Scam Types dot Com

The real truth about Mary Kay? Found at Pink Truth.
http://www.pinktruth.com

I’d already linked to one of your pages in the article

Thank you… I missed that the first time around. Now off to send some linky love back…

I just read portions of your article on Pink Truth and had to come and read the rest of it. Being a former director in this business I can say that your observations are accurate. There is very little money to be had as one climbs up the ladder. A ladder that goes no where. With the expenses and time one puts into this business there is more often a continuous loss. I liked your calculations on the “free car”. Indeed, the free car is really not free and becomes a ball and chain to those who work for it and claim it. It is nearly impossible to keep up the high volume of orders (not sales) that is required to keep that vehicle free. All of the “free” car drivers have made payments to maintain it.
I was not burned by Mary Kay. I was told it was a great business for women who want to earn a corporate income while staying at home with their children. I was told it was a moral company with women who would be as my sisters, as my family. Nothing could be further from the truth. I rarely had time with my family as I worked my way up the ladder. I saw some return on my efforts but all of the income I made had to go back into the business for more product, to cover expenses, conference fees, travel fees, hotel fees. I was told the only way to secure a steady income was to recruit in as many areas in the country as you could. I saw directors spend days away from their family, get on a plane to go work an area hundreds of miles away.
No, I wasn’t burned, but I was misled, intentionally. It is true you cannot speak negatively in the company. I never knew anyone was seeing what I was seeing because if you spoke out negativity you were a bad influence to those around you and you’d be one of “those” that bring others down. Negative Nellies were to be avoided at all costs.
My conclusion: it is a company with a sales force that deliberately misleads women for the purpose of selling a false dream that leads many women to suffer emotionally, financially, and relationally (esp. with their spouse and children). The women who make up the sales force are not “bad” people. They are desperate people struggling to maintain their own status and are desperate for new blood as it were to keep themselves afloat.

Thanks for the link love Pink Truth.

Having just had a look at your site I can see that you are quite devoted to uncovering the truth behind Mary Kay.

http://www.pinktruth.com is well worth a look if anyone reading this is after more, and far more detailed, information.

Bottom line is that it is what YOU make it. Not anyone else. You work in this business or any other home based business and you will always find both positive and negative. I personally know people who have been successful in their home based business and are good people and they can sleep at night. They haven’t done any wrong to anyone but don’t forget that in the corporate world people are wronged all the time.
Scam? no I don’t think so. You always have the 90% buyback. Any other company offer that?

You said There are also comments about how moving up the ladder within Mary Kay is dependent upon sales volumes.

Just wanted to mention… it is not dependent on sales made by the consultants. It is dependent on how much stock they order from Mary Kay (as well as how many ordering recruits they get into the business.) The unfortunate fact of the matter is that those are not the same thing. A recruiter gets credit for getting her recruit to make a large order, even though she may be ordering things she can never sell.

Large initial orders including items that are never sold are quite common, and anyone getting involved in Mary Kay needs to watch out for that. Don’t order anything you haven’t already sold.

Thanks Rachel, that was a mistake on my part that was well spotted.

That correction actually makes the deal sound a little worse, don’t you think?

OK - just to update your numbers here - it takes 4500 per month for the Vibe, 8000 per month for the 1st Directors car and 16,000 per month for the caddy. This is actually a point range, each dollar gets a point and every personal qualified (600 inventory or more) recruit adds 600 points. So if we were working solely on cash alone, these figures recalculate every 3 months. Anything over that amount carries forward into the next quarter. So it doesn’t take as much money as you described to maintain the cars - although it is a healthy chunk of change. But there is a cash option for the vehicles based on increment levels. If someone is cautious and doesn’t want to pay for a vehicle (or has their own they really like) they can take the cash option. I did this, and thank God I did. I got unmotivated and lost my “car” a couple months later - but never had to pay one dime for anything. Just simply didn’t get the bonus.

I do believe there is a bit of negativity or loss that is being hidden. But you can’t blame the company itself for that. Blame the person. I don’t lie about my status or earnings, but there are those that do. I know many pink cadillac ladies who are paying for them every month. If they were smart - they’d call the company and ask for the car to be taken back! LOL!! Which is an option.

