Your Inability to Be Smart About Mary Kay
A college student in Boston has all the answers for us!
New Pinkie here! I did the estart for $35 AND my sales director is giving away the $90 start up kit to me for free because another lady has an extra. They look out for me AND definitely don’t force me to spend any money that I don’t want to. If nothing else, say I don’t end up selling with MK, I get 50% off of a product that I genuinely love and have seen positive results with. I’m happy with just that! But hey, if I end up making a little money along the way, or even just build new relationships with awesome ladies, that’s enough for me. I signed up for the discount and relationship building opportunity.
Also, I make my customers pay shipping. It’s not a big deal. If they need or want something, and hopefully have the funds to do so, they can pay the shipping. And they do.
You don’t have to lose money at all in this…just saying. And no, I’m not building any sort of inventory. So it’s honestly a win win for me. But of course, everyone joins for different reasons, and goes about their business differently.
Also, a pyramid scheme means that if my director doesn’t move up, neither does anyone else. In MK, I can surpass my director if I want through my own success. It’s all up to me. Just wanted to point that out. The company itself isn’t evil…it’s simply put just not an experience for everyone. Just like anything else. There are plenty of other problematic companies out there.
This is just all about a person’s inability to be smart about their business with Mary Kay. Stop giving out freebies. Stop paying for shipping. How much money do women spend on makeup per year? It’s not just MK, I see little girls spending HUNDREDS at Sephora. Because parents money so who cares. How’s that for something worth talking about. The horrible way we spend money on things we don’t need like clothes and excessive makeup.
There are WAY more important things going on in the world to spend your energy on. Please do the world a favor and make a website on something else like eliminating worldwide poverty, ending homelessness or hunger. Or if you really are about this makeup stuff, build a site that can be used as a tool to call out all company’s on the many harmful ingredients they use. I’ve recently found a few that have been helpful for me. I’ve tried to keep a green and clean household to the best of my ability, from shampoo to deodorant all the way down to toothpaste and makeup. But it’s a give and take, because we can only use what is accessible to us.
Make a website that demands accessibility of products that are unproblematic! I implore you. I make what I can, (shampoo, toothpaste, soaps and disinfectant sprays) but there is only so much I have time, energy, physical space for creating, funds and knowledge for. At some point, I have to enjoy life – which I have the immensely great privilege of doing, and I do my best to give back to those who do not. I hope you will too.
SO, moral of this long story, spread love and please find something more productive to do with your care for us ladies out here, trying to make a living like the rest of you all <3
Oh and for those of you in the back, I don’t force anyone to buy anything. Building clientele is done similarly to any other company. If women want to spend their money on makeup, that’s their choice. I don’t push anyone to buy anything they don’t have the money for. I literally just told all of my friends there is never any pressure to ever buy something. My one friend said she wanted to help support me and bought the $10 sunscreen lip balm.
I don’t know any other way to say this… but it is up to each consultant how she or ze goes about their business. Some people are pushy….it’s not any different from going to Lancome at Macy’s and having someone at the counter try to sell me a $100 mascara… .also I must point out that people DO buy this stuff and Mary Kay as of this day currently has no mascara that cost more than $18. And for your reference, for the past 2 years I have been buying $29 Better Than Sex mascara. So stop bashing on how expensive the products are because that clearly matters to no one. People out here spending THOUSANDS on whatever they want from a t-shirt to face cream.
Visit the
New Pinkie here!
Oh! I’m sure you’ll know more than women who worked the business for many, many years./S
I did the estart for $35 AND my sales director is giving away the $90 start up kit to me for free because another lady has an extra.
How convenient for you, not. It almost sounds like some-one needed to spend some money to get their quota for the quarter.
They look out for me AND definitely don’t force me to spend any money that I don’t want to.
Not yet, anyway.
If nothing else, say I don’t end up selling with MK, I get 50% off of a product that I genuinely love and have seen positive results with. I’m happy with just that!
That is subjective.
But hey, if I end up making a little money along the way, or even just build new relationships with awesome ladies, that’s enough for me. I signed up for the discount and relationship building opportunity.
Also subjective.
