Mary Kay Baby Story

I grew up around Mary Kay. My mother joined Mary Kay when I was four years old.

I am now 25. She's had a pink Cadillac, Grand Am, jewels, and other household items. My feelings about Mary Kay are mixed. I've seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. Growing up, I saw my mom win, lose and get our family into a bunch of debt...bailing out a director. That's the catch in Mary Kay: you have to have inventory in order to really push sales and drum up business. I used to travel with my mom to skin care classes and she really made the money back, on the other hand, I've watched her and my father fuss over credit card debt...even to the point where my mom lost her Grand Am, which only added fuel to the fire (almost divorced).

That's the bad and ugly. The good thing about Mary Kay is I grew up with a positive self-image. I never felt compelled to try smoking, drugs or promiscuity as a way to love myself. I always knew how to apply makeup and some of the prizes my mother won, I still have today. The company has really changed since her son took over. It's less girlie and more corporate.

I decided to join Mary Kay when I was 22 and fresh out of College. Yes, the director pressed inventory on me, but my mom was able to coach me to avoid the pitfalls of debt. But it happened anyway. I got the visa card MK offers and it took nearly 2 years to pay back the credit card bill (over 2k) but I knew what I was doing though, it wasn't her fault because I could have said no. The APR they offer is just a teaser. My APR shot up to 19% within a year. Don't purchase inventory on credit...it's a trap and very unwise!! They say you have to Work 60/40, but this isn't realistic. You have to really SELL to make a profit. You can't live just breaking even. I was able to fill holes in my inventory with my mom's old product and she even revived her business. She had over 600 customers and many bought old items from her and new stuff from me and we'd split the profit.

Mary Kay is a good company, but you must be willing to invest and work...never quit or give up. It's also great if you have a director or recruiter that's upfront with you...no surprises. I still love the product, but I don't want to sell it. Some of the Nationals really inspire me like Gloria Mayfield, Crisette Ellis, Katrina Harris etc... My job today is educational sales and I'm fabulous at it. I like the way Mary Kay used to be, she will always be a role model for me. I took my experience as a lesson. I'd advise ladies to think about this before they join...sleep on it, don't let a director pressure you, don't buy inventory on credit, and be honest with people you invite to meetings.

Oh, I almost forgot: if you're not an outgoing person, don't waste your time. Warm Chattering is going to be really hard and calling referrals is going to be even harder. Overall, future consultants should weigh all the pros and cons before joining MK. You can do it, and even enjoy it, but please use wisdom and don't be easily sold to some overbearing, fast-talking director. There's sharks in every company, but Mary Kay is a good opportunity for the right kind of person.