Complaint Review: Elite Business Concepts - Mark Dohnal - Wauwatosa Wisconsin

All: I have read through all the comments listed on this site, and i have a few of my own. When i took employment with Mark and Jason i was thrilled about the opportunity to make money and travel, I did more of the latter than the money (made a few bucks, but not enough). My first day i saw 10 or so grown young adults singing, hollering, and banging on all kinds of drums, and stuff (like a hitler youth rally). I didnt think too much of it, passed it off as just weird. However, I first started thinking something fishy was going on when they wouldnt let you walk around without an escort if you were new, It was like they were hiding something. Eventually as i got promoted i started being able to have more feedoms, and perks. The straw that broke the camels back was when i would come back to the office after rolling the donut and getting told to go back out and sell something before you can go home.I quit after 4 months of "sticking it out" after i found a more stable job. This is not the opportunity that i thought it was, just beware, its legal, but misleading.

I just want to say thank you to all of you. I almost took a position after the infamous 3rd interview which no one ever makes it to. Mark seems like a nice guy and he is just doing what he has to to make a good living, but these pyramid schemes are not for me, even if it is legal. I am in a job transition, and it would have been really bad for me if I had taken the job and gave up my sevrence and unemployment status.

I just want to say thank you to all of you. I almost took a position after the infamous 3rd interview which no one ever makes it to. Mark seems like a nice guy and he is just doing what he has to to make a good living, but these pyramid schemes are not for me, even if it is legal. I am in a job transition, and it would have been really bad for me if I had taken the job and gave up my sevrence and unemployment status.

I just want to say thank you to all of you. I almost took a position after the infamous 3rd interview which no one ever makes it to. Mark seems like a nice guy and he is just doing what he has to to make a good living, but these pyramid schemes are not for me, even if it is legal. I am in a job transition, and it would have been really bad for me if I had taken the job and gave up my sevrence and unemployment status.

I just want to say thank you to all of you. I almost took a position after the infamous 3rd interview which no one ever makes it to. Mark seems like a nice guy and he is just doing what he has to to make a good living, but these pyramid schemes are not for me, even if it is legal. I am in a job transition, and it would have been really bad for me if I had taken the job and gave up my sevrence and unemployment status.

Degree or no degree, you sound like a crackhead. Or one of those guys who sells electronics out of his trunk. Glad to know you learned sooo much during your days of cold-calling. With everything in life, BUYER BEWARE. Anyone looking for a job who walks into an interview without previously researching said company is a moron. Furthermore, anyone who is proud of the time they spent in a "multi-level marketing" company should seriously consider PC Productivity or some other way to find a high-paying IT computer job.

Angela, I know you are probably just upset over the student loans you'll be paying back till you're 90, but we got a bit off track there. I am simply trying to say that I, personally had a great experience at EBC working for Mark Dohnal. I learned more in those 6 months about people, sales, training, work ethic, and most imortantly, myself than I probably even realize (and I'M NOT the only one!!!). These are traits and skills that I now have, and noone can take it away or discount it...not even an obviously very cool and successful college graduate...

So, Nick, you use pretty big words for a non-educated person. A little bitter that you weren't able to finish that degree? Anyone that thinks that getting a college degree means an automatic raise in pay is a FOOL. Obtaining a college degree is much more about opportunity- opportunity to do something more enjoyable, opportunity to work for a RESPECTABLE company, opportunity to not feel like we have to justify our intelligence to strangers on the internet because WE are able to reach our goals. Less than 25% of persons age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree in the United States. I can imagine the statistics for Arkdale, WI are even lower, as they usually are in rural hick areas. But for some reason, those little uneducated hicks usually have so much to say. Do me a favor, the next time you feel the need to justify your intelligence as a college dropout, keep it in your little hick bars where people may actually respect you for- everybody clap- finishing two years of college!!! And by the way, "selling for" Mark Dohnal is completely different than "selling yourself" to him- but then again, without a degree, you don't have many options!!

