Leaving Mary Kay for a Real Job
When you first become a Mary Kay Consultant, you are told that the “real money” is in becoming a sales director. They flaunt the “high commission checks” and make you believe that these “high checks” are normal checks. (Note: They’re not. They’re one-time deals.) They encourage you to recruit your customers, drastically reducing the money you make. Instead of selling your customer $200 of products at retail pricing and potentially profiting $80 or so, you recruit the customer who places a wholesale order of $225 ($450 retail value) and you make a whopping $9 (your big 4% commission).
Does that make any sense? Of course not. But they tell you that by building the volume of people on your team, you eventually make it up. Especially because as a sales director, you have the opportunity to make up to 26% regular commission on unit order. (Newsflash: Even at 26%, you still would have made only $58.50 on that recruit’s order. You’re still in the hole.)
Every step of the way, they encourage you to move up the career ladder. They tell you that the BIG money is on its way. And yet, the truth is that the majority of sales directors don’t even make minimum wage. Out of 9,000 sales directors in the U.S., 5,100 make less than $16,800 a year. A tiny fraction of women in Mary Kay make decent money, and that seems to be enough to give women hope and keep them trying and spending money on inventory they don’t need, even though the hard statistics show that almost no one makes money in MLM.
It’s sad when someone’s efforts leave them empty-handed. But it’s encouraging when a woman is big enough to admit the failure of Mary Kay. Lana Teaford completed DIQ on July 31, 2019, and became a director on August 1, 2019.
On October 22, Lana announced that she had quit Mary Kay. They call it “stepping down.” What that means is that she likely didn’t make the minimum unit production of $4,500 wholesale per month for August and September, which automatically gets you kicked out of directorship. Even if she HAD made the minimum, her commission check each month would have been $1,170 maximum.
Lana said in the below Instagram post: “But when my family is struggling and not making enough money, you have to step back and take a reality check…. But now it’s time to grow up and help pick up the slack. Momma got a real job, with consistent income.”
That’s straight talk. A real job versus Mary Kay. Consistent income, something that is almost impossible as a MK sales director. Sadly, for most, directorship doesn’t provide enough income to sustain a family. Congratulations to Lana for this awesome life change!
Visit the
“now it’s time to grow up” Reality: Mary Kay, like all MLMs, is a pretend business like your Fisher Price play set store. No matter how many titles you fling around and affirmations you repeat … it’s just pretend.
The 2 words no Director ever wants to hear as an objection: consistent income. You can more dependable money working at Target than in MK. Truth!
Congratulations baby, you take care of you and your family & do whatever it is that you need to do!! Everyone in MK work so hard on trying to CONVINCE people that it isn’t a MLM when all the evidence is shown. You put in your all just for the people who are higher ups and then try to encourage you that if you want to do that, work harder. Then try to say “work at your pace” but when you do, it isn’t good enough and you need to “work harder”. I’m so happy for you.
August 19th: Two new Sales Directors take their oath??? Say what??? Talk about pseudo-religious manipulation!
“I solemnly pledge allegiance to the sisterhood that is Mary Kay and swear to keep its secrets of obfuscated truths from the ears of women I would recruit. I devote my heart, mind, and credit card limit to maintaining the security of my upline’s Cadillac, that she may walk the seminar stage on my behalf. I will tolerate no negativity and cast out all who would speak of this wonderful opportunity in less than glowing terms. All glory to Jesus for the cash that will soon be flowing my way! Thank you Mary Kay. Amen. So help me God.”
Here’s an earlier article quoting the NSD oath:
http://www.pinktruth.com/2007/08/25/mary-kays-national-sales-director-oath/
(Replying to myself to add a footnote): It turns out the above link is the first in a series on oaths, including a husband’s oath(!). Just start at the above link and page forward to see them all. Entertaining and creepy at the same time.
“new Sales Directors take their oath”
I was never in MK, but I recall seeing photos of an oath ceremony where the new directors were “pinned” while holding flowers and lighted candles in a dimmed room.
So, what happens if you break your oath? Seven years of bad luck?
You become even more “successful”!
I just want to point out, that I never made over $500 when in DIQ or Directorship. My first Director check was a little over $100.
They want studio rent ($100) gifts for new DIQs ($10) studio utilities ($43) and then a business trip ($165) Where is the profit?
It makes me feel better knowing I have the support of stepping down even from strangers because in Mary Kay they’ll make you feel so terrible when you do.
I was even unfollowed after posting I had bought Morphe setting powde, and removed from the Facebook unit page when I’m still an active consultant. But MK has a sisterhood right? HA! Only if you play by their rules.
Mrs.T, please return what inventory you can and cancel your MK number. You’ve seen how predatory and untruthful they are – why would you want to continue as a consultant? If you really love the products, you can get them for less than wholesale on ebay.
I can’t return my inventory can I? I’ve been in it longer than a year. I’m not placing any more orders but I’m still technically “active”
You can return anything you ordered in the last year. Sales directors are notorious for telling you that you can only return inventory within your first year of signing up. That’s false. You can return any inventory purchased within the last year, no matter when you signed up.
WOW! See I never knew that. So many lies.
I was told the same thing, too. But, you do have 1 year since an item was ordered, not just when you submitted your agreement.
I was told that lie as well and only found out on here that it was a rolling year that I could get 90% back on.
Send what you can back and then do a happy dance when you get your cheque in the mail! We’ll be dancing with you!
And, when I was a new consultant some of my new products already had a director’s sticker on them! You know, those “to re-order, call _________” stickers. It had her title as Sales Director. Just sayin’ so you know you’re not the only director to return her inventory.
Mary Kay Corporate says that returned inventory is destroyed. Y’know, to comply with health code laws and all that. Any previously sold and returned product carries a high risk of having been improperly stored, spoiled, or contaminated.
Getting products with another consultant’s label attached is proof positive, again, that Mary Kay Corporate lies to its consultants to increase their own profits.