It all started with a tube of lipstick...

It all started with the desire for a new couch. Actually, it started long before that.

My journey to having my own Mary Kay business started about 18 or 19 years ago. I think I was still in college. A friend of mine had a Mary Kay facial party around her mom's kitchen table. And I tried Mary Kay for the first time. Being a cash-strapped college kid, all I could afford was a $10 tube of lipstick. But that was kind of a big deal for me, because I had never worn lipstick before. It made me feel a little more grown up and maybe gave me a little confidence that this moving into adulthood and the real world soon wouldn't be all that overwhelming.

Over the years I attended a couple of Mary Kay parties here and there. I would sit at somebody's kitchen table and learn some make up tricks, as well as the benefits of taking care of my skin. I started using Mary Kay skin care in my late 20s and have rarely used anything else. I've tried other products, but have always come back to Mary Kay because it works best for me.

I've never been super-fantastic at makeup. I've always kept it pretty simple. But a few years ago I realized that every single make up tip I had heard, or every bit of information I knew about make up - I learned it all at Mary Kay facial parties. And the things that I learned had stuck with me for a long time.

Anyone remember this Mary Kay compact back in the day? Yeah, I had one.
Then they switched them to silver and I had one of those too.

Several years ago (maybe over ten?) I went to a Mary Kay pampering night with a friend that is a consultant. It was a team meeting where the guests got to try product and the consultants received training. The Mary Kay opportunity was shared with the group of guests. And I remember something that whomever was speaking said. She was speaking about the benefits of a Mary Kay business and she spoke about how the product was consumable. She said, "It literally goes down the drain." Meaning that all of the great product that customers bought eventually had to be replaced and this creates an on-going relationship with customers. At the time, the Mary Kay opportunity wasn't right for me. But I tucked that little gem of a truth away and hung on to it for over nine years!

In the meantime, I started in direct sales with another company. It's where I got my feet wet in running my own business. I learned about goal-setting, leadership, customer service, determination, drive, consistency, learning to get the "no's" that eventually will get you to those who say "yes." And I learned it all while making money, reconnecting with old friends, earning a vacation to Cancun, and making new friends. But after about six years, I was ready to call it quits. Before I could end my business on my terms, the company unexpectedly closed its doors. And I decided to take a break from direct sales for a while.

Life moved forward. My husband and I were expecting our daughter when we sold our condo and bought a house for more space. I found myself with a nice family room in the basement and no furniture to put in it. We got some free hand-me-down furniture that got the job done, but I wanted new. And matching. I didn't want to finance, I didn't want to run up the credit card, I wanted to walk into a store with the money already in my pocket. So, I decided to work for it. I was already working a full-time job, but most of those earnings were already ear-marked for other things in our budget. If I saved up here and there when we had some extra money, it would take me a lot longer to save than if I just worked more to earn money faster. But I needed a part-time job that didn't have a manager dictating my schedule. I was ready to jump back into the direct sales game, cannon-ball style.

My reason for starting my Mary Kay business  - my new furniture
and the bag that started it all.

I thought about all of the home-based businesses out there. I knew of a lot. I had to been to lots of different kinds of parties, had many friends in direct sales, and willing support women in whatever their home-based business may be. There are a lot of good companies out there. But I kept coming back to Mary Kay. That little piece of information I had heard all those years ago about selling a consumable product was a tiny seed in my heart that was now starting to sprout a little. With my previous home-based business, I was selling non-consumable items. So I had a lot of "one and done" customers. They bought something and I never saw them or heard from them again.

Another reason I landed on Mary Kay was that I had used Mary Kay products for years and was always happy with whatever I used. And getting a 50% discount on something I bought on a fairly regular basis over the years was a perk that I just couldn't pass up. I had been paying 100% like a chump! :)

After thinking about it for several weeks, the desire to start a Mary Kay business was not going away. I spoke with my husband about it. I prayed about it. The desire continued to stick around. So, with a full-time job and a six-month-old baby, I had lunch with my friend who is a consultant and had taken me to that pampering night years ago. I asked her if I could sign up under her. My Sales Director tells me I'm the only person she's met who recruited herself into Mary Kay!

Holding a skin care class in the conference room of my full-time job.
Treated my co-workers to facials and lunch!

I've been building my Mary Kay business for a year now. I just hit my first anniversary. And I LOVE it. My very favorite part of my business is getting together with a few women around a kitchen table and teaching them about skin care. Seeing the surprise on their face on how a simple makeup routine of a little foundation, mascara, and lip gloss can give them a whole new look when their skin looks good...it gets me every time. I love that I can play a small part in helping women gain a little more confidence. When a woman feels she looks good, the beauty that so many have inside comes radiating out. I always say when I'm walking someone through a Mary Kay facial, "Looking good on the outside does you no good when you are ugly on the inside. This isn't about slapping on some makeup. It's not that superficial. It's about helping you feel like you are becoming the best "you", inside and out." Some women don't like to wear make up. And that's cool with me. But everyone should be taking care of their skin, because you don't get second chances with it. God didn't create us to never age - that's not His plan. But I can help slow down that aging process a little bit, if that's what someone is looking for. I can help someone protect their skin from the sun. I can help someone smooth out their skin. I can help someone get their skin looking fresh and bright. Introducing someone to that is my FAVORITE part of my job. If I can play a small part in helping women feel great and realize their potential, sign me up!

