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Tara Eustace
Chief Opportunity and Sales Officer, Mary Kay Inc.

Ep 107: Staying Iconic: How Mary Kay Blends Legacy, Innovation & Purpose

🎥 May 22, 2025 📺 Direct Selling News ⏱ 49m 👁 2481 views
In this episode of the Direct Approach podcast, Wayne Moorehead sits down with two global leaders from one of the most beloved brands in the world: Mary Kay. Dr. Lucy Gildea and Tara Eustace share how the company has remained relevant for over 60 years by balancing innovation with unwavering purpose. Dr. Gildea, with a PhD in cell and molecular biology, and Tara Eustace, with more than three decades of Mary Kay experience, discuss how the company continues to empower women, evolve with changing consumer needs and lead with authenticity across cultures and generations. In this episode, you wi...
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Transcript (99 segments)
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Narrator0:03
Welcome to Direct Approach, a bi-weekly podcast hosted by Wayne Morehead, delivering timely insights, fresh perspectives, and actionable takeaways from your direct selling executive peers to fuel your business's growth and evolution. How does an iconic legacy brand continue to grow, inspire, and remain relevant across generations and continents? In this episode, Wayne talks with Dr. Lucy Gilde, Chief Brand and Scientific Officer, and Tara Eustace, Chief Opportunity and Sales Officer of Mary Kay, to explore how they stay rooted in purpose while leading with innovation. But before we begin, we'd like to thank this episode's sponsor, Infotra.
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Wayne Morehead0:39
In today's digital landscape, direct selling companies face a critical challenge: transforming traditional practices into modern customer-focused models without losing their core identity. FlexCloud powered by Infotra's world-class commission engine provides the foundation direct selling leaders trust. Our platform seamlessly connects your ecosystem with premier service providers while delivering the commission accuracy and flexibility that drives distributor confidence and retention. Experience how industry leaders leverage FlexCloud's integrated architecture to enhance customer journeys, equip distributors with intuitive mobile solutions, and access real-time analytics for strategic growth. All while maintaining the relationship-driven essence that defines successful direct selling in an evolving marketplace. Now, let's welcome your host Wayne Morehead and his guests Dr. Lucy Gilde and Tara Eustace.
Hello and welcome to another episode of DSN's Direct Approach Podcast. I'm your host, Wayne Morehead, and today I'm honored to be joined by two incredibly inspiring and trailblazing direct selling executives, and they are from one of the most iconic and well-known brands, not just in the direct selling space, but throughout the world. Our first guest joined the company in 2017 and is focused on modernizing and enhancing the company's brand, product portfolio, and overall competitiveness through innovation. She holds a PhD in cell and molecular biology, immunology, and infectious diseases and has held a variety of leadership roles in one of the largest CPG companies in the world. Our second guest has been with the company for more than 30 years and has served in various leadership positions worldwide. She currently leads the global opportunity and sales organization and focuses on transforming the independent beauty consultants' experience and positioning it at the center of all entrepreneurial business strategies. I'm excited to welcome Dr. Lucy Gilde, Chief Brand and Scientific Officer at Mary Kay, and Tara Eustace, Chief Opportunity and Sales Officer at Mary Kay. Thank you both for being here on Direct Approach.
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Lucy Gilde2:51
Thank you so much, Wayne, for having us.
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Tara Eustace2:52
Thank you, Wayne. Yes, we know you're busy and we're super honored to have you here. You are at such an iconic brand and we are excited to dig in to learn more. Mary Kay has been in all of our homes and in all of our lives, really, for generations now. And so, we are excited to learn more and get some great insights on how Mary Kay has stayed so relevant for so long. But before we dig into all of that, we always start out by asking guests to share just a little bit about the path that led them into the direct selling channel. Dr. Lucy, can you share a little bit about how you left P&G and went from the CPG world into the direct selling world?
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Lucy Gilde3:34
Absolutely. As you mentioned, I worked at Procter and Gamble for 17 years before coming to Mary Kay. And the way I describe it is like coming to Mary Kay was coming home, working at a company whose purpose is enriching women's lives as a beauty consumer, as a scientist. It was just really kind of bringing all of that purpose and that experience back to life. And so I really love and believe in the power of direct selling. And so I just feel like I have the best job in the world.
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Tara Eustace4:05
Yes, I think Tara thinks she does, too. So, we're lucky.
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Lucy Gilde4:10
Both having the best jobs, right? And Tara, how about you?
