Five companies. Sixteen years. Countless lessons. Here’s why my network marketing journey failed five times — and how AI finally opened a new door.

This article shares Ed Drost’s personal journey of failing at network marketing five times before age 65 and the lessons each attempt taught him. From iZigg to HempWorx, he reveals the five hidden reasons 97% of distributors fail, and why artificial intelligence is the long-awaited solution for professionals over 45 who want to build businesses with authenticity, wellness, and legacy.

✨ Introduction: Failure Wasn’t the End

If you’ve ever failed at network marketing, you’re not alone. I know that because I’ve failed — not once, not twice, but five different times before I turned 65.

Every time I joined a new company, I walked in with excitement, hope, and the belief that this would be the one that finally worked. And every time, I walked away frustrated, drained, and embarrassed, wondering if I was just chasing a dream that wasn’t meant for me.

Over the years, I joined iZigg, because I thought mobile marketing was going to be revolutionary. I jumped into ViSalus, swept up in the hype of the Body by Vi 90-Day Challenge. I tried Organo Gold, convinced that selling coffee would be the easiest business in the world. I signed on with Isagenix, hoping solid products would finally equal success. And most recently, I gave HempWorx a shot, thinking the CBD boom would be the breakthrough I had been waiting for.

And if I’m being completely honest, there were probably several other “business opportunities” I dabbled in between 2007 and 2023 that I can barely even remember now. That’s how determined — or maybe desperate — I was to make it work.

At the same time, life was asking even more of me. Between 2003 and 2013, I was a full-time caregiver for my wife, Karen, after her Alzheimer’s diagnosis at just 50 years old. Looking back, I can admit something I couldn’t see then: I didn’t have the mental or emotional energy to take care of my wife and start a business at the same time. But I thought I could. And in trying, I carried guilt, exhaustion, and constant self-doubt.

By 2023, I had cycled through five companies, a handful of side ventures, and more disappointment than I care to count. But here’s the important part of this story: those failures weren’t wasted. They taught me lessons that would eventually prepare me for the next chapter.

Because the truth is, I wasn’t the problem. The system was.

And in late 2023, I discovered something that changed everything — a way forward that finally made sense after years of false starts. For the past 18 months, I’ve been learning how to use artificial intelligence (AI) to solve the very problems that caused me to fail before. And now, I want to share what I’ve learned, not as someone who’s “made it,” but as someone who’s building it right alongside you.

This is the story of why I failed five times before 65, what those failures taught me, and why I believe that — with AI and a renewed focus on wellness — the next chapter will be different.

1.1 📱 iZigg (2007) – When “The Next Big Thing” Wasn’t Big Enough

My first serious attempt at network marketing came in 2007 with a company called iZigg. At the time, mobile text messaging was exploding, and everyone was saying, “This is the future of marketing.” iZigg promised to ride that wave — offering businesses the chance to reach their customers through SMS campaigns, and for people like me, the chance to profit by building a team of distributors around this “game-changing” technology.

On paper, it sounded brilliant. Who wouldn’t want to be part of the mobile marketing revolution? It felt like I had finally found the cutting-edge opportunity that would put me ahead of the curve.

But here’s what actually happened: it never clicked.

The problem was that iZigg wasn’t really a product that people were emotionally connected to. It wasn’t nutrition, or wellness, or even coffee — it was software for businesses to send text blasts. Try duplicating that in living rooms and coffee shops with your warm market. Imagine telling your aunt, your neighbor, or your co-worker that they should join you in a venture where the “big sell” was automated SMS campaigns. It was confusing to explain, hard to demonstrate, and almost impossible to get people excited about.

I quickly discovered that while the idea of mobile marketing was ahead of its time, the opportunity itself wasn’t duplicatable. People didn’t feel passion for the product, which meant the business stalled out almost immediately.

