Mary Kay Reviews

Pros

The best reasons to work for Mary Kay are similar to many other direct sales companies - flexibility of schedule, your goals are your own to set and reach, good financial compensation.
The better than best reasons to work for Mary Kay are the incredible recognition for achievements, the emotional and professional support you receive from each and every person in the company, the openness of the information and training, the no-limits atmosphere, the pervasiveness of the attitude of helping women succeed and feel beautiful every day.
I am a beauty consultant. I used to be a tom-boy. The Mary Kay sales method is low-key and all about giving women an opportunity, educating them, and helping them feel beautiful!
I teach women how to care for their skin and "play beauty shop" with them and the products sell themselves. Before this opportunity came along, I worked in another industry in sales and I hated the manipulation the company was always asking of me. Mary Kay doesn't want me to "trick" anyone into purchasing or selling these products. I can relax with products I understand. Without the pressure of a hard-core sales environment, I am making better money than I was before.
I just achieved the status of Star Consultant, a small quarterly sales goal. This gave me a round of applause from more than 100 people gathered for a meeting, a bunch of free product that I can resell or use myself, jewelry, and the building blocks (new clients and appointments) for more achievements next quarter. This is standard within the Mary Kay company. I LIKE being rewarded for doing a good job. I LIKE being recognized in front of other people as being a "go-getter." I LIKE winning free stuff. I LIKE being able to do it all and still raise my infant daughter. I LIKE that my husband is proud of what I'm accomplishing. I LIKE that I can make money without feeling like I'm selling my soul. I LIKE that this is only my first year with Mary Kay. I LIKE that what I do puts a smile on the face of each person I come in contact with each day. I LIKE the promises of better things to come.
I LOVE working for MARY KAY!

Cons

The only downside of working at Mary Kay is the same downside of any career where you are independent: your failures and your successes all depend on how hard you work, how good you are, and over all - your self discipline. The system is set up for each person to succeed - you just have to be willing to try and try and try.
Without the willingness to be persistent and step outside of your comfort zone, you won't be successful as an Independent Beauty Consultant.

Advice to Senior Management

Keep sending success stories down the pipeline! Keep encouraging each new recruit to read Miracles Happen by Mary Kay Ash, herself.
I love hearing HOW each person made it on the ladder of success, and the message from the book, of women having an opportunity to support their families while still living their family lives was such an inspiration. A big picture and the tools to make it happen in my life - that's all I needed to start my business growing.

Pros

I have been involved with Mary Kay since I was 20. I am now 46. I have done Mary Kay in many facets of my life, single, married, with no children, pregnant, miscarriages, divorced, single mom with small children and then with teenage children. I also put my husband through college with the money I have earned with my Mary Kay business. I have seen many economic times through my business and the one thing that has remained constant through all of these almost 26 years is that I have been in control of my paycheck and my schedule. Having the freedom to work when I want to, and how much I need to. when I need more money. has been a huge blessing at times. Mary Kay Inc. also gives women the positive means to know they can do the business through a great product and through building our self-esteem. Now that I am a Sales Director, I can pass that on to my consultants and Sales Directors. Mary Kay Ash. was the Best Female Business Women in the World by many standard, she changes millions of womens lives and in turn helped their families.

Cons

The only downside I see is that you have to be willing to be self-disciplined. Being your own boss is great because you can set your own schedule but it also means you might procrastinate from time to time. Setting priorities and having commitments and following through on them is essential to making a business like this successful.

Advice to Senior Management

My best advice to any Senior Management would be to listen to the needs of those you are managing. What is it that they want and then help them get it. People will generally help to support that which they help to create. so getting your team involved it the key to a successful team.

Pros

Challenge to perfect professional interpersonal communication as I learn and meet the needs of women - women want to look and feel the best and our products give incredible results when used together! The quality of women who stick with Mary Kay is extremely high and most are Christians. The company makes excellent decisions on behalf of the consultant and always keeps the product line very simple, so easy to stock it all. Training is excellent for those who choose to get it.

Cons

You are your own boss - you must set your own goals and get you plan of action to work, which really ends up being a great thing! Dealing with negativity, but then you quickly realize that your old friend or perhaps you were that way before MK, so that ends up being a bonus for personal growth, as well. So... no REAL downside. Oh... definitely one - dealing with women who are incapable of thinking like a business perople, who are unwilling to invest either time or money and who use their families as an excuse not to work.

