Does Pink Stink or is Mary Kay O.K.?
February 7, 2007 by Sean Kelly
Filed under Business
What do you think?
Visit the Mary Kay Cosmetics website and you can read about an inspiring company and an empowering business opportunity for women. Here is how Mary Kay describes itself:
Achievement. Success. The realization of dreams. Mary Kay Inc. was created from one woman’s desire to enrich women’s lives. She began by offering quality products to enhance a woman’s image and a perfect business opportunity to help women earn extra money, enjoy more flexibility and grow as independent business owners. The result is a company that, more than 40 years later, still embodies the core philosophies of its founder: to use the Golden Rule as a business guide and to help women live a balanced life by placing God first, family second and career third.
Visit the Pink Truth website (formerly MaryKaySucks.Com), published by CPA MBA & CFE Tracy Coenen, and you’ll get a different view:
…Mary Kay is a product-based pyramid scheme. This means that many at the bottom of the pyramid must buy significant amounts of products so that those at the top can get the big commission checks, “win” the cars, and go on the fancy trips. This is common with multi-level marketing (MLM) companies such as Mary Kay. They depend upon an endless recruitment of new people who purchase inventory packages….
…multi-level marketing companies like Mary Kay are abusive systems that create negative consequences for the vast majority of participants. Because of that, there is no such thing as the “right way” to be involved in an MLM. The system itself damages the vast majority of participants…
On her post at the Fraud Files Blog, Coenen adds:
…The amount of time required to earn an income is generally downplayed. Recruiters brag about the 50% profit that can be earned on the sale of the cosmetics, but never mention that most products are sold at a discount and therefore that 50% will never be realized. (That’s if they can actually find anyone to buy the products.) New recruits are encouraged to buy large inventories without any sales experience or a customer base to support the inventory.
IS MARY KAY COSMETICS AN INSPIRATIONAL OPPORTUNITY THAT IS EMPOWERING WOMEN AND GLORIFYING GOD… OR A PYRAMID SCHEME POWERED BY BRAINWASHED CULT MEMBERS WITH GREAT MAKEUP?
Leave a comment. Share your opinion.
More Mary Kay discussion links:
The Pinking Shears Mary Kay Survivor’s log, forum, cope group
Investigate before investing. Visit FranBest.com.
Mary Kay can be a great thing for anyone. Here’s the problem, overzealous people ruin it for the rest of us.
Perfect example of overzealous people, Mark Fuller! Character in new MLM movie
http://www.believethemovie.com
Don’t be like him and it will be a great experience for you!
Both. I believe there are very good women in Mary Kay who are enjoying selling the product and NOT scamming women. There are those who can glorify God by being honest about what to expect about the opportunity. Friendships can surely enrich women’s lives. In Mary Kay, as well as other MLM’s, their “training coaches” teach “positivity” and those teachings can also elevate one’s self-esteem thus enriching their lives.
HOWEVER, and that’s a BIG HOWEVER, there IS the dark side of Mary Kay. I have seen it first hand. Manipulation, both emotional and financial; deceit in the form of pressuring to purchase unnecessary inventory before the consultant is given her alotted time to make that decision; withholding common known facts such as retention rates which would give the consultant a better picture of the possibility of success (or effort required) before taking a plunge to directorship and on and on – the list is long.
In the last 4 years, I have read hundreds of similar stories whereby the stress involved in perpetual recruiting, telling half-truths, being suppressed to tell the truth crushes the spirit. Not only are their spirit and enthusiasm diminished, the stress takes it’s toll physically. As a former director myself, I can attest to the stress involved in worrying about production (if we will make it this month or not….seemingly watching the month tick away. I’ve seen women pray to God for their next “Emerald Star” ( a recruit who will come in with a $3600 inventory) and use God and scripture to manipulate women into purchases, going on trips they really couldn’t afford, staying with MK even though they don’t want to (God brought you here, he’ll see you thru it type responses) and on and on…THAT is not enriching a woman’s life.
Many a consultant are driven away by abusive members. I’ve also witnessed good people become caught up in the recognition and praise aspect of the MLM and make poor choices about finances and family in pursuit of materialism (mansions, cars, jewelry, money).
MLM’s are very scary. Scary because they preach about God, yet pursue materialism. God said you cannot worship two Gods. Someone is going to lose.
Laura:
What you’re describing sounds more like a cult than a business opportunity. Is Mary Kay a cult?
Many many people HAVE compared MK to a cult… and from my limited experience it is a cult…
People urging everyone to “join us”. Consultants spewing scripts that they were taught about how you can quit your J-O-B because MK will set you free. In order to earn a mediocre income, you have to work harder than any 9 to 5 job I’ve ever had.
