If you’re considering joining Zilara, formerly associated with Heart & Body Naturals, my advice is to look beyond the compensation plan and the excitement surrounding the opportunity.
I’ve been involved with this company since 2020. I’ve recruited distributors, earned commissions, used several of its products, and experienced its Powerline-style marketing system firsthand.
I believe Zilara has some genuine strengths, including an interesting compensation plan. But if I were evaluating it today as a business to build for long-term residual income, I would personally pass.
My biggest concern isn’t the company itself. It’s whether the products offer enough differentiation and long-term customer appeal to justify spending years building a business around them.
Let me explain.
What Is Zilara, and Who Owns the Company?
Zilara is a network marketing company offering wellness products, nutritional supplements, essential oils, and other botanical products.
The business operates under Green Organics, LLC, founded by Paula Scarcella in 2011.
According to the company’s history, Green Organics originally launched goDesana, an essential oil brand, in 2011. Heart & Body Naturals followed in 2017, expanding the business into nutritional supplements and botanical wellness products.
Those brands now operate under the Zilara umbrella.
The company also identifies Alexandria Brighton as an important figure in its product development, particularly its essential oils and original Heart & Body Naturals formulations.
Zilara says its products are manufactured through its Cincinnati, Ohio, operations and established supplier relationships.
One thing worth understanding is that Zilara isn’t simply a brand-new company that appeared overnight. Its underlying business and product history go back considerably further than the Zilara name.
That matters when evaluating a network marketing opportunity because company history, leadership, product availability, and operational experience are all worth considering.
However, a company’s history alone doesn’t tell you whether it’s the right business for you.
Why I Originally Joined Heart & Body Naturals in 2020
I’ve been involved in network marketing since 2002, and over the years I’ve participated in several different types of marketing systems.
One approach I had considerable experience with was Powerline marketing.
If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, a Powerline system typically encourages people to join early to secure a position in an organization, sometimes with the possibility of benefiting from future team growth.
I originally discovered Heart & Body Naturals through another network marketer, probably on Facebook.
At the time, I was looking for another opportunity with a Powerline-style marketing system.
Heart & Body Naturals had something similar, and that was what initially attracted me.
I joined in 2020.
When Zilara eventually launched, my position was transferred into the new brand.
So unlike someone researching this company from the outside, I have several years of actual experience with the business.
And some of those experiences taught me lessons that apply to practically every network marketing company.
Does Zilara’s Powerline Marketing System Actually Work?
Here’s something that might surprise you.
In my experience, Powerline marketing can work quite well for getting people to join.
When I first joined Heart & Body Naturals, I personally recruited approximately 30 to 40 people during my first month or two.
That’s a substantial number of enrollments in a relatively short period.
The system created urgency, and people were motivated to secure their positions.
But there’s a problem with recruiting people primarily through fear of missing out.
Getting someone to join a business and getting someone to build a business are two entirely different things.
I’ve experienced this with other Powerline systems over the years, and Heart & Body Naturals was no exception.
Many of the people I recruited became inactive within the first 60 to 90 days.
One person built a small team, but that eventually fizzled out as well.
Within roughly a year, everyone I had originally recruited had left.
That doesn’t mean the company failed them. It means that getting people excited enough to join doesn’t necessarily mean they’re prepared to do the work required to succeed.
And that’s a distinction I wish more people understood before joining any network marketing opportunity.
The Truth About Spillover in Network Marketing
One of the biggest selling points you’ll sometimes hear with Powerline and matrix systems is the possibility of spillover.
The idea is that people above you in the organization might recruit others who are placed somewhere beneath you.
That can happen.
But after more than two decades in network marketing, I would never recommend joining a company with the expectation that spillover will build your business.
The odds of receiving enough meaningful spillover to create substantial income without doing your own recruiting are extremely poor.
I’ve watched too many people join opportunities, secure a position, and then wait for someone else to do the work.
Eventually, most of them disappear.
If you’re serious about building residual income through network marketing, you need to learn how to find customers, sponsor distributors, and help people build their own businesses.
There’s no way around that.
And the old idea that you just need to find two people who find two people sounds much easier than it actually is.
In the real world, people quit. Some never get started. Others lose interest, stop ordering products, or decide network marketing isn’t for them.
You generally have to introduce the business to far more people than the simple multiplication examples suggest.
That’s true whether you’re building Zilara or practically any other network marketing company.
Zilara Products: What Does the Company Sell?
Zilara offers a fairly broad range of wellness products.
Its current catalog includes nutritional supplements, mineral products, botanical preparations, essential oils, personal care products, and products marketed for weight management and cleansing.
