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9 News
10-07-2025
- 9 News
Sabrina joined a common 'side hustle' to make extra cash. It 'destroyed' her
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here Exclusive: Sabrina wanted to make some extra cash. Chloe* followed other local mums. Ellen* was looking for love. All three took part in in multi-level marketing (MLM) businesses that they say left them in financial or emotional ruin. Sabrina wanted to make some extra cash but ended up broke. (Supplied) There are about 300,000 MLM consultants in Australia, according to Direct Selling Australia (DSA) – about 80 per cent of them women. MLMs are legal in Australia but research shows most consultants will only lose money. The industry has also been plagued with allegations of "toxic" culture and unethical business practices for years. Yet more than 90,000 Aussies joined MLMs in 2023 alone, many just trying to make ends meet. "They prey on vulnerable people, they offer hope in this financial crisis," Ellen told MLM businesses, also known as direct selling or network marketing, work by recruiting individual salespeople or "consultants". But they don't receive a salary or wages. Instead, they make money by selling MLM products, which they must purchase themselves from the business then sell at a markup or through recruitment. Consultants can make hefty bonuses by recruiting other consultants under them (known as their "downline") to earn a percentage on all those recruits' sales. This model, popularised by brands like Avon and Tupperware, has been compared to those of illegal pyramid schemes but MLMs are legal under Australian Consumer Law because they offer tangible products. But fewer than one per cent of MLM consultants make a profit, according to US research , and a slew of MLMs have been accused of unethical sales and recruitment tactics. Consultants predominantly sell and recruit through their personal networks, targeting friends, family and social media connections to buy or join. And most MLMs require consultants to make regular purchases and meet sales targets just to stay in the business. So why would someone ever join? Sabrina was working as a travel agent in Queensland when an old friend suggested she join skincare MLM NuCerity. She promised it would help Sabrina achieve financial freedom and be her own boss. "I was doing a lot of overtime and she started telling me how it would be a great way to eventually get some time freedom," Sabrina told "I signed up straight away." She believed her friend had her best interests in mind and ignored some red flags, like when other consultants allegedly told her not to Google the business. "I trusted her, so I didn't really question anything," Sabrina said. Sabrina "didn't question anything" when an old friend recruited her into an MLM business. (Supplied) Had she Googled NuCerity, Sabrina might have found warnings not to join the MLM that left her broke and emotionally "shattered". Sabrina was with NuCerity for four years but never made more than a few hundred dollars a month, even after quitting her job to focus on the MLM. Any money she did make was spent on NuCerity products to stay in the business, so she had to rely on her then-partner to cover rent, bills and groceries. NuCerity has since gone out of business. It was acquired by ARIIX , which has also gone out of business and in turn was acquired by NewAge. All three companies have not responded to a request for comment. Single mum Ellen was convinced to join a health product MLM by a man she met on a dating app who swore it would be the "perfect side hustle" on top of her nursing job. She hoped to make extra cash and was involved with a string of MLMs over the next few years but lost thousands. "This has really f----- me over emotionally and financially," she said tearfully. Other former consultants told they were recruited into MLMs by friends and relatives who promised they could earn easy money and work from home. Most said they only believed the claims because of their relationship with the recruiter. Chloe, from Perth, was sceptical when local mums started joining a beauty MLM but was eventually recruited by a relative. Though she made $6000 in less than a year, she said the toxic and "cult-like" behaviour she witnessed in the MLM shocked her. "Not only did I witness most mums losing money but the emotional and spiritual abuse was like nothing I'd seen before," Chloe said. She alleged other consultants bullied and harassed new recruits, manipulated them into paying for their own training courses and "shut down" anyone who challenged them. When reached out to the health MLM it said it took "allegations of bullying and harassment extremely seriously but strongly rejects any allegations that misrepresent our business model, culture, or the safety of our products." Sabrina alleged she was encouraged by NuCerity consultants to spend beyond her means to maintain the image of success even when she was scraping by. She claimed that when she questioned these tactics, she was "gaslit" into believing she was the problem. "It's incredible how these groups can just brainwash you," she said. "My auntie even asked me, 'Is this a cult?'" It certainly felt like one to Ellen, who only stayed in the MLM industry for so long because she craved a sense of community. Most MLMs encourage consultants to connect and form groups, offering a sense of connection to vulnerable and isolated individuals. "I'm very isolated socially and I felt like I belonged," Ellen said, but it soured quickly. "They pretend to be your friend [but] they just close ranks and shut you out if you don't do exactly what they say." Former consultants alleged they were encouraged to target vulnerable people to boost sales and recruitment. "We were encouraged to find a niche – burnt-out nurses, or menopausal women, or