister equating to 40 PV/GV in sales volume.
PV stands for “Personal Volume”. PV is sales volume generated by retail sales an an affiliate’s own product orders.
GV stands for “Group Volume”. GV is PV generated by an affiliate and their downline.
Retra Affiliate Ranks
There are ten affiliate ranks within Retra’s compensation plan.
Along with their respective qualification criteria, they are as follows:
- Star – generate and maintain 40 PV and 1000 GV a month and refer three retail customers
- Bronze – maintain 40 PV a month, generate 2500 GV a month and maintain three personally referred retail customers
- Silver – maintain 40 PV a month, generate 5000 GV a month and maintain three personally referred retail customers
- Gold – maintain 40 PV a month, generate 7500 GV a month and maintain three personally referred retail customers
- Sapphire – maintain 40 PV a month, generate 10,000 GV a month and maintain three personally referred retail customers
- Emerald – maintain 40 PV a month, generate 20,000 GV a month and refer five retail customers
- Ruby – maintain 40 PV a month, generate 30,000 GV a month and maintain five personally referred retail customers
- Diamond – maintain 40 PV a month, generate 50,000 GV a month and refer ten retail customers
- Platinum – maintain 40 PV a month, generate 75,000 GV a month and maintain ten personally referred retail customers
- Ambassador – maintain 40 PV a month, generate 100,000 GV a month and maintain ten personally referred retail customers
Note that for rank qualification, no more than 50% of required GV can come from any one recruitment leg.
Also note, although not explicitly clarified, it’s assumed referred retail customers must have made a product order that month to count towards rank qualification.
Retail Commissions
Retra withholds retail commissions from the first two retail customer autoship orders each month.
Instead of money these commissions are paid as “Retra Credits”, calculated against 50% of the price paid for products.
From Retra’s compensation plan, Retra Credits “can be used to pay for Retra products only.”
After the first two retail customer autoship orders of the month, the remaining retail customer autoship order sales volume (not amount paid) is paid as a 50% commission.
Regular retail customer orders are paid out as a 50% volume commission.
Customer Bonus Pools
Retra takes 3% of company-wide retail customer sales volume and places it into three smaller Customer Bonus Pools.
- Bronze ranked affiliates who have ten retail customers receive a share in a 1% Customer Bonus Pool
- Silver ranked affiliates who have twenty-five retail customers receive a share in a 1% Customer Bonus Pool
- Gold ranked affiliates who have fifty retail customers receive a share in a 1% Customer Bonus Pool
While Gold and Silver ranked affiliates receive shares in lower ranked pools (Bronze and Bronze and Silver respectively), it’s unclear whether an affiliate ranked higher than Gold with fifty retail customers qualifies for the pools.
Also note, again whilst no explicitly clarified, it’s assumed retail customers must have made a product order that month to count towards Customer Bonus Pool qualification.
Recruitment Commissions
Retra pays recruitment commissions on affiliates who sign up with a Starter Pack:
- recruit an Intro Pack affiliate and receive $20
- recruit a Launch Pack affiliate and receive $50
- recruit a Builders Pack affiliate and receive $100
- recruit a Pro Pack affiliate and receive $175
Recruitment Bonus
Retra affiliates who hit recruitment volume monthly quotas receive a bonus.
The Recruitment Bonus is paid out via a unilevel compensation structure.
A unilevel compensation structure places an affiliate at the top of a unilevel team, with every personally recruited affiliate placed directly under them (level 1):
If any level 1 affiliates recruit new affiliates, they are placed on level 2 of the original affiliate’s unilevel team.
If any level 2 affiliates recruit new affiliates, they are placed on level 3 and so on and so forth down a theoretical infinite number of levels.
The Recruitment Bonus is paid per 500 GV in Starter Pack volume generated through recruitment:
- Star through Sapphire ranked affiliates earn $75 per 500 GV in Starter Pack volume generated across levels 1 to 5 of the unilevel team
- Emerald through Platinum ranked affiliates earn $50 per 500 GV in Starter Pack volume generated across levels 1 to 5 and $50 across levels 6 to 10
- Ambassador ranked affiliates earn $75 per 500 GV in Starter Pack volume generated across levels 1 to 5, $50 across levels 6 to 10 and $25 from level 11 and deeper (no depth cap)
Note that only Starter Pack volume from recruited US and Mexican affiliates counts towards the recruitment bonus.
Also note that no more than 50% of each 500 GV quota can come from any one unilevel team leg. Unused Starter Pack volume carries over each month.
