What a Difference a Year Makes: Reflections of a Former Mary Kay Fab 50s Cadillac Director

Thank You so much for your story!

Women come on this board all the time saying we are an attack from Satan on a Godly business, that we are lazy, that we are morons, that we never tried to work the business, etc.

It's so great to hear perspectives from the women who have actually been there!

Amen, amen, amen!

You may be a consultant or former consultant thinking, "If only I had gotten to the level of sales director, I could have made this business work."

Nothing can be further from the truth! Directors are pulled in every direction, they have to live MK 24/7, and there is NO guarantee of any kind of steady paycheck.

Thanks for a good, concise summary of directorship vs. a REAL job!

[quote]I'll take integrity along with the steady paycheck, being home nights & weekends, being with my children and four family vacations a year any day!!![/quote]

YOU SAID IT!!!

Beautifully written. Heartfelt. Thank you for taking the time to share your MK director experience and insights. You lived it. You know. Thank God you dug out of the pink fog and recaptured your life. It took me 25 years to face the truth head on. You said, "I have shed so many tears over the things / events I missed – that I will NEVER get back – all in the name of building my business." That hits home with every director that finally opens her eyes to the truth. The problem is, the truth creeps in for everyone in the business but that "next event" helps them bury the truth back in a deep hole in their soul and they continue living a life of lying to themselves about how "GREAT" everything is in their business....or how great it's going to be! I challenge ANY director to not attend any events or listen in to any conference calls for one year. When the brainwashing stops, reality sets in. It's like awakening from being in a comatose state for years
Popping...you are a blessing to all who will read your words. It is honorable to step forward and tell the truth.
TNT

It is testimonies like this that keep me coming back to PT for my continued healing. I was a Director for ten years and stayed at that 40-80 unit member, Grand Prix level always feeling inadequate because I wasn't doing more. I was trained from the beginning that my work day didn't end until 9 pm, so whether or not I was in the office, I felt the tugging guilt each night...even Sundays...that I should be doing more. What a complete and total relief it is to get up from the dinner table each night and do what I want to do guilt and stress free. And, that includes hanging out with my family and being present with them, not pounding my thoughts with "MK should be's."

My biggest challenge is re-entering the job market. Even though I have a college degree, I feel the setback of being home with my children all these years and the MK Directorship doesn't really translate well in corporate America. Am I the only one who feels this way? The only enthusiastic respondents to my resume seem to be offers for insurance sales jobs. No thanks! I'm so curious as to the type of work our former Directors are doing. Please share...

Lurkers, if you're not convinced by the account of a Fabulous 50s Caddie-driver with three offspring, consider how strongly the following NSD and director teachings confirm her points:

One Year in MK: Less, much less, time with family

FESSD Kim McClure: "[Husbands], don't be selfish. Share your time with her by doing things that will allow her to work her business...do keep her motivated by offering...time alone without the children..."

One Year in MK: Girlfriends fear you only want to go to dinner to get something from them"

NSD Pam Shaw: "You must always be thinking about recruiting!"

One Year in MK: Look at the world with pink tinted eyes and brain washed mind.

SSD Jolee Lamatrice: "When following up on an interview, it must happen within 24 hours. The risk is this: she is going to seek out advice...she will ask for counsel from others in her life and they can provide opinions, but YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE IN HER LIFE THAT CAN PROVIDE HER WITH FACTS."

And to think that's just a tiny sample of the scrap that Mary Kay leaders are feeding to consultants.

MKers, if you want to show true integrity, have the courage to take a stand and call out these leaders AND their foul teachings. Just because something has been done a certain way for years does not mean it is right.

You can do it! I believe in you!

Thank you for putting this so nicely, Popping. I couldn't agree more. I'm 6 months back in the workplace (part-time) and 5 months out of directorship and I LOVE evenings now!!! I used to dread the end of the day - making calls to warm chats and team members, holding meetings and the some parties or skincare classes. Being out and away from my family 3, 4 or 5 nights in a week! yuck yuck yuck. Now I can play with my kids, help with homework, go for a walk, dinner with my family (NOT CARING IF THE PHONE RINGS!!!), dinner out with friends or my husband. Life is good now.

