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  • Declare your independence!

    by: Posted
    I've been thinking a lot this week about July 4th, the day that all patriotic Americans celebrate our country's independence and reflect on all the freedoms that we enjoy. As I hear the news, both from the United States and abroad, I am reminded of just how fragile independence and freedom can be, for nations and for individuals. It takes courage, persistence, daily nurturing and a strong belief in guiding principles to maintain the delicate balance of freedom and independence. While I could go on about patriotism, individual rights, world peace, et al, I will spare you from my political ramblings. However, what I do want to opine on is the freedom of women. Not about the freedom to choose, or the freedom to be equal, or any of the other freedoms that in one way or another are controlled by some law, or some government, or some cultural tradition. I want to talk about women freeing themselves. Yes, as I sit here and think about Independence Day, what I think about is all the things...
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  • Beauty Shopping

    by: Posted
    When Mary Kay chatted recently with women around the world about what they wanted in the area of beauty, one of the things they talked about was how they shopped for their skinc are and cosmetic products. For most of the women, it was "anything goes", meaning that they purchase their beauty products from all over -- supercenters, department stores, direct sellers, specialty stores and online. It's usually about what's convenient for her. So you could say that one thing women want when shopping for beauty products is EASY ACCESS. What she also wants is CONTROL over her shopping experience. She wants it to be fun, social and casual, and sees the opportunity to browse as a part of the experience. She wants to TRY IT BEFORE SHE BUYS IT . She wants the opportunity to touch and experience it before she lays down that hard-earned money. And she is much more likely to try a new product that has been recomended by a friend or family member. She wants PERSONALIZED BEAUTY ADVICE...
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  • Let's Talk Beauty

    by: Posted
    In our recent conversations with women around the globe, we learned the "10 Things Women Want Now", which I've shared in previous posts. Mary Kay also wanted to hear what they were thinking specifically about beauty. When it comes to what women want in beauty, the list is short and simple. 1. Women Want . . . Natural Beauty Women believe that "true" natural beauty is about enhancing what you already have; that the way you "make yourself up" should be complementary to your assets or features, and not overshadow them. For some, natural beauty is associated with youth and staying young (notice that I didn't say "looking young"), and many admit that it does become increasingly more difficult to achieve as you age. In many ways, this aspect of beauty has little or nothing to do with makeup, and is more about acknowledging what is already naturally beautiful in themselves. (But don't think that means women don't want to wear makeup. See...
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  • Mary Kay Learns "What Women Want" - The Final Chapter

    by: Posted
    We've reached the final piece of the puzzle in "10 Things Women Want Now", and it is the ONE THING that everyone (and I do mean EVERYONE!) needs to pay attention to right now. That thing is TRUST . Whether you're an individual, a small business, a multi-billion-dollar global corporation, a service provider, a charity, a government organization, you name it, if you're not focusing on BUILDING TRUST with the women who interact with you, you will not be successful in these times. Women value the intimacy and trust they have with their closest friends, their husbands and boyfriends and their family members. They are somewhat skeptical, however, when it comes to trusting the companies and people they do business with. Their trust must be earned. The best way to gain that trust is by being open and honest with her in everything you do. If you're not, you can bet she can "smell" it a mile away. That 'women's intuition' kicks in and once your intentions...
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  • Mary Kay Learns "What Women Want" - Part 9

    by: Posted
    I bet you're wondering where I've been for the last several days, since I haven't posted anything new since last Thursday. Well, I've been out of the office, and as Murphy would have it, couldn't get the wireless device on my laptop to work. Thank goodness for the super folks back at corporate who quickly ordered me another wireless card and had it overnighted. I got it last night, so we're back in business! When we set out to learn from women around the world what they wanted out of life today, one of the topics that we knew we wanted to explore with them was the role of technology in their lives. In every single case, no matter which country we were in, the women brought up the topic long before we planned to start talking about it. Very early in the conversations, the women were eager to talk about how they used the Internet and technology to manage the social aspects of their lives, as an enhancement to their face-to-face relationships with family and friends...
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  • Mary Kay Learns "What Women Want" - Part 8

    by: Posted
    We've learned so much already about what women around the world told Mary Kay when we asked them what they wanted. Today we're going to take a look at one of my favorite things - Pampering . Yes, today's woman wants a reason and a way to pamper herself, or better yet, be pampered by others. She sees the importance of treating herself and gives herself the permission to do it, but often feels like she needs to earn it before she can indulge. Pampering is seen as a vital part of the "complete" woman's healthy attitude. The indulgences she desires are not necessarily extravagant, and can be as simple as time to herself, or going "unplugged" for a while. Manicures and pedicures, facials, and special purchases are popular ways to pamper. Sometimes, getting together with other women to do these things, lunching with a friend or travel are the method of choice. For others, the pampering can take a more active form, like going to the fitness club, swimming, a...
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  • Mary Kay Learns "What Women Want" - Part 7

    by: Posted
    Well, we've finally arrived at the piece of this on-going discussion that I've been looking forward to, and at the same time dreading. Not because it's bad in any way, in fact I think it's really good that women are comfortable talking about this subject. For our male readers, let me just say, don't shoot me, I'm only the messenger. When Mary Kay asked women around the world what they wanted in their lives today, they told us. In fact, there were ten consistencies that surfaced, regardless of what culture or region of the world the women were from. One of those ten things was MEN. . . sometimes ! The "sometimes" here is the critical factor. It seems that women today have a yin/yang relationship with the men in their lives. For single women, they definitely still have romantic notions, but many feel that husbands can become obstacles to some of the other desires they have in their lives, like their career. In Europe, women cited that being loved by a man...
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  • What would you like to talk about?