I’ll keep my J-O-B.. and the great benefits I get with it as well. MK has no way of enriching my life. I have a better job, and I spend a lot less on other brands of cosmetics that make me look just as beautiful!
Hahahaha….that movie looks funny. Thanks for the post. I hope they show it here in my state. I watched the Mark Fuller videos and laughed so hard :)
I hope people hear about it.
http://www.believethemovie.com
Since this topic was started, Mary Kay Inc has added a new item on their Home page. Click on “Just the Facts” on the lower left side.
Thanks, Paul.
Interesting… they spend a lot of space clarifying that they’re not a pyramid scheme. Didn’t touch on the “Cult” aspect, though the line about people misinterpreting the reference to “God” may have been in response to this allegation.
Is Mary Kay reading Franchise Pick?
“Is Mary Kay reading Franchise Pick?”
Wouldn’t know … I don’t work for MKC.
A cult: only if you consider enthusiasm and pride to be cultish. Some gangs use Oakland Raider colors, but that doesn’t mean that all Raider fans are gang members. Over the top enthusiasm and the wanton destruction of people and property who disagree with you could apply to some Italian soccer fans. :-)
Is sales in general a cult? I know a lot of very proud salespeople. I’m a salesman. What makes MK different is that their consultants encourage other people to become consultants. I don’t consider that to be bad, since there are no sales from consultant to consultant.
God: A lot of MK consultants and directors IMO over-do the “God has blessed my business”. I never heard MK Ash make some of the statements that these people make. Is being a God-fearing person wrong? IMO, only when a person tries to force it on another, or uses it to determine whether a person is “good” or “bad”. I know a lot of aetheists/agnostics who are very moral people (maybe I don’t associate with the immoral ones), and I’ve never given a dime to a TV preacher.
Paul,
Mary Kay has most likely read Franchise Pick. They make their rounds on many sites.
Regarding your comment about “no sales from consultant to consultant,” not legally, no, but it does happen and very often. In fact, there are plenty of sales from consultant to consultant and even more from director to consultant which, as most of us know, crosses the pyramid line where an MLM is concerned. The company strongly discourages sales from within, but many in the salesforce ignore those requests and actually encourage consultants to lie to the company about whose money was used to purchase inventory.
Desperate recruiters and directors who NEED production to sustain their unit or achieve another level oftentimes “sell” inventory to their consultants/recruits by using their own credit cards requiring consultants to “pay them back” and that is totally against company policy. Others simply use the consultant ID to order product (for production) but keep it for themselves.
Many a happy consultant are convinced that these dark practices only involve a minority in Mary Kay, but I am convinced otherwise.
A cult? Personally, I hate using that term but many of the “cult” definitions apply especially where like-mindedness occurs, but then again, Christians could be considered a cult too. They have a God they worship and the bible wants us to be “transformed to the likeness of Christ” and further states worshippers becoming “like-minded,” so does that make us a cult? No, not when you really understand the true nature of harmful cults vs. an organization of people with a common interest. Selling make-up does not make one “way outside the mainstream of normal behavior.”
It’s not a cult, but it *just* skates on the edges of a pyramid scheme. As a former Mary Kay Sales Director I can testify to everything Laura said. I was lied to by my director from the beginning. “I work 15 hours a week and I make an executive income! It’s SOOO much easier when you get to be a director! Just find a way and make a way and then you’ll just get to sit back and collect the commission checks!”
Stupidly, I did as I was told to the tune of more than $10K in credit card debt and a lot of missed time with my children, only to get there and find that being a director is much harder than being a consultant and you STILL DON’T make any money after you add up all the expenses. I spent 3 years in MK. Year one I lost $78. Year 2 I went for directorship and lost $7,000 year 3 I was a director and then I quit and I still lost $4,000.
Ladies, if you’re looking for info on MK because someone has approached you about signing up, RUN the other way and don’t look back! Those “salaries” the Mary Kay lady showed you in the magazine? They don’t reflect the chargebacks, car payments, etc. that the company deducts from directors’ deposits. And those are the top of a VERY large group of women, and they’re still not making as much as the compny would like potential recruits to think. The recruiter told you it only casts $100 to start, right? Yes and no. Your starter kit is $100, and NOT RETURNABLE after it’s opened (read that fine print). But then after you get your kit, someone is going to want to talk to you about “how serious you are about your new buisness” and “investing money in yourself” to buy INVENTORY. New recruits and inventory orders are what the MK pyramid is based on. Trust me — I used these scripts to get people to buy $4,000 worth of makeup because at the time I believed in it.
It’s all just smoke and mirrors. 99 percent of the the people never make any money or lose money. The only way to get to the top is to have no conscience and great charisma. If those two attributes are yours, you can make a fortune in Mary Kay — call an NSD and sign up under her personally and you’ll go straight to the top. But the price of getting there is very, very high.
