as an ex mary kay salesperson, i don’t think it is a fraud. it’s a business. it’s a sales business. that means you have to go out and sell. if you don’t, it doesn’t work. why is that fraudulent? there’s lots of MK directors out there and they have varying personalities, from nasty to lovely. that’s the same in any other business.

new businesses have a failure rate of about 75%. mary kay’s is around 90%, i believe. but look at the initial investment of time, energy, knowledge, etc.! what other businesses can you start with an initial investment of $200 to $2000?

compare that with franchising. blue mau mau reports franchise failure rates between 0% and a little over 50%. but the initial investment is somewhere between $20,000 and $250,000. (note that one of the 9% failure rate franchisees is ford motor. you won’t get that for a $200 startup investment).

MK is a business. so you probably gotta do the business owner thing. lay awake worrying at night, work your little bee-hind off, try and fail at all kinds of attempts to get customers, etc. and along the way you’ll find people who are really nice and others who are awful.

the think positive mantra is irritating but again, you’ll find that in other businesses, too. most large successful businesses use some sort of brainwashing or other.

i think it’s not so much about fraud but about people needing to think critically before they get into any business deal. and, let’s be honest, most of us don’t do that most of the time. how often have you bought a pair of shoes or clothes that, come to think of it, were neither necessary not practical not flattering, and they still cost an arm and a leg?