    by: Posted
    By now you've probably got a sense of some of the types of things that I like to blog about. This is a conversation though, and I want to hear from you. What would you like to talk about? (The suggestions you offer here are for my planning purposes for future blog posts. They will not appear as comments on this post.)
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  • Mary Kay Learns "What Women Want" - Part 6

    by: Posted
    Here we are again, revealing what women around the globe told us about what they wanted out of life in today's world. In addition to the five things we've already discussed, women want to have their own personal, disposable income . At this point in time, some do and some don't (have it). Women in the United States are very familiar with having disposable income, and are finding themselves coming to terms with their personal financial security issues, given the recent and continuing economic conditions. They want to be in control of their money and they want to contribute to the security of their family. Latin American women are very good planners when it comes to their finances. Because personal credit is uncommon, she cannot overextend herself; she can only spend what she has, so she plans carefully. For women in China, discretionary money is still a relatively new phenomenon. No matter how well she is cared for by her husband, she still wants to be able to spend "her...
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  • Mary Kay Learns "What Women Want" - Part 5

    by: Posted
    Mary Kay Inc. was interested in finding out what women want in today's world, so we took a few months to learn from women in several countries around the world. They weren't shy and they held nothing back. We've been exploring these things over the last several posts, and we've reached #5. In addition to completeness, strength and independence, family + choice, and a fulfilling career, women around the world are longing for a connection and sisterhood with other women. For some, "girls night out" has become a never-to-be-missed weekly ritual. These female escapes provide carefree times, to get away, however briefly, from the everyday stressors of life. It can be as simple as meeting for tea or coffee, or involve pampering in the form of manicures/pedicures, or even full-blown weekend long retreats. Our girlfriends, in many ways, are our family. They provide a source of strength and security. They assist us when we need the help. They validate who we are and what...
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  • Mary Kay Learns "What Women Want" - Part 4

    by: Posted
    Another of the "10 Things Women Want Now" is a fulfilling career . We heard from some stay-at-home moms in the US that they feel adrift when their kids no longer need them every minute of the day, and wonder if they should have continued to pursue their careers or completed their educations. Latina women in the US felt that a career was a vital part of being a "complete, modern woman". The Chinese women we heard from were well aware of the trade-offs of their careers, and few were completely comfortable with being stay-at-home moms. They seem to need a modern, autonomous view of themselves, apart from their family. This same desire for an element of autonomy drives women in Ukraine and Russia to pursue a career. This sense of autonomy seems to be relevant regardless of culture or geography. Our careers are a very important part of our identity, and are significant contributors to our overall sense of independence and completeness. What seems to differ regionally is how...
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  • Mary Kay Learns "What Women Want" - part 3

    by: Posted
    We've reached #3 in our series exploring what Mary Kay has recently learned in our research with women around the world. One of the 10 things that women want today is family choices . We find that, while family IS very important to women from all cultures, what that family looks like and how women feel about it can be quite different than the traditional family models of the past. Even as divorce rates in Mexico rise dramatically, family is still strong. Our Mexican sisters, much like women in the US, spend a great deal of time and energy working to provide a better life for their children. They work hard to keep the family the center of their lives because they believe that the downfall of other countries is caused by the decline of the family unit. In China, many grandparents have the responsibility of child-rearing while the moms work to make their dreams a reality. This multi-generational approach to raising children is a growing trend in the US, too, as families hit by tough economic...
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  • What Women Want - Part 2

    by: Posted
    Let's continue our look at "What Women Want". As a reminder, here's what Mary Kay learned from our research with women around the world: Ten Things Women Want Now 1. Completeness 6. Personal Income 2. Strength & Independence 7. Men, sometimes 3. Family + Choice 8. Pampering 4. Fulfilling Career 9. Social Media 5. Connection/Sisterhood 10. Trust Today, I'm going to share with you more about #2 - Strength & Independence . This desire is all about feminine power. Not in a "better than" way, but in a "different than but equal to" way. For these women, feminine power today is no longer a political rallying cry or a movement -- it's a tacit, personal assumption. It's a state of being. It's just the way things are. For women in the United States, this takes the form of confidence, and comes from "knowing what I'm talking about." For Latinas in the US, it is more about emotional strength, These women shared how their mothers...
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  • Mary Kay Channel on YouTube

    by: Posted
    For Mary Kay brand lovers everywhere, there's now a specific Mary Kay channel on YouTube. To begin, there are 5 videos currently posted, and there will be lots of new content coming soon. This is the "official" place to go to get Mary Kay video content on our products and the business opportunity. You can post a link directly to the Mary Kay channel in Twitter, or on your Facebook or MySpace page to share content with your friends. The newest video on the channel is the HotNewz segment, produced by a company that creates content for university television networks that is shown on more than 200 college campuses throughout the US. This video segment features two college students who found lots of benefits in having a Mary Kay business while they are attending school. It would be super great to share with any college-age girls out there who are considering their options. Click on the link below to go directly to the Mary Kay channel, and happy viewing! http://youtube.com/marykay
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  • Getting to the heart of "What Women Want" - Part 1

    by: Posted
    In Mary Kay's on-going quest to provide the products, services and business opportunities that women around the world are looking for now and for the near future, we just completed a major global research project that we called "WWW" or "What Women Want". We had learning sessions in 7 countries across the globe: the United States (we also met specifically with Latina women in the US), Mexico, China, Russia, Brazil, Korea and Ukraine. Women were randomly selected from among a larger group who met the age, lifestyle and other factors that we were interested in, and each woman selected was asked to invite a good friend to attend the session with her. It was great fun getting to know these women and their friends, and hear all about their lives, their careers, how they used technology and their feelings about beauty. Over the course of the next several posts, I'm going to delve into the lives of these women and share the insights we gleaned from them. At the end...
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