The Heart & Body Naturals heritage line is still part of the company’s overall product offering.
So while weight loss and detox products are among the categories that caught my attention, it’s important to recognize that the company sells more than those products alone.
Personally, though, the overall product line has never been something I felt especially passionate about promoting.
That’s not necessarily a criticism of the products themselves.
It’s more about the kind of products I want to build a long-term business around.
My Personal Experience With Heart & Body Naturals and Zilara Products
When I first joined Heart & Body Naturals, I purchased and used several of its liquid mineral supplements.
These included potassium, magnesium, and zinc.
I liked having access to those types of products, but eventually they went out of stock.
To my knowledge, the particular liquid mineral products I had been using never returned.
That was disappointing, although I haven’t experienced any major ongoing problems with the company.
More recently, I’ve been using Zilara’s fulvic mineral drops.
I’ve taken them daily for several months and continue ordering them.
My reason for using them is fairly straightforward: I want to supplement my intake of trace minerals.
Have I noticed anything life-changing?
No.
But I wasn’t expecting that.
I don’t believe every supplement needs to produce some dramatic, immediately noticeable effect for someone to consider using it.
At the same time, my personal use isn’t evidence that a supplement delivers a particular health benefit. Anyone considering these products should evaluate the ingredients, supporting evidence, and whether they make sense for their own needs.
Overall, I’ve had a generally positive experience with ordering products from the company.
I haven’t experienced significant problems with shipping, customer service, product quality, or commission payments.
My reservations about Zilara have much more to do with the business opportunity than with any negative treatment I’ve received.
My Biggest Concern: Are Zilara’s Products Different Enough?
This is probably the most important part of my Zilara review.
After more than 20 years in network marketing, I’ve become increasingly convinced that the products you choose to build a business around may be more important than the compensation plan.
Think about it.
If you’re going to spend the next three to five years building a network marketing organization, you’re investing a tremendous amount of time and energy.
You’ll be finding prospects, introducing customers to products, recruiting distributors, and helping people develop their businesses.
Wouldn’t you want to build that organization around products people have a compelling reason to continue purchasing?
That’s where I personally struggle with Zilara.
While the company has a broad catalog and its own formulations, I haven’t found enough product differentiation to make me enthusiastic about building it long-term.
I look for products that stand apart from what consumers can easily find through other retailers or competing brands.
That doesn’t necessarily mean a product has to be patented or exclusive to succeed.
But I want to see a meaningful reason why customers would choose it repeatedly over other available options.
Why Long-Term Customer Retention Matters
Let’s say you recruit 50 people into a network marketing business.
That’s a good start.
But what happens if most of those people stop ordering products within six months?
You’re constantly replacing lost volume just to maintain your existing income.
Now imagine building around products that attract customers who genuinely value them and continue purchasing month after month, even if they never become distributors.
That’s a much stronger foundation for the kind of residual income I’m interested in creating.
To be clear, weight management can be an ongoing concern, and some customers may remain loyal to weight-related products for years.
But I personally view that category as more vulnerable to changing trends, competing programs, and customers trying one solution after another.
I have similar reservations about building a business primarily around short-term cleansing or detox programs.
That doesn’t mean Zilara cannot develop long-term customers. It means those aren’t the product categories I personally want to make the foundation of my business.
And I think every prospective distributor should ask themselves the same question:
Will people still have a compelling reason to order these products six months, twelve months, or several years from now?
That question matters far more to me today than whether a company has an exciting launch, a clever recruiting system, or an impressive compensation presentation.
If you’re still comparing network marketing opportunities, I’d encourage you to look closely at product differentiation and repeat customer demand before committing years to building a team.
Sometimes the most important decision isn’t how to build a business. It’s choosing what you’re going to build it around.
How Does the Zilara Compensation Plan Work?
One area where I give Zilara credit is its compensation plan.
I’ve always considered the binary structure and Star Bonus among the more attractive features of the opportunity.
However, it’s important to separate my experience with the earlier Heart & Body Naturals plan from Zilara’s currently published compensation details.
Zilara now presents its compensation program as the S.A.F.E. Plan, which includes six income streams.
According to the company’s published overview, these include retail rewards, community matrix commissions, binary team commissions, leadership matching commissions, Star Bonuses, and leadership bonuses.
Let’s look at the main components.
Retail Commissions
Zilara’s published plan provides a 30% commission based on the business volume of personally referred customer orders.
The company states that retail rewards do not require a personal volume qualification.
