Janelle Brown: Smarter Than Your Average Brown (Maybe)

[BradandJanet]

18 hours ago, SometimesBites said:

*Janelle's website is an embarrassment. The I'm-ready-for-my-closeup-Mr-DeMille photos are NOT flattering, and the copy is wonked. 

As I was beginning my own fitness journey I realized there weren’t many resources out there geared toward people like me—someone who had never really been active, and quite frankly, needed "to get in shape" to get in shape.

I assume she's trying to be clever, right? Trying to say that she has to gear up to make a serious change? Instead, it just looks like a typo. Or is there an echo in here in here in here?

Thank you for noticing the writing on Janelle's website. The copy reads like a DIY job. Why don't they shell out some money for a professional writer/editor if they're serious about this venture? Oh. I just answered my own question.

What's wrong with the pocket on that gray tent Meri is modeling? The fabric is puckered and there's some odd business at the bottom corner. I'll pass.

Edited October 7, 2016 by BradandJanet
I am my own editor here

[Absolom]

17 minutes ago, laurakaye said:

What are they living on?  They can't possibly be making a living wage on SW re-runs. 

They can't.  Reality shows don't pay residuals.  These aren't guild actors with a union getting benefits for the participants. 

I don't think even if all five adults went to work that they could afford to keep one of the current homes without TLC money.  Maybe they'll end up back in the old house in Utah by the time they've been evicted from the foreclosed Vegas houses.  I don't see the Browns to be forward enough thinking to sell the houses before foreclosure.

[VedaPierce]

On October 4, 2016 at 2:41 PM, laurakaye said:

Will Meri and Janelle be modeling the Lularoe leggings?  I mean...you sell them and shill them, you gotta wear them, right?

When they started sister wife's closet they never wore that ugly jewelry. Never! I always looked for it. Dumbasses. They had built-in customers watching their circus freak show and had no idea about product placement. Look at skinny girl, in every shot, every drink, being given away at every party on Real Houswives of NY, they could have given away goody bags with their awful logo on them at one of their endless parties, worn their ugly aprons while cooking thanksgiving, worn all of mamma Christine's raggedy "handbags" at every outing, endless promotional possibilities ....stupid bumpkins. 

Edited October 8, 2016 by VedaPierce

[VedaPierce]

On October 6, 2016 at 2:01 PM, Rainflower said:

I see they are still too lazy to send out a simple thank you email. What if the person was there and didn't visit her site?

SO FUNNY! They TOTALLY monitor this site! They don't send out a "thank you", there's talk here about how they didn't send out a "thank you", then, suddenly, a "thank you"!  Lol lol 

Hi Kody...get a job!

Edited October 8, 2016 by VedaPierce

[VedaPierce]

Meri has zero charisma for sales! Even her pose in those drab, shapeless rags is so blah...sales is not Meri's forte. 

[Kohola3]

Quote

Meri has zero charisma for sales! 

And she's such a warm and nurturing person....

[VedaPierce]

On October 7, 2016 at 7:55 AM, ginger90 said:

"Weren't many resources" ? Is she kidding??

Um, a pair of sneakers and a block to walk around is all the resource you need. Oh yeah, and stop eating too much crappy food. There you go, I'm a life coach.

no one said it's easy, but it's really that simple. 

[RealityCowgirl]

31 minutes ago, VedaPierce said:

Um, a pair of sneakers and a block to walk around is all the resource you need. Oh yeah, and stop eating too much crappy food. There you go, I'm a life coach.

no one said it's easy, but it's really that simple. 

Yeah, but how can THEY profit from that crazy thinking? 

;)

[Jellybeans]

7 hours ago, VedaPierce said:

Um, a pair of sneakers and a block to walk around is all the resource you need. Oh yeah, and stop eating too much crappy food. There you go, I'm a life coach.

no one said it's easy, but it's really that simple. 

careful, we don't want to have to pay you. ;-)

[ginger90]

Can't get rid of this, sorry

What I wanted to post was, isn't Janelle supposed to be the one doing the inspiring?

