Another Sales Director in Denial

A former consultant emailed her director to tell her why she was quitting Mary Kay. Of course, the director couldn’t let it go. Her response was shared with us, and shows how deep she is into the MK cult.

I am saddened to know that you feel your experience in Mary Kay was not a positive one. My experience has shown me that most who have complaints are people who choose not to work their business. They do not show up for educational opportunities or put forth the effort it requires to run their own business. Being an entrepreneur is not for everyone. It requires discipline, pro-active work, problem solving skills, a positive attitude, and a willingness to generate business by talking to people about our products. This business is not for everyone, and that is truly ok!

Consultants come in for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. It is not a guarantee that you will like everyone that you meet or everything that you try…I’m sure that you have acquaintances or even family members that you don’t like and activities that aren’t for you. But I choose to offer the same support and opportunities to all of my consultants whether they work this business or not. When I have a consultant who chooses not to continue this business for any reason, I don’t shut my door or my heart to them.

My 9 1/2 years of experience with Mary Kay have been completely wonderful. I have built fulfilling long-lasting friendships with wonderful women both in the company and out. These are women who pride themselves on having integrity in both their business dealings and personal relationships. My job as an independent beauty consultant and sales director is honorable, and I am proud of my business and my company!

Our corporate staff exude those same traits and pride themselves on running a company that “thinks out of the box” (as you rarely find from corporate America) commanding integrity in business. In addition, our corporate headquarters does not tolerate independent consultants that do not run their businesses with those same principles. The company has in the past terminated the agreements of consultants who were not ethical in their business practices. These were women on various levels of the career path who were warned one or more times to stop unethical practices. Mary Kay Inc. has chosen to take the “high road”, not the “easy road” which differs from some companies in Corporate America where the only thing that matters is the bottom line, not the integrity of their employees.

As for some discrepencies in your assumptions:

First, Mary Kay is not a multi-level/pyramid company. The two main differences are as follows:

1. Everyone makes 50% commission on their sales (from a brand new consultant to a National Sales Director)

2. Team Building commissions are paid based on how well personal teams and units work their businesses, not on how many people you have in your organization. Our leadership skills help determine, but do not guarantee, how well the consultants/directors do. We do not receive part of the consultants’ sales commission as in other companies.

Second, the woman who created and maintains the negative website you referred to is paid by advertisers and wants to generate as many hits as possible. I have read some of the postings on that site and have found gross inaccuracies. In addition, not ONE of the thousands of positive comments about Mary Kay are EVER posted on that site. Pink Un-Factual Propaganda would be a better name for the site. I am sure you could find a negative site for every major company or product you could name…Cadillac, Macy’s, even Purina Dog Chow. That doesn’t make those sites factual.

Third, women who end up with debt after ending their Mary Kay business do so for two reasons: One, they did not work their business. Two, they embezzled from their business. As you can see, having a corporate sponsered “buy-back guarantee” eliminates that issue.

I am sorry you are so disgruntled and would have been happy to have discussed this with you had you contacted me. I have taken you off my email listing and would have done so sooner had my reports reflected you had returned your product. In the future, I would appreciate that you do not send emails to the consultants in my unit since my distrobution list is not for public use. I have already heard from some that do not appreciate or agree with your email and do not not want to receive further correspondence from you. I’m sure you appreciate that they respect your privacy as well. You are welcome to contact me personally if needed.

I do wish you and your family the very best for the future. I am sure that you are enjoying your son and life as a new mom.

44 COMMENTS

  1. Tracy, have you ever been contacted by MK corporate offering you bags of cash to take down this site? I love that Pink Truth is such a successful thorn in thier side!

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  2. “In the future, I would appreciate that you do not send emails to the consultants in my unit since my distrobution list is not for public use. I have already heard from some that do not appreciate or agree with your email and do not not want to receive further correspondence from you.”

    So we have a Director that does not know how to use the bcc feature for emailing…. Also those consultants that are upset should learn how to use their words and talk to the person who sent the email. This paragraph just shows how brainwashed the unit members are in so many ways.

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    • Happened to me. I tried reaching out to consultants and they were brainwashed. They couldn’t hear me.

  3. What a nasty, horrible woman! Educational opportunities teaching you entrepreneurship? When?

    Silly rah rah meetings that you must pay for that offer little to no product training. Instead they only promote ordering product and recruiting. Nothing is conducted in a professional manner. When do they teach profit, loss and inventory management- actual topics that are vital to a successful REAL business?

    Nobody is asking for Mary Kay products and ebay is the cheaper option if there happens to be a desired item.

    There is nothing uplifting or empowering about the MK “career”. This abusive, mean spirited email is perfect evidence.

