Begging You to Go to Seminar
Yes, this is just one example of the pathetic emails that are sent by Mary Kay sales directors and national sales directors… trying to get consultants to go to Seminar. If you heed no other advice on Pink Truth, please hear me on this: Do not waste your time or money on seminar. Don’t leave your kids behind. Don’t drag your husband along. Don’t waste the money.
Dear Area Directors and Consultants,
I know that IF you have “already decided” that you are NOT going to Seminar, you are RESISTING MY BEGGING .
BUT … I am giving this one last try. This article was tooooo good to not pass on. If you ARE going, read it for RE-CONFIRMATION.
If I hadn’t RISKED THE TIME, MONEY, EFFORT, AND ENERGY to GO TO SEMINAR AGAIN AND AGAIN … I certainly wouldn’t have just returned from FOUR COUNTRIES and almost FOUR WEEKS in Europe !!!
SEMINAR – It’s Worth Going!
You have been hearing the Seminar Buzzzzzz and sure … some of you probably think it is just one big party! Sure, Seminar is fun, but it’s so much more. It’s an exciting learning experience that motivates and teaches you in just four days what it could take months or even years to learn on your own. Seminar is an investment in your career as a Professional Business Owner. Yes, an investment in your vOcation, not a vAcation from your business!
In my corporate life I attended Seminars, Trade Shows, Conferences, etc many times throughout the year! The companies I worked for gladly paid to send me all over the county and sometimes internationally for these events as THEY BELIEVED IN INVESTING IN THEIR EMPLOYEES TO MAXIMIZE THEIR POTENTIAL.
POINT TO PONDER: Doesn’t YOUR business deserve the same?
In Mary Kay we have two main corporate events – Seminar in Dallas and Career Conference locally. We should be certain we take advantage them! I guarantee you will get MORE than your money’s worth from Seminar. I also know that there is a gremlin talking in your ear RIGHT NOW trying to talk you out of going …
Your Gremlin might say something like:
1. “I don’t have the money.” That’s exactly why you NEED to go. Put something aside from each sale. By holding 1-2 extra skin care classes between now and Seminar, you’ll help earn your way. The anticipation of going will increase your productivity BEFORE Seminar, and you will be even more productive when you get home AFTER Seminar. Trust me, if “I don’t have the money” is your objection, you cannot afford not to go! You need the tools from this Tool Box called Seminar!
2. “I can’t leave my children.” Children need a break from mom too. I was a child once … I found this to be very true! They’ll appreciate you more than ever when you get back – and you’ll be refreshed and energized. Begin making arrangements now. What this trip might cost you in inconvenience; it will pay off in your future!
3. “My husband doesn’t want me to go.” Are you sure or is this an assumption? You know, sometimes, we push our insecurities off on our spouses. If you say, “I don’t think I should go to Seminar … it seems expensive… I hate to leave the children … I’ll be gone a long time … etc. What do you think?” Most likely he will say, “Yes, it does seem… expensive … like you will be gone a long time … I will have the children all by myself …”. Men are very logical creatures though, and if your husband is anything like mine, HE HAS SEEN THE COMMISSION CHECKS IN THE BACK OF AN APPLAUSE MAGAZINE. Plus, just think, what would you say if your husband’s job required him to be away from home for 3-4 days in order to better his productivity and paycheck? Would YOU tell him that he couldn’t/shouldn’t attend? Give him a chance. Talk with him. Heck, take him with you? He’ll love it!
4. “I don’t deserve to go, because I didn’t meet my goals this year.” “Oh PUHlease!” Do you realize that even the TOP DIRECTORS ARE NOT WHERE THEY WANT TO BE??? We ALL want something MORE. That is WHY we are SUCCESSFUL business owners! Seminar attendance is not just a reward for a great year (although if you had one, we’ll sure celebrate it.) Seminar is the catalyst for making next year great! For many people, Seminar is more significant when they do NOT achieve their goals. It becomes turning point. Go hungry, learn, grow and make this Seminar YOUR turning point!
5. “I am a new Consultant. I’ll wait and go next year.” Hmmm … this sounds familiar .. I think I used this one! Seriously, do you want to wait a whole year to make a lot of money and be very successful? Why postpone your success for a year? If you want an awesome rookie year, you have the best reason of all to go. Give yourself a head start!
6. “I went to Career Conference. Isn’t that enough?” Ever heard the phrase, “You ain’t seen nuthin’ yet?” While the regional conference is great, it’s a weekly Unit Meeting compared to Seminar. NO joke. NO comparison.