I love the product personally and I tried everything. I think price point is below department stores, but above Walmart and the like. But as a consultant, the price drops to Walmart prices. A lot of consultants seem to be personal use people.

One thing people need to get clear is that Mary Kay is what you make of it. There is a reason we are called Independent Beauty Consultants. Because we decide the fate of our own business. And if we don’t treat it as a business then we fail or don’t succeed as much as we would like. If you think about it, how many companies would succeed out there if all we did was throw a couple hours at them per week? Or maybe ten or fifteen hours? Millionaires don’t get that kind of money working only 10 or 20 hours. They work their butts off to get it. Which I do think some MK people misrepresent. Sure you can make a corporate income as a stay at home mom - but you’ll be working 40 hours for it as an independent beauty consultant!

Oh and just for note - Pink Truth doesn’t uncover anything but other peoples bad views on MK. If there was truth - we’d be looking at it from all angles, good and bad. It’s their own truth. And I bet if we asked a lot of the people on there how much time they put into it, how many people they networked with, and some other business like questions (like proper reinvesting) then I am sure we’d come out with a totally different truth.

In the end - I think everyone should do some good research on the company, make up their own mind, and then do what they want to do making sure they aren’t lieing to anyone, hiding anything or putting themselves in a bad position.

I’ve gone from flying up the ladder into a car, back down to a consultant with no recruits at all - and I have to admit, the only reason why is I STOPPED WORKING. No other reason. Plenty of women are looking for friendship, a connection, and a possibility to make some extra cash. And many love the product who are on it. I have a great deal of customers who always come back….

Just my thoughts…

Pink Truth is a bigger scam then Mary Kay. Visit Banned from the Bitchfest to find out why.

http://somecallmeduh.wordpress.com

On Pink Truth, we have many, many women who worked more than full-time hours with MK. We have many high level sales directors who put in plenty of time and effort. The truth really comes out when they speak - because they’ve been there and have proof of the work they did. Those who didn’t get to sales director status are forever accused of not working enough. I know from my personal experience, that this isn’t the case. But don’t take it from me. Take it from these women who have proof of all their hours and hard work.

While it is true that we are adults who make a conscious decision to join a direct selling company, I do think the information given to potential new recruits can be very misleading. 30 faces in 30 days is very difficult in an oversaturated market. And lets not leave out the religion factor. Mary Kay is peppered with religious quotes and references. The rantings of national sales directors about being blessed because you work your business. Being blessed by God putting people in your path to sell makeup to. I am blessed because I am a good person and try hard at everything I do. I really don’t think God will think more favorably of me because I got out there and sold women some makeup and offered them this “opportunity” to go broke.

I’d just like to take this opportunity to remind people that I am more than happy to approve comments, irrespective of whether people agree with me or vehemently disagree - I value the discussion and enjoy seeing other’s points of view.

However, I will not approve anything that ‘flames’ another commentator for reasons which appear to be personal.

Thankyou.

Wouldn’t you agree that it is always wise to research any and all home based businesses that you may think about pursuing as a career? We certainly are intelligent enough to do that and make a decision on our own. Maybe even call the company you’re thinking of joining…and always base your decisions on information from the company itself and not something that is homemade. Perhaps by other people. Some things work for some and other stuff doesn’t work for the same!

Debbie, I would agree that doing research is wise. But I’m a little amazed at the suggestion that you use the organization that stands to gain if you say “Yes” as your only source of information (”always base your decisions on information from the company itself”.) That is a sure way to know that you are getting biased information.

My suggestion is to look for all the information you can find, and then consider the source. Do you have reason to trust what they say? What do they have to gain by telling you what they have? In particular, I would try to find a couple people who have been in MK for more than a year (but are not your recruiter or in her upline), and find out what their experiences have been. Then also find a couple people who were in MK and quit, and find out their experiences, and why they quit.

It’s a fact that most of us human beings are opinionated, that’s why I would always recommend reading multiple sources before formulating your own views, whatever the subject matter.