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Tara Eustace4:13
Well, like you said, Wayne, I've been with Mary Kay for over 30 years. And I started my Mary Kay journey in the former Soviet Union, at the opening of one of our markets there. And I came in, long story short, as an unpaid intern part-time. And so, I wasn't motivated by the money, but I was motivated by the mission, and I was motivated by what I knew that Mary Kay the company was going to be able to do for women in the former Soviet Union and then across all of Europe and really across the world. So I've been lucky to work in the formation of a market of our company in a market and then to open markets and to help turn around markets. I've traveled the world, met many women who have changed their life with Mary Kay and we just look forward to helping more and more women and families do the same thing with Mary Kay.
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Wayne Morehead5:01
I love that. I'm always fascinated to hear origin stories and especially where it could be where people came in initially and it was the first and kind of only business model that they've ever been involved in as well as people that come from, you know, that more traditional marketing and CPG background. And it always does seem like there's a theme around that ability to impact people and to really change lives, you know, whatever journey people take that ends up being the primary motivator and differentiator. And I know that was the same for me as well, coming from a brand background, advertising background.
I love talking about brand and Mary Kay, the brand itself really penetrated the cultural ether, I think, unlike any other direct selling company that ever has. There may be some that have, you know, were founded earlier, have been in business longer, but no one really penetrated that zeitgeist the way that Mary Kay did. And I'm curious, Dr. Lucy, I'd love to hear from you. What do you feel are some of the main reasons or contributing factors for that with the Mary Kay brand?
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Lucy Gilde6:12
Well, first and foremost, customers really like Mary Kay and what we're known for is our excellent service. We have amazing products, but at the core of who we are, we are a brand with a powerful purpose. We know our why each and every day. And it's just so amazing to work for a company that's about transforming lives, inspiring hope, enriching women, you know, giving back, caring about the communities, protecting our resources. I mean, it's not something that we decided to do one day. It's something that we've always done, right? It's like a calling. And I think that's what makes us so special and so unique. And it's all built around our founder who is such a trailblazer, such a strong woman who wanted to help other women find that path to success the way it looked like success for them. Right? That could be some extra money. That could be confidence. That could be a sisterhood. And really everything that we do starts from what Mary Kay Ash put into motion, and that's why we're so iconic. It's the lady herself, it's Mary Kay Ash, and what she put into motion that is our responsibility to keep moving, to transform, and to keep relevant for today, too. We just have a timeless story to tell.
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Tara Eustace7:35
Yes, it's just absolutely timeless, and it's one that we're all in love with. All in love with. And you'll see that when you meet more people here at Mary Kay, I think our passion you would see in everyone who works here.
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Wayne Morehead7:49
It's interesting you say that, as I have met with whether it's independent consultants, whether it's people there at the corporate side, they do always talk about the purpose. They always do lead with the why. I always think it's wonderful how everyone shares their favorite Mary Kay quote that helps keep, you know, her spirit, her mission, her vision so much a part of the culture and the day-to-day conversations. And I think it's really powerful that you identified the why, really the purpose, as to why it became such an iconic brand. So many companies, there's that tendency to lead and be all about the product and all the benefits, and Mary Kay has all of that as well. But I think the rest of the world really came to know and understand that why. And so I agree, I think that's really interesting that you've identified that as the main differentiator there. I think there's a lot for other companies to learn from that.
In direct selling, you know, I've been in the channel for 25 years now. Brand was really an afterthought at times. Not a lot of other companies put an emphasis on brand, you know, the positioning, the purpose, the promise that it makes to the end user and to the partners. Companies didn't really give it the emphasis that it deserved, but that was one of the exceptions to Mary Kay. And I'm curious, in today's, you know, social selling gig economy, what role do you feel brand plays today differently than it might have in direct selling's past?
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Lucy Gilde9:18
Well, I think, like as you just mentioned, access and availability to information, consumers can find out anything anywhere at any time. And so I think leading with your purpose, leading with your brand is one of the most important things to do especially now. And then you combine that with what consumers want to know about. I mean, consumers want to know in the US especially like 70% of consumers want to know what a company's sustainability efforts are, what you're doing as a company. You know, the next generation wants to know about companies and whether they're having an environmental or a social impact. The desire for people today to know what a brand is about way beyond products is so important. And so, you know, Wayne, you're right. The message about brand leading with your purpose, being clear on everything that we're trying to cover, I think is so important. And as I said before, we've been about this for our entirety. This is a familiar story for us. This is an important story for us and we want to tell it time and time and again. We're going to evolve the messaging per se to be relevant in today's world or with different audiences, but it's our story to tell. And we've been doing it for 62 years. And so that's why I love this expanded role because I get to really bring together the importance of brand and how it halos over any product moment or any opportunity moment. It's so important for people to know who we are and what we're about.
