Kristie’s Story

I had been a customer to one of my friends since 1997. I would buy $150 - $250 from her at a time. Of course, there were times that she wouldn't call and I was running low on stuff. But she always came around sooner or later. Whenever there were events, she always extended an invitation to me without being pushy. I never took her up on it. Then in 2001, after cringing because I made a $150 purchase, I asked her about the markup. Her eyes lit up and of course, she interviewed me. I didn't buy into it yet. I told her maybe later.

It was nearly 6 months later (February, 2002) that I went to see one of the NSD's who came down. I went in to this fabulous exclusive dinner club where this event was held. In all honesty, I arrived late and I made it a point to sit in the very back. My friend/director found me and came over to say hi. Then I watched the show. My NSD did her song and dance about the millions she has made, and all the time she gets to spend with her family, blah, blah, blah. She said that her sons grew up with pink caddies and that they used it to take their dates to the prom. Of course, me being as sarcastic as I can be at times, I thought, "Yeah, and he probably got laid in the pink caddie, too!" Seriously, what struck me was the 50% discount. I liked that because I was always buying the stuff. I am a skin care junkie and in all honesty, it is the only line I have been happy with. (I used Prescriptives, Lancôme, Clinique, Origins, and others.)

Anyway, I signed and my director paid for my starter kit that night just so I could go to the "exclusive NSD training" scheduled for the next day. I didn't have my checkbook or credit cards with me at the time. I did pay her back the next day. Anyway, I thought it was a way I could make some extra money. I was never big on recruiting, but I did well with sales. I recruited five and all of them never did anything — I don't blame them. My director tried to get me to make a large order, but I wouldn't give. I did a $600 order, but I had already sold most of it. (Mind you that I came in at a time that the pink casings and compacts were going to platinum.) I reinvested the money to make a large order — my largest was $2,600. I ordered every month consistently.

I always wanted to make sure I had what the customers wanted. It was never enough. I invested in sales aids and samples, and anything that would make me look more professional. Anyway, my director/recruiter lost her directorship. I was sad for her because she was such a hard worker. She held down a full-time job and was going to school, and was a single parent. She was not upset and she resubmitted for DIQ but did not make it. Anyway, I saw three ladies at this time who had their debut, only to lose directorship within a matter of months. It was at that point, I realized I did not want to be a director — or the never-ending state of DIQ.

I moved to another city and tried to be the "stay home mom" and work my business — it was too hard. I had trouble trying to establish myself. Not to mention that I didn't really feel up to "warm chattering." I had met a couple of women at a playscape in a local restaurant. Neither one of them had to work — one was the wife of a District Manager for Wal-Mart. Anyhow, we set up a playgroup for the kids. I felt like a complete outsider at that time. Then, one day I brought them each a little mini miracle set as a gift with a little hope I'd gain customers — I never asked them about buying or anything. The Wal-Mart wife, who was a little high on her self, said, "Oh, I don't do that stuff. I'll give it to my husband, maybe he'll use it." The other lady said she couldn't take it because she had an aunt who was a consultant. I felt snubbed, and I also felt that they looked at me much differently. Needless to say, I didn't hang with them anymore. I even made goodie bags for the mothers of my son's t-ball teammates — mini miracle sets, satin hands samples, private spa cream samples, etc, in the pink shopping bags. No new customers gained....just money spent. I lugged my husband to Career Conference because I thought he needed to see what it was about. He really wasn't impressed with the big pink pep rally, but he didn't have the heart to tell me. I wasn't impressed either and when I told him, he laughed and told me how he felt.

Then, I started reading info on the internet about Mary Kay and the misinformation. Anyhow, I found a great paying new job in my new city and I am now happy. I still had a lot of inventory and you can only use so much, right? Well, I wheeled my rolling carrier to work — you know, the MK Connections one that I paid $150 for. I sold off all of my remaining inventory at a really discounted rate. I just wanted to get rid of it. I didn't want to send my stuff back. I still want to use my discount because I do order, but only for me. Anyway, I sold $700 that day. I guess I could report to my new director that I had "an awesome pink day!!!" —GAG! All I can say is God bless my husband for being so supportive of me...especially when I told him everything (once I started reading about MK deceptions.) I am angry and a bit saddened by this whole pink fog. I guess as the old saying goes, if it is too good to be true, then it probably is....Good thing is that I never got into credit card debt. Thank GOD!