A Director’s Letter to Her Former Unit
Written by A Former Director
I pray this note finds you well and working toward your goals!! By now, you have received word both from Mary Kay Inc., and our Executive Senior Sales Director advising you of the change in our unit status. While I’m sure this comes as a surprise to you, it has been a while in coming for me.
There are monthly quotas each unit must meet, or at least meet every other month. Our unit has not been making our minimum production regularly for at least the last 12 to 18 months. For the first time since our unit was formed 17 years ago, we missed production 3 consecutive months which is grounds for cancellation of the Director’s agreement.
While I could have easily gotten an exception from the company because of our clean record and history of great production, I opted not to do so. This was a decision that came with tears, prayer and much consideration. It was not an easy decision after 17 years of devoted attention to a dream, but I knew it was the right decision.
I have been in disagreement with the direction I have seen the leadership of the sales force heading for the last couple of yearrs. And in examining my motives as an active leader in this company have felt very convicted and called to take a personal stand against it. This may seem very vague to you, but suffice it to say, that I have seen such greed and unethical recruiting and business practices by other leaders that I never imagined would take place in Mary Kay. And in self-examination related to these issues, I found myself becoming part of it, if not merely guilty by association, and I didn’t like it.
So, I made the decision to pull back, pray thru my future with Mary Kay, quit pushing my unit to recruit, recruit, recruit and see where we landed. And as I suspected, when the pressure is off everyone seems to settle into what is comfortable for them, which is all I’ve ever really wanted, but that doesn’t produce numbers necessary to maintain a company car or a unit. God’s timing on the decisions that I was led to make also came at a time when my husband began a new job in which I felt he needed my full support. I gladly offered that to him knowing it would mean I couldn’t be gone at night without shuffling our son off to a babysitter, or missing all of the evening activities he is involved in, neither of which I’ve ever done and didn’t want to start doing now.
So, here I am with you. A Mary Kay Beauty Consultant. Maybe a Team Leader or Future Director! It’s all good! I am still here to help you, offer advice, ideas or most anything you may need from me. I just won’t get the unit commission check anymore, and that’s a-okay with me. Now I’ll be there for you just out of the goodness of my heart with no ulterior motive……..and that feels GOOD!!! At this point I’m keeping my clientele. Beyond that I’m still unclear. I’ve been substitute teaching since the fall and truly enjoy that………..again beyond that I’m still unclear.
Thank you from the bottom of a hugely grateful heart for all of the support, team-spirit, love and memories that you have been part of in one way or another at some point over the years!! Maybe we’ll do it again when the smoke has cleared, and the Company rectifies the issues I addressed with them upon my resignation! That would be great fun!
For now, my phone number is still the same!! I still want to hear from you, and look forward to seeing you!! Really, if you have any interest in more detail or have any further questions about this change I’d be delighted to talk with you about it. You know I love to talk!! 🙂
Visit the
Bullshit.
God did not lead you to this choice. You finally realized the cycle of recruiting is evil.
God would not guide a MK consultant (to put others in debt)
I can’t. I can’t. I can’t with this.
Yeah, I see someone who is really in denial. Rationalizing why she’s not a director anymore, and hoping to come back. Because most things are still amazing, the company use needs to make a couple changes. It’s sad, really.
‘Completely agree. She’s in some serious denial, but the light is beginning to dawn! “People are like clocks, some run fast, some slow and others on time” This was quoted by a Psychiatrist to my parents in connection with the learning troubles of my little sister when she was diagnosed with Asperger’s, a form of Autism. For many, awareness and change is slower than desired by those observing and sometimes all that is possible are ‘baby steps’ in the process. Of course, as with addicts some never ‘hit bottom’ and accepting this in the face of tragedy can be a challenge.
Certainly a couple of big changes are needed; so much so that DSA’s ethics are an area this attorney has been concerned with for some time, see: https://thompsonburton.com/mlmattorney/2017/10/31/federal-anti-pyramid-bill-hr-3409-good-enough/#more-2531 Note: The Bill, HR 3409 is not good enough in my opinion because there remain ‘too many holes’ as far as regulations concerning the main areas of concern including much needed guidelines addressing actual sales to customers unaffiliated with a distributing company, disclosures related to ratios of activity/lead generation by distributors to sales(including ‘numbers’ data per earnings ranges using various forms including prospecting by phone, face to face and with various media, especially company generated marketing materials that reps. purchase from a company) refund policies for all inventory that need to include provision especially for product that is obsolete due to a ‘new and improved’ version that resellers are unable to resell within for example, as little as a 3 month period or 90 business day period (which is a little longer)product inventory. Anyone reading ever work at a retail store? Product goes back to vendors or, in the case of toiletries/cosmetics, some brands are outright discarded by the retailer if they don’t sell within a period of time (this was true when I worked rotating departments for the holidays at a big name department store while in high school-we had a ball snagging ‘free’ Estee Lauder, Lancome, Dior etc. out of a box the manager said was ‘Destined for the dumpster’ along with the huge supply of hangers etc. from other departments at that time)
There are so many opportunities for unethical practices with MK and others like them and it is all linked to policies, omissions in contracts and poor regulations as regards inventory, actual sales to unaffiliated customers, marketing support(more like ‘lack thereof-companies in the MLM space are famous for ‘nickel and diming’ reps for marketing material and samples that cuts into profitability in amounts that in mainstream sales opportunities do not happen! Even when I sold Kirby vacuums one summer the owner provided the materials and transportation so we could sell!) and/also, companies such as MK’s commission structures that tie compensation to wholesale product ordered by reps are being used. When clear regulations are enacted, expect to see one of three things happen: MLM companies will dissolve, adapt for a short time or thrive with a return for some to ‘territorial’ business structures for representatives.