If you compare the signs of “cult” to the MK business opportunity you’ll see a frightening resemblence.
I’ve been there. I know. There is a great deal of emotional blackmail with MK. http://www.pinktruth.com is right “on target” with the articles posted there.
I WISH THAT I WOULD HAVE KNOWN ABOUT THIS BEFORE I TOOK OUT A 5000 DOLLAR LOAN AND GAVE IT ALL TO MY DIRECTOR, BECAUSE I WAS LEAD TO BELIEVE I NEEDED INVENTORY ON MY SHELF TO MAKE A PROFIT. WELL GUESS WHAT, I STILL HAVE THAT INVENTORY SITTING ON MY SHELF FOR MY PERSONAL USE, BECAUSE I NEVER GAINED A CUSTOMER BASE TO SELL IT. I QUICKLY LEARNED THAT I WAS SPENDING MORE THAN I WAS BRING IN, I CONSTANTLY WAS PERSUADED TO GET TO “NEW” PRODUCTS IN WHICH THEY CHANGED EVERY OTHER MONTH TO STAY IN YOUR POCKET. IF YOU SEE SOMEONE IN PINK TAKE OFF LIKE A TRACK STAR IN THE OTHER DIRECTION.
So Ronda, why didn’t you return the excess inventory and get 90% of your money back?
Im an ex Mary Kay lady and while I am no longer with the company i have had nothing but prise for the company and the women I worked with.
I can not relate to stories of beeing persuaded in to holding lots of stock or handing over lots of cash.
It is always easy to look outside of our selves to find blame for a situation when it ends badly, but how about trying to be an adult and realsing NOBODY MAKES YOU DO ANYTHING, YOU MAKE A CHOICE.
Wether it be good or bad it is a choice. I was taught to put myself and my family first which is what i did. Not everyone can be trusted but do we blame a company for the deception of others?
If something dosent sound right or isnt going to work of you in a positive way DONT DO IT. How simple is that!
I have just started as a MK consultant. I have not lost any money, I have made money. Not a lot, but enough for a beginner, I would say.
I think it is importent to be realistic about your financial situation. I do not place an order until I’ve reached the 50% limit, I have skin care classes at a regular basis. I do not hold lots of stock, why?
I think it depends a lot on who your recruiter is, what your business-strategy is and what your expectations are.
If you see persons who acting against the company policy, why don’t you report them?
Mickey
I am in the process of returning my inventory, so that I can receive some of my money back. For Nat, I am glad that you cannot relate to being persuaded, but a lot of people can. Mary Kay was presented in a very positive way and the Director who spoke with me and ordered my first inventory assured me that, it was the best way to see profit, also she mentioned what she makes in the business. I’ve learned several lessons from this experience and I do take responsibility. Still proceed with caution. Everything that looks gold isn’t.
As a former MK consultant I must share a few details of my 8 months. Having quit my job two weeks before I signed up for MK blindly, and behind my family’s back because I knew they would talk me out of it.. (Oh why did I ever do that!) In that time I borrowed $7K from my stepdad promising to pay it alllll back in a year or less! I spent $3k+ my first order, then signed up for seminar the next month thinking I was going to be training and taught at this glorfied convention. It was nothing but a bunch of women standing on stage crying over, “Oh I was so poor and lonely, and shy, and then Mary Kay happened” Gloating about their checks and classes, their faces, their cars. I ditched out a few times on the meetings claiming I was sick when I was bored out of my mind!!! I should have run then!!
My director pushed me when we got back to buy more, become a “Star” Oh it’s ok to use your mom’s credit card, she knows you have it, just buy $400, you’ll sell the stuff and pay her back, only $400 more, Oh just $1000 and you’re in!!
Meanwhile I was charging my mom’s credit card to that special paypal like account so I could pay my rent and cellphone bill.
That October, my mother died, my stepdad told me to not worry about paying him back, and I hadnt ordered in two months. I tried selling my product to customers for 50% off to get rent money.
I hadn’t paid my credit cards in two months. I couldnt pay my cellphone bill that month.
Over Thanksgiving I got very sick with what was almost pnemonia. Missed the first meeting ever, got barked at for it. Oh you’re not really sick. Asked the church to give me money for medicine.
Christmas is coming, let’s wrap packages. Spent my last $20 on lofas, mugs, and mindless nicnacks. Spent 5 hours wrapping my directors packages, made two for me.
Had no money for presents for my family.
Was invited by my director to NYC for the day, her treat.. she paid for lunch, I wasnt feeling well, she paid $4 for me, I paid $15 for the train ticket and anything else we did that day I paid my own way.
I had no rent money.