  4. This is a prime example of the shaming and shunning whenever anyone speaks out about how used and manipulated they feel because of Mary Kay. No accountability or kindness is shown, just more blaming the victim. Here’s a new mom with a baby and this is how she’s treated.

    I wonder if this is a form email that she sends out regularly to all the consultants that wise up. I can’t imagine her taking this much time with someone who wouldn’t make her money anymore.

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    • I think this probably IS some sort of form letter that is given to an SD who has a written document to dispute, because the information addresses way too many issues. This presumably is a response from an SD to an ex-consultant, and the main interest of the SD likely is just to say leave my consultants alone and buzz off. Would the average SD write complete, separate paragraphs extolling the virtues of the consultants and the corporate structure? Maybe, but just seems like there is way too much information being shoveled out. I expect the letter is designed to cover all bases when an ex-consultant has mentioned Pink Truth and there is a reasonable expectation by the higher ups that this response may be forwarded to Pink Truth.

      • Good catch. It does have a “legal” feel to it and was better written than the usual Kaybot nonsense.

  5. MK is in fact MLM and really a pyramid scheme. I would go as far to say the MK is the perfect definition of a real pyramid scheme, evidenced by the fact commissions are paid up based on ORDERS, not what is sold. Also be definition you are only suppossed to buy inventory after 70% of current inventory is sold. PYRAMID SCHEME

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    • We were taught to personally not take net profits from business until we had full inventory on shelves. Yes, we used criminal, threatening words in MK. So embarrassing!

    • “Being an entrepreneur is not for everyone. It requires discipline, pro-active work, problem solving skills, a positive attitude, and a willingness to generate business by talking to people about our products. This business is not for everyone, and that is truly ok!”

      What happened to the “it’s so easy everybody can do it, or it just takes a couple hours of your time?“ You know the spiel that they used to try to get you in and then the minute you confront them with the truth they turn around and say well this might not be for you or it takes a lot of work And the list goes on and on!
      This Director is so misguided and so full of BS. She wants to make Mary Kay sound like all roses but in reality when confronted with the truth she doesn’t know what else to say. I find it very interesting that she admits to having read pink truth and not just once it sounds like often.
      I hope that one day this tractor sees the light and comes out of the pink fog!

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  6. Wow, second sentence is BLAMING HER. So much for being a Godly Director and following the Golden Rule!

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  7. “First, Mary Kay is not a multi-level/pyramid company. The two main differences are as follows: 1. Everyone makes 50% commission on their sales (from a brand new consultant to a National Sales Director)” —

    Question: Per yesterday’s article, is it true that you get your commission level kickback (example 13%) on you personal “inventory” orders? That was my take yesterday when she said she immediately made $1300 on her 10k “investment”.

    • Only Directors get paid on their own orders, but it’s at 23% (production + unit volume bonus). So, for every $100 wholesale I ordered, I got $23 back in commissions.

      • Thanks, so she lied! What the Director might sell at full retail isn’t just a 50% markup like everyone else. It’s 50% plus her “commission position” kickback on product ordered from the company.

        “Everyone makes 50% commission on their sales (from a brand new consultant to a National Sales Director)” LIE.

        In BD’s example, she got $23 back. She only paid $77 for the $100 product, sold it for $200. Non-Director Sally paid $100 and sold for $200.

        *I’m not suggesting people actually resell at full MSRP. Just pointing out the the sleight of hand in her language.

        So what was the author going on about yesterday about 13% back on a 10K inventory order? What am I missing?

        • The rebate/commission/kickback/whatever varies starting at 13%. Higher-ups with larger units/orders get more.

          Any way you slice it, “Everyone pays the same amount” is a bald-faced lie. The net cost for inventory is lower if you’re father up the pyramid.

  8. “sales commission”

    In the Pink Bubble, you receive commissions based on how much MK Corp sells to YOU and YOUR TEAM.

    Don’t compare that with real sales-people who make commissions by making real sales.

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      • Hey Mountaineer, why did you go into sales? I’m not asking to be rude, but you seem to have done really well! I’ve worked with a lot of sales reps in various CPG industries, and it’s not something you aspire to be as a kid but it can be quite a lucrative career if one is good at it, is that what appealed to you? I had a course on direct selling in college (I took Advertising, I wanted to be Angela Bower LOL) and I clearly remember the instructor telling us if we wanted to make “the big money,” go into sales. He didn’t sugar coat it though, he said the reps earn every penny but if they have a natural talent for it, then it’s a good avenue to utilize those people skills.

