Ever seen the movie "Boiler Room"? Atlas Promotional Group is the exact same thing, just with cheaper everything - products, offices, and even people.
After applying to a "sports marketing" position I saw on careerbuilder.com, I came to know the truth behind this scam. I was contacted not even 3 hours after submitting my resume, which seemed shady in and of itself, and the "office manager" - Melissa - asked me to come in for a first round interview. She didn't say much about the company other than the owner's name (Maggie Szetela) and that they were a fast growing sports marketing firm looking to expand immediately. I show up for my interview a few days later and am appalled when I first walk in the door. There are stains all over the carpet, they are blasting songs like "Bartender" in the back, but trying to cover it up with Coldplay in the front. I can hear loud yelling, doors slamming, and the variety of people who walk in and out was unbelievable. I arrived 15 minutes early for my scheduled interview, but wasn't seen until 45 minutes after said time.
The interview itself lasted only 5 minutes. It was a game of cat and mouse, I asked questions and couldn't get a straight answer. At the end of this 5 minutes, Maggie said that she could see a lot of "leadership potential" in me and wanted me to come in for a second round, all day interview.
A week later, I come in for this interview and its even worse than before. After being there for 20 minutes, a whole slew of people come from the back and stare me up and down as they head into Maggie's office. I felt like a piece of meat! As the door is shut, the people inside laugh, and then randomly raise their hands. The door opens, I get the weird looks again, and then am called into the office. I get sent out with a guy named Daniel Langston.
Daniel, myself, and another "leader" all go to breakfast where Daniel starts laying on the charm. He asks me about my personality and when he finds out I've worked in the music industry, he starts talking about his "singing career"! He says that He works here and does that. He then proceeds to sing. It seemed more like a getting to know you than an actual interview. He then breaks down the business and when I start talking about the problem with pyramid schemes he gets defensive and says its not. Riiiiiight...
Well, since then, I've done my research -
Daniel works for Maggie. Maggie's office is underneath Christina Versosa's office (CV Marketing in Atlanta). Christina is under Heath Katoula in New York. Heath is under the all-too famous Mike Terranoni in Miami. The list goes on and on and on!
Anyways, Daniel talks about all the sports clients we work for and meeting some of the players and whatever. So we get ready to leave for the day. We go out to ANTIOCH (!) and it's there he drops the other guy off and we go to the other side of the road. Business to Business sales. Finally. The truth. I ask what team we're promoting... He says that its the "off-season" and we're promoting Summer Bay Resorts.
So, we go business to business, get kicked out of a mall, see dozens of "No Soliciting" signs. I think we sold one package. I didn't see how it was possible to make the kind of money he claimed to be making.
After about 10 doors, He turns to me and says: "So, I think you can handle this. You've got a killer personality. I'm sure you can handle this, right?" I told him I knew I could handle it, but I don't want any part of it. I asked him to bring me back to the office, and at first he said no! He said that would be infringing on his sales day and he wasn't going to ruin it to bring an interview back. I could either wait there or call someone to come get me. UNBELIEVABLE!
So, I called a friend and it turns out she knew someone who worked there! I met with her and she gave me all of the following information. She said that Daniel and his whole "crew" - she said their names were Joel, Brian, Kristen, and Phillippe - were like that. She said they were all pretentious and did nothing but talk about the business and when they weren't working, were hanging out all the time bashing other employees... Like a cult or something.
Turns out, there were rape allegations, felons, and wanted criminals who worked at that office. They perform no background checks, drug tests, or anything like that. They pay cash daily, which is perfect for an addict, but most employee's were struggling to pay their bills. Maggie herself lives in an apartment and drives a crappy car... But claims to be making a six figure salary. Again - riiiiiiight.
As one of Maggie's distributors, you work from 7:15 A.M. Til 6:30 P.M. You get yelled at for coming in late, for coming in early and for even leaving early. Some people are known to stay until almost 9 P.M. All of which is far different from the 9-5 they advertised. Once you're in the back, you have to sit through "Impacts" which are considered mini meetings in which other "leaders" coach everyone. You aren't allowed to sit. The only chairs are in the Lobby. So you stand for at least 2 hours in the morning, go out and work for 8 hours, and come back. You are encouraged to not take more than a 15 minute lunch otherwise you'll ruin your "Law of Averages". You are not allowed to speak negatively, ever. Otherwise, you'll "Neg" people out. Everyone says "JUICE" all the time, in agreement with things, to congratulate people, EVERYTHING! There's always a "situation" when people quit. Mysteriously, they never just quit. They were fired for misrepresenting a client, or because they couldn't cut it, or they were stealing money. People get "reamed" out when they do even the littlest thing wrong. You are told you have to go on "Roadtrips" where you take products to other towns and you have to pay your own gas money, hotel stay, food, everything! Sometimes ending up with sleazy co-workers in a $30/night hotel. You are actually encouraged to stay in cheap places. Maggie tells her "trainees" that its not about numbers, but if you don't sell enough, you get shunned and then she goes into the back and complains about number sloping. She promises new campaigns, but never follows through. As for the sports teams, she has two: the Nashville Sounds and the Atlanta Braves (she just lost the Predators). Most of the time, you sell other stuff: Spa, travel, pizza, Nashville shores, Car care, tanning, and other B.S. Packages.
In more recent months, her office has lost AT LEAST 3 different campaigns INCLUDING the NASHVILLE PREDATORS who claim they will never do business with Atlas or Smart Circle ever again because of their shady sales tactics.
I would encourage everyone to take note of the names listed in this and not apply at Atlas. I wasted my time so you wouldn't have to.
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