Beginning of January, she’d asked me to stay at her house to make sure her kids got out to school every day when at their age, I was getting myself out to school everyday. Her husband was going to be home the entire time, but couldnt make sure his own kids got out because he left for work too early.
I said no, she got mad and yelled at me for being a lazy a** bum who can’t do anything for herself. I didn’t talk to her for a month, she calls me up and asks if I’m still mad at her and wants to get together for lunch.
Another $10 I really didn’t have.
I was selling back after that day I decided, she was fake and flakey.
I called the company and said I was selling back and told the nice lady on the phone everything. About how I watched my director use inactive consultant’s names to buy product, fudge over customers orders, ‘miscount’ the money, etc, etc, etc.
Overall, I’m glad I’m out for ever, I warn every women I come into contact with that gets to know me. I say, I’m in $10k worth of debt because of Mary Kay. I was out of work for over a year because no one would hire me having not worked in so long.
I had been brainwashed and pinkified, now grandted I still like the colour pink, but my brain is de-washed and back to a normal 9-5 job where it belongs. It’s so nice to get a paycheck every week.
And really, the average women on the average income can’t afford to spend $13 on a tube of lipgloss and frankly doesn’t want to when they can wait for a sale at the drugstore and get one for $4.
The only thing left of Mary Kay is the one lipgloss I still have, only because I cant find another brand that has this perfect colour.
If someone is asking you to join Mary Kay, run, get away, just go! Dont be afraid to hurt their feelings, stand up for yourself and your REAL job and just SAY NO!!
Wow. What a great loss to MK not to have you.
You lie to your family, make promises you can’t keep, borrow money you can’t repay, criticize women who are successful when you should shut up, listen, and learn, run up your mother’s credit card without permission, beg for charity from your church and blame everyone else because the world will not treat you to a life of luxury, free of charge. While I don’t condone her language, especially as a MK representative, I think she’s right in calling you “a lazy a** bum who can’t do anything for herself.”
Why don’t you all admit that you’re too lazy to become a success using the Mary Kay program, so you must call it a scam. It’s you who are the frauds, pretending to be self-motivated and ambitious when you want others to make you successful.
You resent Mary Kay herself because she is all that you are not, all that you will never be. I hope someday MK will create a make-up to cover up all you’re shortcomings. It will make all of us in MK multimillionaires overnight!
I can’t believe some of the things that are being said on this site. Mary Kay works if you work it right! Regardless of what your director tells you, you are in business for your self. Maybe there are directors that push you to purchase products or tell half truths. maybe you need to read and figure out for your self how to build your business instead of whining and complaining.
Brenda said: “I can’t believe some of the things that are being said on this site…. maybe you need to read and figure out for your self how to build your business instead of whining and complaining.”
Brenda: As a business owner and a marketing guy, I’m not a big fan of whining or passing the buck. In franchising, distributorships, direct sales, etc. there are many who join up, want to own their businesses, but never take responsibility for their own success. They think it should be provided to them on a silver platter.
However, the complaints about MK seem to be consistent and widespread, both here and on other sites (like http://www.pinktruth.com). If MK is dedicated to improving the lives and empowering women, do you think they need to do a better job of managing expectations of those joining? Should they be more selective in who they recruit? It seems they are creating a lot of bad “press” here on the Internet, yet they don’t publicly address these allegations (at least that I’ve seen). This bad press affects your ability to sell MK products, as the brand is gaining a negative connotation.
If this many women feel cheated or manipulated, shouldn’t successful MK sellers urge MK corporate to address these issues? In my experience, the worst thing you can do when being blogged about is not joining the conversation.
At FranchisePick.Com, we have a policy that we will post responses word-for-word from any company being discussed here. We are interested in open discussions and constructive dialogue that can lead to improvements. So far, MK has declined our offer (by not responding). Perhaps you can extend the offer on our behalf.
I am a consultant and I like being a consultant. With Mk you have to work it and it will work or you can sit back and whine about how you were made to purchase or sign up or whatever. I don’t think anyone can make anyone do anything. Here is the thing this business is for women and want to have their own business. Women who are not afraid of a hard work. Are there bad people in MK? Yes, and there are bad people in any business. Take the PT website the person that has it is REALLY
FYI, if you would like a balanced view of MK you will need to visit a site that is neutral, which you will not find. For those that think PT is nothing but horror stories, that is because that is the way the moderator wants it to look. The moderator deletes any posetive post or many even neutral posts if it doesn’t support her anti Mk opionin. If someone breaks the rules about posting -they are simply banned and not able to post anymore.
Guess anyone could back up their opinions if they only allowed what they want to portray. If it is their blog they have a right to do whatever they want but to call it “fact” or “the truth” -nope, not hardly.