Shit, maybe it will work now?

https://mobile.twitter.com/JanelleBrown117/status/784058649333293056?p=v

[Rainflower]

1. Those outfits are NOT cute. It looks like they are dressing for a Halloween party. I looked at some of the prices for the clothes. No way would I pay $55+ for any of the pieces. Look like they all belong on the $20 or less rack.

2.

Quote

Drinking all the water I need in a day continues to be one of my biggest challenges. Ive tried so many tricks. What methods do u guys use?

I bet Janelle will take all those ideas and make a blog post out of it as if they were all her ideas. I just don't see how she can call herself blogging about health and wellness when she knows crap about either subject. What the hell is she paying all those personal coaches for? If she is trying to engage her fans, she is doing a piss poor job. Makes her look so unprofessional.

[Toaster Strudel]

Frumpy half price rack at Wal-Mart LOL

[toodles]

The latest posts have a STRIVE staff byline.  I'm not sure what Janelle herself is writing.

Crystal lite does wonders for water.  The water yak yak is weight watchers 101. You're just starting out and this is the best you got?  You can find this all over pinterest.

If you are having a challenge, tell the problem and how you fixed it.  Pass along the advice and ask people what are THEIR challenges are. If you want to sell the service, take questions and have the coaches respond.

Geez, this is not that hard.

[AnnieBeez]

Not to defend a Brown, but from the little bit I read when I checked out the Strive link it seems that it's about offering support. I can see where someone going through the same struggle could help with that. But doesn't Weight Watchers or TOPS do that? I'd think there are even weight loss support Facebook groups. 

[Natalie68]

On 10/7/2016 at 3:38 PM, laurakaye said:

What do they do all day?!

I have three friends who sell Lularoe on FB.  All three are in their early-to-mid thirties and have young kids at home, and are using it as supplemental income, not a full-time job.  For Meri to be doing this is completely laughable.  She is a grown woman with no kids at home, and a very part-time "husband."  I get that they are special snowflakes in their own minds, but they must be looking at a massive stack of bills that they can't pay.  What is stopping her, or any of the Brown adults, from going out and getting a real freaking job?  Hobby Lobby, an antique store, a restaurant, whatever.  I literally cannot imagine what she does with her time.  It's inexcusable for those people to not be working to put food on the table and keep the McMansion roofs over their stupid heads.

I seriously long for the day...and I truly hope it's filmed for our viewing pleasure...when the entire family has to move into Meri's house and sell the remaining three.  What are they living on?  They can't possibly be making a living wage on SW re-runs.  Maybe they get an occasional check for $1.89 on book sale royalties, but I highly doubt it.

I was reading up on that site (but didn't bother to check the clothing) and its pretty expensive to start it.  Like over $1000 if I read it right.

[Juliegirlj]

What came first- the chicken or the egg: why do people on reality shows always get involved in stupid grifter businesses? Is it being on a reality show that leads them into it or is their poor decision making and grifter sense what got them on tv to begin with. 

I would love to see Janelle on a program like Scared Straight, but for health and fitness. Confine her to a room to watch videos on heart health and atherosclerosis at night and during the day she would engage in military style fitness. All healthy meals and snacks strongly controlled and monitored. Does she even want to get fit and healthy- usually it is motivation enough when women see how they actually look on tv.  It's deceiving to look at photos of Janelle from the neck up because she looks ok. Then, in a full body photo she looks like Jabba the Hut.  

** I actually have much compassion for those with weight struggles, but she is fortunate to have every available resource for the taking, and doesn't utilize it. She seeks support from like minded people, many who do not have the resources she does, and it seems advantageous to her in a creepy way. 

[AZChristian]

25 minutes ago, Juliegirlj said:

. . . or is their poor decision making and grifter sense what got them on tv to begin with. 

This gets my vote.

