Spiritual Mentorship By Mary Kay Sales Directors & NSDs
Written by Anonymous
Mary Kay consultants are vulnerable. They are told to follow the direction of their sales directors and sales directors. Those in leadership have an opportunity to manipulate these women, especially when it comes to religion and spirituality.
We’ve all seen them: brand new, giddy, starry-eyed Mary Kay consultants. They are full of hope, expectation, awe, and a little bit of fear at their first unit meeting or first big Mary Kay Cosmetics event. They are like sponges, ready and willing to absorb everything they hear.
And of course, they are told from day one to do everything their director tells them to do.
Because of this vulnerability, I believe the new consultant elevates her director to an unhealthy level, and most times, the director is happy to become whatever that consultant thinks she is… pastor, preacher, teacher, mother, grandmother, best friend, business partner, or even…..should I say it? GOD.
There are some women who come into Mary Kay with their spiritual identity firmly intact, and nothing their director or national says would influence their beliefs anyway. These women, unfortunately, are the minority.
The vast majority of women who join MK need something more, and most often it’s a spiritual filling that they’re longing for. It all starts at the interview. “God first, Family second, and Career third. Isn’t it great that Mary Kay allows us to keep our priorities in order while making money?” First seed planted. Now the watering begins…
The prayers at the unit meetings. The prayers for production. Even prayers TO Mary Kay Ash the woman. Then the countless I-stories from women who were homeless, bankrupt, in jail, or on drugs, who turned to Mary Kay and found God!
Don’t get me wrong here. It is entirely possible that God has used Mary Kay to bring many women to Him. I firmly believe that God will use WHATEVER necessary to bring us to a closer relationship with Him. He will use anybody, any situation, or any company to get our attention.
God is no respecter of persons, so I don’t imagine He’s any respecter of MLMs either. Have you ever heard a National or a top director declare “This is an anointed company.” or “God has His hand on this company.” or “When I get to heaven I know Mary Kay will be there waiting for me.”?
Sick stuff. It’s not Mary Kay the company that is “anointed” or “special” or “holy”. It is the GOD of the universe that may have used certain people in this company for His glory. Period.
You know, for me, it really boils down to the separation of church and state. I don’t want government interfering in my personal religious freedom in any way, shape or form. My spirituality is mine alone, and although this country was founded on Christian values and principles, I reserve my right to believe whatever I want. If I want to believe that my favorite house plant is my God, then so be it. (I’m a Christian, by the way, so don’t anyone start praying for me.)
Although Mary Kay is a private company and therefore not subject to the separation of church and state per se, I believe they have a responsibility to stop manipulating its sales force with religion. Case in point: Stacy James. I think Stacy is smart, attractive, and obviously very successful in her Mary Kay business. I have nothing against her personally.
What I resent, however, is her narcissistic assumption that every woman at seminar this past year actually wanted to listen to her go on and on and on about her spiritual beliefs, her new church, her pastor and his wife, and their decision to move from Nebraska to Oklahoma.
And I must confess; at the time I ate it up! I got the warm fuzzies and goosebumps as she owned that stage. (She really is a dynamic speaker.) But looking back, I realize that I had no choice! I had spent over $1000 to attend Seminar to get training so that I might further advance myself up the career path.
But, no. I heard more spiritual nonsense during my 4 days in Dallas than I did any type of real training. However, I did come home very well indoctrinated in the Gospel according to Pastor Stacy James! (Kind of like “But I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night!) Stacy’s “name it and claim it” rendition of the gospel coupled with her newfound passion for “The Secret” movie can be an intoxicating mix for many spiritually vulnerable consultants.
Stacy is entitled to believe what she wants. But when she passes it on and holds it up as necessary for moving up in Mary Kay, I call this spiritual abuse. She, among others, are taking scripture and God, and twisting them to elicit more loyalty from their sales force. I don’t think Stacy has an intentional, malicious plan in place to do this. I just think that she, like many other NSDs, has become too powerful, too influential, and too important in Mary Kay. I believe that these Nationals actually believe that they have been “called” to share the Good News. And maybe a few of them have. But it’s when they take scripture, and twist it to meet THEIR needs, that it becomes dangerous and disgusting.
But Stacy is not the only one. She just happens to be one of the most obvious. This spiritual “mentorship” happens at all levels every single day in the Mary Kay world. We’ve all seen it, been a part of it, or even doled it out a few times ourselves.
