Thrive Life Shuts Down: The Freeze-Dried MLM Finally Gets Burnt

Another MLM bites the powdered dust.

After nearly two decades of vacuum-sealed hype and “you too can make money selling broccoli flakes,” Thrive Life—the multi-level marketing company once known for pushing freeze-dried strawberries like they were diamonds—is officially calling it quits.

📅 Mark your pantry calendars: Thrive Life will shut down on August 31, 2025.

The news came via a quiet notice on their website. No big announcement. No heartfelt farewell tour. Just a low-key “we’ll be closing” message, a 25% off fire sale, and silence across their abandoned social media pages.

Let’s dive into what went wrong with this glorified prepper pantry party.

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Now if you still want to learn more about Thrive Life keep reading…

Who Was Behind Thrive Life?

Originally launched in 2005 as Shelf Reliance, the company was founded by Jason Budge and Steve Palmer—two Utah entrepreneurs who realized there was money to be made in food that never expires.

By 2009, they cranked up the MLM machine and built a business around freeze-dried everything, from peaches to potato shreds.
In 2013, they rebranded to Thrive Life, because “Shelf Reliance” sounded like a hardware store run by a doomsday cult.

Then came the big buyout: In December 2023, Budge and Palmer sold the company to a private equity duo—Entrepreneurial Equity Partners (Chicago) and Mubadala Capital (Abu Dhabi).

These firms merged Thrive Life with Mercer Foods and presumably hoped to build the Costco of crisis food.

Instead, it crumbled.

What Were They Selling?

Thrive Life’s catalog included every freeze-dried food you could imagine—apples, corn, onions, chicken, and mystery cheese. All shelf-stable, all vacuum-packed, and all priced like they came with a mortgage.

The pitch? “Sell food people already eat.”
The vibe? “Join the MLM, hoard lentils, retire early.”

It was part prepper, part food snob, and 100% wrapped in MLM motivation with a side of “buy your own product monthly.”

The Compensation Plan: Freeze-Dried with a Side of Pyramid

Like every MLM, Thrive Life offered “business opportunities” that looked more like a step-by-step guide to spending $300/month on soup cans.

Here’s the gist:

• You buy product

• You sell product

• You recruit people to also buy and sell product

• You earn commissions on their sales and orders

• Your basement turns into a food bunker before your downline turns profitable

Top earners made money through recruitment and volume bonuses. Everyone else… made smoothies out of freeze-dried mango while losing money on autoship.

Why Did It Collapse?

The official website doesn’t give a reason—and let’s be honest, they probably won’t.

But here’s what we know:

• Their social media accounts went silent around May 2025

• Reps were allegedly blindsided by the news in July

• Sales had slowed, competition increased, and the private equity firms? Probably not emotionally invested in MLM culture

• Their branding went stale (pun intended), and without a real retail presence or influencer traction, Thrive Life’s momentum withered

Add it all up, and you’ve got a company quietly ghosting the internet while sliding out the back door.

Cost to Join

Thrive Life’s buy-in wasn’t massive—starter kits ranged from $100 to $200, but the real costs came later: monthly autoship, event tickets, marketing materials, and enough freeze-dried zucchini to last through a zombie apocalypse.

And now? Those kits make great collector’s items in the MLM museum of “Things That Didn’t Work Out.”

PROS and CONS (Post-Freeze Analysis)

✅ PROS:

• The food was actually pretty decent (if you had hot water and low standards)

• Gave people something to do during the pandemic

• Taught thousands that MLMs aren’t always about makeup

❌ CONS:

• Company is shutting down with no real explanation

• Social media abandoned months before announcement

• Reps reportedly not told until the final weeks

• Heavily recruitment-focused comp plan

• Private equity owners appeared to cut their losses

• MLM fatigue and market saturation likely played a role

Final Verdict: Thrive Life is Cooked

After 20 years in the game, Thrive Life is joining the MLM graveyard next to AdvoCare, LuLaRoe leggings, and those essential oil hustle bros.

Its downfall wasn’t dramatic—it just… fizzled. Quietly. Like an open bag of powdered spinach left out too long.

If you were a rep, you’ve got a few weeks left to cash in on that 25% off promo and stock up on whatever’s left in their warehouse. If you were ever pitched the opportunity, be thankful you passed.

Because as with most MLMs, the real recipe wasn’t food—it was churn.

🥄 RIP Thrive Life (2005–2025)
You freeze-dried everything but couldn’t preserve the business model.

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