I'm sure you've rolled your eyes a time or two at the girl posting about the product that changed her life. Or you've unfollowed that girl who is always talking about her network marketing company. You may even post your own hateful comment about how annoying it is or say it's a pyramid scheme. Yet, when you scroll through your newsfeed, you see it more and more. Side hustles area big deal right now, especially with Millennials who want a better quality of life. Many are choosing network marketing as their side hustle .

So why all the hype? Why is your news feed flooded with network marketing people raving about the products and business opportunity?

People are in dire need of change. They are slaving away at a nine-to-five job with no freedom. They don't have financial freedom or time freedom. Whether they are paying off expensive student loans, paying for child care, paying for expensive IVF therapy to have a baby, paying the medical costs of a sick family member or just trying to keep their head above water as they live paycheck-to-paycheck, they need another option. The stark reality is that very few will ever find true wealth through their traditional career or job. With network marketing, they are finding both financial and time freedom. They don't have to work their life away and hope to get a little travel when they are old and retired. They get to make the most out of life now.

Rebekah Smith Callaham was a mom and wife who wanted just a little extra. She wanted the freedom to just be able to go buy something extra. "I joined direct sales in September hoping to just add some extra income to pay for non-necessities- ya know shopping funds," said Callaham. She joined Nu Skin and luckily, for her as with many others, it has been so much more. "Not counting retail profits, my monthly commission check has been able to cover multiple bills including our mortgage. It has been a game changer in our life," she said. In addition to financial freedom, it has given her family more time freedom. "My husband works at the farm most weekends so this has given us more time to spend with each other and as a family on the weekends. My only wish is that I had started four and a half years ago when I was first contacted," she said.

Ashley Basquez was an Oklahoma teacher scraping by with a minuscule salary. She had decided to throw in the towel and spend thousands of dollars to go back to school and become a nurse. She realized her dream of being a teacher was too difficult scraping by with such a little salary. She was stuck in a rat race and desperate to find a way out. She was also going through a difficult life moment. She was watching her mom go through cancer treatment. Kendall Welden, a hair stylist, and network marketer, told Ashley she should get her mom on Monat , a botanically-based, anti-aging hair care line that grows hair back like nothing she's ever seen.

"If you had asked me a year ago if I would ever consider any type of MLM company, the answer would have been no without hesitation. I'm honestly not sure how or why I even decided to join Monat, other than it was all about God's timing and journey for me," said Ashley. She wanted something to help her mom's hair grow back and after hearing about Monat thought it could also help her earn a little extra income.

Ashely said, "Never in a million years would I expect it to turn out like it has for us. When anyone asks about how amazing Monat has been for me and my family, the answer is always the same- it is just absolutely crazy and a huge blessing." Monat has allowed Ashley and her husband to do fun things like travel and also get debt free and start down the path to building their dream home. "Before Monat, I was a struggling teacher living paycheck to paycheck, only surviving because of my husband's salary," she said. "Monat has allowed me to retire from my teaching career and in all honestly, it just feels good to go to the grocery store and not worry about what is in the account." Ashely has found great success within direct sales and is helping others do the same. "I love what I get to do now, it has become a huge passion for me, whether helping others succeed in the business or helping people struggling with their hair," she said.

Brittany and Austin Standage are a driven couple who have been working in network marketing for four and a half years with Herbalife.

Brittany was a teen mom and high school drop-out working part-time for her father. He fired her from her job and kicked her out of the house. She was pursuing the fitness industry trying to make a way in life. "I felt I had no direction and no future without a high school diploma and a college degree," she said. Her husband, Austin was a collegiate athlete that dropped out of college. During his college years, he was the life of the party scene. He went on to work as a personal trainer doing what he could to make ends meet. He was raised by a single mom with three siblings, and they were considered the lower class or in poverty. The jumped into network marketing because of the possibilities. "The idea of making extra income and possibly turning them into royalties sounded great to us! This was our chance to make a name for ourselves," he said.

