Biography of Mary Kay Ash - success story, photos, quotes. Mary Kay Ash: The Incredible Life Story of Mary Kay Founder Mary Kay Ash Entrepreneurship

She, already retired, invented cosmetics and created a company named after her, about which is now written in all American textbooks on economics, and future American managers cram Mary Kay's success story and development strategies at night.

In any fairy tale with a happy ending, the protagonist, before becoming a handsome prince and receiving half his kingdom, must go through fire, water, copper pipes and something else so as not to relax. So, in fact, the whole life of Mary Kay, starting from her earliest childhood, which she spent in the city of Hot Wells, Texas, was one big cauldron with fire and water boiling in it. Only no one promised a good ending. She herself decided that everything would definitely be fine, like in a fairy tale that her mother read to her before going to bed ... twice in her entire childhood. Not because her mother did not love her, but because her mother worked. I worked in a restaurant from 6 am to 9 pm. Their communication with their daughter took place on the phone, and the most frequently uttered mother's phrase was: "You can do it, dear!" Mom said so, explaining how to cook potato soup for dad, how to sew a button on a sweater, and how to talk to a saleswoman in a store who probably wouldn’t believe that a seven-year-old girl was instructed to buy a dress for a children’s party at school.

I had to explain to strict supermarket workers that my father became disabled after tuberculosis, and my mother works, she has to work all the time to feed her family. “If you don’t believe me, call her, here is the phone,” said little Mary and left the store pleased with her victory. Then she dined in a cafe, catching on herself the questioning looks of adults who do not allow their seven-year-old children to even go to the toilet without supervision, and then went to the cinema. Such Saturday evenings cost her only 30 cents, but her childhood happiness was worth a million. After all, on weekdays she went to school, then she studied and looked after her father all the time. And she had to study not just for five, but for five plus - she had a competition, with herself. She had to get more A's this week than last week, she had to sell more charity tickets than last year, she had to live up to her mother's words: "You can do it, honey!"

LOVE DOES NOT LOVE...

As for schools, they have one feature, good and bad at the same time: they all end. For Mary Kay, it was terrible, because she didn’t have money for the institute, but she somehow had to compete with herself, so she got used to it and couldn’t do it any other way. And so, without thinking twice, at the age of 17, she married a well-known rock musician in her city, Ben Rogers. In terms of fame, he can only be compared with Elvis Presley (of course, of local importance), so she, of course, wiped her nose with her girlfriends, although she claims that she did it solely for herself and categorically out of love. They had children: two boys and a girl, and there could have been a happy end, and then there would have been no cosmetics of her name, but the Second World War happened, then it ended, and with it the family happiness of Mary: Ben, returning , said that he no longer loves her, wants a divorce, and immediately and irrevocably! How? Divorce? She is the best student in school, smart, beautiful, mother of three children, after all? Why? It was a blow below the belt, for her, who could not fail. She thought that in her early twenties and with three children, her life was over, at least personally.

Bumblebee RULE

But there was nothing to do, the children grew up, their needs, too, had to be met. As you might guess, employers were not waiting with open arms for a young woman with children, without education and with a flexible work schedule. Mary took any job that allowed her to look after the children and keep up with the housework. She got up at 6 in the morning, and went to bed late at night, and she still did not have enough time and money. She tried not to sleep at all: alas, she did not succeed. Something had to be invented, something had to happen, Mary felt and lived in anticipation of some kind of miracle. And a miracle happened, literally appeared on the threshold of her own house. But this, unfortunately, was not a handsome millionaire prince who was ready to adopt her children, but just a traveling saleswoman. She offered to buy Mary a book. "A book? Are you laughing, my children don't have enough to eat, and you say - a book!" "OK then, - the woman did not give up “Let’s take the book for free, but in return you will promise me to sell 10 more of these books in a week.” — "Yes Easy!" Mary Kay, who was number one in the school's charity ticket sales, sold these books in a day and a half and asked for more. Gave her. So she began to engage in direct sales, which was a real miracle for her. She had a flexible schedule, decent earnings and career opportunities. She first worked for Stanley Home Products, then moved to World Gift in 1959. True, it seemed to her that she did not receive enough money, especially in comparison with men, for her work. So, it was necessary to work even better, to sell even more goods than last week. It's impossible? Who said that? She kept thinking about the bumblebee, which, according to the laws of aerodynamics, cannot fly. But he's flying! It's just that the bumblebee doesn't care about the laws of aerodynamics. He needs to fly, and he flies, Mary Kay needed to work harder and better than everyone else, and she worked!