Looking back, I can see the lesson clearly:

👉 Being early on a trend isn’t enough if the product doesn’t inspire belief or excitement. You can’t duplicate “cool technology” in a living room the same way you can a shake, a supplement, or a cup of coffee.

iZigg was my first taste of network marketing — and my first reminder that hype about “the next big thing” doesn’t mean much if the business model doesn’t actually work for ordinary people.

1.2 🥤 ViSalus (2009–2011) – The Hype That Fizzled Out

A couple of years after iZigg, I found myself drawn into ViSalus. This was the era of the “Body by Vi 90-Day Challenge,” and it was everywhere. Social media was still fairly new, and people were posting before-and-after photos, weight-loss transformations, and success stories that made you believe this was the golden ticket.

The pitch was simple and powerful: replace two meals a day with a Vi-Shape shake, lose weight, feel amazing, and inspire others to join you in the challenge. At the time, I personally wanted to lose a few pounds myself, so it felt like a win-win — get healthier while building a business around helping others do the same.

And in the beginning, I did get caught up in the excitement. People were enthusiastic, energy was high, and the idea of building a business around health transformations sounded meaningful. Unlike iZigg’s confusing SMS platform, this was a product people could taste, touch, and actually feel results from. For a while, it felt like maybe I had finally landed in the right place.

But the cracks started showing fast.

Behind the glossy marketing and success stories, there was a treadmill of hype that never slowed down. To keep people engaged, you had to constantly push the challenge, constantly hype the next round, constantly keep the buzz alive. And the truth was, most people didn’t stick with the products long-term. They tried the shakes for a month or two, dropped a few pounds, and then moved on.

Without consistent product loyalty, duplication fell apart. Recruits churned out as fast as they came in. It felt like trying to build a house on quicksand. And while the leaders at the top flaunted cars and bonuses, most of us at the bottom were left with garage shelves full of powder and the sinking feeling that we’d been sold another dream.

Looking back, I realize the lesson was this:

👉 Hype is fast food — it gives you a quick hit of excitement, but it can’t sustain you. You can’t build a long-term business on temporary buzz.

ViSalus showed me that products tied to “challenges” or viral moments can look exciting in the short term, but if people don’t build a real habit or believe deeply in the value, the business eventually collapses.

It was my second attempt, my second failure, and another reminder that what shines brightest isn’t always what lasts.

1.3 ☕ Organo Gold (2012–2014) – When “Everyone Drinks Coffee” Wasn’t Enough

After ViSalus fizzled out, I told myself the next opportunity had to be simpler. No confusing tech. No temporary “challenge” hype. I needed a product people already used every single day — something that would sell itself. That’s when Organo Gold came along.

And honestly? It looked perfect. Coffee. Who doesn’t drink coffee? In fact, coffee is the second most traded commodity in the world after oil. The pitch was irresistible: “People already buy it, they’ll just buy it from you instead.”

I was sold.

But reality hit hard.

Yes, everyone drinks coffee — but not everyone is willing to pay five times the price for it, especially when the only unique selling point was that it was infused with Ganoderma (a type of mushroom supposedly linked to health benefits). When I shared it with friends and family, most shrugged and said: “Why would I buy this when I can get my regular coffee cheaper at the store?”

On top of that, the company itself had controversy swirling around it. Online reviews and watchdog groups questioned whether the opportunity was sustainable, or whether it was just another version of a pyramid-style pitch dressed up as a coffee company. That didn’t make the sales conversations any easier. In fact, the skepticism made me doubt myself even more.

The dream of coffee being “the easiest business in the world” quickly crumbled into reality: shelves of overpriced coffee I couldn’t move, and a business that felt more like pushing rocks uphill than enjoying a warm cup of joe.

Looking back, here’s what I learned:

👉 Even the most universal product in the world can fail if trust isn’t there. People will pay more for quality, but only if they believe in the product and the company behind it. Without trust, even coffee becomes a hard sell.

Organo Gold taught me that familiarity alone doesn’t make a product duplicatable. You need more than “everyone drinks it” — you need loyalty, belief, and transparency. And at that point in my journey, I didn’t have any of those.

