September 13, 1963 Mary Kay Ash started Mary Kay Cosmetics giving women and open ended opportunity and helping to enrich women’s lives. She was such a visionary woman, and a great role model. I am honored to have had the opportunity to spend time in her space and learn from her.

Even though she didn’t invent the concept of the Pink Cadillac, she sure did her part to make it famous.

CLICK HERE FOR CAREER INFORMATION

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It was the day after Labor Day- back to school for most children. This year was different for me because my youngest son started school too. I had three sons in five years and although I had started a direct sales business the previous year, I still considered myself a stay at home mom. I really enjoyed my time with my children.

I had been pregnant or nursing for about seven of those years. I was a La Leche League Leader ( a breastfeeding support organization) and I started several playgroups and a babysitting co-op. My days were busy and fulfilled, but now that my children were all in school, I wondered what that would mean for my business life.  I really loved my Mary Kay business! Making women look good and feel good about themselves came so natural to me. After all, I was previously a Cosmetology teacher. The beauty industry was always so appealing to me.

Then the reality hit me.- the costs involved with three school age children and their activities. That first week of school so many papers come home asking to sign up for cub scouts, swim lessons, music lessons, soccer, field trips- the list goes on and on! My boys wanted to try it all. My desire was for them to experience as much as possible to find out what they liked and had talent in before they quit. We really needed more income if they could be given those opportunities.

Even though I had always agreed that I would go back to work when my children were in school ,the thought of doing that depressed me. I wanted to be there when they arrived home from school. I wanted to be the homeroom mother and go on the field trips. I wasn�??t ready to give up summers at the pool with them everyday either. I actually went as far as looking for jobs the first three weeks of September that year. My �??perfect job�?? didn�??t exist for me then and it doesn�??t exist for you now.

I felt that I owed it to my family to at least give an honest effort to my business before settling for something less. September 25 I made a decision. I would build my team and become a Sales Director and earn a free car that school year.  You see when passion and reason is behind a goal it ignites the flame that builds an out of control fire of desire! I only had two team members that day. I can remember how frightened I was to even verbalize that goal. But I put together a plan of action and started to work that day.  By the end of that month I had finished my first month of car qualification with five total team members. Christmas came early for me that year as I earned the use of my first career car! (I now have earned 10 of them!) March of the following year I debuted as a Sales Director and by the end of the school year I had earned my first Pink Car- a trophy on wheels as my unit of beauty consultants reached close to 50 in size! That was 1988. Here I am 20 years later with so much to share with you from my journey.

If you can relate to anything in this story, I�??d like to help. Let me show you the way to finding passion and purpose in your life. I�??d love to pass it on to you!

For Career information you can call my business information line-( a 17 minute recorded message of me telling you all about it!)

  click here

I am writing this post today to let people know that there are still American patriots out there. Trish Forant of eMail Our Military is one of the. I met Trish this year on twitter (I am @nancymk and she is @mailourmilitary) My husband is a retired USArmy officer who works full time with me in my business. Since summer is usually a little bit slower for us with vacations and all, we wanted to do something to send some comfort items to the troops. We had already been doing that on a much smaller scale and wanted to do more. Most of our friends and family are safely back in the states at this time. So I agreed to match every care package with another one, increasing the value of each donation ( and eliminating profit or self promotion for me) Trish and I agreed that August 18 would be the latest that we could get these items to the troops in a time when they still needed them the most. We started with a small goal of $550. When we reached that within the first week, I boldly announced that I was prepared to match up to $5000 in care packages for the troops. So a new goal was set!
In the process of promoting this, some incredible things happened. YESTERDAY EMAIL OUR MILITARY WAS NAMED BLOG OF THE DAY!
When I was asked by Phyllis Zimbler Miller (@ZimblerMiller) to do a guest post on her blog about Operation Soldier care, she became involved in our project. She came up with the idea of donating prizes for the top 5 contributors. Phyllis got the ball rolling by generously donating 5 autographed copies of her latest book.
MRS LIETENANT: A SHARON GOLD NOVEL. Trish and I followed with small prizes, but other businesses got excited and started adding value to being one of the top 5 contributors! We now have 15 different prizes worth over $1000 each for the top five contributors. They are so excited that we were able to give back to them for helping us in this project!
Because of your generosity we sent over $6000 in comfort products to the troops in the desert. I matched every donation with an equal gift to maximize your dollars. They received sun protection products, after sun care, hydation products for men and women! Thanks to all the patriots who are making a difference.