DREAM COMPANY

She worked in direct sales for twenty years, working her way up to director of staff training. In the meantime, the children somehow imperceptibly grew up, she had a second wonderful husband, and on the near horizon she was already winking a pension. But she was not afraid of retirement. She was afraid that again, as after graduation, she would have no one else to compete with and absolutely nothing to do. And if after the last call she had her whole life ahead of her, now what? Knit socks for your grandchildren and cook oatmeal for your husband? And in general - she deserves more! Something must be done about this.

She sat down and wrote down all her wishes for an imaginary dream company that would allow for flexible work hours, children, and would allow you to earn big money without leaving your family. And then, instead of waiting for someone to open such a company, she decided to open one herself. She even came up with the subject of marketing. The fact is that shortly before that, at a party, she met an old acquaintance who looked like a 20-year-old girl. She, of course, would not tell anyone the secret of her beauty, brushing off a phrase like: "Well, what are you! I just had a good rest". But the inquisitive Mary, using her power of persuasion and suggestion, found out that she was using a homemade cream according to the recipe of her father, a leather tanner. After that, such a cream also settled in Mary's cosmetic bag, and she suddenly realized that this would be the best product for women that the dream company could offer them. In 1963, Mary gathered her savings, bought a cream recipe for $5,000, rented 550 feet of store space, and began sticking Mary Kay Cosmetics labels on pretty jars of creams with her husband.

"I wanted to create a company that would provide an opportunity for a woman - for every woman with a family and raising children - to control her own career. Their world should not be quotas and rigid rules; consultants should be free and able to manage their time "This employment structure will allow a woman to put family first, which is essential. How many women care about the fact that they cannot work if they have problems at home!"("Savvy", June 1985)

There was a month left before the grand opening of the company. Mary and her husband had breakfast at home. She reviewed the documents, and her husband was on the phone, discussing the latest financial details with a lawyer. And then, apparently, fate decided that Mary had not suffered enough and had not gone through all the circles of hell to be absolutely happy: her husband, her friend and like-minded person, in a matter of moments ... died. “Heart attack,” said the doctors who arrived in an ambulance. Alas, this is the only thing left for them to do. What about her?

"I realized: if you do not work, then in the morning there is no need to get out of bed," she recalled. And she decided that she would not give up. Children came to her, leaving their flourishing businesses, they agreed to work for $ 200 a month. Everyone had hopes that the company would succeed, except for lawyers, financial directors and Mary's colleagues from her old job. "You will go broke, you will not succeed!" shouted everyone around. "But the bumblebee flies!"- answered Mary on the verge of a breakdown, making the people around her completely crazy. Lawyers sighed, CFOs shrugged, and Mary worked with her three children. They developed new strategies for the American, and for business in general. For example: "Try first, then buy" which meant that female consultants gave cosmetics to clients for free, in addition to conducting free consultations on its application. In addition, Mary always gave her employees the opportunity to compete. She awarded the best female salespeople with a golden bumblebee brooch. Why do you think?

Further, events developed as if they were specially prepared for a happy ending: in 1966, Mary Kay marries businessman Mel Ash, whom she meets, by the way, not somehow by chance, but through a dating service. "Why wait for mercy from fate when you can achieve everything yourself?" Mary thought. Then, after four years of existence, the company's annual income exceeded one million dollars, and the staff - for several hundred. It was a resounding success, branches were opened all over the world. In 1984, the volume of annual sales is already $ 300 million, and a year later Mary Kay is included in the list of "100 best companies to work in America."