Believe PT and let me pee on your leg and I will tell you it’s raining.
MKBiz:
Thanks for that last offer, but I’ll stick to the Weather Channel.
RE: Balanced View. This site is neutral. I’ve done my best to ask for both sides of the story & let the visitors express their opinions, pro & con. Comments are not censored.
In defense of the Pink Truth site , I think it’s an informative site that doesn’t pretend to be impartial. Of course it portrays one strong viewpoint, but doesn’t the MK website do the same on the positive side? I don’t see any place to leave a negative comment on the MK site.
All are free to express their opinions at Franchise Pick. Our goal is to help entrepreneurs make informed decisions, not tell them what to do. We will even post a response from any company discussed here, word for word. The readers can decide for themselves which side they agree with, and whether they want to invest in a given opportunity. But at least they can do it with eyes wide open.
The Mary Kay site doesn’t call people liars and try to discredit everyone. PT would have you believe that you can only succeed in Mary Kay if you are dishonest and abuse people – if this was true, the Company would have failed by now. (Won’t disagree that bad things can happen).
Mary Kay doesn’t promise that if you join you will become a millionaire – it is an opportunity and then success stories are shared.
As far as your site being neutral, I have never seen it posted on any proMK site and even the titles of most of the topice lean more towards negative attitudes than posetive. But hey, as I said before it is your blog.
And when I log onto a site (PT) that makes fun of a women’s weight and everyone jumps on the band wagon – when the post was to show others that someone had worn pants, I don’t consider that informative, I consider it mean. Since many on PT are still in Mary Kay, they poor thing could have been reading all the nasty commens from her fellow blogmates.
As far as Corporate, I can not speak for them but I guess if one feels any press is good press, even if it is bad, why should MK give a site any attention. It is exactly what the site wants -Publicity.
From my view point, it would be a little like a mesquito thinking it was going to hurt an elephant by stinging it.
Well, thanks for the space and letting me post.
Have a great day.
No problem… thanks for adding to the dialogue
MKBiz,
You come across very strongly. Why can’t you simply share one of those success stories with us instead of “going for the jugular” with PT? I am a former consultant and while I am an adult who is capable of making decisions, I was influenced by what my director was telling me. Afterall, she is a NSD who has been in MK for some 17 years. I figure she has the experience and all the information on her unitnet site is accurate and can be trusted. The information shared by her through various emails and her site make one think you can make a 6 figure income with very little hours worked. I was encouraged to recruit, recruit, recruit!! She wanted any warm body to be interviewed. I tried ALL the booking strategies she recommended to no avail. It became apparent to me that people did not want to be “warm chatted” while out shopping and they did not want to hostess a “skincare class.” I knew I was at the end when a group of women laughed at me when I was introduced as the neighborhood “Mary Kay lady.” MK consultants do not have the reputation they once had. They are now the butt of jokes and I don’t wish to be laughed at for trying to better myself and help other women look and feel great. I have a J-O-B that pays over $30/hr and I didn’t join MK just for the money. I truly wanted to teach skincare and help women feel good about themselves. I am glad that I returned my inventory ($2200 worth) and got 90% of my money back, paid off the credit card, closed the MK account and MAYBE had $100 left.
In all fairness, I guess one more visit here won’t kill me and since you asked – and I can only share my experience with you. I will give you what I call my success story.
1992-working as financial analyst 60/70 hours/week salaried. Babysitter raising my two kids. (Climbing corporate ladder was going to be CFO of Co). Dad at 57 got leukemia, lost the battle at 58, realized my priorities were messed up. Got serious with my parttime Mary Kay business. 4 months later won the car, 2 months later was a director. (1994) – 2 months later resigned for Co..
13 years later, 6 cars later, (no not the Cadillac, not willing to spend the time it would take to earn and maintain it). I was taught to sell this product, I teach my unit members to sell this product. I don’t frontload, I believe inventory should be built as the consultant learns her market and stock what she is going to be selling. No need to order all at once because there is no restrictions on how often you can order. No, I have never broken 6 digits but I earn a very good income, work with a delightful and intelligent unit, love my clients and have their respect, can go on the field trips with the kids, etc.. be there when my husband gets off his third shift job and
have the flexibility to do the things I want to do. Ironically enough (my secure previous job) the Company was bought out last month and closed the facility and they are all without jobs now.
(..I make more in MK than I did at that CAREER)
And, I am happy to say that in my Community, I am thought of as a successful small business owner. Yes, there are times I am refered to as the Mk Lady but I can think of other things that would be far worse.
I have never warm stalked anyone, find it very uncomfortable for all concerned and do not have any problem getting bookings – for that matter I have to turn leads over to my unit because I can not keep up with what we get for bridal fairs, expo’s etc… and I don’t believe a consultant should recruit until she has built a strong customer base…so I guess some of what makes us successful is in part how we see ourselves.