For Optimistic:

[IMG]http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z227/sportica/mkdenial.jpg[/IMG]

Congratulations and thank you! Being a sales director was one of the biggest and certainly the most expensive mistakes of my life! I can't tell you the joy I feel month after month to not worry about the size of my paycheck, my health insurance, the empty spaces in my date book, the stupid boring mtgs, the juggling I did to afford the events I didn't have money to attend and on and on and on. Plus, this is snarky--> I see directors and see waaaaaaaaaaaay too much makeup and an overabundance of cheap jewelry. So nice to be normal again BTW just returned from a training, all expenses paid... so very cool and I am so very thankful!

PS Good one Scrib!

Well said everyone! After 6 years as a SD, always Grand prix and a brief Cadillac time, I would add the relief not to have to look at every woman within 3 feet of me and try to convince her to book with me and then recruit her. I still keep in touch with some customers and it's embarrassing to remember how hard I tried to recruit them. There's such relief to see people as people - not the next recruit!

And to RECOVERINGMKADDICT:
I took another independent sales job -as a realtor - and yes there are still nights and weekends and the phone ringing, but it's not the same at all.
I don't have to walk around convincing people to buy or sell a home. I do have to sell them on working with me but all the time as a SD did improve my people skills, so that's a blessing. And I do like having a flexible schedule - ie not going to an office each day and honestly working less than a full time job. So it's worth writing down what the "ideal job" would look like for YOU: lifestyle, interests you have ( I love architecture), and I bet God will lead you in the right direction.
In the meantime, any job will boost your confidence of how talented, valuable and a blessing to others you truly are! MK stole a lot of that from us as we look back with regret on things we said and did, but we can reclaim it!

Thanks 4freedom! I'm working on some retail merchandising jobs and enjoy them. I still would like to hear from more former SD's about what they are doing too.

Please tell us more about your story.

recoveringmkaddict:
My former director(and friend since long before she became an MK consultant) is an insurance salesman. I'm not kidding. I know this because whereas before she only contacted me about MK, now she only contacts me about buying the insurance. I finally realized that she actually stopped being interested in my friendship quite a while ago.

And, DIQ was so fun I did it 3 times!!!
Why I ever put myself through that nightmare, I'll never know!!!!!! Praise God that there is a better life AFTER Mary Kay business!

From a NSD's site:[quote]Look over these ideas during your "non-people" time (before 9am/after 9pm)[/quote]

Say Kids What Time Is It? It's Mary Kaybot Time!

I was not a Director. I can not even imagine the stress involved.

I can tell you, though, being released from the embarrassment of being associated with this corrupt company is a joy. Being known in my community as a mindless, idiotic, pushy, obnoxious, unpaid recruiter for Mary Kay was not something I relished.

Great article! While I "only" made it to Red Jacket status, I have never worked so hard and put in so many hours and $$$ for anything. When I first started, I looked at directors and thought they had it made. It took a few months to realize they were constantly in DIQ! That's when I realized Directorship was not for me.
It is refreshing (is that the right word) to see that even a fabulous 50's Caddy-driver saw the light!
Speaking of which, my director who was on track to be NSD, now only has 2 directors under her. I am inactive, yet I still get calls, e-mails, postcards begging me to order. If she were a nicer, more honest person, and I was still clouded by pink, I'd feel for her. But not so much!

