What does Strive with Janelle and LuLaRoe have in common? Well, besides the Meri Brown connection, of course...
Why, the Arizona Women's Expo, of course!
And guess who was smack dab in mid-town Phoenix yesterday, just mere minutes from the Convention Center, via the light-rail transport system?
Yeppers, your's truly!!!
Three guesses how I spent my Saturday, and the first two guesses don't count!
Getting ready for The Ultimate Women's Expo in Phoenix :). We are going to have fun today ! @STRIVEwJanelle pic.twitter.com/ANfQB1jo5z— Janelle Brown (@JanelleBrown117) April 22, 2017
Driving in downtown Phoenix is the pits. No joke, if you don't need to drive downtown you avoid the area like the plague. But now we have the Light-Rail, which makes life so much simpler. No more worries about overpriced parking lots! No more long walks in the dry Phoenix heat! OK, so it wasn't 100 degrees in the shade yet, but I think you get my point!
Unfortunately, Saturday was also Earth Day, and there were over 1000 people marching for Science around the block surrounding the convention center complex. Instead of a smooth arrival to the Convention Center light-rail station, we had a tense few minutes of "Why are we stopped" "Is that a parade?" "Holy moly! Look at all the people!"
Luckily, the Light-Rail timetable took precedence over the March for Science participants, so we weren't delayed for long. Once we arrived at the Convention Center station, we found ourselves at an excellent vantage point to watch the marchers as they filed past us. Here are a few photos I took of the parade...
Once we safely made our way through (yes, we had to go through the parade to reach the Convention Center across the street) we had to figure out exactly which entrance we were supposed to use for the Expo.
That task done, and now inside the Convention Center, I noticed this huge Tequila Tasting booth and its bottles of Tequila on display.
I thought this was a Women's Expo. I expected booths of woman empowerment, not Tequila tasting. I half expected someone to start screaming over the PA system "Tequila is my lady, my lady!"
Thank goodness, that didn't occur. I will tell you that later in the day, that booth became very, very, popular!
As we slowly made our rounds, we turned a corner and what did we spy?
Oh My Gosh!!! It's a LULAROE booth!!
I couldn't help myself. I had to touch the leggings. And folks, those leggings were soft, just like... buttah.
Well, okay, like I've never really fondled butter so let's just say they were...very soft. And kind of thin. I secretly inspected the leggings for tell-tale holes or splits and found none. Checking the label, I saw they were manufactured in China. Hmmm....
The consultant was extremely nice. The long Carly was a size 1XL, which she assured me would fit. In fact, she suggested I even go down a size.
I know my body. Unlike the former legal Mrs Kody Brown who is also a LuLaRoe consultant, I'm not into a certain look, best described as the "ten pounds of sausage stuffed into a five pound bag" by a former Real Housewife of NJ reality star. I asked the consultant if she had a 2XL. She did, and she swapped out the garish leggings in the picture with a more conservative print. The rest is LuLaRoe history.
I drank the LuLaRoe kool-aid, and I liked it!
But where the heck was the Strive with Janelle booth?
It seemed we walked forever. I was getting thirsty. I was getting tired of being accosted by vendors hawking massages, or perfumes, or offering free samples of beauty products. One guy totally insulted us by offering free candy if we signed up to win a free eye-brow shaping session.
Like, do we look like we need free candy? I thought this was a woman empowerment convention, and that vendor's attitude (and his snarky look when we politely declined his offer) was very insulting. Even the guy hawking Ovarian Cancer Awareness had an attitude. It was like we were stuck in an inside Shop and Swap Market circa 1979.
And then we turned a corner, and there it was. The Strive With Janelle booth. Right next to a Tattoo booth. Right across from a guy selling doors (Doors? Yes, DOORS).
And Janelle was no where to be seen.
What the hell? I saw Logan, and his girlfriend Michelle, with a lady who was apparently one of the Strive coaches. There were maybe 2 or 3 people looking over some stuff. But where was Janelle?
We tried to look as inconspicuous as possible, but we caught the attention of the door salesman. "Can I interest you in a new door?" he asked. "No thank you. I don't need a new door, but if I ever do, I'll remember you and your business." At least he tried and didn't give us a snarky look like that other guy did.
Damn. Where was Janelle?
Then it happened. BFF whispered "Don't look. Behind you, she's walking our way." That was my clue to look straight ahead, and then I saw Janelle, walking briskly away. Bless her heart...
We figured she would come back the same way she left, but she didn't. We then noticed she was back at the booth. I finally threw caution to the wind, and snapped a picture of her. Immediately after I took this picture, Jangle sat down, and did not get up again.
BFF and I were feeling the need not to look like stalkers (ha!!) so we walked around the Expo again, leaving Jangle to finish munching whatever she was munching. We saw a Learn how to Sew class, a Learn how to Make Jewelry class. We even saw a Cooking demonstration, and a cocktail making demo. I did enjoy the Penske Group and the beautiful Aston-Martin car they had on display. Now THAT'S empowerment!
The key-note speakers on Saturday were Carson Kressley and Bo Derek, I think. Thanks but no thanks. The last Woman's Convention I attended was all seminars and the keynote speakers were Elizabeth Dole and Cindi McCain who happened to drag hubby Senator John McCain along with her. That was sometime in the 1990's I think. What a difference two decades can make.
It was getting late in the afternoon, and BFF had a dinner commitment in a couple of hours, so we made one last run on the Strive booth. Jangle was still sitting down. No customers were at the booth.
To my BFF's chagrin, I marched over to the Strive booth, proudly holding my LuLaRoe bag containing my Carly and leggings, and my half drunken $4 bottle of water. I looked over the t-shirts (nope, not interested because I now owned a LULAROE Carly t-shirt dress!, HA!!) the Strive with Janelle water bottles (nope, I already spent $4 and I really didn't want or need a Strive one).
I noticed a woman I believed to be a Strive coach coming in for the kill. And then I saw it, the Strive Pedometer. Just what I need. "How much is the pedometer..." I asked sweetly, ignoring the big sign on the counter with the prices. "Only $10..." she replied.
As I pulled out bills from my purse, the unthinkable happened. Logan walked up and started talking to me! He mentioned how a lady bought one earlier that morning and she came back to show him she had put on 9000 steps just walking from booth to booth. Michelle then appeared and showed me how she likes to attach it to her sneaker shoelaces. The coach finished up by showing me how to reset it to zero.