Hear this message from my heart. My first Seminar I qualified for priority seating .. I did not go. My second Seminar again I qualified for priority seating .. I did not go. I HAD ALL THESE “EXCUSES” OR “REASONS” TOO! Finally, my third year. AFTER I DEBUTED AS A DIRECTOR, EARNED MY FIRST CAR AND HAD ALL KINDS OF STUFF TO CELEBRATE I STILL WAS NOT GOING TO GO … then a Mary Kay girlfriend I NEVER MET called me at 6am all the way from the East Coast to tell me to GET OVER IT AND GET ON A PLANE!! HER ENERGY WAS SO STRONG SHE GAVE ME GOOSEBUMPS OVER THE PHONE!!
The Seminar Experience is so hard to put into words. You know how sometimes we are too close to see clearly? Well that is what was happening with me. I was so bogged down in all the “reasons” & “excuses” not to go! Things I KNEW were LOGICAL reasons not to go. My eyes were opened so wide at Seminar! It is an experience that WILL set you up with the education, the inspiration, the dedication and motivation for the rest of the year!!
Don’t be short-sighted. INVEST IN YOURSELF! As women we are ALWAYS THE LAST PERSON WE SPEND MONEY ON! Don’t you deserve it? I promise, this experience could change YOUR Mary Kay life and financial status! It did mine!
IT’S WORTH IT!
Visit the
Notice how nobody shares a single tidbit they learned at Seminar that helped them run a profitable business? Seminar’s message boils down to this: “Order and recruit!”
It’s just a hyped up version of the same old Mary Kay scripts and platitudes. Nothing new can come out at Seminar, since there are only so many ways to put lipstick on this pig.
I’ll take things that didn’t happen for $275.00 Alex.
Oh, for heaven’s sake-this is ridiculous. If you really were on charge of your own business (and not a patsy for upline) they wouldn’t be begging you to go anywhere!
In my corporate life I attended Seminars, Trade Shows, Conferences, etc many times throughout the year! The companies I worked for gladly paid to send me all over the county and sometimes internationally for these events as THEY BELIEVED IN INVESTING IN THEIR EMPLOYEES TO MAXIMIZE THEIR POTENTIAL.
As opposed to Mary Kay where you have to self-fund something that is decreasing in value every year.
“In my corporate life I attended Seminars, Trade Shows, Conferences, etc many times throughout the year! The companies I worked for gladly paid to send me all over the county and sometimes internationally for these events as THEY BELIEVED IN INVESTING IN THEIR EMPLOYEES TO MAXIMIZE THEIR POTENTIAL.”
Right, these companies SEND their employees. They pay for travel, lodging, food, registration fees, classes, etc. The corporate employees benefit, too, since they get to learn about new products and procedures, build their professional networks, and with any luck get noticed by industry bigwigs. My sister used to have to do trade shows for her company, and while she didn’t enjoy it (16 hour days on your feet on top of jet lag suck) it gave her a chance to show off her S-tier organizational and problem-solving skills, and people noticed. The companies have a chance to attract new clients and show off their talent.
Meanwhile, MK’s Seminar requrires that the consultomer foot the bill for all travel costs, learn nothing new, never meet anyone new since the MLM world is a closed system with no outside customers, and no way to advance their careers since advancement is only based off of recruitment and buying stuff. Maybe you get fired up and insipired for a few days, but at the end you’re really just broke and tired for nothing.
It’s summer. Have a cookout. Eat watermelon. Splash around in the pool. Catch fireflies with the kids. Smell the roses. You’ll get more out of hiding out in your air-conditioned living room binge-watching old sitcoms on Roku (guilty) than you will from Seminar.
I was SENT to my first electronics trade show in the early 1980s by my employer, who sent 5 people. We had a battle plan of who to talk to, new tech to check out, speakers to listen to, where the hospitality suites were (FREE FOOD! CHEAP BOOZE!) and ALL EXPENSES were paid for the two days.
Some of those business contacts were still active for me in the 2010s, I have ancient trade show swag, and the knowledge was useful for years.
Compare to “Seminar”, where the spiel doesn’t change, the expenses keep going up, the amenities keep going away.
After several years of going to seminar to learn how the successful people get to the top I realized there was a pattern. I went to the classes eager to learn and take notes of the steps I needed to take to get to the top. Then a top director “taught” for 30 minutes. They didn’t share any specific steps or really get into what they did to be successful. There were a lot of Mary Kayisms and you-can-do-its. Lots of giggling, story telling and tangents and it was time for the next class. Then the teacher was swept off to their next event and I couldn’t get my questions answered. Of course, I was then told not to reach out to them privately because they are busy running their own businesses and wasn’t it enough they shared 30 minutes with me and a hundred other people? Toward the end of my MK time, it was starting to make sense that my Senior Director was showing up to all the classes late and drunk. There’s no hope.
Years ago, I was told, by a top NSD, that one particular Top 3 NSD was notorious for being drunk backstage and on stage at Seminar. My brother used to be on the Visitor & Convention Board of Dallas. The two conventions that consumed the most alcohol (according to bar sales and hotel mini bar consumption) were the Baptist Convention and the MK Conventions.
