***UPDATE 2*** The comments part of the post has been updated. New comments from "Michael Coble" and "Dr. Travis Fox" have been added.
***UPDATE 1*** Travis Fox is not a doctor. This post has been heavily updated to reflect this new information. I have posted three links in the source section that talk about his fake doctorate.
If you want to see what I previously wrote about Brandon and "Team Phoenix Marketing", you can click on part one here and part two here.
Today's blog post is, yet again, about Brandon Odom and his "new" scam, "The Ace Initiative". "The Ace Initiative" much like "Team Phoenix Marketing", "Digital Genius Lab", and "Global Affiliate Zone", is a training scam designed to teach people how to make Facebook advertisements for the sole purpose of getting new potential recruits to watch a "webinar" about joining "The Ace Initiative". After a recruit watches the vague "webinar", which explains nothing about the product or service, they are instructed to pay $99.00 a month for the opportunity to get a "90% complete system" in which "The Ace Initiative" will provide all of the necessary resources to help earn "big ticket" commissions. The "big ticket" item is a water ionizing machine from "Enagic", an MLM, that costs thousands of dollars. In order to join "The Ace Initiative", a new recruit must buy one of these water ionizing machines, even if they don't need it, to then qualify for the opportunity to sell the water ionizing machine. "The Ace Initiative", exactly like the other three listed above, is a misleading training scam designed to lure unsuspecting consumers into an MLM.
Here is what "The Ace Initiative" has to say about their service:
2. This is not an "affiliate business". Here is the definition of a real "affiliate marketing" business. MLM commonly uses this terminology to deceptively appear as something they are not. Affiliate marketing does not require the affiliate marketer to purchase of any goods or services in order to receive commissions and bonuses, and they do not get paid for recruitment. These are unique MLM characteristics.
I'm not sure what "subconscious autocoding" is, but it sounds like brainwashing.According to this biography about Dr. Travis Fox, he could be qualified to help people with the conditions and mindsets listed above , but they do not qualify him to help with business. Travis Fox is not a doctor, has never been a doctor, has no accredited degrees in psychology or clinical hypnotherapy. Regardless of Travis Fox's background, these techniques do not help with MLM. This is where the line, between appropriate and inappropriate uses of psychology, gets blurred. There are very useful situations for hypnotherapy and subconscious programming, but it can also be extremely dangerous if it is used for inappropriate self-gain, such as with MLM. I'm not sure how Dr. Fox got involved with Brandon, but this seems to be a poor business decisions.
Dr. Fox will somehow be relevant for selling water ionizing machines.
These quotes were taken from the front page of their website, which I'm not going to link since I don't promote scams, and none of it has anything to do with what "The Ace Initiative" is or what they promote. If I did not translate a lot of the vague and misleading jargon, people would not have a clue as to what this "program" is, how much it will cost, or how a person makes money. These details are consistently avoided by Brandon, and the rest of MLMers, because they want the opportunity to brainwash their recruits before explaining the terrible "opportunity". MLMers, like Brandon, want to focus on hype and misleading testimonials rather than the actual "opportunity", because the "opportunity" is not something to be excited about.
"The Ace Initiative", exactly like "Global Affiliate Zone" (The scam that taught Brandon), and "Team Phoenix Marketing (Brandon's first attempt at running the scam), is designed as a second layer to the MLM scam. This concept was started in Amway with organizations known as "Line of Sponsorhip" (LOS). Instead of signing up for Amway directly, a recruit has to sign up for this secondary organization and purchase their "tools", for the "opportunity" to purchase Amway products. "The Ace Initiative" has the exact same relationship with "Enagic". Instead of signing up as an "Enagic" distributor, a recruit is signing up for the "The Ace Initiative" and paying for their "tools" to help market "Enagic". They have made it even more convoluted by placing "Enagic" on the back burner and treating it as an auxiliary purchase for the "opportunity", but the concept remains the same. "The Ace Initiative" is a separate cost that offers nothing of material value for the "opportunity" to earn commissions by recruiting people into "Enagic".
*UPDATE*
This section is going to be regularly updated with comments from "The Ace Initiative" members.
"Kate Mueller" says:
Here is a comment from "Bryan Hodgson", one of the three founders and alleged "7-Figure Earner"
Here are some glaring issues with his comment.
1. Starting a sentence with the number "2", instead of spelling it out, makes the comment look far less professional. It is clear this was hastily put together.
2. The first sentence doesn't make sense. Why would you move forward with my allegations? Shouldn't you be moving forward with your own allegations?
