Hey Pinkies, welcome back to Owning Pink a man who needs no introduction - Pink God Fred Krazeise - telling of his experience last weekend with a group of remarkable women (the story of one in particular may surprise and inspire you). Enjoy - we know we always do. Big love as always to Fred, and to the women he heals.

...............

Last Friday night, I spent 5 hours in a hotel room with more than a dozen of the most beautiful women I've ever met and I had the time of my life. My wife wasn't there, but she knew all about it, and she said she didn't mind. She’s very understanding!

Bet you don't know where I'm going with this do you? Well, let me explain.

I was invited to a meeting of Mary Kay Consultants and Sales Directors. I was asked to speak to this group on various topics of wellness, and provide some hands-on bodywork. Each woman received a 10-15 minute bodywork and aromatherapy treatment, as well as a mini-wellness coaching session. I believe they call this a "spa night," and I'm told they do this kind of thing routinely. Mary Kay is a company that tries very hard to take care of the people who work for it.

I didn't know much about Mary Kay before this week, but it is a remarkable story. In 1963, at the age of 45, Mary Kay Ash started the business with $5000 in cash. She had years of experience in direct selling, but was frustrated by consistently being passed over for promotion by lesser qualified men. So, she decided to strike out on her own and nearly 50 years ago she set into motion a company where women could develop their talents and achieve unlimited success. That was a pretty bold move for a woman to take in 1963.

According to Mary Kay herself, “I envisioned a company in which any woman could become just as successful as she wanted to be. The doors would be wide open to opportunity for women who were willing to pay the price and had the courage to dream."

Over the years, Mary Kay received many honors and awards. In 2004 she was named one of the 25 Most Influential Business Leaders of the Last 25 Years by PBS and the Wharton School of Business. In 2003, she was honored by Baylor University as the Greatest Female Entrepreneur in American History. Her life was chronicled by A&E Television Networks on the Biography Channel, and today Mary Kay, Inc. employs more than 2 million independent sales consultants worldwide with $2.4 billion in annual sales. That's an incredible accomplishment from such humble beginnings.

As inspiring as the Mary Kay story is, this post is not about her. It's about the remarkable women I had the privilege of working with last night. It's their story that inspires me. According to the company website, only 500 women worldwide have become Independent National Sales Directors, the highest status within the independent sales force. Last night, I met with 6 Independent Sales Directors, and they are a special bunch too. They represent the top 2 percent of Mary Kay.

They ranged in age from their 20’s to their 60’s and they came from many walks of life. Some of the women work for Mary Kay full-time, but I think most worked part-time. There were moms and grandmothers. One woman had her five week old daughter with her. She had a two year old at home with dad, and she loves working for Mary Kay because it allows her to work from home and spend time with her children. There were several nurses in the group – they spend most of their day on their feet and were especially grateful for the lavender foot massage. There was even a rocket scientist among them (seriously!), who works part-time for Mary Kay because it lets her focus on her “girly side.”

It was interesting to chat with them about their dreams. Some were planning for their retirement or for the next phase of their life. Others just needed the extra income. Many different reasons, but you could tell that Mary Kay gave each of these women a sense of empowerment; a sense that with hard work they had an opportunity to take charge of their destiny. And there was camaraderie among the women that I had not witnessed before in my own corporate experience. These women truly supported each other; they genuinely cared about their welfare and well-being. This wasn’t an act.

So, what did I take away from this evening, my “date” with Mary Kay?

As I listened to their stories, I was reminded of how hard women work. Full-time careers often collide with families. Women don’t consider themselves to be heroes, but every day they perform heroic acts. Women give, give, and give selflessly all the time, putting themselves last after their children and their families. Even during an evening that was supposed to be all about them, a reward for their accomplishments, several of my “clients” received cell phone calls from their families during our session. Everybody needs mom, even during the time that was supposed to be set aside for her.

Many of these women were not used to being the center of attention, and at least two of them had never received any form of bodywork or massage before. I was honored that I had the opportunity to make each of them the focus of the universe – even if just for a moment. And the experience reminded me to be thankful for the wonderful women in my life, who have worked so very hard for me – my wife, my mom, and my teachers. Women are the gravitas, the anchor, center and grounding of our lives and we all need to go out of our way to honor them.

I also walked away with a powerful impression about Mary Kay, the company. It’s a company made up of people – women people. And they have created something that is really different. It’s not so much about the products (although I am sure they are good). It’s about the community. As Mary Kay herself said, “The success of (Mary Kay Inc.) is much, much deeper than just dollars and cents and buildings and assets. The real success of our company is measured to me in the lives that have been touched and given hope.”

Well Mary Kay, you have done well. I met 12 women last Friday night of whom you would be very proud. They are remarkable, and so are you.

Oh, and I’m not sure, but I think they still can get a pink Cadillac.



Still blown away,

Fred