Posted by Mike Barrick on November 09, 19102 at 02:45:25:
In Reply to: Re: Scentura Creations purfume scam. posted by ROXANNE AND ANGELA on October 03, 19100 at 09:37:52:
Tony Guadagnino was one of the most successful people I ever met while working for Larry Hahn. Tony ran his own sales/training office in Atlanta, minutes from Scentura/WMI's home office for many years. He almost always sold 1000 pieces per week.
It was portrayed that Tony had made all the money he needed and retired from Scentura. Here is a link to Tony's Website as he is now a real estate broker.
http://www.ed-tony.com/frames.html
I must emphasize........I am not knocking
Tony in the slightest nor inferring that he didn't make good money in the business. To the contrary, he was very successful. I have always had the utmost respect for Tony, and wish him continued success in whatever he chooses to do.
MY POINT IS....that everything is a hustle to manipulate your perspective. Don't you think that Tony...or Dick & Gayle Newman or any other person that experienced success could possibly have gotten worn out and tired of running a people mill.....interviewing 100 people a week to have 25 start on Monday........to have 8-10 left by Friday......to have maybe 3-5 of those left the next Monday.
It doesn't make sense that they would move on to another career....since "there is no life after Scentura Creations" I know many of the young owners running offices think you know what your doing and where your going. "Fake it till you make it" was the catch phrase in my day. Your kidding yourselves as well as the people you interview. Flashing your settle up money in the morning meetings to convince the group that you got it made.
Many, many people have made 100,000 a year and more with Scentura/WMI and still decided to leave. They can't all be crooks, drug addicts, or people Larry fired. Maybe they figured out what some of you are still trying to get a grasp of.
Here's the best part......once you decide to move on....you can count on being dragged through the mud and having your character/ability questioned or slandered. I never left owing Larry one cent. In fact, actually had my over ride money snatched out from under me while I was still in the business because it was known I had intentions of leaving. Yet, I am the one being slammed on this and other bulletin boards just because I post what was once and "Objective" opinion about the company.
It was never my intention to get petty and ugly about any of this. If that was my intention, I would likely have mentioned how Estee Lauder sued me in an attempt to get to Larry ( you all would be surprised how many owners they have deposed). I went ahead and told them what Larry's attorney ( which I paid for btw) told me to say to protect Scentura. Didn't you wonder why Scentura stopped selling "Beautiful", etc...??
I have yet to meet anyone that knows Larry and has good things to say about him except those of you working in the business. I met some GA hot shots years ago while I was at the airport....and when I told them I ran a perfume distribution business, they mentioned Larry by name. They laughed and talked about him being sued and not paying his bills. I am waiting on some public records to that affect.
If that were true then I guess it would partially explain why the home office property is not in Larry or Scentura's name.
Property Identification
Parcel ID Number 18 309 06 011
Pin Number 1475473
Property Address 5616 PEACHTREE RD CHB
Property Type Real Estate
Tax District 24 Chamblee
Owner Information
Owner M & S INVESTORS
Co-Owner
Owner Address 005616 PEACHTREE RD
CHAMBLEE, GA 30341-2312
Special Billing Address No Special Billing Address information available
Here's the url if you want to check it out for yourself
https://dklbweb.dekalbga.org/taxcommissioner/Display.asp?pin=1475473
I never brought up the fact that the hotel rooms booked through Scentura for company trips were always inflated by Scentura...I can only assume to offset some of the meeting rooms/meal expenses. I could not believe it the first time I called one of the resorts direct and got a rate $20 a night cheaper than the "preferred rate" we were told had been negotiated on our behalf. The saddest thing about that is the fact that Larry and all the regionals know that most of the owners, especially the new ones, can barely afford to be there at all. In fact, many of them can't afford the trip, but Larry hopes he can solidify some of you with a taste of the "good life". Then they pay a premium for their hotel room. UNBELIEVABLE!
I don't know this for sure, but I was told by Johnny W, that they even get kick backs on the perfume shipping costs you pay to trucking company's. If that is true then it just demonstrates how much a "family" Scentura Creations is.
Come to think of it, I do have some members of my family that have robbed me blind over the years.
Mike