        • Thanks for asking! I didn’t grow up thinking I’d go into sales (and I think most people don’t); my initial plan was law school. But after 4.5 years of college and having earned a BA in English, I was burnt out and not driven to try law school. Two of my best friends moved to NC, and I followed several months later. I got into sales (retail furniture at the time) because I needed a job and they were hiring! (People have asked if I wanted to teach; a general BA in English doesn’t qualify to teach without additional factors).

          I ended up LOVING my sales job at the furniture store. It just fit! And I was earning good money (at least to me at the time, high $40s to low $50s 25 years ago)! Retail is very different from MLM in many ways, not the least of which is that people WILLINGLY come to your brick and mortar store because they’re interested in buying something from you. I soon after got into a management position, and later moved to another store and overall within six years of starting, a wholesale rep position for a major mattress retailer came available and I got it. So after that I was a territory sales manager for a manufacturer, selling to the retail stores. Then when I had to move back home I took a s8milar position but in giftware rather than furniture (a pretty easy transition actually). I’ve been really proud of my career and accomplishments, but can say that it wasn’t where I envisioned myself as a college grad in 1995!

          Back in the late 90s/early 2000s, I and everyone around me desperately wanted to get into sales…as a pharma rep. It became such a hot position that in the early 2000s, students were gaining degrees specifically for that (ie microbiology and communications together). I wanted it as well, but retail experience didn’t transition to B2B sales and I was passed over. So I did have a bit of satisfaction when my mattress rep position progressed to where I was making over $70k/year…people made fun of me (lulz you sell mattresses you loser) and I always had the last laugh.

          I think most salespeople don’t grow up with that career in mind, but they end up there and it works. I think there are some exceptions in specialized areas…if you love a genre or category of item and want to make it your career, you might be driven to sales early. Like for me, I wish I knew when I was a kid how much I would come to love antiques….I’d have tried whatever I could to learn about them and then get to selling them.

          To bring this back to topic, I’d point out that the “selling” required in MK is not about product, but “presenting the opportunity”. The “product” you’re selling is a dream, and the target “customer” of this dream is a potential IBC.

          • That’s interesting, I think being a mattress rep would be great! Look how it’s evolved over the past 10yrs, they’re so advanced now.

            This will blow your mind…..I worked in cannabis and last year, all the sales reps and trade marketing people were let go. Many of the companies moved to a broker model, and guess what, it’s certainly “broke,” it’s not working, nothing is selling. LOL.

            Thanks Mountaineer ?.

  9. So many lies jump out of this, the most hilarious of which being her claim that MK “command[s] integrity in business.” That’s just comedy right there.
    These director responses to consultants who have wised up are so similar it’s as if they are using a form letter…
    I never even considered signing up for MK as it always made me think “gaudy old lady makeup” but years ago, I was sucked in to doing Beauticontrol, and that’s when I found PT (actually, it was Mary Kay Sucks” at the time.) Nevertheless, the proverbial shoe fit and I got out.
    I DID work that “business.” I went to “training events” and stalked strangers every time I left the house. In fact, I worked it so much that people started avoiding me.
    Extremely embarrassing in hindsight. Yikes…??‍♀️

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  10. MK’s product line is limited compared to newer MLMs. So many are selling an ever-increasing number of products. Why just cosmetics and skincare when you can also sell supplements, essential oils, cleaning products, shampoo, baby products…?

    I see that MLM Farmasi, which also offers “50% commission”, is constructing its U.S. headquarters and distribution center in Doral, Florida.

    • My humble opinion: an MLM expanding its product line just means it’s throwing more crap at the wall, hoping something will stick. And almost all of them opt for nutritional supplements pretty early on, because they can buy them on the cheap from overseas and mark them way, way up by pretending they’re something special, exclusive formula, not available in stores, yada yada.

      I don’t think Mary Kay can go that route without taking a huge credibility hit. They’ve been a make-up and skin-care company for far too long to suddenly branch out into other markets without looking desperate. If they were 5 or 10 years old, maybe, but after 58 years specializing in make-up and skin care, they’re suddenly selling vitamins? Not a good look.

      I’m not saying it’ll never happen, but if it does, it’ll be a sure sign that they’re in dire straits.

      • “MLM expanding its product line just means it’s throwing more crap at the wall”

        Yes, they’re all greedy. I think it will be harder for MK to attract new consultants when there are more and more MLMs with a wider variety of products, including cosmetics and skincare. The competition is increasing.

      • Didn’t Mary Kay actually sell vitamins at one point many years ao – maybe 20 years ago or so? I seem to remember that.

        • Answering my own question, thanks to Google: Mary Kay did indeed sell vitamins around 25 years ago. They were called Daily Benefits.

      • We actually did expand into gift services with the Embrace Life program, only to find out our CEO was double-dipping with his own company making them.

  11. ” My experience has shown me that most who have complaints are people who choose not to work their business.”