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Tara Eustace10:54
And I think it's been critical, like Lucy said, that we've been leading with our story and who we are, and it's been a genuine story for all of these years. And so for anybody who's in Mary Kay or coming into Mary Kay, no matter how the selling is happening, no matter what the new products are, they know that it's a cocoon. Mary Kay is a very safe place. You know it's going to be top level. You know it's going to be upfront. You know that you're going to be in a safe place as a consumer, yes. And as a salesforce member. And so it really was just, again, the genius of Mary Kay Ash to have that purpose and to lead with that, has created where we are today.
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Wayne Morehead11:30
Yeah, and Mary Kay has been amazing in that it stretches the brand in so many amazing ways. It's both relatable and aspirational, I feel, to so many people. And again, I think that's because it leads with the why. It leads with the story. And I think more companies are starting to realize what Mary Kay has known forever, right? You know, it's not just communicating product features and benefits, that's not going to differentiate you. But really what emotionally connects to people over the long term, as you said, for 62 years, is that higher purpose, that why, how it connects back into their lives.
And with that, you mentioned consumers. So, in the 62 years that Mary Kay has been around, there's been a lot of changes. You know, consumer tastes, needs, wants, desires. They're going to evolve over time. What are some of the ways that Mary Kay as a company has been able to really stay ahead of those and aware of those in order to remain relevant?
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Lucy Gilde12:25
Well, it's really important for us to stay on top of consumer trends, beauty trends, innovation trends, right? We do both our internal research, we look into research that others do, we partner externally. We do social listening. We do our own research with our salesforce. We have millions of women around the world who are connecting with consumers every single day. They are a wealth of information. And so we connect and understand through them what their consumers are looking for. We also look for inspiration outside of our core industry. There's a lot of insights you can get in consumer behavior that is outside of the beauty industry. And so we do a lot of understanding of consumer attitudes and needs well beyond the beauty world. And the way I like to think about it is we get inputs and information from so many different areas. And we like to kind of synthesize and translate that into something that is very meaningful for our consumers from an end product use but also for our independent beauty consultants. Remember, we are about providing her with a rewarding business opportunity and having the right products available for her. And so, it's not about being everything to everyone. It's not about competing head-to-head on every aspect of other beauty brands. It's about being clear on why we differentiate, how to be the best at something, and how to have a very manageable portfolio for her to be confident in. It's not about having every product that everyone might aspire to have. It's about having what her customers really need to help them feel good on the outside and on the inside, to have that special time that they can have with some pampering, but to also know that they're supporting an independent beauty consultant who this is her business. This is her business. It's maybe a large business, it's a small business, but they know that's who they're supporting. And then how do we keep that opportunity relevant as things change? It really is making sure that it can fit into a woman's life regardless of what decade it is, regardless of what age she is, regardless of whether she has another full-time job or not. How can her Mary Kay experience and her business fit into her life? And so that is something as the world has gotten faster these last couple years that we really do need to be keeping up with.
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Tara Eustace14:57
Right. We love to say about our Mary Kay independent beauty consultants that you're in business for yourself but not by yourself.
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Wayne Morehead15:03
I love that. And you bring up such an interesting point there because you've had the same or many of the same customers for decades, many of the same consultants for decades as well as bringing in this new generation. I'm curious how you balance both sides of that coin. How do you remain relevant to your current audiences while attracting this new generation?
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Lucy Gilde15:27
It's a lot of hardworking people who have to, again, through internal surveys and external surveys and the contact that we have with our consultants to make sure, again, that we can't be everything to everybody but that we're giving everyone at every age, at every success level, all of the different categories the tools that they need, the support that they need, the education. We're very big on salesforce education to make sure that they can be moving forward as they need to. And if we look back the last couple years with COVID, we could have salesforces of a certain age who had never ever done anything online, right? But suddenly the whole world was forced to do things online and we were ready with the education to say, 'Hey, we know you weren't interested before, but we'll hold your hands. We'll help you. We'll educate you.' And now some of our most successful Mary Kay beauty consultants who work online are of an older generation who didn't think they needed that before. Whereas some of the younger generation, they think everything should be online. But we go and we help them understand that the human connection is still important too. So we do, I think, a really good job with our tools and are looking at our salesforce experience to know that it's not segmenting them all, but it's having tools that can be applicable to everybody, maybe at different frequencies. And so it really is listening to them. We're very close to our salesforce around the world. We always have staff meeting with salesforce, doing the surveys, doing different events, education, education, education, and outreach.
