These are the opinions of the author of this letter, but other former IBOs have written about cults, cultism or being "brainwashed":
Re: Daughter trapped in Quixtar Cult
"Hello,
The way that Quixtar has affected our life is through our daughter Maria. Maria is 27 years old and started talking to Amway people around 2001 when she was starting college. She had such a bright future.
Since then we have seen her move from job to job and friend to friend, never staying very long in one for more than 6 months.My husband and I believe tha her marriage failed because her new husband would not go along with the "business plan".
We have seen her move in with boyfriends and then dump them because they would not buy into the plan. Her attitude for the future is that the jobs she holds are only to earn money to "build her business". She has rarely been unemployed, and was even in the Navy for 4 years, but has no money to show for all of the years worked.
She is currently living with a man, who she now "no longer loves" and wants to move out; I am sure it is because he will not buy into the plan.
She rarely talks to us because we are "negative energy" and Quixtar teaches to always think positive, think on what you want to accomplish and you will get it. She has no money, no car, no place of her own; yet she reads the Robb Report magazine to visualize the expensive cars and items that she will own someday.
With no money, she still finds a way to attend the far-away business meetings for a weekend, and buy all of the books and tapes. She goes to work every day and then goes to meetings or "appointments" at night, and yet she never questions why she never has any money; a good business person never questions that.
It hurts that she puts her business before all of her friends and family. She lives 20 minutes away but rarely calls or visits.
How can we get her out of this cult?"
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