 

[laurakaye]

On 10/7/2016 at 6:59 PM, Absolom said:

They can't.  Reality shows don't pay residuals.  These aren't guild actors with a union getting benefits for the participants. 

 

I did not know that.  Now I'm truly questioning how the Browns are even keeping the lights on in the McMansions.  I always assumed they were getting at least a little money from re-runs.  Mind blown.

Meri's comment under her Lularoe picture is odd.  Is Lularoe clothing sales or therapy?  Why would women get together to laugh and cry and give advice and love at a Lularoe event?  Aren't they supposed to be selling clothes?  I'm thinking this is just a thing where parties are thrown in someone's house, centered around trying to sell something, everyone sits around talking and eating snacks, not much else gets done, and you might get a few sales if you're lucky.  I've thrown those types of parties myself, but I'm also not trying to make a living out of it.

I wonder what the Brown kids think of their parents, randomly trying and repeatedly failing at starting their own businesses.  I'd be embarrassed.  At this point, I think it's crystal clear that the Brown adults simply do not have what it takes, and need to go get real jobs, all of them.  The list of failed business attempts in their names is long and getting longer.

[Absolom]

1 hour ago, laurakaye said:

At this point, I think it's crystal clear that the Brown adults simply do not have what it takes, and need to go get real jobs, all of them.  The list of failed business attempts in their names is long and getting longer.

I've made this point on many boards, but a few people still want to argue that it's possible to have a livelihood from MLM schemes.  I doubt that there are very many and none trying to support four households from a couple of schemes.  My extremely limited contact with Lularoe was that they did pop-up boutiques such as a weekend in a location.  The first time I saw their clothes they had some cute little girl dresses.  They don't seem to have those any more or at least they've moved away from my taste.

[Kohola3]

Quote

At this point, I think it's crystal clear that the Brown adults simply do not have what it takes, and need to go get real jobs, all of them.

They continue to live in their fantasy world where adoring fans will follow their fascinating lives until they are ready to retire.  They consider themselves The Stars of TLC and only pathetic monogamists are unable to understand how truly intriguing they are.  I'm sure they expect another 20-30 years on TLC counting on the support of their millions of fans.

[SuzWhat]

On 10/5/2016 at 8:00 AM, ginger90 said:

 

Meri's modeling...

I may have said this before, but Meri  TOTALLY looks like Chaz Dean (of Wen fame).  

[Toaster Strudel]

She should untuck her T-shirt dress out of her panties.

The ragdoll is staring at her butt.

[ginger90]

Did Meri wear a wedding ring?  She doesn't have one on in the picture above (which I just noticed, lol). 

[toodles]

Boy, oh, boy is all I have to say about the STRIVE with Janelle website.  There is a new posting about smoothies.  The post is another STRIVE staff posting.  It's really poorly written.  The first sentence is just awful.  

It contains a link for local farmer's markets that doesn't work and there are 11! Ingredients in this recipe.  Just pop them in to a high speed blender and you're good to go.

I don't have a $400 vitamix like some of the Browns do.  I remember watching and wondering how the hell can they can afford a vitamix.  My blender is too small for all that stuff and even if I cut the recipe way back, it would burn up the motor.  

I would post the link, but it doesn't work very well on my tablet.  Not surprisingly, no comments and this was posted on Monday.  There doesn't seem to be much of a following.  Not off to a good start.

[Natalie68]

8 hours ago, SuzWhat said:

I may have said this before, but Meri  TOTALLY looks like Chaz Dean (of Wen fame).  

She DOES!!!!

[Rainflower]

On 10/9/2016 at 10:18 AM, MischaMouse said:

Not to defend a Brown, but from the little bit I read when I checked out the Strive link it seems that it's about offering support. I can see where someone going through the same struggle could help with that. But doesn't Weight Watchers or TOPS do that? I'd think there are even weight loss support Facebook groups. 