amen on each and every account above! this article is truly one that has kept me coming back to pink truth, I was a fabulous 50's grandprix driving director for 2 years and the moment i told my senior i was stepping down and sending all of my product back she told me i was making the biggest mistake of my life, now I know with my whole heart, the biggest mistake i made was letting her con me into quitting my $40K a year J.O.B. to try and make this scam work. Thank you pink truthers for constantly being here for one another and me through this time of getting out of the fog and back to reality. My senior actually still calls me and brags about how she is driving around in her CTS and how she wishes things could have been different reminding me about after 5 yrs of being OUT I can call the company to try to re-sign so I can become a director again to see her debut as a national. This article is one that i will copy and paste and keep on hand when she tries to rope me in again. I have been back at the J.O.B for one year yesterday and I cannot be happier that I get to leave my office every day at 4pm, and do whatever I want to do for the rest of my evening. Not having to worry about spending my entire ride home making calls, stalking women, getting ready for meetings to put on the happy face and try to sell this "dream" to the one or two people that actually showed up and then making more calls on the way home, then going to bed worrying about the next days calls/interviews/classes/hostess coaching/monthend/money....etc etc etc I can only hope that women out there will stumble upon this site in enough time before their so called recruiter (stalker/brainwasher) cons them into making a decision to sign up.

This is a great comparison between Corp America (that perceived evil place) and Mary Kay. Every conference, seminar, retreat, rally, etc. always spewed how evil corp america is - and how wonderful MK is! I bought into it hook, line and sinker! I couldn't wait to get out of my 9-5 job and work full time in MK. When that became a reality and I finally made it to directorship - it only took a couple of years to realize MK isn't what it's cracked up to be! I can honestly tell you I worked harder at STAYING (not being or getting to!) a Director than I ever did in my 9-5 job. This whole "setting your own hours" is a crock - because you can't stop working to even breathe! It's constantly on your mind - you can't stop that - because you always have to be ready to meet that next hot-shot! I can tell you that when I worked my 9-5, my weekends- I didn't think about work at all - my evenings were my own, and I was involved in a lot of different activities. I had peace of mind because I had balance.

Life in MK has no balance - no matter what you hear from anyone else, I can bet you there is no balance with those crazy ladies. Basically that's what women turn into - crazy ladies if they stay long enough in the game. Only when they get out does sanity start to return.

I now have peace of mind again - because I chose to get off the hampster wheel called Mary Kay Directorship - my weekends and evenings are once again my own and I can honestly say that my family is much happier with me and our life together since I made that decision, and that's pricless!

Great article!!

Thank goodness, that I was 8 months pregnant with my third child (boy) when I was asked to sell MK in November, 1995. Also, had a 4 year old (girl) and 1 year old (boy). My life was so enriched with children that I didn't have a minute to enrich other women's lives. I didn't miss a thing in my whole life by not selling MK. My husband was the type that I couldn't ask to even bring home a roll of toilet paper or gallon of milk. I guess that is what you call a man's man. But I was expected to sit at his relatives on holidays for eight hours at a time. Yes, I was in a marriage bubble. Done with that now. There are many types of bubbles. The pink MK bubble, marriage bubble, education bubble, religion bubble, exercise bubble, money bubble, diet bubble, etc. Basically anything that encompasses your life to the point of being unhealthy is a bubble. I was in various bubbles in my life, but not the pink MK bubble. Fortunately, the other bubbles in my life took precedence. I am at the age where there are no bubbles and I am happy. I was doing a lot of gardening in 1996 and my Illinois MK SD would tell me that she couldn't do gardening, because she had to sell makeup. In 1996, she didn't have kids yet and I asked her if she was still going to sell MK when she did have kids. She said "yes, because it is good money and she gets a check straight from MK". She went from a Grand Am (1995) to Pink Cadillac (2001-2006) to Grand Prix (2006-Present). I guess that might indicate the economy. She is lucky that her husband does everything, because she was definitely in the pink bubble. She did tell me one time that she didn't go the meetings, but by the looks of it she always had lots of MK traffic in and out of her house. I have the for sale sign out front and if any of you are interested in living next to MK full time. Let me know! LOL

Great article Popping! Thanks for sharing. I think it is so important that the lurkers know that life as a top director is not what they say it is.

