One of my “careers” was short-lived. For four years, I worked as a stockbroker with Merrill Lynch in Dallas. The first six months, for the most part, was spent out of the office making calls to potential clients.
The stock market at the time was in throes of what was known as a “bear market.” For those of you who do not “play” the market, that means the market was not very good.
I really enjoyed getting out and meeting people. I did so well at “cold calling” that I received a certificate of recognition from the company. One of the individuals I met during my “cold calling” was a gentleman by the name of Mel Ash.
Mr. Ash had his office in the same building where our office was located. Mr. Ash’s wife was a lady known as Mary Kay. That’s right, the founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics.
Mary Kay Ash epitomizes how someone can take advantage of a “but now” moment. Her “but now” moment occurred for her in the early 1960’s when she “retired” from a successful career in direct sales to pursue other avenues and interests.
One of the “other interests” was writing a book for businesswomen. The book was about how women could survive in the male-dominated business world.
Her book contained two very distinct points. First, she wrote about the things the companies she had worked for had done right by women. Secondly, she wrote about the things she felt they could have done better.
Upon completion of the book, Mary Kay realized that she had inadvertently created a tremendous marketing plan for a company. It turned out to be a plan for her dream company – one which would provide women with the open-ended potential to achieve personal and financial success.
With her life savings of $5,000 and the help of her 20-year-old son Richard Rogers, Mary Kay launched Mary Kay Cosmetics on Friday the 13th day of September in 1963. Later, with the financial assistance of Mr. Ash, Mary Kay Cosmetics rocketed to become one of the leaders in the industry.
Over the next thirty plus years, Mary Kay’s illustrious career earned her recognition in the 100 top women of the 20th Century.
There are many Mary Kay type stories out there. These stories illustrate how a “but now” mindset is crucial if one is to move beyond what is to the greater potential of what lies ahead.
