Mary Kay Ash (1918–2001)

Mary Kay Ash was a smart and very determined woman, and she was very clear about the way her company was to be run and how people within the company - whether in the sales force or the corporate office - could become effective leaders. Her principles are simple, and quite different in execution from many other companies, big and small. When she said to always apply the Golden Rule, she meant it, and it is embedded in the company's culture, which has now flourished for fifty years.

The focus for her was maximizing the potential and achievements of women. She felt, as do many, that women's contributions are not utilized as completely as men's, simply because that's how the world is used to doing business. When she launched Mary Kay Inc., she was frequently told she was "thinking like a woman." She always took that as a compliment.

Her writing style is clear and conversational, but no-nonsense. People reading this book will be able to start implementing her suggestions right away, if they so choose.

I enjoyed this book, and have taken away some valuable lessons as well.… (más)

It was a super quick read and a testament to “you can start or restart at any point in your life.” After all, she created Mary Kay “after” she retired. I wasn’t too keen on the writing itself and it was often repetitive. It’s not the type of memoir I would normally read but I was curious. It highlights the good work she did, her work through faith, and desire to help women. Copyright is 1981 so dated and have no idea if anything new contradicts her code of conduct/ethics.

Side note: My cousin and I went to a Mary Kay cosmetics “party” in the 80s, and woke up the next day with a horrible reaction…our faces red and burned looking…so It turned me away from the brand. I later used their nail kit which was fantastic but that was the extent of my dabbling.… (más)

This book was originally written in 1981 and reprinted two more times after that. Because of that fact, it was hard to really appreciate the statistics referenced because of how old they were. I felt like the book read more like a self help book than a memoir. I'm not a big makeup person and therefore had a hard time relating to Mary Kay. I do admire her drive, ambition and leadership. I think if I would have read this book at a different time in my career, I could have applied some of her tips.

Two quotes from the book that I liked:

* p. 105 - A very good definition of a woman's needs. From birth to age 14, she needs good parents & good health. From age 14 to age 40, she needs good looks. From age 40 to age 60, she needs personality. From age 60 on, she needs cash.
* p. 109 - When a woman behaves like a lady, she sets the stage, and as a result, men will conduct themselves as a gentlemen.… (más)