Not once did I see Janelle rise up from her chair.
I'm just going to say this. Logan was the friendliest person I met that day besides the LLR lady. He has a killer smile and a great personality. Michelle was also very friendly. They make a fantastic couple. I actually enjoyed talking to them both, but the only downside was they didn't clinch the deal with telling me about the Strive with Janelle program.
By this point, BFF had totally abandoned me, so I decided, what the hell. I walked over to where Janelle was sitting and starting looking at a big card talking about Strive. Nope, not one word from Janelle. Michelle came over and gave me a Strive with Janelle ink pen. Still no response from Janelle.
I then picked up a Strive with Janelle business card (that listed Janelle as the President of the company) and at that point, Janelle made eye contact with me and smiled as I said hello.
Now mind you, I just bought a pedometer, I looked over her Strive material, I even got a damn ink pen. AND I was holding a LuLaRoe bag that her sister wife was involved in. Lots of opportunity to start up a conversation that could possibly lead up to a sale, don't you think?
All I got was a smile and hello. I walked away thinking, jeez, was she there to hustle her Strive program or to sit there on her duff and pass up a prime opportunity to get my $90 for a year's membership?
Yep Janelle. That graying old black lady with the LuLaRoe bag who bought a pedometer was Cynical Jinx. Glad to finally meet you in person.
Here's a picture of my take aways for the day!
As we slowly made our rounds, we turned a corner and what did we spy?
Oh My Gosh!!! It's a LULAROE booth!!
I couldn't help myself. I had to touch the leggings. And folks, those leggings were soft, just like... buttah.
Well, okay, like I've never really fondled butter so let's just say they were...very soft. And kind of thin. I secretly inspected the leggings for tell-tale holes or splits and found none. Checking the label, I saw they were manufactured in China. Hmmm....
The consultant was extremely nice. The long Carly was a size 1XL, which she assured me would fit. In fact, she suggested I even go down a size.
I know my body. Unlike the former legal Mrs Kody Brown who is also a LuLaRoe consultant, I'm not into a certain look, best described as the "ten pounds of sausage stuffed into a five pound bag" by a former Real Housewife of NJ reality star. I asked the consultant if she had a 2XL. She did, and she swapped out the garish leggings in the picture with a more conservative print. The rest is LuLaRoe history.
I drank the LuLaRoe kool-aid, and I liked it!
But where the heck was the Strive with Janelle booth?
It seemed we walked forever. I was getting thirsty. I was getting tired of being accosted by vendors hawking massages, or perfumes, or offering free samples of beauty products. One guy totally insulted us by offering free candy if we signed up to win a free eye-brow shaping session.
Like, do we look like we need free candy? I thought this was a woman empowerment convention, and that vendor's attitude (and his snarky look when we politely declined his offer) was very insulting. Even the guy hawking Ovarian Cancer Awareness had an attitude. It was like we were stuck in an inside Shop and Swap Market circa 1979.
And then we turned a corner, and there it was. The Strive With Janelle booth. Right next to a Tattoo booth. Right across from a guy selling doors (Doors? Yes, DOORS).
And Janelle was no where to be seen.
What the hell? I saw Logan, and his girlfriend Michelle, with a lady who was apparently one of the Strive coaches. There were maybe 2 or 3 people looking over some stuff. But where was Janelle?
We tried to look as inconspicuous as possible, but we caught the attention of the door salesman. "Can I interest you in a new door?" he asked. "No thank you. I don't need a new door, but if I ever do, I'll remember you and your business." At least he tried and didn't give us a snarky look like that other guy did.
Damn. Where was Janelle?
Then it happened. BFF whispered "Don't look. Behind you, she's walking our way." That was my clue to look straight ahead, and then I saw Janelle, walking briskly away. Bless her heart...
We figured she would come back the same way she left, but she didn't. We then noticed she was back at the booth. I finally threw caution to the wind, and snapped a picture of her. Immediately after I took this picture, Jangle sat down, and did not get up again.
BFF and I were feeling the need not to look like stalkers (ha!!) so we walked around the Expo again, leaving Jangle to finish munching whatever she was munching. We saw a Learn how to Sew class, a Learn how to Make Jewelry class. We even saw a Cooking demonstration, and a cocktail making demo. I did enjoy the Penske Group and the beautiful Aston-Martin car they had on display. Now THAT'S empowerment!
The key-note speakers on Saturday were Carson Kressley and Bo Derek, I think. Thanks but no thanks. The last Woman's Convention I attended was all seminars and the keynote speakers were Elizabeth Dole and Cindi McCain who happened to drag hubby Senator John McCain along with her. That was sometime in the 1990's I think. What a difference two decades can make.
It was getting late in the afternoon, and BFF had a dinner commitment in a couple of hours, so we made one last run on the Strive booth. Jangle was still sitting down. No customers were at the booth.
To my BFF's chagrin, I marched over to the Strive booth, proudly holding my LuLaRoe bag containing my Carly and leggings, and my half drunken $4 bottle of water. I looked over the t-shirts (nope, not interested because I now owned a LULAROE Carly t-shirt dress!, HA!!) the Strive with Janelle water bottles (nope, I already spent $4 and I really didn't want or need a Strive one).
I noticed a woman I believed to be a Strive coach coming in for the kill. And then I saw it, the Strive Pedometer. Just what I need. "How much is the pedometer..." I asked sweetly, ignoring the big sign on the counter with the prices. "Only $10..." she replied.
As I pulled out bills from my purse, the unthinkable happened. Logan walked up and started talking to me! He mentioned how a lady bought one earlier that morning and she came back to show him she had put on 9000 steps just walking from booth to booth. Michelle then appeared and showed me how she likes to attach it to her sneaker shoelaces. The coach finished up by showing me how to reset it to zero.
Not once did I see Janelle rise up from her chair.
I'm just going to say this. Logan was the friendliest person I met that day besides the LLR lady. He has a killer smile and a great personality. Michelle was also very friendly. They make a fantastic couple. I actually enjoyed talking to them both, but the only downside was they didn't clinch the deal with telling me about the Strive with Janelle program.
By this point, BFF had totally abandoned me, so I decided, what the hell. I walked over to where Janelle was sitting and starting looking at a big card talking about Strive. Nope, not one word from Janelle. Michelle came over and gave me a Strive with Janelle ink pen. Still no response from Janelle.
