1. “I am certain you know to always stand when a National Sales Director or Director is introduced. These women have earned our respect.”

   I just threw up in my mouth a little.

   This reads like something out of a medieval caste society. Are they supposed to avert their eyes also? No wonder this company is twisting in the wind, treating all their IBOs like second-class citizens who don’t know how to dress or comport themselves in public.

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   • Yeah, they have “earned” respect by LITERALLY scamming thousands of women in the downline out of money.

     • And remember people RUNNING to their seats so they could save them for their units? I just knew the production crews were always making fun of them.

       • “running to save seats”

         Like junior high-school girls, not professional business-women.

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   • To stand in recognition of an NSD is prime cult like behavior. Yes, please stand to show respect to your leader as a sign of how fortunate you are to be forking over your savings to this unethical woman. What’s with the no alcohol rule? More control over everyone I guess.

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2. Hello MK the 60’s are calling. No wearing pants really. I think telling women what to do 60 years later is why this company will eventually fade into the sunset. As to the NSD’s with their Narcissism, silly BS I stories (One in my neighborhood told her story of destitution where she could barely afford a Christmas tree for her children and then voila magically she’s an NSD). Funny thing though she mentioned focusing on MK because of a husband she found. That well off husband gave her the chance to play MK while he supported her. She was in a brand new city that had 3 directors. That’s why she was able to become an NSD thirty years ago. Once I had heard the other NSD stories, I quickly learned just how fake it all was. Sure going to Career Conference means more indoctrination. It also means seeing the true picture of just how deceptive this all is. I left the last Conference facing reality that everyone was really “Faking It Till They Made It”. When women are receiving awards for holding one facial or selling the odd product, then something is seriously wrong. Come back to bookings. Bahaha…absolutely no one wants to book a MK facial or party anymore. MK turned those NSD’s into some kind of mini celebrity just for recruiting. Such a sad business model. 🙁

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   • Yes! I was stunned when I got my first Applause Magazine and saw how little they really were making compared to the cost of their business. A VAST majority aren’t making much and to make Queen of Sales or whatever it’s called and you have only ordered $20,000 of product? That means it’s only like $10,000 of income if it all sold at retail price? That was a big clue to me that something was way way off.

     • MK’s court of sales is $40k retail/ $20k wholesale.

       Some areas do “princess” courts which are $20k retail / $10k wholesale. THis is done because so few do the national court, and they need to make it look like more people are successful.

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3. I remember back in the late ’80s/early ’90s registering my consultants for Career Conference. There was no Internet registration, so to make sure my unit got seats, I had to get on the phone before the lines even officially opened. Both sessions of our location (Baltimore) was always sold out by about 10:00 in the morning.

   Now there are over 400 seats still to fill? Whomp, whomp.

4. NSD = Narcissistic Scam Director

   The first half of those instructions sounds like what our high school band director tells our kids before every trip: you are representing ABC High School, be on your best behavior.

   And NayMKWay nailed it on the head with the second part. Nothing but a caste system that is positively feudal.

   It just shows how MK diminishes and demoralizes their IBC’s by treating them like young children with such specific instructions on how to behave, what to wear, whom to worship, etc. Can someone explain to me how that is actually “empowering” women? (That was a rhetorical question, btw)

5. Wow … I know they will blame it on COVID-19, but anyone who misses the indoctrination has a better chance of breaking free of the pink swamp.

   • Until the virus runs its course, the absolute last place I’d want to be is at any event where I’m sharing a bed, or even a room, with a stranger.

     Real businesses offer this kind of event via video conference. Real businesses don’t need to get their participants into a crowd fever “gotta order order order” mindset.

   • interesting how the spanish only locations are some of the most sold out. More evidence how MLMs target minorities. gross

6. I found the ‘host NSD’ lists interesting. I attended two of these events when I was a consultant, and was under the impression that the NSDs were divided up throughout the events and every NSD attended/hosted at least one CC. I know the number of CCs has been reduced significantly over the years, but some NSDs are ‘hosting’ at two different events, so that’s not the only reason for the absence of several NSDs, including Dacia and her offspring, Auri Hatheway. It can’t be the top X number of NSDs, because Leah Lauchlan is listed at the Cincinnati event as the #1 NSD, and i know she is far below Dacia (and Auri, I believe) in production.

