A lot of green equals pink Cadillac for Zionsville woman
By Heather Lusk
You’ve probably seen Susan Finley around town. The only owner of a pink cadillac in Zionsville – the symbol of Mary Kay success – she’s hard to miss.
“It’s a trophy on wheels,” Finley said.
The car has a plaque on the glove compartment that reads: This Cadillac built exclusively for Susan Finley. The eyelashes on the front are her own addition to “Pinky.” Her future husband was with her when she picked up her first pink Cadillac, which also happened to be their third date.
“He proudly rode shotgun,” she said, “and I knew I’d found a secure man.”
Both of her children, Jade, 14, and Tanner, 12, came home in pink Cadillacs. One could say it has become a part of their lives.
“My son said, ‘Mom, riding in this car with you is like riding in a parade every day,’” she said.
But behind the car is a lot of hard work.
To earn a vehicle her sales team makes $204,000 retail in six months, which is roughly $34,000 per month. Finley is very clear that it is a representative of the group’s work.
“It takes a whole team to make that happen,” she said. “That’s a lot of lipstick and eyeshadow.”
The job and car also require maintenance – neither the car nor Finley ever go out without being well-groomed.
“You have to have really good traffic manners,” she said. But on the other hand she’s a mobile billboard. “I’ve had people follow me into a parking lot to get my card.”
Finley wasn’t always driven to own “Pinky.” In fact she initially was against it.
“I was not going to drive a pink car,” she was initially adamant.
Even the very first time Finley was asked if she’d consider selling Mary Kay products she was offended.
“My first thought was, ‘Seriously? I have a master’s degree in communication disorders and sciences and she wants me to sell lipstick?’” Finley said.
“And then I absolutely fell in love with Mary Kay, the woman,” she said. “She said I could operate by the Golden Rule and not have to claw my way to the top. … And she told me I could call the shots and be in business for myself, but never by myself.”
Finley first started selling the cosmetics for shoe money. For seven years she worked part-time selling cosmetics while working as a speech therapist, then around her 30th birthday she began to rethink her life. She decided to commit full time as a Mary Kay sales director and left her speech pathology job.
“It was terrifying,” she said. “I just stepped out in faith and never looked back.”
Some women do this as a hobby, while some may choose to work part-time with a few parties a month for extra cash – perhaps for college, vacation, shoes – while working a full-time job. And then a few like Finley move into leadership roles with advancement potential and career cars. As long as her team continues to do well, Finley receives a new career car every two years. The Cadillac is one of the options available. There are currently 6,032 career cars on the road.
For the past 20 years she has been an “advisor, trainer and cheerleader” for her team of roughly 150 women. The flexibility of her job allows her to be involved in the lives of her children and husband.
Four years ago she realized how priceless this job flexibility is. Her daughter, Jade, was diagnosed with thyroid cancer at the age of nine.
“Because I said ‘yes’ 27 years ago, I had the freedom to take her to doctor appointments, follow ups, etcetera,” Finley said. “That’s why I’m so passionate telling women about the choices Mary Kay can provide.”
Today her daughter is a cancer survivor, “a normal healthy teenager,” said Finley, who is grateful she had the freedom and flexibility to be with her daughter in that time of need.
“I believe every woman needs a backup plan,” she said. “My back burner has moved to the front of the stove.”
She even met her husband through one of her loyal customers. She jokes that he was in her starter kit.
“They could take away the money and the prizes, but not the relationships,” she said. “The people I have in my life today as a result of Mary Kay is mind blowing.”
Meet Susan Finley
What is your favorite local restaurant? Noah Grant’s, Serenity, Stone Creek, Patrick’s…depends on the occasion and the company. J If you think it would be better NOT to endorse one Zionsville restaurant over another (because clearly I can’t decide, anyway!), I’d be happy to answer THIS question: “What is your favorite food? Anything cooked on the grill by my husband!”
Family: Husband Reggie, daughter Jade (14), son Tanner (12)
Age: 51
Favorite movie of all time: “Finding Nemo” and “It’s a Wonderful Life”
Favorite pastime: Watching my kids play sports, and date nights with Reggie
Favorite book: The “Outlander” series by Diana Gabaldon
Favorite vacation spot: Hilton Head Island, SC