Sooner or later I’m guessing that new laws will evolve to address these areas of little to no regulation. It may include strict requirements where tracking and reporting of actual product sales to unaffiliated customers are used in connection with compensation structures with such reporting to include copies sent to a regulating body, sort of like Edgar/ https://www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml , but for direct selling companies. Requirements for companies to completely refund or exchange (for same number of ‘new and improved product of like kind’) within the year of an inventory purchase discontinued product with free shipping with tracking to return and with technology, rapid manufacturing and shipping capabilities are improving so much so that eventually near real time manufacture with overnight shipping could completely eliminate the need for inventory stocking along with the ability to engage in unethical inventory stocking to ‘maintain an MK Unit/position in the MK heierarchy’ not defined by actual sales to unaffiliated customers.
In closing, while the woman writing the letter is rationalizing, her realization of unethical practices and willingness to stop it is a small but significant step in the right direction. As far as direct sales vs. MLM it appears the truth is becoming more broadly known and change is coming.
Don’t be fooled. Kevin Thompson, the MLM attorney guy, is a complete whore to MLM companies. The bill in question is not good. But his only interest is protecting MLMs from possible legal action. He doesn’t have the welfare of consumers in mind.
And he’s not the only one. Doing a search and typing in ‘MLM Attorney’ pops up a bunch of them catering to MLMs!
Sad that because most people do not read fine print and usually do not understand contract law they can be easy prey for the types of shenanigans that MK recruiters perpetuate compelling through suggestion the ordering of inventory absent levels of customer demand that would mean an honest sales rate where inventory once ordered and received is sold within a month.
PS:FYI for all reading, did you know that in marketing a 3% response rate that leads to sales is is considered ‘effective advertising?’
I am not a religious person- but I used to be. I also think it is dangerous to ascribe every choice or path in life to God….but- from her point of view…God takes you where you are and leads you to a better place when you are ready and willing.
It would be highly unlikely that any super intelligent, non dimensional entity unbound by, and existing outside of, time and space, while being the cohesion of all multi-verses, gives a rats ass about how much lipstick you sell….but what do I know?
Agreed. I can’t imagine, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant,” being about how much one sells (aka orders).
Here’s one I’ve often heard when they’re looking for new “leaders”, new Red Jackets, new SDs:
“The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.”
Raisinberry,
Occam not hokum has always made more sense to me.
Raisinberry: Too true. Not when they’re busy trying to get their followers understand that NFL players kneeling aren’t an insult to Its Holy Omnipotence.
I decided to pull back = We didn’t make production and I lost the unit
I hate the covering up.
Maybe we’ll do it again when the smoke has cleared, and the Company rectifies the issues I addressed with them upon my resignation! That would be great fun!
She’s still telling herself that she resigned, and expects the company to pay attention to “the issues I addressed.” The fog is thick around this one. She has spent so many years telling herself that MK makes her feel special that she doesn’t know she’s been s**t on.
The truth is that her “issues I addressed” mean nothing to the company. All they see is that she was one Director among several thousand, who was a bare minimum performer for a long time. All they see is the money, and she wasn’t bringing in enough for them to notice. In the end, she was earning so little for them that it wasn’t worth keeping her on.
So they dumped her. But telling herself that she “resigned” helps her to avoid confronting the brutal truths. Those truth is that her “make me feel special” was just a hollow lie. Any “thanks for your feedback” she got was just an empty platitude designed to make her go away quietly. The truth is that the company only cared about the money, never about her, and never about her “issues I addressed.”
This is going to sound like the most egregious form of sucking up, and I may have said this in the past, but (sigh) Tracy, Raisenberry, MLM Radar, and all the rest of the founders, admins, and long term commenters – please don’t ever stop because you all are my heroes! I landed here years ago, not because I was in the pink fog, but because I was trying to find info on countering Avocare (POS MLM that sucked my sister in). I’ve lurked ever since, enjoying seeing you call out MK bots on their $**t time and again and not backing down.
Neil Gaiman in his book “Anansi Boys” describes everyone’s “secret song” – the tune they march to that guides their lives. There is a police detective (Daisy), whose secret song is “Tum de Dum Dum Dum, Evil Doers Beware!!” Reading that for the first time I thought, “how did he figure out MY personal song?” (I’ve spent my career doing audits & investigations of public programs and love nothing more than busting BS Artists with God on their lips and hands in the till). After spending a few hours here over the holiday weekend, I realized that you also must spend at least some (or most/all) of your lives marching to the tune as well.
So thank you for your dedication, and may you never get tired of marching to this song – tum de dum dum dum, Evil Doers Beware!!
I appreciate your kind words. We’ve been at it for over 11 years, and it gets old. The company is using the same tactics (with some dressed up names), and sometimes it seems like women don’t want to listen. But our visitor numbers are as strong as ever, so there is obviously a need for this information. In the beginning, I committed to keep this site running into infinity. I have no plans to change that!