single mums – and infiltrate," Ellen claimed. "To join all these Facebook groups, then start offering [MLM products] on the sly." Sabrina and two other NuCerity consultants went a step further, starting their own Facebook group to lure other women into the MLM. Advertised as a group for women to make friends, they used it to identify and connect with potential targets. "We started organising weekend coffees under the pretence of wanting to connect and make friends ... we were really sneaky, to be honest," Sabrina said. Then they tried to sell to or recruit the women, many of whom had limited social or support networks. Chloe said that mothers in her local area were prime targets, as many were socially isolated and craved connection with other women. "The women who join are not dumb or naïve," she said. "They are being recruited by their best friends, sisters, mums, aunties, work colleagues, people they know, like and trust ... and it's not simple to leave." When Sabrina finally left NuCerity it was because she couldn't afford the $200 minimum monthly spend to stay in the business. As soon as that happened, the consultants she'd called friends cut her off. "Everything just started crumbling. I completely lost my self-esteem, I was very depressed," she said. It took months to recover financially and emotionally, and years to come clean to members of the Facebook group she had started (after the other consultants left). Ellen struggled for years before finally escaping the MLM industry after saying she said she realised it was "all smoke and mirrors". "It's a lot of manipulation, you're most likely not going to succeed, you're most likely going to lose a hell of a lot of friends and family," she said. She's suffered mental health issues as a result and is still thousands of dollars out of pocket. Sabrina, Chloe and Ellen now spend their free time educating other Australians about the financial and personal risks of MLMs in the hopes that other women don't fall into the same trap. "They are not providing an opportunity for mums and vulnerable people," Chloe said. "It's a model where only one per cent earn a decent income and the rest lose money." Sabrina added that Australians who leave MLMs shouldn't feel ashamed to share their stories, as they can help others find the motivation to get out of a bad situation. She, Chloe and Ellen called for better financial education for vulnerable groups and greater government protections and support for people who lose money in MLMs. *Names changed for privacy. national money finance business CONTACT US
Man of Many
04-07-2025
- Man of Many
Feel-Good Friday: Chicken and Donuts and Coffee, Oh My!
By Dean Blake - News Published: 13 Jun 2025 |Last Updated: 12 Jun 2025 Share Copy Link Readtime: 8 min Every product is carefully selected by our editors and experts. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more. For more information on how we test products, click here. Welcome to another Feel-Good Friday, where the vibes are free and so is the chicken. This week, we're highlighting Hoodies for Homelessness, a damn good initiative to help clothe young people stuck on our streets, as well as directions to a couple places to get a free meal this weekend. Plus, if you've ever wanted to know what a 'reverse cloakroom' is, now's your chance. Welcome to Feel-Good Friday! Melbourne Streetwear Brand HoMie Launches Hoodies for Homelessness | Image: HoMie Melbourne Streetwear Brand HoMie Launches Hoodies for Homelessness To quote Game of Thrones, winter is coming and while that might spark images of snuggling up by the heater and wrapping yourself in blankets, spare a thought for those doing it tough. Recent studies have shown that more than 122,000 Australians are without a home, and over a quarter of them are under 25. Youth unemployment is twice the national average, rents have surged 54 per cent since 2020, and Youth Allowance sits at just $47 a day. For young people who experience youth homelessness, the challenges of finding meaningful employment, a warm place to stay and a safe domicile are becoming increasingly complex. It's something that Marcus Crook, co-founder of streetwear label and social enterprise HoMie is looking to change. The Melbourne-based creative has just launched its 2025 Hoodies for Homelessness campaign, combining streetwear and social impact with a limerick that's stumping the nation: 'How much good could a good hood do, if a good hood could do good?' For every limited-edition hoodie sold, HoMie's principal partner, Champion, will donate another to a young person affected by homelessness or hardship. 'At HoMie, our hoodies do good,' Crook said. 'We've seen over the last decade that employment really does have the potential to break the cycle of homelessness. Paid work builds confidence and connections, and that's what Hoodies For Homelessness is all about, everyone coming together to build a brighter future for the young people in our community.' Since launching in 2022, Hoodies for Homelessness has sold over 7,000 hoodies raising over $772,000 to support HoMie's youth employment programs. Each year, the campaign has grown in scale and impact, not only putting warm hoodies on the backs of young people, but creating paid job opportunities and long-term pathways out of homelessness. This year's collection features bold hoodie designs in green, blue, and white marle, available from May 31 until June 14, 2025. Supporters are encouraged to join in the fun by filming themselves reciting the tongue-twister – 'How much good could a good hood do, if a good hood could do good?' – and posting it on social media, tagging @ The tongue twister isn't just a verbal challenge; it aims to spark vital conversations about the reality of youth homelessness during one of the toughest times to be young and without stable housing. Pappa Flock | Image: Pappa Flock Pappa Flock is Giving Away Free Chicken Tendies We're a big fan of fried chicken here at Man of Many—Monday Munchies should attest to that already—and now you can go get some of our favourite chicken for free: Sydney-based Pappa Flock's is opening its 9th store this Saturday, 14 June at Marrickville, and every person in line before midday is getting a free Flock Box voucher. The Flock Box is made up of three chicken tenders (either classic or spicy), along with seasoned chips, buttery toast, some tangy signature sauce, and a regular drink. We've tried it, it's delicious. Plus, the voucher technically doesn't expire for an entire year, so if you wanted to jump in line at 11:55, get the voucher and bounce that's fine too. If that wasn't enough, the first 50 customers of the day will get their hands on exclusive, limited-edition Pappa Flock merchandise, like a football jersey designed by local artist and ex-Mambo art director Brent Smith. If you'd prefer to head in on Sunday, you'll be able to get your hands on a free lemonade with any meal purchase (until they run out), so you're set for freebies throughout the whole weekend. Alpine Hypercar driver Ferdinand Habsburg for Mary's Meals Image: Supplied Austrian Motorsport Royalty Takes on Le Mans for a Good Cause Ahead of the iconic endurance spectacle Le Mans, Alpine Hypercar driver Ferdinand Habsburg has announced a new partnership that is set to drive serious change. The Austrian star has teamed up with international charity Mary's Meals to launch 'Race for Meals', a unique fundraising campaign that transforms every lap of the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans into an opportunity to fight child hunger. 'This campaign is a way for me to give back while doing what I love,' Habsburg said. 'It's more than a race. It's a chance to make every lap count for something far greater.' A hunger solution charity, Mary's Meals provides life-changing daily meals to children in the world's poorest communities. According to the organisation, a donation of just €22 is enough to feed a child for an entire school year, but with the help of Ferdinand, who won Le Mans in 2021, Mary's Meals is hoping to raise much more than that. Through this campaign, fans and supporters can sponsor each lap Ferdinand and the #35 Alpine crew complete at Le Mans, turning race distance into hope. An anonymous sponsor has already pledged to match all donations, doubling the number of children who can be fed through this initiative, while French cosmetic brand Clarins Group has committed to contributing an additional €22 for every lap completed. This means that for every single lap Ferdinand and the #35 crew drive, three children will receive meals for a full year. Best of all, Ferdinand has pledged to donate his winner's bonus should he claim victory again this year. 'Of all of the causes in the world to fight for, bringing food to starving children whilst also educating them seems to me the first and most urgent need to conquer. It is a mission everyone can get behind, it is not only important but also unifies us,' Ferdinand said. 'It is our individual responsibility to help others when we can. Time in motorsport is limited, but we have a platform. It's up to us to know what to do with our responsibility.' To find out more about Ferdinand's partnership with Mary's Meals, or to donate yourself, visit the website below and tune in. You can donate €22 per lap to sponsor a child's meals for a year and track Ferdinand's progress live during the race. A counter on the official campaign site will show how many laps have been completed and how many children have been sponsored. In last year's race, the winning car completed 311 laps, which would be the equivalent of over 900 children fed, thanks to matched donations. Mary's x Coffee Supreme x Grumpy Donuts | Image: Tom Wilkinson / Supplied Mary's XV Goes Full Brekkie-Mode Next Week If chicken tendies aren't your thing, maybe some delicious breakfast is more up your alley? Our friends over at Mary's Victoria Cross, North Sydney, are delivering an absolutely banging brekkie pop-up all through next week: with breakfast sandwiches, brekkie burgers, stacked hotcakes, and, of course, coffee on display. Plus, Mary's is teaming up with Grumpy Donuts and Coffee Supreme to offer a $5 coffee + donut combo, with the first 50 people to order each weekday getting their coffee and donut free. But the fun doesn't end on Friday, with a special weekend menu kicking off with bottomless mimosas and bloody marys, cinnamon donut french toast with soft serve, and breakfast cereal-themed thick-shakes, such as Coco Pops, Milo, and Fruit Loops. My mouth is watering just writing this stuff out. The 'Wake the Hell Up' breakfast pop-up kicks off on Monday, 16 June, and runs through Sunday, 22 June. Espolòn's Reverse Cloakroom | Image: Supplied Sip and Swap in Style at Espolòn's Reverse Cloakroom Split across both Sydney and Melbourne, Espolòn Tequila is partnering with Second Life Markets to bring cocktail culture and vintage fashion together in it's 'Reverse Cloakroom' activations. Essentially, you're tasked with heading to a particular venue on particular days (more details below), where you'll order an Espolòn Tequila cocktail and be given a randomly-numbered cloakroom ticket. That ticket can be used to redeem a 'one-of-a-kind vintage' piece of clothing, provided by Second Life Markets. The Lord Gladstone in Chippendale is hosting the event in Sydney across the 15, 26, and 27 June, while Melbourne's Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy is playing host to the reverse cloakroom on 22 and 29 June, as well as 6 July. Plus, you'll be able to take in a full program of Boiler Room-style DJ sets at each venue, so even if you don't get the vintage silk scarf you were hoping for you can still get your boogie on.
