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A Fresh Face in the World: Mary Kay Ash is Born

“Most people live and die with their music still unplayed,” Mary Kay Ash once said. “They never dare to try.” Ash was not one of those people. Raised in a time when few women were in business, let alone successful in business, Ash broke down barriers on her rise up to creating a multi-billion dollar operation. Today, Mary Kay Cosmetics Inc. continues to be a leader in the industry, with outlets in over 30 countries that are staffed by 1.6 million employees.

The Queen of Cosmetics: Ash Creates an Empire

As Ash’s sales for Stanley Home Products continued to increase, she began to recruit and train other salespersons to work with her. It was SHP policy that for every person Ash recruited, she would receive a small percentage of their sales revenue. Soon, Ash had over 150 women working for her. However, the success of Ash and her sales team quickly began to worry SHP executives, who promptly moved Ash to Dallas and refused to let her continue receiving commissions from her previous sales recruits. Ash made the move to Dallas but resented SHP for punishing her hard work.

Lesson #1: Live by the Golden Rule

“I can say unequivocally that every decision we make at Mary Kay Cosmetics is based on the Golden Rule,” said Ash. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

Lesson #2: Define Your Priorities and Goals

Ash ran her company under the motto “God first, family second, career third.” Ever conscious of the value of time, Ash knew it was the one commodity she would never be able to get back. Thus, in both her personal and professional lives, she learned early on the importance of practicing disciplined time management.

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.

Lesson #4: Break Down the Barriers in Your Way

“For every failure, there's an alternative course of action,” said Ash. “You just have to find it. When you come to a roadblock, take a detour.”

Lesson #5: The Follow-Through is the Most Important Factor

“Those who are blessed with the most talent don’t necessarily outperform everyone else,” Ash once said. “It’s the people with follow-through who excel.”

The Business of Beauty: How Ash Changed an Industry

Ash once said that “people fall forward to success.” In her case, it seems she didn’t fall so much as she ran towards her dreams. With ambition and determination, Ash created not only a successful billion-dollar company but also one of the few to be featured three times in Fortune magazine’s “The 100 Best Companies to Work for in America.” How did Ash break through the glass ceiling of gender discrimination to become a household name around the world?

Mary Kay Ash Quotes

Mary Kay Ash Quotes

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