Lesson #3: Let Your Intellect Rely On Your Instincts

One month before Ash’s company was set to launch, her second husband died of a heart attack. He had been the one in charge of the legal and financial matters of Beauty by Mary Kay. With him gone, Ash wasn’t sure if she could still succeed in achieving her dreams. When she approached both her lawyer and accountant with the idea to continue launching her company, she was given the same response – she was told she would lose her entire life savings of $5,000. They did not think Ash had what it took to succeed without her husband.

If Ash had listened to those two men, both her life and the entire cosmetics industry would have gone in completely different directions than they did. Thankfully, Ash listened not to those men, but instead to her instincts. She had done an analysis on what her new business would have in its favour, and decided that the risk was one worth taking. As of yet, there had been no market leaders in skin care, and Ash believed that she could fill that gap. Ash also believed that her product was one which women would both enjoy using and selling, and that there existed a strong potential for repeat business.

“Aerodynamically, the bumble bee shouldn’t be able to fly,” said Ash, “but the bumble bee doesn’t know it so it goes on flying anyway.” It didn’t matter to Ash that the so-called industry ‘experts’ had told her she was nuts for wanting to start her own company. She believed that with her past business experience, combined with her determination and enthusiasm, she could make a successful go at it. “If you think you can, you can,” Ash was fond of saying. “And if you think you can’t, you’re right.”

Starting her company wasn’t the only time Ash came up against obstacles that challenged her gut instincts. In the mid-1980s, shareholders began to get antsy about the rewarding of pink Cadillacs to her sales team. Calling them “frivolous pink cars,” they began to demand that Ash stop this incentives program. However, Ash felt very strongly that this motivational scheme served as the backbone of her company. In response to her critics, Ash decided that she didn’t need public money badly enough to jeopardize her entire operation. Once again, Ash ignored the warnings of the ‘critics’, and bought back the company. In the end, it proved to be a smart move.

“You can have anything in this world you want, if you want it badly enough and you’re willing to pay the price,” said Ash. “Don't limit yourself. Many people limit themselves to what they think they can do. You can go as far as your mind lets you. What you believe, remember, you can achieve.”

Ash dared to risk not only public criticism but also significant private losses – betting her entire life savings on her instincts – in order to achieve her dreams. It was only in doing so that she became the success that she did.



Lesson #3: Let Your Intellect Rely On Your Instincts

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