Read my beautiful, glossed lips:  “Mary Kay is not my new hustle.”

I am a former Mary Kay Consultant who continues to support the company mission and is an active consumer of the Mary Kay product line. Prior to transitioning into an in-active status, I composed and developed this blog as a marketing support for my sales efforts. Included was my scanned business card and a template for conference calls with  National Sales Director Extraordinaire: Gloria Mayfield Banks.

Well, life happened and my existence has taken a new direction. Nonetheless, I’ve updated this “Blog-a-Gloss” because it is such an accurate (I think) representation of my journey to discovering the beauty of a jaw bone and the shadowing of an eye.

ENJOY!

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I can’t think of any other entity on planet earth that suffers more myth and misunderstanding than Mary Kay. It’s as though she’s become the “Sushi” of the cosmetics industry. What do I mean by that?

Well, have you ever heard “Sushi Haters” utter their disgust for the delicacy with gasps and then attempt to educate the world with their limited scope and back-alley knowledge?

Their base-line  offering is:

1. “It’s raw fish.”
2. “It will give you worms and parasites.”
3. “It’s a weapon of terrorism designed to kill Generation X by way of wasabi and California Rolls.”

After I’ve listened to their rants I finally ask, “Have you ever tried it yourself?” To which they sheepishly reply:

“Umm…. no.”

Then HOW DO YOU KNOW?  Without fail, the stock response eludes to what THEY say or it’s what their co-workers told them, what the lady down the street on dialysis said, or quite frankly, it’s just what they’ve heard.

Mary Kay is soooo like Sushi!

Until you’ve actually tried the product yourself, have been properly introduced to the business opportunity with accurate facts, or perused the company’s website (www.marykay.com), you don’t know nuttin’ ’bout my Mary Kay.

The first order of business I’d like to share is one of the most overwhelming and compelling facts the vast majority of the world doesn’t even know.

• “In the first six months of 2011, more than 200,000 recruits signed up to sell Mary Kay products. There are now 2.5 million independent sales consultants selling $2.5 billion worth of mascara, moisturizer and other beauty products globally.”  (From ABC “Nightline”)

~ Click the link below to read the full article ~

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/cosmetics-recession-proof-famous-female-entrepreneurs-built-branded/story?id=14580669#.T2_64IGwRBM

Just to offer a mild perspective on the latter, this basically means that last year, real estate continued to suffer economic woes, gas prices soared, unemployment statistics rose, and major businesses and corporations threw in the towel. The United States is in a declared recession, yet: $2.5 billion in cosmetics was sold by Mary Kay? Holy Amber Suede lipstick Batman. That’s what I call the fortitude of a determined gender.

Mary Kay has received awards and honors from leading women’s magazines including Essence “Reader’s Choice Beauty Awards” and O, “The O Magazine” Hall of Fame and the prestigious “Customer Loyalty Engagement 2011” winner.

Click the link below to see a full list of honors.

http://www.marykay.com/whatsnew/awardsandhonors/default.aspx

So, what does Penny Dickerson do again? “I write.”  And what does Penny Dickerson wear when she writes & interviews & teaches: Make-up.

 I indulge with full force and always have: foundation, loose powder, eyeliner, eyeshadow, mascara, lipstick, lip gloss, sunscreen in my fine Florida weather, and well, you get the picture: cosmetics. My look is not the everyday same, nor are  applications and color schemes. However, I somehow got hooked on a (ahem..) “pure plum” lipstick shade early in life and can’t seem to shake the need to have a brilliant hue upon my lips (I am seeking help).

If your relationship with make-up remotely mimics mine, then you probably bought your first collection of “pretty paint” at a drug store called “Woolworths.” The first image of me is in 1986 at Temple University (Philadelphia, PA). This was the era of every woman wanting to look like Anita Baker and quite frankly, I can’t explain that hideous sweater. The constant for me was “dressing my eyes” which by this time I had accepted as an aesthetic asset versus the years of self-conscious embarrassment for having eyes as  big as saucers. The evolution of my “look” traveled the course of trends to a degree, and while  there was clearly a time when I wouldn’t be caught dead without full-face, my mindset about the cosmetic indulgence has settled: I like wearing make-up. I enjoy buying it. I enjoy applying it. I enjoy the journey of finding the right “right” and I am rather unapologetic about all of the aforementioned. No qualms from me about women who choose to NOT wear make-up (as some think they don’t need it).

I don’t wear make-up because I need it, I wear make-up because I look so God awful fabulous in it.

Don’t get it twisted.

I am a firm advocate for “au naturelle” and graciously leave the the latter to the texture of my hair. One of the things many women fail to understand about make-up is that YOU control your look. It’s not a product you “put on” it’s a cosmetic you “apply.”  The match of foundation shade is crucial as is the stroke of the brush. Brush? What brush?

if you aren’t applying make-up with the appropriate tools, then your desired outcome will indeed look like you “put on” make-up instead of applying it. Truth be told, I believe most women who claim to abstain do so because they’ve never mastered the process. Time is irrelevant. My entire application takes five minutes: Foundation – Powder – Eyes – Blush – Lips.  One minute, one minute, one minute, one minute, one minute.

I’ve since traveled a 30-decade route from the coffee shades of  Posner to Flori Roberts and then Fashion Fair. This intriguing, glass-jar-packaged, facial divine tragically left stains on the collars of all of my clothes yet, I wore it like it was the best thing to happen to a black girl’s face. I eventually transitioned to department stores and Lancome.

Circa 2012. I finally got it:

Make-up doesn’t make you beautiful, it can only enhance what’s already there, and THAT (my dear) is the skin God gave you without the Noxema he never told you to use. (We ALL used Noxema, so don’t say you didn’t).  Remember Noxema and Ambi Skin Tone Cream? That was the night time duo in my house of three girls, the youngest of which was me.