Nowadays, this charismatic woman is a charming grandmother who still preaches the Great American Dream to anyone who wants to listen to her. She is a marketing prodigy and an outstanding energetic mind. Mary Kay is the recipient of Entrepreneur of the Year, Outstanding Woman and Super Achievement awards given to her by various organizations. She even received the title of "Outstanding Woman of the Year", awarded to her by the French magazine "Les Femmes du Monde". Ash is also featured in the annual carnival procession as the "Queen of Queens". This sounds like a refrain in the chorus of her subordinates, who look up to her as their Queen, the queen bee.

Ash's main inspiration and metaphorical mascot for her company has long been a bumblebee. She elevated the bumblebee to paramount importance as a common symbol of success. "Because of its tiny wings and heavy body, according to all the laws of aerodynamics, a bumblebee should not fly. But the bumblebee does not know this and manages to fly somehow"("The Entrepreneurs"", 1986).

Bumblebee-shaped gold and diamond pins, each with twenty-one diamonds and worth about four thousand dollars, are awarded to the "Queen of Sales" at the end of each financial year. It is a key symbol of success for consultants working for the Mary Kay firm. Ash says about the bumblebee: "He is surprisingly similar to our woman, who does not know that she should not climb to the top, but successfully does it." And this is exactly the same as Ash herself, who did not know how to do business, but became the honorary head of one of the largest cosmetic companies in the United States. She is a creative genius who renounces high-profile titles, but the results of her work speak for themselves.

Mary Kay Ash was a true pioneer among women entrepreneurs. This success story is about the original "Pink Lady" and about what led her to create Mary Kay Cosmetics, which inspires women around the world to create their own business projects.

“I was not interested in dollars and cents. My interest in starting Mary Kay Inc. was to offer women opportunities that weren't there before." ~ Mary Kay Ash

Where did it all begin? Life of Mary Kay Ash before Mary Kay Cosmetics

Mary Kay's real name is Mary Kathleen Wagner. She was born in 1918 in the small town of Hot Wells, Texas. At that time, the role of women in society was still firmly established in households and not at work. Only two years later did women gain the right to vote in the United States. Mary Kay, as her family called her, was no ordinary child. By the age of six, with other little girls playing with dolls, she had to take care of her ailing father while her mother worked 14-hour days in a restaurant to provide for the family. She rode the bus alone to the grocery store to buy groceries for the family and cook her father's favorite meals, all while receiving instructions over the phone from her mother. Her mother's stubborn spirit and constant faith in Mary Kay had a huge impact on the young girl's life. No matter what problem she faced, her mother always told her: "You can do it!" Mary Kay's pride and self-confidence pervaded everything in her life. Mary Kay's serious difficulties began at the age of 17, when she got married. Soon she had three children. When her marriage fell apart a few years later, she stayed single mother with three young children, with no income and no skills to work. Mary Kay moved to Dallas and began selling household items to pay her bills. She liked taking care of others. Mary Kay turned out to be so adept at sales that she was able to build a good career over the next few years... working her way up to a sales director position at a gift products company and expanding her territory into 43 states. Despite this, at council meetings, her opinions and suggestions were ignored, rejected, or even ridiculed. Members of the men's council did not explain their judgments, they only accused her of being "thinks like a woman" A remark that always made her angry. Mary Kay was hurt by the fact that many times she was not allowed to move up the career ladder, despite her proven abilities. The final straw was in 1963, when the man hired by her assistant was put on double pay. After 25 years of work in direct sales Mary Kay quit her job.

