TC woman earns iconic Mary Kay Cadillac

Oct. 16—TRAVERSE CITY — Awards and recognition for being at the top of a particular profession vary greatly.

For some in sales, it can be a crystal trophy. For others, it may be a blazer in company colors.

For Mary Kay independent sales directors there is one very noticeable award for a sales milestone: a pink Cadillac.

Traverse City's Charmaine Lipscomb picked up the keys to a 2023 pink XT5 Cadillac on Thursday from Serra Traverse City Cadillac. Sales of more than $102,000 for a six-month period qualified Lipscomb to drive away from the dealership with a two-year lease, which includes more than 95 percent of the insurance costs covered by the 59-year-old company.

"This is beautiful," Lipscomb said of the vehicle, which had Mary Kay on the door and a bouquet of balloons attached to the windshield wiper inside the showroom at 1747 S. Garfield Ave.

It is the third time Lipscomb has qualified to lease the pink Cadillac, but just the first since she moved to Traverse City from Alpena in 2008.

"It's exciting to be the only northern Michigan pink Cadillac driver," said Lipscomb, who once reached the sales milestone while in Alpena. One other time Lipscomb said she took the $1,000 a month cash option from the company.

Serra Traverse City personnel were also happy to present the new pink Cadillac to Lipscomb.

"This has been really exciting," said Serra Traverse City Cadillac Sales Consultant Chrissie Felke, who made brownies with homemade butter cream and pink raspberry lemonade for the occasion. "It's been fun to talk to her, get to know her and personalize the vehicle for her."

General Sales Manager Mike McFarlan said this is the first time Serra Traverse City has delivered a pink Cadillac to a Mary Kay sales director since the new showroom was built a decade ago.

"It's been some time, that's for sure," McFarlan said.

Lipsomb has been with Mary Kay for 26 years and said business has been strong during the pandemic. She said Mary Kay's virtual presence and free shipping of American-made products has resonated with consumers.

The result was $488,000 in sales this 'seminar year,' which ended in June. That was up $100,000 from the previous year.

"It was amazing how much my business exploded just by making people look pretty and making their skin feel great," said Lipscomb, who was wearing diamond pins for $450,000 and $350,000 on her lapel.

Feike said the pink XT5 was a result of Lipscomb's "relentless hard work and success" before handing the showroom floor and the keys over to the recipient.

Even though she is driving off with the Cadillac and pledges to be "driving around more than ever," Lipscomb said it is a group effort. Mary Kay Inc. is a privately owned multi-level marketing company selling health and beauty products. Mary Kay was the sixth largest marketing company in the world in 2018 with a wholesale volume of $325 billion, according to Direct Selling News.

Lipscomb said there are about 110 consultants that are part of her team. Lipscomb said about 80 of the 110 consultants are from northern Michigan. She said some of those are consultants only for personal use of Mary Kay products, which Lipscomb said does not have sales quotas.

Eight consultants under Lipscomb attended Thursday's ceremony in Traverse City. Two of those drove from Escanaba the night before and four were from the Alpena area, where Lipscomb worked after relocating from the Chicago area in 1997.

"They are the reason we've been able to accomplish this goal," an emotional Lipscomb said, motioning to the consultants, family and friends gathered around the pink Cadillac.

All of those assembled to support Lipscomb were invited to her house for lunch, if they didn't fill up on pink cookies shipped up from Grand Rapids, gummy bears from Germany or from the treats made by Feike.

One of those making the trip from the northeast side of the state was Anita LaFave. She's been a Mary Kay consultant for 2 years and said Lipscomb has been a terrific mentor.

"I think it's awesome," said LaFave, who lives in Hubbard Lake. "She works very hard and she helps everyone underneath her. She always has time for everyone.

"She is the most giving person I know of. Her whole heart and soul is Mary Kay and she is always helping people.

"If anyone is deserving of this car, it's her."

As she admired the pink Cadillac in the showroom, LaFave was asked how long before she would qualify for the iconic vehicle.

"If anyone is going to get me there, she'll get me there," LaFave said of Lipscomb.

Lipscomb started selling Mary Kay when she left a teaching job in the Chicago area to be a stay-at-home mom. Lipscomb said she drove off with her first pink Cadillac while working in Alpena when her kids were "in diapers and car seats."

Lipscomb said she took a step back when first moving to TC, working and volunteering with Traverse City Christian High School. She said about 80 percent of her business comes from customers from the Traverse City and Alpena areas.

Mary Kay independent beauty consultants who reach the status of independent sales directors can earn the use of a Cadillac XT5 (or cash in lieu of), according to the company website.

Started by Mary Kay Ash, the Cadillac program was started "to reward the best of the best," according to the website. About 1.5% of Mary Kay independent consultants reach the status of sales director and about 10% of Mary Kay Independent Sales Directors earn the use of the iconic Pink Cadillac.

Since the Mary Kay Career Car Program began in 1969, more than 171,000 sales force members have qualified or re-qualified to earn the use of a company car, according to the website. There are currently more than 3,600 of these career cars on the road in the United States. Of these, more than 1,000 are pink Cadillacs.

Lipscomb drove a Chevy Traverse company car to Serra Traverse City Cadillac on Thursday and left with another. While her blue Chevy may not have stood out, that won't be the case anymore.

"They'll know that one," McFarlan said of the new pink vehicle.