Yesterday my desktop computer froze and shut down, leaving me with unfinished posts, documents and data that I couldn�??t  access. As I started to feel frustrated, I stopped, took a deep breath, looked around and started to count my blessings. I am healthy, have a loving husband, a wonderful family and have been working at home for over 20 years. I never have to fight commuter traffic or worry about day care pick up times (and never had).

It occurred to me that there are many women who would love the opportunity to spend more time with their family, follow their passion and have a home business. Some may have already found a Direct Sales Company and are just getting started. Others are just dreaming about it.

  I am looking to connect with you using social media.

You can follow me on twitter- http://twitter.com/nancymk

or FACEBOOK- http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=580351711

I have made the most incredible new friends and powerful business partners using social media and I would love to meet you if I can add value to your life and help you market your home business. What do you think?

With just one week to go in Operation Soldier Care, and all the buzz on the internet about it, I thought some quick education on what it is like for the average soldier in Iraq or Afghanastan was in order. My husband Alex is a retired US Army officer so I have first hand information on “a day in the life” of our troops. Here are the top five things that most people don’t know-
1. Mail call is the highlight of the day for every soldier in the field.
The importance of that connection at home can not be understated. Sending cards, letters, care packages means more than you will ever know to our heros overseas. (not all soldiers have access to email)
2.The climate is harsh and unpleasant.
The average temperatures in Iraq range from higher than 48 degree C (120 degrees Fahrenheit!) in July and August to below freezing in January. A majority of the rainfall occurs from December through April and is more abundant in the mountainous region and may reach 100 centimeters a year in some places
The summer months are marked by two kinds of wind phenomena: The southern and southeasterly sharqi, a dry, dusty wind with occasional gusts to eighty kilometers and hour, occurs from April to early June and again from late September through November. The shamal, a steady wind from the north and northwest, prevails from mid-June to mid-September. Very dry air which accompanies the shamal permits intensive sun heating of the land surface but also provides some cooling effect. Dust storms accompany these winds and may rise to heights of several thousand meters, causing hazardous flying conditions and closing airports for brief periods of time.
Extremes of temperatures and humidity, coupled with the scarcity of water, will effect both men and equipment. During dry season, clouds of dust caused by vehicle movement will increase detection capabilities in desert regions. Flash flooding in wadis and across roads will hinder traffic ability and supply efforts during the rainy season. Clear, cloudless skies make air superiority a prerequisite to successful offensive operations throughout Iraq. Air operations may be reduced during windy season. The Iraqi climate is similar to that of the extreme southwestern United States with hot, dry summers, cold winters, and a pleasant spring and fall. Roughly 90% of the annual rainfall occurs between November and April, most of it in the winter months from December through March. The remaining six months, particularly the hottest ones of June, July, and August, at approximately 102 degrees F are dry. The influence of the Persian Gulf on the climate of Iraq is very limited. Near the gulf the relative humidity is higher than in other parts of the country.
3. Personal hygene and comfort items are in limited supply and not affordable for many soldiers. Imagine that you are camping in the desert. What would you take with you? Those items that you use every day are not in the backpack of the average soldier overseas.
4.Many soldiers are having back to back deployments. Even reservists are frequently called up for several tours in a row, taking them away from their civilian jobs and families. (although employers are required to keep a position open while a soldier is deployed, career advancement is often jeopardized by time away from the job.
5. Every day is like “Groundhog Day“. If you have ever seen that movie where the main charactor keeps waking up to the same day, that is what it is like for many soldiers. The only difference is that each day is one day closer to their trip home.

