Mommas Makin Moola #4: Abby the Mary Kay Queen

By Amy


It's time for another Momma Makin Moola post, one featuring my college roomie, Abby.

You guys. I love this girl. Seriously, she is smart, kind, loving, an amazing mom, spiritual, and soooo dang funny! Abby and I were roommates while both of us were dating our future husbands. We loved hanging out as couples and laughing till my abs were sore and my face hurt! (Probably WAY too many bodily function stories, thanks to Jacob, Abby's hilarious husband) Ah man, I would love it if they would just live by us forever. :)

Abby's made a successful business for herself, while staying at home with her kids during the day. And so...I wanted her to share her story with all of us! Enjoy!
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Please introduce yourself and your family!

My name is Abby and my husband’s name is Jake. He is my best friend and the most embarrassing husband…especially on social media. He absolutely adores me and I him, so it all works out. We have three darling little boys Henry (4), Isaac (2), and James (1). They fill our lives full of happiness, laughter, poop, tears, and so much more. Jake and I both graduated from BYU-Idaho a year ago. I graduated in Elementary Education, and he graduated in Biology. I love teaching and would definitely consider it one of my greatest passions in life alongside motherhood. I guess I like being in charge and influencing young minds.

Why/how did you start Mary Kay?

When we first got married I worked part-time as a Development Specialist for Mrs. Fields/TCBY. Then when we got pregnant with our second baby, the company decided they wanted someone who could dedicate more time to the job. Jake worked really hard to pick up the slack for the next two years as we both finished school. Upon finishing my degree, I was offered a job here in town. It was very tempting because it was at one of the best schools in the district, but I have always wanted to be home with my children. So I decided to stay home, and the first months were bliss. (Especially since I was 8 months pregnant with our third and ready for a rest!) About six weeks after the birth of our third baby boy I was at story time at the library and met a girl who was telling me about how she had just earned a free car and was making money so that her husband could go to graduate school. With Jake headed to a PA program next year my ears perked straight up! I thought it was way too good to be true. We both decided to take a chance on ourselves and start something, and just see if anything would become of it. About 6 months afterwards I earned our first free car, and a couple months later tripled my income by promoting myself to Sales Director. We are so glad we took a chance.

What makes Mary Kay a good fit for you?

Jake and I were on an extremely tight budget, and there is very little risk in starting a Mary Kay business, so that was very appealing to both of us. I loved the idea of creating my own hours and really doing with it what I wanted. I basically work while my children are napping during the day, or sleeping at night. I was worried about the sales part of the business, because I don’t consider myself the “sales type”, but the product sells itself and I already loved it—that also made it a good fit for me. There are no quotas or have-to’s and nobody to answer to. I also love that the business is dual-marketing and not multi-level, so it is very unique in comparison to other sales opportunities. How did you get started? To get started there is a $100 starter kit that comes with over $420 worth of retail product to show at parties and start selling from. There is so much training available to beauty consultants including: online training, in-person weekly training from experienced consultants, an entire scholar program that is recognized by Harvard Business School, and so much more. I am literally in business for myself, but never by myself. There is so much support and training to help in getting started, and I started by holding a couple parties a month showing the product.

Abby's family with the car that Abby earned!

What is your work schedule like? 

I make phone calls during nap time for about an hour. I do a bit of office work as well, but now have a hired assistant who does a lot of the work for me. Then at night I do parties or other appointments 3-5 times a week and they each last about 2 hours. I am now a Sales Director for the company and so I put on a weekly success event for my consultants that lasts about 2 hours where we train, facial guests, and recognize achievements in the unit.

What do you love about doing Mary Kay? 

I love that I get to design my work around the lifestyle that I want, and I also get to make as much money as we need/want. I also love the recognition, the fun jewelry and purses—I love getting things for free that I would never spend on myself. I have always loved influencing children, and although I don’t get to do that directly, I get to make women feel beautiful and be more confident. I train women every week how to be more emotionally, spiritually, and physically there for their children and husbands’. The company was founded on the principles God, family, and then career. So I am in an environment with other women have very similar morals. It is a contagious and exciting place to be and it makes me a better wife and mother. There is no competition in Mary Kay, there is instead a spirit of “Go-Give” where we live the Golden Rule and strive to treat others as we would like to be treated. The list could go on and on.

What do you not like about doing Mary Kay? 

I honestly and truly cannot think of one thing that I do not like about my business. When I first started I would almost hyperventilate to call random people on the phone and talk to them, but as I have overcome that I have become way more confident in myself.

What are you future plans for your business? Is this a temporary thing or more long-term?

I see this not so much as a career, but as a savings and financial pillow for our family. I love the security of knowing that if something were to happen to our family, I could stand on my own two feet financially. I see myself continuing for the long-hall because of the confidence it gives me, the financial security it allows me, the relationships, and the social outlet.

Would you recommend this path to other mommas? Why or why not? 

Most definitely. It has made me better at money management and time management. I think that sometimes moms are home all day in the same room with their children, but not really with them. I have learned to be really present for my children and that time with them is so precious. It also gives families some more financial freedoms, and also gives moms a safe place to grow and improve without taking them out of the home.

How can a momma know if she is a good fit for it? And, if she is a good fit, how can she get started? 

I have seen beauty consultants be successful who never wore makeup and cried when you asked what their name was, so in my opinion this is an opportunity for any mom. In order to get started, you would need a beauty consultant to send you an agreement online. If you already have a consultant, feel free to contact her and ask more questions. If you don’t already have a beauty consultant, feel free to contact me and I can send you some free product samples and would love to chat with you. 

What is your favorite way to recharge and relax?

I recharge on Sundays. I love spending time with my family uninterrupted, and sitting around talking and reading books with my boys.

How do you find balance in your life between home, family, making money, hobbies, taking care of yourself etc? What helps you to feel happy instead of stressed? 

I love this question! In Mary Kay we actually have weekly plan sheets that we are supposed to fill out with our husbands. They are color-coded and each color represents the priorities we should set: God (Yellow), Family (Blue), Career/School (Pink). Jake and I sit down each week and first plan out everything that has to do with our relationship with God: scriptures, prayers, physical activity, church. Then we prioritize our family activities: family time, activities, date nights etc.. Then finally our school/work responsibilities. Then we keep this on our refrigerator so that we both can make changes and have access to the schedule. It has been such a blessing in time management and it is the only way we can truly accomplish everything that we have been able to in the last year.

Just for fun, what and where would be your dream vacation? 

Right now my dream vacation would be anywhere with my man and a really slow-going itinerary. I have always wanted to travel Europe, but I think as a mom I want to just lie on a beach for an entire week with nowhere to go and nothing to do. :)

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Oh man, I want that week long beach vacation. :) Isn't she awesome? Thank you Abby! :) And if you are interested in learning more about Mary Kay opportunities, you can contact Abby at abbylyn3(at)gmail(dot)com.

Well, friends, I hope you all had a fabulous Mother's day with plenty of hugs and kisses! :) I'm eternally grateful for the two munchkins that call me momma! I'm also so grateful for my amazing momma, momma-in-law, grandmas, aunts, and sisters, as well as the other women who have supported and taught me throughout my life. It's pretty awesome that we don't have to be a person's mom to make a great impact on another person's life! For all of you who are not mommas yet, know that YOU have unique gifts and strengths to offer to those around you. We love you and thank you for all that you do to love others, especially us and our children! Love you all!

PS. If you are new to Swag On, Momma, welcome! We'd love to have you hang out with us. :) To read more posts written by other awesome mommas, Like us on Facebook to follow along! :)

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