Shane Parrish

It was pure showmanship.

It was pure theater.

But it was also deeply meaningful.

For many of these women, this was the first time in their lives they'd been publicly celebrated for their professional achievements.

The first time somebody had stood in front of thousands of people and said, what you did matters.

You are extraordinary.

And Mary Kay understood that the recognition itself was more valuable than any prize.

The pink Cadillac was wonderful, but people didn't care about the Cadillac.

They wanted the feeling the Cadillac would give them.

The feeling of being recognized, the feeling of being seen, the feeling of standing on stage while thousands of people applauded your success.

That feeling is what everyone wants and it's irreplaceable.

Armed with clear training, fair compensation, geographic flexibility, and elaborate recognition, Mary Kay Cosmetics scaled rapidly.

1967, their four years after opening, annual sales $10 million.

1971, they hit $27 million with nearly 30,000 consultants.

By 1976, they exceeded $100 million in annual sales for the first time.

Growth created all these new challenges.

With tens of thousands of consultants spread across America, Mary Kay could no longer personally train everyone or send handwritten notes to every top performer.

The company needed infrastructure.

Richard, who'd stepped up on opening day, proved invaluable.

So Mary Kay focused on culture and training.