It was my third strike, and another lesson that what looks easy on the surface can be incredibly difficult once you’re in the trenches.

1.4 🥗 Isagenix (2015–2018) – When Good Products Still Aren’t Enough

After Organo Gold, I was tired of hype and tired of products that didn’t feel credible. I told myself: “This time, I need a company with a solid reputation and products people actually respect.” That’s what drew me to Isagenix.

Isagenix had been around since 2002. It had a wide range of nutritional systems, shakes, supplements, and personal wellness products. The pitch was straightforward: better nutrition, better energy, better health. Unlike some of my earlier attempts, this felt legitimate. I even used some of the products myself and liked them.

And honestly? For the first time, I felt like I could be proud of what I was representing. It wasn’t gimmicky. It wasn’t smoke and mirrors. It was health and wellness — something people truly needed.

But once again, reality taught me a different lesson.

The biggest challenge with Isagenix wasn’t the products — it was the marketplace itself. By the time I joined in 2015, the health and supplement space was overcrowded. Dozens of MLMs and direct-to-consumer brands were flooding the market with shakes, powders, and detox systems. Convincing people why they should choose my version over the others became an uphill battle.

And then there was duplication — or the lack of it. I thought, “If I can get a few people excited about these products, they’ll naturally share with others.” But it rarely worked that way. Some people liked the products but didn’t want to sell. Others bought once and never reordered. Without duplication, momentum fizzled.

On top of that, Isagenix itself was starting to show cracks. By 2023, the company had gone through major financial restructuring and cut hundreds of millions in debt — proof that even big, established companies face struggles that trickle down to everyday distributors.

For me personally, it was frustrating. I finally had products I could stand behind — but it still didn’t translate into real results.

The lesson?

👉 Good products don’t automatically equal a good business. If the system is outdated and duplication doesn’t work, even the best products can leave you stuck.

Isagenix was supposed to be the opportunity where things finally clicked. Instead, it became another reminder that without modern tools and systems, passion and hard work aren’t enough.

By the end of 2018, I was back where I started — shelves with products, a handful of loyal customers, but no business I could truly sustain. Strike four.

1.5 🌿 HempWorx (2019–2023) – The CBD Gold Rush That Went Bust

By 2019, I had already learned some hard lessons from iZigg, ViSalus, Organo Gold, and Isagenix. But like so many entrepreneurs, I still believed the next opportunity could be the one. That’s when HempWorx showed up on my radar.

The pitch was almost irresistible: CBD was booming. Health and wellness were trending. People were curious about natural solutions, and HempWorx — under its parent company, MyDailyChoice — promised high commissions and a ground-floor opportunity in a market projected to be worth billions.

And I’ll admit it — I got swept up in the gold rush.

This time, it felt different. CBD wasn’t just a fad like a 90-day challenge, and it wasn’t a niche product like mushroom coffee. It was everywhere: gas stations, pharmacies, health stores. People were already talking about it, which made me think the timing was perfect.

But I quickly ran into familiar problems.

The first was compliance. The CBD industry was (and still is) a legal gray area, with constantly shifting regulations. Every time I felt like I was gaining momentum, I’d hear about new restrictions, marketing rules, or labeling requirements. It made building a stable business feel like walking through quicksand.

The second was saturation. Because CBD was exploding, everyone and their cousin was selling it — from major brands in big-box stores to independent startups. Trying to convince someone to join my CBD business felt like shouting into a hurricane.

And then there was the biggest problem of all: duplication. Just like with Isagenix, some people liked the products but didn’t want to build a business. Others signed up, ordered once, and disappeared. The excitement of “ground floor” opportunity didn’t translate into long-term growth.

By 2023, I realized HempWorx had been my fifth strike. Another attempt. Another disappointment. Another reminder that the problems weren’t about me — they were about the model.

The lesson?

