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[00:00.40] Mary Kay Cosmetics is an international company that sells beauty products.

[00:08.63] One woman started the business in the 1960s with an investment of $5,000.

[00:18.46] Mary Kathlyn Wagner was born in the state of Texas in 1918.

[00:26.16] For much of her childhood, she cared for her sick father while her mother worked long hours at a restaurant.

[00:35.72] Mary Kay married Ben Rogers when she was 17 years old.

[00:43.43] They had three children before he left home to serve in World War Two.

[00:50.07] When he returned, their marriage ended.

[00:53.79] Mary Kay looked for a job so she could support her children.

[00:59.37] She began selling different kinds of products.

[01:04.15] One night, Mary Kay was showing products at the home of Ova Heath Spoonemore.

[01:13.18] Ms. Spoonemore began giving her guests some homemade skin care products.

[01:22.47] The products were developed by her father, J.W. Heath, in Arkansas.

[01:26.46] Mary Kay tried the skin care products and liked them.

[01:34.69] She bought the rights to Heath’s skin care products and started her own company.

[01:41.33] She paid $500 for the legal rights to the products.

[01:44.79] And in 1963, The Mary Kay Cosmetics company began operating in Dallas, Texas.

[01:54.62] The idea was to sell skin care products through demonstrations in homes and offices.

[02:02.58] Independent sales representatives bought beauty products from the company and sold them at higher prices.

[02:12.68] Mary Kay decided that each representative who brought other saleswomen into the company would receive part of the new person’s earnings.

[02:24.10] That way, experienced sales representatives would be willing to train new ones.

[02:34.99] By 1965, the company was selling almost one million dollars in products.

[02:39.77] Mary Kay Cosmetics became one of the most successful direct sellers of skin care products in America.

[02:48.80] It continues to have sales offices and representatives in many different countries.

[02:56.24] Mary Kay aimed to grow sales based on the idea that it is best to compete against yourself.

[03:06.60] That means every individual is trying to beat their own sales records.

[03:11.11] Prizes for high sales marks included special paid holidays and jewelry.

[03:19.88] Until a few years ago, a pink Cadillac was a top prize.

[03:26.79] After her third husband, Mel Ash, died of cancer in 1980, she wanted to help find a cure for the disease.

[03:37.41] At first, she helped organizations raise money for research.

[03:43.25] Later, she started the Mary Kay Ash Charitable Foundation, a nonprofit group that provides money to support research on cancers affecting women.

[03:56.54] In 2001, the company and foundation expanded their goals to help prevent violence against women.

[04:07.42] Mary Kay Ash also wrote three books.

[04:11.14] She worked in her business until she suffered a stroke in 1996. She died in 2001.

[04:19.64] Sales representatives say Mary Kay developed a way for women to earn money and still spend time with their families.