I then picked up a Strive with Janelle business card (that listed Janelle as the President of the company) and at that point, Janelle made eye contact with me and smiled as I said hello.
Now mind you, I just bought a pedometer, I looked over her Strive material, I even got a damn ink pen. AND I was holding a LuLaRoe bag that her sister wife was involved in. Lots of opportunity to start up a conversation that could possibly lead up to a sale, don't you think?
All I got was a smile and hello. I walked away thinking, jeez, was she there to hustle her Strive program or to sit there on her duff and pass up a prime opportunity to get my $90 for a year's membership?
Yep Janelle. That graying old black lady with the LuLaRoe bag who bought a pedometer was Cynical Jinx. Glad to finally meet you in person.
Here's a picture of my take aways for the day!
This is quite possibly my favourite post! Love reading your play by play of the show and meeting Logan and Michelle. I am so glad to hear that they are as lovely in person as they seem on Twitter. I really don't know what to say about Jangle. It is confusing, does she care about this new venture or not? If not, why do it at all?
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! I honestly think Jangle (or any of the sisterwives and their shared hubby) have a clue about running a business successfully. It's hard work!
DeleteBEST POST E V E R ! !
DeleteThanks for taking one for the team! I'm still laughing.
Agreed. If only they would realize that being an employee somewhere with a steady paycheck and benefits is a much better route. None of these schemes come with insurance.
DeleteGreat post! Love the goodies in your swag bag. Old Jangle is not much use to anyone is she? Total waste of space at that event. Good to see you back posting Jinx.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteCJ, you have a unique voice and sensibilities. You and your insights are way more interesting than the bozos you write about.
DeleteLogan seems like a sweet young man. It looks like his mother/s, however, should take a business class or possibly go to charm school if they want to be successful in their businesses.
ReplyDeleteThe Kodettes always seem to be a day late and a dollar short with their business decisions, don't they?
DeleteThat's for sure. I am usually on the shy side with people I don't know and would be a terrible sales person, but I'm smart enough to know that and I would never open a business or work at a job that depended on my ability to sell products.
DeleteWhat's interesting to me is that Kody is having his wives do these money making schemes when wasn't "sales" his "career". Why doesn't he push something that interests him? Lazy a$$
DeleteThis was a pure bit of Kismet !!
ReplyDeleteJust HAD to happen that someday, somehow, somewhere....
**THE** Ms Cynical Jinx **herself** would be *for real* up close and personal, speaking to and making eye contact with some Browns, ....
And they wouldn't even know it !!
Talk about a karmic event.......JUST so, so perfect !!! LOL !!
Nice, CJ, to read your perception of Logan and Michelle. Nice to think that their demeanor for the camera is truly who and how they are IRL.
And also, guess it is good to know that Jangle isn't pretending pr performing her character's MO on the show...now we know through your eyes that sitting as an amoeba, being a non-participant is about as much as she can or will muster up on any day or place....even when representing her alleged "business" as the "president" of said business... at a crowed venue and event designed to strut your stuff and attract clients. She is hopeless !!!
And hey, enjoy your LLR's.....do keep us posted as to their track record after a few washings.
Thanks so much for much needed fun read !!! :)))
(wonder which Brown will be the first to skulk in the Living Room and read your account...LOL !!! )
Thanks, Amused! My pleasure! Fingers crossed I don't have a butt blowout or holes developing in my leggings!
DeleteKeep a spare pair of real pants in the car for such emergencies.
DeleteLoved this post and thank you for all the great pictures!
ReplyDeleteThanks for going above and beyond on your Saturday--taking one for the team and proving again to your devoted followers that you are a class act! You confirmed in person what we were all thinking based on watching the show. Logan and Michelle are kind, friendly people. Janelle is either lazy, clueless or some combination of the two and/or she is just not cut out for sales. You would think she would have picked up a thing or two from Kody selling the water goo. But when you consider that Janelle always worked in an office and didn't really seem to have involvement in their water business (unlike Meri who hosted parties and entertained catfish) there is nothing about Janelle's personality that would even suggest she should be in marketing or sales.
My guess this is also why she could not make a go of it in real estate. Guess what Janelle? You have to like people! You have to want to interact with people and be friendly. You need to exude energy. As CJ stated, she had many ways she could have started a conversation and then she could have proceeded to talk up her business. This is just nuts! She must think the sales are going to fall in her lap? It would be one thing if she was selling something obvious, like an easily recognized product that people understood and knew if they either wanted or needed. But no one even knows what the hell "Strive"is!!
Last but not least, I know you are totally going to rock your LulaRoe outfit!! The print is tasteful and when you put the Carly over them (Good for you on picking the Carly--the most flattering piece they sell!) you will have one good lookin' comfy outfit!
I tried on the Carly when I got home and it fits perfectly. The leggings (tall and curvy) covered my ample rear-end very nicely and didn't even feel tight at all. I'm just hoping I don't have a blow out after 2 or 3 wearings. Fingers crossed!
DeleteI pressed enter too soon!
DeleteI completely forgot Jangle has her real estate license. I can just imagine my walking into her office and being IGNORED by her. Reminds me of something that happened when I was younger. During the disco era, I made the mistake of shopping with a friend from work who was a size 0. We were in her favorite boutique, and while she tried on clothes, I was left standing looking at clothes which were way too small for me. The owner, who was one of those pigs from the east coast basically told me there was nothing in his store I would be interested in and I should leave. I reminded him that although I was a size 14 (at the time) my money was just as green as my size 0 friend's. A few months later I found out his boutique was closed. Pity...guess those size 0 gals weren't spending enough to keep him in business!
For sure, Janelle as a realtor was always a head scratching concept. One thing a successful realtor needs to be is an engaging communicator. And as Big Sky noted, it is necessary to be a people person, as in liking to interact with people.
DeleteDuring the Mona days when Jangle and Christine were supposed to join the selling staff at Mona's agency, it made sense that Christine may have been able to pull it off, but Janelle?..given her personality, that seemed unlikely.
Besides, had she been successful as a legit realtor, there would have been more evidence of that on the show and around Vegas.
And aside from mentioning once or twice that she was delivering "keys" to a new buyer, she seemed not to be actively selling.
CJ, you're right about back in the disco days there were those obnoxious boutiques that only catered to slim and super petite sizes. I couldn't shop there either!! If you were tall you were out of luck.
