Baltimore Principal Recruited Teachers to Sell Mary Kay

This is a doozie!

Principal Janice Williams of the Institute of Business and Entrepreneurship high school in West Baltimore allegedly went into teachers’ classrooms to ask them for their credit card numbers so she could order Mary Kay inventory for them.

Principal Williams is a sales director for Mary Kay, and, of course,  stood to gain financially from each transaction. She was the subject of an internal investigation, but it’s not clear whether any disciplinary action was taken against her. She is still currently in her position with the school.  Williams has denied the allegations.

You can read the account here:  Principal signed Filipino Teachers to Buy, Sell Makeup

A House Fire Cut Short Lori’s Time As a Sales Director

Your Name: Lori Van Ryckeghem

Date Joined MK: 11/2001

When Left MK or Still Active?: Still Active

Initial Inventory Purchased: 600

How were you recruited?: A facial of course! By my Senior MaryJo Dallen I was a Mary Kay Sales Director for 2 yrs.Until the fire.

Memorable experience you had in MK: When I went to Dallas and was in the Queen’s Court of Recruiting! I won my Diamond Bumblebee! That was Awesome! I love being a Mary Kay Sales Director! Or I was a Mary kay Sales Director,I will be again!

What did you learn from MK?: I have learned a lot in Mary Kay! How to be a better person and care more about others.I had a fire,my house caught on fire by our Christmas tree,we lost everything.I turned my fire into a blessing,I gave to the soldiers in Iraq,made gift baskets for the elderly,and gave to the women of domestic violence with my Mary Kay products.My product was smoke damaged on the outside not the inside,I did a 50% off sale to feed my boys with no kitchen for a year,people would come to my garage and buy product to help me.I would say that is turning it into a blessing.

What are you doing now?: I am still in MaryKay,but I had to step down from my Mary Kay Sales Director position,It was to hard to run my business while we were trying to rebuild our lives,my boys needed me since we lost everything we owned.

Additional Comments: Being in Mary Kay has helped me to overcome everything in my life! I have been through so many challenges,I am stronger! I have been through domestic violence my self,black toxic mold,skin cancer,loosing a close friend to Aids,my mother in law passing away, which I was very close to.And last but not least,my house catching on fire by our Christmas tree  that we just bought.People do not understand how hard life can be,I do.I hope my story can Inspire other women to never give up! And God will use me in a special way for what I have been through.Thanks For Listening To My Story,Lori Van Ryckeghem

Mary Kay Director Tells NPR “A new rep. working full-time can expect to earn close to $50,000 in a year.”

It’s true. And I nearly laughed myself out of my chair when I heard it.

NPR’s Morning Edition on January 27th, 2009, did a story on how, supposedly, companies like AVON and Mary Kay are seeing big increases in sales.

Reporter Gloria Hillard interviewed Mary Kay director Linda Klein. Says Hillard in the story, “Klein says a new rep. working full-time can expect to earn close to $50,000 a year.”

Really? Can I see some numbers somewhere that substantiate this claim, Ms. Klein? Because I don’t know of any AVERAGE Mary Kay rep that earns $50,000 a year.

Even directors, who flash those big checks around, aren’t really making as much as you think. They rarely tell you the expenses involved, including time, required to receive such commissions. And they hardly ever tell you that those commissions aren’t based on the sales of the consultants they recruit but rather the orders for inventory that those consultants place with the company. Lots of that inventory winds up in the basement or at garage sales when the women who join realize that the earnings claims are overstated and the time commitment grossly underestimated.

You can listen to the complete story here: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=99898912

As is predictable, many Mary Kay consultants have shown up on the NPR site to leave their positive comments about the company.

In These Tough Economic Times, Mary Kay is NOT the Answer

Beware.

No doubt Mary Kay directors everywhere are training their consultants to recruit based on the economic situation.

I can just hear it now: “Mary Kay is an ideal source of extra income, especially today, when everyone is feeling the pinch from the economic situation. For just $100, you can have a part-time business making full-time income and help out your family.”

Please…don’t buy it.

First of all, we all know it doesn’t just cost $100 to join.

Second, you’ll most likely have MORE debt if you join Mary Kay, and if you’re like lots of Mary Kay consultants, more debt than you ever had in your life.

If you’re still intrigued by the Mary Kay shindig, at least do some reading here. You’ll more than likely thank us later.

Worried About the Economy? “Forget About It!!” Say MK Directors

Here’s some typical motivational hyperbole from Mary Kay directors.

Below is an email that one of our members received from her MK director:

This morning on our Director’s Conf Call our National, Cheryl Warfield said something profound.

She was talking about the news and how it is all about banks failing, billions of dollars lost, recession….you know what I’m talking about….all of that scary, financial stuff.

