Make Wellness Review: Legit or Scam?

Make Wellness made waves when it prelaunched back in August, leaving some key concerns in its wake, including:

Ambiguity about the launch timeline: When would the company officially launch?
Initial pyramid scheme signs: Was Make Wellness a pyramid scheme in its early stages?

Since the initial prelaunch, there have been significant changes:

The company dropped mandatory purchase requirements for affiliates.
It launched on a permanent domain, which is why we’re revisiting it for a detailed review.

The Company

Make Wellness does not provide a corporate address on its website, but its Terms of Service feature an arbitration clause indicating the company is likely based in Utah. The Utah address listed on its product packaging, however, appears to be a virtual office through Alliance Virtual Offices.

The company’s leadership includes co-founders:

Justin Prince: He was previously involved with Modere, a nutritional MLM company. Prince’s tenure with Modere ended in a series of lawsuits between him and the company, with a social media update from him suggesting a favorable outcome, although official updates from Modere are lacking.
Truman Hunt: Former CEO of Nu Skin, an MLM company with a controversial history, including fines for operating a pyramid scheme in China in 2014, and an SEC settlement for bribery allegations in 2016.
Robert Finigan: Former CMO of Modere.

Make Wellness’ Products

Make Wellness markets a range of dietary supplements that feature what they call “Proprietary Bioactive Precision Peptides.” According to the company, these peptides, which are naturally occurring, interact with the body’s chemistry to promote youthful regeneration and combat age-related decline.

The supplements are presented as being created through advanced processing technology that maintains the bioactivity and absorption of these peptides. The product lineup includes:

Calm: Contains Ashwagandha, Lemon Balm Extract, GABA, and L-Theanine to reduce stress and balance hormones. Retail price: $49.99.
Energized: Promotes sustained energy. Retail price: $79.99.
Fit: Aids in muscle recovery and supports healthy aging. Retail price: $119.99.
Focused: Enhances concentration and reduces mental fatigue. Retail price: $59.99.
Hydrated: Claims to be foundational for using other peptide products. Retail price: $49.99.
Lean: An appetite suppressant. Retail price: $89.99.

Compensation Plan

Make Wellness’ compensation plan offers commissions on retail sales and the purchases of affiliates within a recruitment chain. It operates on a unilevel structure, where affiliates earn based on the recruitment efforts of those they sponsor. There are also bonuses for affiliate ranks, with higher commissions tied to more sales and recruits.

The affiliate ranks are based on monthly Personal Volume (PV) generated through sales and recruitment, with a wide range of bonuses for achieving higher ranks. Some key features include:

Customer Sales Bonus: Pays a percentage based on the retail orders generated by affiliates’ recruits.
Circle Sales Bonus: Provides commissions based on total PV, with varying percentages based on the affiliate’s rank.
Affiliate Development Bonus: Paid on up to five generations of affiliates, with higher percentages for higher-ranked affiliates.

There are also Rank Achievement Bonuses that reward top-performing affiliates with substantial cash bonuses at various thresholds (e.g., $500 for 25K Leader, up to $100,000 for a 5M Legacy Maker). Here are full details:

Make Wellness Affiliate Ranks

There are fourteen affiliate ranks within Make Wellness’ compensation plan.

Along with their respective qualification criteria, they are as follows:

Affiliate – sign up as a Make Wellness affiliate and generate $1 to $499 monthly PV
Affiliate 1 – generate $500 to $999 in monthly PV
Affiliate 2 – generate $1000 to $1999 in monthly PV
Premier Affiliate – generate $2000 to $3999 in monthly PV
4K Premier – generate $4000 to $6999 in monthly PV
7K Premier – generate $7000 to $9999 in monthly PV
10K Premier – generate $10,000 to $11,999 in monthly PV
12K Premier – generate $12,000 to $14,999 in monthly PV
15K Premier – generate $15,000 to $19,999 in monthly PV
20K Premier – generate $20,000 to $24,999 in monthly PV
25K Premier – generate $25,000 to $29,999 in monthly PV
30K Premier – generate $30,000 to $34,999 in monthly PV
35K Premier – generate $35,000 to $39,999 in monthly PV
40K Premier – generate $40,000 or more in monthly PV

PV stands for “Personal Volume”. Make Wellness tracks PV as:

an affiliates own purchases;
purchases by their personally referred retail customers; and
purchases by their personally recruited affiliates

Customer Sales Bonus

The Customer Sales Bonus pays affiliates on retail customer sales made by affiliates they’ve recruited.

affiliates you recruit generate $0 to $1999 in monthly retail customer orders = 4% Customer Sales Bonus
affiliates you recruit generate $2000 to $3999 in monthly retail customer orders = 6% Customer Sales Bonus
affiliates you recruit generate $4000 to $9999 in monthly retail customer orders = 8% Customer Sales Bonus
affiliates you recruit generate $10,000 or more in monthly retail customer orders = 10% Customer Sales Bonus

