Its called the “Lipstick Index” A term coined by cosmetic giant Estée Lauder,
who noted a rise in makeup sales during economic down times.

Well the nearly 2 million women, who independently sell Mary Kay products want in on that action.

Well why not, with flexible hours no fear of loosing a job to the recession and a chance to earn some

big money selling product that women love, the upsides are much more than skin deep, As Ryan Owen now reports..

Its Friday night in Dallas and thousands of women all dressed up, all made up, are decending on the convention center.
Are they here for:

a. A motivational speech?
b. A cheerleaders reunion?
c. A mega church service?
d. A beauty pageant?
e. All of the above?

The correct answer is a bit of all of the above,and oh so much more.

Welcome to a Mary Kay cosmetics career conference, where the mantra, is sell…sell..sell

Jan Thetford: You know, I currently earn a six figure income,I drive a $85,000 car, I have a house
that’s almost paid for, these are my dreams…

That’s Jan Thetford, she’s the leader of the biggest selling Mary Kay team in Texas,
and is allowed to wear that coral suit, because because she’s reached one of the highest levels of
sales directors in the country.

Jan Thedford: Be a part of the cool crowd…and get to work!

Her message…Just because there’s a recession, doesn’t mean Mary Kay sales women have to suffer.

Jan Thedford: Have you heard anybody say ” I’m going to cut back on my mascara…have you heard
anybody say I’m going to moisturizer every other day, just to kind of ration it. NOOO!!

Some call it the lipstick indicator, women don’t …don’t ..cut back on cosmetics, even when they are
strapped for cash.

Mary Kay Representative: ” I make like ,$8000 commission take, in a month…

Ryan Owens: A Month..$8000 a month??… Yes

Mary Kay Representative :”Our job is flexible,I’m my own boss…and I wouldn’t take a real job for nothing…

Mary Kay Representative: ” Personally I was able to double, and some years triple what I was making in
the medical field.”

And they wear their sales success, not on their sleaves, but on their shoulders.

Among the sea of skirts and suits, is Courtney Armstrong.Courtney began selling Mary Kay, 8 years ago.

Courtney Armstrong : And I had a really busy schedule with school and work, and I just decided at first my
initial goal was to just make $50-$100 a week…For me personally…I made last year, three times what I made, working a full-time job.”

Ryan Owens: Now she’s successful enough, to have earned a pink Cadillac…A pink Cadillac SUV
to be precise, because her team of a hundred and thirsty sales women, turned over more than $96,000
worth of wholesale products, in just six months.

Courtney Armstrong: “I love my Cadillac!…Yes, my children love my Cadillac..”

Ryan Owens: What’s the most fun part of the job for you?

Courtney: The most fun..I love helping women…feel good about themselves.

Ryan Owens: Courtney’s career is no cake walk.

Courtney: You cannot expect to go paint on a dirty canvas, and get a beautiful piece of artwork,
so you’ve got to clean your skin first and foremost….

She leads skin care classes…

Courtney: What you’re going to want to do, is going to want to go in like circular swooping…
just like kind of all around your face,until you get the coverage you want.

Ryan Owens: After a couple of hours with 3 clients….A couple of hundred dollars in sales.

Courtney: If there are products you want to take home with you today, I should have most of them
in my car, if not I can get them to you…

Ryan Owens: And then there are personal deliveries….other customers drop in on Courtney’s
home office/ store room. And of course, constant phone calls to check on sales, as well as check
on her sales consultants.

Courtney Armstrong : ” So what you need to do, is possibly get her on the oil free, hydrating gel…
The one in the purple jar..

Ryan Owens: To move up at Mary Kay, to earn that Pink Cadillac,you have to bring more sales people
into the organization, and make sure they sell.

Courtney: You know you got your starter kit in the mail, go ahead and pass out books to your friends…

Ryan Owens: Courtney, works 35-40 hours a week,whats more,shes a dedicated wife and mother of three children,
all under the age of six.

Courtney: I think that’s part of the reason why I’ve been successful, is that my life is very balanced.
When I work…I work, and when I play, I play….. When I’m with my family, and playing Pirates..
or you know..building tents in the living room…or reading stories with my kids, that my focus is
on them, and not on my cell phone.

Ryan Owens: And she sais, she doesn’t have to worry about loosing her job, even during a recession.

Courtney: Women will always buy their skin care, and their lipstick, and we will find a way to
feel good, and… my sales have been great!

Ryan Owens: It’s not only commissions from her sales,Courtney has also received countless gifts from
Mary Kay, most of them….Pink!

Courtney: It’s nice to be recognized by a company that sais, we’re going to give you a little extra,
we’re going to give you something special, as a thank you for working hard….

Ryan Owens: And the nearly 2 million independent sales consultants..are working hard. In 2008, Mary Kay
reported wholesale sales of 2.6 billion dollars…More than enough to afford commercials during
the Super Bowl,and the Academy Awards.

Ryan Owens: How much did these individual Mary Kay products cost?

Rhonda Shasteen: Well they range anywhere from the mid teens, up to our Time-wise micro-dermabrasion, which is
$55.00 for 2 complete products.

Ryan Owens: No $300 face creams here, Rhonda Shasteen is the Senior Vice President for marketing at Mary Kay.

Ryan Owens: How much money can they make?

Rhonda Shasteen: Well you know we have women who like Courtney,who started the business to
earn $50/week,and we probably today, have a lot of women in the business who are earning $50 a week.
And then there 2 of the National Sales Directors among these 500 hundred women, who have in recent
years have earned more than 1 million dollars in commissions in a single year…so the range is
broad,there’s everything you can imagine in between.

Ryan Owens: So…Some of the women on these walls are millionaires?

Rhonda Shasteen: Many of the women on these walls are millionaires!

Ryan Owens: They are sales Directors from across the world,featured at Mary Kay Corporate headquarters
in Dallas.Along with a make up museum, where the star attraction is Mary Kay herself. She died in
2001,but she seems to live on here.

Ryan Owens: Explain to me why you have a museum, and why there are portraits of Mary Kay every place I look?

Rhonda Shasteen: It’s a very important part of who we are, to look at where we’ve been, and to say
“My haven’t we gotten better over time,look where we are today, look at all we’ve achieved.”

Ryan Owens: Speaking of achievement,the museum features an exhibition of that ultimate success symbol,
The pink Cadillac.

Rhonda Shasteen: In 1969, Mary Kay finally believed that she had achieved success as a business
woman, and she wanted to buy herself a new car,So she went to the local Cadillac dealer,she pulled
out her compact out of her purse, which of course was Mary Kay pink,and she said to the salesman..
” I want you to paint that car…this colour, and it immediately became known as the trophy on
wheels, and a symbol of success, and today we have more than 1500 on the road.

Ryan Owens: So perhaps it’s only right that back at that career conference, the Friday night ends with a
celebration for all of the women including Courtney Armstrong, who have earned the pinkest, of
Corporate perks.