Episode 67: Zooming In on Summer Break
Resources:
Ponzinomics 101 on Apple Podcasts
The Teacher As... Episode 59 Zooming In on MLMs with Robert FitzPatrick
The Teacher As… Episode 60 Zooming In on MLMs Part 2
The Teacher As… Episode 61 Zooming In on MLMs Part 3
The Teacher As… Episode 66 The Teacher As MLM Advocate
Transcript:
Melissa Milner 0:09
Welcome to The Teacher As... podcast. I'm your host Melissa Milner, a teacher who is painfully curious and very easily inspired. In this third season, I explore my interests as the main focus of the episodes. If you have listened to seasons one and two, first of all, thank you. Second of all, this season will be a little different. It will still be centered around interesting topics and their connections to education. I'll continue to have interview episodes, maybe a top 10 episode here and there since they are very popular, but also some episodes will be just me sharing about a topic. Similar to my Podcasting with Students episodes from season two. New episodes come out every other week. If you enjoy the podcast, please share it with anyone you think would benefit from listening. It really helps the podcast grow. Thank you for supporting The Teacher As...
Anna Przybylski 1:04
I need a break...or a cheeseburger, maybe some wine. Mostly the break though. You listening?
Melissa Milner 1:17
That was Anna Przybylski. Thanks Anna for giving me permission to share your content. In this episode, I share audio clips from Anna's Instagram account throughout the episode. I find her to be both hysterical and kind of poignant. She creates motivational videos that help us all remember to not be so hard on ourselves. In some of these videos, she's outside, barefoot in her white bathrobe, rain or shine, or snow, shouting up to the sky to a greater being. These are really funny. She also has videos where she's right up in the lens and giving a pep talk or telling a funny story that starts with a well known motivational quote that she then tweaks like this one...
Anna Przybylski 2:07
When the going gets tough. Stop doing whatever is tough, because you don't need that kind of negativity in your life. Don't tell anyone where you're going. Run straight into the forest, you're looking for three raccoons. They'll be sitting on a grey log. They'll give you directions to the river. Once you get to the river, Papa Mallard's gonna give you your final instructions. I believe in you.
Melissa Milner 2:29
So, I'm actually revealing how much I love this kind of absurd and quirky humor. I know it may seem like these clips from Anna are out of context for this episode, but they actually aren't. In my opinion, they are pure gold for teachers and Anna's posts have helped me to just take it easy on myself. I highly recommend you check her out on Instagram, or Tiktok @akprzy
Anna Przybylski 3:00
Stop trying to give multiple things in your life 100% You only have 100% That's the whole you. If you're giving multiple things in your life 100% of your effort, you're creating a deficit. Burn out, baby. Not everything deserves that much of you, I promise. You can not keep giving more than you have. Time to put a percentage on our obligations and priorities and you better believe a slice of that 100% pie better be for rest. Keep it up, Cutie. I'm proud of you.
Melissa Milner 3:27
It's hard to believe that this episode is the last one for season three. There are many reasons why the season did not live up to my expectations. But there are also many reasons why this season is the one I'm most proud of so far in my podcasting journey. So why is the season so short? And why am I so proud of it? More importantly, who cares? First, there are many reasons why this was a short season. Only 10 episodes. The season started in January after winter break and continued every other week. So right there this cuts down on the number of episodes in a season compared to let's say, my season one when I was doing episodes every week. I have been taking summers off, but this season would have at least continued until the beginning of July. But I'm working on a second podcast that I want to have recorded, edited and ready for publishing before I go in to have a total knee replacement surgery in July. Yep, I'm spending my summer in an endless "getting back into fighting condition" movie montage. So my new monthly educational podcast Ponzinomics 101, which I am co hosting with Robert FitzPatrick, needs to be ready to go before I go bionic.
Melissa Milner 4:55
I had grand plans for this season and I've been working on letting go of the disappointment that I didn't get in all that I had hoped. I still have episode drafts that I just didn't get into this season. So one bright side is I can publish them in season four. So why am I so proud of this short season three? I'm certainly proud of season one and two, and I see them as my "learning how to do things/growing pains" seasons. Season three was a new stage for my podcasting. I focused on only a few things. I did two math related episodes this season. One about math play with Libo Valencia, Episode 63, and the other being the ever popular Top 10 Episode format. In Episode 64, Dr. Nikki Newton and Ann Elise Record return to collaborate on a top 10 list of ways to get students problem solving. I continue to grow in my love of teaching math, as I learn from these math educators. I also had an episode about academic integrity and plagiarism with Eric Gibbs and experiential learning and travel with Luke Liddle, both topics I was interested in learning more about for the season. The biggest reason this season gives me pride is the four episodes I did related to the dangers of multilevel marketing, aka MLM. Episode 59 was with author, consultant, and activist Robert FitzPatrick. After talking with him, and fully understanding how important this work is, I asked Robert if he wanted to team up to do a podcast together. I was thrilled when he said yes. So that's a biggie for me. In Episode 60, I shared about my personal MLM experience. Episode 61 was when I spoke with Dave Vaughan and Sarah Haidar, educators who are also anti-MLM. I then revisited the topic of MLM in Episode 66 The Teacher As Anti-MLM Advocate. This four episode deep dive into MLM is the biggest reason I'm so proud of season three.