👉 Trends fade, but systems endure. Chasing the “next big thing” doesn’t build stability. Without a system that works consistently, even a billion-dollar market can leave you empty-handed.

HempWorx was my last attempt before I finally hit the wall and said: “Enough. The system is broken, and I can’t keep running this same race.”

🔑 The Turning Point: Becoming the Leader and Finding the Door to AI

What I didn’t realize at the time was that my HempWorx experience would become the turning point. Because just as that door was closing in late 2023, another one was opening — one that finally offered real solutions to every problem I had faced before.

For nearly two decades, I kept running into closed doors — companies that promised freedom but left me with frustration, products that sparked excitement but never built lasting stability, systems that looked good on the surface but collapsed under pressure. And to be fair, I want to acknowledge something important: each of those companies had many successful distributors. The issue wasn’t that success was impossible — it was that I wasn’t yet the person who could create it. Somewhere along the way, I started taking inventory of myself and asking a hard but honest question: “What kind of person do I need to become to actually grow a business and build a team of leaders?” The answer was clear. I needed to grow spiritually. I needed to grow mentally. I needed to grow personally.

By the time I reached my fifth failure, I realized the journey wasn’t just about finding the right company — it was about becoming the right leader. And then, in late 2023, a new door opened that aligned perfectly with the kind of growth I had been searching for. That door was AI. Unlike the hype-driven opportunities of the past, AI wasn’t another trend or “shiny object.” It was a true solution, a set of tools designed to fix the very cracks in the system that had caused me (and 97% of others) to fail. For the first time, I saw a path forward that wasn’t about working harder, chasing louder, or sacrificing more. It was about building smarter, with technology that could finally make the promise of freedom possible.

🧩 Section 2: The Hidden Reasons 97% of MLM Attempts Fail

When I stepped back and looked at my journey, I saw a clear pattern. It wasn’t just me failing. It was nearly everyone around me. That’s when I discovered the sobering truth: about 97% of people fail in network marketing.

Not because they’re lazy. Not because they don’t dream big enough. But because the system itself is broken.

Here are the five hidden reasons why so many people struggle — and how each showed up in my own story:

1. 💔 The “Warm Market” Myth

Every company tells you the same thing: “Start with your friends and family.”

• In Organo Gold, I thought coffee would be the easiest product in the world to share. But when I asked family or neighbors to buy premium-priced coffee, they shrugged it off. Some were polite, others were blunt, but most weren’t interested.

• The truth is, your warm market runs dry fast — and often leaves behind strained relationships.

👉 Lesson: Success can’t come from bugging the people closest to you.

2. 📞 Outdated Methods That Don’t Work Anymore

Scripts, cold calls, hotel meetings, and party plans — these were the methods I was handed over and over again.

• With ViSalus, I was told to invite people to challenge parties, hype up the 90-Day Challenge, and keep the buzz alive. But it felt outdated and exhausting.

• With Isagenix, even though the products were great, the duplication plan was straight out of the 1980s. Home parties, brochures, and three-way calls just don’t cut it in today’s world.

👉 Lesson: The methods haven’t evolved, but the marketplace has.

3. ⏳ The Time-for-Money Trap

One of the biggest promises of MLM is freedom. But too often, it becomes another full-time job.

• With HempWorx, I spent hours chasing leads, trying to explain CBD, managing compliance concerns, and handling constant follow-ups. Instead of gaining time freedom, I was losing it.

• I thought I was building a business, but I was really just adding another heavy workload on top of my life.

👉 Lesson: If the system requires 60 hours a week of grind, it isn’t freedom — it’s bondage.

4. 🪣 The Duplication Illusion

“Just find three who find three.” Sounds simple. But reality says otherwise.

• In Isagenix, I believed if I could just get a handful of people excited, they’d naturally share it with others. But most of them either enjoyed the products quietly, or they disappeared after a month.

• In HempWorx, some joined for the CBD, but very few wanted to recruit or build. Without duplication, your team feels like a bucket full of holes — no matter how much you pour in, it leaks out faster.