I think it goes without saying that any given business will give you information that is only positive about themselves. Equally, affiliated websites will be positive in much the same way as there are many ‘anti” sites that will be altogether negative about them.

‘Due diligence’ is good advice but I would always add that one source of information is never enough.

I hope I give a fairly balanced view of whatever I research but I’ll leave that to you, the readers, to decide. I would say though that a lot of what I write about is also opinion based - it’s my opinion - so no-one should take my writing as being gospel either.

Hi Scam
Well, i don’t think anyone will take opinions as a gospel…however, the manner in which you present it with sincerity and concern for the society makes people respect your opinions
i saw your other post about dealdot what is it all about what are they selling

Hi Aruna, good to see you around again and thanks for that.

As for DealDotCom, no-one knows the specifics of what they are selling -that’s part of the ‘marketing mystery’ designed to build up interest I guess.

What I do know is that it is products from, or aimed at, internet marketers, website owners, etc.

It goes ‘live’ tomorrow so I reckon there will be a lot more to say and a lot more buzz then.

just fyi i have already signed in for a free account

I wondered if that was you when I saw your username.

Now I know!

Thanks

Debbie - you mentioned that MKCorp will buy back your product at 90% of what you paid for it if you decide to quit. You then asked what other company does that?

Actually, every MLM company has to offer this 90% buyback to remain in good standing with the Direct Sales Association. It’s one of the DSA’s requirements. So MKCorp is not doing this out of the goodness of their heart.

And, to emphasize, commissions are made on how much consultants order from the corporate. There is no tracking at all on how much these consultants actually sell to customers.

Basically, a consultant could order $18,000 worth of wholesale from the company, never sell any of it, and still get diamonds and awards for being a Queen of Sales. All without selling one thing to a customer.

You’re awarded by how much you order. Not how much you sell.

Thanks for clarifying those points again raw joy - I totally messed up my original wording where sales and orders were concerned.

Rachel,
oops! I simply meant that a person shouldn’t base their decision to join something solely on the fact that what they are reading or being told is by someone who made it up or would benefit from them joining. In turn reading and researching only from the company information would give a better idea on what to expect as opposed to an opinion. I should have clarified that better!
Raw Joy, Thank you for sharing that info with me. I did not know that and am glad you corrected me!
I’ve been in other home based businesses and no one has shared that info with me before!
And yes, it would be difficult to figure out personal sales from people…hence only being able to go by the fact of what they order to get the numbers for commisions. Is that the same in all the other home based businesses also?

Thank you for *not* coming out the gate, slamming MK. That approach has proven many times to backfire. Your summary/decision is right on — it’s not illegal, but it won’t make you tons of money, unless you’re in that magic 1%.

There’s no reason to go through all the emotional stuff here, when it’s clear that the $$$ just don’t add up. The logical analysis speaks for itself.

Our experience…

I stumbled upon the Pink Truth website a couple of months ago and was dismayed to hear/read all the horror stories posted.

My wife has been selling Mary Kay for several years and has not had anything akin to the experiences posted. Her director does not pressure her to do anything that does not make sense for our financial situation. There is also (and I think this is key) NO room for unethical behavior. When recruiting, the opportunity is laid out honestly and accurately. People who are not interested are left alone, and people who are uncertain are given space (i.e. not pressured or harassed) to make their own decision.

My wife has many (200+) regular clients who place regular orders. They are not interested in selling it, they just like the product. They do not hide from her when they see her, and they know where to go when they need a refill. When there is a new product that my wife thinks they would be interested in, she calls (or emails) them to let them know. Usually, she is right on, they buy it and love it and order more when it runs out.

I am with you “scam”, as a man, I can not speak to the quality of the product, but from conversations I have had with our friends that use the product, it is a far superior product to anything they had used before.

We are not millionaires from this, but she is making money. Most of it gets invested back into the business (intentionally, our choice, not her directors) so that it (the business) will grow. At our discretion, we take some of it (her profit) for our personal use.