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Tara Eustace17:00
Right. Well, it's kind of like you described. One of the challenges and the best parts of my job is how to captivate our current consumers and our independent beauty consultants, but invite the next generation in. I mean, that can sometimes be perceived as different objectives, but at the end of the day, as we talked about, who we are, what we're about at the core, it's the same key piece. You might have to evolve certain elements or broaden parts of your portfolio to be super relevant for different generations, but the core of who we are as a brand, what we're trying to achieve, resonates across the board.
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Lucy Gilde17:39
It does. We might need to message differently. We might have to evolve some of our programs and our products differently, but we take the time to understand what people want and need. We don't make assumptions. We understand and we use that information to help guide us. And then we consistently, as Tara said, we talk with research with both our consumers and our independent beauty consultants. And since our founding, we've always been for every woman. We've never had a 'this is the only segment that we're going for.' So, we've always been for every woman. So it's also a natural process. It's what makes it fun.
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Wayne Morehead18:12
Yeah, it is. It is such an incredible balancing act that Mary Kay has done so successfully. And I love that you kind of came back to the importance and the relevance of brand, where you've kept kind of the why you do and what you do consistent, but the how you do it might change. And creating that culture within the field where they understand there's going to be new products, there's going to be new tools, there's going to be new ways of doing things, but at the core, we're still always going to be the same company, the same brand with that same purpose and mission.
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Lucy Gilde18:45
I think that's critical for our salesforce around the world. And we have an amazing loyalty from our salesforce because they know that our why will not change. They are our why.
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Tara Eustace18:54
Absolutely. That is so powerful.
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Wayne Morehead18:57
So talking a little bit about that evolution and relevancy, I've been at companies before where there's been a very strong iconic founder. No one as iconic as Mary Kay, you know, her name is a household word. But it seems that companies sometimes, in the period after the founder, they'll try to kind of preserve that legacy and almost freeze the company in time in an attempt to preserve that legacy. So the intent is beautiful, but miss out on and maybe not be as relevant to that next generation because of it. And innovation has been such an important part of the company there. Was that always there, you know, from the Mary Kay days to today, that spirit of innovation? How have you been able to keep it in there and allow the company to evolve and build on the legacy, not just try to preserve the legacy?
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Lucy Gilde19:53
Mary Kay Ash was a trailblazer. She was a trailblazer back in 1963. She was a trailblazer her entire life. And if we were lucky enough to still have Mary Kay Ash with us today, she would be a trailblazer in everything that we're still doing right now. So we've always had trailblazing and innovation in our blood, right? And I would say innovation is in our DNA. Yes. As a scientist, and I truly mean that. And there's obviously product innovation. But we really care about innovating in all that we do. The way we work across all of our touchpoints, that's key. And you kind of described a tension that exists sometimes, like you said, in companies where you need to continue to progress, but it's very easy to kind of get stuck in norms and tradition. And it's important for us to make sure that we don't ever let that happen, right? And we spend time talking about it. We focus on it. And so we really together as a senior leadership team really talk about the progress that we want to make as a company to continue to be relevant, to continue to move forward but to not deviate from the critical traditions that are important but ones that we definitely need to evolve in the future. And again, we know that if Mary Kay Ash was here she would expect us to be innovating. She would expect us to be changing. And so because of a reverence for her, we should never get frozen in time like you said, Wayne. So it is something that we're constantly talking about.
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Wayne Morehead21:24
Yeah, that is incredible. And again, it's been one of the superpowers of Mary Kay, I think, for so long. So as you've looked at this next generation of consultants coming in, consumers purchasing from Mary Kay, how do you feel that they are different, especially more in the last like five years? How's this next generation different from the previous generations? Anything that stands out?
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Lucy Gilde21:48
A large percentage of the next generation truly want or consider buying from a company that they think has ethics and integrity, like that is very important to them. And I think nine out of 10 of them want to buy from a brand who's actually addressing environmental and social issues. Again, another part that's at the heart of what we do. I do think that's more prominent today, Wayne, than maybe historically. And I definitely think post-COVID where all of us have kind of gone through different evaluations of life and purpose, that really brought it to the forefront. So I think again, the core of the brand is an important aspect driving their purchase behavior more so today than in the past.
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Tara Eustace22:37
And I would say one thing that has been consistent but I believe is more and more important these days is the women supporting women aspect, because when you buy a product from a Mary Kay consultant it is most likely a lady and you are helping to support her business. And so maybe back in the 60s, you know, women were looking for supplemental income. That has changed. This can be their primary source of income. Maybe back then they were looking for the sisterhood. Well, they're still looking for sisterhood. Sisterhood never goes away. Our consultants are still looking for that sisterhood. Maybe back then they were looking for flexibility. The definition of flexibility now is a lot more flexible than what it ever was before. So there's a lot of consistency of what we're looking at, but things got sped up a little bit. But I think too that we need to try not to say this generation is going to be so different because maybe it looks a little bit different and it talks a little bit different, but at the core it's very much the same. But we need to be relevant. We need to be interesting. We need to be attractive that everybody wants to come in and have that conversation with us.