“Then I realized that as long as men don’t believe that women can do anything, women will never have a chance.” ~ Mary Kay Ash

Creation of Mary Kay Cosmetics

Mary Kay decided to write a book to help women survive in a male-dominated business. Sitting at the kitchen table, she took out a yellow notebook and made two lists. One of them contained good things she saw in the companies she worked for; in another, she listed things she thought could be improved. When she looked at both lists, she realized that she had created your own dream project. Jobs where women can determine their own level of advancement and rewards, be their own bosses, and set their own work schedule so they still have time for their children. In just four weeks, her "book" became business plan.

“I envisioned a company where any woman could be as successful as she wants to be. Doors will be open wide for women who are willing to pay the price and have the courage to dream.” ~ Mary Kay Ash

But first she needed find a product. It had to be something that women could trust, that they could wholeheartedly recommend, and most importantly, a product that could be used and ordered over and over again. She knew that when people look good, they feel good because their self-confidence increases. And this idea made her start her way to success. Thanks to her savings of $5,000 and help from her 20-year-old son, Richard Mary Kay bought a skin softener recipe, set up a small storefront in Dallas, and hired a local manufacturer to create a line of skin care products. On September 13, 1963, with nine salespeople recruited from among her friends, Beauty by Mary Kay opened for business. From the very beginning, this mini-company was unique among direct selling companies. Instead of using high-pressure selling tactics, Ash instructed her salespeople (whom she called "consultants") show women how they can improve their appearance with Mary Kay products. Mary Kay knew that if women saw results, the products would sell. Its core value was simple - to live by the golden rule. She insisted that her consultants keep their priorities in in this order: "God, family, business".

The success of Mary Kay Ash and her company

By the end of its first year of sales, Mary Kay and her team had reached nearly $200,000 in revenue. A year later, she quadrupled her workforce and her sales force grew. from the original 9 to over 3000! The company entered the market in 1968 and began to grow rapidly in the 1970s, resulting in $100 million in product sales by 1979. The company's growth was fueled by a unique sales promotion system that rewarded women directly. The rewards included luxury items like mink coats, diamond rings and... of course... those crazy pink cadillacs that lead to the pinnacle of success. The giant annual sales conference or Seminar attracted thousands of consultants, each of whom listened and supported Mary Kay's motivational presentations. They have become legendary examples of corporate recognition and team spirit. Through the hard work of her consultants, she told them that any one of them could reach the prestigious position of National Sales Director while salary will be almost 1 million dollars. “I want you to become the highest paid women in America,” she said.

“If you imagine that every person you meet has a sign around their neck that says, “Make me feel important,” you will not only succeed in business but also in life.” ~ Mary Kay Ash

This is the strategy she called "praise people to success"… remains a core value for the company to this day. Mary Kay was the leader of the five levels - she ignited the spirit and imagination of people to create a powerful corporation. As of 2007, Mary Kay, which started at the kitchen table, has sold products for US$2.5 billion. And more importantly, over 1,700,000 women in 37 different countries gained financial independence, chasing your dreams thanks to the beliefs and visions of one incredible woman.
Mary Kay herself retired as chairman in 1987 and rarely appeared in public after 1996. But she watched the annual videos and followed her company. Mary Kay Ash died on November 6, 2001.

Confession

Throughout her life, Mary Kay, as a talented entrepreneur, has achieved recognition not only among women whose lives have changed, but also in the general world of business. She has opened doors for millions of women around the world to succeed on their own terms. Her accomplishments have left an indelible mark on American business and the many communities to which the company has donated endless time and money.

Mary Kay Celebrates 50th Anniversary

Mary Kay wrote three books, all of which became bestsellers. Her business model is taught at Harvard Business School. She has received numerous awards, including the Horatio Alger Award. Fortune magazine named Mary Kay Cosmetics one of the top ten companies for women and one of the top 100 companies to work for in America. When asked to name her greatest achievement, Mary Kay proudly replied:

"I think the biggest legacy we're going to leave behind is a whole community of kids who believe they can do anything in this world...because they watched their moms" ~ Mary Kay Ash

Success story of a woman working for Mary Kay

Conventional rules were of little interest to Mary Kay. She founded Mary Kay Cosmetics at 45, when most of her peers were sitting in chairs knitting, looking after their grandchildren and not thinking about conquering the world. And she chose a bumblebee as a symbol of her business: “From the point of view of the laws of aerodynamics, a bumblebee cannot fly. But no one told him about it, so he flies.”

