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Mary Kay Ash
After a lengthy and successful career in direct sales, Mary Kay Ash retired in 1963 – for a month. During those four weeks, she decided to write a book to help women thrive in the male-dominated business world.
Sitting at her kitchen table, she made two lists: one contained the good things she had seen in companies for which she had worked, the other featured things she thought could be improved.
When she reviewed the lists, she realized that she had inadvertently created a marketing plan for a successful "dream company." With her life savings of $5,000 and the help of her 20-year-old son Richard Rogers, she launched Mary Kay Cosmetics on Friday, September 13, 1963.
The Company she founded remains today one of the greatest success stories in the annals of business.
Mary Kay's initial goal remains intact: to provide women with an unlimited opportunity for personal and financial success. She used the Golden Rule as her guiding philosophy and encouraged employees and members of her independent sales force to prioritize their lives with God first, family second and career third.
With her steadfast commitment to these principles and her tremendous determination, dedication and hard work, Mary Kay grew her dream from a small direct sales company to the largest direct seller of skin care and color cosmetics in the United States.
Accordingly, Fortune Magazine recognized the Company with inclusion in The 100 Best Companies to Work for in America, and also named Mary Kay one of the 10 best companies for women. The Company today includes more than 800,000 Independent Beauty Consultants in 37 markets on five continents.
In 1980, Mary Kay's husband Mel died of cancer. Having witnessed his suffering, she became committed to the fight to find a cure. Involved in fund raising for more than 20 years, she established the Mary Kay Ash Charitable Foundation in 1996, a nonprofit public foundation that provides funding for research of cancers affecting women.
Mary Kay twice served as honorary chairman of the Texas Breast Screening Project and was instrumental in helping pass legislation in Texas for insurance coverage of mammograms. In 2001, her Company and Foundation expanded its philanthropic efforts to address the growing epidemic of violence against women by underwriting an insightful documentary on domestic violence that aired nationwide on PBS.
Mary Kay authored three books, all of which became best-sellers. Her autobiography, Mary Kay, has sold more than one million copies and appears in several languages. Her business philosophy, Mary Kay on People Management, continues to be a great source of wisdom and has been included in business courses at the renowned Harvard Business School.
Mary Kay Ash's third book, You Can Have It All, was launched in August 1995 and, remarkably, achieved "best-seller" status within days of its introduction. Her speeches and quotes continue to inspire the women of the Mary Kay sales force.
The Mary Kay® product line includes more than 200 premium products in eight categories: facial skin care, color cosmetics, nail care, body care, sun protection, fragrances, men's skin care, and men's and women's dietary supplements.
Recommended Reading
Mary Kay: You Can Have it All - Lifetime Wisdom from America's Foremost Woman Entrepreneur
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