That’s a positive feature because it gives someone a way to earn from customer sales without necessarily building a large distributor organization.
In my opinion, customer acquisition should be a major focus of any legitimate network marketing business.
The Binary Compensation Plan
Zilara uses a binary structure, meaning you build a left team and a right team.
The company’s current overview describes a team cycle as accumulating 100 points of business volume on each side, with a $10 commission per completed cycle, subject to qualifications.
It also states that qualifying team volume carries forward while the account remains active.
I like binary compensation plans because the basic concept is relatively easy to understand.
You’re developing two teams rather than trying to personally manage dozens of separate frontline legs.
But there’s an important catch.
You still have to generate sales volume on both sides.
And while you may only have two legs to build, that doesn’t mean you only need to recruit two people.
Those are very different things.
The Community Matrix
Zilara’s current plan includes a two-wide, 15-level community matrix.
The published overview describes commissions based on qualifying volume flowing through that structure.
This is the portion of the plan that reminds me most of the Powerline systems I’ve used over the years.
I understand the appeal.
People like the idea that activity elsewhere in an organization might benefit their position.
But I generally view matrix commissions as a supplemental income component rather than something to build an entire business strategy around.
The payouts on small amounts of volume can be modest.
And although a matrix may create excitement about positioning, it doesn’t eliminate the need to develop your own customer base and team.
The Star Bonus
The Star Bonus is one of the features I’ve liked most about this opportunity.
In fact, I personally earned some Star Bonuses during my early months with Heart & Body Naturals.
Zilara’s current published plan describes Star Bonuses of $50, $75, $100, $150, and $200 as qualifying orders fill designated generations of a bonus structure.
The company’s overview also identifies a qualifying 100-point personal order requirement, along with additional conditions for certain levels.
That means it’s not simply a matter of having people somewhere beneath you.
Specific order volume and qualification rules apply.
I would encourage anyone considering the opportunity to study the full compensation document before making assumptions about how much they might earn.
What Does It Cost to Join Zilara?
Zilara currently advertises free enrollment.
However, free enrollment and qualifying for every part of the compensation plan are not the same thing.
The company’s getting-started information describes different personal activity thresholds.
At 10 points, additional community compensation becomes available. At 50 points, the binary component becomes available. At 100 points, further benefits, including Star Bonus eligibility and certain leadership compensation, can become available.
These are volume qualifications, not necessarily equivalent dollar amounts.
The amount you would actually spend depends on the products you order and their associated qualifying volume.
My advice is to calculate the real monthly cost of maintaining the qualifications you want, then decide whether those are products you’d genuinely purchase anyway.
Don’t buy products solely because a compensation chart makes the potential earnings look attractive.
Did I Personally Make Money With Heart & Body Naturals?
Yes, I did.
During my first month or two, I recruited approximately 30 to 40 people.
I also qualified for some Star Bonuses and earned commissions.
I don’t remember the exact dollar amount. That was several years ago, and I don’t want to invent a figure.
I wouldn’t describe the income as particularly significant by my personal standards, but I did earn money with the relatively small organization I built.
Unfortunately, the business didn’t develop into a lasting source of residual income.
The people I recruited gradually became inactive, including the one person who initially built a small team.
That’s one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned in this industry.
A successful recruiting month doesn’t necessarily translate into a successful long-term business.
You can have an impressive number of enrollments and still end up with very little ongoing income if people don’t remain active.
That isn’t unique to Zilara.
It’s a challenge throughout network marketing.
And it’s one of the reasons I now place so much emphasis on products, customer retention, and the ability to attract people who genuinely want what a company sells.
If you’re considering joining a network marketing company primarily because of its compensation plan, I’d suggest looking at the bigger picture.
An attractive pay plan is valuable, but it can’t replace products people want, customers who reorder, and a realistic strategy for building a team.
If you’d like to explore the kind of opportunity and long-term business characteristics I now look for, you can take a closer look below.
What About Zilara Training and Support?
This is another area where I believe prospective distributors should pay attention.
In my experience, the sponsor and team you join can make a tremendous difference.
I haven’t personally seen a great deal of ongoing training directly from Zilara’s corporate leadership.
To be fair, the company does provide getting-started information, instructional resources, and support materials through its website.
But there’s a difference between having information available and being part of an organization that actively teaches you how to build a business.
My own experience with my sponsor has been excellent.
He’s been involved since approximately the early days of Heart & Body Naturals and has continued actively building.
He regularly provides training, live calls, and webinars, sometimes nearly every day.
To my knowledge, he’s also among the company’s leading income earners.
