For years, it seemed, they were stalking us. Brightly colored leggings in busy, garish patterns infested social media feeds. Photos of them. Links to them. Invites to parties showcasing them. Videos of women going live on Facebook to model and then implore you to buy them.

It felt like each day brought two or three more people you knew peddling these kaleidoscopic LuLaRoe clothes—a girl you went to high school with, a cousin, a co-worker’s wife—the women all boasting about their reincarnation as Girl Boss entrepreneurs. They were making their own money and in charge of their own business as LuLaRoe retailers, contributing to their family’s finances while having the freedom to juggle mom duties. And, what’s more, you could be a Boss Babe selling leggings with owls and pizzas on them, too. Just ask how!

Beyond the proliferation of mosaic athleisure wear, LuLaRoe was a phenomenon. By 2016, it was a billion-dollar company with over 60,000 “consultants,” women who spent between $5,000 and $10,000 to buy in and start selling—plus a weeks-long waiting list of others in the wings desperate to join.