   • They try to place the NSDs geographically close to their homes or Areas, and then they’re ranked by commissions out of the other NSDs at that conference location. Since there are fewer CCs this year, it’s likely not all NSDs will be utilized at them.

     Atlantic City has ALWAYS sold out, just as Atlanta has. Yet, they’re not this year. This is a crystal clear picture that MK is hurting right now!

     • And I won’t buy the coronavirus excuse that inevitably will be used. These conferences should have been sold out WEEKS ago, before anyone was worried about domestic travel and gatherings.

7. Leah would be the #1 at the event out of the hosting NSD’s, not all of MK.

   I think the NSD’S take turns each year of who is hosting our just visiting. When I used to go they would have all the Nationals that were attending recognized at the beginning but then after that only the hosting NSD’s would speak.

   Some years NSD’s would host, others they do not just, it just depends on how they are picked. My nsd said that they list the cities that they want to attend and MK corporate does their best to give them those cities. Probably where they have a working team memeber or something.

   I don’t know how the rotation works because my former nsd has 1 director now (yes, she’s a senior sales director with the nsd title) but she hosted a career conference last year (not sure about this year).

   • Is your former NSD an old school one who is under the old rules… where you don’t have to meet any requirements to keep your title?

     • New rules. I’m not sure, but it’s been over the 3 years (maybe even 4 or 5) and she’s still listed as a NSD.

       • Interesting. The rules say to stay NSD you must have at least 8 first line directors or earn $250k per year (Diamond Circle) in commissions. Care to share her name?

8. Something is up with the NSD list. Gloria appears at the one nearly sold out, which means she can command an audience. The NSDs are rated and ranked at each hopping city appearance and moving up or down on the 1 through 4 list. The venues are smaller, for example in Colorado used to be at a downtown Denver conference center, now moved 150 miles south to a ritzy hotel. Big bucks are needed for rooms! Notice the fortenberrys’ – man they made up the ladder quick, wink wink. I see Lisa Madsen is on at one venue. The normally appearing NSDs seem to be withering out…….could it be a slow exit has been employed by several and they are not allowed to appear at CC? Something is a foot. CC was to show where the elite was at the last qtr of the MK year. CC benchmark, still is but the bar has been lowered. Directors must be scrambling is and those who aren’t only a few more months. Hey corporate, most of your peeps can’t afford inventory and paying retail taxes on your shix any more.

9. I’m sorry. If I’m going to spend hundreds of dollars to attend a conference, I’m going to do whatever I feel like doing during my off time. If that includes having a cocktail in the evening, that’s my business. Not what sounds like a Girl Scout troop leader’s. If my director was the one signing my paychecks, maybe I’d follow her rules. But, since I’m supposedly a BOSSBABE and am the CEO of my business, I’m going to do what I feel like doing when I’m not listening to someone lecture me to buy more product.

   I noticed one of these rah-rah sessions isn’t too far from me. Maybe I’ll print out a bunch of Pink Truth business cards and hang out in front of Meydenbauer Center. Or, go into the parking garage and put them on windshields-LOL! There’s a great Mexican restaurant right down the street that makes killer margaritas!

   • Lol. I’m not a big drinker. But after being in a room full of delusional MK Consultant Woman, lieing, manipulative, Brainwashing, MK Directors, I do enjoy a drink, or 2. Especially at lunch time, to keep me going for the rest of the conference.
     I can not believe how many woman buy into the scam of becoming a MK millionaire. When you talk to most accountants, MK Consultants are in the whole. Then these Directors, push, push, buying Inventory. “Fake it till you make it!!” Ummm Ya… No!! I am not putting my cart before the horse!!
     Testers are the only items you need to buy. If Customers can see it, they are more likely to buy it. If you can try it, you are more likely to sell it. But to who?? All these aggressive, greedy, pushy, MK consultants, and MLM businesses, are scarring all potential customers away. Making it even harder to just be a honest, truthful, MK seller.

   • Love your idea!! I’ve genuinely thought of having mk breakaways bags in my car to put on cars I see. You know, a little note that says ‘it’s not your fault you were lied to. (Followed with more convincing words).’ Chocolate and $5 to help them get back on their feet ?

