About
Mary Kay Ash, born Mary Kathlyn Wagner in 1918 in Texas, founded Mary Kay Cosmetics in 1963 with a $5,000 investment and nine beauty consultants. She built her company on the Golden Rule and the priority 'God first, family second, career third.' Under her leadership, the company became a global giant with over 800,000 consultants in 37 countries. Author of several best-selling books, she was recognized among America's most influential businesswomen. She died in 2001 in Dallas.
Major works
- Mary Kay (1981)autobiography
- Mary Kay on People Management (1984)management book
- Miracles Happen (1994)book
- Mary Kay — You Can Have It All (1995)book
Key milestones
- 1963Founded Mary Kay Cosmetics in Dallas with $5,000 and nine consultants.
- 1996Founded the Mary Kay Ash Charitable Foundation to fund cancer research and domestic violence prevention.
- 1999Named 'Most Outstanding Woman in Business in the 20th Century' by Lifetime Television.
Themes
Women's entrepreneurshipGolden RuleWork-life balanceDirect sellingPhilanthropy
Sources: marykayglobal.com · humanitiestexas.org