Scam Busting: The investigation of Mary Kay heats up
I decided to play an active role in the “anti-Mary Kay” world, and became a regular contributor to the conversations on a few different websites and discussion groups. I tried to withhold my identity during my investigation, as I wanted to quietly gather as much information as possible.
I shared my opinion of the company, its representatives, and its sales and recruiting practices, and in return I got an opportunity to see other women’s stories. The more I found out, the more disgusted I became with this 43-year-old company that was founded on the principles of “Faith first, family second, and career third.” It seemed common for women to be told to set their families aside in pursuit of the career goal.
I found evidence of women inflating their earnings claims in order to recruit new salespeople. I found them downplaying the signficant time commitment required to move up the pyramid. I found them underreporting the expenses associated with running an MLM business. I found specific instances where information was deliberately withheld from recruits.
Eventually I came into contact with a writer who had begun a book on the Mary Kay experience. We shared many of the same strong opinions about the company, and we began jointly researching the issue.
Again, the research included active participation in online discussions about many aspects of Mary Kay. We also gathered training documents that clearly showed a disconnect between the company’s motto and the real world.
The more we found, the more I became convinced that it was important to get this information in the hands of the women who needed it most: those who were current sales force members, and those who were considering becoming a part of the sales force. Without the full story, they could not make informed decisions about their future with (or without) Mary Kay.
