Reading Reflection No. 1

Miracles Happen by Mary Kay Ash

What surprised me the most about Mary Kay’s story, besides the adversity she overcame and her determination to be the best at everything she did, was the fact that she did not initially create the cosmetic line used to start her company.  After attending a party selling other products she noticed the complexion of all in attendance.  The hostess was providing skin care to her friends using her father’s creation.  After testing the products herself, Mary Kay decided this was the product she could package to start her own business while incorporating her years of sales experience.  Mary Kay had a vision of the type of organization she wanted to run and found the products she could turn into a success. 

As an entrepreneur, what I admired about Mary Kay was her dedication to promote women and her determination for everyone in her organization to succeed.  Praise and recognition are key values that structure how the Directors mentor the Consultants to boost confidence as well as sales.  Mary Kay used her own passion for being the best, as her model for how she expects those working in her organization should perform.  Although this was written at a time where women were steadily in the workforce, her recommendations of how to have a successful career and still care for the family are antiquated.  Perhaps we have moved too far from these ideals.  Interesting to note during the time the book was written women were opposing the apparent pay gap where a female earned 70% what a male earned and almost 40 years later and this figure has not changed much.  Women are still fighting for wage parity.

Something about Mary Kay that I least admired was the feeling of superiority I read in her story.  I understand that she was writing to tell her success story, however it comes across elitist and judgmental to a certain degree.  It reads as if she always did the right thing and did not speak to many failures.  This was off putting and took away from the positive uplifting model for women to follow.

Mary Kay definitely encountered adversity in her life from a very young age and seemed to know how to persevere.  As a child she would befriend those who had more than she and was able to ride on their coat tails so to speak.  In business she would do the same and take others success and learn how to turn it into her own. 

Competencies she exhibited included her exceptional speaking skills and her drive to promote other women and help them succeed.  Mary Kay believed in having an open door policy and using the Golden Rule to treat everyone with respect.  She created an organization that was known for its sincere and welcoming environment.

A part of the reading that was confusing to me was regarding her venture to start a company after she reached retirement.  She had worked for years earning a living and increasing sales for other organizations and it was not until after she retired that she endeavored to start a business for herself.  Most would not make that gamble.  It paid off for her and has left a legacy for her children and grandchildren. 

Two questions I would ask Mary Kay are:

1.  If she regrets not starting her own business earlier in her life?  I understand she has a strong connection to God and his path for her life, but if she has thought about how much more she could have achieved if she had started earlier.

2.  In this day and age, would she recommend to her own children to do the same thing? We live in questionable times and should they risk their retirement years as she did?

As far as her opinion of hard work, I share her opinion.  I do not feel as though many of the younger generation appreciate hard work or understand what that entails.  They are accustomed to instant gratification and do not learn how to appreciate what they work for.  Her advice to write a list of 6 things to accomplish each day and to work to get them done is something I will take from the reading and incorporate into my own daily routine.