Also, I make my customers pay shipping. It’s not a big deal. If they need or want something, and hopefully have the funds to do so, they can pay the shipping. And they do.
why would I want to wait or pay shipping when i can drive 5 minutes to buy an eye-shadow or get it through Amazon or for the lucky folks, DoorDash.
You don’t have to lose money at all in this…just saying.
Sure Jan (GIF). You don’t have to but you will.
And no, I’m not building any sort of inventory. So it’s honestly a win win for me.
What do you think the spare starter kit was if not some-one else’s inventory?
But of course, everyone joins for different reasons, and goes about their business differently.
Which is why they have scripts and company endorsed ads just so you can do “Your Business” differently.
Also, a pyramid scheme means that if my director doesn’t move up, neither does anyone else. In MK, I can surpass my director if I want through my own success. It’s all up to me. Just wanted to point that out.
Oh dear, we are too late! You can’t surpass your director because you are just a cog in her network.
The company itself isn’t evil…it’s simply put just not an experience for everyone. Just like anything else. There are plenty of other problematic companies out there.
It’s not the company, it’s the business practice that’s morally wrong. And no-one here is complacent about other companies having problematic business practices. Here in Canada, there’s a boycott on the Loblaws group of grocery stores over price-gauging.
She demands accessibility yet peddles for a skincare brand that doesn’t list ingredients on their website. Alrighty then!
This is just all about a person’s inability to be smart about their business with Mary Kay. Stop giving out freebies. Stop paying for shipping.
Try telling that to Priceless Chels with her almost constant BOGOs and x% off.
How much money do women spend on makeup per year?
Personally, less than $50 per annum, usually on moisturisers as I’m not an habitual make-up wearer.
It’s not just MK, I see little girls spending HUNDREDS at Sephora. Because parents money so who cares. How’s that for something worth talking about. The horrible way we spend money on things we don’t need like clothes and excessive makeup.
Hopefully that TikTok phase is dying out. But you are correct, excessive consumption is bad.
There are WAY more important things going on in the world to spend your energy on. Please do the world a favor and make a website on something else like eliminating worldwide poverty, ending homelessness or hunger.
Why should Tracy do that? Because it makes (general) you feel uneasy? worldwide hunger, poverty or homelessness can’t be solved by one person. Especially given the global economic problems, these require the co-operation of many different governments and NGOs.
Or if you really are about this makeup stuff, build a site that can be used as a tool to call out all company’s on the many harmful ingredients they use.
We have talked about this but our focus is on the business model not necessarily the products.
I’ve recently found a few that have been helpful for me. I’ve tried to keep a green and clean household to the best of my ability, from shampoo to deodorant all the way down to toothpaste and makeup. But it’s a give and take, because we can only use what is accessible to us.
There are plenty of companies who declare that they are “green” but again it’s a moral call as to whether all of their business practices conform to your morals.
Make a website that demands accessibility of products that are unproblematic!
Why? If (general) you feel so strongly about this, do it yourself. We don’t exist to help keep your head in the sand.
I implore you.
Again, why? No-one is forcing you to read here.
I make what I can, (shampoo, toothpaste, soaps and disinfectant sprays) but there is only so much I have time, energy, physical space for creating, funds and knowledge for.
You could have a legit side-hustle with these products and actually make money from them.
At some point, I have to enjoy life – which I have the immensely great privilege of doing, and I do my best to give back to those who do not.
Sadly, you are not doing that by shrilling Mary Kay Wagner Rogers Eckman Weaver Louis Miller Hallenbeck Ash’s products.
I hope you will too.
We are, you just don’t understand that yet.
I was thinking the same thing about the products she makes herself- she could own her own actual small business selling those if she wanted. That’s the kind of thing people actually do seek out.
Psst…PTC, you don’t get the 50% discount without spending ~$1000/yr on product. If you don’t spend the minimum in a quarter…you lose your discount.
And even with the 50% discount, MK’s mediocre products are still grossly overpriced. Pity purchases like the $10 lip balm are not sustainable, since they depend on the charity of F+F, which will dry up. Retail success depends on one’s ability to sell to strangers. But folks don’t buy MLM products from strangers.