Circle Sales Bonus

The Circle Sales Bonus is a percentage commission paid on PV each month:

qualify as an Affiliate and receive 10%
qualify as an Affiliate 1 and receive 12% (guaranteed min $80)
qualify as an Affiliate 2 and receive 14% (guaranteed min $140)
qualify as a Premier Affiliate and receive 20% (guaranteed min $500), plus $75 product credit
qualify as a 4K Premier and receive 22% (guaranteed min $880), plus $100 product credit
qualify as a 7K Premier and receive 24% (guaranteed min $1680), plus $125 product credit
qualify at a 10K Premier and receive 26% (guaranteed min $2600), plus $175 product credit
qualify as a 12K Premier and receive 28% (guaranteed min $3360), plus $200 product credit
qualify as a 15K Premier and receive 30% (guaranteed min $4500), plus $200 product credit
qualify as a 20K Premier and receive 32% (guaranteed min $6400), plus $200 product credit
qualify as a 25K Premier and receive 34% (guaranteed min $8500), plus $200 product credit
qualify as a 30K Premier and receive 36% (guaranteed min $10,800), plus $200 product credit
qualify as a 35K Premier and receive 38% (guaranteed min $13,300), plus $200 product credit
qualify as a 40K Premier and receive 40% (guaranteed min $16,000), plus $200 product credit

Affiliate Development Bonus

Premier Affiliate and higher ranked affiliates qualify for the Affiliate Development Bonus.

The Affiliate Development Bonus is a generational bonus tracked through a unilevel team.

A unilevel compensation structure places an affiliate at the top of a unilevel team, with every personally recruited affiliate placed directly under them (level 1):

If any level 1 affiliates recruit new affiliates, they are placed on level 2 of the original affiliate’s unilevel team.

If any level 2 affiliates recruit new affiliates, they are placed on level 3 and so on and so forth down a theoretical infinite number of levels.

Generations within each unilevel team leg are defined when a Premier Affiliate or higher ranked affiliate is found in the leg, after the first recruited affiliate in the leg (i.e. level 1 of that leg).

In other words, the first Premier Affiliate or higher recruited into a unilevel team leg by another affiliate in the leg (not you), caps off the first generation for that leg.

The second generation begins immediate after, and runs until another Premier Affiliate or higher ranked affiliate is found deeper in the leg.

Using this generational structure, Premier Affiliate and higher ranked affiliates are able to earn the Affiliate Development Bonus on up to five generations per unilevel team leg.

generate one Premier Affiliate or higher ranked unilevel team leg = 8% commission on one generation per leg
generate two Premier Affiliate or higher ranked unilevel team legs = 8% on the first generation and 6% on the second per leg
generate three Premier Affiliate or higher ranked unilevel team legs = 8% on the first generation, 6% on the second and 4% on the third per leg
generate four Premier Affiliate or higher ranked unilevel team legs = 8% on the first generation, 6% on the second, 4% on the third and 2% on the fourth
generate five Premier Affiliate or higher ranked unilevel team legs = 8% on the first generation, 6% on the second, 4% on the third, 2% on the fourth and 1% on the fifth

A “Premier Affiliate or higher ranked unilevel team leg” is a unilevel team leg with a Premier Affiliate or higher ranked affiliate anywhere in the leg.

Rank Achievement Bonus

The Rank Achievement Bonus is paid out to Premier Affiliate and higher ranked affiliates who qualify as per additional set rank criteria.

