How can someone honestly believe that God brought her more Mary Kay wholesale orders on the last day of the month?

Sales director Auri Hatheway was the queen of Emerald seminar in 2006. She gave a speech full of religious references. The story she told about her childhood is, admittedly, very inspiring and heartwarming. But the preaching about how God helps make Mary Kay wholesale production overshadows it and is sick.

Excerpts from Auri’s speech:

In this loud and fast-paced life it takes focus and energy to stop and listen. I challenge all of you to stop, focus and listen. Life is a journey, not a destination and the same is true of this million dollar year. I did not arrive. I traveled. Along my path, I learned to listen. Some days I only heard a whisper of His voice. And then there were, perhaps when I needed it the most after that third skin care class on a Saturday or after a cancellation that His lovely voice would tell me, “Auri, go out and get it done. This million is yours. I have a throne reserved with your name on it.”

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I knew on July 1st of last year what I needed to change in order to reach my goal. I needed to take Him as my business partner.

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I was frustrated with my results, with my production, with my bookings. Then one day, out of mere exhaustion, it hit me. I had been praying all year, God please help my unit be number one. Then it dawned on me. Why would I ever want Him to help us be number one if it wasn’t what He wanted? My goodness, I had been so selfish in my desires that I had not taken the time to as Him what He wanted. My prayer quickly changed. God, let Your will be done. I ultimately want what You want. I want to have Your heart and Your desires.

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While our unit goal this year was to complete the million dollar circle of excellence, my true desire was to be able to reach out and touch the lives of others just like myself. You see today is a celebration of many things but it is mainly a public celebration of the love that my Lord and my Father has for me.

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Like many of you, our small family was faced with much adversity in those early years. My mom worked in the maintenance department of a private Christian school so that we could have a free private education. This was perhaps the best decision she could have made because that school became my salvation and my sanity.Our home life was difficult. Prior to my father’s incarceration, he had mortgaged our home three times to support his drug dealing business. I remember in 1985 our mortgage was a little under $1,000. Now for those of you that don’t remember the 80’s, the average mortgage was $300. Translated into today’s terms, a $3,000 mortgage. What would a single mom with a fixed income of less than $20,000 annually with 3 small children do?

Remember her first step was down. On her knees. And she prayed, and then she set out to work. We started cleaning houses Monday through Friday. After school I would get busy on my homework and by 5:00pm we would leave the school to set out to clean a house. We would get home around 10 or 11:00pm every night. It was hard and we were tired.

Because of my mom’s determination we always had a roof over our head and food to eat. We never lived in the projects so I was able to see a better was of life. How simple would it have been for her to claim bankruptcy? Instead she chose the road less traveled, drew a line of excellence and lived above it. She paid back every last penny my father so carelessly wasted on drugs.

Growing up I remember seeing students in my school pulling up in their expensive cars while we walked to school. I dreamed that one day my mother would not have to walk anywhere again. I dreamed of a better life for my family.

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I set out last year with the deliberate goal of being a million dollar unit and here we are. God was preparing me in those early years for this position. So that somehow, through my testimony and His strength you would be raised up today. I was not qualified for the position, but God does not call the qualified. Instead, he qualifies the called.

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This year had a slow start, but because we were working full circle and I was leading by example, it all began to roll in this last quarter. February ended with $25,000 in production, and in March we ended with $50,000. Then in April we had our best month ever with $60,000. May was a bit more difficult and I was praying for his will with the desire in my heart that we would hit $60,000. It was the day before the month ended and we were sitting at $45,000 without a penny more to go. We were done and I knew my unit had done all we could.

So I thanked God for his blessings and faithfulness and began to prepare for June. On the last day of May… All the way home I thanked God for her, my family, my unit and my business. I also thanked Him for an amazing month and was grateful for all He had done… Have you ever felt God’s grace fall on you? I got home around 2:00pm and then at 4:00pm the phone began to ring. Someone had an order and then another and yet still another. The phone didn’t stop till midnight. We finished our best month ever with over $61,000. That is the power of God. Not a penny more turned into $16,000 in just 10 hours.

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In the end, we finished June as our best month ever with over $90,000 and 47 new team members. Half our production came from our base unit and the other half from our new team members.

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With God first, this year our unit goal is $1.2 and NIQ. Our theme for 2007 is W.O.W. – “Walking on Water”. In order to experience the impossible, you must step outside your comfort zone or your boat and learn how to walk on water. Take God as your business partner and let your faith and focus guide you to the seminar stage in 2007 where we will be celebrating you.