👉 Lesson: Without real systems, duplication is just a dream.

5. 🎭 Hype Over Reality

Flashy launches, income claims, luxury cars — hype is baked into MLM culture. And for a while, it works. Until it doesn’t.

• In ViSalus, the hype of the 90-Day Challenge drove incredible excitement, but most people didn’t stick with the shakes long enough to see real results.

• In Organo Gold, leaders flashed luxury lifestyles, but everyday distributors were left with shelves of coffee they couldn’t sell.

👉 Lesson: Hype may attract in the short-term, but it always leaves people burned in the long-term.

The Common Thread

In every company I joined — from iZigg’s confusing SMS software to HempWorx’s CBD boom — I ran into the same walls. Outdated methods. Unsustainable hype. Lack of duplication. Exhaustion. And the same crushing statistic: 97% failure.

And the hard truth I finally faced was this:

👉 I wasn’t broken. The system was.

💡 Section 3: What I Finally Learned From Failing 5 Times

When you fail once, it stings. When you fail five times across 16 years, it can feel like the universe is trying to tell you something. For years, I thought those failures meant I wasn’t cut out for network marketing. But looking back now, I realize each attempt was a teacher.

Here are the lessons I took away from failing five times before age 65:

1. 📊 Failure Is Feedback, Not Final

Each company gave me valuable data:

• iZigg taught me that being “too early” on a trend is just as dangerous as being too late.

• ViSalus showed me that hype can create momentum, but it can’t sustain it.

• Organo Gold reminded me that even universal products need trust and belief to succeed.

• Isagenix proved that good products don’t fix broken systems.

• HempWorx taught me that chasing the gold rush only leads to burnout if duplication doesn’t work.

The old me thought failure was proof I wasn’t enough. The new me knows: every failure was feedback pointing to what didn’t work so I could eventually discover what does.

2. 🕰 Timing and Energy Matter More Than Hustle

Between 2003 and 2013, I was a full-time caregiver for my wife Karen after her Alzheimer’s diagnosis. At the time, I thought I could push through — build a business while caring for her. But looking back, I realize I didn’t have the mental or emotional energy to carry both burdens.

No amount of “just hustle harder” can replace the emotional toll of caregiving. Some of my failures weren’t because I lacked commitment — but because my commitment was already spoken for. Karen needed me more than any business did. And I’d make the same choice again.

3. 👴 Experience Is an Asset, Not a Liability

For years, I thought being in my 40s, 50s, and now 60s put me at a disadvantage. I saw younger people who were more tech-savvy, more comfortable on social media, more energetic. But now I see the truth: age is an advantage.

Veterans like us bring patience, discernment, resilience, and life experience — qualities that younger recruits often don’t have yet. The problem wasn’t my age. It was that the tools I was using didn’t allow me to leverage my strengths.

4. 🪞 The System Was Broken — Not Me

This was the hardest lesson to learn. For years, I carried shame. I thought maybe I wasn’t persuasive enough, maybe I didn’t have the “recruiter personality,” maybe I just wasn’t cut out for it.

But when 97% of people are failing, the problem isn’t the people — it’s the system. Scripts, cold calls, home parties, and endless hype were relics of another time. I wasn’t broken. The model was.

And once I understood that, the guilt started to lift.

5. 🚀 There Had to Be a Better Way

Even after my fifth failure, I couldn’t shake the belief that entrepreneurship was possible. I just needed a system that worked in today’s world.

By late 2023, I found it. That was when AI entered the picture. At first, I was cautious — after all, I’d chased “the next big thing” before. But the more I explored, the more I realized AI wasn’t another gimmick. It was a true solution to the very problems that had crushed me for years.

For the past 18 months, I’ve been learning how AI can attract the right prospects, handle the follow-up, support duplication, and give me back the time freedom I never found in traditional MLM.