Yes, it may very well be true that Cydcor, EBC, and all other ICL's have a very pyramid-esque business model, but why hasn't the federal gov't done anything about it? Cydcor is the world's largest direct marketing firm, think they are "under the radar"? I doubt it... I worked for Mark Dohnal at EBC for about 6 months, ending in Jan. 06, so I KNOW what Cydcor and the ICL's are all about. I agree that it is a multi level marketing type of business, but how can you agree it's a scam? PEOPLE!!! THIS IS THE AMERICAN DREAM AS WE KNOW IT!!!! You are given nothing to start besides exceptional, hands on sales training by people who are succeeding at the hardest kind of sales, cold calling. That term will make even the most seasoned sales people cringe. The opportunity is there for you to do whatever you want with, and with straight commission, it really is survival of the fittest. If all of you winers can't accept the fact that your boss might say to you: "if you don't produce, we'll get someone who can, so tough sh!*", then this country is wacked and I'm moving to Canada. Here's what I know... I woke up every morning at 5:30 am during winter in Wisconsin to go door to door, knowing that if I'm not on my game that day, I wouldn't make a dime, but even if that happened, I had to keep a positive attitude so my guys wouldn't learn bad habits from me...is that wrong??? Is life fair??? HELL NO IT ISN'T!!! GET USED TO IT AND STOP LOOKING FOR A HANDOUT!!!! Do you have a College Degree?? Yes? Do you think you are special?!?! I have news for you...that peice of paper that cost you $35k means little or nothing in the real world. Sure, it may get your "foot in the door", but what will you do with it at that point? You walk in with nothing, it's yours to do what you want with...sound familiar? Every company, LLC, partnership, street corner, teenager, etc. is well over 50% sales. Let's say that you have a product (product being a generic term), you need your selling price on that product to be substantially greater than what it cost you to produce and distribute that product, right? Pretty obvious point. OK, now let's take what you learned in college and apply it to the situation... You are obviously proficient in computers, good job...so is my Grandma. This means all of your shipping, profit margains, cost of goods, inventory, employee status, etc. is all effeciently being handled. Nice work, you still haven't DONE anything. What else? Major in marketing? Good job, you still aren't qualified for anything. I'm sure you can tell me the 4 P's of marketing and what percentage of GP should be allocated to the sales & marketing department of just about anywhere. Make any money yet? OK, SO you've created this awesome product with computers running all of your back of the house stuff, your marketing plan is all set, and your SHINY NEW DIPLOMA is displayed in an elegant and obviously WAY too expensive frame. Now go sell it...but remember, you have a make enough on each one to pay your employees, electric bills, vendors, depreciation, etc. Oh yeah, and have enough to make the $100k you expected to make after you got your sweet new diploma. The point is this... If you can't "sell" (and I mean REALLY sell), you are useless and so is that diploma. I'm not trying to make you feel bad for going to college, I'm sure you learned a lot of great stuff. I went to college for a couple years, and got out with the intention finishing it someday. I am now 24, still haven't finished college, and making more money than three of my buddies combined who "did the right thing" and got a degree... As for Cydcor, you can believe what you want, but as far as I can see, all but one person who posted on this website didn't work there for more than a week! CONSIDER THE SOURCE PEOPLE!!!!! I was there for 6 long wintry months and I can honestly say, on my mothers grave, that I am a better person, both in business and personally for working for Mark Dohnal and EBC. THANK YOU!!!

I feel it is my obligation to write on behalf of all the young men and women out there trying very hard to land a good/stable job with benifits. I want to forewarn everyone interested in any entry level marketing postions. EBC and Mark Dohnal wasted three weeks out of my life and left me utterly embarrassed to say I worked there.The story of Cydcor and their relationships with ICL's is more detailed in other reports. However, I want to get the word out in Wisconsin. I was so excited for the opportunity to start my new carreer as a business professional. I was welcomed with warmth and handshakes. However, I did not know I was in a CULT!! They tried to turn me into a robot, something that was not descriped in the 9 hour unpaid interview! I told them I loved working with people, they must have mistaken me for saying I love to harass hard-working office folf, who are busy and do not have time to answer all your CHEESY sales pitches and COCKY rebuttals to their not interested answer. EBC, and Mark Dohnal, are a disgrace to our economy and deceitful as they come. The employess at EBC were very nice, or maybe they just wanted brainwash me into their PYRAMID GAME, so the could sign me up, ahhh. SOOOOOO LAME! Four days did it for e and I was gone!I don't like to harass people to the point of them kicking me out of their business to buy office supplies. If you are a huge a*****e this job is for you! If not stay away, please. Michael Verona, Wisconsin U.S.A.

After receiving an email from "Nicole" from EBS, I was told that, in fact, my resume (that I never remember submitting to the company) was selected by upper management for a position in the company. She wanted me to call them to set up the appointment (I thought this was strange as well) After a few days they called me on the number listed and I agreed to come down to the office to talk with the manager. When I got home, I thought the web site seemed fishy, (it never talked about what they did) so I googled the name and *ding* this was the first page to come up. Never the less, to the posts above: you saved me a lot of trouble, and I thank you. I send "Nicole" an email telling her I was sorry, and unable to make out appointment, and included the link to their report!

Angela, sorry to burst your bubble, but the Cydcor company your fiancee worked for was not the first in Wisconsin. There was an office running First Horizon, SBC, and Quill. I don't know if Darius's office has closed, but the SBC and Quill offices have. How do I know this? I worked for the SBC office when it was under a different "president" who turned it over to one of his underlings when he scammed a few of us into moving to Michigan to open a new office. Yeah, we were given the same line when we moved out here- "The territory is huge and basically untouched." YEAH RIGHT!!! It took my roommate and me three months to figure out that the market was totally oversaturated. So if that office told your fiance that they are the first ICL in Wisconsin it would have been one of many lies they told him that day. Congrats to you for doing your homework and figuring out these scammers before they destroyed everything you have and have stood for.