Freedom to live an enriched life. The ripple effect of freedom to be her own boss has enriched the life of Independent National Sales Director Sue Pankow and her family many times over, on her Mary Kay journey. Now at the summit, she is keenly aware of a life that has expanded in so many ways - financial freedom, quality education, and liberating life choices - because of her courage to step out of what she knew and into a new way of working. That bold step happened years ago when Sue, then an early childhood education teacher, got a call from her lifelong girlfriend. She told Sue that she was going to become a Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant. Sue was one of those typical naysayers who told her she was “nuts” and that she couldn’t make any money. That girlfriend’s name was Lisa Madson – and Sue became her first recruit!

“It took less than a year to replace my teacher’s income,” Sue recalls. She grew up in a family of teachers, but now her sister, sister in law, mother and even her 87 year young aunt all have their own Mary Kay businesses. “It became a family affair and the topic of conversation went from teaching to cosmetics every holiday,” Sue laughs.

“Lisa teaches to always have 10 parties on your datebook and that has been our Area mantra.” Her leadership, along with Sue’s consistency, practice of follow up and follow through, commitment to inspect what she expects, as Mary Kay Ash and Arlene Lenarz taught, and her no-looking-back mentality have been the recipe for success and strong Independent Sales Directors in the “Pankow Power House” Area. “They just work!” says Sue. They motivate her to stay one step ahead because, in her words, “They are unstoppable. We’re not mediocre because we didn’t come from mediocre. We are an area of excellence. Lisa is a big thinker and dreams bigger than most can even think. Her belief in people, her Area and the company cause others to latch on to that belief.”

Even though she’s moved several times over the years, due to her husband, Tom’s, ministerial duties, Sue knew she had to make it work wherever they were planted if she was going to make a difference for their family. However, the driving internal force was her need for freedom and flexibility. Teachers are dictated by someone else’s schedule. For Sue, “the worst day in my Mary Kay business is better than any of the days working for someone else. So, this is freeing! I don’t have to ask anyone!”

Financial freedom is another element of her life that changed. It means choices for her kids’ educations: private schools, then college tuition for daughters Ashley and Emily. “Now, our oldest daughter, Ashley, has a music theater degree and she’s all over the country performing. We’ve been able to be her groupies because of my Mary Kay business.” It means her dream home is a reality. It means the freedom of “being able to give back” with her money and time, which are the richest parts of Sue’s life. She says, “You must discipline yourself in order to have that freedom to live a rich life and sometimes that’s the hardest part; but, it affords you the flexibility to earn what you need when you need it. Knowing the sky is the limit doesn’t happen in most situations.”

Sue believes that the willingness to share ideas without direct benefit to oneself is the most impressive part of working her Mary Kay business. “The adoptee program is so important. I was adopted and that’s one of the key pieces. I wouldn’t be a success without my adoptive Independent Sales Directors and supporting units around the country.”

“I’m grateful”… for the freedom to live a rich life because of the Mary Kay opportunity.