Is it Gloria? Her speeches sound like they were written by a drunk and her delivery looks like she’s knocked back a few.
I want Pam Shaw to be a secret drunk!
Seminar sure sounds like all those high dollar self help courses that get people nowhere. Oh, other than a little poorer, and the organization putting it on a little richer.
She did NOT state ‘kids need a break from mom.’ Please tell me I hallucinated that. It seems inappropriate in this context. And terribly presented. It really hit me wrong.
Also, shouldn’t those that attend have handouts or links or something they can physically bring back to share with their downlines or sister consultants? Why do they ‘gatekeep’ this professional information that is sure to catapult them into super stardom, pink cars and the opportunity to win ugly jewelry/purses, etc. Not to mention the opportunity to purchase jackets that went out of style decades ago. Good grief!
Long ago, when my son was a newborn, an aggressive acquaintance who was trying to move up the MK ladder, wasted some time trying to recruit me. I told her that I had a newborn, was adjusting to everything, didn’t think I would be able to devote the time to something like selling MK, etc. Dripping with condescension, she literally said, and I quote: “You know, there’s a difference between motherhood and smotherhood.”
So that bit of nonsense from this desperate director doesn’t surprise me at all. Seems like they’ve been preaching this crap for quite some time.
With a NEWBORN?? That director clearly epitomizes “God first, family second” 🙄🙄🙄🙄
When I needed “a break from mom”, my mom sent me to church camp. 2 weeks of liberal theology (It was Episcopalian camp), fresh air, girls dorms, and mosquito bites for less than the cost of feeding me for two weeks.
Or she sent me to relatives ranches … FREE labor for them, horsies to ride for me.
What’s in it for the directors for their people to go? Is there any sort of prize or financial incentive. Or is just the drowning in pink kool-aid that benefits them when their people get home and order too much inventory?
The NSD can get “comped” – get their posh suite for free and other goodies – if enough rooms are booked in the block she reserved. That’s why they push you to stay in the official hotel.
Most conferences use the freebie rooms for “party suites” for mingling, for speakers and guests of honor, or for “scholarship attendees” (free or discounted for attendees who are broke).
TOP DIRECTORS ARE NOT WHERE THEY WANT TO BE!
Does she hear herself?
I snorted my coffee at the statement “you’ll return home refreshed and energized”… what a bucket of crap! There was NEVER a time I came home from Seminar refreshed – EVER! Even the 2 times I brought my husband… they have you on such a crazy schedule, dawn to dusk – I always came home exhausted. The 2 times I brought my husband, I was jealous of him getting to spend time around the pool, etc. during the day, taking a nap, etc. while I was sitting bored in all my classes – trying to glean even a smidge of actual business information that could propel me forward.
Gosh, I do not miss this life whatsoever. I feel sad for everyone that is still involved in this sham. Wake up and get out now! (and definitely stay home from Seminar… take a nice vacation with your family, you’ll not regret that at all.)
This must be a boiler plate email from the past because as per a friend who is still in Mary Kay:
1. Seminar is in Fort Worth, not Dallas.
2. Seminar is 2-1/2 days, not 4 days.
There will be no shuttle transportation to the FW convention center ( except for NSD,s) because hotels are within walking distance to cc. So have fun walking in heels and panty hose to Seminar in unbearable heat and humidity.
However, my observation of the past few years the professional attire has deteriorated, so you can probably get by with bare legs and sneakers with your black skirt and red jacket or whatever get up you come with to style that pink directors jacket.
Anyway, plan to spend a lot of money, sleep in a crowded hotel room and learn absolutely nothing! Aren’t you so excited?
Yes, it’s an old one but I think it’s funny that all the talking points never change.
I remember being a broke college student and going to my first seminar. I didn’t realize how much everything was going to cost me to even be there (flights, hotel, food, etc.) and I very embarrassingly had to call my mom and ask her to wire me money half way through the trip. Looking back, I’m filled with so much shame for begging my mom for this money (along with the shame I feel for harassing friends, loved ones, and acquaintances to buy product or join my team). I kept buying all that my director and those at seminar were telling me “it’s an investment in your future! Those who show up, go up!” So much shame and embarrassment from that time in my life. Big yikes. Hearing that many other smart and successful women fell victim to this scam has given me some solace, so I really appreciate all of you ladies sharing your stories.
“Children need a break from mom too. I was a child once … I found this to be very true! They’ll appreciate you more than ever when you get back…”
So, to be successful in Mary Kay you have to be a garbage parent. Considering Mary Kay herself dumped her kids on grandparents and boarding school to go scam other women, it tracks.