9 News
03-07-2025
- 9 News
Microsoft lays off 4 per cent of global workforce, impacting thousands of jobs
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here Microsoft says it is laying off about 9000 workers, its second mass layoff in months and its largest in more than two years. The tech giant began sending out layoff notices today that hit the company's Xbox video game business and other divisions. Among those losing their jobs are 830 workers tied to Microsoft's US headquarters in Redmond, Washington, according to a notice sent to state officials. Microsoft says it is laying off about 9000 workers, its second mass layoff in months and its largest in more than two years. (Getty) contacted Microsoft Australia to ask how many Australian workers the lay-offs would impact. It was unable to provide a number but issued a statement saying the company would continue to "implement organisational changes necessary to best position the company for success in a dynamic marketplace". Microsoft said the cuts will affect multiple teams around the world, including its sales division, part of the "organisational changes". The company won't say the total number of layoffs except that it was about 4 per cent of the workforce it had a year ago. A memo to gaming division employees today from Xbox CEO Phil Spencer said the cuts would position the video game business "for enduring success and allow us to focus on strategic growth areas". Xbox would "follow Microsoft's lead in removing layers of management to increase agility and effectiveness," Spencer wrote. Microsoft employed 228,000 full-time workers as of June 2024, the last time it reported its annual headcount. Its latest layoffs would cut fewer than 4 per cent of that workforce, according to Microsoft. The tech giant began sending out layoff notices that hit the company's Xbox video game business and other divisions. (Getty) But it has already had at least three layoffs this year and it's unlikely that new hiring has matched the amount lost. Either way, a 4 per cent cut would amount to somewhere in the range of 9000 people. Until now, this year's biggest layoff was in May, when Microsoft began laying off about 6000 workers, nearly 3 per cent of its global workforce and its largest job cuts in more than two years. The cutbacks come as Microsoft continues to invest huge amounts of money in the data centres, specialised computer chips and other infrastructure needed to advance its AI ambitions. The company anticipated those expenses would cost it about $US80 billion ($121 billion) in the last fiscal year. Its new fiscal year began on Tuesday. Microsoft just last month cut another 300 workers based out of its Redmond headquarters, on top of nearly 2000 who lost their jobs in the Puget Sound region in May, most of them in software engineering and product management roles, according to information it sent to Washington state employment officials. Microsoft says it is laying off about 9000 workers, its second mass layoff in months. (Getty) Microsoft's chief financial officer Amy Hood said on an April earnings call that the company was focused on "building high-performing teams and increasing our agility by reducing layers with fewer managers". The company has repeatedly characterised its recent layoffs as part of a push to trim management layers, but the May focus on cutting software engineering jobs has fueled worries about how the company's own AI code-writing products could reduce the number of people needed for programming work. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said earlier this year that "maybe 20, 30 per cent of the code" for some of Microsoft's coding projects "are probably all written by software". The latest layoffs, however, seemed centred on slower-growing areas of the company's business, said Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives. "They're focused more and more on AI, cloud and next-generation Microsoft and really looking to cut costs around Xbox and some of the more legacy areas," Ives said. "I think they overhired over the years. This is Nadella and team making sure that they're keeping with efficiency and that's the name of the game in Wall Street." The trimming of the Xbox staff follows Microsoft's years-long expansion of the business surrounding its gaming console, culminating in 2023 with the $US75.4 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard — the California-based maker of hit franchises like Call of Duty and Candy Crush. Before that, in a bid to compete with Sony's PlayStation, it spent $US7.5 billion to acquire ZeniMax Media, the parent company of Maryland-based video game publisher Bethesda Softworks. Many of those game studios, which have locations across North America and Europe, were struggling with the layoffs, according to social media posts from employees who announced they were looking for new jobs. World national Microsoft jobs USA Sydney New South Wales CONTACT US
