COSMETICS ENTERPRENEUR

Early Career.

The founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics, Mary Kay Ash began her business career out of necessity. Divorced during World War II and raising three small children on her own, she soon moved from a secretarial position into sales with Stanley Home Products. In this new job she demonstrated Stanley's wares in people's homes. Although she enjoyed the work, she was not very successful. With the hope of improving her sales technique she attended the company's annual convention. At the meeting's awards ceremony, she saw the year's top saleswoman crowned queen of sales. Motivated by this coronation, Ash was the top seller the following year, but she was disappointed to discover her prize was an underwater flashlight. She remained among Stanley's best salespeople until she left in 1953 to take a better job at World Gift Company. She moved up rapidly in the home-accessory company to become an area manager...