@Amused, I always thought a real estate venture with Christine and Janelle would need to combine both their strengths in order to have any chance at success. If Christine (who is a people person as you mentioned) did the showings and Janelle did all the behind the scenes organization/paper work/internet marketing (sitting on her behind in an office!) maybe it could have some success....but Christine wasn't willing to put in the hours and Janelle is not suited for it (and also I can't see her putting in the hours to build a real estate business) obviously this career went nowhere for Janelle or she would not be floundering around with Strive.
DeleteCJ:
ReplyDeleteYou just made my day! Thank you for this amazing article!
My pleasure! Thank you!
DeleteThat was cool and can't have been easy to pull off without seeming stalkerish. I am not the least bit surprised about what you saw in the three personalities, exactly as they come across on the show. I'm guessing Janelle is really shy and /or misanthropic or a combination of both.
ReplyDelete...Speaking as someone who'd have to force myself out of my comfort zone to sell at a booth if I didn't want to come across the exact same way
You know, I'm horrible at sales, but I can hold my own as a consumer. If the program was called Strive with Logan and Michelle, I would have gladly forked over my $90, that's how impressed I was with those two.
DeleteHi CJ. I attended the expo last minute with a girlfriend today (Sunday). I had no clue Janelle was going to be there. I do not keep up with her on any social media so it was quite a surprise to happen on her booth. I must have looked crazy- My jaw actually dropped a bit when I saw her. A pretty young girl who I believe was Madison's bridesmaid (dezzie?) saw my expression and waived me over to find out more about the program. She was an absolute sweetheart. Michelle was with her and they both had some pretty good pitches but were not pushy which I liked (I had no interest in signing up and I think they knew that, but still made great conversation anyway). They asked if I lived in the area and shared my griefs with the hot weather since they get the same in Vegas. Very friendly and kind gals. I did not talk to Logan personally but I can see what you mean about him, CJ. He was in an animated conversation with three ladies a little younger than myself, laughing and answering questions. I wish I had stuck around to talk to him but my friend was quite eager to get around to the other booths and didn't share my desire to talk to the sister wives clan. Also did not get to talk to Janelle. She was busy talking to a woman and I didn't feel like waiting. She was sitting down which rubbed me the wrong way- if a lady of my age can stand long enough to walk around the expo, I feel that she should for professional sake. She's selling a health brand dry crying out loud.
ReplyDeleteEither way- I was very impressed by the friendliness of dezzie (or whoever that was) and Michelle. I'm sure I would've said the same about logan had I stuck around long enough to talk with him. Later on I saw him and Michelle walking around the expo. They were laughing with one another and looked to be very happy in each other's company. Was nice to see.
Well there's my spiel. I've been a lurker of this site for a bit and have watched the show faithfully for years (al though my interest is decreasing with these later seasons). I felt this experience warranted my first (and probably only) post.
Thank you for taking the plunge and sharing your experience with us! Now you've got me wondering...was it Dezzie who sold me the pedometer? She looked familiar, so I thought she was the female Strive coach. No wonder she didn't look like the picture!
DeleteFrom the moment I read about the whole "Strive with Janelle" website/business all I could think of was one thing. A shill business to have on the books for tax deductions and an eventual bankruptcy. Once the children begin moving on and they lose those deductions its good to have a small business in home to help. As it's been mentioned, Janelle isn't really using her realtor license, and doesn't work a conventional job. She seems to have zero drive for this enterprise, which makes me wonder if it wasn't her idea...but Captain Kodster's. It's really cool to have a real person's perspective...boots on the ground kind of thing. :D
ReplyDeleteSo four of the five adults "do something". Robyn and the jewelry, Meri and the clothes, Janelle and whatever hers really is, Kody has been seen in social media being a "famous person" at gun shows....that only leaves Christine. Step it up Christine!! Are we in for a Tupperware revival!?
Roslyn, sometimes I wonder if Christine really does have the plyg "princess" complex and she is the least motivated of all the wives to work! Or else she truly relishes the role of caregiver to the kids and saw that as her calling to watch all the others children for them and she has no interest in thinking ahead to when the kids are out of the house??
DeleteBy all accounts from family members and even their book, she likes to be the center of attention. It was her association with "Principle Voices" that led to the reality show and she was on board with it from the start. I think she assumes she can just squeal and clap her way through more seasons to earn her keep.
Big Sky,
DeleteI think it goes way deeper than a "princess" complex. Back when Christine was a cheerleader for Principle Voices she was solid in her world. Raising children, keeping home, surrounded by her religious bubble, she is stable and able to easily validate her life and so going outside the home to publicly fight for rights for polygamists was just a part of her little happy world.
Then everything crashes down around her. The television show brings up front and center a new woman in Kody's life, and one that he is very obviously in lust with. Christine gets to see on camera what has been hidden within her home. Personal affection for the other wives, especially centered on poor damsel in distress Robyn. Christine made it clear on the show in the beginning that she didn't want another wife, and she was very upset that the others knew Robyn LONG before she did. And it's obvious through the years that it has taken a toll on her.
Christine might be the silly, giddy, fun, fun wife. But I think all that is a cover. There is a saying, "he who laughs loudest suffers in silence". I think behind the scenes Christine is a hot mess. When Christine was stable in her world she had a good relationship with Kody, as soon as her bubble was burst she lost control and I think it shows loud and clear with Kody because he can't really stand to be around her and he avoids her loud and rowdy kids as well.
She shows plenty of signs of depression. She made one little blurp on a couch scene about "needing fewer anti-depression or anxiety pills", she made a "joke" about Truely having hot cocoa while she drank red wine at bedtime. She can't handle her household and so her oldest daughter shouldered the house and mother duties, when Aspyn left for college her mother had to come live with her.
The polygamist indoctrination is very strong within Christine. She was very clueless about her own mothers misery as a child, she has a constant need for Kody to validate her, but we all know very well that he only sees to HIS needs. She is on her own for her own emotional and mental health.
Christine had Truely in the middle of all the bubble bursting turmoil. She has clung onto her tighter in the desperation of the crumbling of her bubble world and her marriage. I have a feeling that when Truely grows old enough to get out of there that will be the final snap for Christine.
You are right on the money Rosyln!! This perfectly sums up Christine. Despite everyone rooting for her to get a clue about Kody and this lifestyle - she is the most indoctrinated and the least likely to leave. I do hope when Truely leaves home and Christine has an empty nest she will somehow come to her senses. Hopefully Christine's mom is planting subtle seeds of dissent.
