A post appears on social media, it’s someone you vaguely know seems to have discovered the secret to financial freedom. There are pretty photographs, inspirational quotes and perhaps a glass of champagne thrown in for good measure.

Work from home. Be your own boss. Earn extra income. Build the life you’ve always wanted.

What could possibly go wrong?

For many people, the appeal of a side hustle isn’t really about becoming rich, it’s about wanting something to change. You are maybe bored with your job, money is tight or you want more freedom and confidence.

Some side hustles are genuinely useful, you can sell your artwork, write a book, teach a skill, make crafts or freelance from your kitchen table. However there is another kind of side hustle that sells something much harder to define: the promise of becoming a completely different version of yourself.

This is where multi-level marketing can become particularly fascinating and unsettling if you dig deep enough. The language often sounds less like a business opportunity and more like self-help. You aren’t just joining a company, you’re joining a supportive community. You’re encouraged to believe that success is just around the corner if you’re willing to work hard enough, think positively enough and refuse to give up.

And if things don’t work? There’s always another explanation.

The reasons are usually because you aren’t posting enough or you’re not committed enough. You need to work harder and fix your mindset, you won’t succeed if you don’t give 100% everyday. The uncomfortable part is that this can make failure feel intensely personal. Instead of thinking, Maybe this business model isn’t working for me, you can start thinking, Maybe I’m the problem. So the cycle continues where you pour your life into something you know deep down isn’t working but can’t stop now because you’ve sacrificed too much.

Months later you are sitting at the kitchen table, staring at your phone, wondering why none of her friends or family are answering your messages anymore. The same questions keep popping up…

That’s why the world of MLMs is so interesting as a story setting. Beneath the motivational slogans and glossy photographs is a very human fear: what if the thing you thought would save you slowly takes over your life instead?

A side hustle is supposed to be something you do alongside your life not taking up every moment of your life affecting your bank balance, confidence and relationships. Leaving is always harder than joining and many of these people are ordinary people who wanted something better and later discovered after getting the courage to leave that the lifestyle and dream they were promised came with a price.

Written by Siân Alison

Based on the book ‘Make Memories, Not Downlines’