Posted by Mike Barrick on July 27, 19101 at 03:20:13:
In Reply to: I Was a Regional Manager w/ Scentura (10 years of Experience). I know all the Good, the Bad and the Ugly. posted by Mike Barrick on July 27, 19101 at 03:02:05:
This is a lengthly email exchange with someone like you that wanted to know the skinny on the "Opportunity" with Scentura.
START AT THE BOTTOM AND WORK YOUR WAY UP!
> Mike, > >----- Original Message ----- THIS IS HIS INITIAL LETTER TO ME
> Thank you for answering my questions about scentura and how things really
> are. I was wondering if I had done the right thing by quitting, but now I
> rally do feel like I did what was in my best interest. Thank you for your
> time and information, it helped me more than you will ever know. Good luck
> with your new found career and I hope everything works out for the best
with
> you.
>
> Once again, Thanks,
>
> Patrick
>
>
>
>
>
> >From: "KidsChairs"
> >To: "Patrick Nichols"
> >Subject: Re: Scentura Creations
> >Date: Tue, 16 Jan 2001 02:45:28 -0600
> >
THIS IS MY RESPONSE TO HIS FIRST EMAIL THAT YOU WILL FIND AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE
> >Patrick,
> >It's hard for me to give you the "truth" because I am not sure what info
> >they wouldn't disclose. Yes, I know Rob & Ricki..........I always
thought
> >they were nice people.
> >
> >I left for a lot of reasons. I guess the main thing was that I realized
> >about my 5th year or so that it really isn't a business that "anyone" can
> >do. It's takes not only a significant talent level but additionally, a
> >special type of personality having the right combination of blind faith,
> >tenacity, positive attitude, etc... I knew early on that not all or
even
> >many would make it, but I always thought those that stuck it out would
> >become successful so I believed I could help those that helped
themselves.
> >Not the case, I promoted probably 25-35 offices myself, and had my owners
> >undrneath me promote another 25-35 offices through the years and hardly
any
> >of them made it past the first year. Believe it or not, there were
several
> >that still wouldn't quit even after bringing them back in for retraining
> >and
> >re promoting them and them failing again and they would keep coming back
> >despite their marriage having failed in the process, and ruining their
> >credit, etc... These people weren't quitters.......they believed what
I
> >told them. They thought if they hung in there, eventually they would put
> >it
> >all together and be a huge success. You think that it will all get
better
> >when you open your own office. Then you struggle as an office owner but
> >think its going to get better once you start promoting people, then you
> >think its really going to happen when you become a regional, and so
> >on......
> >
> >This is of key importance in that business that you don't realize until
you
> >are way in for years and actually start making significant money in
> >overrides. I assume you know as a promoting owner you make money off of
> >every bottle your promoted offices sell?
> >
> >By the time I stopped believing I was doing good, I already had 15 or so
> >offices underneath me and was making $1500-2000 per week in overrides
> >before
> >I woke up on Monday and took a shower. Who would walk away from that
kind
> >of money? I was on the verge of quitting after about my 6th year and sat
> >down with Carol Shottenfeld, ( I assume Mark and Carol are still in the
> >business ), and she said that if you quit when things are down ( they
were
> >at that time and I had lost alot of offices that year ), you would feel
> >like
> >a loser and you won't quit when things are going good because your making
> >too much money. This is the case for many people running offices.
> >
> >So you continue and try to believe but the truth is.......very few people
> >will ever make any significant money in that business. Think about
> >this....How many office owners have you come in contact with that are
doing
> >well? I don't mean nice car because lets be honest........about anybody
> >with decent credit can be driving a Lexus or a Corvette, with a high
> >payment
> >of course. I am talking about seriously living in a nice home they OWN
not
> >rent. Money in the bank, etc.....
> >Aside from Rob & Ricki and their promoting owners ( I think it was Kerry
> >Brunson if memory serves ), I will bet you haven't met anyone or at least
> >not many that run offices that are actually banking alot of money. On
the
> >other hand, I bet you have met quite a few that are getting by clinging
to
> >the hope that "real success" is just right around the corner if they just
> >keep hanging on. And so the process goes.
> >
> >One more thing about Scentura or any business like it is you may as well
> >forget ever having any time off with peace of mind. I never enjoyed
being
> >away from my office regardless of where I went because there were always
> >problems from hell happening while I was away. I remember being in Maui
on
> >one of the trips that only the top 10 people go on each year, and being
> >awoken by my VP calling me at 4:00 am to tell me one of my owners in
> >Virginia Beach had blown out with all his office bottles plus all the
> >bottles from an office he promoted. Made it tough to try and relax and
> >have
> >a good time when I had just gotten the news somebody had stolen $5000
from
> >me.
> >
> >You made a good point about everyone there being a salesman because they
> >make money by keeping people around moving bottles. The DC owners make
> >money by keeping their people around. Regional managers make money by
> >keeping their owners around. Larry Hahn makes money by keeping the
> >Regional
> >Managers around. It's tough to believe anybody cares about you because
> >they
> >have an agenda.
> >
> >On a final note regardign the "family" that you have become a part of
with
> >Scentura..........When I declared my intentions to leave and start
another
> >business, I was about immediately cut off from my override money from the
> >offices I had promoted, and the my promoting owner bad mouthed me to the
> >offices underneath me in an attempt to get them loyal to him. After all
> >those years, and being used as an example of how a young guy can be
> >successful in the business, being on the company film, etc...... my
> >departure was almost humiliating. The only people I still speak to are
> >some
> >"real" friends I made who are also doing other things now.
> >
> >I said I wasn't goind to write a book report but it looks like I did
> >anyway.
> >Good luck to you with whatever decision you make.
> >
> >Michael A Barrick
> >KidsChairs
> >2201 Long Prairie #107-195
> >Flower Mound, TX 75022
> >From: "Patrick Nichols"
> >To:
> >Sent: Tuesday, January 16, 2001 12:06 AM
> >Subject: RE: Scentura Creations
> >
> >
> > > Mike,
> > > My name is Patrick Nichols. I have been working for Designers' Int. in
> > > Birmingham, Al, a D.C. for scentura. You propably know Rob and Rikki
> >Zuckert
> > > who run the regional office here. Anyway, I am, or should I say that I
> >was
> > > only two weeks away from moving to Louisville, Ky to be the right hand
> >for
> >a
> > > couple that is going to open their office there on the first of
> >February.
> >I
> > > quit today because of the way some things were said and of how several
> > > questions were left unanswered. I know that they make everything look
> >great
> > > and that they promise you everything, but something doesn't feel quite
> >right
> > > about it. could you please let me know a few reasons you quit.
Everyone
> > > there is a salesman and I kept feeling like they were trying to sell
an
> >idea
> > > without telling the entire truth. I don't want to bash the company or
> >spread
> > > false rumors, i would just like to know the truth about what they
won't
> >tell
> > > you. Please let me know.
> > >
> > > Thank you for your time,
> > > patrick
> > >