DeleteI don't think Christine or Janelle will ever leave. One would have to begin to question everything she's ever been taught and believed in and no way is she going to ever allow herself to go there. The other just doesn't seem to care and is so checked out until she is not the least bit phased by what's going on around her.
DeleteMost likely to leave: Robyn when the pseudo money and fame dries up and/or when she is replaced. Meri when she falls in love again.
This was so wonderful, CJ. Thank you! I hope your leggings live a long and healthy life.
ReplyDeleteAs a very introverted person I can identify with Janelle's personality. If I were working that booth, I would probably sit there and avoid making eye contact too. But you know what? I'm smart enough to NOT start a business where I'd be sitting in that booth! I know I would be bad at it because of my personality. How can Janelle not figure that out herself? Same with Meri and her LLR. She isn't cut out for sales either. These folks seem to have an "if you build it they will come" attitude to business. All they have to do is hang out their shingle and people will line up to hand over their money. SMH.
And I am still waiting for Janelle to explain WTH she envisions Strive to be. Just what is she selling for $90? A vague connection to a D-list reality star is all I can figure.
This. You have to know your strengths and how they translate in the real world. Janelle needs to be in the background and not the "face" of anything. She's just not suited to that. As someone said, Christine is probably more suited to be upfront. But that's probably asking too much of the princess too ...
DeleteAnother great blog post! Thanks for wasting your Saturday to give us a great report on Jangle and family. I hope you enjoy your LLR. I've only bought a pair of leggings and a classic T. My leggings are hideous and I only bought them to help out my sister-in-law. I haven't had blow outs yet but I only wore them under dress pants when it was below zero up here in the tundra.
ReplyDeleteThank you, CJ, for a great post! You truly are the hostess with the most-est in & out of your living room!
ReplyDeleteAfter looking at the photos and the booth, I understand "Strive with Janelle" even less. First, that's an expensive booth location - full size and on a corner, albeit far back in some possibly random category, like "body" (with tattoos?). The equipment and decor are basic and disconnected. Second, for $90, you get "Community! Accountability! and Resources!" aka a website and exercise videos (pedometer costs extra) for some unstated, individual goal that you have to set for yourself.
Janelle is too passive and lethargic to sell healthy, active living. It sounds like she couldn't even pretend to be engaged with her audience or her business when it counted the most. By the way, wasn't she supposed to be one of the motivational speakers during the weekend?
Wait, hold up.
ReplyDeleteLogan, Michelle, and Desi are helping Janelle with her business.
Madison is helping Meri with hers.
Who is helping Robyn with hers?!
LOL!
Why, Kody of course! Remember when Robyn made him CEO because she felt no sisterwife should be in a position of power over another sisterwife or wives? Yeah, that was the kiss of death for MSWC right there! And so very transparent on Robyn's part.
DeleteI hope you were told to hand wash only. Which is ridiculous in 2017 by the way and a sign of crappy material. Why would anyone by a tee shirt dress and ugly leggings that have to be hand washed??? CJ, you just wasted a chunk o money.
ReplyDeleteSara
Hi Sara!
DeleteI hope you were told to hand wash only.
As a matter of fact, the consultant did.
Honey (you don't mind my calling you Honey do you?) I've been hand washing clothes for almost 50 years. As my mother used to say "If you want your clothes to last you got to treat them right." I wash like colors together, I rarely use the dryer. You can find "crappy" material at Neiman Marcus...just sayin'...
Why would anyone by a tee shirt dress and ugly leggings that have to be hand washed???
Simple. I wanted to buy it. I liked the colors, the sizing, I thought it looked cute. The outfit SPOKE TO ME and it said "BUY ME OR YOU WILL BE SAD!" Seriously, I wanted to see what the hype was, and now I understand better the LuLaRoe mystique. And frankly speaking, it was my money to spend how and where I want. A waste of money was a shirt I bought at Macy's for more money than my LuLaRoe purchase that not only faded but shrunk when it accidently went into the dryer. Or that disco outfit I bought back in 1979 that hung in my closet, unworn, for 25 years until I gave it away to the Goodwill.
It's all relative...
Sara, when I read your post about the hand-washing I had intended to reply later.
DeleteCJ's response took care of that. The hand-washing wasn't a turnoff for me either. Most any clothing I want to preserve does get hand-washed. And yes, high end items can be low-end durability if washed or dried by machine.
My issue with the LLR reports was that some items have fallen apart even when hand-washed. Hopefully, CJ got lucky and won't have that problem.
And CJ, have to admit that your dress and leggings are indeed cute. Nice choices!
Thanks Amused! I'm hand washing (and drying flat, of course) some sweaters this weekend, so I figure while I'm at it to hand wash my LuLaRoe.
DeleteAmused, do you remember way back in the day when guys complained about all the undies women had hanging to dry in the bathroom? Nylons, camisoles, girdles, silk panties it was like a clothing jungle with some women.
Oh yes, I sure do remember !!
DeleteNot only was it a jungle of clothing, it was vivid proof of what we all went through as women.
Ha!!...the girdles...guaranteed to get a giggle when little kids saw them hanging !!
Which led to control-top pantyhose which ultimately led to *Spanx* so that now it is fashionably hip to wear undies that "compress"....LOL
CJ, I have a few LLR items--my sister is a sales rep. I machine wash mine--inside out, in a mesh bag. I wash all laundry on the gentle cycle in cold water, and hang to dry. And I have no LLR leggings (because I'm waiting for the print with the alphabet and the words "FAT A$$" emblazoned across the back), but I have to say the 4 amelias, 3 monroes, and the carly have withstood the tests of time and hard water! Thanks for being willing to take another for the team. Truly, you're the best!
Deletegot2bdrc....Oh my God! Fat A$$...I'm dying!!!
DeleteSign my fat ass up!
I gotta admit, The cutesy names make it hard for me to know what the hell the item is. It's like a code that I can't crack!!
Sara that's kinda rude. I don't care for Lularoe either but to tell someone who clearly is happy with their purchase that what they bought is ugly and a waste of money is so rude
DeleteAgreed about the unwelcome rudeness. Sara, maybe you'd like to post a pic of what you wore today and volunteer for it to be picked apart? CJ chose a very tasteful print in a sharp color combo and put together a cute outfit. Also, lots of us don't mind taking the time to hand-wash clothes, hang them to dry, and even iron them.