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Lucy Gilde23:43
Right. You said something, Tara, that kind of reminded me, like so much of this generation also wants to feel a part of something and community, and that's absolutely what we have been creating from day one is that community. And so I think that's another important aspect. And then I love what Tara pointed out, buying a product from a woman who's running her own business is something that I think anybody could stand up for and want to be a part of. I think that's amazing. And then strip away the generations, humans want relationship. It can be a virtual relationship, but it can be an in-person relationship. And we have been a relationship business from the beginning. And I really feel like that's an aspect that resonates with any generation. And we do that very well. And we've been empowering women for so, so long. And empowering women all around the world. And as you know, women all around the world can be very different but at the core they are all the same. And we firmly
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Tara Eustace24:44
We believe that when you change the life of a woman, you can change the life of her family. You can change the life of her town. You can change the life of a society. You can have a reverberating positive effect all around the world, and all women are on board with that.
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Wayne Morehead24:57
Changing the world one woman at a time. Exactly. I love that. And having those brand associations, those brand elements so well defined, it allows those things to remain fixed but yet flexible. What you do is going to remain consistent, but the how could be different a little bit for future generations.
And getting into these future generations, I'd love to know a little bit more. Maybe, Dr. Lucy, this is for you — with product portfolio, product strategy. There's been so many incredible products over the years. How do you look at when and how to bring in new products for this new generation? Do you look at retiring other ones? How do you kind of rationalize or manage that portfolio strategy?
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Lucy Gilde25:43
As we talked about earlier, we're here for our independent beauty consultants. And so we carefully curate and define our portfolio to be hardworking for her is the way we talk about it. It's got to be the right size that it's manageable for both us and her because there are a lot of complexities being a global company with a large portfolio. So we take a very strategic view. We have a strategy. We're being clear on what we want to prioritize, where we want to win, what we want to stand for.
We're very clear on the fact that we are global and that there might be regional nuances or generational needs across the board. Again, we're not trying to be everything to everyone, but we want to be great at everything we do. I'm so proud of the fact that we manufacture cutting-edge skincare, cosmetics, fragrances, and nutritional supplements in some of our markets around the world. We have a very robust portfolio, but we do have to retire things. That's called product portfolio management. It's that lifecycle.
We need to do that first and foremost because consumers may need different things, but also we're looking at her business. We're looking at what she needs to grow her business and earn her income. And so we make choices based on that as well. We have a plan, we have an approach, and then we partner with — Tara's my bestie friend here — we partner together to make sure that we're jointly making decisions that are really beneficial for our independent beauty consultants.
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Wayne Morehead27:26
I want to circle back on a couple things too. I know many of the listeners — there's products that have been at a company for a long time that have been beloved by a certain group and maybe it doesn't make strategic sense to have it in there. How have you been able to — this might even sound like an oxymoron — successfully discontinue a product without upsetting the field? Is it an education process? How are you able to do that? Is it conditioning the field that things will change?
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Tara Eustace27:53
It starts with having that genuine connection with the field — they are in business for themselves but not by themselves. And so we have a level of trust that you can have a beloved product but it needs to be tweaked, or you have a beloved product that now you need to move to a new beloved product. And so it starts with the connection and with us being genuine about it. And then it goes into education and really taking the time because we're not just throwing products at our salesforce. We are helping them behind the scenes to be able to sell that.
So it really starts with the connection, the trust, the education, and then of course having the excellent products that the salesforce are going to fall in love with. We just have to sometimes get them to the table.
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Lucy Gilde28:36
Right. And it's not always easy. I don't want to sit here and say we make a connection and they're like, 'Yeah, this makes sense.' It's not always easy because they are so loyal to our products that when it changes there's a little bit of like, oh my gosh, what's the impact of my business? Or my consumer really loves this product. But as she said, we make the connection and we're transparent about why.
In a global world, in a complex world, there's so many reasons why we might want to phase out. Some of it is just strategic fit — as we've thought about the future and where we want to go, it doesn't make sense. Over time, as we created more products, they start to overlap. And so that's confusing. And so if I want to help her get the best out of her business, then I want to make sure she doesn't have a confusing line. Sometimes it's regulatory. Sometimes it's just not a great seller.
As long as we're clear in our message, we're transparent and authentic about why. And then we tell her other products to look towards or what she could be excited about coming. There becomes a trust and, you know what, they're doing this for me, not to me.