One of the most successful business women of the 20th century wore pink to a ripe old age, abused makeup, and in communication alternated quotes from the Bible with incorrect statements, for which in our tolerant time she would have been eaten alive.

Little mistress of a big house

The efficiency of Mary Kathleen Wagner was not to occupy. She learned how to run a household even before she went to school. The girl's parents owned a small hotel 25 km north of Houston, but two years after her birth, her father fell ill with tuberculosis, ended up in a quarantine sanatorium for a long time, and the family business withered. A mother with four children moved to the city, got a job as a cook in a restaurant. Mary Kay looked after her father, who was sent home to die. Cleaning, cooking, standing by an overly high stove on top of an orange crate. “Mom gave instructions on the phone,” recalled Mary Kay. - She said: “Honey, take a large pot in which we cook soup. Put two potatoes and one onion in there...”. I thought all girls did that."

She graduated from high school with honors. She dreamed of going to medical school, but the Wagners could not afford the luxury of giving their children a higher education. It is unlikely that at that moment Mary Kay was very upset, because for most 17-year-old girls in the world there is nothing more important than the first "adult" love.

Ben Rogers played in the Hawaiian Strummers, was considered the neighborhood Elvis Presley, and worked at a gas station, waiting for worldwide fame to find him there. Marriage to a young Mary Kay changed little in his perception of the world. Ben continued to sing songs, willingly accepting signs of attention from admirers of talent, while his wife gave birth to two children in a row and thought a lot about the fact that she was unlikely to be able to breastfeed them until adulthood. Someone in the family had to take care of their daily bread.

Mary Kay began to take goods for sale in a bookstore. As soon as free time was given out, she went around the house and offered the same young parents educational books for their children. It turned out that she had an exceptional talent for direct sales. Mary Kay was trustworthy, knew how to listen, always smiled and looked happy, despite the concern for the children, anger at her husband, fatigue. The worse she felt, the wider her smile grew. Mary Kay was guided until the end of her days by the adage "Fake it until you make it" - pretend until you feel it for real.

In 1938, 20-year-old Mary Kay became an employee of Stanley Home Products. Books in heavy bags were replaced by household goods, presentations and parties for bored housewives from all over the area replaced the simple walk around the houses.

Five years later, she gave birth to a third child and accompanied her husband to World War II. Ben's return home in 1945 was anything but festive. “I was in the hospital,” recalls Mary Kay, who paid the price for years of heavy lifting with arthritis and varicose veins. - He entered the room and immediately said that he wanted a divorce. His new lover was eight months pregnant. No one would call our marriage successful, but this day was one of the most difficult in my life.

Winning Formula

The single mother of three couldn't afford to give up her job. Mary Kay saw this when she raised enough money to train as a doctor. A year later, she faced a choice - to leave the university or sell the house. Saying goodbye to the thought of a medical career, Mary Kay decided to realize her ambitions in business, but in 13 years at Stanley she rose to only the head of a department. The World Gift Company lured her away with the promise that in time she would take a seat on the board of directors. This took Mary Kay about nine years, but soon the male part of the council came to the conclusion that there was no need for a woman to have so much power. She was demoted, and the guy she taught was put in the vacant seat. Offended, Mary Kay decided that it was time for her to take a well-deserved rest.

A newly minted pensioner started writing a book about her experience in direct sales. After sketching out what was being done wrong and how to fix it, Mary Kay saw that instead of a book, it turned out to be a business plan for creating and developing a new company. The product was gone.