Please keep an accurate ledger and report back here in a year. Statistics say there is a 99.6% probability you are losing money with Mary Kay. Sadly, most MLMers don’t discover this until the financial and relationship damage is already done and is very difficult to repair.
SO, moral of this long story, spread love and please find something more productive to do with your care for us ladies out here, trying to make a living like the rest of you all <3
Show me on this image where you are making money.
https://imgur.com/a/mary-kay-income-disclosure-2023-LFdntKd
Oh and for those of you in the back, I don’t force anyone to buy anything.
Yet. But it will come sooner or later.
Building clientele is done similarly to any other company. If women want to spend their money on makeup, that’s their choice.
Very magnanimous of you.
I don’t push anyone to buy anything they don’t have the money for. I literally just told all of my friends there is never any pressure to ever buy something. My one friend said she wanted to help support me and bought the $10 sunscreen lip balm.
I’m reading one pity purchase and nothing else.
I don’t know any other way to say this… but it is up to each consultant how she or ze goes about their business.
Until they hit a problem then it’s “book, sell, recruit”. The business isn’t make-up, it’s warm bodies, it’s “another face”.
Some people are pushy….it’s not any different from going to Lancome(sic) at Macy’s and having someone at the counter try to sell me a $100 mascara… .also I must point out that people DO buy this stuff and Mary Kay as of this day currently has no mascara that cost more than $18.
Holy Run On Sentences, Batman! A quick Google shows me the most expensive OTC mascara from Lancôme is less than $50 cdn while May Kay’s is $21 cdn.
And for your reference, for the past 2 years I have been buying $29 Better Than Sex mascara.
Good for you, I guess.
So stop bashing on how expensive the products are because that clearly matters to no one.
Sighs..it’s not the products, it’s the business model.
People out here spending THOUSANDS on whatever they want from a t-shirt to face cream.
How dare people, checks notes, spend money on what they want??
Yeah, I knew everything when I was in college, too.
If you your director just happened to have a spare starter kit laying around, I’m Beyonce. They know you’re in college and don’t have much money. The important point is that they have you on the string and you can’t go against them because you’d be throwing your generosity back in their faces. Which they’d point out to you in a lot of emotionally loaded ways.
Same thing with pushing inventory or recruitment on you: they haven’t YET. Again, you’re in college, and your customers are also in college, and college students don’t live on instant ramen and Natty Ice for the flavor. The one who bought the lip balm, the cheapest item they offer, yet still five times the price of something from CVS, was making a pity purchase.
Someday, you’ll graduate, and get a job, and then you’ll have some money. So will your classmates, whom of course you’ll promise to keep in touch with. Your upline will pester you to keep in contact with them and keep selling stuff. Think how much more you’d sell if you just kept a few of their favorites on hand. Ask them how they’d feel about making some extra cash on the side – GenZ is graduating into a sucky economy with crazy high inflation, so who wouldn’t want some extra money? Extra money that YOU get when you bring them in as a qualified (translation: frontloaded) recruit!
As to that job of yours, they pay’s not great and the benefits are practically nonexistant and it doesn’t really play to your skills. If you stick with the rat race it’ll take years, decades even, before you’re making what you’re worth. Why not become your own boss, set your own hours, answer to no one but yourself? You can give yourself a raise any time by just selling more stuff! Free car! Diamonds! Cruises! Directors make megabux while still rocking that tedious not-MK stuff people insist upon doing!
Catastrophizing? Possibly, but you don’t get an avalance without the first snowflake falling. Your upline knows how to manipulate, guilt, shame, and nag you into submission.
Oh, and no one can save the world with a website. Global-scale problems are global precisely because they have no simple solution. Are you really that naively arrogant to think that the president hasn’t thought that maybe ending poverty in America might be nice, or that stopping global warming might score him the penguin vote? All you can do is your smallest bestest at the local level, and vote wisely.
Lastly, you’re not going to score yourself any woke points with the “ze” business. The singular they has been around since at least the 1300s and has become the accepted default for “person of unknown gender”. That’s according to a transman friend who also has two trans siblings, one of whom is nonbinary. Although, yeah, I was a horrible showoff when I was in college, too. 30 years ago and I still cringe 😀
Lastly, you’re not going to score yourself any woke points with the “ze” business. The singular they has been around since at least the 1300s and has become the accepted default for “person of unknown gender”.
