Mary Kay lady??
If you know me, that would be the absolute last thing you would think I would do in my infinite spare time. Yes, I am a Mary Kay Independent Sales Consultant (and an Advanced Color Consultant, at that!).
What? How? Well, my lovely cousin, Vanessa Parkey, got me hooked on the products while I was at Tech. And she sold them to me at cost. Like a drug dealer getting a kid addicted to crack. And then she pulled the old, "I need a new consultant, either sign up or start paying full price" routine. That was in 2004, and I've sold enough to get my 50% discount ever since (read: I ordered once or twice a year and kept my friend, mom, and sister-in-law with their supply).
Then in June, she told me it had been a year since I ordered and I was going to become inactive if I didn't order. That got me thinking.....
- Maybe I should see if a few more of my friends would like to order something?
- What if I actually start selling and make a little extra cash?
- What if I sell enough to make a big order every month (instead of every 3 months)?
- What would it take to replace part of my salary so I could go part time?
- I wonder if I could get to that point in a years time?
And I talked to Vanessa about it. Her answer to all the questions: absolutely!! And she offered to help get me back on my feet with training and selling tips and even coached me what to say (of course, the better I do, the better she does as my director). So slowly but surely, I've been building up my customer base, my inventory, and my sales knowledge. I have a website, business cards, and a pro-pay account.
Two things drew me to explore Mary Kay as a business opportunity. First, the slogan
"God first. Family second. Career third."
a mantra established by Mary Kay Ash. Isn't that how it should be? Isn't that the opposite of my current life, and why my time feels so unevenly distributed? Another tag line:
"Discover what you love."
is written on all the propaganda, from the boxes, to the catalogues, all over the website. It was like a dare to re-prioritize me life, to find a means towards and end. I talked it over with Scott, and we decided I would go for it, knowing my life would be a little busier until I reached my earning goals, and then we would use my MK income to replace what I would loose if I went part time. So while life has prevented me from expanding as rapidly as I wanted to, I have made some progress, held several successful parties, and increased my income. A few things have surprised me though about starting this business. 1. This is fun! It's awesome to see someone try a product they love or get excited about how beautiful they look after a facial. 2. I have yet to make anyone cry- like I do almost daily at my other job (not because I'm mean, I'm just the bearer of bad news and the grim reaper). Ladies are usually laughing and cutting up and enjoying themselves. 3. I get to have girl time and meet new people- something you just don't get the luxury of doing as a working mom.
And now, the sales pitch (you knew it was coming!) If you are interested in hosting a party (can be as few as 2-3 of your friends), having a one-on-one facial, or want more information about the Mary Kay opportunity, please visit my website and contact me via message. Hope to meet you soon!
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