3. Which alleged statements were false? I'll be more than happy to correct the record.
4. Letter "A.)" is the exact same as "1.)"
5. What is "Material Harm"?
6. Good luck proving "C.)".
7. It's probably not smart to take legal action against an alias. Good luck finding "Geoff Rey".
8. Why wouldn't you have your attorneys contact me first? It doesn't make sense to make this kind of threat, unless you don't actually have attorneys.
Again, I have to give Mr. Hodgson credit for his creativity, but he is going to have to do a lot better than this. I'm sorry to burst your bubble Mr. Hodgson, but the blog post will remain where it is.
A comment from "Michael Coble":
I'm also fairly certain you can't make the claim that these machines help with fibromyalgia. That is a violation of the FTC's rules and regulations about distributors making health claims.
Hopefully you aren't an English teacher, because nothing I have written would be considered slanderous. The correct term you are looking for is libel, which I also have not done.
I don't need to have a conversation with a fraudster like you. You MLMers are all the same.
I had a conversation with "Dr." Travis Fox, which overall was very pleasant. However, he is a seasoned snake-oil salesman, and he has learned it is better to keep things as pleasant as possible. Here is one comment that proved he isn't as pure as he may seem.
Any time an MLMer decides to weaponize the sick for their own self-gain, there should be an immediate red flag raised. The ulterior motives of these MLMers outweigh their concern for the sickly.
_________________________________________________________________________
Sources:
https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/selling-work-home-or-other-business-opportunity-revised-rule
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affiliate_marketing
https://www.allamericanspeakers.com/celebritytalentbios/Dr.+Travis+Fox/6051
http://fakedoctorate.blogspot.com/2017/11/reader-feedback-on-travis-fox.html
http://fakedoctorate.blogspot.com/2013/04/attorney-for-travis-fox-speaks-out.html
http://fakedoctorate.blogspot.com/2012/11/travis-fox-fake-doctorate.html
***UPDATE 1*** Travis Fox is not a doctor. This post has been heavily updated to reflect this new information. I have posted three links in the source section that talk about his fake doctorate.
If you want to see what I previously wrote about Brandon and "Team Phoenix Marketing", you can click on part one here and part two here.
Today's blog post is, yet again, about Brandon Odom and his "new" scam, "The Ace Initiative". "The Ace Initiative" much like "Team Phoenix Marketing", "Digital Genius Lab", and "Global Affiliate Zone", is a training scam designed to teach people how to make Facebook advertisements for the sole purpose of getting new potential recruits to watch a "webinar" about joining "The Ace Initiative". After a recruit watches the vague "webinar", which explains nothing about the product or service, they are instructed to pay $99.00 a month for the opportunity to get a "90% complete system" in which "The Ace Initiative" will provide all of the necessary resources to help earn "big ticket" commissions. The "big ticket" item is a water ionizing machine from "Enagic", an MLM, that costs thousands of dollars. In order to join "The Ace Initiative", a new recruit must buy one of these water ionizing machines, even if they don't need it, to then qualify for the opportunity to sell the water ionizing machine. "The Ace Initiative", exactly like the other three listed above, is a misleading training scam designed to lure unsuspecting consumers into an MLM.
Here is what "The Ace Initiative" has to say about their service:
"Our program empowers students and clients to go from "survival mode" to "thrive mode" in every area of their lives. Our members learn the fastest, simplest way to generating life-enhancing incomes through a profitable online affiliate business of their own. "1. They cannot guarantee this is a "profitable online affiliate business" without expressly giving a proper income disclosure document. This is something they will never be able to provide, because the business is designed to profit from, rather than enrich the newest recruits. Here is what the FTC has to say about false income claims.
2. This is not an "affiliate business". Here is the definition of a real "affiliate marketing" business. MLM commonly uses this terminology to deceptively appear as something they are not. Affiliate marketing does not require the affiliate marketer to purchase of any goods or services in order to receive commissions and bonuses, and they do not get paid for recruitment. These are unique MLM characteristics.
"As they progress, they receive training to help them overcome obstacles and limiting beliefs and discover their true passions in life.""They" are not being recruited to "overcome obstacles and limiting beliefs". "They" are being recruited to spend large amounts of money on "Enagic" water ioninzing machines and useless "training". "They" are going to "discover their true passions in life" probably aren't promoting fake "training" for the "business opportunity" to sell useless water ionizing machines.
