Blog: Making Beauty Affordable—and Profitable

I just had to ask. You probably would as well if you knew her name is Mary and that she’s a Mary Kay consultant.

“Mary, did you get into this business because of the name?” 

She laughed and said, “No, although a lot of people ask me about that.”

I met Mary Johnson through the Work@Homer networking group, about which I’ve blogged several times previously. Mary is at once engaging and disarming, the kind of person you meet—and immediately want to meet for coffee—on a lazy Saturday morning. “I’m in this business because I like helping women feel good about themselves," she told me. There’s so much pressure in the media for women to look a certain way, to be a certain size or shape, and to look younger, no matter their age. I want women to feel beautiful just as they are."

Mary Kay products are designed to help women feel good about themselves—just as they are, without surgery—with products that pamper and nurture them, and at a price that’s affordable, said Mary.

Mary’s background is in office administration; she was never interested in sales.  When a friend talked to her about becoming an independent beauty consultant with Mary Kay, however, she decided to give it a try.

“With all the uncertainty in the economy, I wanted to find new ways to make money," she explained. "When I looked at Mary Kay, I realized it has great name recognition, and it’s a solid company. If I’m going to offer products to my friends and family, I want them to be something they know they can trust, that are top quality, and are affordable.” 

 The Mary Kay name is, indeed, recognizable. The company was founded in 1963, nearly 50 years ago, and its products are now sold in more than 40 countries worldwide. In 2010, Mary Kay was selected as the top brand for mass-marketed cosmetics in a national survey, Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Winners, which identifies “those brands best able to engage consumers and create loyal customers.”

Mary Johnson isn’t alone in being inspired by the current economy to reach outside her comfort zone to explore alternative income opportunities—especially in the area of direct sales of cosmetics. The skin care business is a roughly $5.5-billion industry, and, at a time when many luxury items are beyond most people's wallets, affordable beauty products are not only within reach but are even more desirable.

Just as the recession was beginning, CBS News reported that, even as sales in other sectors plummeted, sales of affordable cosmetics went up. Nightline reported that “even in the deepest of economic slumps, lipstick sells.” When asked if a down economy inspires more people to join Mary Kay, the company's CEO, David Holl, said that it does. He said it draws in the women who are asking, “What more can I do for my life besides just go work in a corporate job?” 

And so my friend Mary Johnson is the face of the indomitable spirit of the American Dream: Rather than letting tough times get us down, we get inspired to get creative. Top businesses such as General Electric, IBM, Disney, Microsoft, CNN and Apple were all started in recessions. They are models for many Americans who say that, if they can do it, "why not start my own little empire?"

An avid and frugal shopper, Mary seized another income opportunity with GreenBackStreet.com. It's a unique shopping portal, modeled after frequent flier programs, that pays cash rebates for shopping and referring others to shop.  She says, “I know how many people are looking for ways to save money these days, and it just makes sense to save money wherever we can. With the price of gas, I also save money by not running around to all the different stores.”

There are more than 1,100 national and local stores on the GreenBackStreet website, including national retailers as well as local merchants. Members save up to 30 percent on each purchase. Shop at Target through GreenBackStreet—and get free shipping, plus 3.5-percent cash back on your purchase amount. Want to earn cash without buying anything at all? Games on GreenBackStreet are free to play and cash prizes are awarded to top point earners every week. No wonder Mary says she likes helping her friends save money as much as she likes helping them feel more beautiful. 

As a small business owner, Mary also wants all small business owners to know that they can advertise on greenbackstreet.com for a nominal monthly cost. Small businesses can easily list business hours, locations, coupons, and news, with high search-engine rankings on Google and other high-profile search engines, without having to know anything about search engine optimization, website management, or the other complicated things that go with having a Web presence.

My friend Mary Johnson is the sort of person who takes personal satisfaction in helping others find ways to feel good about themselves—and their personal finances—even in the toughest of economic climates.

Want to get to know Mary?  She is offering a free pampering session this Thursday, May 31, at 1 p.m., after the regular Work@Homer lunchtime networking event (space is limited and RSVP is required). RSVP or book your own personal pampering session by calling her at (818) 415-6813 or e-mail her at mejoh@marky.com. 

Mary is also a Work@Homer sponsor of the upcoming Full Moon Drum Circle on June 3 at 7 p.m. in Alatorre Park (just north of 134 freeway, between Figueroa and Eagle Rock View Drive, just below the Eagle Rock). Call (818) 398-4995 or see www.meetup.com/WorkAtHomers for details about these events.

To learn more about Mary Kay, visit www.marykay.com/mejoh. You can also call Mary Johnson to schedule your very own pampering session (with no obligation to purchase) at (818) 415-6813 or e-mail her at mejoh@marky.com. 
To learn more about GreenBackStreet.com, click here.