 

And that is why she will fail to make money off of her website. There are TONS of information, TONS of support blogs, forums, vids for FREE. There is NOTHING new she has to offer. Basically trying to use what little fame she has to make herself into some health and wellness guru but it will flop big time. I bet all the traffic to her website is from people the Browns considers to be "haters" and are there to snark at what is presented there.

And seeing that she is using youtube please let me remind people:

If you start to see Google Adsense ads on Janelle's video and don't want to be the ones to earn her money, please by all means install adblocker on your web browser. https://adblockplus.org/

It will block the Adsense ads on Janelle's video (as well as other youtube videos...buy you have the option of turning the adblocker off or on and whitelisting websites you don't mind seeing ads on). If no ads are being shown, Google Adsense doesn't pay.

It doesn't appear that she is using Adsense but I wouldn't put it pass her to use it in the future to try and earn some pennies.

[DakotaJustice]

2 hours ago, toodles said:

Boy, oh, boy is all I have to say about the STRIVE with Janelle website.  There is a new posting about smoothies.  The post is another STRIVE staff posting.  It's really poorly written.  The first sentence is just awful.  

It contains a link for local farmer's markets that doesn't work and there are 11! Ingredients in this recipe.  Just pop them in to a high speed blender and you're good to go.

I don't have a $400 vitamix like some of the Browns do.  I remember watching and wondering how the hell can they can afford a vitamix.  My blender is too small for all that stuff and even if I cut the recipe way back, it would burn up the motor.  

I would post the link, but it doesn't work very well on my tablet.  Not surprisingly, no comments and this was posted on Monday.  There doesn't seem to be much of a following.  Not off to a good start.

That looks completely unappetizing. 

And why do they believe that drinking smoothies is better than eating whole food? 

[ginger90]

http://www.strivewithjanelle.com/health/smooth-operator/

The smoothie.

[toodles]

14 hours ago, DakotaJustice said:

That looks completely unappetizing. 

And why do they believe that drinking smoothies is better than eating whole food? 

Because they said so.

[DakotaJustice]

9 hours ago, toodles said:

Because they said so.

There's a reason that Jamba Juice can sell snacks along with their smoothies.  they go down like milkshakes.

There's no nutritional info so I plugged the ingredients into My Fitness Pal and came up with 170 calories per serving,1 gram of fat, 52 grams of carbs and a mere 10 g of protein.  That raw broccoli wouldn't do it for me at ALL. ugh.

[ginger90]

52 grams of carbs seems high for just one sitting. Is that smoothie supposed to be for the whole day, 1 meal, a snack? 

[Absolom]

The recipe was for multiple servings.

[DakotaJustice]

3 hours ago, Absolom said:

The recipe was for multiple servings.

Ya I plugged it into mfp based on 4 servings 

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/recipe/view/243575652559997

[ginger90]

Ahhhhh! so 52 was not per serving? Got it. 

I looked on the Strive site. This was an answer given:

 

 

Hi Anita - excellent question! Of the one serving, you need to drink approximately 2 servings to get your daily fruit and veggie servings in. Per serving, the smoothie contains 132.5 calories, 1g fat, 32.05g carbs, 8g protein, 22.8g sugar, and 4.9g fiber. This nutritional value includes almond milk and Madhava Raw Agave Nectar as the sweetener. We hope this helps. Let us know your feedback once you try the smoothie! Enjoy!

[Jellybeans]

Why not eat normal food....that's the best way to not have a weight problem.  

[BradandJanet]

1 hour ago, ginger90 said:

Ahhhhh! so 52 was not per serving? Got it. 

I looked on the Strive site. This was an answer given:

 

 

Hi Anita - excellent question! Of the one serving, you need to drink approximately 2 servings to get your daily fruit and veggie servings in. Per serving, the smoothie contains 132.5 calories, 1g fat, 32.05g carbs, 8g protein, 22.8g sugar, and 4.9g fiber. This nutritional value includes almond milk and Madhava Raw Agave Nectar as the sweetener. We hope this helps. Let us know your feedback once you try the smoothie! Enjoy!