Sorry, Neutral Ground that Mary Kay didn’t work for you, it is great you gave it a try and with the buyback the Company offers, didn’t end up loosing moeny for having tried it. I don’t know anyone now a days that someone isn’t making a joke about. Lawyers get bashed all the time, I don’t see them quiting because of it. We (Women) just have a hard time separating personal feelings versus business feelings. I love what I do, I make good money, and hang around loads of posetive people, so if someone wants to laugh or make fun of me, I say at least if they are picking on me, they are leaving someone else alone.
I wasn’t trying to be mean in my other posts, as much as trying to make a point. Sorry that tone and inflection can not be inserted into an email.
Have a super great day everyone, I know I will.
Pink hugs to all! :)
Sean,
Just a message for you, you don’t have to post it but since you seem to think PT is so crediable, have you visited http://www.ptlies.com or
http://somecallmeduh.wordpress.com (warning -not censored)
or http://www.mypinktruth.wordpress.com – I find it interesting there are more anti PT blogs than anti MK blogs.
And for the first time in blog world history, the only thing that pro mk and anti mk people seem to agree on is that PT and TC is worse than anything else.
Read long enough and TC isn’t interested in protecting people – she is more interesed in taking advantage of those that have already been taking advantage of. It is really sad. (oh and making a name for herself).
Well MKForever, I must say that you yourself make such a fine impression of Mary Kay. LOL Thank you for showing what some at Pink Truth are talking about. There are some fine, wonderful, intelligent active Mary Kay people at Pink Truth but you would know that if you bothered to actually read. The ones such as yourself do not like it because it exposes Mary Kay unethical practices by many.
MKForever said:
Why don’t you all admit that you’re too lazy to become a success using the Mary Kay program, so you must call it a scam. It’s you who are the frauds, pretending to be self-motivated and ambitious when you want others to make you successful.
Really? I am neither lazy and I am ambitious but since you want to claim we ALL are otherwise, then maybe you could give me a few examples of my life showing where I am lazy and not ambitious. Please do. I would love to improve on me if you can list them for me. LOL
MKForever said: You resent Mary Kay herself because she is all that you are not, all that you will never be. I hope someday MK will create a make-up to cover up all you’re shortcomings. It will make all of us in MK multimillionaires overnight!
I do not resent Mary Kay. She’s dead. I am also not interested in becoming a multimillionaire (but that statement sure shows where your thinking is at).
have you visited http://www.ptlies.com or
http://somecallmeduh.wordpress.com (warning -not censored)
MKBiz: Tell me that you’re not citing the Duh site as a credible… anything. I just about tossed up my raisin bagel when I got there and saw some hairy pierced and acned man-boobs (I hope they were man-boobs).
I have a pretty sick sense of humor, but that visit caused me some irreparable harm.
There’s something seriously wrong with some of you ladies. You’re scaring me.
my my my:
Please accept my heartfelt apology. I didn’t mean to say you, individually, were lazy. I do not know that about you, specifically. I should have said that you waste your time dwelling on a venture that didn’t work out – for whatever reason – and choose to spend your time bashing the opportunity you failed at rather than picking yourself up, dusting yourself off, and moving down the road wiser for the experience.
I am trying to help you when I say: Time to move on, girl! Follow my advice and in a few months I guarantee you will be thanking me.
We don’t hate you. We pity you.
The ones such as yourself do not like it because it exposes Mary Kay unethical practices by many….
Respectfully, you are dead wrong. (I like how it’s ok for you to presume you know MY mind). I don’t like it because I – and others like me – have decided to become empowered and successful as part of Mary Kay. We get up every day and take responsibility for our own success. We don’t have time to blame others – we’re too busy being successful. By spreading lies and trying to tear down this respected brand it is YOU – and the timewasters like you – who are hurting the women of Mary Kay… not MK itself.
Wow Sean, that was just the reaction I was going for!
For all of you wondering, my site is really not for information purposes (obviously). We are all internet “friends” that were banned from Pink Truth for various reasons.
Not that I can’t back up what I say on there, but it’s really a place that people can go once they realize that Pink Truth and Tracy Coenen are full of crap.
Coincidentally, we all like to look at naked, hairy, pimply man boobs.
So if you enjoy man boobs and have been involved in any way with Tracy and Pink Truth, you will “get” my site. If not, you will think we are a bunch of lunatics.
DUH: Congrats on your successful strategy!
Back when I was teaching Creative Writing at a University, I had the misfortune of reading (at least the first few pages of) the singularly most boring short story ever written. When I confronted the student, he said: “That was just the reaction I was going for!”
