A New Mary Kay Millionaire

A big deal is made of each “Mary Kay Millionaire.” National sales director Lily Gauthreaux just became an “elite member” (i.e. almost no one is in it) of the Mary Kay millionaires club. This exclusive club includes women who have made over $1 million (cumulative) during the course of their “careers” with Mary Kay Cosmetics. 

Sounds great, doesn’t it? Yes, until you do the math. First, we’re not talking $1 million in earnings (i.e. personal income). It’s $1 million in gross income, from which all business expenses must be paid. A Mary Kay lady can easily spend 30% or more on the various business expenses. You also have to remember the extra tax hit for self-employment taxes (7.65% on personal income) that must be paid, as compared to an employer paying that if you had a traditional job.

The most important number, though, is the length of time in Mary Kay.  Lily became a sales director in September 2009. That means it took her over TEN YEARS to get to $1 million in commissions. She earned less than $100,000 per year, and she was a sales director for 5.5 years and has been an NSD for 5.5 years. You mean to tell me that at the TOP of Mary Kay, you’re not making an executive income? Oh that’s right, over half of NSDs don’t make an executive income.

Also, what on earth is Lily wearing here? So unprofessional and just plain awful. I thought you were in the “image business” in Mary Kay? And “boss babe”? No. Everyone needs to stop using that phrase. TYIA

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29 COMMENTS

  1. Now she needs to do it again! The first one’s the hardest!! Then they just start rolling, so don’t stop at two. No, think of them as sets, sets of five. She’s building her first set, how exciting is that!?!

    Typical mk, over praise (ex: $100 week), then immediately push the carrot a little further (“I’m sure you want to do more than $100/week”). Make sure to put down their accomplishment with a smile (preferably with your mouth open and eyes devoid of emotion), so they’ll feel embarrassed and scratch together a plan to “stretch/grow/not get comfortable.” No thinking, just doing!!!

    The faster you set the new goal, the less time to reflect on the disappointment from the old (“I thought this was the level I’d start making money back”). Go, go, go and don’t look back!

  2. “It’s $1 million in gross income”

    And doesn’t that figure also include the “value” of cars, trips and prizes?

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    • Yes, they counted our prizes as income on our 1099s. So, operating expenses and taxes lessen her actual take-home to less than a million.

      • How come I’m seeing several directors and NED’S not only wearing pants, but ugly and sometimes ripped jrans?

  3. My Director calls herself a “MK millionaire” after being in for almost 30 years. She’s taken home way less than $40,000/year, yet she’s trying to make herself feel better about it and appear to be super successful.

    Same title for almost 20 of those years? No, you’re not a rockstar.

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      • Exactly! Jordan Eicher, Kathy Helou’s daughter, calls herself a Millionaire on Instagram. Godly, yet lying??

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    • i didn’t say nothing about the outfit but now that you mention it, anyone who wears a “Bossbabe” sweatshirt deserves to be laughed at.

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        • This is no different than E’s “Fashion Police” or the “Who Wore It Better?” in the tabloid magazines. Bad clothing and shoes do happen to people, and when someone *consciously* opts to wear an outfit like this and should be projecting a professional appearance, ridicule and mockery will ensue.

  4. Million Dollar club. Sounds fantastic. How to lure us in with sensationalizing the achievement. Truth be told is that if we stay with regular jobs and pay ourselves first, most of us can be quite wealthy. It’s all about balance and not being swayed by useless purchases. It’s easier now with recycling, buying used but perfectly good items and not being lured in by name brand items. (No stigma with wearing or buying used anymore). The Pandemic has probably allowed many to stop wasting on: restaurants, travel (some are able to work from home), those endless office celebrations, etc. When I began my Career women definitely weren’t well paid. Things slowly changed. I never got into expensive clothes etc. When I got a promotion or pay raise I invested with what little I knew. Years later those small investments grew. I was pleasantly surprised when I went to purchase my first home. I learned how to pay my bills on time and not accrue credit card debt. My parents didn’t believe in credit cards. My mother used lay away (especially at Christmas). They saved and paid cash for larger items. Thanks to their foresight I avoided debt. MK though challenged that notion. It seemed to make sense (You can’t sell from an empty wagon). However with MK it’s not just a near full wagon, (it’s an endless money pit of bells and whistles). Thank goodness my husband and another consultant were able to break the spell that was MK dreamland. MK NSD’s aren’t truly wealthy, icons, or well known. They are simply workers for MK (the real wealth is the heirs and CEO’s). The NSD’s are paid with trinkets, cheap plaques, a cost efficient walk on stage etc. Pathetic really.

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    • Yeah that “wagon” that is MK warehouses is never empty! Everybody does not need their own wagon. Andif you decide to get your own wagon, you should be able to decide what goes in it and how, when, and where to sell it, if you really are a business “owner”. Such crap.

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  5. There they go again hijacking words. I assume most understand what an actual “millionaire” is, but you never know with MK consultants. To be a true millionaire you must have net-worth of a million dollars. You subtract your debt, mortgage, loans, etc., from your assets.

    I’d also like to ask MK:

    How much of that ‘gross’ million number is derived from sales commissions to actual customers? We are talking about your “sales force” and “sales director”, aren’t we? These are your terms, not mine.

    Factoring in Tracy’s points regarding math with expenses, years/hours invested, and taxes; while also realizing what a net-worth millionaire is, I hope newbie consultants have their wheels turning about such an illustrious plaque. It might not be as impressive as you are led to believe.

