Hello, I just joined this forum and I was pleasantly surprised to find this topic. I tried running a Mary Kay business to supplement my full-time job income and ended up $500 in the hole. I guess I am fortunate compared to countless others burdened with credit card debt in the thousands.

Anyway, it occurred to me to reopen a home business I operated several years ago when I was a stay at home mom. I have the skill and time for it (the kids are in their twenties now), and it doesn’t require any inventory!

I write and edit professional resumes. Now that we have email and the internet my potential market is world wide, 24/7. I just got my business cards and whenever appropriate I wear a tee shirt marketing my service. I am currently working on a website.

I feel excited and confident about this endeavor, which is helping me to get over the feelings and failure and inadequacy that I was left with after I realized my Mary Kay dream was an illusion.

Good luck to all.

Thanks, MyPinkBubbleBurst

I hope this business will fill the void I was feeling before and after I got into Mary Kay.  That is something I wish for all the other casualty consultants. That’s one thing to consider when anyone tells someone to get out of Mary Kay. Sure, teachers can go back to teaching (and appreciate their jobs this time around), secretaries can go back to an employer office, nurses can go back to nursing, etc. But what about women who need other validation outside of their roles as wife and mothers, or women who live in small communities or rural places with few opportunities for interesting, fulfilling part-time jobs, or women with limited education and professional skills?

For many, the activity and fellowship they expect to find in Mary Kay is more of a draw than earning money. How will they fill the void that their involvement in Mary Kay was occupying? This is the stuff breakdowns are made of. That is why so many “kaybots” respond so vehemently to anti-MK blogs. They are afraid….afraid of losing something they need and don’t know how to replace. The whole thing is incredibly sad. Especially if they end up jumping on board with another MLM.

We need a brainstorming blog to systematically come up with ideas and suggestions for replacing the need for MK with something else.  This may be the place for it. I came here because of something I read on a pro-MK blog! There was a comment that this forum had more of a positive spin concerning quitting MK and moving on when compared with other anti MK blogs. The non-MK topics here were also noted as very good. I’m going to go exploring the rest of this forum right now!

Great observations Patricia.  I'll bet there are a million things women can do to fill that void.  For some, I'm sure it's an excess of time that needs to be filled.  For others, it's relationships.  And for still others, it's the need to contribute to society in some way.

LJ, the forum's owner is all about informing and sharing not only experiences but ideas about moving on.  Many women do need to replace income when they leave MK.  If we all put our heads together and share what we're doing as well as how to do it, this forum will be even more helpful to those who come here.

Very glad you're here.

I think that for people who are looking for the "sisterhood" rather than the need for money (ie, some of us "older" chicks who have grown kids that don't need us every minute....a lot of my friends are sending the babies out of the nest this year and wondering what we'll do with ourselves now!)

I always have a big long list of fulfilling things that you can do if you're just looking for fun and fellowship that don't cost you money and make you somebody to be avoided (AKA Pushy MK lady).  Although, it is harder in rural communities where there are fewer opportunities and everything seems to be run by the same people...I understand this, I was born and raised in a town of 200 people!  However, my mom recently retired and when she moved away from the place my parents had lived for the past 15 years to return "home", the small town gave her a huge party of appreciation for all of her volunteer work...all while she had a pretty demanding fulltime job. 

I am lucky enough to have stayed home with my kids for years, so I have been really active in my kids' schools, our church's women's groups, etc.  I love history and art, so I have lately been involved in our local historical society and art museum.  When all my kids are out of the house, though, I am going to get serious and train to be a docent at the High Museum in Atlanta (I live in the 'burbs) and take classes at the Alliance Francais to get back to speaking French (right now I can only read it and comprehend about 50% of what I hear).

I'll look for the post where I had the list of things to do and try to put the link in this thread, too.

Isn't it amazing all the things that you can do now with the internet?  The resume writing business is a brilliant idea--good luck!

wow - this is an awesome skill! (writing resumes!)

So how do you write a resume for someone who has a professional degree, but has been out of the workforce for a long time with kids.....? Just innocently wondering............

Good luck with this new endeavor!!!

Pink Caddy, Blue Over Pink has the right idea.

In your case a functional resume would probably serve your purposes better than a chronological one. This way you can discuss your relevant achievements and skills first, then follow with a chronological list of your past employment.

When writing, think in terms of specific achievements that showcase your various skills, rather than a list of "duties" or "responsibilities." Good luck!

Could you tell us more about your business?  (I might be interested for my husband...)