I guess you can succeed and fail simultaneously:
You grossed me out but didn’t enlighten me as to why Tracy and Pink Truth are the new Manson family. I just can’t get past that haunting image.
It’s bad enough that I’ve got to see them in the mirror every morning (sans piercings), but now the snctity of my computer screen has been violated.
Gotta go with lunatics for the time being.
SEAN: I’m not here to enlighten you! Geez, do you think that complete strangers are here solely to entertain and inform you?
BTW, the girls and I would love to take a gander at your man boobs. Anytime you wanna be a star, hit me up. You know where to find me… ;)
Glad you stopped by Sean. Stick around you might actually find you learned something at the end of the day.
Not all things are what they seem on the surface.
DUH:
…Geez, do you think that complete strangers are here solely to entertain and inform you?
Bingo! Honestly, that’s exactly what I think. Not just this blog, but society, existence and the universe in general.
…I would love to take a gander at your man boobs. Anytime you wanna be a star, hit me up.
Sorry, but right now I’m in licensing negotiations for an exclusive with Mary Kay. They want me to be the spokesperson and model for their male cosmetic line and direct sales program (Simply called SEAN!). Pink Hummers for top performers… the works.
If my exclusive with them – and the Maidenform Male deal – fall through, the man boobs (manboobs? man-boobs?) are yours.
Sean
PS: As a lover of the outrageous, I do appreciate that you’ve actually created an Anti-Anti-Mary Kay website. If someone wants to create an anti-http://somecallmeduh.wordpress.com website, I will give them their own, exclusive blog post and links (visible in every country in the world) because it would entertain and inform me. If we kept this going on exponentially, I bet we could all get on the Daily Show.
Sean, sorry, just realized I typed one site twice but didn’t include http://www.mypinktruth.wordpress.com
and glad you enjoyed Duh’s site, yes, some of the top if over the top but some is very entertaining, please forgive the few, they are recovering from PT!
:)
Aww, do you think we can make it that other fake news show? What’s it called? The O’Reilly Factor? Ole Bill’s into kinky sex with his loofahs and falafels. I’ll bet he’ll show me his man boobs.
This has gone way, WAY too far. LOL
Now it’s gone farther:
FranchisePick.Com to Appear on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
MKForever said: Please accept my heartfelt apology. I didn’t mean to say you, individually, were lazy.
Yes, yes, I can just feel that “heartfelt” sincere feeling about you, along with the venom that is oozing from the rest of your message. Thank you so much for the attempt though, it really was a nice gesture.
MKForever said: I do not know that about you, specifically. I should have said that you waste your time dwelling on a venture that didn’t work out – for whatever reason – and choose to spend your time bashing the opportunity you failed at rather than picking yourself up, dusting yourself off, and moving down the road wiser for the experience.
Goodness, you do assume too much. Well, which is it MKForever, do you not know me or do you have some sort of crystal ball in front of you with my life story in it? Have I ever been in Mary Kay? Or, could I be a concerned family member of someone who has fallen into the pink cult? Or, could I just be someone who happens to read Pink Truth and draw my own conclusions about what is truth and what is not? My conclusion is that Mary Kay is a cult. Certainly you will not try to deny that Mary Kay directors send out emails with Bible verses attached to them that are used out of context will you? Of course that is an easy thing to do if people do not actually know what the Bible says. If you have never received any of these (LOL, right) rest assured, I have plenty of them. Another thing an active Mary Kay person sent me was a copy of the little flyer that went out about a month ago claiming that Harvard teaches Mary Kay in their classes. However, I am sure someone such as yourself would set that record straight for anyone who believes that and would inform them that it (is/was) a case study. Right?
MKForever said: I am trying to help you when I say: Time to move on, girl! Follow my advice and in a few months I guarantee you will be thanking me. No no, let me go ahead and thank you now instead of later. I suppose I should explain why. Because you are one of the most angry, bitter, nastiest people inside that I have ever encountered who claims to be with Mary Kay and now, more than ever, I can see why there is a need for a place like Pink Truth to get the truth out, for not only the potential recruits but also for the family members. So, thank you so much MKForever, I will be on my way over to Pink Truth after I post to order some of their Pink Truth cards. Also, anyone I happen to encounter who even thinks they want to represent Mary Kay (also any customers I happen to run into), I will make sure to direct them to this site also to see your sweet sweet words not only to myself but to the girl who’s mother died, and of you with your words of wisdom to her because I’m sure with the response you gave her, they will be most impressed.
