Effie B. Purdy Smith
Hello, Gorgeous!
It’s starting to look like Christmas; the wintry mix of snow, rain, and falling temperatures, coupled with Christmas decorations and commercials of fabulous sales, is a hopeful reminder that Christmas is around the corner. Despite the pandemic, I know for sure women still want to look and feel beautiful, and what better way to help them achieve their goals by using cosmetics. With all of the great deals going on for the holiday season, there’s no way one cannot look fabulous! Let’s take a brief look at how long cosmetics have been making a world of difference in our lives. For at least 7,000 years, the first use of cosmetics stems back to the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. It is even mentioned in the Bible in the Old Testament in 2 Kings 9:30 where Jezebel painted her eyelids-approximately 840 BC, and the book of Esther even describes various beauty treatments. As you can see, it has been present in almost every society on earth. The world of cosmetics has been around for a very long time, and without any doubt, it has been a significant staple in a woman’s life.
IN THE BEGINNING, MY JOURNEY TO WEARING MAKEUP!
Aah, the beauty of makeup! There are three pivotal times in my life that I remember when I discovered how makeup made me feel and how it made me look.
The very first time, I was in a cotillion, a debutant at my church. The makeup was applied very lightly to my face to keep the look of innocence with a hue of blush on my cheeks and nude lip color. The second time I went to prom, I had full-face coverage that transformed me from a girl to a mature looking woman (something my parents weren’t ready to see). The look was mesmerizing; makeup became my newfound friend; I was hooked on how it enhanced my features. The cat-eye/wingtip eye and a rose wine lip color became my signature look.
The third time my guest for this interview made my face on my wedding day. It’s one thing to do your makeup yourself, but your makeup game is taken to another level of creativity when it’s professionally applied. After seeing the results, I didn’t want to take it off. I was transformed into a beautiful goddess on my wedding day with enchanting hues and contouring that made my eyes, lips, and cheekbones more pronounced, which gave me a sultry, sexy look. For every important event in my life, MK cosmetics’ was my go-to makeup to produce an unforgettable look.
THE COSMETIC INDUSTRY
There are tons of cosmetic businesses out there that change the way we look and think about beauty; the revenue of the cosmetic/beauty industry in the United States is 49.2 billion. Whether you wear makeup or not, this is a profitable business that is continuously growing as fast as I can type out this interview. However, for this article, Club Fifty will be taking an in-depth look into the trusted brand of Mary Kay Cosmetics. MK started on September 13, 1963, in Dallas, Texas. With her pink Cadillac and southern charm, Mary Kay Ash instantly changed the cosmetic game with her privately owned multi-level marketing company. MK has a nice chunk of the cosmetic pie, with a 3.7 billion dollar sales growth.
“Like the fashion industry, cosmetics is a field that has no room for the meek and mild-mannered who shy away from change. You can either go forward or backward, this year, this month, this day, but you can’t stand still!”
Mary Kay Ash
MARY KAY GOLDEN DIVA
My Golden Diva Interview for Club Fifty is a part of that billion-dollar industry; she is an Independent Beauty Consultant for Mary Kay cosmetics. I have admired her beauty for many years; to be exact, my connection with her goes back 54 years. I was born into her family, a lineage of eight beautiful, intelligent, strong, black women. My aunts’ personalities are different from one another; however, one thing they have in common is they have the tenacity to get things done no matter their circumstances.
I watched my aunt as a young girl, and I tried to mirror some of her qualities as a strong woman, including her perseverance, commitment, and extraordinary determination to become successful. She is also a leader with two essential characteristics; that helped her excel in Mary Kay; first, she is going somewhere; second, she can persuade others to go with her. I love the power of persuasion! She has helped women for three decades with the latest beauty advice from skincare, makeup, fragrance, and much more to discover their inner and outer beauty. If you want to feel pretty for the holidays, ladies, don’t let the 12 days of Christmas go by without checking out some of her special deals that she will be promoting in Mary Kay! Golden Divas, I dubbed this aunt the sexy, confident one, who is saved, sassy, and seasoned. She is a force to be reckoned with in the beauty industry. Meet Effie B. Purdy Smith as she talks with C50 about her journey as a Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant. So, let’s get HOLIDAY ready with Mary Kay Cosmetics!
MEET EFFIE B. PURDY SMITH
Effie B. Purdy is a 73-year-old beautiful lady. She has been married to Joseph Smith Jr. for three years, and she has two sons and three grandchildren. She also has two stepdaughters and two grandchildren, and one great-granddaughter. Effie is a member of St. Peter M.B. Church in Memphis, TN, where she has served as an Usher, a Superintendent, and a Sunday School teacher. She also serves as an Assistant Secretary for her neighborhood association (Palmershire Park Community Association). She is currently a Pre-K teacher with Shelby County Schools, and she has been a Mary Kay beauty consultant for 32 years. Effie has established a Facebook Group entitled Bold Beautiful and Self-Confident, and she ranked #7 in her unit of 30 Consultants this 2020 Seminar Year.