During her years at Stanley, she met the daughter of J. W. Heath, an Arkansas tanner who was fond of making beauty creams. The daughter continued her father's experiments: she handed out home-made creams to friends in hand-signed jars, collected reviews, and tried to improve the composition. Mary Kay, who has been using the remedy for over ten years, bought the rights to the formula for $500. She herself could not make any improvements, but her fiancé George Hallenbeck, by a happy coincidence, was a chemist. He willingly undertook to bring the creams to mind in the laboratory, establish production and provide start-up capital.

A month before the opening of Beauty by Mary Kay, George's heart stopped. He was married to Mary Kay for such a short time that he did not have time to rewrite his will. All accounts were instantly reset. Friends urged the widow to abandon the project, because with the death of George, she lost not only money, but also a respectable man who gave the cause solidity in the eyes of potential partners. "So what? retorted Mary Kay. - Mom always told me: "You can achieve anything if you want it badly enough and be ready to pay the price that fate will demand." If you can do something, you will do it. If you give up in advance, convincing yourself that you can’t do it, then you are right.”

Son Ben came to the rescue, driving freight trains for an oil company in Houston. He gave his mother all his savings and quickly sold off small assets, raising $ 5,000. And then he moved from his old place to her company for a salary three times less. In addition to Ben, the strong half of humanity in the leadership was represented by his 20-year-old brother Richard, who had previously planned to make a career in an insurance company. The rest of the Beauty by Mary Kay staff consisted of nine friends of the founder - the first recruiters of the future multi-million dollar army of "beauty consultants". The Dallas head office opened in September 1963. The entire range of products occupied one shelf: the day before, Mary Kay poured creams into jars by hand in her bathroom.

Mary Kay Ash and Mary Crowley at the Horatio Alger Awards, 1978

She built her business around direct sales. As the range expanded, it opened not stores across America, but offices where women were taught the basics of cosmetology and the art of making presentations. After that, beauty consultants worked independently, bought goods at the factory in bulk at half price, sold at retail in their cities, adhering to a schedule that was convenient for them. “In 1963, the fighters for gender equality were not held in high esteem,” said Mary Kay. - And yet I managed to give women opportunities that I did not have. I will never believe that at the time of creation, the Lord had in mind a world where a woman must work 14 hours a day to support her family.”

Gingerbread Philosophy

In business and in life, Mary Kay strictly adhered to three basic principles. The first is from the Bible: "Do unto others as you would like them to do unto you." According to friends, Mary Kay listened to any person, as if for her in the world at that moment there was nothing more important than his words. “Whoever came into her office, she never spoke across the table,” recalls one of the first employees. “I always sat on the couch next to me.” The consultants were allowed to bring together no more than six clients for a presentation, so that there was enough time to devote personal attention to each. “Imagine that all people have a sign on their chest: “Make me feel important,” Mary Kay taught. “Then you can find a common language with anyone.”

Her second commandment ordered to put faith in the first place, family - in the second place, work - in the third place. Mary Kay was very religious from her youth, financed the construction of churches, but flatly refused to agree with the thesis that the cosmetics she sold plunged women into the mortal sin of vanity. "Do you think the Lord has anything against the beauty and joy it brings?" Mary Kay asked. - Yes, makeup and clothes do not make a woman, but they raise her self-esteem, give self-confidence. And that makes a woman."

Mary Kay found family happiness in 1966 with an old acquaintance from the World Gift Company, Melville Ash, whose last name she bore until the end of her life. She named the engagement ring he gave him as one of her most prized possessions. The other two were a company and a house—not a $5 million, 30-room pink mansion, but the first modest house she bought with her own money and returned to in the last years of her life.

Mary Kay Ash (Mary Kay Ash, years of life 05/12/1918 - 11/22/2001) is an American entrepreneur, founder of Mary Kay Inc., specializing in the production and sale of cosmetics and skin care products.