She has recruited some of her clients as consultants and is always looking for opportunities to share the opportunity with anyone else looking to have their own business. As I mentioned, the opportunity is presented as just that, a business opportunity. No get rich quick promises, no easy road to success lies, just, “here is a product that you can sell if you want”. You buy it for 50% of the “recommended retail value” and sell it for whatever you want. My wife often discounts her best selling product to 70% of “retail” because she knows it will get re-ordered later.

I say all that to say that we (and many of the great people we have met in her unit) have had a wonderful experience with this company. They (the company and the “up line”) treat us fantastically. Complaints/concerns about products or policies have always been addressed immediately and professionally. There is certainly an environment of “being positive” that is fostered… but not to the extent of being dishonest.

To elaborate… the “warm chatter” (Mary Kay lingo for soliciting business, conversationally, in your day to day life) is painfully horsewhipped on Pink Truth as being deceptive, rude, demeaning, etc. My wife warm chatters all the time. When we eat out, she thanks the waitress for wonderful service (in addition to our 20%+ tip that I have ALWAYS given regardless of service level… personal belief, needed to be emphasized) and asks if she would like a free facial/makeover. Most of the time this is warmly received, they exchange information and we move on with our day/night. To me, nothing could be easier. She did not lie to the woman. If she later calls her and she has lost interest, she throws away the contact info, done. If she has an appointment, and the women does not like the product or can’t afford it, then it is truly a free facial… no pressure to buy. However, most of the time, they like the product and either buy some right then or wait until they have money to buy. It therefore strikes me as ironic that so much negativity is given to this practice as being deceptive. Pink Truthers seem to complain about being “forced” to give insincere compliments in hopes of making money?!?!? In my life, striking up conversation, complimenting people around me, and discussing ones line of work is so commonplace, I can’t imagine not doing it. It has been labeled networking now that I am an adult, but when I was growing up, it was called being human.

Sorry, I digress.

Realizing that greedy and unscrupulous directors, and would be directors, had sneakily suckered so many women into believing that they too could make a quick buck with their scheme, and having had an altogether different experience myself (albeit vicariously through my wife) I set out to apologize to the women (and men) on Pink Truth on behalf of my wife and the other women who daily represent the Mary Kay organization with utmost integrity. My apology was deleted.

So I hope you don’t mind my using this forum as a platform to again reach out to any and all that have been hurt by INDIVIDUALS that have USED the Mary Kay opportunity to scam you. From a genuine and “not trying to get you back in” heart, I am sorry this happened to you.

As for why the corporate office does not crack down on this more, I offer two thoughts.
One is that I have heard of instances where directors that were front-loading new consultants and acting outside of the proper parameters were kicked out and had their “right” to represent MK permanently revoked. I have no source for this so take it at face value (research it if you are so inclined… I am not)
Two is that as a manufacturer supplying independent contractors with a product and a plethora of marketing materials, I doubt that they have very much say-so in how those independent contractors operate. They can make strong recommendations based on their years of success, but cannot force someone not to create their own marketing materials. (that may or may not reflect the company’s stance on product distribution, recruiting, etc.) Ergo, if MK corporate says, “we do not endorse _________”, but a director verbally endorses it, you really can’t blame the corporation for her (the director) actions.

Many apologies for how long this comment is, I will now get off my “soap box”

Bullet Points

Again, sorry to those that have been hurt

My wife has REALLY enjoyed selling Mary Kay

If you are considering the opportunity consider all sides of the deal.
- you are not going to get rich overnight
- you probably will not be rich even in a few years
- you may never get rich (from this opportunity)(depending on your definition of rich, results may vary)
- the product offered seem to be of high quality
- if you like people, this is a lot of fun
- the harder you work, the more potential you have to make money
- MOST IMPORTANTLY - This is a business. Businesses take a lot of WORK. More than you think. MORE, a lot MORE. Plan on days of bitter frustration and great joy. Have a support system around you so that you can complain to people other than you client, recruits, directors, etc. (this will also help you stay balanced in your perception of whether you should continue or cut your losses.