DeleteIf you find some Fat A$$ pants please tell us. I need some for my voluptuous gluteus maximus.
DeleteI just saw this April post. Had to comment though...I don't dry ANYTHING IN THE DRYER but towels and sheets and hubbys work outside clothes. I handwash daughters leos, shirts, our bras, leggings, sweaters, and I even line dry jeans since the sweet Talbots lady told me to never dry jeans as they keep shrinking...like they never stop lol.
DeleteLoved, loved, loved this post! Crack reportage AND suspense! When I got to the punchline, I spewed coffee and let out a BWAAAHAAHAA that brought my husband running in from the next room.
ReplyDelete"Nice to meet you," indeed. Thank you so much, as always.
Just an observation on the wives and their pathetic, half-attempts at "work": They don't work because they're unmotivated to do so. They're unmotivated because they don't get to enjoy the fruits of their labour. Instead, those fruits are split between 5 healthy, capable adults and their broods, not for the use and enjoyment of (s)he who earned it.
ReplyDeleteMeri: Why work when she gets 1/4 of the "wives" income; far less proportionally than she deserves for looking after 1/11th of the family?
Janelle: Abundant laziness aside, why put forth the effort when she sees so little of the benefit of that effort? Where's the incentive? Especially now, while the TLC money is still rolling in and most of her children have flown the coop. Why should she continue working a 9-5 job to support other people, especially when they make no efforts to support themselves? Honestly, I'd think there was something wrong with her if she DID, and would bet that if the family setup were different, so too would be her attitude.
Christine & Robyn: Excuses of raising so many younger children, etc, don't have the time, simply "can't" work. Plus it's pretty hard to maintain the victim role(ahem, Robyn) if you demonstrate you really can do it all. So these two will never do it all; they'll simply beat the same old drum as long as they can, likely lamenting why the other two aren't doing more to support the "family".
In this type of family setup, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. The grease being money, attention from Kody, etc. It explains the extra grease being applied to Meri, poor poor she with 7 spirit children and only 1 actual child, getting 1/4 of the wives' income (1/3 for many years). And to Robyn, the shiny, damaged Phoenix rising from the ashes to pump out more of Kody's babies, right when his last producing wife was finished. Plus why would ANY of the wives work when they see Kody, the one person who has virtually ZERO responsibility in the family, doing next to nothing? Obviously work isn't important to him, and if that's not the ultimate motivation killer, I don't know what is.
Well said, Anon!
DeleteAlso, forgot to add - loved this write-up, CJ! Great job.
I've never commented here, but I've been lurking for a while. Kody and Christine were spotted at the farmers' market in Flint, Michigan http://nbc25news.com/news/local/cast-members-of-tlcs-sister-wives-spotted-at-the-flint-farmers-market I have no idea what appeal Flint would have for them.
ReplyDeleteLooked at those pics and have to wonder at what point is KodyIdiot going to give up that nasty, ratty hairdo with those two thin, stringy long top strands that are hanging there to cover his receding hairline? It looks like exactly what it is...a bad and failing attempt at camouflaging a middle-aged balding head.
DeleteGive it up, Kody, and get an age appropriate manly haircut instead of a permed, highlighted desperate attempt to look like an aging but balding surfer dude. It isn't working !!! It looks dumb !!
You are past THAT sell date....way past !!
And it could have been just a fleeting moment caught by the camera, but Christine looks like she is Kody's caregiver holding on to him so that he doesn't wander. It was an odd and funny pose!
Oh dear. The gossip rags got it wrong. It isn't Robyn who's pregnant, it's KODY!!!
DeleteMaybe they were there marching for clean water?! They are always a day late and a dollar short!!
DeleteI'm guessing Kody owed Christine another anniversary trip, racked his brain how to top the ever romantic rock therapy hot-spot of Galveston, and came up with the ever sexy Flint, where Kody could prove to Christine that it really wasn't Robyn who poisoned the waters.
DeleteAwesome WNBH, had a good laugh at your post. Tooooo funny!
DeleteGreat post, glad you're back, I've missed you CJ.
ReplyDeleteAs I read through it, I just can't help but wonder: do you suppose Jangle knows exactly who you are? And when she saw you she decided to sit and not speak and just let the kids 'play it cool' and do the talking?
I think so. Especially with the LLR bag in your hand, too. You've blogged for a long time, they have to know that when they're out in public someone is always watching and ready to write about it to the fans (blog fans, that is--> NOT show fans!)...
Either that, or, she saw you snap the pic, and saw the LLR bag, and saw you come back later and thought you might be one of the troll train members from Twitter and sat down...
My two cents. Let us know how the LLR leggings work out!
This cracked me up! Thanks CJ!
ReplyDelete(Btw, does it look like Janelle is living a more active lifestyle now? Other than sitting through the whole expo of course. I'm genuinely curious.)
Kody and Christine visited Flint, MI and Kody tweeted about it. I have no words, but am sure CJ will come up with some fitting ones, so please check it while I pick my jaw up off the floor.
ReplyDeleteOh no! I was only joking upthread when I posted that they were in Flint to talk about the water.....thought he would be so focused on hawking his own LIV water product that he wouldn't dare to tread down the path of talking about someone else's water!
DeleteHe might be hawking green goo on the side. "Hey! Ya got crappy water? Add some of this Green Goo and it will still be crappy and taste crappy too - BUT you can pretend its good for you!" Win Win.
DeleteWhy in the world would anyone go to Flint on purpose? Even before the tainted water supply, it's been a pit for decades! I am there once a year for business; it's the one city I've been to that I think can be improved with dynamite and a backhoe.
Deleteb0red_n0w, I'm still laughing at his stupid arse twitter picture. I guess the Flint Water Commission must have paid him to be a spokesperson and guinea pig for the wholesome h20. Or maybe Kody was confused why the hell he was there.
ReplyDeleteKody just seems incapable of resisting announcing his stupidity to the world !!
ReplyDeleteSomebody needs to take away his cellphone or at least disable his ability to tweet and show his general ignorance.
CJ,
ReplyDeleteI was just wondering how your LLR purchase worked out. Have you worn it yet? It is a cute outfit. I would def consider giving it a try, but only if I could buy in person,as you did. I have a love/hate relationship with clothes and have to try things on. My eyes/taste still think I am 30lbs lighter than I am. So after I try something on I'm usually left thinking "Cute top..for someone else" I wish I could find a way to see the clothes in person. Now that you've taken the plunge...I'm feeling braver!!