I have a copy of the complete annotated by an Oxbridge Scholar(tm) copy of Chaucer’s works. It’s amazing how the English language has both moved forward while still remaining true to it’s roots. And stealing words and concepts and generally evolving with Ebonics and pigeon dialects.
The reason her SD has a spare kit is because she has signed up phantom consultants or re-activated former consultants to pump up unit numbers.
Oh, you sweet summer child! Your ignorance and stupidity are astounding! At the moment, you know everything. Yet when the blinders come off and you get a glimpse of the real world and the real MK, I guarantee that you will be crushed. They will be nothing like you have been promised or expected.
Wait! New Pinkie says, “ Also, a pyramid scheme means that if my director doesn’t move up, neither does anyone else. In MK, ”
I thought it’s the other way round. I thought in Mary Kay, The director doesn’t move up when the ones below don’t move up, i.e make production. Am I wrong?
Isn’t it a down-up system? Pyramid scheme is never a top-down system.
On another note, or maybe in the same vein, Mary Kay has entered Vietnam just just now.
Vietnam is a low middle income country. if I were to be addressing the poverty in that country, I wouldn’t be using MLM as a business model. I would use a business model that is top – down, whereby the owner of the company gives job opportunities as well as salaries and other benefits to the employees who then provide for their families.
So New Pinkie, Talking about Mary Kay here is indeed addressing the problems of the world as you have suggested.
I believe that you are a kind soul who is socially aware, true to the product of your woke generation but wisdom comes with age and experience. The ones who are speaking up on Pink Truth have been victimised by Mary Kay and the stories here are not made up. Wouldn’t it be consistent with your inner calling for social justice to be on the side of the victims here, Read the stories entirely. See beyond their “negativity” and understand it for what it really is – the rants and laments of a VICTIM.
I sincerely wish you well and all the best in college!
“There are WAY more important things going on in the world to spend your energy on. Please do the world a favor and make a website on something else like eliminating worldwide poverty, ending homelessness or hunger.”
For that matter, your friend could have donated her $10 to a food pantry, instead of buying an overpriced lip balm.
There are probably millions of dollars of unsold and unsellable inventory sitting around in the offices, basements, and garages of current and former consultants. Just think of the good that could have been done, if that money had gone to food banks, rehab centers, or even the consultants’ own financial needs.
You suggested a website to end world hunger. Well, probably your heart is in the right place, but perhaps you don’t understand the causes of hunger. Are you aware that much (not all, but much) of world hunger is the result of oppressive political regimes that control the production and distribution of food? Short of, say, invading North Korea, no one really has the power to change that. But perhaps there are things that a website can help with.
Would you be willing to take your own advice, and start that website? You could start small, by compiling a comprehensive list of charities and resources in your own area, and then see where it goes from there. There are a number of free or low-cost web hosts, some of which are geared towards site-creators with no tech background. In the long run, this would be a better, more fulfilling use of your time and energy than your Mary Kay hobby (which I refuse to call a “business,” because it simply isn’t one).
Mary Kay is NOT enriching the Vietnamese women (and men) as they claim. They are leeching off of the desperate by dangling illusions of opportunities for a better life or rather illusions of success and luxury. It is taking advantage of people who are already at a disadvantage. After all they have gone through ( and you know what I mean historically), it is really a huge shame to have an American company repeat history, albeit disguised as an economic improvement.
Replying to my own post because I have some further thoughts.
It would be amazing if you researched some of the other free resources in your community, beyond traditional charities. For example, some families barely afford the basics for their kids, let alone any extras. Are there free concerts or shows in your community that they could take advantage of? Does your local library offer things like free museum tickets, or loan equipment like air fryers, sewing machines, and telescopes? If you wish, you could even include faith-based kids’ programs like Vacation Bible School (which includes religious instruction, of course, but also crafts, supervised play time, and snacks, all free of charge). You could do a real service to your community by offering a comprehensive, frequently updated list of resources for low-income families. It could be a great source of satisfaction for you personally, and it wouldn’t look too shabby on a resume, either.