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Tara Eustace29:49
Right. And I think that helps really kind of — they're helping me go along on the path with them. Absolutely. We don't just do it and then them be impacted. We give them support along the way.
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Lucy Gilde30:00
Exactly. So that they can be successful.
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Narrator30:05
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Wayne Morehead31:06
Mary Kay has wonderful and has always had wonderful products, but also importantly, the opportunity and the potential for women everywhere to impact lives, to improve their own lives. Can you talk a little bit about, in today's landscape with influencers, affiliates, and other DTC models, how are you approaching the compensation structure, the compensation model? Has there been an evolution over time?
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Tara Eustace31:32
Any compensation plan evolves over time, right? And it can evolve because it has to, it can evolve because you can hit a wall and your compensation plan isn't working anymore. So it is always a work in progress. It is something that we're constantly looking at. We have a basic compensation plan and then we do different testing and different changes around the world because it has to be applicable to the place that salesforce is in right there and then, and what they can achieve and what they feel is going to be a reward for what they're achieving.
So it's something that we're constantly looking at and we will continue to be constantly looking at. We want to make sure — maybe in the past, people were ready to work for 12 months to get their reward at the end of 12 months, but in our world today, people don't really look at a 12-month horizon anymore. They might be looking more at a three-month or a month horizon. And so we're constantly looking at all that again with the internal talking that we have with our salesforce to make sure that with the limited resources — the pie that we have that is compensation — we are using those resources as effectively as possible for the salesforce member to feel good but also that she can be energizing her business with the compensation that she's getting or with the prizes or the trips and all of that.
Again, we go back to COVID, right? Trips was always a big thing for our salesforce. We have wonderful trips. I go around the world with Mary Kay, but we couldn't do that during COVID. And so we had to switch it up. And then you would think, oh well, people don't want trips. Well, people do, but it's not all about the trips. So there's plenty of things that we constantly need to be thinking about to make sure that it's something that someone wants because you want someone to feel good about the compensation that she's getting and you want her to be reaching for the next thing.
And it's not the same as it was 30 years ago when I joined, right? Or it's not the same from market to market. So it's something that we're constantly looking at. And I think that's a very healthy position to be in because if we got to a certain point and said, 'Oh, let's take a big step back and change everything,' that's not going to work. Just like with products, that's not going to work also because people are very used to the ways that they're working and the programs that they're working. So it's a work of art that constantly has to be added to and tweaked and taken away.
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Lucy Gilde33:56
Right. Well, hopefully a message that comes through today from Tara and I is we do a lot of listening, learning, loving.
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Tara Eustace34:04
Yes.
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Lucy Gilde34:06
And evolving.
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Tara Eustace34:07
Yes. That's what we as a company continue to do to be the best iconic brand in the business and to stay true to who we are.
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Lucy Gilde34:14
Absolutely.
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Wayne Morehead34:17
And with that evolution, Mary Kay was built on relationships, on that personal touch. And with technology and social over the last few years, how does Mary Kay the company balance still the importance of those in-person relationships, those in-person selling opportunities with the online selling opportunities? Does one have a specific purpose, a different spot in the journey from a sequencing standpoint? How do you approach that?
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Lucy Gilde34:45
I wouldn't say that it's about sequencing. It's about the different tools that our salesforce has. And again, from person to person and situation to situation, someone might have more of an in-real-life business or an online business, but they could also be attracting people online that they are ready to meet in person. I had a salesforce member say to me recently, 'I attract people online, but I always have my keys in my hand for when I need to get in the car and go meet her.' So we're teaching them to have a really hybrid business — there's not just one way to do it. It's the way that works for you with your customer. And it's our job to make sure that they have the tools to do that.
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Tara Eustace35:23
And I think what's great is it's not up to us to dictate how she runs her business. What we need to do is have the technology and the ability to build it in a way that suits her.
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Lucy Gilde35:35
And as you said, providing the technologies, the tools, and the training to enable her to do it — to make it accessible to her. Exactly. No matter where she is or how she wants to run her business is the key thing. And so we continue to invest in that so that she can have that ability of choice.
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Wayne Morehead35:55
So as you look at the competitive landscape, competition's different today. We've always known that we weren't on shelf. That was one of the great differentiators, but now we're definitely next to other products or other brands in feed. And so we do show up next to other competing products maybe more than we ever have before. Can you talk about how you're looking at the competitive landscape and kind of those other direct-to-consumer brands or selling platforms?