I teamed up with Email Our Military for the Operation Soldier Care campaign to provide comfort items to our troops. I am matching dollar for dollar each donation to have maximum impact on the number of care packages that we send for the troops. You can make a difference. Either pitch in any dollar amount or order directly on my web page and put Operation Soldier Care in the comments section. Your gift will then be sent directly to the soldiers in the field.
http://www.utterz.com/u/utt/u-NTEyMTc2OA#NTEyMTc2OA

Have you taken the time to think about what the top six values are that you are living in your life?  For me, at this point in my life, my top six are-

• Legacy
• Faith
• Recognition
• Family
• Integrity
• Passion. 

Yours may be different. The life that you are living and the choices that you have made are either moving you closer to what you want or away from it.  Are your values the same as the ones that you aspire to live? That can be another list all together. This week I would like to select one or two key words that are linked to each of your core values. Then put some emotion into crafting a sentence using each value in how it is important to you. The emotion is what gives it wings to fly. A reason to grow or a reason to strive to attain something.

“As psychologist Viktor Frankl said, ‘Everyone has his own specific vocation or mission in life. Everyone must carry out a concrete assignment that demands fulfillment. Therein he connot be replaced, nor can his life be repeated. Thus, everyone’s task is as unique as his specific opportunity to implement it.’ Each of us has a purpose for which we were created. Our resposibility-and joy- is to identify it.” (From Leadership Promises for Every Day, John C. Maxwell)

I genuinely desire to help to guide you with my roadmap to success. Live the life that you deserve- your very own destiny! Dream Big! See you at the top!

Marie's Virtual "after photo"

This seems to be a highly debated topic right now so I wanted to jump in and provide a visual that may allow you to decide for yourself. Yesterday, I met with a client of mine and did a face to face makeover using our new mineral products. We took before and after photos for my portfolio.  Here is Marie’s photo BEFORE

Marie's before photo

There is a new feature on my web page that allows you to upload your own “before” photo and then try different colors and even hairstyles! We decided to have a little fun with it. We uploaded Marie’s before shot  and then we proceeded to select the same colors that I selected for her to see what it would look like. But we took it a step farther in selecting her a new hairstyle and hair color.  Below is her “after photo”-

Marie's actual face to face "after photo"

I believe that the tools for using the “Virtual Makeover” are fantastic! It can be used for clients that live out of my geographic area, or even for someone who never purchased from me or intends to. The service is free and available to everyone. You get to save your makeover and go back as often as you like and try new things. (I DO NOT GET YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS OR NAME WHEN YOU DO THIS)  In my opinion, it enhances face to face marketing. I am still the beauty expert who will suggest colors to try. That is the reason why I do not think that internet marketing can replace that relationship that you build in an actual face to face situation. What do you think? Feel free to comment or experiment with the virtual makeover yourself at my website.

Looking Great in 5 Minutes

It’s Saturday! I thought that I would share some quick tips on how to take 5 and look great! Step One- Quick cleansing with Facial Cleansing Cloth (just add water!) Great for traveling or on the go, you can put a couple in a zip bag in backpack or purse.
Step two- Protect your skin with tinted moisturizer spf 20.
Step three-Add Color
DASH OUT THE DOOR! (visit my site to purchase any of these items FREE SHIPPING)

http://nancymkqueen.notlong.com

Imagine the fun you�??ll have with the all-new Mary Kay® Virtual Makeover. You can create incredible looks for yourself with Mary Kay® mineral colors �?? all with the click of your mouse. It�??s so easy and loaded with more great features like these:
�?� Upload your photo.
�?� Pick a model who looks like you.
�?� Try looks created by professional makeup artists.
�?� Customize your own look.
�?� Save up to 10 looks.
�?� Plus, print and e-mail looks to friends.
After you�??ve created the virtual looks you love, I can help make them real with the hottest products today �?? the Mary Kay® mineral colors! So check out my Mary Kay® Personal Web Site. Then contact me for free samples, a free color consultation, a free personalized makeover or to order your new looks right away!
Find your perfect look now! Visit my all-new Virtual Makeover.
Nancy
nancysutherland@marykay.com
(610) 458-0329
Visit my Web site at http://www.marykay.com/nancysutherland.