After stepping away from my last company, I still felt the pull to keep building. That entrepreneurial fire hadn’t gone out—it was just waiting for the right spark.

And when I found a new health and wellness product that gave me real results, I said yes.

This time, things took off quickly.
I built a strong team. My volume climbed. The paychecks were solid.
And in just 3 short weeks, I hit the rank that unlocked something that seemed like a dream at the time: the auto bonus.

On the outside, it looked amazing:
$800/month toward a luxury vehicle.

You got to choose from a list—black or white only. Cadillac, BMW, Lexus, or Mercedes. The catch? The vehicle had to be five years old or newer. And you had to hit your rank every single month to qualify for the bonus.

Sounds great, right?

But what most people don’t realize is this:
Those cars are expensive.

Most payments were $800 to $1,800/month. And the upkeep and parts on these vehicles were ridiculous.
And if you didn’t hit your rank for that month?
You were still on the hook for the full car payment—with no bonus to help cover it.

What looked like a shiny reward on the outside was actually a quiet trap.

It kept people in.
Not because they were thriving—but because they were afraid to leave.
Because leaving meant risking a repossession.
Because walking away meant walking away from something they couldn’t afford without the bonus.

I saw it happening around me—and I felt it myself.

The pressure to maintain that level.
To keep up appearances.
To hit volume goals not for growth, but for survival.

And just when I thought I had it all figured out, the backlash came.

A very loud and influential person in my local community started attacking the product publicly. They claimed it was unsafe. Claimed a doctor had ripped it off someone’s body. And, conveniently, that same doctor’s spouse sold a competing product.

It got ugly—fast.

Rumors flew.
People dropped off my team.
Customers stopped ordering.
My name was dragged into the drama, even though I had simply followed instructions from my upline. I was devastated.

It rattled me to my core.
And at the same time, the product I once loved started affecting me differently.
The shake I used to enjoy made me feel bloated, uncomfortable, even sick.

I didn’t feel aligned anymore—with the product, the pressure, or the way I was showing up.

So I made the decision to walk away.

And it wasn’t just walking away from a title or a bonus…
It was walking away from a consistent $3,000–$4,000/month income at a time when our house was being built and every dollar counted.

It was scary.
It felt like failure.
But I knew deep down—it was the right thing.

Because here’s what I’ve learned:

✨ If you have to compromise your peace to stay, it’s not your place.
✨ If you’re building from fear instead of vision, it’s time to re-evaluate.
✨ And if you’re staying because of a car payment… it might be time to unbuckle.

Not every shiny bonus is a blessing.
Some are just golden handcuffs.

And I wasn’t meant to be chained to something that didn’t serve me anymore.

XOXO ~ Carrie ~ Life Lovin Mama