In 2018, the company celebrates its 55th anniversary with excellent achievements: the company, which started as a small family business, now has over 2.5 million distributors of products in 40 countries around the world.

Based on their experience, the national leaders of the company called the first three points the most valuable and effective, as for the last point - it is generally fundamental. Mary Kay has repeatedly emphasized the distribution of prizes among her priorities:

Some facts about Mary Kay

• in 1968 it became public, the listing of shares took place on the over-the-counter market. The shares have been traded on the New York Stock Exchange since 1976. In 1985, as the share price declined, Mary Kay bought out a controlling stake for $450 million, turning Mary Kay into a privately run family company.
• in 1979 the turnover reached $ 100 million, over the next decade the figure doubled
• The Dallas plant's production lines operate 24 hours a day, 6 days a week. The enterprise occupies 131 thousand square meters and is capable of producing up to 1 million units of products per day
• in 2006, the second production plant is opened in Hangzhou (China)
• there are no separate dining rooms and showers for management at the head office

Let's take a closer look at the Mary Kay headquarters, because it reflects the nature of the company in the same way that Google's offices do.

Company head office

The number "13" Mary Kay did not consider unlucky, rather, on the contrary, because the store opened on September 13th. Gage Hunt, director of administration, confirmed that "13" "was Mary Kay Ash's lucky number. The Mary Kay building has 13 floors and 13 passenger elevators. No wonder her office and executive offices are located on the 13th floor.”

The headquarters in the new building opened in 1995. The head office structure was designed by a subcontractor and the interior was designed by Mary Kay Inc. The office is located at 16251 Dallas Parkway in Edison, Texas. Anyone can visit the Mary Kay Museum, the entrance to which is free - according to the museum's website www.MaryKayMuseum.com.

This architectural creation has over 10,000 windows and has won the title of "favorite city office building" for two years in a row. The boardroom was even used as a movie set during the filming of JR Returns (1996).

Women's happiness Mary Kay

Mary Kay was a feminine lady - she chose pink for her products.

She loved pink in clothes

…and drove a pink Cadillac.

A real "lady in pink"! Even her mansion in Dallas was pink.

Only in her third marriage did she find her female happiness. Mary Kay married retired Melville salesman Jerome Ash in 1966. She happened to outlive her husband - Mr. Ash died of lung cancer on July 7, 1980.

During her lifetime, American Mary Kay Ash was honored to be called one of the most successful women of the past century. Almost from scratch, she created a huge company, which today has offices around the world and continues to glorify her name.

Briefly about the biography

Since childhood, Mary Kay knew what poverty, lack of money and hard work are. Since the girl's father was seriously ill and could not support the family, her mother was engaged in this. For 14 hours a day, she worked in a restaurant, but still there was barely enough money for living. Housekeeping fell on the shoulders of the girl. As Mary later recalled, many of the household chores were too much for a small child. But no one focused on this, so she meekly did the work.
She received a dose of approval from her mother in the form of a short phrase: "Mary Kay, you can do it." And indeed, she could, especially when she became an adult woman.

Mary got married early. In marriage, she gave birth to three children, sent her husband to the front, and when he returned in 1945, he demanded a divorce. Left alone with the children, the woman stopped relying on anyone and got a job at Stanley Home Products. Working for a direct sales company with flexible hours allowed her to both earn a living and devote enough time to her children.

However, in 1963 there was a conflict at work. After she was promised a promotion, her student was appointed to this position, and even with a salary twice as much. The management argued this decision by the fact that a man would be better able to cope with the tasks. It was difficult for Mary to agree with this and she quit.

The birth of an idea

A break in work prompted the woman to the idea that her 20-year work experience should not be a dead weight. It can be very useful for women who want to build a career in direct sales. Therefore, she wrote the book Dreams Come True, in which she described all the difficulties that she had to face in the business field just because she was a woman.

