Shane Parrish

In 1968, something happened she wasn't expected.

When she needed to merge into busy Dallas traffic, other drivers would stop and wave her through.

That car commanded attention.

It turned heads.

It was a mobile advertisement that couldn't be ignored.

Several of her top sales directors saw their boss driving this eye catching pink Cadillac and thought, I want one too.

So they went out and bought their own pink Cadillacs with their own earnings.

The car was proof of success that you couldn't hide in a bank account.

When you drove a pink Cadillac through your neighborhood, everyone knew you'd achieved something extraordinary.

At the 1969 Mary Kay Convention, the company awarded brand new pink Cadillac Coupe de Ville to the top five salespeople.

Each car cost about $6,000, double the average car price at the time.

But Mary Kay was clever about how she did this.

These cars weren't gifts.

They weren't, here's $6,000, good job, go away.

They were two-year leases, and the company made the monthly payments as long as you maintained your sales performance.

Recognition, 100%, but also motivation.

It was a rolling trophy you had to keep earning month after month.

Mary Kay became the first company to introduce the career car concept in direct marketing.

General Motors officially named the exclusive color Mary Kay Pink Pearl, and it was only available to Mary Kay representatives.

The company had created a trademark color that would become one of the most recognizable corporate symbols in American history.