When you sign up to become a Mary Kay independent consultant you are starting your own business. You must be self motivated and very driven to succeed. You have to be action oriented not just a thinker or dreamer. You have to ask everyone to buy from you and hold parties for you so the people they know will buy from you too.

Can you succeed- absolutely, but only a few percent do. I know 4 Mary Kay consultants: a national director, a director and two consultants. The two consultants make very little about $300 a month as an average. That's what they wanted out of it. If that's what you want I think you need to sell about $800 a month. You have to pay into taxes, pay for your product and other expenses like gas, catalogs, testers etc...which leaves you with about $300.

The other two... I can't stand to be around because after 10-15 years or knowing each of them they still try to recruit me every time we talk. It's like they are brainwashed to only think about MK. I guess that is how they became directors. I am happy for them, but I don't want to be them.

The way you make the real money with MK is by signing up new MK consultants and helping them sell. After you recruit x number of consultants you get a commission on the product they purchase.

Good luck.

There is no "pay" in the traditional sense.

You do not receive a paycheck.

You receive a commission on the items that you sell. If you can't sell or recruit others to sell under you, you don't make any money.

While some Mary Kay reps make very good money, I read somewhere that the average rep only makes about $1500 a year and that is before expenses.

Your pay is totally figured on your sales. No sales, no pay.

I am an Independent Beauty Consultant with Mary Kay! I do well in the business. What you make in this business depends on what you put into the business. If you are willing to invest the effort to get the sales you will succeed. If you would like more information, please feel free to email me at saralynnmartin@marykay.com

Like others said, how much you get out of it is dependent upon how much you put into it.

I am a consultant as well, and I enjoy every moment of it! I have spoken with my director and adopted director about ways to make this a full-time income, and it is very possible and probable as long as you put as much effort into your business as you would as an employee at someone else's. There are women who have made miracles happen (one only took 11 days to get her car!) while others (like me) take longer to get where we want to.

You DO receive checks from Mary Kay if you build your team of consultants and they work their business as well. Several people call this recruiting, but it is honestly just building your business like you would hire employees. No one HAS to work with you and you don't have to work alongside someone you don't like. The more added to your team, the higher the commission, but this does not automatically make you a director or such. Some women love what they do right where they at and make substantial income without vying for a directorship position. Other women wear themselves down for that title because it's what they want to do. The choice is yours. :)

We are in the people business. We help women feel beautiful, special, and young. If you have the right, positive attitude, you can go far and wide and experience the freedoms of working on your life schedule (God first, family second, career third). I caution against researching places like Pink Truth, etc, because the attitudes displayed explain why their Mary Kay businesses didn't work. I have never met a happy, genuinely positive "Mary Kay lady" who was not successful. I have met plenty of grumpy, pessimistic women who complain about this being a scam whose endeavors were fruitless. Attitude is directly related with altitude.

Good luck on your decision! While this career is not for everybody, I do hope you find it's perfect for you! :)

Mary Kay is an MLM...in other words a Pyramid Scheme. Only those at the tippy top make the money they advertise. Go to www.pinktruth.com for more info, or email me.