Melissa Milner 7:14
So who cares? Why share my process and feelings about my episodes? Well, thanks to Anna Przybylski, the Instagram/ Tik Tok content creator I mentioned earlier, I'm working on giving myself a break when I don't accomplish everything I set out to do. In addition, I need to acknowledge the good things that I've done. So I share my process with you to hopefully do for my listeners, what Anna does for me, remind you to give yourself a break and focus on all the wonderful things you've done. As teachers we are great at doing this for others, but not so great at doing it for ourselves.
Anna Przybylski 7:53
The messaging that was pounded into our brain since the day that we were born that our productivity is our value is garbage. Our self worth should have absolutely nothing to do with how much we can complete in a day. Hey and also, not doing enough is not a good reason to be mad at yourself. Best isn't a prize for not resting. It's a daily need like food and water. We're doing better than we think we are. Keep up, Cutie. I'm proud of you.
Melissa Milner 8:15
As I mentioned earlier, I am so thrilled to be teaming up with the amazing Robert FitzPatrick for our new podcast Ponzinomics 101. Our first episode should already be up when you listen to this. Check us out on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook at Ponzinomics 101. I will have all the Ponzinomics 101 social media links on the episode 67 page on the teacheras.com
Melissa Milner 8:42
I thought I would treat you with a preview, some short audio clips, from the first three episodes of Ponzinomics 101. The first episode focuses on what is direct selling, since multi-level marketing companies claim to be direct selling.
Robert FitzPatrick 9:01
So this discussion begins at the very beginning, which is about the term direct selling. Whatever the multi-level marketing product is, cosmetics, vitamins, supplements, clothing, life insurance, hobby supplies, weight loss powder, and whatever the income promises by the multilevel company, whether it's you could become a millionaire or it's a side hustle, extra money a gig, however it's portrayed, it's always presented as direct selling. Multi-level marketing describes itself as a type of direct selling. So before MLM can be understood, we need to know what direct selling is. It's been around forever. It sounds simple. Most of us sort of assume we know what it means. But do we know what it involves? And what it requires when we say yes to the invitation to do direct selling? So first, we start with questions. The first question is the most obvious one, even before you get into the actual nuts and bolts of direct selling, is the word selling. Are you experienced and knowledgeable in the business and the work of selling? Many people are averse to selling or have never done it? And so this is a valid question. And maybe the most important question even before you knew what all was involved is, would you even be interested and qualified to begin with? Is this an area of work you're particularly interested in or considering as a life career or a career change? Do you know what the costs are? Time requirements, the profit potential, or the needed skills for success in direct selling? That's what we're going to look at now.
Melissa Milner 11:02
In the second episode, Robert answers the question is multi-level marketing actually direct selling?
Robert FitzPatrick 11:09
Selling direct on your own from your home, you must compete against all retail stores, for example, Costco, and online merchants, Amazon, for example, and against mass advertising, TV Radio Online. A direct seller therefore, needs a product that is unique or unusual, not in the stores or online or something new and different. Does MLM offer this? Reality: MLM products are mostly health related, or cosmetics. Others are for hobbies, or clothing. The same or similar goods are in many health food stores, department stores, online or on eBay. None of the health products, quote unquote "health products," can legally claim to, quote "cure, treat or prevent any ailment." They are not FDA approved. Legally, they are not even classified as medicine, but as food.
Melissa Milner 12:24
In the third episode, Robert investigates the question, "If multi-level marketing isn't direct selling, then what is it?
Robert FitzPatrick 12:32
In this session, we're going to take MLM apart, dissect it and examine the components that every MLM in the world has. These are the universal elements that when assembled together, define MLM and show us what it is. There are four. They consist of one an endless chain, which includes a non-diminishing market, infinite expansion and unlimited income promise. Number two, the second element, is a pay to play characteristic. This includes entry fees, purchase quotas, computer costs, marketing costs, education costs, and those expenses by the participants constitute most of the scheme's revenue. Then there is a recruiting mandate, no recruiting, no reward. And finally, there is the mechanism for moving the money inside the scheme, which is called an extreme money transfer. More in total is paid per transaction to the people at the very top than to those that actually generate the payments. This type of pay formula is called top loaded. Let's look at each of these that when linked together and working together, define MLMs, all MLMs, from the oldest to the newest, and no matter what product they sell, or what country they operate in.
Melissa Milner 14:11
Robert and I hope this podcast will be a tool for teachers and parents who are trying to help youth avoid joining MLM companies. This isn't being taught in high schools or colleges right now. We hope this podcast will change that. We also hope for the day when teachers will use these mini lessons in their classrooms unapologetically. One thought I had was that there needs to be maybe a parent teacher advocacy group to push for changes. This group could support teachers who know this needs to be taught in schools, as well as spread the word to both teachers and parents about how insidious these companies are. MLM companies and their solicitations, including posters are not banned from high school campuses or college campuses. There should be a way for students to report when someone has solicited them for an MLM? Should there be legislation that no MLM company can recruit anyone under the age of 21? A National Parent Teacher advocacy group could maybe make a difference. I am not the one to start this kind of group, but if you're listening and like this idea, and know how to do this kind of thing, please reach out to us at ponzinomics.com. Thanks for listening and have a great summer.
Anna Przybylski 15:29
Whenever I'm feeling burnt out like I am right now, I try to remember a quote that I always like to live by, "When the going gets tough, eat a block of cheese and go to bed at 8pm sharp.
Melissa Milner 15:44
For my blog, transcripts of this episode, and links to any resources mentioned visit my website at www.the.teacher as.com. You can reach me on Twitter and Instagram @melissabmilner and I hope you check out The Teacher As Facebook page for episode updates. Thanks for listening. And that's a wrap.