Huh? Of the one serving, you need to drink two servings? Does this mean half of the full blender? How big is the serving? Also, it looks like it's very sweet. 32 grams of carbs is still a lot. I wonder if any of the Brown women are pre-diabetic. This drink would not be a good choice. 

[Galloway Cave]

1 hour ago, BradandJanet said:

Huh? Of the one serving, you need to drink two servings?

Brown Logic. "For the one marriage you need to have four wives." See, makes perfect sense now.

[BradandJanet]

21 minutes ago, Galloway Cave said:

Brown Logic. "For the one marriage you need to have four wives." See, makes perfect sense now.

It all makes sense that way. I keep forgetting about Brown Logic because I try to live in the real world.

[DakotaJustice]

6 hours ago, ginger90 said:

Ahhhhh! so 52 was not per serving? Got it. 

I looked on the Strive site. This was an answer given:

 

 

Hi Anita - excellent question! Of the one serving, you need to drink approximately 2 servings to get your daily fruit and veggie servings in. Per serving, the smoothie contains 132.5 calories, 1g fat, 32.05g carbs, 8g protein, 22.8g sugar, and 4.9g fiber. This nutritional value includes almond milk and Madhava Raw Agave Nectar as the sweetener. We hope this helps. Let us know your feedback once you try the smoothie! Enjoy!

Hm someone is fudging because I plugged in the ingredients as listed (had to correct some of the figures, double checked and used the Madhava Nectar, please note I used the light almond milk which is only 30 calories vs. the regular which is 60-90 calories) and used medium size fruit, the official USDA nutritional info.

Also the calories are totally off even based on their numbers.  a gram of carbs or protein is 4 calories.  each serving according to the response above is 32 grams carbs (32x4 = 128 calories of carbs) and 8 grams protein (8 x 4 = 32) that's 160 calories. Plus a gram of fat at 9 calories = 169 calories.  Even if they're basing it on Net Carbs (which IMO is a myth) where you deduct the fiber grams that would be 149 calories.  I wonder what they're not counting?  

Can't the Brown family ever not scam?

1 medium Apple - 80 calories (22 grams carbs)

1 medium raw carrot - 25 calories (6 grams carbs)

1 cup raw spinach - 7 calories (1 gram carb, 1 gram protein)

1 cup chopped broccoli - 31 calories (6 gram carbs, 3 grams protein)

1 cup grapes - 62 calories (16 grams carbs, 1 gram protein)

1 medium banana - 105 calories (27 grams carbs, 1 gram protein)

1 cup unsweetened Silk almond milk - 30 calories (3 grams fat, 1 gram carb, 1 gram protein)

1 cup frozen unsweetened blueberries - 79 calories (1 gram fat, 19 grams carbs, 1 gram protein)

1 cup raw kale - 33 calories (1 gram fat, 6 grams carbs, 3 grams protein) - note the recipe said "dark greens"

1 scoop MaxPro whey protein - 140 calories (1 gram fat, 2 gram carb, 30 gram protein)

1/4 raw cucumber - 5 calories (1 gram carb)

2 tablespoons Madhava Raw Agave Nectar - 120 calories (32 grams carbs)

nutrition for entire recipe (4 servings): 716 calories, 41 grams protein, 138 grams carbs, 6 grams fat, 21 grams fiber, 96 grams sugar)

nutrition for 1 serving:  179 calories, 10 grams protein, 35 grams carbs (6 gram fiber, 24 gram sugar), 2 grams fat.

 

********

anyway my own personal issue with smoothies or liquid calories, and this is just my view, is that I want something to nosh on with it.  I keep protein powder in my house but it takes me a long time to use it up because I just have it for those times when I don't have time to cook something.

Edited October 15, 2016 by DakotaJustice
forgot the banana!

[Meowwww]

Lularoe is actually about a 4000.00 buy in.  And from what I understand, you don't choose your pieces to sell and are shipped whatever they feel like shipping.  My daughter in law looked into it. She actually looks good in her Lularoe stuff though (my DIL that is). 