As a director, I never intentionally manipulated my unit to order or to recruit, but peppering my “training” with intimations of God and scripture were probably manipulation enough! But I was just doing as I had been taught. It starts at the top and trickles down.
And Corporate sits back and smiles, doing nothing to stop it. Why should they? There’s no better way to get women to order than to use God! It’s all about their bottom line. Cha-ching! Until women stand up and say “No thanks” to the latest and greatest spiritual “wisdom” from the top, this will continue. Find a healthy, well-balanced church to attend instead of leaving your spiritual growth in the hands of a Mary Kay National Sales Director.
Similar Posts:
- Why Would a Top Director in Mary Kay Quit?
- Mary Kay Myth: I Took God As My Business Partner
- A Mary Kay Sales Director and Some Misconstrued Scripture
- Lukewarm Foundation: How Mary Kay Cosmetics is Hurting the Women in Your Flock
- Calling all Mary Kay NSDs (Please do not read this if you have not attained this status)
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Comments (12)
raisinberry
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Wherever lies persist, it would be hard for me to imagine the God of my understanding, to be in their midst. ~r
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Gooberoon
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I believe god used MK to bring me to him for a closer relationship, but also believe that as soon as that new found relationship was formed, he waisted NO time in getting me to see the light!
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Freefrmpink
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Thanks for sharing! Is there any wonder that this manipulation exist. Take a look at the Mary Kay theme song, it replaces Jesus with Mary Kay. Smh….
I have the joy, joy, joy, joy, I have the Mary Kay enthusiasm up in my
Down in my heart, (where?). (Head, heart & all over me)
Down in my heart, (where?)
Down in my heart,
I have the joy, joy, joy, joy,
Down in my heart, (where?)
Down in my heart to stay.
And I’m so happy, so very happy
I have the love of Jesus in my heart.
(down in my heart)
And I’m so happy, so very happy
I have the love of Jesus in my heart.
I have the love of Jesus, love of Jesus,
Down in my heart, (where?)
Down in my heart, (where?)
Down in my heart,
I have the love of Jesus, love of Jesus,
Down in my heart, (where?)
Down in my heart to stay.
And I’m so happy, so very happy
I have the love of Jesus in my heart.
(down in my heart)
And I’m so happy, so very happy
I have the love of Jesus in my heart.
I’ve got the wonderful love of my precious redeemer,
Way down in the depths of my heart,
Down in my heart, (where?)
Down in my heart, (where?)
I’ve got the wonderful love of my precious redeemer,
Way down in the depths of my heart,
Down in my heart to stay.
And I’m so happy, so very happy
I have the love of Jesus in my heart.
(down in my heart)
And I’m so happy, so very happy
I have the love of Jesus in my heart.
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gotheart
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It has been seven years since I chose to return my product, inform my customers, and individually call each of my active unit members that I was no longer interested in a Mary Kay lifestyle. By golly it is a lifestyle, mine was twenty-seven years.
There is so much I would like to say but it would disturb my day. Now I don’t wanna do that!. But a day does not go by that the words put on this site help me answer the questions I have about me. Why, what took you so long, how come? Those type of questions.
There was no singing of a song like that, at my time, in the church.
When I read the words of this song they made me cry, it was on the order of frightening, again I see how easily I was indoctrinated!
I was 18 yo worked as a waitress, rented my own apartment, owned my little light green Corvair, when I first heard this song. I did not like singing this song at the meetings. Hated it. I was told the song was used to help us come out of our shells.
It would help us cold book. I didn’t like having to cold book either. That was what it was called, “cold booking”.
I loved makeup. The thought of being able to keep 1. of every 2. I sold sounded good to me. It was down hill ever since. The MLM, Mary Kay experience was down hill ever since. I tried over and over and over again to put a square peg in a round hole. it is difficult for me not to think about what I could of really done with my life with the energy and persistence I had to make this work.
I actually do pretend I am 21 again in order to overcome the sadness. I have taken college courses in Writing Skills and Spanish. I laugh at me when I think, I am a 21 yo with Long Term Care and Life Insurance. I can do this. Design my life.
