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Run the 8 checks first
Before you join any company, inspect the same eight things I inspect.
Show Me the 8 ChecksI am not going to give you the details of what happened. Not because I am embarrassed by them, but because the lesson matters more than the story. And the lesson is this: who owns the company you build with is the single most important variable in whether your work will survive.
In October 2019, everything I had built was taken out from under me and my family. Years of work. Relationships I had invested in. A team I cared about. Gone. Not because I did anything wrong. Not because the product failed. Because of ownership I could not trust.
What the Loss Felt Like
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People talk about losing a business like it is a financial event. It is not. It is personal. It goes after your identity, your confidence, your sense of whether you are actually good at this or whether you just got lucky.
I questioned everything. Whether I had wasted the best years I could have been doing something else. Whether the people I had led were worse off for following me. Whether I had earned what I earned or just been in the right place at the right time.
Those questions are hard. And they do not go away quickly. I had to sit with them and be honest about the answers.
What Changed
The loss changed my standards permanently. Not slightly. Permanently.
Before 2019, I evaluated companies mostly on product and comp and momentum. After 2019, I evaluate them on ownership first. Everything else second.
The questions I ask now: Who owns this? What have they built before? What do they do when things get hard? Have they ever put their own comfort above the field? What is their relationship with money and what is their relationship with mission?
“You cannot build a lasting business on top of ownership you cannot trust. Everything you create belongs to them, not you.”
What I Would Do Differently
I would have asked harder questions earlier. I would have looked past the numbers and the stage presence and the exciting story and gone looking for the foundation underneath.
I would have invested less in the relationship with the company and more in the relationship with my own standards. Because your standards are the only thing that travels with you when everything else goes away.
Why I Share This
I share it because most people in this industry have either been burned or are about to be. The cycle of hot companies launching, building fast, and then failing the field is as old as the industry itself.
If this story saves even one builder from making a premature commitment to the wrong company, it was worth telling. Ask the hard questions. Look the owners in the eye. Make them earn your trust before you give them your reputation.
Your reputation is the only thing in this business that is truly yours. Protect it like it cost you everything. Because eventually, you will find out that it does.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened to Michael Beal in 2019?
In October 2019, everything Michael had built in direct sales was taken away due to bad ownership decisions by the company he built with. Years of work, team relationships, and income were lost — not because of his performance, but because of ownership he could not control.
What does ownership mean in the context of direct sales?
In direct sales, ownership refers to who controls the company you build with. Their decisions determine whether the comp plan changes, whether the products stay available, and whether the field is protected when things go wrong. Choosing the wrong ownership is the most expensive mistake a builder can make.
How did losing everything change how Michael evaluates companies?
It permanently changed his evaluation criteria. He now evaluates ownership structure first — before product, comp, or momentum. He asks hard questions about founders, their financial track record, their mission, and whether they have protected the field in hard times.
Free Checklist
Run the 8 checks first
Before you join any company, inspect the same eight things I inspect.
Show Me the 8 ChecksEarnings Disclaimer: Results in direct sales vary based on individual effort, skill, consistency, and other factors. No income or earnings guarantees are made or implied. See the official Vital Health compensation plan for full details.
FDA Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Products mentioned are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Individual results will vary. Consult your healthcare provider before beginning any supplement regimen.
