We were lucky to catch up with Carolyn Kelley recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Carolyn , thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?
The first major risk I ever took in my business was quitting my full-time job while a single mom to work my own business from home. I didn’t have security, was 22 years old and had a 2 year old to provide for, along with a home and car payment. It was terrifying, and at first, I panicked, thinking that I couldn’t be successful enough to make the income necessary for our living. Then I remembered that the reason I quit was to be able to spend time with my son so that he wouldn’t be raised by strangers in daycare. I went to work with a newfound fervor to succeed. I gave my self a 6 month deadline to reach the Sales Director position and earn a free car. I almost missed reaching the goal, but the grace of God, did. It’s now been 20 years, and I’m grateful every day that I was able to make the decision to raise my own children, not missing all of the important moments we’ve cherished.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
As a Sr Sales Director, I mentor other business owners to be successful at teaching skin care, makeup application and gift giving services while running my personal business. The ingredients in our product line are proven safe with EU standards, using as many natural yet effective ingredients as possible, having accrued countless awards. The excellent customer service we provide sets us apart in the marketplace because we care about our clients’ needs and develop lifelong friendships. When people choose our “boutiques” they’re changing our families’ lives and we’re building their confidence in themselves.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
As an entrepreneur, your life journey will go through ups and downs. The key is to persevere and pivot when life throws you the hardballs. I’ve had many such moments and one has been my health. I’ve spent many years working from my bed and had to use creativity and people skills over the phone to get through them. I kept my “WHY” in front of me, my children, to never give up, even when I was on my deathbed. Those are moments to reach out to people who have been in your shoes for encouragement, grow your faith and figure out new ways to grow your client base. I can now teach my team how to get through tough times because I’m living proof that you can bounce back from anything with fierce determination to succeed, despite the obstacles.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
Our reputation is everything in business. If we don’t have integrity, people will not come back. Returning clients mean everything when you put the work in to serve them to the best of your ability. Once one client is happy, they will in turn tell their friends and family about your services and word of mouth is the best and sometimes only way to grow. I believe in under promising and over delivering. It’s important to be a person of our word. The saying that the customer is always right, goes the furthest. If we’re not listening to their needs, people don’t care how much we know until they know that we care.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.marykay.com/glamgal
- Instagram: @carolynkelleybeauty
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarolynKelleyMK/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolynkelleybeauty/
- Twitter: @Carolyn91557135