We washed our faces with “the chemical-laden soaking-soap” followed by Noxema that we sometimes kept on overnight til it created a hardened mask like Japanese Kabuki make-up.

We then took cotton balls and lightly dabbed alcohol  (that was our astringent), and followed it with a a light layer of vaseline to keep our faces as soft as a baby’s bottom. Wow ~ it’s a wonder I don’t look like Yoda from Star Wars.

Through trial and error, I learned that my face is only allocated one layer of skin per lifetime. Can the church say “SKIN CARE?”  One of the most beneficial aspects of the Mary Kay business is the unique opportunity to teach women to take care of their skin through the use of environmentally conscious skin care products like the “Time Wise Miracle Set.”  This very simple regiment helps you to:

cleanse, exfoliate, freshen, energize, hydrate, smooth, firm, soften, protect, rebuild and reduce fine lines and wrinkles.

Current is the “Botanical Effects” skin care line which may appeal more to a younger demographic. Regardless, whether it’s “Time Wise or Botanicals,” both are excellent skin care products and skin care is key.

While I am not a nature fanatic, I enjoy my Florida sun and because I have learned to combat nature’s elements, my skin and youth are in respectable agreement. This final photo image of me was taken Saturday, March 25, 2012 at the Jacksonville Fine Arts Festival. OF COURSE I don’t wear glamour make-up in the sun. Again, the power of the application is starting with a canvas of clean skin, correctly gauging appropriate layers, and ya know…some days moisturizer and lip gloss will do. However, church and work? GLAMOUR. At least for me!

~ Moving Along ~

In 1963, Mary Kay Ash founded the now famous Dallas-based company, and  in 1963 I was also born. Next year, we will both celebrate 50 years of existence, and I will walk into that celebration thankful for recognizing a single revelation:  I can make extra money on a career track by promoting a product that I have already been wearing  since I was 16 years-old. How cool is THAT? 

Why a Mary Kay business decision was sensible and sound to me:

1.  I already use the consumable product and I LIKE Mary Kay’s line.
2. I talk to and meet people “all day-everyday” ANYWAY.
3. A company exists that has one of the most savvy and contemporary marketing models to help entrepreHERS and entrepreHIMS succeed.
4. You don’t need to qualify for a small business loan: Mary Kay is a flat   $100 investment plus tax).
5. There are no territories, so you can sell and/or share globally.
6. Need a marketing plan? See: www.marykay.com/pennydickerson.
7. A solid and simple principle prevails: Faith first, Family second, Career third.
8. Free training (FREE training). Free training. FREE training & Mentoring.
9. Networking opportunities. EVERYONE needs to know more people than those at your church or the job you secretly hate.) Network=Networth.
10. The Mary Kay Foundation champions two causes that have directly affected my life: cancer and domestic violence.
11. Mary Kay gives away more prizes, trips, diamonds, accessories, awards, recognition and oh yeah: CARS (no car payment/no insurance payment). Perhaps you don’t need any extra money because you have loads in the bank AND also boast a financial portfolio that would make even Donald Trump marvel. If the latter is true, please call me because I need to be your new best friend. Extra and Money are two beautiful combines. EXTRA…MONEY. It just sounds right. There is no requirement that you pursue Mary Kay as a career transition. The option to simply order wholesale at 50% and sell retail at 100% of the cost is completely yours.

So, did I dispel any myths and conjure curiosity? More than anything, my intent is to squash the southern stigma that Mary Kay is a “Stepford Wife” cult of lipstick hustling women who pursue it as a last means of occupational hope. Most proud am I to be under the director and mentorship of Harvard graduate Gloria Mayfield Banks (Magic Unit B351).

Click link to Gloria’s website:  www.nsdgloria.com

While she absolutely enjoyed a prosperous career prior to joining Mary Kay, the decision to make it her life and career.   Gloria is a Mary Kay multimillionaire with more than 7 million Dollars in earning. Her highest combined monthly income for one month was over $96,000.

She is #1 in the Emerald Division out of 2 million in Mary Kay and #5 worldwide. Her statistics are amazing, but more so is her charisma and presence. If you’re connected to me, you will definitely have an opportunity to receive an invitation to conference call and/or meet Gloria. What you read is definitely what you will both see and get. Learn more via her website at www.nsdgloria.com.

I would list all of the extravagant cars, trips, and diamonds she’s won, but let it suffice to say, she’s so dynamic and powerful, Gloria metaphorically sits on the earth’s axle and enjoys the global spin. In April, she’ll be in Brazil. After that, Budapest. By Tuesday night, I plan to have her on the other end of my phone because she WREAKS guidance, encouragement, energy, and a positive message that says:

“Yes. You too can be the best.”

The opportunity to enrich the life of another human being and complement your positive energy and drive with their eagerness and determination is neither a hustle or a business opportunity (per se). I deem it a unique and fulfilling way to fortify my daily existence and at the same time be empowered by women whose efforts speak success.

If you received this link, it is because you have been identified as a woman whose tenacity and drive will help you to earn extra income and become a part of a positive network of incredible women.

Mary Kay representatives look forward to the opportunity to offer you:

1. A personal facial.
   
2. A complete makeover.
   
3. An invitation to receive a free gift for serving as “Hostess” of your very own party.
   

Or, maybe you’re already on the cusp of making that “extra money” decision and are ready to invest $100 to join Mary Kay. 

Call an available Mary Kay representative at your earliest convenience and book a date to begin a new you!

Penny Dickerson 2012 *  All Rights Reserved