They both agree that network marketing has changed their lives dramatically, not just financially, but mentally, spiritually, and relationally! "We have learned that this life wouldn’t be possible without Jesus Christ. He has given us the ability to make God honoring choices so he can bless our future. We were so lost when we found the business opportunity," they said. They like to say that they are living the “Standage dream!” Most Americans strive to go to school, get a degree, find a great job, possibly get married, and many women want to have kids and become a full-time mom. "We both get to be full-time present parents! We spend almost every single day together as a family," they said. They get to enjoy working together and raising their kids together every single day. They create their life on their terms. In addition to making a full-time income with Herbalife for the last 4 years, they have earned a free vacation every year for the last 4 years, they purchased their home and they get to travel now to speak and share their testimony to inspire others to take advantage of the opportunity.

"We share the opportunity because we know someone out there needs the extra income or to be healthy," Austin said. "We know there are parents or struggling teens that can benefit from earning an extra income part time around their schedule. We know a single mom is out there fighting to clothe her little boy or girl and is sacrificing her needs for her children. We will not stop until…," said Brittany.

There are network marketing products ranging from health drinks to skin care. There are hundreds of posts sharing before and after results. All of these people are talking about the change that is happening in their life. How is network marketing changing lives? Anyone can succeed and anyone can change their current situation. You see teachers, stay-at-home moms, retail workers and more becoming successful network marketers with no previous training, no education and no other opportunity for success. It takes a traditional sales job or a retail job and flips it on its head. Network marketing cuts out the middle-man, provides crazy incentives and so much more.

In addition to financial and time freedom, they are experiencing self-development like never before. They are educating themselves through podcasts, seminars, books, audiobooks and various training. They are becoming public speakers. They are learning how to cultivate and enhance relationships. And ultimately they are amassing an assortment of new skills they may have never amassed otherwise. Teachers and bankers are learning how to be marketers. Hairstylists are learning how to be leaders, coaches and team builders. Stay-at-home moms are learning how to run successful businesses. These teams are built and sharing new self-development ideas or ways of thinking with each other. This hunger for knowledge and improvement is contagious and it is paying off in each and every one of their lives.

One of the biggest things happening in network marketing is leadership. Regardless of background, once they join network marketing, they are becoming leaders. Leadership skills are taught and incentivized. These individuals are building teams and leading teams of all sizes. Each person is helping their team reach success and in turn become leaders themselves. They are empowering their teams with the confidence, knowledge and tools to be successful not only in network marketing but in life. They are watching lives change right before their eyes.

The other thing you see in network marketing is empowerment and friendship. They are giving people an opportunity to feel empowered and confident. Depending on the products, they are helping people find confidence through better hair, better skin or a better physique.

Jordan Plummer, an accomplished hairstylist joined the network marketing industry, particularly Monat, after months of skepticism. "Coming from someone who had their nose pointed as high as it goes toward the MLM industry- I had a tough pill to swallow after personally seeing the results from the company's products I chose to join; not only on myself but my clients as well. I went from being a nay sayer to a firm believer," she said. Her own clients came to her asking about the products. She told her clients she was not in support of the products. A few of her clients started using the products anyway and she was kicking herself when she saw the outcome. Her clients were seeing results she had never been able to accomplish with any other product line.

"I'm not ashamed to admit that because my original skepticism only makes my new found optimism toward this industry and the incredible products it's offering that much more real," said Jordan. In addition to her clients results and her own results from using the products, she has experienced a phenomenal life change through the business opportunity. "The opportunity these company's offer, backed by products that do what they say they're going to do, are changing lives and giving people the ability to experience financial freedom. I'm just blessed I opened my eyes," she said.

One of the best outcomes of joining a network marketing company is that these people are finding a tribe. Whether they join with their best friends, rekindle old friendships or make new friendships, they are surrounding themselves with goal-focused, driven, empowering, encouraging and motivated people. Across the board, you see people cheering you on and clapping for you along the way. When you come from a less than ideal background and you have no one around you who is teaching you how to be successful or think like someone that is successful, it is life-changing.

Moral of the story, people are posting on social media about their network marketing business because it is changing their lives. Whether through the products or the business opportunity, it is empowering them in ways they've never experienced before. Before you knock someone's goals or business ventures, ask them about their why. Understand what the business is doing for them. Find out how it has changed their lives and why they are passionate. At the very least, encourage them. We should be appluading all strides of growth in each other's lives rather than tearing each other down.

***Income depicted is unique to individuals and is not typical. Achievements require skill and consistent work. For typical earning, see the statements of average gross compensation at Herbalife.com, Monatglobal.com, Nuskin.com.