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THE MARY KAY STORY OF GREATNESS



THE MARY KAY STORY OF GREATNESS

This one-of-a-kind success story began almost 50 years ago when Mary Kay Ash founded Mary Kay Inc. (MK) with her entire life savings of just $5000. Today, the company’s sales exceed $3 billion, with skincare (men & women’s) and makeup products sold in over 35 markets worldwide and an independent sales force of about 2.4 million. From that initial investment, Mary Kay built a multi-billion dollar empire.


What is unique about her business strategy? What made her business model so successful? What lessons can we glimpse from the inspiring life of this American darling that was christened “The Greatest Female Entrepreneur in American History”?


Mary Kay Ash went from salesperson to business icon. Every worthy Beauty Entrepreneur must take the time to Study how she built her business; we must all make the effort to learn about this extraordinary woman's life. In so doing, we might all discover why her business has continued to thrive and why her personality is at the heart of all the success.

From a ‘regular’ Saleswoman, to a Beauty Entrepreneur, to becoming an Author, and a Cosmetic Giant, Mary Kay Ash had a unique business approach. A very vital key to her success as a Beauty Entrepreneur was her sincere belief in the worth of her consultants. "People are a company's greatest asset," was a mantra she put into everyday practice. Selling her cosmetics to employees at wholesale prices, she encouraged their success through prizes and bonuses. Giving everyone an opportunity to benefit from their hard work, she created a business model that would be emulated and copied for years to come.


A DREAM COMPANY

When Mary Kay Ash “retired” from a successful career in direct sales in early 1963, she decided to write a book to help women survive in the male-dominated business world.  She made two lists.  One contained things the companies for which she had worked had done right; the other included the things she felt they could have done better.  When she reviewed the lists, Mary Kay realized that she had inadvertently created a marketing plan for a dream company – one which would provide women with open ended potential to achieve personal and financial success.

With her life savings of $5,000 and the help of her 20-year-old son Richard Rogers, Mary Kay launched her dream company on the 13th of September, 1963.


GUIDING PHILOSOPHIES

Mary Kay adopted the Golden Rule as her guiding philosophy, determining that the best course of action in virtually any situation could be easily discerned by doing unto others as you would have them do unto you. She also steadfastly believed that life’s priorities should be kept in their proper order, which to her meant putting God first, Family second and Career third.

She stressed the importance of recognizing the accomplishments of others.  And she constantly encouraged both the corporate staff and the independent sales force to act as if each person they met was wearing a sign around his or her neck that read “Make me feel important”.

Mary Kay Ash built a global independent sales force that today numbers more than 2.4 million women and is respected by business and academic leaders. How? The secret is in her book, The Mary Kay Way, a Wall Street Journal bestseller. For forty-eight years, the principles in The Mary Kay Way have helped the Company succeed through changing economic times and explosive global growth. It has been said that no company wholeheartedly embodies the values and reflects the beliefs of its founder more than Mary Kay Inc.


Recognized today as America’s greatest female entrepreneur in history, Mary Kay Ash stepped out into a man’s world in 1963 to blaze a new path for women. She grew her business based not on the rules of competition but on The Golden Rule. By “praising people to success” and “sandwiching every bit of criticism between two heavy layers of praise,” she opened new opportunities for women around the world and built a multibillion-dollar corporation. And after nearly fifty years, her timeless people-centered philosophies drive her global Company and continue to touch the lives of people worldwide.



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