Kathy Hillyard has found her passion - making people's skin feel and look great - and she is able to do that by offering people skin care and glamour products selling Mary Kay.
"I love teaching women how to take care of their skin," Hillyard said. "I absolutely love what I do."
But not only does Hillyard sell Mary Kay herself, but she has a team of more than 60 women who are able to offer people great products at affordable prices.
Article Photos
PHOTO PROVIDED
Kathy Hillyard front, stands with a few members of her Mary Kay Team, Kate’s Kaptivators. Hillyard has more than 60 women on her team total. The independent sales women sell skin care and glamour products to customers.
The girls go by the team name Kate's Kaptivators, and the team knows that through training, and products that work, it can change people's skin for the better.
"Our unit's symbol is a turtle, to encourage people to stick their neck out and come out of their shell," Hillyard said.
Hillyard began selling Mary Kay 15 years ago because it worked wonders on her daughter's skin.
"My daughter had really bad skin and Dr. Herbst recommended Mary Kay products for her," Hillyard said. "It really made a difference in her skin. After that I found a consultant and started my journey."
Hillyard said she graduated from college with an associate's degree in business and decided that she did not want a retail job where she would have to work nights, holidays and weekends.
Hillyard said another reason why she decided to sell Mary Kay was the fact that she could identify with the companies priorities.
"Mary Kay's priorities are one thing that interested me - God, family and career," Hillyard said.
So Hillyard kept in contact with her director, who encouraged Hillyard to make it a business.
"My director said just start with family and friends, and I knew what it did for Melinda's skin and that's all that I tell people."
Hillyard said that about five years after being a consultant she decided she wanted to promote herself to director.
"So, my director and I sat down, mapped out a plan and now I am starting my sixth year as a director," Hillyard said.
Hillyard went into qualifying for director with about eight people on her team, which has really grown since then.
Hillyard said she encourages people to join her team because team members receive a lot of training and they make a generous commission off of their sales.
"Mary Kay has one of the highest commissions for a home based business," Hillyard said.
Hillyard also holds training for the people on her team every Monday night at the Generation Sport's Complex.
But besides training her team, Hillyard also stays in touch with her own customers.
"I try to get with my customers once to twice per year to show them the new products that have come out," Hillyard said. "I also see if their skin has changed and see if they need different products."
Mary Kay also has a preferred customer program and people can get what are called "Look Books" four times per year.
To order from Mary Kay people can host a "party" where they can invite friends and family. Hosts can earn money for Mary Kay products and can earn discounts on them.
People can also order from Mary Kay catalogs, if they are unable to host a party.
Hillyard said that anyone who doesn't have a Mary Kay consultant, can get a 20-percent discount on their first Mary Kay order. "All they have to do is contact me," Hillyard said.
Mary Kay has a 100-percent satisfaction guarantee on all of their products, unless they are more than halfway gone.
"How many times have you bought a dress or a lipstick color that once you try it, you don't like it?" Hillyard said. "The company understands that happens sometimes."
Mary Kay even has a charitable foundation that supports foundations for cancers that affect women and provide funding for organizations that help women who have been affected by domestic violence.
"Mary Kay realized how much of its sales force were people who had been affected by domestic violence," Hillyard said.
The company even has envelopes where people can mail ink cartridges and cell phones to Mary Kay. "The cell phones go to the women and the ink cartridges are recycled and money goes towards the charitable foundations," Hillyard said.
Mary Kay Web site:
The Mary Kay Web site gives people access to Mary Kay skin care products, makeup and fragrances. People can also view new products, get gift ideas and learn about the company's product research and development.
Mary Kay's Web site gives also gives people access to a virtual makeover where people can upload a photo of themselves or choose a model that looks like them and experiment with haircolors and styles and makeup types and colors.
"You can change your hair color and your makeup look and it's all free," Hillyard said. "It's really a lot of fun. You can see what you might look like if you buy something."
Mary Kay in the spotlight
According to Hillyard, Mary Kay was mentioned on Good Morning America in August as a solid opportunity.
Mary Kay is the official beauty sponsor of the Country Music Awards, according to its Web site.
Mary Kay is celebrating its 45th anniversary. Mary Kay Ash, the Mary Kay founder, built a global independent sales force that today numbers 1.8 million women and is respected by business and academic leaders. HeR secrets are in her book The Mary Kay Way, according to the company's Web site.
Contact Info
Kathy Hillyard
570-971-4613