Champion Bonus
The Champion Bonus rewards Retra affiliates and their recruits for generating product order volume within their first 30 days.
Generate 2000 GV within your first 30 days and receive a $300 Champion Bonus.
Note that no more than 50% of the required 2000 GV can come from any one unilevel team leg.
Residual Commissions
Retra pays residual commissions via a binary compensation structure.
A binary compensation structure places an affiliate at the top of a binary team, split into two sides (left and right):
The first level of the binary team houses two positions. The second level of the binary team is generated by splitting these first two positions into another two positions each (4 positions).
Subsequent levels of the binary team are generated as required, with each new level housing twice as many positions as the previous level.
Positions in the binary team are filled via direct and indirect recruitment of affiliates. Note there is no limit to how deep a binary team can grow.
At the end of each week (Friday), Retra tallies up new GV across both sides of the binary team.
A $45 residual commission is paid per 300 GV matched on both sides of the binary team.
Once paid out on, GV is flushed. Unmatched GV on either side carries over into the following week.
Matching Bonus
Retra pays a Matching Bonus on commissions and bonuses paid to downline affiliates.
The Matching Bonus is paid on up to six unilevel team levels:
- Silvers and Gold receive a 25% match on level 1 (personally recruited affiliates)
- Sapphires receive a 25% match on level 1 and 5% on level 2
- Emeralds receive a 25% match on level 1 and 5% on levels 2 and 3
- Rubys receive a 25% match on level 1, 10% on level 2 and 5% on level 3
- Diamonds receive a 25% match on level 1, 10% on level 2 and 5% on levels 3 and 4
- Platinums receive a 25% match on level 1, 10% on level 2 and 5% on levels 3 to 5
- Ambassadors receive a 25% match on level 1, 10% on level 2 and 5% on levels 3 to 6
Rank Achievement Bonus
Retra affiliates who qualify at Star and higher receive 5% of their downline GV each month they rank qualify.
Joining Retra
Retra affiliate membership is $30.
Newly recruited Retra affiliates can also opt to sign up with a Starter Pack:
- Intro Pack – $150
- Launch Pack – $290
- Builders Pack – $650
- Pro Pack – $1000
The difference between the Starter Packs is bundled Retra products.
Retra Conclusion
Retra is essentially Mark Jarvis rebooting Zurvita.
Zurvita’s Zeal flagship supplement is made with stabilized rice-bran. Retra’s R:Zip flagship supplement is also made with stabilized rice-bran.
Zurvita marketed itself as a religious company. Retra also markets itself as a religious company.
One is free to believe what they want with respect to religion, but generally speaking an MLM company making religion part of its identity is a red flag.
For anyone who doesn’t believe in the “right” God, an MLM company’s whose identity is tied up in religion lends itself to exclusion and a restricted retail market. I’m not saying it’s necessarily taking place at Retra but religious affinity fraud is also a thing.
I’m also weary of Jarvis’ role in Zurvita’s bankruptcy. The whole…
- partner up with LaCore to sell Zurvita’s Zeal in Asia;
- allegedly breaking that agreement and selling Zeal in the US in competition with Zurvita;
- allegedly harming Zurvita’s reputation;
- Zurvita goes bankrupt;
- start a new clone company with LaCore
…timeline of events feels a bit suss. Certainly Jarvis’ alleged “breach of contract, fiduciary duty violations, misappropriation of trade secrets, and trademark infringement” doesn’t sound very godly to me.
Moving on, one concerning aspect in Retra’s compensation plan is its cheating affiliates out of retail commissions.
Instead of rewarding affiliates for referring preferred customers, Retra doesn’t pay any commissions on the first two retail autoship orders each month.
Given on average a Retra affiliate might struggle to refer two or more preferred customers, this can be pretty demoralizing. I would typically also say it demonstrates a pretty clear focus on recruitment over retail, however Retra does require affiliates to to refer and maintain retail customers to rank up.
And therein lies the rub; Retra requires affiliates to generate retail customers to rank up, but also doesn’t pay them directly for doing so on the first two customers each month.
I don’t know what the logic is there but it seems like a pretty big compensation plan flaw to me. Nobody was ever encouraged to do more work by not getting paid on their initial efforts.
The rest of Retra’s compensation plan is pretty straight-forward. Required active retail customers keeps recruitment commissions and bonuses in in check but, as stated, the not paying people for referring retail customers is an issue.
Approach with caution.