Oops, so sorry, I meant this to be a reply to my own post above!
My daughter, and occasionally my son, has been helping out at a community garden over her vacation. It provides fruit and vegetables for local food banks and the volunteers also get some of the produce. It sounds like a much better use of four or five hours twice a week than trying to “book, sell, recruit” Mary Kay fauxoptunity.
1. Lancôme mascara does not cost $100. And last time I checked, that brand has plenty of customers. They don’t need to accost strangers in public.
2. Did nobody teach you manners? It isn’t polite to go into someone else’s house (website) and tell them what to do with it unsolicited.
3. Did it ever occur to you that your upline paid your way into Mary Kay not out of the goodness of her heart, but because she is desperate to keep her rank? This is one of the MANY reasons people in Mary Kay don’t actually make “big girl” money. They spend their alleged profit keeping their production and recruitment numbers up. Because Mary Kay is a pyramid scheme.
“If nothing else, say I don’t end up selling with MK, I get 50% off of a product that I genuinely love and have seen positive results with. But hey, if I end up making a little money along the way, or even just build new relationships with awesome ladies, that’s enough for me. I signed up for the discount and relationship building opportunity.”—
Why wouldn’t your potential customers say the same to you? And, why did your recruiter recruit you instead of making her own 50% gross profit off of you?
“You don’t have to lose money at all in this…just saying. And no, I’m not building any sort of inventory. So it’s honestly a win win for me.”—
How do you think upline makes their money, and how do you think MKI is worth billions? Do you think they can sustain their operation with people like you? Bet you haven’t thought of it that way.
You have a very elementary understanding of MLM, and a wrong one at that. I also think you’ll find that a product-based pyramid scheme is defined by where the majority of the money is sourced, i.e., from participants or non-participants of the con game. Non-participants = outside customers not buying MK to make money from it.
Feel free to ask us questions.
I was a consultant for over 10 years. Was a stay at home mom with a disabled husband. Was never pushed or forced into anything. I needed an outlet while my husband was learning to be home caring for the kids, so I could only go out for a couple of hours. I was already using and loving the products so I joined. MK taught me everything I needed to know to run my business. Booking/meeting potential customers, time management, accounting and profitability and how to manage all that. Eventually became a team leader (just below director). I was consistently earning about 3k per month and had a solid inventory and many loyal customers who loved my visits. I left the company when one of my customers recruited me into sales at her company, which offered a benefits package my family needed. Am now 30+ year veteran in this industry as a high earner. No college (quit when the hubs had his accident). I just never had any of this bad experience you all are attacking. Without MK I would not be the success that I am today! AND still a very loyal user of the products! Excellent quality! I love my MK!!
Attacking? What is “attacking” about people sharing their true experiences. Mary Kay is not a business. Yes, you can learn sales tactics from them. Some honest. Some dishonest. I hope your current industry is not MLM, because if you are a “high earner” in MLM, then you’re just cheating people out of their hard earned money.
I am curious as to how you ended up on this site if everything is so wonderful?
“I left the company when one of my customers recruited me into sales at her company, which offered a benefits package my family needed. Am now 30+ year veteran in this industry as a high earner.”
I note that you NEEDED the benefits package, which Mary Kay didn’t offer, and apparently you weren’t making enough money to buy on your own, even 30 years ago.
Your “success” 30 years ago (in the 1990s) is irrelevant. The Internet got started in 1993 and the ecosystem of selling and recruiting changed from in-person to on-line. It went from personal relations to blitzing the web with sales pitches hoping to exploit someone else’s online social network.
Your “success” 30 years ago (in the 1990s) is irrelevant. The Internet got started in 1993 and the ecosystem of selling and recruiting changed from in-person to on-line. It went from personal relations to blitzing the web with sales pitches hoping to exploit someone else’s online social network.
It’s interesting to see how many MLMs were formed in the mid1990’s to early 2000’s as the Internet took off. Their very obvious visibility and obnoxious “Hey Hun” messages has exposed them to a much larger audience which has brought them very vocal critics.
