"Failure" in Mary Kay (or any other company)

Since we have had several comments that have mentioned that MK "ain't my first rodeo," I felt this would be a good topic to discuss in general - since many people have tried more than one Direct Sales company in his/her career.

Some people might even hesitate joining Mary Kay because they have tried other companies and did not do as well as they had hoped. Or they hesitate to join because friends and family might say, "Weren't you selling XYZ Widgets six months ago?"

I hope this post will help ease their minds.

Imagine, if you will, walking into a job interview. You are 40 years old and have been out of college for 18 years. You hand the interviewer your resume, and he looks it over for a moment.

Then he turns to you and says, "I see you have failed at several companies before coming to the one you work at now. Now you are about to fail in your current job and want to come aboard with us. What is wrong with you?"

Can you see that happening? Of course not.

But why not? Why is it considered rude and appalling to be asked that in connection to your work history?

Because people understand that people leave companies for a variety of reasons. It doesn't mean the company is bad or the employee "failed" - it just means that the employee moved to a different job.

Why should choosing a Direct Sales company be any different?

I am 40 years old. I have been in more than one DS company. Over the course of 20+ years, I have been in some companies that closed, and some were not a good "fit" for me. Some I joined simply for the discount, and the starter kit had awesome stuff in it. LOL

Did I "fail" in those companies? No, I don't believe so. I did not duck my head and run when I left. The ones who closed - I had no control over that. (No more so than when an employee is laid off when a company closes.) I learned a lot at each company and met some awesome people. How can that be failure?

I did not go into debt for any company - so I had no bitterness or regrets in that aspect. However, even in the worst-case scenario that I have seen happen to some reps (the company shuts down and they are stuck with inventory - so they cannot return it), I have learned from smart women came out on top by using their heads and selling what they had on hand by whatever means they could (lesson learned - don't panic and use your smarts to make the best of a bad situation). How can that be failure?

There were some companies that I joined to get a good discount on products that I love. I got what I wanted and also met some nice people along the way. How can that be failure?

You don't really know what a company is truly like until you join it and get the Policies and Procedures Manual. Then you know the ins and outs of the company. I have joined companies before and knew immediately that the company was not for me. No big deal. I used the products in my starter kit and I learned the specific types of questions to ask before joining a DS company, so I can find out things before I sign on the dotted line. (Kind of like learning the right questions to ask during a job interview.) How can that be failure?

There was a company I joined (almost 20 years ago - am I that old??? LOL) and made very little money. I invested a lot in tapes, books and functions. I sponsored like crazy. I put lots of miles on my car (this was in the pre-internet days - you had to "show the plan" in person). But after paying for expenses, there was very little profit. But what I gained? Public speaking skills, friendships (that last till this day), selling skills, and a LOT more self-confidence. (I still use some of the products, too - love 'em.) How can that be failure?

There were 3 companies I joined that went out of business. One company was a telecommunications company - no inventory, so I was not in trouble with that. The other two did not encourage inventory, so I sold off what little I had at full retail. I made money in these companies and made some lasting friendships - again, that last until this day. How can that be failure?

When people question why I have been with more than one company, I don't go into a long story. I simply say that they were not a good fit and leave it at that. I know the details, and that is what is important to me.

Just because I did not stay with a particular company, however, does NOT mean I will tell someone that they will succeed or "fail." My track record with a company has no bearing whatsoever on what someone else will or will not do. Period.

Why do some people feel the need to put the Scarlet Letter of "F" for "Failure" on those who have tried more than one company? I do not know. I have my theories. Maybe they have "failed" at companies (their word, not mine) and feel they have to label others in order to feel okay. Maybe they are afraid of not achieving a dream they have - so it is better to not try at all and ridicule others for even trying. Maybe they are just unhappy, bitter, depressing people all of the time and have no joy in their lives.

I don't know - and I don't bother worrying about it.

All I know is that I have a SCC tonight - and I will have fun and make some money.

And that, my friends, is not failure.