    Bullplop. You’re only saying that to shame your victim. What a vile, disgusting thing to do to someone who worked their butt off in your scam.

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  12. The fact that she either 1) wrote this letter from scratch or 2) (more likely) has a prepared letter ready speaks volumes.

  13. If the product is so good it flies off the shelf, wouldn’t consultants be banging down the door to sign on? To treat someone like this who decided to quit, just makes you look so damn desperate.

  14. I feel MK is still stuck in the era of door to door bible salesmen or vacuum sales. How can you embezzle from an activity that fails from day one. No one wants the silly pink make up party. No one wants the juvenile exaggerated, pretend training. Any potential recruits I had were either desperate or skeptical of those Rah Rah recruiting sessions. To top it off both my SD and NSD were untrustworthy. They were all about themselves. MY SD sabotaged 3 DIQ’s while I was in for just a couple of years. Then she stole their recruits. Thirty years later my SD hasn’t advanced one iota. Sorry sales Rep MK is an mlm. You have to lie about doing facials because you are not a licensed Esthetician. I find it disturbing that MK is still touted as caring and principled. Thousands of women have left because MK failed them. I got sick and absolutely no one in MK cared. It seems rather odd that you would attack, blame and doubt women for stating that MK products don’t sell. In order to keep their so called free car, directors must somehow magically convince (Con) other struggling women to buy products. It doesn’t matter if those consultants are good at sales. All that matters is MK Directors and the companies ego and image. (deceiving women so a few can have cars, trips, jewelry, wear a sash, stand on a stage, get a pin or sash, etc). Now that’s principled and honorable. Sadly Directors and NSD’s must justify their scheme or admit MK is bogus.

  15. So many fun points in this one and you guys have hit on a lot of them! May I kindly share one of my pet peeves in relation to these folks claiming that what is presented on this Pink Un-factual Propaganda Site are truly untruths?

    How is it a LIE when Tracy or anyone else here makes a comment or post about numbers published in Applause (aka The Clap for newbies)? It’s an MK Corp publication for heaven’s sake! So for example, Tracy will bring up a particular issue of Applause and note what the lowest commission check for the small percentage of listed directors is, thus deducing from MK Corp itself that every director below the top however many must have gotten a commission check that was less than the lowest one on that list?

    How is it a LIE when Tracy posts a screen shot from Chelsea “retail sales profit doesn’t matter” Adkins wherein Chelsea is offering products at barely anything over what she pays for them, yet automatically takes her (and her unit’s) wholesale production numbers and just doubles them and announces that they’ve “sold”, at RETAIL, this doubled number when almost all of those products have not yet been sold, or have or will be sold at waaaaay less than “50%” commission or whatever? (Sorry, that was a long sentence!)

    How is it a LIE to show social media posts from a Cadillac director bragging about how much money she’s making with her MK business and then call her out on that lie when only months later she’s turning in the Caddy and has no idea how she’s going to buy another car?

    These are just a few examples of the many (as in hundreds) of times that PT looks at info/numbers/etc provided BY MKC and its consultants/directors and points out totally obvious discrepancies.

    I always have a visual of a little kid with her fingers in her ears and her eyes closed saying “nah nah nah nah I can’t hear you!!!” when people like this 10-years-fogged lady make the claims that everything here is just lies, ALL LIES! Smart, successful “entrepreneurs” and “business owners” don’t do this.

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  16. Crazy how “did not work their business” is always the response. You’d think it would be obvious that many of those women who did not succeed did work “their business” very hard.

  17. “I have taken you off my email listing and would have done so sooner had my reports reflected you had returned your product.”

    I don’t get this, so did she or didn’t she return product? That must have been a painful chargeback.

  18. In regards to the comment about calling out conflict of interest in the case of a for profit business working with a non-profit, then you seem to not understand how American business is set-up as most businesses have a non-profit entity. By calling out one, then you also have to call out things like the Ronald McDonald House, and every non-profit giving association that is a part of every single professional sports team in every single league. We don’t question the system, so why question the organizations who are just following our countries set rules for business.

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    • No, “most” businesses do NOT have a non-profit entity. Some do. But not most. Relatively few, actually.

      Ronald McDonald House is completely different. They don’t use RMH as a ruse to sell more burgers. It’s truly a non-profit that helps people, and is not an avenue to sell burgers. The criticism is of using a non-profits to sell more products in a way that looks charitable, but really just lines the pockets of the owners of the for-profit.

      And yes, some of us DO question the system. I question the system of allowing non-profits that function exactly like for-profit businesses but are allowed to avoid taxes due to the way laws are written. We do question the system.

      Thanks for your attempt to educate us, oh wise one, but you’ve got it all wrong.

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