So although I’m not personally building Zilara today, I’m still connected to a team that offers substantial training and support.
If someone decides Zilara is the right opportunity for them, I’d strongly recommend evaluating the sponsor and training environment before joining.
The right team can’t guarantee success, but having experienced people available to answer questions and provide guidance can make the learning process considerably easier.
What Do I Think About Zilara’s Leadership?
Paula Scarcella has been involved with Green Organics since its founding in 2011.
The company provides information about her background and philosophy on its website.
My personal preference, however, is to see the owner or founder of a network marketing company more visibly involved with distributors.
I haven’t personally heard much from Paula during my time with the business.
That doesn’t mean she isn’t actively running the company or working behind the scenes.
It simply means I would appreciate seeing more direct communication and visible leadership.
Would that alone prevent me from building Zilara?
No.
It’s a relatively minor consideration compared with the products and overall business opportunity.
But when I’m evaluating a company that I might spend years building, I do consider how leadership communicates with the field.
Is Zilara a Legitimate Network Marketing Company?
Based on my personal experience, Zilara is an operating company with real products, a published compensation plan, and an established business history through Green Organics and Heart & Body Naturals.
I’ve personally purchased products, recruited members, and received commissions.
I haven’t experienced significant problems with customer service, shipping, or commission payments.
Those are all positive observations.
However, being a real, established business is different from being a good financial opportunity for every distributor.
A company can have legitimate products and still be difficult to build profitably.
Before joining any network marketing company, I recommend understanding the compensation qualifications, recurring expenses, customer demand, and the work required to generate income.
I also recommend looking for reliable information about typical distributor earnings rather than relying on examples of top earners.
Zilara’s published compensation examples describe how commissions can be calculated. They shouldn’t be interpreted as a prediction of what a new distributor will earn.
Is Zilara a Good Opportunity for Beginners?
I think Zilara could appeal to someone who genuinely likes its products and wants to learn how to sell them and build a team.
Its free enrollment option and retail commission structure provide ways to get started without immediately qualifying for every compensation feature.
And someone joining an experienced, supportive team may have access to valuable training.
But I would give beginners one strong warning.
Don’t join because someone tells you that getting into the right position will make you money.
Join only if you’re prepared to learn the skills required to develop customers and distributors.
That means learning how to talk with prospects, follow up, explain products responsibly, and help new team members become productive.
It also means accepting that some people you recruit will quit.
If you’re uncomfortable with that reality, a Powerline or binary compensation structure isn’t going to solve the problem.
Would I Join Zilara Again Today?
Knowing what I know now, my answer is no.
And I want to explain that carefully.
It’s not because I had a terrible experience.
I didn’t.
I earned commissions, I liked several aspects of the compensation plan, and I still purchase products from the company.
In fact, Zilara was once on my shortlist of companies I was seriously considering building for the long term.
But after evaluating what I wanted from a network marketing business, I decided to focus elsewhere.
The deciding factor was the product line.
I want to build around products that I believe offer meaningful differentiation and a strong reason for customers to continue purchasing over the long term.
That’s become the most important part of my decision-making process.
I also try not to get caught up in excitement surrounding prominent network marketers joining a company.
I’ve seen waves of recruiting excitement come and go throughout my career.
Some organizations continue growing after that excitement fades. Others don’t.
But when the dust settles, what really matters is whether customers still want the products and whether distributors can build a sustainable business around that demand.
That’s the standard I use today.
Final Verdict: Is Zilara Worth Joining?
I wouldn’t tell someone that Zilara is a bad opportunity.
It has an established operating history, a substantial product catalog, multiple compensation components, and the potential to appeal to people who genuinely believe in its wellness products.
I also think its binary and Star Bonus features are worth examining if those types of compensation structures interest you.
But I would encourage anyone considering Zilara to think carefully about three questions.
- Are you genuinely enthusiastic about the products?
- Do you believe you can develop a loyal customer base that will continue ordering without relying on recruiting excitement?
- Are you prepared to do the work required to build a business rather than hoping for spillover?
For me, the biggest lesson from my experience with Heart & Body Naturals and Zilara is that the products have to come first.
Compensation plans can change. Marketing systems can come and go. Recruiting excitement eventually settles down.
But if you’re building a business for long-term residual income, you need customers who see enough value in the products to keep coming back.
That’s why I ultimately decided to focus my efforts on a different opportunity.
If you’re still researching network marketing companies and want to understand what I personally look for in a business worth building over the next several years, I’ve shared more information below.
Whatever company you choose, make sure you’re building something you can believe in long after the initial excitement wears off.
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