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Lucy Gilde36:21
As you said, we work in a very fragmented category and we're kind of in two categories. We're in direct selling and we're in beauty. So we compete with a lot of folks, if you will. And I think one of the most important aspects for Mary Kay is to be clear on why we're differentiated. We're not trying to compete head-to-head. Even though I would put our beauty products up against any product — they're amazing. But at the end of the day, our differentiator is our independent beauty consultant. It is her ability to be the personal beauty advisor with amazing products at mastig prices in a company that has a purpose beyond any other. That trifecta, if you will, is what makes us unique.
And being able to tell that story no matter how much time you have with a person, in what forum, in person or face to face, it's key. And so from a product standpoint, we have to be clear that we have high performance, high quality, efficacy, proven results. That matters to us and that's kind of the backbone of how we think about science behind the beauty and our products. But it's what she does as a personal beauty adviser and how she can relate and advise on her customer that is differentiated. That's her differentiator.
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Tara Eustace37:40
And you mentioned before about influencers, Wayne. Well, a Mary Kay consultant fully believes in the products. She is using those products. She is not getting compensated for using those products. She believes in them. She lives those products and she wants other women to enjoy those products too. So she really is, like we've been saying, our differentiator.
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Lucy Gilde38:00
And she can make that human connection again, whether it be in real life, hybrid, or online. She can make the connection because she wants to help each of her customers — not just to sell them products, but to find out what do they need from their products. Not just that they're going to put some makeup on their face, right? But what is she trying to solve with that? Who is that person? And that is again our human connection, right? And why people keep coming back to Mary Kay and to their Mary Kay independent beauty consultant.
And one of the things that we make a choice not to do is we don't try to put on pack every single claim and benefit that a product does. If you've looked at the evolution of our product packaging, we've kind of simplified the look and feel to not be too busy and not be too messy online or in person. And that's the beauty of what the beauty consultant can provide. Now obviously we'll make sure that we have assets and toolkits that can support it, but that's where she can really provide that customer service aspect of it. And so we've really been intentional on that evolution as well.
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Wayne Morehead39:06
And with today's gig economy, side hustles — however people want to call it, however they refer to it — how are you positioning and promoting and messaging the opportunity to today's generation? Any changes? What's important in messaging that opportunity today?
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Lucy Gilde39:24
I think in messaging the opportunity, we've always talked about ourselves. We only talk about ourselves. We don't compare ourselves to anybody else. We have a buffet of offerings for women as they come into our company about what they could be looking for. And it might be gig work. It might just be a part-time. And so we're welcoming, we have the tools, we're attractive to those women, but we're not competing with others.
So we're very much just standing on who we are, what our mission is, and if somebody's looking for a gig job that is XYZ, well, we might not be that. And we're not going to try to be that. We are just who we are and we're making sure that there's great word of mouth out there. And as a company, we have never spent a large amount of money on advertising and pushing ourselves out there.
And so the fact, like you said at the beginning, Wayne, that we are such an iconic company, an iconic household name, is based on word of mouth. It's based on trust. It's based on experience. It's based on the amazing experiences that women and their families have had being associated with Mary Kay, whether they've been a consultant, whether they've been a consumer, whether they're still a consultant or maybe not a consultant.
Because we meet many women who say, 'Oh, I did Mary Kay when I was in college' or 'That was my first job and it really helped me to learn the confidence to then go on to school and become an architect, but I'll never forget what I learned at the school of Mary Kay.' So that again is just how we differentiate ourselves — our word of mouth and our sincerity.
We are inspiring women to be their best and what a person defines as being their best is very specific to them. And so we afford them the flexibility and the choices in our opportunity and I think that's another part of the beauty and what we offer that allows it to be relevant and almost personalized. It's very individual. And people can create their own business.
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Tara Eustace41:29
Yes. Yeah. And I think that the level of awareness and the incredibly positive sentiment that the Mary Kay brand has, I think really speaks to the value that Mary Kay has provided over the years in all its forms — from the opportunity to the products to the community to those relationships. There wouldn't be that iconic level status if there weren't such incredible positive experiences and value provided by your company. I think there's a lot to learn from that for all of us.
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Lucy Gilde41:58
For sure. Well, thank you. It's amazing to be a part of.
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Tara Eustace42:01
It is.
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Wayne Morehead42:03
I want to talk a little bit on the Mary Kay brand internationally and I'm curious how you've been able to translate the brand, the mission, the purpose successfully into other regions, other cultures. What are some of the top tips you could share with listeners?
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Lucy Gilde42:19
Well, it has really been an amazing journey. We are in over 40 countries around the world. And as we would open markets years ago, we would go into markets and people would say, 'Well, we don't really show our emotions on our sleeve and we don't really cheer for each other, so this isn't going to work here.' But it's not about that. Or, 'Oh, we don't really value skincare in our society, it's all just about the cosmetics.' Well, it's not about that. It is about — as simple as it gets — it's about the sincerity. It's about the opportunity. And it's about that individualism for each woman.
