Keep the Dream Alive

post by MJ

Photo of Teyla trying on some of mommy's makeup recently, courtesy of MJ

Anytime I put on makeup, I think of a woman who once sold home products for a living.

She worked hard for many years, and got real good at what she did. Her boss noticed her talent and set her in charge of training new recruits to sell the company's products. One day, she was shocked to find out she was passed over for promotion in favor of a man whom she had just trained! She retired shortly after, and planned to write a book to help women succeed in business. What do you know? The book turned into a business plan for her ideal company!

The woman dreamed of building an organization that would embrace the Golden Rule as its guiding philosophy. She dreamed of establishing a company that would "give unlimited opportunity to women." This woman - a single mom struggling to raise three children - envisioned that her "dream company" would abide by three fundamental principles: God first, family second, and career third.

Armed with 25 years of direct selling experience from her previous company, the woman decided to start her own business in 1963. She and her husband (she had remarried) invested their entire life savings of $5,000 to rent a tiny office and manufacture an initial inventory of skin care products. They also recruited nine sales representatives. I can just imagine how excited the woman was. Finally, her dream was coming true! Her "dream company" was really happening!

Then tragedy struck. A month before the company was to officially open for business, her husband died. What do you do when the person you love with all your heart, the person who holds your hand and helps your fondest dreams come true suddenly passes away? Oh, I wouldn't have blamed her if she had decided to put her dream on hold, maybe go on vacation for a while to grieve, to get away from it all. I wouldn't even have faulted her if she totally changed her mind and said, "To heck with it! Let me just get a regular office job, something easier. I can't run this business alone!" But the woman held on to her dream. And her children rallied around her, bless their hearts. Her two sons quit their jobs, took pay cuts and, despite limited qualifications, jumped right in and gave their all to helping her open the business. Her daughter also joined them later, becoming the first company director in Houston.

Long story short - today, Mary Kay Inc., founded by Mary Kay Ash, is one of the largest Multi Level Marketing cosmetics companies in the United States with more than 1.7 million consultants worldwide and excess in wholesales of 2.2 billion, as of 2008. Ash, who passed in 2001, was widely respected, which, I believe, is one big factor that led to Mary Kay's success. She advocated "praising people to success" and strongly urged women in her company to keep their lives in balance.

I admire people like Mary Kay Ash who kept their dream alive despite all odds. Today, I use a lot of her products. I will be completely honest: I do not use her cosmetics because I find them absolutely superior in comparison with other makeup products. I find them satisfactory, but the main reason I buy Mary Kay is because I love her success story so much! I love how she turned a huge disappointment - her being passed over for promotion when she deserved it - into a dream that she never let go of until success was hers!

There are many other MLM companies out there reaching for the stars on a daily basis. Avon Products, Amway Global, Forever Living Products are just a few of these companies you most likely have heard of, who use the "pyramid selling" technique for most of their sales.

Photo of Teyla "reading" the latest news in the Entertainment industry, courtesy of MJ

MLM firms frequently come under fire and are often named in lawsuits, with criticism focusing on their similarity to illegal pyramid schemes, price-fixing of products, encouraging and/or requiring salespeople to buy and use the company's products, and cult-like techniques which some groups use to fire up their members' enthusiasm and devotion to the company, among other things. However, each MLM company operates in different ways, and MLM groups insist their techniques are honest and legit business practices.

Still, it is a jungle out there for these companies. Individuals who work in this field would surely benefit from using Network Marketing MLM Software to personalize their web sites and integrate their social media profiles in order to draw more customers.

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MLM leaders can also turn to San Francisco Web Development for assistance in connecting with users in the simplest way possible, for delivering high definition work (60 frames per second with no choppy production!), and for carefully putting together a strategy that fits their unique business.

Photo of Teyla surfing the net recently on MJ's laptop, courtesy of MJ

Sign up for free on empowerkit website to take a peek at the best MLM software platform. Or pick up the phone and call freshout.us at 877-803-4213 to find out how they can ultimately help ensure your product's success.

Good luck, MLM leaders. Hang on to your dream just as Mary Kay Ash hanged on to hers. She achieved success in the end. With the right tools, I have no doubt you will achieve it, too.

- By MJ

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