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.
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”.
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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