Mary Kay On The Mezzanine

One of the groups I belong to sponsors a workshop, and this year I'm chairing the organizing committee.  We've already done a lot of the preliminary work through emails and phone calls, and last night we had our first meeting.  The people on the committee live in different parts of the metropolitan area, so we met at a centrally located grocery store that has a community gathering area on a second floor mezzanine.

The area is quite nice.  There's a bar area in the middle, and tables off to the side. In one far end, behind a bank of floor-to-ceiling windows there's a cooking demonstration area, and in another corner a counter with a microwave and sink.

I got to the store early enough to buy some snacks to set out, then headed upstairs to push tables together.  Once everything was set up I got out my laptop to pass the time until the others arrived.  Shortly after I staked out my territory a woman showed up and rearranged the rest of the tables in a long row.  Soon a second woman joined her.  She was pushing a grocery cart loaded with pink and black bags .  When they took their coats off I noticed they had on black aprons with pink trim and the initials M-K embroidered in pink. When they started talking about makeup I realized the M-K stood for Mary Kay. They were saleswomen!

More women showed up and joined them.  Soon all the chairs around the tables were filled. I couldn't tell if it was a facial party or a recruiting event for prospective new consultants, but when the women all lined up at the sink to use the water for hand treatments it looked strange.  I'd choose a less public place!

Once my meeting started I lost track of what the Mary Kay women were doing, but they were still going at it when we wrapped up and I left for the night.

Five years ago today: Observations