I was a director for 2 years and always felt so guilty that I did not earn a car. As a director, you work 24/7. There are no breaks. When you are not working you are thinking about it. Every woman you meet is a potential unit member or customer. It is exhausting, demoralizing, stressful and depressing.

I have been out of MK for 2 years and have a part-time job with a local ministry. I am working on my resume and will be seeking a full-time job soon. I am ready to get back into the work force full-time.

After working just part-time for 2 years I have paid off almost all of my MK debt, spend nights and weekends with family, able to spend time with girlfriends just for the joy of fellowship, rediscovered running and will run a 10 K in a couple of months, joined a gym, and can sleep at night without a knot in my stomach.

MK is a lie. As a director you learn to paint that rosy picture, but noone is living it. MK is nothing more than pink smoke and fun house mirrors.

The biggest reason my current job is better than Mary Kay, though, is that the people I work for actually listen to me and show me respect. My opinion matters, and they never tell me why it's for my own good that they don't answer my questions. If they have answers, they help me. If they don't know, they admit it.

Thank you all for your stories. I was sucked in to the pink lies only 4 months ago so I have not lost much time or too much money but MK caused major problems with my husband. I wish I would have found this website before I signed my contract. I am sending all my remaiming inventory back and never ever doing a MLM business again. I just feel sorry for my best friend who is still pretty brainwashed by all the pink.

Hey, mkiscrazy, I admire you for making up your mind so quickly about MK and MLM's in general. Take it from me, I've had 20 years off and on in MLM's, they are not worth the effort.
And don't let anyone tell you you were lazy or didn't "work it right". I did work my butt off in mlm's and have nothing to show for it, including 12 years in MK, 5 of those as a director.
Make your husband and family your priority, not some stupid business. Good for you!!! God Bless.

ALSO, CAN I JUST SAY HOW GRATEFUL I AM FOR THIS WEBSITE??? THANK YOU SO MUCH TRACY FOR HAVING THE GUTS TO START IT UP AND FOLLOW IT THROUGH.

IT HAS BEEN LIKE "FREE THERAPY" FOR ME (AND OTHERS, IT SEEMS) TO DE-PROGRAM FROM THE MK BRAIN WASH MACHINE! (I feel better now!!)

You said it, Saucy!
Tracy Rocks!

Being an MK Director was like serving a life sentence! Thank God I am free!

Popping-thanks so much for sharing your story.

Popping thanks so much for sharing your story and your comparisons are so true and to the real point. I wasn't a director just about the enter DIQ when I revisited this sight upon the insistence of a dear friend and former MKer. I made the decision to quit realizing the horrors you described. Worst of all apart from the loss of family time is the the financial burden and debt to be paid off. Thanks for sharing.

[quote][/quote]Look over these ideas during your "non-people" time (before 9am/after 9pm)

Hmm. So much for God first and family second.

Obviously I don't have the quote thing down.

what I would like to know is... when is your family time if your non-people time for MK is between 9am and 9pm. I don't know about you - but my kids go to bed at 9pm (at the latest!) and the time spent before school is getting them up, dressed, fed and out the door. Essentially - there is no family time if you stick to those mk rules. hmmm...

oops, I meant to say - before 9am and after 9pm! (need more coffee!)

Great story! Thanks for sharing.

Suzy Q "Being a sales director was one of the biggest and certainly the most expensive mistakes of my life!" - Wow I couldn't agree more!

And Popping, thank you so much for sharing your story. You are so right and I'm so happy for you.

Isn't it so sad how many independent intelligent women were manipulated through MK? I'm so thankful for this site...just think of how many women are being spared the drama and finacial loss by hearing our stories...by hearing the truth.

God bless ladies!

Amen! Thank you for this story. It reminds me how miserable I was while on the phone, listening in between calls to my kids and husband in the other room watching a movie or playing a game. Now I'm sitting in the same room with them, enjoying "cheating" out of movie on my laptop, but part of the laughter and comments. I missed this.

MK Corp. and everything associated with it is a crock of pink trash! LOL