Network marketing has experienced significant growth in recent years as an emerging business model in Iran. A critical component in the development of this model is the portrayal of success through social media, motivational events, and personal narratives of financial freedom and luxurious lifestyles. This study adopts a mixed-methods approach (qualitative-quantitative) to investigate the impact of success imagery on psychological motivation and participation behavior in network marketing. In the qualitative phase, grounded theory methodology was employed, involving interviews with 15 active participants and analysts in the field. Data analysis was conducted in three stages—open, axial, and selective coding—revealing that success imagery serves not only as a tool for recruitment but also as a factor contributing to frustration and early withdrawal from the activity. In the quantitative phase, data were collected via a standardized questionnaire from 384 participants and analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The quantitative findings indicated that factors such as “portrayal of a luxurious lifestyle,” “promises of rapid success,” and “sense of belonging to a motivational community” had the highest factor loadings. The final research model demonstrates that success imagery functions as a dual-edged motivational strategy: it stimulates motivation and attracts individuals, yet it can lead to distrust and psychological failure when promises remain unfulfilled. This study underscores the psychological and social consequences of unrealistic representations, emphasizing the need for transparent advertising, pre-membership education, and oversight of media content.