I wasn’t a parent yet when I was in MK. Now that I am a parent and have been out of the pink fog for many years, I can’t imagine missing out on time with my child for this garbage. If you’re going to spend time away from your child, spend the money on a nice trip with your spouse. Or instead, just have a nice family vacation altogether. Don’t miss out on precious time when your kids are little for a pyramid scheme. The utter nonsense these MKbots spout is seriously insane.
Meanwhile my old company has a new product launch of a combustion modified fertiliser and is hosting several trade shows. Farmers are flocking far and wide to get their green mitts on the new product, no begging required. And it’s a product that works. I was on a test panel and my rose arbour has never looked better. They did RTM just in time for planting season rather than 10 years later a la MK’s outdated products. And the trade show has great swag bags too. I have a free herb garden for my impersonations of Gordon Ramsay.
I’d much rather attend a fertilizer trade show than hang at the MK manure fest.
I love Gordon Ramsay. “WHAT ARE YOU??” “…an idiot sandwich…?”
If you are able to provide deets on this new product, I, for one, would be all ears!
Sadly it’s UK market only. There is an amateur version mooted to be coming out next year, pro version at the moment as the certification process for amateur and professional agroproducts is different due to restrictions on what can be included and it’s safety. For instance creosote is only permitted for professional use by farmers for fence painting and isn’t available for gardeners who want to spruce up their windbreak due to it being carcinogenic and most pesticides like bedbug killer are trade only with amateur use being low concentration permethrin.
Basically it’s just a regular ammonia-based fertiliser but it’s been engineered to not detonate when heated or shocked so it’s a) less likely to blow up a farm if a haystack gets a bit toasty or a telegraph pole falls on it and b) can’t be used to make IEDs. I’ll ask what other info I can share as it’s still pretty new to market and some details are company confidential. I used to work in IT there so my product knowledge is limited, although my rose garden was one of the many test sites. For my time I got free herb and veg seeds, which are flourishing. I’m currently in a mac n cheese phase, if you make this crush half a clove of garlic, blitz well and add some freshly chopped and shredded chives to the cheese sauce. You’ll thank me later.
It will still combust but won’t explode. There’s a considerable push in the industry but not as much at government level (it’s mostly internal to the trade) to make products anti-IED so fire extinguishers and agrochem are pivoting due to the new terrorist threats. The beauty market adapted FAST with lower concentration H2O2 hair bleach and modified acetone so “Satan’s Breath” as Al Qaeda call it is much, much harder to make after Manchester and beauty wholesalers will confirm that you are a legit buyer (GF is MUA and also does nails and hair and had to bring driving license and paperwork showing she’s a business) to prevent the public from burning their scalps and making 747s fall out of the sky.
My parents lived not far from Lockerbie and still remember that night, my dad drove taxis and was up all night ferrying extra police around to the crater. Pharmacist mum was called out of bed too to open up and treat survivors. The fact there weren’t any was even more traumatic. My dad used to fly PAN AM from the UK to the USA when he worked for AMEX so that was a double gut punch as he often took PA103 from LHR-JFK. Then PA went under due to it and AMEX switched to TWA and AA. He often worked the Atlanta office too and enjoyed DAL’s first class on the veeery comfy L-1011 Tristar. He lost 2 colleagues in WTC-1 on 9/11 who had left AMEX for Cantor so he’s been traumatised by multiple terrorist attacks. I still remember being home from school, watching Neighbours (Aussie soap) and at 2:02GMT (9:02 NY time( BBC cutting into WTC-1 burning. And I still remember the memorial service we had at school on Friday and the indescribable anger. Dad’s colleagues were missing, families praying they’d be found or were walking around NY in a daze. Of course they weren’t, nobody at Cantor or above the impact floors got out. Except through the windows sadly.
Anyway… As it’s a small business it’s unlikely to be marketed in the USA, although a small Irish business did a similar product and launched in Georgia in about 2011. Butterly is the Irish company but I can’t remember the Atlanta name. If it’s any help they have an office in Orlando too for citruses and market solely in the South. They have AL and NC as a market too. They also make pesticides. Their UK subsidiary sells diesel generators and other diesel farm equipment under FGM Claymore and they used to have Subaru dealerships in Worcestershire.
But yes we’re not targeting the EU or USA, just Britain for the moment as due to Brexit EU marketing would be an expensive headache that we just can’t afford. A market analysis showed the US would be too small and could cause problems with Monsanto who have a similar but not identical product. So theoretically it could be US marketed as other companies from the UK and IE have targeted the US but with tariffs and the trade war it’s unlikely – and the market is already very well served so ROI would be very low if existent at all.
Nancy Tejen (sp) was known to be drunk on stage…but most famous for not being able to put her lips together after one too many plastic surgeries. Ah, the good old days.
I would be more than ok with Pammie or Gloria being drunks too. They should be. And they should be consumed with guilt.