For the first time, I can see a path where ordinary people — especially those of us over 45 — can actually build a business with dignity, authenticity, and freedom.

🌟 The Big Realization

My failures weren’t wasted. They prepared me. They gave me perspective. They taught me resilience. And they positioned me perfectly for this new chapter — a chapter where AI finally fixes what MLM broke.

For the first time in 20 years, I don’t feel like I’m chasing hype. I feel like I’m standing on solid ground.

🤖 Section 4: Why AI Changes the Game for Veterans Like Us

When I finally admitted that the traditional MLM system was broken, I had two choices: walk away for good, or look for a better way. That’s when I discovered AI — and everything shifted.

Unlike the hype-driven “next big thing” opportunities I’d chased before, AI wasn’t another product, fad, or company. It was a set of tools that addressed the exact problems that caused me (and 97% of others) to fail. For the first time, I saw that the system itself could be rebuilt.

Here’s how AI fixes what broke me five times over:

1. 💔 The Warm Market Myth → 🔥 Warm Leads on Autopilot

Old Way: Bug family, chase friends, pressure neighbors.
AI Way: AI helps you attract people who are already searching for solutions like yours. Content created with AI — blogs, short videos, social posts — positions you as an authority and brings warm leads directly to you.
My Example: Instead of begging my relatives to try premium coffee like I did with Organo Gold, I can now publish an AI-assisted blog or video that reaches people already interested in wellness and AI-powered business.
👉 No more awkward conversations. No more burned bridges.

2. 📞 Outdated Methods → 🌐 Modern Content That Works 24/7

Old Way: Scripts, home parties, hotel meetings, and cold calls.
AI Way: One message can be multiplied by AI into dozens of content pieces across platforms — YouTube shorts, LinkedIn posts, email follow-ups, and blogs. Your voice gets amplified, and your message works even while you sleep.
My Example: In ViSalus, I had to constantly hype the 90-Day Challenge to keep momentum alive. With AI today, a single piece of content can keep generating interest for months without me repeating myself every night.
👉 The system now scales for me instead of draining me.

3. ⏳ The Time-for-Money Trap → ⏱ Automation That Gives Time Back

Old Way: Endless calls, follow-ups, and 60-hour weeks disguised as “freedom.”
AI Way: Automation handles the repetitive tasks — capturing leads, scheduling follow-ups, answering FAQs, even segmenting prospects. You focus on real conversations and leadership, not chasing.
My Example: With HempWorx, I spent hours each week managing compliance, handling objections, and babysitting my back office. Now, AI workflows manage most of that automatically.
👉 Instead of being chained to the grind, I finally get my time back.

4. 🪣 The Duplication Illusion → 📋 Plug-and-Play AI Systems

Old Way: “Just find three who find three.” But most people don’t have the time, skills, or confidence.
AI Way: Instead of teaching every new distributor to reinvent the wheel, you can give them a ready-made AI toolkit — content templates, automated email funnels, simple duplication systems. Technology carries the load so people don’t have to.
My Example: In Isagenix, I saw great products stall out because new recruits didn’t know how to share them. With AI today, I can hand someone a proven script, blog template, or follow-up sequence that works right away.
👉 Duplication finally becomes possible — not because people work harder, but because systems do.

5. 🎭 Hype Over Reality → 📊 Transparency and Trust

Old Way: Flashy launches, income claims, luxury cars. Short-term hype, long-term disappointment.
AI Way: AI brings honesty and data. Real results can be tracked, realistic timelines can be shared, and hype is replaced with transparency. Prospects see the truth and can make informed decisions.
My Example: In ViSalus, the hype of the 90-Day Challenge wore out quickly. Today, I can show realistic 30-, 60-, and 90-day progress steps supported by AI tracking — no hype, just clarity.
👉 Trust replaces flash. And trust builds teams that last.

🌟 Why This Matters for Veterans Over 45

For years, many of us over 45 have been told we’re “too old” for tech, too slow for the hustle, or not cut out for social media. But here’s the truth: AI flips that script completely.

