Reading Reflection No. 3 - Assignment 27A

For the third and final reading assignment I read about Mary Kay Ash, the founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics. She was quite the woman- she grew up in a time when men dominated the workforce and the business world, yet she did not let that stop her from reaching her full potential.

What surprised me most was that at the age of seven, Mary Kay had to care for her father, cooking and cleaning, while her mother worked overtime to provide for their family. However, Mary Kay did not see this as odd. She just took that responsibility and worked hard no matter what.

That being said, I really admired Mary Kay’s dedication to starting her dream company. Her earlier years were not the easiest, being a young, divorced mother of three, she did not let obstacles get in the way of working hard and providing a comfortable life for her family.

I was very impressed by Mary Kay. I myself use her beauty products and I really enjoyed getting to read about the company’s founder. I do not think there is anything I did not admire about her.

Like I mentioned earlier, Mary Kay experienced a lot of hardships, but she did not let that stop her from accomplishing her goals for her company.

I believe Mary Kay was so successful partly because of her unique way of using her personality and experience in sales and customer service. The way she set goals for herself, even in the very beginning when she worked for The Stanley Home Products Company, helped make her own company so successful. Her own natural ability was what helped her achieve each and every one of her goals.

I was not confused by the book. Mary Kay wrote it very clearly, giving her exact story of putting her dreams and goals into action. Her story has inspired me to put some of her practices into action in my own life.

If I could ask Mrs. Ash two questions, I would ask how she was able to be content in her life at the age of seven, when she had to take care of her father- making him food and cleaning the house for her mother. That is a lot of responsibility for a seven year old- I need that kind of skill in being content in my own circumstances.

I would also ask her who inspired her most in life. Who helped shape you into the woman you are today? She overcame a lot and I want to know who in her life motivated her to do so.

Obviously Mary Kay was not afraid to work hard. All throughout her life she worked hard to care for her father, provide for her children, and make women’s lives better with her makeup products. Such hard work is very important- I definitely agree with such a strategy.