THE MARY KAY BEAUTY TRUTH STATEMENT

All seminar attendees received this statement on a laminated bookmark.

Mary Kay believes that beauty is more than just the way a woman looks- it's also an expression of how she feels. From the characteristics that make her unique and unforgettable to the way she touches the lives of those around her to the products she uses to enhance her natural beauty.
A Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant is there to guide every woman in her desire to find ways to express her own sense of beauty. Because no one understands better that all women are beautiful both inside and out.

DECLARACION DE LA VERDADERA BELLEZA SEGUN MARY KAY:

Mary Kay cree que la belleza es mas que solo la forma en la que luce una mujer. Tambien es la exprsion de su sentir. Desde las caracteristicas que la hacen unica e irrepetible, pasando por la manera en la que toca la vida de aquellosa sus alrededor, hasta los productos que utiliza papa resaltar su belleza natural. Una Consultora de Belleza Mary Kay Independiente esta ahi para guiar a toda muer en su deseo de encontrar maneras de expresar su propio sentido de belleza. Porque nadie comprende mejor que toda mujer es bella pordentro y por fuera.

Promoting Yourself - How to promote your Mary Kay business... and more.

Hi all. In case some of you have forgotten me, or are so new to this blog that you are not familiar with me, I am the "owner" of this blog! I have been very fortunate to have such great authors, particularly mk4me and miranda who manage to bring content that is relevant and interesting to the readers of this blog. For that I am immensely grateful. I used to write my thoughts down a lot more than I do now, but my current schedule, unfortunately has largely prevented this.

Nonetheless, I do wish that I could share more often and, occasionally (like right now) I simply can't resist the urge to share what is on my mind.

I was on facebook the other day and besides seeing this "friend reccomendation" -



- I saw an ad for a photographer.

I began to think about the nature of photography (I personally enjoy photography and, to some extent, wish that I could be a professional photographer) and the way in which photographers find clients.

My sister-in-law, who is a very fantastic photographer, is at what would probably be considered the beginning of a career in photography and is going about the long, tedious process of building up a client base. She is, to borrow a phrase, "doing it the old fasioned way". Word of mouth. My wife has not missed a single opportunity to mention her skills, availability and willingness to travel and work with the most challenging situations. I know the rest of her family and many friends are the same way. You mention a wedding and the first question is, "Do you have a photographer yet?"

In stark contrast, the photographer I saw on facebook is putting his name out to a much larger but much more anonymous and random crowd of people.

Criticisms and praises of both of these approaches abound, but what intrigues me is that neither one is "right" or "wrong". They are just different. It is entirely possible that each one is employing a tactic that is completely wrong for them and they should "swap" strategies. On the other hand, they could both be doing exactly the right thing and should not change a thing.

The important thing in any business endeavor is that you find a way to let your potential client base know that you exist. If I (or more likely someone I know) need a wedding photographer and did not know that you (in this case my SIL or the anonymous ad placer) would be able to provide this service than I will likely not contact you.

If YOU (MK Beauty Consultant) do not tell people that you can provide them with skin care products and cosmetics, they will not contact you.

If Miranda does not tell people that she can customize an incredible cake for them, who could blame them for taking their custom cake needs to another provider?

Okay, your turn. What do you do to promote yourself? When people think of you, what comes to mind? Do the people you meet know that, if they need Mary Kay (or whatever it is you offer), you are the one they need to talk to? If so, how have you accomplished this? If not, what is your plan to change this? Or, does this not concern you... and if so, why not?

First Post - My Purpose for Creating this Blog

I discovered a website recently that caught my attention. If you are reading this blog, you probably have seen it. It is called Pink Truth and claims to have "facts, opinions, and the real story behind Mary Kay Cosmetics".

As I have perused their website I have been through several phases of interest in what is being portrayed by these former Mary Kay Consultants. What began as intrigue and concern for a handful of hapless victims became horror as I realized that there were more than just one or two examples of people being burned by this organization. Then, as I dug deeper into the site I began to see some discrepancies and holes in the stories, testimonies and complaints that were (are) being voiced.

I have witnessed first hand, the enjoyment, fulfillment and success that my wife has experienced with her involvement in Mary Kay. I have also spent time with some of the great friends that she has made in the last year and a half and they also have had (and are having) an entirely positive experience.

So here is the problem for me. There are people having a great time selling Mary Kay products. There are other people that did not have a great time selling Mary Kay (for whatever reason) and are now very outspoken about their bad experience. This is not really a problem. After all, “You can make SOME of the people happy ALL of the time, you can make ALL of the people happy SOME of the time, but you can’t make ALL the people happy ALL the time”. The problem arises when those portraying their bad experience depict it as more that just a bad experience. My contention and frustration with Pink Truth is that they are representing Mary Kay as a sort of “evil empire” that is preying on poor innocent women with nothing but pure malice and greed.

I recognize that there are flaws within the Mary Kay Corporation. However, I don’t believe that Mary Kay is as bad as Pink Truth would have you believe. So, I have decided to create a response to Pink Truth. Ironically, Pink Truth, claiming to be exposing the half-truths and lies of Mary Kay, has begun to tell quite a few of their own! Since I am no longer welcome to post on their site (I wasn’t anti-Mary Kay enough apparently) I will reply to their posts here. I hope that as you peruse this site, you will get a balanced view of the Mary Kay opportunity.

In closing, I do not think that the Mary Kay opportunity is for everyone. I believe that there are certain Directors, Team Leaders, and even Consultants that have misrepresented Mary Kay and misled desperate people into making really bad decisions. But, and I stress the importance of this statement, there are a lot of really great experiences to be had, incredible product to sell, and there is NO need to sacrifice your values or integrity to make decent, good or even great money with this opportunity. I will be honest about what I have observed as my wife progresses through the highs and lows of Mary Kay life. I will also represent as honestly as possible the experiences, good and bad, of all current and former Mary Kay Consultants.

If you are considering joining Mary Kay, let me tell you that it has the potential to be the best opportunity of your life. Please research the pros and cons carefully and consider the decision you are making before you do anything. If you are ever asked to do something that runs contrary to your values don’t do it. If you want to ask any specific questions, leave me a comment here.

Mary Kay Reps that want to speak up, please feel free!! I want this to be balanced and fact based. Please help me create an environment that is not biased. I want people to tell their stories here. Good and bad. So fire away!

Thanks everyone.