Local Mom Re-Launches Her Mary Kay Business

WAITSBURG - Ladies, get ready to be pampered!

Belinda Cook has planned an evening of pampering from 5 to 7 p.m. on March 24 at Town Hall.

Cook, who is re-launching her Mary Kay retail business, is joined by Melodie Fitzhugh, in this endeavor.

The goals of the evening are to pamper women, give back to the community and show off a new line of botanical products. Cook said it will be an event that indulges the senses with candles, coffee and wine.

Both women live in Waitsburg. Cook left her corporate job as a photographer to become a Mary Kay beauty consultant full time. She is also continuing as a freelance photographer and is hoping to open a storefront in the near future.

Fitzhugh just became a Mary Kay consultant and works at Betty's Diner. She also attends Walla Walla Community College full time.

"We're both very, very busy," Cook said with a laugh.

In 2006, Cook paid her $100 and signed up to be a Mary Kay beauty representative. Because of the demands of her corporate position and a lack of a solid Mary Kay mentor, Cook set aside the Mary Kay business. That is, until she decided to put her family first.

"I never did too much with my business and now I'm going full (out)," Cook said. "It has done some amazing things for me."

Cook is the oldest child of seven and has five children of her own.

She said most of all, Mary Kay has given her the "right to dream and raise a family."

She used to work 67 hours a week. Now, she's working 30 to 40 hours. This gives her more time to be a mom and take care of herself, Cook said.

"I took a leap of faith," she said. "I had no idea what was going to be in front of me."

And she's got big goals. Cook wants to make $2,200 a month through selling Mary Kay products so she can continue to spend more time with her children.

"There's no reason why you can't be a mom and a business woman at the same time," Cook said.

And Cook is making strides in the six weeks she has been pounding the pavement as a consultant.

She has recruited three other women to become beauty consultants for the company and has sold more than $4,000 worth of products. She has organized and held about five to 10 Mary Kay parties a week.

The company pays its consultants through retail sales, commissions and even provides a Mary Kay vehicle they can earn.

As long as you put gas in the vehicle, they take care of it, she said. Cook is well on her way to $2,200 a month. She's already making about $1,000 a month.

She doesn't really worry about running out of business.

Cook said the Mary Kay business model is even taught out of Harvard University. With their new website and follow-up program, she is confident she'll have plenty of customers.

Best of all, she has a mentor who is really behind her, providing the right tools to help her succeed.

"They give you momentum and tools to go the path," Cook said.

And Cook isn't alone in trying to make this her solid career. She said, in her opinion, about 85 percent of consultants make it their career. Those who don't have different reasons, ranging from their personal circumstances and whether they have a good mentor. Some simply sign up to get their Mary Kay products half off, she said with a laugh.

The company also encourages giving back and benefits domestic violence and cancer non-profit organizations. Cook herself matches donations and helps support troops overseas by using the money to buy them personal items.

The most important thing Cook has learned over the past couple of weeks is that she now makes herself a priority.

She is now enjoying setting goals and achieving them and evaluating her priorities and putting them in order.

"It'll teach you a lot about yourself," she said.