Advice to Senior Management

Keep up the good work - Keep the mission clear! Ya'll are THE BEST!

Pros

Flexability, earning potential, work/life balance, respect, recognition

Cons

Nothing, really! We're only limited by our own limitations.

Advice to Senior Management

Communication, communication, communication! It is much better than it was and is improving continualy.

Pros

Good benefits and some brilliant IT people.

Cons

Well if you found this review buried among all the happy Orwellian life is wonderful at Mary Kay propaganda congratulations you’ve accomplished a small miracle.
The truth is Mark Kay propagates a very cult like atmosphere and the cool aid here is poured very thick. The word ponzi is never spoken in the marble and glass halls of the corporate office. The party line is god first, family second and career third but that applies only to the sales force and it’s really just more propaganda. The only way to earn even a very modest living as a Mary Kay consultant is to push your career status to Sr. Director or above. Turnover in the sales force is typically over 50% a year. Half the company’s income is from China and the other foreign subsidiaries. My best suggestion is to do a LOT of research before taking the plunge as a consultant.
Corporate employees in the IT departments are expected to work sixty plus hour s week if necessary in order to meet arbitrary deadlines. The FTE development staff is the best, many are brilliant at what they do and to retain them Mary Kay pays absolutely huge profit sharing bonuses every year.
If you don’t have a conscious and don’t mind working for a company that exploits a sales force of brain washed women or working for callous and egotistical managers whose technical expertise was obsolete before main frames were replaced by PCs Mary Kay can be a lucrative place to work.
Be warned though that stress levels are very high and morale is low. Upper management rules with an iron fist through sycophantic and incompetent mid-level managers who hand out arbitrary discipline freely to maintain an atmosphere of fear and urgency among the rank and file.
Also many US jobs at Mary Kay are being moved to China so job security is tenuous at best.

Advice to Senior Management

Go back to school and learn how software development is done in this century. At least pretend to live by “the golden rule” you so loudly proclaim at the corporate come to Jesus meetings.

Pros

You are your own boss. There is the opportunity to make as much as you want if you put forth the effort.

Cons

The pressure for your first order is high. Directors want you to make the max $3000 whole sale order which isn't the best for everyone.

Advice to Senior Management

Give guidance with orders, but do not try so sway consultants in making more of a initial order. If they are hesitant at all for any reason, let them make the order themselves.

Pros

Work at my convenience. Succeed at the rate I want to. No pressure from recruiters or directors. If I need to take time off, I don't have to ask for it. Great rewards program. Beautiful cars to drive....for free!!! Its a product that will always be needed. Teaches women how to take care of their skin, and keep it looking young and beautiful. Women I work with are wonderful, and support you in everything you do!!

Cons

All commission right now. Hard to get your clientel in the beginning. Takes a strong commitment if you really want it to work successfully. Have to get used to people telling you "no"!!

Advice to Senior Management

Doing a great job. love the encouragement and training

Pros

50% off of all of your orders. The product that you gift and use can be a tax write off and you get commission from the people that work under you when they complete an order.

Cons

the overstock that you can get on your shelves. If you are easily talked into situations, your upper managment can talk you into buying way more than you really need.

Advice to Senior Management

Don't bug us if we don't want to talk to you! We'll let you know when we need you!

Pros

You can set your own hours, and if "Life Happens" you can take time off, still make money and know that your business will still be there when you are ready to jump back in. As long as you keep your upline informed they will always be there to help you grow. You can take ideas that others have had and use them your self. They do not mind if you copy someone elses ideas as long as they are successful

Cons

You have to develop discipline and set goals. If you are not used to this starting and maintaining may be difficult. You need good organizational skills and plans of action.

Advice to Senior Management

Please continue to make the business and the products reasonable for all income levels and clientel.

Pros

no set schedule, you can work around your life, not being forced to put your career before your family. You get out of it what you put in. The company focus of establishing your personal and career goals are extremely helpful in getting you to grow as a person and as a consultant. With the right director, you can acheive absolutely anything! My unit is very supportive of each other and we strive to find fun ways to connect on many levels while maintaining a great focus on each individual business and the accomplishments each has acheived. Overall support is key in maintaining a positive outlook in the business. Our products are always needing to be reordered and even in a negative economy, women trust in Mary Kay.

Cons

Sometimes can be difficult in the recruiting area or starting with no immediate client base.

Advice to Senior Management

The directors are amazing!