"You see, we know that success is a science. It's a proven, duplicatable process. Travis Fox, one of our founding partners, has perfected the use of "Subconscious Autocoding™" to help people improve their lives in a variety of areas such as competitive athletics, weight-loss, addictions, phobias, sales, business and more.""Success is a science" is a partially stolen quote from Oscar Wilde. "The Ace Initiative" is a plagiarized idea from "Global Affiliate Zone". "Duplicatable process" is a plagiarized line from Amway. This Amway line is the fundamental flaw in the MLM scheme. The "duplication" refers to endless recruiting rather than the focus on selling a good or service, which ensures a large number of participants will not make money.
I'm not sure what "subconscious autocoding" is, but it sounds like brainwashing.
"He teaches clients to redefine and refine, to maximum optimization, their automatic processes, interrupt conscious negative thoughts and arrive at a higher degree of "output performance" on command."This, again, sounds like brainwashing. This is not the way in which people should be using these treatments, and it is extremely dangerous as it can manipulate unsuspecting consumers into financial peril. People should not need to be programmed for this type of endeavor, and a doctor, which Travis Fox isn't, should not use their expertise for financial gain.
"For the past 25 years, his methodologies were reserved for the elites: professional athletes in golf, football, competitive fighting, high-net worth individuals and top corporations.
This "business opportunity" has nothing in common with the professions listed above. "The Ace Initiative" is trying to use false equivocation to say the training fromBut now you can benefit from them as well."
"Our ultimate vision is to empower our program alumni to build the businesses and lives of their dreams by leveraging our expertise, resources and vast business network."This statement is both vague and convoluted. Since "The Ace Initiative" is a "business" designed to advertise "The Ace Initiative", and subsequently sell an "Enagic" water ioninzing machine, the only way to "build the business" is to use "The Ace Initiative" so you can get more people to "build the business". In other words, in order to "leverage" their "expertise, resources and vast business network" to "build your business", you must promote "The Ace Initiative". This circular logic is used to confuse and obfuscate the reality of the scam.
"We invite you to explore how we can serve you in effecting a radical, positive change in your life today and look forward to meeting you online in our mastermind community and in person at one of our 2 or 7 day live events throughout the world."Translation: "The Ace Initiative" can't wait for you to sign-up and start promoting them on Facebook. They can't wait for you to start recruiting and getting people to watch their "webinar". They can't wait for you and the people you recruit to buy a useless "Enagic" water ionizing machine. They can't wait for you to spend your money so they can profit.
These quotes were taken from the front page of their website, which I'm not going to link since I don't promote scams, and none of it has anything to do with what "The Ace Initiative" is or what they promote. If I did not translate a lot of the vague and misleading jargon, people would not have a clue as to what this "program" is, how much it will cost, or how a person makes money. These details are consistently avoided by Brandon, and the rest of MLMers, because they want the opportunity to brainwash their recruits before explaining the terrible "opportunity". MLMers, like Brandon, want to focus on hype and misleading testimonials rather than the actual "opportunity", because the "opportunity" is not something to be excited about.
"The Ace Initiative", exactly like "Global Affiliate Zone" (The scam that taught Brandon), and "Team Phoenix Marketing (Brandon's first attempt at running the scam), is designed as a second layer to the MLM scam. This concept was started in Amway with organizations known as "Line of Sponsorhip" (LOS). Instead of signing up for Amway directly, a recruit has to sign up for this secondary organization and purchase their "tools", for the "opportunity" to purchase Amway products. "The Ace Initiative" has the exact same relationship with "Enagic". Instead of signing up as an "Enagic" distributor, a recruit is signing up for the "The Ace Initiative" and paying for their "tools" to help market "Enagic". They have made it even more convoluted by placing "Enagic" on the back burner and treating it as an auxiliary purchase for the "opportunity", but the concept remains the same. "The Ace Initiative" is a separate cost that offers nothing of material value for the "opportunity" to earn commissions by recruiting people into "Enagic".
*UPDATE*
This section is going to be regularly updated with comments from "The Ace Initiative" members.
"Kate Mueller" says:
"I am glad I joined The ACE Initiative because it’s nothing like you describe it in your review.
I made my decision based on facts and personal experience with the system, the people who have created it and others who are part of our amazing community."It's good to see Kate decided to read the review, address none of my points, and then blindly continue on her merry way. It seems the programming is quite strong.
Here is a comment from "Bryan Hodgson", one of the three founders and alleged "7-Figure Earner"
"2 things before moving forward with the allegations you have made against The Ace Initiative LLC:There are lots of issues with this threat, but I would first like to thank Mr. Hodgson for taking the time to be very creative in his attempt to scare me. If I were an amateur, I may actually consider this a very credible threat.