Sorry, I could go on for hours…

Finally…

SCAM, thank you for a neutral presentation of what you have observed (very important these days)

If you are willing to post a phone number/email address, for those that would like to speak to a husband of a current MK consultant I would love to avail myself to that purpose. I have a full time job and do not wish to devote myself full-time to phone calls, but for people who have questions/concerns, I would love to detail my experience further for them. Let me know!

Finally, there was a blank space above this labeled “website” so I put my blog (my hobby) there… If that is not what was supposed to go there, sorry

Thanks for your time!

jb

I’m off to bed in a minute so I’m going to re-read all that in the morning.

Quickly though, I don’t want to be making people’s phone numbers public on this site and I’m not too keen to publish email addresses either.

However, if anyone requests your details via the comments then I could probably put you in touch with each other if you both so wish.

As for ‘website’ I don’t discriminate in any way as long as people don’t enter anything that I would consider to be illegal or unsuitable for other visitors to click through to, i.e. adult orientated.

thanks, it is none of those, and just a hobby!

Sorry the post was ridiculously long… sleep well!

jb

Jon wrote a very nice post and as a former consultant who left Mary Kay very unhappy, I appreciate your thoughts and empathy. Pink Truth has been nothing more then a way for TC to try and boost herself up and become famous. She is failing miserably and the site that once had 80 -100 comments a day is now down to the teens in comments. She is losing people so fast because of her unethical behaviors and she says Mary Kay is bad? She is worse. Thank you again.

PTB-

Thanks for that! When I first posted my apology to anyone who was hurt through others in Mary Kay and got deleted, I considered starting an anti-Pink Truth website… but then the thought of the ironic ensuing anti-anti-anti… ad nauseam was far too… actually… maybe I should start the ball rolling!!!! (pauses to open new browser window and secure domain registration for “www.anti-anti-anti-anti-anti-anti-marykay.com” A PRO MARY KAY SITE!)

Anywho, take it or leave it, is there ANYthing in this world that has not been twisted in one way or another to hurt people? Even the Almighty God, (whether you believe He exists or not) has had His Name used for all manner of evil throughout histort. Talk about irony.

I mean imagine a scam where mother Theresa’s incredible legacy was used in an email… dear jon, i was a close colleague of the l>ate mother thersa and she had put aside a small fund… all i need is your ss#, bank acount etc. and the small fortune is …. you get the idea.

But NO, these dudes went straight to the TOP…. GOD said that we should __________ (fill in the blank) the atrocities run rampant.

Gosh, I digress again.

Somebody out there (apparently a lot of somebodies) have ruined the Mary Kay legacy for a lot of other somebodies. That is sad. It (their pain) should not be trivialized. However, without hard numbers (percentage of MK’ers like my wife vs. percentage of unhappy, disgruntled, lied-to, MK’ers/ex MK’ers) it is hard to tell if they are the exception to the rule or my wife is.

From where I sit in sunny southern california (pause to enjoy a sometimes forgotten appreciation for life itself) it is a cool opportunity that lends itself well to friendship building, income generating, life enriching, product distribution!

Golly Gee I love this website… Scam - you are the best!!!

love your moon landing post —- something i want to explore deeper!!! Do you have one on JFK? I was just in dallas and found that perplexing (read fun to explore)as well.

anyway, now it is time for me to go to bed… with my beautiful Mary Kay Beauty Consultant wife!!!!!

and now i’ve said too much… (R.E.M.)

goodnight

I’m happy to approve comments of differing views Jon but if this one gets too ‘anti-’ towards other commentators, rather than concentrating on MK, then I might have to close them.

You might like these posts -

Suing God

JFK and the Federal Reserve

scam,

I hope my comment did not come off as being too negative to any commentators. my anti-anti “thing” was supposed to be the “wise investment in the only logical conclusion of me starting an anti-pink truth website”

the timeline would play out like this

Mary Kay website started
“mary kay sucks.com” started
“mary kay sucks.com” became “pink truth.com”
“pink truth sucks.com” starts
“pink truth sucks.com” becomes… “pink clarity.com” (or something like it)
now at this point, if anyone is still reading “pink clarity” is an anti-anti mary kay website set up for the people that are opposed to the people who are opposed to mary kay…