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   • Girl Guide Leader here. At adult only events, we are allowed to drink, as long as we don’t get plastered and that we are not in charge of kids. The only one who is not allowed is the designated first aider. Guess who is never the first aider 😉

     The not wearing pants used to drive me, so I wore leggings under my skirts, (yeah Im a rebel). and the not moving. I used to stand up and move around. Being stuck sitting for over an hour kills my back and my attention span

10. This site has me a bit fascinated, I never realized Mary Kay was quite this….interesting. At any rate, I noticed one of these conferences is in Colorado Springs, where through my extremely brief experience, I am aware of a couple of people.
    I am curious, why would an NSD (I think that’s the correct term) invite her out of state people to travel an event she hosted right before this other big event where they’d be in Colorado anyway?

11. I think it’s absolutely hilarious in Colorado career conference is always been held in Denver and now they reduced it to Colorado Springs? And at the Broadmoor no less do you know how expensive it is to stay at the Broadmoor and then to look at the numbers where they have 439 seats still open? I’m actually doing a happy dance because Mormor people are realizing how awful Mary Kay is and I can’t wait till everybody quits and nobody wants to do it anymore it’ll be so exciting never to see a pink Cadillac again for Mary Kay and never to hear those words again!!!

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    • In my moderately sized West Virginia town, I’ve seen only one pink Caddy in seven years (thank God). But yesterday I saw a large white SUV with simply “Monat” across the back window and figured right away it was some type of MLM. Looked it up and yes it is, disgustingly high priced hair care products. Sadly, for every huge MLM like MK and Amway there are so many others waiting to scoop up the big MLMs’ “failures”. So sad!

      • I’m from WV too. Only pink cadillac I knew of was Peggy Matish in Clarksburg. She was going for National when I stepped out. Last I checked, she’s down to 1 barely active offspring director. Looking back, I see how naive I was at 18. My director had a forbidden section of her house full of inventory. I once asked to use her restroom; I’m sure you can imagine the look on her face. I now realize she and a few others were likely making ends meet from life insurance policies of their deceased spouses (Our line was comprised of mostly older women). But at 18, I thought there were rolling in money. In reality, they all ended up returning to former professions.

12. Well, well, well… Nebraska used to have CC alternating between Omaha and Des Moines with an occasional KC when Gillian Ortega was a thing. Closest one I see this year is in Topeka? TOPEKA? Wow. Nancy Osborne (who I can’t wait to see crash and burn) is there. Wow… This is fun to watch. And MK needs to call it off, it’s too dangerous for travel and as someone said above, sharing a room with 3 to 6 strangers. Plus, if I remember correctly, the Friday meal is on the consultants with breakfast on Sat provided? Seems to me it ends after lunch? Which is also not provided. It’s been awhile so I may be wrong about that.

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    • Now that I think about it, my unit brought yogurt and bagels for breakfast on Sat that we ate in my “suite”

      Narrator: It was not a suite.

    • Is the sharing a room thing because everyone is so broke from buying product they’ll never sell? Or, one of MK’s ‘sisterhood’ things? If you had the money to have a room to yourself, could you? Or, do you have to share unless you’re a director or higher? The whole caste thing is so bizarre to me.

      • You don’t have to share. Everyone who shares does so because they can’t afford their own room.

        So… directors who share? They will tell you “oh we’re never in our rooms anyway so why not.” But the truth is they’d have their own rooms if they could afford to do so.

        • At my old CCs, held in Nemacolin Resorts, we were told we had to share because our area could only secure x number of rooms for a discounted rate. In reality they probably could only afford to reserve x number of rooms based on the handful of people who paid in the first tier of pricing. Nothing beats instant eggs to soak up the sadness in your soul each morning.

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        • I had two separate jobs as a sales rep for a manufacturer (meaning legit, territory-guaranteed sales positions with nice salaries, benefits, etc).

          In my first (mattress industry), we ALWAYS had private rooms for sales meetings. In my second (giftware), I was jarringly introduced to the “shared room” concept on my first trip two weeks in.