Not only are the critics vocal but they also have the ability that they lacked in the past, a network of like minded people and they are also able to get a look at the financials of the companies involved.
With the Internet now being aware of how predatory companies like Mary Kay are, the slow switch to a purely affiliate link driven salesforce is starting. Seint and Rodan and Fields were the start. I can easily see Monat following soon. Mary Kay in a few more years but by then MLMs may well be a thing of the past.
Thank you for sharing your experience, Jen. I’m glad you had a positive one with MK, and I’m glad it provided you the outlet you needed during your family crisis.
I was excellent at sales in Mary Kay, too. And I earned a couple of thousand per month most months. I learned a lot of sales techniques, time management, and attitude management. I learned money management, but it never worked. I could either run my business or run my household, not both. If you were able to, good for you. I, too, leveraged what I learned in MK and built a high-earning sales career at a real job with benefits and stability. None of that is available to the MK salesforce at any level.
There’s no denying that SOME people make money selling the product. There’s no denying that A FEW people make a lot of money recruiting. However, there’s also no denying that there’s not enough market share to absorb the number of consultants who are trying to sell a non-competitive product. And it’s mathematical that the few who earn lots of money by recruiting only do so by the losses of their downline. Yes, yes, yes. The Company line is that THEY pay commissions out of THEIR profit. The question that never seems to get answered in Company literature is this: From where does Corporate receive income? That’s right–their only source of income is product sales to consultants. So they artificially raise the “wholesale” price to cover commissions to recruiters. That raises the “retail” price to more than what it should be for the quality of products and drives customers away and/or forces consultants to offer deep discounts.
Just because this worked for you doesn’t mean that it works for most people. Check out the income disclosures available from Canada, a market not too different from the US. The evidence is abysmal.
“It’s interesting to see how many MLMs were formed in the mid1990’s to early 2000’s as the Internet took off.” Remember the one that crashed on launch because the demand to join was TOO HIGH for them to handle. Bellamy or something. Had that obnoxious ex MK superstar in it.
It does give them wide visibility, but that’s not always good.
Elomir? The yellow gum strip where no-one had the product and it was so very obvious it was a pyramid scheme as recruiting was pushed, pushed, pushed and then nothing!
Pictures of them with pieces of cheese or post-it notes on tongues. Wild pseudoscientific claims. Hints of failure in production equipment with pictures of a small part of said machine. Turned out to be a roto-vap which is a fairly basic piece of laboratory glassware.
That was a ride and a half.
Bellame seems to be going “strong” though it’s not in Canada.
Hi Jen.
I am glad that things are working out for you. Really. You are fortunate to have loyal customer base.
I just want to point out 2 things
1. Your success is unique. It’s not the by default a result of an MK business. Many consultants are not as fortunate as you.
2. I hope my next sentence is not being misconstrued and taken wrongly. If I were to be your customer, I would be loyal too, as I want to support a lady struggling to provide for her family whose husband is disabled. Humans, with all their shortcomings, are really kind deep inside (except for self-serving, special breed of avaricious sub-humans). I believe your success is due to the kindness of your customers who choose to buy MK products from you.
Again, Jen.. many, many consultants are not as fortunate as you and your situation in MK should not be used as the general rule of successful business for others
Well stated, Ubi. I think this I why people stayed “loyal” with me. I’m sincere, real, single mom, completely underpaid school teacher in one of the worst paid states in the USA. I bought into the MK system 100%. I bee-lieved with all my heart. People stuck with me for DECADES buying product, being a part of my team. Honestly, it is a strange feeling now that I don’t have that group of people in my orbit.
Anyway, I’m figuring it out. But I think you are right on the money.
Glad you found some good resources within MK, Jen. I did as well. But it wasn’t healthy for me to continue with the company. I’m glad I was able to gaze around and ask those forbidden questions here on Pink Truth.
Hi Intrigue.
Sincere, genuine people have no place in MK or in any MLM. I see it myself.
Due to my childhood situation, as I have shared in comments in previous posts, I seek sincere friendship. I have been disappointed over and over again in these circles. I am seen as a potential cash cow. FYI, I have only $150 in my account but don’t worry, I have a job 😊.