I (as I always tend to do) carried it way to far and suggested that I would purchase the rights to the website that could eventually represent the (strap yourself in this going to be a really long one) “people who mildly dislike the people who moderately disagree with the people who are enraged by the people that are angry at the people who hate mary kay”… really just a commentary on our society today that just wants something to fight against…

you can delete this comment if you want as it is just the insane ramblings of a really twisted and ironic mind…

in summary, I like Mary Kay (for my wife) but I think that people that have been hurt by Mary Kay have the right to have their community and a forum to warn other women of the dangers. At the same time, I do prefer the balanced, both sides perspective of your site to the other alternative.

Keep up the good work

On “Suing God”, I just stumbled on this - http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,297121,00.html - yesterday thought you might like it

On “JFK and the Federal Reserve” - - - WOW… I mean really…. WOW

thanks
jb

My point of view when I write here Jon is that I am airing my view, based upon the facts as I see them.

Obviously, the facts I uncover could be flawed in the first place so I certainly wouldn’t claim to be giving any kind of definitive answer.

Therefore, people are more than welcome to add their own comments, whether that be in agreement with what I have written or not - I don’t mind people vehemently disagreeing with me, or with other commentators.

However, on this post particularly, I have had to disallow some comments which, to my mind, where negative towards other commentator’s personalities rather than their views - I really don’t think that adds anything to the usefulness of what is written here at all.

Now that isn’t aimed at you Jon, it’s more of a general statement towards all who would comment here.

Well said!

Thanks for all your hard work, keep it up!

you have gained a loyal reader! and a link on my blog (as soon as i get home and add it)

jb

Thanks for becoming both a loyal reader and for the link Jon - both are very much appreciated.

Jon I love the comments you made about Mary Kay Cosmetics and your wife. I have never doubted the experiences of some of the women (especially those who were directors) but I WILL say I too have a nice director who is honest beyond reproach!!!! She is a Christian woman and like so many other people believes that MK is a great opportunity. She allows others to think for themselves and is a sweet person.
The products themselves WORK and they wouldnt still be in business if someone was not buying them. Thanks again for your words.

It is always unfortunate when there have to be people out there who have tried something, it didn’t work, (probably because they didn’t work) and then they feel as though they “owe the world an explanation” for their failure (or is it an excuse for their failure).
Your success or failure in any business is a conscience decision you make. My initial recruiter and director are no longer in Mary Kay, but you know what - I STILL AM. I have a new director who also happens to be my National. I am very proud of the work I do and if I don’t make any money, that’s no one’s fault buy my own.
If you earn a car and don’t keep up your Unit production, whose fault is that? When you become a Director, you still have to keep recruiting and sharing the opportunity. Is it easy, NO. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it. When I speak to someone about this incredible opportunity, I always make sure they understand that Inventory is an option and a wise business decision. You can go through a $600 wholesale order pretty quickly if you plan your work and work your plan.
How many of you would continue to shop at Walmart, K-Mart, the Dollar Store, or the grocery store if they were continually out of the same items? Those entities usually don’t have the CHOICE of not having inventory.
For those of you who have “tried & died”, I would ask that you respect those of us who take what we do seriously. If MK is not for you, okay, it’s not for you. You don’t owe it to anyone else to spread the bad word that MK didn’t work for you. If it didn’t work, that means you didn’t work. And you can’t blame that on a Director or a Recruiter.
Am I in a position to blame my initial recruiter and director for my success or failure if they aren’t in the company any longer? OF COURSE NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!
However, when I earn my Pink Cadillac this year, I’ll make sure I send them a note of Thanks . . . .

I have started a new ‘alternative’ blog for those looking to get a different perspective on Mary Kay.