          Once I understood how things worked, I was able to request a private room (by offering to pay the difference for it, though I was never required to). The biggest difference between these two companies? The gender difference in sales rep populations. The first job was male dominated, and while of course the (few) women wouldn’t be forced to share a room with a male rep, even the guys got single rooms. But the second job was heavily female and also had a significant number of higher level women who had old school MLM experience. With MK, it’s like since the “sales force” is female, they can dictate that they share rooms because it’s a sisterhood and a slumber party. This does not happen in other industries and with legitimate companies.

          • Yeah, no. We’re adults. Adults don’t share rooms unless it’s a planned recreational activity. (i.e. You’re going on a trip with friends and decide to do that for whatever reason.) For business? No. Never. If the company can’t afford to give you your own hotel room, they have no business sending you on a business trip.

          • I worked for 2 non-profits, the Boy Scouts and Junior Achievement. When I went to trainings for both organizations, participants were required to share rooms. Your roommate was always someone of your same position from another council or area that you did not know. Additionally, at the Boy Scout trainings, you were encouraged not to have a vehicle of your own and were highly encouraged to not leave the hotel. It was kind of similar to what I’ve been reading here about the cult-like tactics. I recall at my first training, the highlight was the photo op with the President of the organization.

      • Rosen Shingle Creek Orlando March 27th: $207 for one night.
        Hilton San Diego Bayfront March 27th: $274 for one night.

        “Fake it til you make it” success isn’t cheap.

      • You don’t have to share hotel rooms, if you do not want to. Many do it to cut down on the cost of the trip. Especially if they had to fly to the location. Each to their own. 🙂

13. Just tweeted to MK cosmetics about the “rumor” they will still holding CC’s b/c they are a pyramid scheme. Taking bets about their reply to me. I am saying no way.

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14. The only event I did was January Jump and it was such a joke. The speakers were all filled with BS…like I was expecting actual information, not the rah rah regurgitation of the basics.

    The lifers ate it up hook line and sinker.

15. Makes me want to get a ton of pink mint candy hearts with the word TRUTH on them to hand out.

    • You know with the Aussie/NZ closings, Directors are going to be fed “Help our MK” and “We owe it to MK Ash”. Can you imagine sitting in those Director classes? They’re all too scared to really take a stand and get out.

16. They just canceled NC career conference. I’m not sure about the others. I’m in the process now of doing a 90% repurchase and had already paid for conference when I decided to do this. I was just counting it as a $100 loss but looks like I will probably be getting a refund for it

    • ALL career conferences cancelled!
      This should be interesting to see the downward spiral as it unfolds.
      I went to Career Conferences and Seminar and Leadership for so many times in my “pink fogged life”. Wish I had all that $ back. Always bought into the “hype” and got excited and “spent more” money to make goals, fill my store, etc. Now after getting a real job (which by the way canceled store manager meetings) this year (all expense paid trips) because of COVID also….I will be credit card debt free with only the mortgage left after quitting the slow bleed of Directorship. Looking forward to watching the shi*show as the Virtual Event will be a bust. I’m sure Directors are freaking out.

17. Yep all career conferences cancelled “due to coronavirus.” Lol.

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18. I just received an email from MK Corpse. Because career conference is such a large scale event and they are SO concerned about everyone’s health and welfare, ALL locations have been cancelled. What an amazing and caring company. *extreme sarcasm*

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19. “Wish I had all that $ back.”

    I have several SDs near me who haven’t attended a CC in years. The number of costly conferences, meetings, events, etc., is ridiculous. It’s a lot of money and time…time away from home…time that could have been used to make money instead of SPENDING money. They barely get home from one event and it’s time for another.

    It’s not a business, it’s an expensive social club.

20. Boy -they are saving a buck now.
    The sheet shown here is a corporate redline event (as in more dollar loss). Now they can use that money for more schnapps at the corporate level. Apologize for being crass, however so tired of this company. BUY MORE, BUY MORE, NOW!!!!! I am sure the women are bummed because they can’t wear MK attire, more BS.

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21. Hey corporate – Go ahead and shut the whole damn thing down, blame it on the virus, as we can’t have contact with people for sales. We won’t tell. Just send this message up the ladder and do it! WE can live with out MK, can you?

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