Written by The Scribbler

False income claims are the primary recruiting tool used by multi-level marketing companies to lure in new recruits. Mary Kay sales director Roya Mattis loves to say “if she can do it, I can do it too.” But what if “IT” is complete fiction, as is the case with Mattis? In yesterday’s article, Mary Kay Elite Executive Senior Sales Director Roya Mattis made the following three claims about her Mary Kay business:

• “…the home of our dreams, we moved in after three and a half years totally debt-free.”
• “[We]live in a new 7500 square foot dream home that my Mary Kay business paid for.”
• “I drive a FREE pink Cadillac.”

It was proven that Mattis was not “totally debt-free” upon moving into her dream home (nor is she now, as the house is under water with two mortgages), her Mary Kay business did not pay for said home, and the pink Cadillac she drives isn’t free. 

Written by The Scribbler

Roya Mattis is a mover and shaker in Mary Kay Cosmetics. She is a top director and personifies the image of success Mary Kay Inc. would have you believe is attainable. Roya has a compelling story of success, so why would she feel the need to lie to make the story even more sensational?

Mary Kay I-Stories are out to get you.  Really.  The primary purpose of these emotion-packed, sounds-too-good-to-be-true testimonies of Mary Kay consultants, directors, and NSDs is to get you longing for whatever its teller claims to have received from their Mary Kay business.  With any luck, you’ll be signing a Beauty Consultant Agreement long before Sam and Frodo get back from dumping the One Ring into Mount Doom, and what’s this?  Why, those little hobbits are so brave, they even left some Mary Kay goodie bags and lip gloss samples with the Mouth of Sauron!  Mary Kay Ash said to never prejudge people, after all, and you never know,  the Mouth of Sauron could be your next team member!   Just make sure you tell him that if he’s looking to make it as a director, he’ll want to keep the Card of Visa close by.  Moving on.

Written by Raisinberry

In my first life, I had the task of teaching sales to a large sales force in a multi-state region. As part of my job, I went to all the motivational programs, heard all the famous speakers, and sat under the tutelage of the greats… Charlie “Tremendous” Jones, Tom Hopkins, Zig Ziglar, Dr. Peale…you know, the old school guys who really knew how to rev up a crowd and tie ethics and passion and sacrifice together in a nice “feel good” package.

For years, Caterina Harris has been touted as Mary Kay royalty. The best of the best. At the very TOP of the company. Someone who is an example for all women who want to move up in Mary Kay. Part of an elite group of women…. “Mary Kay Millionaire” who is living the good life thanks to the wonderful opportunity that is Mary Kay.

Would you be sad (or surprised) to find out that Caterina Harris isn’t even making an executive income in the upper echelon of Mary Kay? Caterina became a Mary Kay sales director in 1992, and after twenty years as a “top” member of Mary Kay, she’s not even making a six figure income. Let me repeat… twenty years of her life devoted to this amazing opportunity, and she’s not even making $100,000 per year as one of the very top members of the company.

This week Amy Dunlap filed an amended answer in the lawsuit Mary Kay Inc. has filed against her for alleged violations of her national sales director agreement. The most notable part of the answer and counterclaims is the portion in which Dunlap alleges that Mary Kay violates the Texas Business and Commerce Code by promoting a pyramid scheme.

The Texas code defines a pyramid scheme:

Nearly a year ago, Mary Kay Cosmetics sued Allison LaMarr, a former national sales director who was accused of violating her contract with the company. Mary Kay Inc. is going after Allison LaMarr for selling products in violation of her contract with the company, and for violating the non-solicitation portion of the contract.

Essentially, she was not allowed to use any names, contact information, or other non-public information to solicit Mary Kay consultants or directors to join other companies or terminate their contracts with Mary Kay.

I never got into the idea of “sitting at the feet” of anyone, much less a Mary Kay national sales director. I am not beneath them, and therefore do not deserve to be sitting “at their feet.” Please. These were the musings of Allison LaMarr when she was a brand new, record-breaking NSD. (This was before anyone realized how making it to NSD was the beginning of the end for Allison… with plummeting earnings, eventual financial ruin, many failed business ventures, and a lawsuit by Mary Kay to follow.)

Allison Lee LaMarr was the one everyone was raving about because she made it to nsd faster than anyone in the history of Mary Kay.  This was proof that the Mary Kay business plan worked, if only you were willing to put in the work. (No word yet from Mary Kay about how the failure of Allison speaks to the failure of the “business plan,” of course.)

Amy Dunlap Isagenix

Yesterday we discussed the lawsuit between Mary Kay Cosmetics and former National Sales Director Amy Dunlap. Mary Kay is suing Amy for using information on MK consultants to recruit to Isagenix. Amy is counterclaiming, saying that MK lies to women when it says that you “own your own business.” Unfortunately for Amy, she is guilty of telling women the exact same thing while she was in Mary Kay. She is also counterclaiming, saying that the non-solicitation clause in her NSD agreement should be unenforceable.

In an affidavit in the lawsuit, Amy makes it clear whey she left Mary Kay. She wasn’t making much money:

Written by Personal Use Recruiter

As an award winning top personal recruiter in another multi-level marketing company, this was my experience.

For every SEVEN new customers I added to my customer base: I signed only ONE new recruit. (I know, I know… make-up MLM is an easier sell. You all kicked my butt at recruiting!)

For every TEN qualified consultants I recruited (who placed a first inventory order): FOUR would quit before the end of the year.

For that same TEN consultants I recruited on my team: Only FOUR would duplicate themselves by accidentally, or with my help, recruiting someone else

From Mary Kay national sales director Anita Garrett-Roe: How to get to national sales director status.

Anita says getting to national status involves making women feel “special”. (Let’s be honest though, if you contribute to the numbers for nsd status, they don’t care WHO you are!)

So tell them you’ve selected them and they can come with you to the top. More emotional manipulation, in my opinion!