Breaking Barriers: How Mary Kay Ash Built a Billion-Dollar Empire for Women

if there’s one story that screams then it’s never too late to start all over in the power of determination and that would be the story of mary kay ash this was a powerful woman that refused to give up in the face of gender-based depression and instead started her company despite her age but how did this amazing woman move from a stagnant career to amassing a personal fortune of 98 million dollars including starting a beauty company which has more than a billion dollars in sales already that’s what we’re going to tell you
about starting from the top surviving in an industry dominated by men as of 1963 mary kay ash had spent about 25 years in sales for two major companies but there was something awful about her time there despite being a top burner for these organizations she was never given any promotion became worse when she realized that she wasn’t just denied promotions but this was solely based on her gender she would train several men who were later to be promoted to the position of company executives while she remained
in the same spot at this point the message was loud and clear the world of sales wasn’t a place that encouraged women to move to the top despite how skilled or talented they are they weren’t ready to help her achieve her highest potential or assist her up the corporate ladder this gave birth to the smartest decision mary kay ash would ever make in her life in 1963 she resigned from her job however it wasn’t to work in another firm instead she started writing memoirs that she believed would help other women
who were in a similar position and show them ways they could overcome this problem she faced as well this memoir started with a list of the good things she had experienced while working at various companies how these organizations had helped her in one way or another but then she stopped in her tracks this time she got out another legal pad and started writing all the problems she had encountered while working in sales it was only a matter of time before she included how she would have handled the situation if she was faced with the responsibility
of fixing these issues what started as a simple memoir had been converted to her very own marketing plan it was somewhat surprising that this woman had created an entire marketing plan without even having a product but she had a simple focus mary kay ash wanted to help women as much as she could she wanted them to have that chance she had been denied in the 25 years she had worked so hard as a salesperson it took six months for this business plan to be ready and then it was time to think of something that people badly needed
mary’s philosophy was that there’s always something that people need and you have to find that niche and fill the need which will help you build a successful business having seen firsthand how there was a lot of masculine privilege in the career world she believed that this was wrong and that women could get great heights of success if given the opportunity so she started by concentrating on a plan and creating an opportunity for women based on her observations of women in business and her career and finally she had her product the skin
care company mary kay’s winning business idea mary kay’s idea was a daring one she wanted to create a framework that would play to the strengths of women in a sales organization and allow them to thrive on a foundation of teamwork and mutual support the goal was to encourage them as they accomplish whatever they want to no matter how big or small it was she thought about getting into the cosmetic industry especially as she had one she had been using for about a decade and it was fantastic mary kay purchased the formulations for
this product included the marketing plan and started a company that would bear her name it’s not surprising that her first marketing strategy was through word of mouth her concept was simple she would give women access to superior skin care products which they could order from a personal consultant after sampling at home as the company grew mary kay found herself doing it all by herself she was a sales manager recruiter sales trainer and basically the only person handling all her products the only thing she left for her
son was the books but then it became obvious that she would have to build a solid team if she wanted this company to grow mary kay then came up with her brilliant director plan and created the position of national sales director these were ambassadors that would interact directly with women who could buy their products wholesale and sell as retail with this women were able to build a sustainable income the golden rule mary kay had an interesting golden rule it was that consultants had to recognize the sign warned by everyone
that you should make them feel important she taught them to understand that they were there to attend to the needs of customers without worrying about the money if you’re doing the right thing you would never have to worry about the money and this is a business strategy that everyone should have if they want to mirror mary kay success it’s interesting that mary kay’s cosmetic company started with five thousand dollars borrowed from her son and the belief that she needed service and integrity to create a healthy workplace
then it was time to work on how to create her own products since the company had grown so big therefore they acquired goody air inc in 1969. this manufacturing firm was in charge of cosmetic creations in 1976 mary kay got listed on the new york stock exchange and this led to a higher growth rate almost every woman was in love with the pink kit and the brand’s model that put them first at all times however with the company being publicly held they began to face some challenges mary kay wasn’t happy with how the
stockholders were trying to change more than a few things about the company the need to answer to them was affecting how well the company could respond quickly and decisively to sales issues so mary kay ash made another bold move this amazing woman carried out one of the largest buyouts in history in 1985 she returned the company to private ownership with that they didn’t have to answer to shareholders anymore especially listening to their demands to go for the mature blue color instead of the trademark pill cadillacs
this move turned out well for both mary kay and her company as a brand became bigger than ever today they have hundreds of thousands of mary kay consultants all around the world despite the fact that mary kay is no longer with the company physically they have continued to uphold her flexible business model and foundation of integrity there is also still a focus on providing career fulfillment and opportunities for women around the world mary kay didn’t leave without some recognition for her outstanding work
in the world of sales and cosmetics she was featured by the smithsonian institute in 1988 in their series tagged the great american entrepreneur this fantastic woman also received the business woman of the country from the lifetime women’s television network in 1999. these are only a few prestigious awards for her several decades of remarkable leadership and focus on her behalf in women and service it was thanks to her doggedness and business insights that the brand mary kay exists and is still a force to be reckoned with now that you