[Rainflower]

I really do not find Strive to be all that encouraging. The Farmer's Market Smoothie could have been a lot more simple. Doing a google search and there are tons of Farmer's Market Smoothie with less ingredients. It is pure laziness to put all those ingredients into one drink.

Also the article on time makes no sense to me. I don't have any sister wives to watch my child. I don't even have any family members around me but still managed to exercise and keep in shape. However, I am not in a depressing marriage where my husband only seems me as a buddy instead of the love of his life. Nor do I have to go out and make money like some indentured servant or slave only to have my money split between my husband's wives.

I guess Janelle really do not want to admit that it wasn't that she didn't have time on her side, she lived (and still is living) in a depressing marriage and she used laziness and food to help her cope with her situation.

Quote

I’m tired. This kid needs me to do that. Kody and I want to go see a movie.

She mentions Kody and her kids in her post but she doesn't mention her sister wives. Says a lot about her lifestyle.

[AZChristian]

Hey, toodles . . . I found this picture which was taken at the Strive event.  Are you anywhere in the background?

 

[SometimesBites]

4 hours ago, AZChristian said:

Hey, toodles . . . I found this picture which was taken at the Strive event.  Are you anywhere in the background?

 

And according to Toodles's reporting, the caption for this photo might as well be "Here's a selfie of Meri with every single person who attended the event."

[toodles]

On 10/31/2016 at 11:25 AM, SometimesBites said:

And according to Toodles's reporting, the caption for this photo might as well be "Here's a selfie of Meri with every single person who attended the event."

Nope.  I left just as the mingling part started.  Most of those people you see in the backround are friends and family of the presenters.  I saw them talking to the coaches and each other before the thing started.

Did you notice all the empty seats behind her?    This was only half the room.  

I think you're right.  The majority of the people that attended are in the picture.  And I'm not kidding.

Edited November 1, 2016 by toodles

[Jellybeans]

OMG this is so funny!!! Toodles that was great!

[Raynedon]

On 10/7/2016 at 6:38 PM, laurakaye said:

I seriously long for the day...and I truly hope it's filmed for our viewing pleasure...when the entire family has to move into Meri's house and sell the remaining three.  What are they living on?  They can't possibly be making a living wage on SW re-runs.  Maybe they get an occasional check for $1.89 on book sale royalties, but I highly doubt it.

Very good question.  They don't get paid anything for reruns.  Reality contracts pay the participants for each episode and once it's filmed (the episodes don't have to air on tv, just be filmed) and they're paid, the compensation ends.  Their lives must be extremely boring.  Other than the wives with younger children who are in the midst of managing multi-child care responsibilities, what in the heck do Meri and Janelle do?  The lack of obligations and responsibilities are apparent in their appearances.  I think Meri is looking better now because she's excited about her latest MLM clothing involvement, but when she loses interest in that, I think she'll be right back to looking like her same tired, frumpy, skin-tight clothed self.  

[ginger90]

I guess Janelle would be baking all alone, no family.......on the bright side, Logan's girlfriend Michelle replied

https://mobile.twitter.com/JanelleBrown117/status/797902370319441920?p=v

[lookeyloo]

Do they all celebrate thanksgiving together or does each wife have a separate dinner. 

[laurakaye]

15 minutes ago, lookeyloo said:

Do they all celebrate thanksgiving together or does each wife have a separate dinner. 

Well, last year was the great "Hobby Lobby Debacle," where we watched as Meri and Janelle decided to tackle a project together - Thanksgiving Day decorations - and then Meri went out and did it all herself, leaving Janelle to spray-paint tin cans all by herself.  Or something.  

All I remember from that episode was that there had to be little to no room on any of the tables for actual food, because of the $34,068 worth of decorations scattered over every available surface.

[lookeyloo]

Ah yes - I do remember that. But that was staged. I wonder what goes on in real life