I tried the Carly and leggings on and they fit perfectly. That was about 30 minutes of wearing. When I took off the leggings I checked for any holes, none so far! I've since handwashed them and hung up to dry...no dryer! Next will be wearing them in public! Wish me luck!
DeleteKeep us posted! And Good Luck! At least the Carly is long(right?) and will keep you covered up if your leggings do not!
DeleteHope they don't develop holes..it's a cute outfit!
Also, I find myself in TJ Maxx, Marshalls and Burlington Coat Factory checking the racks for LLR! If I find something I'll post a pic!
I live in Phoenix and i do not use a dryer. I love clothes that air dry!!! I enjoy hanging up clothes and taking them down..call me nuts..it reminds me of hanging up clothes with my mom , must be a generational thing
DeleteI haven't been reading as much, so forgive me if this has been discussed but did Maddison and her hubs move back to LV? I've noticed in her instagram photos they are all taken there.
ReplyDeleteYeppers, Maddie and hubs are apparently living in the cul-de-sac, we assume with Jangle. Maddie is also helping Meri with her LLR now.
DeleteOh dear...i hope If Maddie and her husband are living with Jangle that Kody will not be present for a home birth of his grandchild!!!OMG that would a horrific episode.
DeleteMilo, I am sharing your hopes that Kody will resist inserting himself in the birth drama.
DeleteHowever, if Maddie and Caleb are intending to have the birth filmed for the show (for cash) with stills then available for the various mags and online sites (more cash), you can count on Kody Brown, self-appointed labor and delivery coach extraordinaire, will position himself in a prominent role.
Maybe he will even officiate in "knighting" the baby boy at birth.
Perhaps the key to how much presence KodyIdiot will manage to accomplish will depend on whether Maddie chooses a a Sobbin-redo birth in a McMansion bedroom or will she deliver in a hospital?
If it's a home birth, Kody will have to fight Robyn's (creepy) stepfather for the front and center seat with the lady parts view.
DeleteBut given how tiny Madison is, the fact it's her first birth, and that her hubby is a big guy who could produce a big baby, a home birth might not be fit for TV viewing!
After what happened with Robyn's last home birth (blue baby, broken collarbone), hopefully the producers want nothing to do with any chance of a repeat of that. Hoping she goes to the hospital.
Thanks for the laugh CJ. You rock!! I almost lost it at work yesterday when one of my managers started pulling up pictures of hideous LLR clothing online and shoving them in my face squeeling about how gorgeous they were!!!! (eye rolling) Bad enough she was in the break room at the same time as me but to have my precious ears and eyes accosted by pics and gushing about vomit inducing clothing was more than I could stand. I told her to shop Old Navy and to get her leggings - which are NOT pants at the Cracker Barrel. Yes I know. How can I insult LLR if I buy leggings at the Cracked Barrel? Easy, they're $12.99 a pair of plain black beautifulness and great in the gym. Very soft and wash well. Her response was but Im 2 sizes smaller in LLR. Sorry lady but the tag is irrelevant. You are the size you are no matter what brand of butt hugging flab showing leggings you wear.
ReplyDeleteSorry lady but the tag is irrelevant. You are the size you are no matter what brand of butt hugging flab showing leggings you wear.
DeleteAin't that the truth?!? From what I've seen (including the former Mrs Kody Brown) some of those ladies need to wear a size larger...some of them literally look like stuffed sausages! There, I said it again!
ER MAH GAH!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hilarious!!!!!!!!! This is the funniest post! Wish I could have been there to witness the great Cynical Jinx encounter Jangle and offspring.
ReplyDeleteHey CJ! Meri will be in Mesa May 3 on a LuLaRoe pop-up road trip. Don't know what your work schedule is like, but you could grace another Brown Family Grifter Enterprise with your mad shopping skillz! She's posting about it on her Twitter feed.
ReplyDeleteSorry! She's discussing the tour on her LuLaRoe Instagram account.
DeleteAnyone in Mesa?
DeleteEven though I would have liked a Sarah to go with my Carly and leggings, I had to work Wednesday!
DeleteAren't like half the kids 18 now. And none of them are showing any signs of becoming polygamists! Things like military, employment and accredited college has been available to them all. Thank goodness their dad signed them up for the show. Four of them would have 12 kids each by now, bonus kids included. And the Brown sons would be living single or monogamous if lucky and doomed to be excluded from the celestial kingdom. Where are the blessings?
ReplyDeleteThey removed the kids from the religious bubble, gave them real opportunities and it's obvious it was for the betterment of the children. The way they went about it was, naturally, horrible. But that is the Brown way. In the end the children have real world choices. It's the M.O. for extreme religions tho, they have to keep the followers in a tightly controlled world, because given the choice, so many will not to follow the religion.
DeleteIt's quite the "tell" tho when all the kids split as soon as they could, either turning 18 or high school graduation. It's sad that Maddie seems to be sucked back into the reality television bubble and Caleb right along with her. We all were rooting for her to get out there and live her own life. Even the choice to settle in and start a family is a good one...but instead of on their own, they are falling into the reality tv "star" role or something. Caleb was quite firm when he said he would NEVER move to Las Vegas. Guess he changed his mind. The older kids seem to really be settled, only time will tell with the younger kids who were brought up in this lifestyle.
In regards to Maddie and Caleb seemingly having moved back to the cul-de-sac ~ I'm kinda torn on that one (and will play Devil's Advocate for a moment) . . . I mean, Caleb might have looked for a job with benefits in his area, and couldn't find one. Worried, Maddie might have sought some help/shelter with the familiar (her family). Whether she stays after the baby is born is the real question.
DeleteThey could be working on saving money for the baby, have some free help for the first year, and then get a move on to whereever they end up. So long everybody's okay with it, I don't see the big deal with that.
And who knows, maybe they are earning their keep behind the scenes? Maybe Caleb is working, and Maddie is helping her family?? Or hey maybe it's a free for all in the cul de sac, and really, we probably won't ever know the real truth - but I'm willing to give a little wiggle room here, until we know some more. JMHO.
Are Maddie and husband just un the cult de sac to possibly air their pregnancy, delivery "striving" for a spin off? Ok, maybe just free living expenses.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking its both possibilities!