• Younger people may know Instagram filters, but veterans know how to build trust.

• AI handles the tech, so we can focus on people.

• Our experience + AI’s efficiency = an unbeatable combination.

For the first time, I don’t feel like I’m chasing the game. I feel like I’m ahead of it.

🚪 The Door Is Open

AI doesn’t just make network marketing easier. It fixes the cracks in the foundation that made so many of us fail.

No more warm market pressure.
No more outdated methods.
No more 60-hour “freedom” weeks.
No more duplication nightmare.
No more hype without substance.

This is why, after failing five times between 2007 and 2023, I’m still here. Because AI has opened a new door — one that finally makes the promise of freedom worth believing in again.

🚀 Section 5: My New Mission Moving Forward

By 2023, I had cycled through five network marketing companies, invested countless hours, and carried the weight of disappointment more times than I could count. I was ready to quit. But in late 2023, something new entered my world — AI — and it changed the way I saw everything.

For the past 18 months, I’ve been learning, experimenting, and building with AI. And here’s what I’ve discovered: it doesn’t just make network marketing easier. It solves the very problems that caused me to fail five times before. AI isn’t a gimmick or another “ground-floor” fad. It’s a genuine system shift — a way to finally build smarter, not harder.

But there’s another part of my mission that matters just as much: wellness. After years as a caregiver, and now as someone in my late 60s, I know firsthand that wealth without health is meaningless. That’s why my new focus is bigger than just business. It’s about creating an AI-powered lifestyle business rooted in three pillars:

• AI → Smarter systems that scale.

• Wellness → Energy, health, and vitality to enjoy the life you build.

• Legacy → Leaving behind something meaningful, not just money.

I’m not standing here as someone who’s “arrived.” I don’t have a huge team yet, and I’m not flashing income claims. What I do have is clarity, conviction, and the right tools at the right time.

And that brings me to my mission moving forward:

👉 To help professionals over 45 — people who’ve lived, failed, learned, and grown — build AI-powered lifestyle businesses that create freedom, wellness, and legacy.

I don’t want to do this for you. I want to do this with you. As partners. As peers. As veterans who know that success built on hype doesn’t last — but success built on wisdom, authenticity, and the right systems can change everything.

🌱 Conclusion: Wellness Is the New Wealth

When I look back on my journey — five failed attempts at network marketing, years of caregiving, and endless searching for the “right” system — I can see now that none of it was wasted. Every closed door was teaching me something. Every failure was preparing me for the moment when the tools finally caught up to the dream.

That moment came in late 2023, when I discovered AI. For the past 18 months, I’ve been learning how to use it to fix the very problems that crushed me before: cold markets, outdated methods, duplication struggles, and hype without substance. For the first time, I see a path that’s not about grinding harder, but about building smarter.

But here’s the truth: business without wellness is empty. What good is freedom if you don’t have the energy or health to enjoy it? That’s why my new mission is about more than just money. It’s about integrating AI, wellness, and legacy into one vision — a business that works for your life, not the other way around.

Because in this new chapter, I believe with all my heart that Wellness is the New Wealth.

So here’s my invitation:

📌 Download the AI-Powered Lifestyle Business Blueprint at EdDrost.com — the guide I wish I had years ago. Inside, you’ll discover how to leverage AI to attract prospects, automate follow-up, and finally build authority without the burnout.

📌 And if wellness is as important to you as it is to me, visit EmpoweringThree.com — where I’m building a community of like-minded professionals who believe in creating freedom through health, authenticity, and legacy.

If you’ve ever failed before, let me leave you with this: you are not the problem. The system was. Now, with AI and wellness, we finally have a chance to build a business — and a life — worth living.

Let’s walk this journey together.

—
Ed Drost
Baltimore’s Trusted Appraiser turned AI-Powered Lifestyle Entrepreneur
AI + Wellness + Legacy