We’ve had some recent issues with Mary Kay national sales directors making money off consultants who attend their events. Look no further than Kristin Sharpe and Brittani Jenks, who are currently not in good standing with the company because they were literally charging consultants tens of thousands of dollars for their events. You see, the ENTIRE JOB of the national sales director is to train and mentor the downline. That’s what their commissions pay them to do. So when they’re also charging consultants money for the training, Mary Kay Inc. has a problem with it.

Last week, corporate sent out an email to all nsds “clarifying” how much money may be charged for events. Here’s the official guidance from MK:

Here is the official Mary Kay Guidance on Charges for Event Attendance. The rules are pretty simple: You can’t generate a profit from these events. You can only charge enough money to cover your costs of the events. Period. Here is the email that went out last week about it:

From: NSD Services <NSD.Services@mkcorp.com>
Date: February 27, 2026 at 8:41:24 AM EST
Subject: Important Reminder: Clarification on Permissible Event Charges

Dear Independent National Sales Directors,

I hope this message finds you well. As leaders, the way you guide and support your teams profoundly shapes how our sales force experiences the Mary Kay opportunity. With that influence comes an important responsibility to uphold the trust, integrity, and long‑term sustainability of our business model.

In recent weeks, we have received several questions regarding appropriate charges for Area, Unit, and other sales force-related events. To promote consistency across the field — and to help ensure that our events continue to uplift rather than burden our Independent Beauty Consultants — I would like to reiterate key points from the Company’s Guidance on Charges for Event Attendance, available on InTouch and attached for your reference.

The Company recognizes the essential role Independent National Sales Directors play in motivating, mentoring, and supporting Independent Beauty Consultants as they build and grow their Mary Kay businesses. Commission payments are intended to compensate National Sales Directors for these efforts. While there is no expectation or requirement to host events beyond those provided by the Company, you have the discretion to determine what best aligns with your business goals. As you plan, continue to assess the necessity, frequency, and overall impact of your meetings and events — and if hosting them is not contributing to increased commissions, it may be wise to reconsider.

Above all, when planning any event, remain mindful of the time, effort, and financial commitment required of attendees. Ensuring meaningful value must always be at the center of every event you choose to offer.

Key Principles for Event Charges

Independent National Sales Directors and Independent Sales Directors may charge nominal fees only for live, in‑person events, and solely to cover the reasonable and direct costs required to host the event. These may include:

• • Room rental
  • Basic refreshments
  • Minimal incidentals (e.g., notepads, pens)

Event charges must never be structured to generate profit.

Important Reminders

• • Fees should not be charged to host virtual events.
  • Virtual attendees may not be charged when viewing a live, in‑person event remotely.
  • Prizes, awards, recognition items, third‑party speakers, or staff support costs may not be included when calculating attendance fees.
  • If collected fees exceed actual direct costs, the overage should be evaluated and either: applied appropriately to a future event, or refunded/credited to attendees when the amount is significant.
  • When co‑hosting events, Directors may share costs only if the arrangement is agreed upon and documented in advance, and again, no profit should be generated.
  • Personal investments in equipment may not be passed on to sales force members. Put simply, if you purchased, for example, your own projector and microphone for your Area events you cannot charge your attendees anything to help cover the cost of buying that equipment. However, if another Director asks to borrow your projector for her in‑person event, you may charge her a small “wear‑and‑tear” fee — as long as the amount is similar to what someone would normally pay to rent similar equipment, and she feels no pressure or obligation to use your equipment.
  • Hosts should not request “donations” to offset event expenses; calling it a donation rather than an admission fee makes no meaningful difference.

Guest Events

For Guest Events hosted by multiple sales force members, any sales force buy‑ins or participation fees must be tied directly to the reasonable costs of hosting the event – things like prizes for guests or other reasonable, direct event expenses. These events, too, must never generate a profit.

Leadership Conference, Career Conference & Seminar Event Space

In alignment with these principles, the Company has decided to discontinue offering event space for NSD‑hosted meetings at Leadership Conference. The purpose of Leadership Conference is to inform independent sales force leaders about Company direction and key initiatives; this change ensures the event remains fully aligned with that core objective.

The Company has also decided to discontinue offering event space for NSD-hosted meetings outside of the event agenda at Career Conference.

The Company will continue to provide NSDs with event space for Area meetings during Seminar, subject to availability. These spaces will be assigned in ranking order and only to NSDs staying at a Mary Kay–contracted hotel. If multiple NSDs are hosting an event, each must be staying at a Mary Kay- contracted hotel to qualify for event space.  All events must follow the guidelines outlined above.

While these changes take effect immediately, updates to the NSD Guide are currently underway and will be published soon.

Our Shared Responsibility

Our goal is to ensure that events provide genuine value to Independent Beauty Consultants without creating financial burden or the perception that “upline” members profit from training or participation. Upholding these standards is essential to maintaining the integrity and long‑term viability of the Mary Kay opportunity for all members of our sales force.

If you have questions after reviewing the attached guidance or would like to discuss specific scenarios, please feel free to reach out. Should the Legal Department receive complaints about a particular event, please be aware that we will require documentation of expenses to substantiate any fees charged, consistent with the terms and conditions of your Agreements.

Thank you for your leadership and for your continued commitment to supporting the success of our independent sales force.

Thank you,

Naisha Covarrubias

Vice President, Legal Operations & Asst. Corporate Secretary

Vicepresidente, Departamento de Asuntos Jurídicos