In the course of writing the book, she did an interesting experiment. She divided a sheet of paper in two and wrote in one column that she had learned something useful while working in the company. The second part was devoted to the changes that need to be made to the company so that a woman can work comfortably in it. At the end of this work, Mary herself really wanted to work in such a company, it remains only to find it or wait for someone to create it. But soon another thought dawned on her - why not create it yourself? The concept of the company is already ready, it remains to decide what a woman can sell with pleasure? Of all the possible options, cosmetics were chosen.

Business Background

In the same year, she had the opportunity to get original recipes for creating cosmetics. By that time, she was using the skin care products of a girl whose father was a leather tanner. At one time, he noticed that the skin of his hands looks surprisingly young for his age. Especially when compared with the skin of the face. The man made the assumption that the whole thing is in the solutions with which he constantly works. He made some changes to the formulas of these solutions and began to use them for the face. The result really turned out to be on the face. And although others laughed at his desire to look younger than his age, his daughter took this idea into service.

She also carried out some modification of the formulas and began to make various lotions and creams. They were used by Mrs. Kay. She liked them so much that she bought their recipe from the tanner's daughter. After all, having such an effective tool, placing it in a spectacular package and using new marketing schemes, a great future opened up before her!

Starting a business

By the time the company was officially launched, the woman was already married for the second time. According to the plan, her husband was to completely take over the accounting issues. But just a month before the opening, he suddenly dies of a heart attack. However, the woman's dream was so strong that it did not stop her. Yes, and it is easier to recover from grief if you leave it for work.

At that time, she had only 4.5 thousand dollars and the support of loved ones. The latter meant a lot. So, the duties of the untimely departed husband were taken over by son Richard. At that time he was only 20 years old, but he already worked in a successful insurance company as a sales representative and earned twice as much as his mother could offer him. But he agreed to leave a reliable and promising place for her.

Kay turned out to be a completely non-superstitious woman and opened the doors of her company for the first time on the 13th on Friday. It was September 1963. At that time, the staff, in addition to her and her son, consisted of nine beauty consultants. Mary's second son soon joined the company and became a warehouse manager. As the entrepreneur later recalled, at first they worked at least 14 hours a day. This has been the key to the success of the company.

Business development

Since the main recipes bought by Mary Kay were related to skin care, the first line of cosmetics consisted of several basic products and was called "Basic". Over time, the range of products has expanded with decorative cosmetics. All goods were manufactured in Dallas at the factory of a private company. She was led by a person with excellent authority in the field of cosmetology. Over time, when the business expanded, Mary Kay opened her own factory in the same Dallas, and invited the son of a former partner to lead the production.

The company from the first days began to gain high momentum. So, for the first three months, the profit was 34 thousand dollars, in a year it managed to reach 198 thousand dollars. And after another year of operation, Mary Kay was able to earn 800 thousand dollars. .

The first entry into the international market dates back to 1971, when a representative office was opened in Australia. It was followed by Europe, Asia, North and then South America. Today the list of subsidiaries is huge and covers 35 countries of the world. The number of consultants involved reaches two million people, and the annual turnover exceeds $2.6 billion in terms of wholesale prices.

And even after Mary Kay herself left this world in 2001, the company continues to praise her name. However, now under the leadership of her son Richard.

The secret of success

It is easy to guess that the secret of the company's success is not only in the unique recipe and high-quality cosmetics. The entrepreneur has developed an excellent scheme for selling products, as well as encouraging consultants for good work. For example, in the early stages of development, successful consultants who became top sellers were given tailor-made suits and pink Cadillacs. By the way, since then, pink has become a branded color for the company.

Today, a set of incentive gifts in the company is called "Gifts for Cinderella". The basic principle of the formation of this fund is that it should include items that not every woman can afford, but for sure everyone dreams of them. These are vouchers for a prestigious vacation, jewelry made of precious metals with precious stones and much more.

In addition, consultants are constantly improving their skills through their participation in a huge number of master classes.