How to Be Like Like Mary Kay Ash

1. Live by the Golden Rule
   Ash showed the power of the Golden Rule as she built a $3.2 billion-dollar-a-year company—and left a legacy of admiration.  “I can say unequivocally that every decision we make at Mary Kay Cosmetics is based on the Golden Rule,” Ash said.
2. Define your priorities
   Ash’s priorities were “God first, family second, career third,” which also serves as Mary Kay Inc.’s company motto.
3. Trust your instincts
   Ash launched Mary Kay Cosmetics against the advice of her lawyer and accountant, who predicted she’d lose her life savings of $5,000.  She trusted her instincts, bas­ing her analysis on what her new business would have in its favor (no market leader in skin care, a product women would enjoy selling and the potential for repeat business).
4. Continue to learn and improve
   “A laurel rested upon becomes wilted,” Ash liked to say.  She studied business and self-help books before and after she achieved great wealth.  And she incorpo­rated what she learned into her life and company.  She also learned from her everyday colleagues.
5. Practice disciplined time management
   Time is the one commodity we can never get back, so Ash practiced the “Six Most Important Things” to do each day, and gave herself deadlines to finish a task or project.  “Over the years,” she said, “I’ve observed that nearly all high achievers know how to make good of those 1,440 minutes in each day.”
6. Be open to change
   Yvonne Pendleton said of Ash: “She was extremely open to change.  She knew, especially in the beauty industry, change is a matter of fact.  And while your principles never change, your products need to and your business needs to.”
7. Make everyone feel important
   “I have learned to imagine an invisible sign around each person’s neck that says ‘Make me feel important,” Ash said. “I never cease to be amazed at how positively people react when they’re made to feel important.’
8. Be enthusiastic
   “If you act enthusiastic, you become enthusiastic,” Ash said.  She believed “Nothing great was ever accom­plished without enthusiasm.”
9. Remain humble
   Ash never fell prey to an unchecked ego because she had her priorities in order.  Her belief in God and Christian teachings kept her grounded, for nowhere in the Bible does it say the accumulation of money makes one better than anyone else.  “God didn’t have time to create a nobody—just a somebody….  Each person is unique and special,” Ash said.
10. Be generous in praising people
    People are motivated by pride, not fear.  “Mary Kay Cosmetics is known for ‘praising people to success.’  We think this is so important, we base our entire mar­keting plan on it,” Ash said.

Used with permission from Women of Influence by Pat & Ruth Williams with Michael Mink (Health Communications, Inc., 2003).

3 Responses to “How to Be Like Like Mary Kay Ash”

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• Mary says:

  June 6, 2011 at 10:59 pm

  I really liked her comment “God didn’t have time to create nobody–just a somebody”…Each person is unique and special. Wouldn’t that be amazing if we all believed that?

• Shelley says:

  June 25, 2013 at 2:39 pm

  Dear Father God,

  I pray for Mrs. Ash that you will bless her and all who work for her under Your grace. In Jesus Mighty name amen

• cloey says:

  December 4, 2013 at 6:57 pm

  i really liked mary kay`s products it works really well on people