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1979: Making millions the Mary Kay way
This week, "60 Minutes Overtime" presents Morley Safer's 1979 story on Mary Kay Inc., and we're pretty sure it'll tickle you pink. The late Mary Kay Ash is the retired grandmother who turned $5,000 in seed money into a cosmetic powerhouse. Back then, the company was hauling in $100 million a year; today, Mary Kay Inc. grosses $2.5 billion in global sales.
Ash told Safer she built her empire by giving the American woman what she needed most: confidence. "Here's a woman who's never had any praise at all for anything she's ever done," Ash said. "She wants recognition, so we praise her for everything good that she does."
As you'll see in this video, Ash handed out trophies, rings, and, of course, pink Cadillacs to her sales force - sometimes just for being "wonderful." If that makes you want to sign up, you can still join the ranks of Mary Kay's more than two million beauty consultants who sell her powders, pencils, and lipsticks every day across five continents.
Click here for another piece of 70s Americana: Morley Safer explores "The Mad, Mad World of Tupperware."
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