The Shank Agency

[toolbelt]

Haha! Many years ago my pastor’s last name was Shank. I’ve never met anyone else with that last name. So, out of curiosity, I clicked the link. That’s his son, Jordan! Last I heard, he was running a lead gen company. I guess he got into sales at some point. I can vouch for his dad, but I never knew Jordan as an adult, just a squirrely kid when I was teaching 1st graders in Sunday School. Small world sometimes!

A preacher's kid has instant access to a captive downline force.

 

[shonceman]

A preacher's kid has instant access to a captive downline force.

I suppose that can happen. But his dad always maintained a very dim view of MLMers networking through the church membership, so I doubt if that’s going on in this case.

 

[toolbelt]

I suppose that can happen. But his dad always maintained a very dim view of MLMers networking through the church membership, so I doubt if that’s going on in this case.

The problem is, most "successful" MLM'ers don't consider what they do as MLM'ing. Prosperity Gospel is the term more commonly used, taking their cues from Dave Ramsey.

 

[PA Bill]

The problem is, most "successful" MLM'ers don't consider what they do as MLM'ing. Prosperity Gospel is the term more commonly used, taking their cues from Dave Ramsey.

"God will not release what's in his hand, until you release what's in your hand!"

 

[Travis Price]

The problem is, most "successful" MLM'ers don't consider what they do as MLM'ing. Prosperity Gospel is the term more commonly used, taking their cues from Dave Ramsey.

Now, now while Prosperity Gospel can be exploitative, it's nothing like an MLM. There are no products or recruiting lower levels involved in Prosperity Gospel.

The only level is you to the religious leaders organization.

You send money to the church, usually called "seed money", and the theory is God will bless you with wealth and health.

Now, people will come back and say what a person does with their money is their choice. Generally, that's right. However, when a televangelist shames you for not giving because you're in financial dire straights. Or when a Televangelist leads you to believe that all have to do is give money to cure a disease, that's exploitative.

Scientology, on the other end of the spectrum, is more closely to using the MLM model. You buy in... Once you get to a certain level, you can recruit others and get 10% of their services. They get to a certain level, rinse and repeat.

There's enough wrong with organized religion, you don't have to mischaracterize their practices.

 

[shonceman]

The problem is, most "successful" MLM'ers don't consider what they do as MLM'ing. Prosperity Gospel is the term more commonly used, taking their cues from Dave Ramsey.

“Dad” Shank, as well the rest of us in the church, took an even dimmer view of the so-called “prosperity gospel”.

 

[toolbelt]

Now, now while Prosperity Gospel can be exploitative, it's nothing like an MLM. There are no products or recruiting lower levels involved in Prosperity Gospel.

The only level is you to the religious leaders organization.

You send money to the church, usually called "seed money", and the theory is God will bless you with wealth and health.

Now, people will come back and say what a person does with their money is their choice. Generally, that's right. However, when a televangelist shames you for not giving because you're in financial dire straights. Or when a Televangelist leads you to believe that all have to do is give money to cure a disease, that's exploitative.

Scientology, on the other end of the spectrum, is more closely to using the MLM model. You buy in... Once you get to a certain level, you can recruit others and get 10% of their services. They get to a certain level, rinse and repeat.

There's enough wrong with organized religion, you don't have to mischaracterize their practices.

Well that's how it's supposed to work anyways, but too many use their position in religion as a way of generating a downline.

 

[Travis Price]

Well that's how it's supposed to work anyways, but too many use their position in religion as a way of generating a downline.

And that's fine... But so do other social groups also... That's the whole MLM schtick.

My point, really, is be careful when you describe a religious practice, because when you generalize it then the claim loses credibility.

 

[shonceman]

Well that's how it's supposed to work anyways, but too many use their position in religion as a way of generating a downline.

I’m not at all claiming that Jordan isn’t involved in an MLM. I’m just saying he wouldn’t be very successful trying to recruit from his dad’s church.

I looked over his website again. It mentions that the company was #1022 on the Inc 5000 for 2017. I knew that couldn’t be “The Shank Agency”. That’s too new to even register a blip on Inc’s radar. So, I looked it up. That’s Symmetry Financial Group. Which means he’s a sub-agency under them. I suppose it’s possible that he’s under them in the same way some of the recruiters on these forums are running their own FMO’s under larger IMO’s, who are in turn under much larger NMO’s. Or it’s totally possible he’s swallowed some MLM Koolaid. Is SFG multi-level?

 

[toolbelt]

I’m not at all claiming that Jordan isn’t involved in an MLM. I’m just saying he wouldn’t be very successful trying to recruit from his dad’s church.

I looked over his website again. It mentions that the company was #1022 on the Inc 5000 for 2017. I knew that couldn’t be “The Shank Agency”. That’s too new to even register a blip on Inc’s radar. So, I looked it up. That’s Symmetry Financial Group. Which means he’s a sub-agency under them. I suppose it’s possible that he’s under them in the same way some of the recruiters on these forums are running their own FMO’s under larger IMO’s, who are in turn under much larger NMO’s. Or it’s totally possible he’s swallowed some MLM Koolaid. Is SFG multi-level?

Seems like it might be a family affair?