Wanda Janes, was my director, now a retired NSD. Dalene White was our NSD at the time, two years of my life. Because I thought it was “just me”, “not working it right”, lack of money management my error. I signed up again, under Bobbi Khem Meader, she dropped out of sight and didn’t inform any of our unit members, moved to Utah and opened up a dress shop. So then we were in Pam Rowe Krizmarzick unit. Pam was an honest woman. She worked very hard to become a NSD. She was raised on a Idaho potato farm and had integrity. Thus is why she never made it to NSD. In fact she is now only a SSD. She has been in MK for more than 30, 40 years. I do know she has some type of cosmetic store in West Linn Or. Probably someone in her family does, so as to cover her self, still being a SSD in MK. She is a senior citizen.
(Companies like Krzmarzick & Krzmarzick usually offer: Facial Cosmetics, Skin Care Cosmetics, Makeup And Beauty Products, Skin Cosmetics and Facial Skin Care Products.)
I am starting to get happy.
Sincerely,
gotheart
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Briansmama
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gotheart – I love your reply and your story.
I hate that you are sad about the years you were in MK, but I love the idea of you pretending you’re 21 again and designing your life.
More power to you!
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ttp
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gotheart-
In the years I’ve been a member of PT I’ve “seen” you heal through your writing. I agree w/Briansmama, more power to you!
I also agree with your assessment of Pam. She always seemed “different” to me, more real and not clawing her way through the fog.
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raisinberry
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gotheart….in the minute you were in…in all the minutes you lived, you made the only choice you could make with the information at hand. It is impossible to make a “better ” choice without future information…you know? Everyone does this…we all make the best choice we can with the info we have at the time. It is utterly impossible to do otherwise. No body wakes up and says, “let’s see how I can screw up my life today.” No matter what happens…I am going to pick the thing that will cause me the most regret.”
We trusted and we picked. We got screwed. Now we have more information. The present moment is the only place to live. You are loved, Gotheart.
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nomoremlm4me
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Amen, Raisin!!!!
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Scrib
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“I think Stacy [James] is smart, attractive, and obviously very successful in her Mary Kay business. I have nothing against her personally.”
I do. National Sales Director Stacy James is a professional deceiver and blatantly teaches her followers to only explain the top three levels of inventory to potential recruits:
“SMALL ORDERS HANDICAP NEW CONSULTANTS. $3,600, $3,000, $2,400 these are the three levels to explain. Are you spending time explaining $1,800, $1,200 and $600s? Why?”
~NSD Stacy James in her document, “This I Know.”
This is clearly unethical and yet Corporate – despite the heavily-spun claims of Crayton Webb, Mary Kay Inc’s “Director of Corporate Communications and Corporate Social Responsibility” – it continues. Webb said in his KERA interview with writer Virginia Sole-Smith:
“…we have another whole department that’s just focused on compliance and insuring that our independent beauty consultants follow their agreement and don’t get themselves into trouble by using pressure tactics or other things that are absolutely not okay.”
If pressure tactics and “other things” are “absolutely not okay,” then why are they not only being taught, but continually practiced on a grand scale by Mary Kay’s National Sales Directors and their followers?
Because (as was previously stated), it brings in the bucks. And that’s really what the whole Go-Give spirit and the almighty Mary Kay Way is all about, isn’t it?
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4:8 girl
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From an NSD post: “It’s amazing what happens when you ask God to place women in your path to bless with our product and opportunity. Before you work, pray. You will work & think differently because your mind is renewed. Anything you accomplish begins in your mind, so renew it. Feed it with truth. Fear and faith do not reside within the same space. You will be able to bless more people when you take God as your business partner.” When you take God as your business partner??? Someday they will have to answer & be held responsible for this manipulation. Ugh! The fact that they do this, and use it for business gain, is wrong on so many levels. Since neither MK nor Direct sales is mentioned in the bible, I’m quite confident that God will bless any venture HE places on our hearts.
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Pink-Newbie
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I’m a new Consultant, and while I’m really trying to make MK work for me as a part-time, side income source, I appreciate hearing the counterpoint to my Director’s talking points. I will say one thing about Stacy James though: having never met her personally, she still bugs the hell out of me. I’ve found her dripping with condescension and disrespectful of my time and priorities just by watching her Thoughts on Inventory video. Seriously? 60 minutes to make a 5-minute point? Who else started playing sudoku in another tab and had to ask their Director for the Cliff Notes version?
I can think of 20 other things just off top of my head that I could have done with 60 minutes. I personally resent Stacy James for disrespecting my time.
As for the spiritual aspect, I get why they want to integrate it so much with the business practices. I just don’t buy into it wholesale (no pun intended) and cherry pick the points I want to internalize vs. those I want to discard.
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gotheart
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Thanks ladies.
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