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  6. LOL this is so dumb. So.. if I make $150k a year and 7 years later I can say “I’m a millionaire”

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  7. Okay, can we stop criticising what the girl is wearing? I actually like the outfit, the sweater, skinny jean and boots is a great outfit that is put together. It is a work outfit that I wear often when I am not meeting clients (then it’s blazer, skinny jean, cute blouse and boots) and I work in a professional organization where I have to look put together. It’s a millennial outfit. And I am glad the NSD is wearing pants, about time,

    The boss babe thing does annoy me. I am not anyone’s babe, or bae. And I am not boss mom.

    I am a boss. Not a babe, and if anyone at work called me babe, I would have their ass sent to HR faster than you can say boss babe.

    I feel that boss babe, diminishes boss somehow. We don’t say girl scientist, girl police officer, so why do it for bosses?

    Rant over.
    As for the rest, yeah I get it. I guess Im a millionaire as well if you use their logic.

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    • The criticism of the outfit is warranted when one is in the image business. So no, I will not stop that. I won’t criticize someone’s body type or beauty. But I will criticize their absolutely unprofessional (as well as unflattering) outfits, especially when they are are participating in business events.

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      • Wait until you cover the hun bots that’s really gonna role people up.
        What is a hunbot or hon bot?
        Usually a it’s a woman, a woman who is sucked in a MLM such as Essential Oils, Younique, Mary Kay etc .
        Out of the blue you will get unsolicited contact normally by a stranger or someone you went to highschool with and have not talked to in 20 years and it goes something like this,
        “Hi Hon! I saw your post about about cancer I am so sorry to hear! I can help with that. I run my own business…” and then they will try to sell you oils.

        Or if you just happen to complain about makeup, needing a part time job.. see above same bs.

    • Bottom line on all accounts is it’s hypocritical of them to expect us to wear heels and skirts while some show up in casual boots and athlesiure. We never would’ve gotten away with this even at Star Consultant events because we would’ve taken pictures to lure the next quarter’s there.

      NSD using NARS and Bobbi Brown cosmetics, NSDs getting Botox and fillers…all while scolding us if we didn’t wear MK head to toe.

      Enough is enough. The truth is out and hurts.

      • The NSDs sure do get Botox, etc! I was at a CC one year with Gloria Boyne speaking and her face didn’t move an inch. I said to my SD that she’s had a lot of work done and she looked at me and said “Oh really?” I hated how she used to lie to my face, she’d pretend that it wasn’t true because she always had to be positive. (She lost her unit).

        Which is interesting about the Botox etc because so much of the MK show is the crying and looking overly-emotional which of course is hard to convey when your face is pumped full of fillers and Botox and a face lift or two.

  8. The pirate boots, the bossbabe sweatshirt, the donkey-laugh expression on her face, all while standing in front of Dollar Store decorations. That whole scene does look ridiculous.

  9. Just to comment on the picture and comments. Lily was at a personal event, sharing her story and helping others set goals and feel inspired in their business and life. She is standing in front of decorations like someone may buy for a birthday party for the chosen theme and adding the sweatshirt to fit the theme. Bossbabe has been a thing in the world, whether it’s the best trend or not it’s in a lot of places. Who doesn’t wear leggings and to be comfortable or part of the trend. And it was during the colder season in a cold location so she has boots. Whether this all matches or you like it or not, it wasn’t a professional event, it wasn’t for mk, it was promoted or through mk company and it was what she as a person wanted to wear. I know all this because I was there and know her. These comments just put people down, I don’t care if it’s lily or mk or random person in a picture. Negativity isn’t right. As far as the million dollar commission award atleast she got an award, recognition and felt good. Don’t we all want something for working and some recognition or atleast to be happy about something. Stay positive!

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    • No, Karina, I will not praise Lily for a bogus award that isn’t truthful. The award is based on “gross commissions” and doesn’t factor in the commissions that were taken away when people returned their inventory (called chargebacks). It doesn’t factor in the many business expenses. She’s not a “millionaire” from Mary Kay, yet the lie is promoted over and over. Also, glorifying the NSDs is wrong when 99% of people in MLMs lose money, and the company will never tell you that.

      As for her appearance. She may not have been at an MK event, but she was at an event where she was being glorified for her allegedly professional career (MK). If you want to be taken seriously, dress like an adult who cares about her personal appearance. (Especially since we’re always told MK people are in the “image business.”)

    • Karina, have you ever heard of the phrase “toxic positivity”? When you say things like “negativity isn’t right” and “Stay positive!” you are showing troublesome signs of placing attitude above reality. It is not healthy to ignore negative things when corrective action needs to be taken. Here at Pink Truth, we point out how Mary Kay lies about nearly everything because lying is wrong. They lie about how much people are earning by ignoring expenses and encouraging you to do the same. They constantly introduce new products lie about their motivations (hint: it is not due to market demand, or you wouldn’t get stuck with inventory you can’t sell).

      We shine the light of truth on these wrongdoings because it’s the right thing to do, whether or not someone else think it’s “negative.” In fact, we happen to think it’s quite positive.

      Don’t let Mary Kay warp your mindset. Don’t let the constant barrage of “stop your stinkin’ thinkin’!” interfere with your own sober judgement. They’re just trying to manipulate you. If you or someone you know has ever been afraid to bring up a problem in a meeting for fear of ridicule, that should be a huge red flag waving right before your eyes.

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