Cheryl said that when you allow your brain to hear that stuff, all that negativity, it processes only 2 things – fear and poverty. Now really, is that what you want to hear??  Is that what you want to focus on – fear and poverty???  Not me!!  I want faith and prosperity – the total opposite!!

I’m proud to tell you that I didn’t even know there was a bailout turn down until my son-in-law, who is an investment banker, came home and told us.

May I suggest that you turn the tv and news off and instead, read something positive – like Og Mandino’s “The Greatest Salesman in the World.”  Or listen to a CD from the company…or watch a DVD….anything that will fill your mind with good stuff and the possibilities.

Are we in a recession????  Don’t tell my facial on Friday morning (yes, lots of people will do facials and classes in the daytime).  She spent $380!!!

Is it too hard to book??  Don’t tell new Consultant Dana Rollins from Kissimmee!!  When I recruited her, she told me she would TRY to do one class a week…she was just too busy as a pastor’s wife and helping to run the church, as well as having 3 small children to squeeze in any more than that.  She told me a couple of days ago that her goal is now 5 because she did 3 in 3 days and had so much fun and how easy it was to sell this!!!  By the way, her first class was $400!!

But people are broke and don’t have the money to sign up!  Don’t tell Barbara Sunden!  She broke a company record with almost $150,000.00 paycheck in one month!!  Don’t you think she had a huge bunch of new consultants whose first orders helped with that???

It is a proven fact that in tough times, Mary Kay thrives!!  Women will cut back on a lot of items, but they’ll still buy cosmetics and skin care!!  Getting their girlfriends together for a skin care class is fun and doesn’t cost them anything to put it on!  Women need extra money and can see the great reasons to start an MK business of their own.  The investment is so small when compared to trying to start any other business!!

It’s up to you….do you choose to listen to the news and program your brain for FEAR AND POVERTY or will go in the opposite direction and feed your brain with FAITH AND ABUNDANCE!!

However, you do have to get up, get dressed and get out the door!!  Grab a positive, fun MK buddy and go out together!!  Find a great idea and put it to work to fill your datebook and get new leads.  For example – do the Office (or Teacher) of the Week!!  Do 100 Skin Care Surveys in a week!  These are both simple ideas that can be done TODAY!!  They do not take a lot of preparation.  (Both ideas are on our home page of our site *address removed *)

You can change your attitude and change your life!  Or you can fill your brain with the “On mys” and ”Oh no-s” and prepare for doom and gloom.

As for me…I choose the “YEEHAWS!!  LIFE IS GREAT!!”

These kind of over-the-top, super-excited emails from directors are all too common in Mary Kay.

And in my opinion, some of the most dangerous propaganda.

I strongly believe that how you think and what you think affects your life profoundly.

However…twisting this so that Mary Kay is THE answer to everything is just plain wrong. Making MK consultants think that the reason for their failure is because they didn’t think right or didn’t try hard enough is a disgusting, manipulative tactic.

Want to know the truth about why Barbara Sunden received a $150,000 check? It’s because she’s been in the company since 1972!  She’s at the top of the pyramid and has thousands of others under her and has had for years.

Do I think, as the email asks, that Barbara Sunden had a bunch of new consultants’ orders to help with that? You betcha! I know she did. But I’m sure most of those new inventory orders came after a lengthy and thorough “inventory interview” with their director, convincing them that forking over $1800 or $2400 on Mary Kay products is a no-lose situation.

Do these emails make me sick to my stomach? You bet your Pink Cadillac!

Is Your Director Calling? It Must Be June!

Seminar is coming soon. Can’t you smell it in the air?

If Mary Kay was such a brilliant businesswoman, why did she decide it would be a good idea to hold the company’s annual pageant during the scorching heat of July in Dallas?

It is truly sad to see these swarms of women, “dressed for success” in their wool blazers and director suits. The sweat is pouring off them, yet because they don’t want to seem unprofessional, they don’t dare take off that jacket. No, no, no.

If you haven’t heard from your director in awhile, rest assured you will probably be receiving at least one desperate call from her this month. The Mary Kay year, as far as production is concerned, ends on June 30th. This is make-it-or-break-it time. They have to get thousands of dollars of inventory orders in NOW. And that’s why they’ll be calling you.

It doesn’t matter what is on your shelf now. You need to place an order. Otherwise your director won’t get that ring she’s been counting on or go on that trip she’s been telling you about.

Notice I didn’t say anything about selling.

It’s not about selling. It’s about ordering.

Word to the wise: Unless this stuff is flying off your shelf, keep your credit card in your wallet. Ignore the calls from your director. It’s not about “helping the team.”

Director in 38 Days!

Sheesh!

3 months…3 weeks…38 days…

Seems there’s a Directorship plan for everyone’s tastes!

Director in 38 Days

21 Weeks to Directorship!

Let Arlene Lenarz show you how to do it!

21 Weeks to Directorship