1.) False statements of facts that harm the reputation of an individual or business, aren’t protected under constitutional free speech provisions..
You in which have done the following:
A.) Published or otherwise broadcast an unprivileged, false statement of fact about The Ace Initiative LLC.
B.) Caused material harm to The Ace Initiative LLC by publishing or broadcasting said false statements of fact.
C.) Acted Negligently or with Actual Malice.
2.) We the founders of The Ace Initiative LLC. Will allow 24 hours to have the following blog post
(http://themlmsyndrome.blogspot.mx/2018/04/mlm-and-ace-initiativebrandon-odom-part.html?m=1)
To be take down otherwise further legal action will be taken against both Geoff Rey as well as Themlmsyndrome.blogspot.com and all entities subject to this matter.
If said request isn’t met the following conversation will be communicated from and only from the attorney’s who represent The Ace Initiative LLC."
Here are some glaring issues with his comment.
1. Starting a sentence with the number "2", instead of spelling it out, makes the comment look far less professional. It is clear this was hastily put together.
2. The first sentence doesn't make sense. Why would you move forward with my allegations? Shouldn't you be moving forward with your own allegations?
3. Which alleged statements were false? I'll be more than happy to correct the record.
4. Letter "A.)" is the exact same as "1.)"
5. What is "Material Harm"?
6. Good luck proving "C.)".
7. It's probably not smart to take legal action against an alias. Good luck finding "Geoff Rey".
8. Why wouldn't you have your attorneys contact me first? It doesn't make sense to make this kind of threat, unless you don't actually have attorneys.
Again, I have to give Mr. Hodgson credit for his creativity, but he is going to have to do a lot better than this. I'm sorry to burst your bubble Mr. Hodgson, but the blog post will remain where it is.
A comment from "Michael Coble":
"Hey Geoff, The things you are sharing are inappropriate and should not be on Facebook. Please take them down. I’m a humble school teacher with a wife with fibromyalgia who the product line does wonders for. I don’t know why on earth you would go out of your way to slander our online endeavors. I get being upset if someone wasn’t up front with you but We personally are 100% upfront about all costs and investment with everyone we speak to. I’ve never had a conversation with you and you leave a 1* review full of spite on my fan page? Please remove it."Ah, the old feel pity for me line. I don't care if you are a "humble school teacher" or a murderous gang member, you are perpetrating a fraud and you should be ashamed. I feel terrible that you have a position of influence over others, and hopefully those people do not fall prey to any of your schemes.
I'm also fairly certain you can't make the claim that these machines help with fibromyalgia. That is a violation of the FTC's rules and regulations about distributors making health claims.
Hopefully you aren't an English teacher, because nothing I have written would be considered slanderous. The correct term you are looking for is libel, which I also have not done.
I don't need to have a conversation with a fraudster like you. You MLMers are all the same.
I had a conversation with "Dr." Travis Fox, which overall was very pleasant. However, he is a seasoned snake-oil salesman, and he has learned it is better to keep things as pleasant as possible. Here is one comment that proved he isn't as pure as he may seem.
"The product itself help with autistic son who refused the drunk water regardless of “Filter” prior use."This is also a violation of the FTC's rules and regulations about distributors making health claims about their MLM product. This is one of the most dubious lines MLMers regularly make. Not only is there no science to support these claims, but they have a financial incentive to sell the product and they have no shame when it comes to weaponizing their children. Even if we take the premise that this machine worked for helping with autism, the fact remains that MLM is the worst possible method for selling the product, and they are trying to profit by appealing to the emotions of those that are sympathetic to the MLMers plight.
Any time an MLMer decides to weaponize the sick for their own self-gain, there should be an immediate red flag raised. The ulterior motives of these MLMers outweigh their concern for the sickly.
_________________________________________________________________________
Sources:
https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/selling-work-home-or-other-business-opportunity-revised-rule
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affiliate_marketing
https://www.allamericanspeakers.com/celebritytalentbios/Dr.+Travis+Fox/6051
http://fakedoctorate.blogspot.com/2017/11/reader-feedback-on-travis-fox.html
http://fakedoctorate.blogspot.com/2013/04/attorney-for-travis-fox-speaks-out.html
http://fakedoctorate.blogspot.com/2012/11/travis-fox-fake-doctorate.html
Our ultimate vision is to empower our program alumni to build the businesses and lives of their dreams by leveraging our expertise, resources and vast business network
