Mary Kay is like a fine instrument.

Maestro Victor Vener of the California Philharmonic

I recently attended a classical concert performed by the California Philharmonic with my wife. There are no words I know that can adequately describe the extraordinary splendor and vibrant, colorful expression created by this ensemble of accomplished musicians expertly influencing their instruments into a heartwarming array of sound.

As I sat mesmerized by this delightful symphony I came to an interesting revelation of sorts. The Mary Kay experience can be compared to the fine instruments I heard in these musicians’ hands. Consider this. Any instrument, no matter how skillfully crafted, is only as good as the person playing it.

Mastery of an instrument is an accomplishment worthy of note. A true master can train someone else over time and so the skill is passed on and even enhanced from one generation to another. However, we have all seen no talent hacks pretending to be musicians (American Idol auditions anyone?), even training people under the guise of being a professional.

Mary Kay is the same way. As with a fine instrument, ‘performed’ in the right hands, it creates a brilliant symphony for those within its influence. In the hands of unscrupulous pretenders it generates a most unpleasant cacophony. And anyone can pretend to be skilled enough to fool unsuspecting newcomers into learning their misguided ways.

If you are considering joining Mary Kay, consider this. Becoming a knowledgeable, well versed purveyor of skin care and cosmetic products is not going to happen automatically. There are basically two options available to anyone wishing to sell Mary Kay. One is to approach it as a hobby. If this is you, don’t put any unnecessary pressure on yourself (or allow others to). Treat it as a hobby, investing your time and money as it is available to you like you would with any other hobby. The other is to approach it as a career. If you are considering this option, be aware that starting a business requires a very significant commitment. You do have flexibility. In fact you have incredible flexibility to operate your business in the way that best fits your life. You also have the benefit of a phenomenal infrastructure in the form of Mary Kay. They have been successfully marketing their brand for years and the tools and support they offer are truly incredible.

The important thing to realize whether you are thinking about starting, just getting started, or have been in Mary Kay for years is that you can’t mix those two paths in the way that a lot of people seem to think you can. It seems that some people think (and possibly teach) that you can work this business like a hobby and make money like a career. These people usually leave the company complaining that they worked it like a career and made money like a hobby (read: lost money). I would hazard a guess that while they started out approaching it as a hobby, the lack of income from this approach caused them to continually increase their efforts (perhaps unscrupulously?) until they were exerting more effort than they would have if they had approached it as a serious business endeavor in the first place.

I truly believe that ANYONE* can have an excellent experience with Mary Kay.

Some, like me with music, will prefer to sit back and allow someone else to ‘perform’ and pay them to do this. My wife has many clients that seek her expert advice and pay her full price for the products that she offers. (Except when she is having a sale!!!)

Some will discover that they really like the product and through their natural enthusiasm for it and attractive personality they are able to pass on the excitement to the people in their natural sphere of influence. They save some money and receive the rewarding feeling of helping someone else discover something they really love. For me, make-up wouldn’t really be the thing for me, but if someone could create this sort of thing for – say – cars, I would be all over it!

And finally, some with an entrepreneurial spirit will grab hold of this opportunity to own a business and run with it. My wife loves it. It is not a hobby for her. She has experimented with many different jobs and potential career paths. When she started with Mary Kay, I could see in her an enthusiasm and a spark that made her light up like nothing else has (except me of course!).

I hope this illustration helps clarify what you should expect from the Mary Kay Experience!

Thanks for stopping by


*There are some people that are allergic to Mary Kay Products. If that is you, I am sorry to say that your experience will probably not be so excellent :(