25K Leader – have four Premier Affiliate or higher in your downline, have two Premier Qualified Teams and generate $25,000 in downline sales volume = $500 bonus
50K Leader – have eight Premier Affiliates or higher in your downline, have three Premier Qualified Teams and generate $50,000 in downline sales volume = $1000 bonus
100K Visionary – have fifteen Premier Affiliates or higher in your downline, have four Premier Qualified Teams and generate $100,000 in downline sales volume = $1500 bonus
150K Visionary – have twenty-five Premier Affiliates or higher in your downline, have five Premier Qualified Teams and generate $150,000 in downline sales volume = $2500 bonus
200K Visionary – have forty Premier Affiliates or higher in your downline, maintain five Premier Qualified Teams and generate $200,000 in downline sales volume = $5000 bonus
300K Visionary – maintain forty Premier Affiliates or higher in your downline, maintain five Premier Qualified Teams and generate $300,000 in downline sales volume = $7500 bonus
400K Visionary – have fifty Premier Affiliates or higher in your downline, maintain five Premier Qualified Teams and generate $400,000 in downline sales volume = $10,000
500K Mentor – maintain fifty Premier Affiliates or higher in your downline and generate $500,000 in downline sales volume = $12,500 bonus
750K Mentor – maintain fifty Premier Affiliates or higher in your downline, maintain five Premier Qualified Teams and generate $750,000 in downline sales volume = $20,000 bonus
1M Impact Maker – maintain fifty Premier Affiliates or higher in your downline, maintain five Premier Qualified Teams and generate $1,000,000 in downline sales volume = 25,000 bonus
1.5M Impact Maker – have sixty Premier Affiliates or higher in your downline, have six Premier Qualified Teams and generate $1,500,000 in downline sales volume = $30,000 bonus
2M Impact Maker – maintain sixty Premier Affiliates or higher in your downline, maintain six Premier Qualified Teams and generate $2,000,000 in downline sales volume = $40,000 bonus
2.5M Impact Maker – maintain sixty Premier Affiliates or higher in your downline, maintain six Premier Qualified Teams and generate $2,500,000 in downline sales volume = $50,000 bonus
3M Impact Maker – have seventy Premier Affiliates or higher in your downline, have seven Premier Qualified Teams and generate $3,000,000 in downline sales volume = $60,000 bonus
3.5M Impact Maker – maintain seventy Premier Affiliates or higher in your downline, maintain seven Premier Qualified Teams and generate $70,000 in downline sales volume = $70,000 bonus
4M Legacy Maker – maintain seventy Premier Affiliates or higher in your downline, maintain seven Premier Qualified Teams and generate $4,000,000 in downline sales volume = $80,000 bonus
4.5M Legacy Maker – have eighty Premier Affiliates or higher in your downline, have eight Premier Qualified Teams and generate $4,500,000 in downline sales volume = $90,000 bonus
5M Legacy Maker – maintain eighty Premier Affiliates or higher in your downline, maintain eight Premier Qualified Teams and generate $5,000,000 in downline sales volume = $100,000 bonus

A “Premier Qualified Team” is a unilevel team leg that qualifies for the Affiliate Development Bonus.

Income Guarantees

Make Wellness guarantees income based on affiliate recruitment:

recruit three affiliates who qualify at Premier Affiliate or higher = $1500 a month guaranteed income
recruit four affiliates who qualify at Premier Affiliate or higher = $2000 a month guaranteed income
recruit five affiliates who qualify at Premier Affiliate or higher = $3000 a month guaranteed income

Note that as of November 2024, Make Wellness claims it will drop income guarantees at the end of March 2025.

Founders Bonus

The Founders Bonus is an additional bonus awarded to affiliates who qualify for the Rank Achievement Bonus (see “Rank Achievement Bonus” above).

qualify at 25K Leader and receive an additional $2000 over two months
qualify at 50K Leader and receive $2000 over two months
qualify at 100K Visionary and receive $5000 over two months
qualify at 150K Visionary and receive $10,000 over three months
qualify at 200K Visionary and receive $15,000 over three months
qualify at 300K Visionary and receive $20,000 over six months
qualify at 400K Visionary and receive $50,000 over six months

Note that the qualifying period for the Founders Bonus is the end of March 2026.

Criticism & Concerns

While Make Wellness has removed mandatory purchases from its compensation plan, making the business model appear more legitimate, several concerns remain:

Lack of Focus on Retail Sales: The compensation plan incentivizes recruitment over actual retail sales. The Circle Sales Bonus and other commissions are largely driven by affiliate purchases rather than genuine retail activity. This raises the risk of the company operating more like a pyramid scheme, especially if recruitment is prioritized over selling to actual customers.
Questionable Product Claims: The idea of “Proprietary Bioactive Precision Peptides” and AI-driven discovery of these peptides is intriguing, but without clear scientific backing or peer-reviewed research, these claims can appear speculative. Make Wellness promises much in terms of health benefits, but the lack of evidence leaves room for skepticism.
Overpriced Products: While the marketing behind the supplements may seem advanced, these products are relatively expensive compared to similar non-MLM supplements on the market.
Affiliate Recruitment Dominance: Affiliates can max out the compensation plan primarily through recruitment, with retail sales playing a secondary role. This raises concerns about the sustainability of the company, especially when the focus is on building an affiliate network rather than developing a strong customer base.

Retail Focus

It is important to ask any potential upline about their retail customer volume. If the majority of their qualifying volume comes from their personal purchases or those of their recruited affiliates, the business may not be sustainable in the long term. As a potential affiliate, you should ensure that a substantial part of your team’s volume comes from actual retail customers and not just autoship recruitment.

Conclusion

While Make Wellness has made strides in addressing earlier issues, such as removing mandatory purchase requirements, the company’s compensation structure still raises red flags. The lack of a clear focus on genuine retail sales, combined with unsubstantiated product claims and high prices, means potential affiliates should approach with caution.

The AI marketing angle and proprietary peptide claims are compelling, but without scientific validation, it’s hard to separate fact from fiction. Until Make Wellness provides more transparency regarding its product claims and addresses the pyramid-scheme-like structure of its compensation plan, we recommend taking a wait-and-see approach before committing to the opportunity.