I believe that the best thing a woman can wear is confidence. The next best thing she can wear is Mary Kay.
Effie B. Purdy Smith
Welcome to ‘The Circle of Sisterhood Effie and Happy Birthday Auntie!
IN CONVERSATION WITH EFFIE B. PURDY SMITH
C50: What attracted you to become a Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant? (IBC)
EPS: I was invited to a Mary Kay Party and tried the products. I noticed how soft my skin felt, and I was getting so many compliments on the facial that I had just gotten that night. The Director asked me if she could show me how to make $300.00 or more per week extra income. She asked me if selling Mary Kay something I would be interested in doing? When she told me that Mary Kay’s motto was God first, family second, and career third, I signed my agreement the next day.
C50: How long have you been selling Mary Kay? (IBC)
EPS: I have been a Mary Kay Consultant for over 32 years.
C50: What are your responsibilities as an independent MK business owner?
EPS: Plan your week. Keep enough inventories on hand to service customers. Contact existing customers, get new customers and recruits. Keep a weekly accomplishment sheet and a business register for customers. Attend Mary Kay meetings, workshops, seminars, and make deliveries.
C50: What is your mission when it comes to selling Mary Kay Cosmetics?
EPS: My mission is to help women feel good about themselves by showing them how to take care of their skin and how to earn some extra income in just three hours a week.
C50: What is unique about your business?
EPS: My business is not only about skincare; it is something for the entire body. We have skin care products, body care products, sun care products, glamour for eyes, lips, and cheeks. We have age-defying skincare needs. We also have naturally derived products, acne solutions, men’s age-defying products, and fragrances for women and men. You can try before you buy. There are no territories; you can take your business where ever you go. We are an all-around company that services every need.
“Set your goal. Plan your work. Work your plan”
C50: Effie, can you tell us about that renowned “Pink Cadillac”? Are they free, and do MK offer other brands of cars?
EPS: The Pink Cadillac is NOT FREE. Mary Kay started offering the Pink Cadillac to her top Sales Directors for their achievements in the company with sales and recruits. The cars are on a two-year lease agreement where you will have to make a car lease payment every month unless your unit’s production is high enough to cover your lease payment completely. There are more than 1200 Mary Kay Pink Cadillacs on the road nationwide. The Pink Cadillac is offered to Mary Kay’s ‘Grand Achievers’ level of sales. Mary Kay does offer other brands of cars. Now Mary Kay Consultants can earn the use of a Chevy Malibu LS, Chevy Colorado LT Crew Cab, Chevy Camaro, 2LT, Chevy Traverse 1LT, or Pink Cadillac SUV.
C50: What does the red jacket mean in Mary Kay, and are there other levels within the red jacket status?
EPS: The red jackets mean that you have moved up in the career path with 3 to 4 recruits and have become a star team builder. Once you become a star team builder, you can move to a team leader with five or more recruits and an Elite team leader with eight or more recruits.
C50: How do you advertise your cosmetic business?
EPS: I advertise my business by offering complimentary facials, classes, passing out business cards, gift baskets, hostesses, raffles, holiday shows, phone-a-thons, flyers, and Facebook group (Bold, Beautiful, and Self-Confident). Currently, due to COVID 19, I have virtual facials and sales.
C50: How much commission can you receive by selling Mary Kay Cosmetics?
EPS: You can earn 50% of your retail products just by selling the products. If you choose to move up in the company’s career path, you can make an extra 4 to 13% commission off your team.
C50: How can someone become an independent business owner, and how successful can one be with this home-based cosmetic business?
EPS: You can become an independent business owner by going to Mary Kay Intouch .com, filling out an application, and purchasing your showcase. You must give the name and ID number of the consultant who recruited you. You can be very successful in this company if you are willing to do the work. (Ex. $300 to $1,000 a week). Set your goal. Plan your work. Work your plan.
Bonus Question:
C50: The holidays are soon approaching Effie, do tell me if you have any special sales promotions or events coming up for the season?
EPS: Yes. I have a special Mary Kay flyer for the holiday season shown in my Bold, Beautiful and Self-Confident Facebook Group. I am offering gift baskets and a closeout sale on previous promotions of Spring and Fall Collections on Black Friday. I am also doing virtual displays of all new products on zoom leading up to Christmas.
There you have it, ladies, this Golden Diva’ is a force to be reckoned with; she infiltrates the world with beauty with Mary Kay cosmetics. She is working her plan to the max and is looking beautiful while doing it!
Golden Divas make sure you listen to Effie’s signature song ‘Just Do You’ by India Arie. The video is on the sidebar!
Check out Effie’s Golden Diva Interview Flipbook at https://www.flipsnack.com/ClubFifty3123/club-fifty-golden-diva-interview.html
