IF It Sounds Too Good to Be True, It Is Too Good to Be True

Mary Kay is not a club to join. You are investing in a consumable product, with a training program and years of research to back up both the products, and the sales techniques (my husband sells software business-to-business and uses the SAME techniques taught in the Mary Kay training manuals, videos, and workshops). You then have to establish a network of contacts to whom to demonstrate the product(s). Because Mary Kay products are consumable, you are able to, if you become any good at the selling techniques in which they offer to train you, establish long-term customers who will continue to purchase more product in the future. Have you even tried any of the stuff?

I think you need to find the home based business that works for you. I have a cousin that is a director with Mary Kay and has driven her free car for years. Last I spoke with her she was working towards earning her cadillac. When she first started, she simply did Mary Kay part time but now it's her only income. She doesn't even have full time hours and she earns more with Mary Kay than she did with her college degree career. She works hard, loves what she does and has the perfect balance of God, Family, Business.

Any and all of those group emails that ask you to say prayer or send $$$ to Ethiopia...

Honestly, I thought EVERYONE knew not to even open those types of forwarded emails.

But sad story short: my sister's MIL had a brain aneurism, emergency brain surgery and never fully recovered her complete mental status. So her Type A multi-millionaire husband divorced her for s/o else. Within 4 years she burned through about 3 million dollars responding to those types of emails. There is absolutely nothing that can be done for this lack of discretion. She truly 'had it all' at one point, a beautiful ocean front home with yacht in Newport Beach, and she's lost everything and now working part time at a Bed and Bath store, living with her sister.

So, moral, don't believe any money making scheme that comes to you through email. I just thought everyone knew that already, but this one did not.

I agree with the other posters that any direct sales/network marketing is what you put into it. I actually have been involved in a couple myself and have had had experiences with many others.

Now having said that, as a customer/client, Mary Kay left a bad taste in my mouth. At least in recent history.
I used and LOVED MK products for many years! But there was always the underlying pressure to 'join' and sell. At one time, I seriously had MORE product than my rep because she kept inviting me to 'meetings' and giving me free 'gifts' in an attempt for my to sign up. That was when I was probably late 20's early 30's. *I am now 48 almost 49.

Once I hit 40 though, my body chemistry changed and I found I could no longer use the products for a variety of reasons. About 3 years ago a friend invited me to a Mary Kay product demo. With apologies, because she herself felt like she had been strong armed into having it. I went and actually found some products I really liked! BUT when I had "my" time with the MK Rep and I told her up front but in a nice way that I will not sell and I will not have a party/demo, but still ordered $300 worth of products, I never heard from her again! She already had the pink caddy so I guess because I was not worth her time to follow up and keep as a customer, I was scum. Really? I'm not worth having just as a customer if I'm spending $300 a pop because I won't help you get to your next level? In my opinion, you're in it for the money not to help others.

When my daughter turned 15 last year I wanted her to learn how to apply make up in a tasteful fashion but would NOT contact a MK rep. I absolutely did not want that type of hard-sell person in my home! I found an amazing young woman who actually developed her own line of cosmetics and was thrilled to show my daughter and her friends artful and tasteful make up application without worrying if she would get a sale. She did it because she loved and believed in what she was doing. And in my opinion got a $700 in sales because she was so low key!

I also now am very concerned about the chemicals I put on my skin so I look at things differently.

There are a lot of scams out there.
However, in my opinion, Mary Kay isn't one of them.
There are women who do very well selling Mary Kay.
Many of the scams take your money and you don't get anything in return.

I have 2 friends that sell Mary Kay and love it. One is a SAHM and does it p/t. The other is pretty high up in the company. She was actually a FANTASTIC teacher, but made more money with MK. I'm not sure if she ever earned a car.

I think most of those businesses (Mary Kay, Tupperware, Thirty-One, Pampered Chef, etc) are great companies if you want to earn extra money. I'm not sure if I'd rely on them if that was your sole income.

Sorry you had a bad experience!

i liked mary kay when i worked it, avon too. I never put in the work, but when i did it paid off.

Well I think the main misconception people have about network marketing is that it is easy money. Maybe it is painted out that way, but like anything it takes hard work and what you put in is what you get out of it. If you work it 40 hours a week and bust your hump, you will make a decent profit, it you buy tons of stuff and don't actually have the time to devote to it, you will probably lose money in the end. The things that are scams are usually things like stuffing envelopes for cash, cash gifting, bascially anything that doesn't have a tangible product but promises major bucks and usually it will be only available to work online. Network marketing of things like make up, household goods, electricity is not a scam per-say, but it will require major work to make major cash. Part time work=part time cash, little work=little cash. The thing I never liked about network marketing is that they tend to consume a person's life and get in the way of personal relationships. Like the boundary between work and life dissolves and all friends become prospects and feel major pressure to get involved at times. But I do know that there are people who put the time and devotion in to network marketing and have varying degrees of success.

Yes you are right. there are alot of scams out there. But I finally found one that is not and with very little start up. Right now the company that I work for is offering a deal until the 30th of this month. You can start you own at home business for just $1. Thats right just $1!! And they give you all the tools that you need for free. For more information please go to my ____@____.com

I did the Jeff Pauls internet millions and that was a total scam. Took me for alot of money and did nothing to help me get started. I also tried the ones that pay you to do crafts for them. You have to buy the materials yourself and then send them in for payment. They tell you there is unlimited potential to how much you can make and then when you get the start up kit they tell you that you can only do 10 a month. How is that unlimited? It would cost me more for the materials then I would make in a month. You really need to be careful and I was very unsure about the one that I am in now. I just started in October and recieved my first check the other day. I am very inpressed with this one and happy that I am doing it. I only work about 5-20 hours per week and get to spend lots of time with my family.