Another favorite aspect of my business is that my customers can try before they buy when they let me walk them through a facial. I also love that my company has a 100% satisfaction guarantee and that no one will end up with a drawer full of buying mistakes. If they don't like something, they can return it to me for a full refund. No risk. How many things in life are no risk? Not many!

Holding a skin care class around a picnic table at a
campground while on a family vacation!

Of course there isn't one company out there that will work for every single person. That company does not exist. For some people, Mary Kay might not be the product for them. And that's okay. But for so many women over the past 50 years, it has worked. And it keeps women coming back for more. Brand loyalty is strong with Mary Kay. I've been using it for about 18 years!

41 year old skin! Ready to head out to a Mary Kay event.

I'm not going to lie and say that everything this past year in my business has been 100% awesome. I've had to deal with a lot of emotional management when it comes to my business. Much more so than I ever did when I was with a different direct sales company. I have been disappointed by people. I may have shed a few tears. I have not always conquered my fears or procrastination when they have held me back. There are things I've tried with my business that have failed. There have been roadblocks what I have yet to overcome. There are parts of this Mary Kay business that put a spotlight on my weaknesses. But the good overwhelms the bad! I met my goal of buying a new furniture set. I had money in the bank when we had an unexpected home expense. I have met wonderful women at home skin care parties. I have made new friends with other consultants. I've learned about myself through training. I've learned new information on make up application (where I can always use improvement). I have received so much JOY from this business.

Mary Kay has been around for 50 years. And there's several reasons for that. It is a company that continually strives to keep up with new trends - this isn't your momma's Mary Kay of the 60s, 70s, and 80s! It's an innovative company. It's a company that instills family values and encourages women to grow in their faith (if that's their thing). It's a company that believes in treating others right - the Golden Rule is HUGE in the Mary Kay culture. It's a company that doesn't leave consultants in the dust - there is always ongoing training. I am so glad that I am a part of it and I eagerly anticipate where God will lead me through my Mary Kay journey!

That time the sandwich shop guy made me cry

I rarely go out for lunch during the work week. 99% of the time I bring my own lunch - pretty much leftovers or a salad made at home. But occasionally, I go grab lunch somewhere near my office because nothing at home appeals to me to bring for a lunch.

Several weeks ago my husband had to go to Indonesia for work. He had a connecting flight in Australia and had a bit of a layover there. While he was there, he used our joint credit card. Because of that, our account was flagged and frozen. It was unknown to me, as it happened in the wee hours of the night, back here in Wisconsin.

That morning I decided to have the rare treat of getting out of the office to grab lunch. There is a sandwich place just down the road from my office. And because there isn't really any "fast food" places near my office, this place is usually my default place to go. They do have good sandwiches. I've been there many times in the nine years I've been working at my office.

Just before lunch I was cleaning out my wallet and for reasons I don't remember, or can't even fathom what I was thinking, I took my cash and my bank card out of my wallet and set them on my desk. I really can't remember my reasoning. I think I was planning at stopping at the bank after work, but I don't know why I took my cash and card out. I rarely use my bank card, but always have it with me. Except this time.

I ordered my sandwich, chatted with the cashier a little, then handed over my card to pay. He told me my card was declined. Automatic panic from me. That is a horrible, sinking feeling. My first thought was, "Someone stole our information and maxed out the card." Then I remembered that my husband had a layover in Australia. I said to the cashier, "My husband is traveling home from Indonesia and I bet he used the card at his stop in Australia. It must have been flagged." In my heart of hearts, I was certain that was the problem. Then I remembered that I had taken my bank card and cash out of my wallet and I had NOTHING. Another sinking feeling. I was so embarrassed. I said, "I have no other card or cash. I can't pay for this." My sandwich was made by now and waiting for me at the end of the counter. "I have to leave my lunch here," I said. As I was saying these words the cashier reached in his back pocket, took out his wallet and swiped his card so fast that I barely had time to protest. "Don't worry about it," he said. "No," I said, "you don't have to do that." "Too late. I already did it." Tears instantly sprung to my eyes. Out of both gratitude and embarrassment. "No," I said through tears. I could barely look at him. "Yep," he said, "Have a great day." I whispered, "Thank you," because anything above a whisper would have been the sound of a crying mess. I kind of half nodded at the additional two workers behind the counter and said, "Thank you," without trying to look them in the eye too much. I was so embarrassed that I was so emotional over the whole thing. I was in a vicious cycle of embarrassment!

I have paid for strangers' meals before, but I have never had a stranger pay for mine. It was a random act of kindness that I'll never forget.