DeleteSaw a TLC commercial for "say yes to the dress" with a bride coming shopping with her fiance and his wife. Are they trying to launch a new show? Doesn't look like legit plyg, more like polyamorous.
ReplyDeleteJust starting to watch this "Say yes to the dress" episode and these three are Catholic or former Catholics, but saying they are plygamists. Not doing it for religious reasons but because the first wife became OCD and doesn't like to be touched. Shopping gor a th show? Anyone else catch this episode?
DeleteOh My Gosh....
DeleteI just watched the episode on Amazon.
I'm getting a gut feeling with this couple on SYTTD. First wife has intimacy issues. Husband is horny as hell. Solution: Bring in another woman to do the dirty deed with the husband and call her a sister wife. But it seems to me the first wife (with that pesty OCD condition) realizes that the hot to trot tramp her husband has chosen to marry wasn't such a good idea after all. Remember the look on the first wife's face when trampy fiance mentioned how first wife's husband likes EVERYTHING she wears (or doesn't wear). Reminds me of the dialogue between tramp Crystal Allen (played by Joan Crawford) and the saintly Mrs Stephen Haines in the 1939 version of the movie "The Women". When confronted by the legal Mrs, while Crystal was trying on a negligee in a shop, Crystal countered by saying "If I wear something Stephen doesn't like, I take it off." It would be interesting to know if they did get "married" after all. I have a feeling, first wife put her OCD foot down and put a stop to it.
That is super crazy.
Delete1) If they are not practicing Catholics, then chances are they were "together" before they got married. Did they not have intimacy issues then? If so, probably shouldn't have gotten married in the first place if you are not sexually compatible.
2) If OCD is a sudden onset, then there was possible a life event or emotional trigger, and I am just going on what I have gleaned from Hoarders here. There was a death, a crime, something that triggered a mental health issue that manifests itself as hoarding, or in this case, OCD. That trigger needs to be addressed in therapy, not by bringing another wife into the mix. Why did they think this was an ok thing? Instead of, "ok honey, I'll sacrifice my needs because I love you, but let's go to therapy and try and find a solution," instead it's "hey, my needs need to be met, so 2nd wife!!!"??????
I don't have time right now to review the tape again, but I believe the first wife said she developed OCD after a medical issue (I presume) with her lady parts.
DeleteWhen I get home tonight I'll take a look at it again. They (legal wife and hubby) should have explored getting therapy rather than bringing another women into that mess!
See! I knew it! There was some kind of issue, apparently a medical one, that brought this on and instead of working on it as a couple like normal people, they randomly say "grab a 2nd wife." Gah!
DeleteThanks for the lead, @ark of snark! Just one word--strange!
ReplyDeleteMrSpock watched the "Say Yes..." episode and mostly saw the first wife with a forced smile. She said this was largely her idea...but she didn't look all that thrilled as the show progressed---except in a fake way. It was never made clear where the second "bride" and the husband were getting "married" since it is not legal anywhere in the US---so she is, in reality, a) not getting married, and b) is not going to be a wife...despite #2's big, happy smiles.
ReplyDeleteReal plygs must have been offended by these three if they watched the show. They need to just fess up and say they are having an open marriage and not try to play a plyg card when they say it's not for religious reasons. TLC or SYTTD didn't vet this group that's for sure. What little commenting about this episode is on Twitter, posters just thought it was strange and questioned motive.
DeleteI like what one person put it as something like "if your wife has OCD, you support her, you don't go find someone else to have sex with."
Just want to point out that a person or couple (or whatever) do not have to be religious in order to be polygamous. I met a family that were atheist that were in a polygamous committed relationship.
DeleteEither way, was really disgusting that the horn dog husband couldn't wait until his wife got better. Even if it was her idea, he should have shot it down. Now she is hurting and he is banging. Just pathetic.
This blog is dying with the rest. Who thinks Kody made an appearance at his first son's graduation as opposed to the gay daughter of the woman he cast aside? I will be curious to see the outcome as I am a psychologist. Or did he do the opposite knowing he has media on his ass? Opinions please.
ReplyDeleteI vote Logan- I don't see Kody wanting to be anywhere but the end of the bed when his first grandson is born and, as far as I know, Maddie is due any day.
Delete^^^ That is if Maddie is living back and giving birth in Vegas, which it looks like she is
DeleteJust rewatching the "truth about Christine" Kody called Truely "fat dumb and happy" right before Christine made the famous comment about wine and hot coco. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE ?????
ReplyDeleteYou are awesome CJ!!! I just love reading your blog! it always puts a smile on my face and makes me laugh out loud (which I need these days). My take on Janelle and all the mis-matched business ventures is that they all smell like Kody Brown (or his tight pants after a long day). I'm sure if Janelle had her way she would be filing papers in some back offfice (and probably do well at it). Kody forces her into these awkward and unnatural "sales" positions and it shows. When you think about it, the whole thing is pretty cruel... making her sit there to be stared at by strangers, when she is already extremely introverted and self-conscious...I'm surprised she was sitting in a chair, she probably wanted to be hiding under the table. Just a thought.
ReplyDeleteI think you hit the mail on the head, Hagar's Harem. Janelle is likely shy and introverted by nature. I can tell you that for someone like that to do "booth duty" for a weekend, it does take a lot out of you. You have to be "on" all the time. However, it's something that can be learned with practice... I did anyway.
DeleteThanks Jinxy for all you do!
It looks like Logan graduated. Yay!
ReplyDeleteAnd Mariah.
ReplyDeleteTwo graduates from college. Would not have happened if they stayed in Lehi.
LuLaRoe update...
ReplyDelete2 wearings and 2 handwashings. No holes or butt splits in my leggings...yet!!
Good news, CJ !!
DeleteNow it could be that you were fortunate in buying sturdy items as opposed to the reported fragile/defective ones....
And/Or its down to you being effectively skilled in the age-old art of 'hand-washing.' :)
I'm voting for the lost skill of hand washing (which I've passed along to my daughter!!)
DeleteSo glad to hear it! It's weird how some LLR items are just not good quality..and some are. Agree that hand washing is the key. I hand wash most of my clothes and no dryer...Ever!
DeleteMaddie had her baby.
ReplyDeleteAxel James Brush
ReplyDeletehttp://people.com/tv/sister-wives-star-maddie-brown-brush-welcomes-baby-boy-see-the-adorable-photo/?xid=socialflow_twitter_peoplemag