Without a storefront or an advertising budget, Mary Kay Cosmetics has managed to become one of the largest sellers of beauty aids in the world, employing over four hundred thousand sales people and selling more than $800,000 worth of cosmetics each year. The secret to the company's huge success is the combination of direct (door-to-door) sales techniques, a program of rewards that motivates its sales people to excel, and the unfailing energy of the company founder, Mary Kay Ash (1918–2001). Even in an era when door-to-door sales have fallen dramatically, the name Mary Kay is one of the most recognized product names in the United States.

Mary Kay Ash was born in Houston, Texas, in 1918. Because her father was ill and her mother worked full time to support the family, young Mary Kay learned to take care of herself while still a child. She married at...