So as we've gone to many different countries with all different languages and all different economic situations, we've been able to speak to women to say, 'If you're ready to put the work in, we have a business opportunity for you.' It might be small. It might be extra money. It might be medium. It might be the income for your entire family. But like we said before, we will be with you. You are in business for yourself, but not by yourself. We are a brand that you can trust. We're going to be here for years.
And it has resonated with women all around the world. Every single salesforce member around the world is an individual, many different backgrounds, many different nuances. We are all over the world, all different types of situations, all different markets. And so it really has been that sincerity and that we are who we say.
And in many countries as we've opened them, people think, 'Oh, every company's coming into my country right now. We'll see who lasts.' But we are who we say and we stay. And we are a long-term business opportunity for so many women.
We most recently opened — it's been about two years now — into Hungary. So we're developing out of our Czech Republic and Slovakia markets into Hungary. So it's a neighboring market that had been looking and saying, 'Hey, we have direct selling companies but we don't have Mary Kay, so what can we learn about Mary Kay?' So that's been super exciting. At the same time we're in Hungary, we opened up about 10 months later in Kyrgyzstan — which is a very small country. Women need the opportunity. It's not just about interest, it's about need.
But all different women all over the world and in different countries there's different levels of that. So again, it's been our sincerity. It's been that we say who we are and we try to keep it as simple as possible so that she can be making money. And we do not push people. We let them develop their business in their natural cadence of where it needs to be.
And someone can be in Mary Kay for 10, 20 years and be at a very stable level of what she's selling and then she can say, 'I'm going to ignite my business.' We don't push anybody. We try to pull in by saying, 'Hey, come join us. We have a wonderful sisterhood. We have a wonderful way to educate yourself. We're a school of confidence.' And we were women empowerment before women empowerment was popular. And it has resonated all around the world in many different countries.
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Wayne Morehead45:27
What advice would you have for other direct selling companies that are evolving in this really interesting, fast-moving direct selling landscape — especially those that have been in business 10, 20, more than 30 years? What advice would you have for them on the best way to remain relevant today? What should we be doing more of? What should we be doing less of?
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Lucy Gilde45:48
Well, we have a Mary Kay quote for everything and we have a Mary Kay quote for that advice, which is: 'Never rest on your laurels. Nothing wilts faster than a laurel rested upon.' And so it would be to continue to innovate and to stay true to who you are.
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Tara Eustace46:04
My advice is very similar. You have to know your north star. Trying to change and be something different decade by decade really at the end of the day won't be successful. It might be a short-term game, but in the long run, you have to be clear on your north star. And that's something that I think we've never lost sight of. I completely agree, and that would be some of my advice.
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Wayne Morehead46:27
As you look out over the next three to five years in this ever-evolving direct selling landscape, what excites you most about the business model and about Mary Kay?
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Tara Eustace46:35
Well, I'm most excited about more and more women finding out what they can have in Mary Kay or becoming reacquainted with our brand all across the world. So I'm excited about the women and the impact that we're going to have through women and for women.
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Lucy Gilde46:52
I love that, Tara. I think for me, it's that we are working on so many strategic and transformational areas. Just all of this coming together to thread the needle of human connection but presence and access digitally. I think how we are thinking about this and how we're trying to bring it to life is kind of special. And so I'm really excited about what that can do to help be available, accessible, and top of mind for millions of women around the world.
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Tara Eustace47:24
We are a beautiful gem and everyone deserves the right to know about us.
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Lucy Gilde47:30
Yes, that is absolutely true and that is a beautiful idea to end on.
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Wayne Morehead47:34
I want to thank you, Dr. Lucy, and Tara for your time today, for all you do there at Mary Kay, for all you do for direct selling, and for all that Mary Kay does to champion and empower women around the world. And you mentioned in a brief moment when we weren't recording that today is Mary Kay Ash's birthday, and so we want to share in the celebration with your entire community and say happy birthday to you, to the company. And again, as I mentioned, so many of us look to Mary Kay Ash as an incredible founder — not just of that company, but of the incredible legacy that she has had on direct selling and all of us. I know our companies wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for her and for her impact. So just please tell everybody that from Direct Selling News and from all of our companies around the world, we wish Mary Kay Ash a happy birthday as well.
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Lucy Gilde48:24
Thank you.
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Tara Eustace48:25
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you both for being here.
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Wayne Morehead48:28
Thank you, Wayne. You have a great day.
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Narrator48:32
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