Building an Empire: My Mary Kay Success Story
Before there was social media, before there were funnels, before there was any of the digital magic we have today, I built a multi-million dollar empire the old-fashioned way: one relationship at a time. My vehicle was Mary Kay, but the principles are timeless. They will work for any business, in any industry, in any era.
People look at the numbers—the $59 million in sales, the team of 5,000+, the international expansion—and they think it was about the lipstick. It was never about the lipstick. It was about the lives. It was about seeing the potential in a woman that she couldn't see in herself and helping her to unleash it.
The Core Principle: Empires are Built on Relationships, Not Revenue
Revenue is a result. It's a lagging indicator. The leading indicator of your success is the strength of your relationships. If you focus on building genuine, authentic connections with people, if you focus on serving them with all your heart, the revenue will take care of itself. An empire built on transactions will crumble, but an empire built on relationships will last for generations.
The Million-Dollar Framework: The Empire Blueprint
1. Lead from the Front
You cannot lead where you will not go. I never asked my team to do anything I wasn't willing to do myself. I was the first one in, the last one out. I made the calls. I hosted the parties. Your team will match your effort, so set the pace.
2. Celebrate Everything
What gets celebrated gets repeated. I celebrated every win, no matter how small. The first sale. The first team member. The first time they overcame a fear. A culture of celebration creates a culture of winning.
3. Develop Leaders, Not Followers
My goal was never to have a team of people who depended on me. My goal was to have a team of leaders who could stand on their own. I invested in their growth, I gave them responsibility, and I pushed them out of the nest. Your success is not measured by how many followers you have, but by how many leaders you create.
Income-Producing Activity (IPA)
This week, your mission is to become a "Leader Developer." Identify one person on your team or in your audience who has leadership potential. Your task is to reach out to them and pour into them. Ask them about their dreams. Give them a resource. Offer them a piece of advice. Your job is not to recruit them; it's to invest in them, with no strings attached. This is how you build an empire.
Unshakable Belief Close
The platform may change, but the principles of leadership are eternal. Serve your people, celebrate their wins, and develop them into the leaders they were born to be. This is the path to building an empire that not only makes you wealthy, but makes a difference. Because when your WHY makes you CRY, you are DESTINED FOR GREATNESS!
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