In 1976, the 20-year-old Hughes began selling diet products for Seyforth Laboratories, a multilevel marketer, becoming one of its top 100 earners. After Seyforth collapsed in 1979, Hughes then sold exercise equipment and weight-control products for a company called Golden Youth, also a direct-sales outfit. It was while working for Golden Youth in 1979 that Hughes met Kathryn Whiting, who was a former "Miss Santa Monica", and a 21-year-old college student pursuing a degree in medical science. She became the first wife of Hughes.