The lure of leadership. “Someone once told me that leadership is influence. Well, the higher you move up on the Mary Kay career path, with a Mary Kay business, the more influence you have,” says Independent Senior National Sales Director Emeritus Joanne Bertalan, who discovered her niche as a leader through her Mary Kay business.

Becoming a confident salesperson was another story. “After I received my inventory of Mary Kay® products, I cried for a week,” says Joanne. “The only thing I’d sold before was Girl Scout cookies, and I didn’t do a good job. I lost the money and ate the cookies!” In time, Joanne conquered her fear of selling and gained personal growth in the process. “I was attracted to Mary Kay Ash’s mission of enriching women’s lives. And in the process, I realized that the wonderful products sell themselves.” Joanne also learned to capably balance family time with empowering the women in her National area.

In 2002, Joanne was one step away from reaching the National Sales Director position when her daughter, Amy, was severely injured in a car wreck. Today, Amy is a “walking miracle.” “If I had been in corporate America, I would have lost my job because I was out of the field for nine months,” Joanne says. “I continued to realize commissions on the work that I had already done and the support we received from Mary Kay friends was like having a warm blanket around us.”

Through her experiences, Joanne believes that the Mary Kay opportunity offers hope in every area of life. “As far as I’m concerned, becoming an Independent National Sales Director was just the beginning. Being a leader of leaders was the most awesome privilege you can earn with this opportunity.” She credits her Mary Kay business for getting her family through difficult times and for an amazing journey. Now, she is firmly focused on the future and the next adventure.