MKForever said: We don’t hate you. We pity you. Well thank you MKForever, I would love to know exactly what for but it does not matter because do you know what I am going to do for you? I am going to pray for you. Two reasons for that: (One), is that you will be able to unload all of that anger and venom you appear to be lugging around and (two), because I can and there is nothing you can do about it. LOL
MKForever said: Respectfully, you are dead wrong. (I like how it’s ok for you to presume you know MY mind). I don’t like it because I – and others like me – have decided to become empowered and successful as part of Mary Kay. We get up every day and take responsibility for our own success. We don’t have time to blame others – we’re too busy being successful. Oh yes, ok, my mistake, I should have realized with such a nice person as yourself that I am sure you tell anyone you recruit (if you recruit – if you do not recruit then my apologies, and skip right over this little part) that they can return product up to 12 months after they order it, not just within their first year of joining Mary Kay, but continuously, and I am also sure that you advise them that if they recruit anyone and that person decides to return their product there will be a chargeback on the commission that was made on those products, (after all, it would be wrong not to give them the important facts, right?) and I am most certain that you inform them completely about the medical benefits and retirement plan they receive – oops wait, there aren’t any are there? My mistake again. So you now have me pegged as not only lazy and no ambition, but I am not successful either? LOL My only conclusion to draw from your statement is that success means angry, bitter, nasty. If that is the definition then well, I guess I am successful at times but you do such a great job at being successful I have to give applause to you.
MKForever said: By spreading lies and trying to tear down this respected brand it is YOU – and the timewasters like you – who are hurting the women of Mary Kay… not MK itself. ok, now you will have to remind me here, exactly what lies have I spread?
It’s been a great exchange with you MKForever and as your words will live forever now (because I’ll have a screenshot even if this site went away) I will be sure to show potential recruits and customers of Mary Kay how you have been such a sweet helpful person and represented Mary Kay with the utmost professionalism. Gosh MKForever, if you are this filled with anger, bitterness and venom now, can you just imagine how you will feel the day you finally realized you have been duped by a cult? Know that I will be putting in special prayers for you because I do not have to know you, but God does. Have a great day, ok?
And you think I’m nutty? How much time do you think My My MY spent on her above response?
Howdy Tracy!
Duh: You are wrong. I am not Tracy. Have the admin verify it. I’m sure he can. Why would how much time I spend on a post concern you?
That’s just what Tracy would say…
…And you think I’m nutty? How much time do you think My My MY spent on her above response?
DUH: Oh, you’re nutty all right. But you got plenty of company in this group.
…And I’m not Tracy either…
Yeah, that’s JUST what Tracy would say….
my my my:
I’m sorry if I upset you. I was trying to be positive and offer some helpful advice. I was once a negative thinker too. It’s a real trap and you don’t know you’re in it at the time. If you don’t believe me, print out these comments. Ask some impartial person to read yours and mine and tell you which is the angry, venomous person. See what they say.
I will pray for you. I believe in you. If you invest the same energy you put into your last comment into yourself, there’s no limit to your potential!
I just read a great post at MKRules! about the power of being a cheerleader for others.
Try cheering someone on instead of commiserating, and you’ll start feeling your confidence and power grow. There will be no stopping you! I know, I’ve been where you’re at!
think pink!
GREAT article from MKRules:
http://mkrules.wordpress.com/2007/08/11/be-the-cheerleader/#more-558
Darn, my my my–you just missed the PT card challenge on my blog! You said you were going to go “make my way over to Pink Truth after I post to order some of their Pink Truth cards.” (sigh) If you had only done so a week or so ago, you could really have racked up!! We were all offering things to anyone who send me a bona fide PT card to prove that people actually bought them!
You know that Tracy Coenen gets a kickback from all those shopping links, don’t you? Well, offering the challenge was my way of doing two things: first, to prove that the people who support Tracy Coenen are not liars–you know they all SAY they have those cards, but has anyone actually SEEN one? (Answer: no). And the other things to let Tracy’s little supporters get something in return for their blind faith in her. Something they would never get from HER.
But…well, no one sent me one. No one. Zip. Nada.
Sean, thanks for letting me post here–nice place you have. If you would like to visit my site, do so, and click on the “Tracy Coenen” tag. Interesting reading.
Mary Kay sucks and it’s a bigass scam, waste of time, blah blah blah
BUT…Tracy is a fraud too. But at least she’s making money off her site, which is more than most MK ladies can say. LOL
And My My My: if you ain’t Tracy, then you must be PUR.
:)
“It’s been a great exchange with you MKForever and as your words will live forever now (because I’ll have a screenshot even if this site went away) I will be sure to show potential recruits and customers of Mary Kay how you have been such a sweet helpful person and represented Mary Kay with the utmost professionalism. ”
Yup! That’s Tracy! MKForever, check the Pink Truth website in a couple days and you’ll see a brand spanking new article all about YOU. Ready for your 5 minutes of fame in pink truth hell? LOL