With Scam’s permission, I will leave a link here, on this post.

jb

The Truth About Mary Kay

Thanks Scam

jb

Becoming a successful Mary Kay Consultant is an Opportunity. Because humans are involved you are going to find people trying to figure out shortcuts within the opportunity. You are also going to find people who are willing to work hard enough to make it. If you are willing to be smart enough, work hard enough–it can be done. I am a consultant of 14+ years. Do I have a car? No. Am I a director? No. Do I have any recruits? At the present time–no. But I CHOOSE not to work it hard enough to get a car or make thousands. But Mary Kay meets my needs because of how I choose to run my business. I have 3-5 regular customers who order enough so I can order the minimum every 3 months enabling me to have my own cosmetics at 50% off. Better than Wal-mart brands. No where near as expensive as exclusive brands (Clinique, etc.). I can send product back if I don’t like it and exchange it for what I want. I have a 100% money back guarantee. My director calls me to encourage me, not to strong-arm me into selling. Because I have made decisions about what being a consultant means to me, I choose whether to go for her incentive contests, order more, or explain to her my goals (which may not be her goals).
The people that decide to buy large amounts of inventory are weak and immature in their business. They want what they want when they want it. They want all new makeup; they want all the pretties; they want to set up their business like senior directors when they don’t have anywhere near the customer base to support it. If you look at the essence of Mary Kay’s philosophy, if you order product then YOU SHOULD EXPECT YOURSELF TO SELL IT. If you don’t intend to sell it, DON’T BUY IT. It’s as simple as that. Strong arming people into becoming your recruits and buying yourself into the production (sales) you need for prizes cannot be maintained. That’s why people fail and get a bad taste their mouths about Mary Kay. There are plenty of consultants out there selling tons of the stuff. And the really successful consultants conduct business, just like any business–they have good quality customer service. They care. They teach They sell. I don’t kid myself about it anymore. And i am not living in a panacea about it either. I made some stupid decisions early on, but I was an immature business woman. I learned and I don’t kid myself about what I will or should sell anymore. I know my capabilities and what becomes an incentive for me to sell and what doesn’t. My sister is a consultant in another state who has 3 recruits and sells a heck a lot more than I do, for no other reason than she opens her mouth more and talks about it more than I do. If you like a product, any product or service, you will talk about it. Successful consultants use the product and are wild about it. You can and must adapt your business practices to your own personality and lifestyle situation. But, whatever changes you make in how the company coaches you when you do it your way, you have to accept the fact that you will either fail miserably or reap the rewards and be willing to make changes accordingly. There is a humorous side to the sarcastic side of dissing anything, but I feel sorry for people who spend so much energy criticizing Mary Kay. Comments by Kate (above) nailed it.

Jon,
Sure you can post my comments on your website. I will probably visit a couple more times, but I find it very frustrating to debate idiots like Pink Truth because their minds are already CLOSED and LOCKED. I applaud you for getting the word out to those who are considering the business. I will say that I joined Mary Kay in 1992 and went to my very first seminar in 1993. That was the 30th anniversary and one of the last appearances at seminar by Mary Kay. seminar that year, the consultants who had been to seminar before talked about her like a god. I am a very skeptical person (and I joined anyway! what’s to lose?) and couldn’t get into the hero worship. Then I saw her at seminar. WOW! What a personality. Genuine, warm, truly caring, and she was everybody’s biggest cheerleader for succeeding. Now Pink Truth would say something nasty like, “Well, it was all about helping HER bottom line, right?” But, I disagree. She was truly giving women encouragement, self-esteem boosts, and she wanted success for every consultant for what she knew a fulfilling job, and love of what they were doing could provide. Her biography shows that her experience in the man’s world with the glass ceiling gave her perspective and will to succeed. She charged like a bull through all the bull to create a company that could actually provide that. BUT, it doesn’t come free or easy. What business that allows a person to become financially indepedent would?
Now I just got the feeling reading a little bit in Pink Truth that all the go-get-em emails that directors send out encouraging you to sell sell sell are a little bit too happy and gushy. Well, I don’t like much gush myself, but since I am a mature individual, I don’t take it personally and it doesn’t make me sick to my stomach–I take it in, digest it for what I need to get out of it and leave the rest. People are enthused and excited about it! And they want to make money but they also want to help other women, who come from all over the place, with all kinds of strengths, experiences, and baggage to “get it.” I would much rather be around the gushing than the toxic “stuff” coming from Pink Truth. They just don’t