In Pink: The Personal Story of a Mary Kay Pioneer Who Made History Shaping a New Path to Success for Women

In Pink is the memoir of a self-made woman who succeeded on her own terms by seizing the opportunity created by Mary Kay Ash when she founded her unique company at the very epoch of the women’s movement in America. From humble beginnings bidding peas for her family’s east Texas agri-business to overseeing a multi-million dollar international cosmetics enterprise, In Pink is the uniquely feminine success story of a woman who attained her dreams while staying true to the perennial Mary Kay values of “God first, family second, and career third.”

In Pink is also the memoir of a generation of women who came of age at a time when women were just beginning to find their voice in the corporate world and redefine their role as equals among their male counterparts. Using the Mary Kay model, Doretha Dingler became a business owner in the deep south in the 1960s, when a woman still had to have her husband’s signature to obtain a loan, and ultimately came to lead a sales force comprised of thousands of like-minded women determined to achieve success on their own terms.

Over a nearly forty year career with Mary Kay, Doretha Dingler went from being put on notice of impending termination as a consultant to the very top of the Mary Kay sales force, retiring as the No. 1 Elite Executive Independent National Sales Director (NSD) worldwide. She was one of only five NSDs to have reached that No. 1 status at the time of her retirement, with more than $10,000,000 in career earnings. Doretha was also the first NSD in the history of the company to earn over $100,000 in one month and the first to be “on-target” for a million dollar year. Doretha ultimately came to lead a $66,700,000 international sales force known in Mary Kay parlance as the “Dingler Area” that generated nineteen “National Offspring” Directors including Barbara Sunden, the current number No. 1 Elite Executive National Sales Director worldwide whose own phenomenal success has made a lasting contribution to the Dingler legacy.

“One of the reasons I’ve been successful is that I paid close attention to what Doretha Dingler did with her Mary Kay business and what she showed me about leadership. Here is a principled woman who defines the classic role of a mentor. I also know how much Mary Kay Ash trusted her and how proud she would be to have you read this book.”

—Barbara Sunden, Mary Kay’s current No. 1 Elite Executive Independent National Sales Director, earning over $1 million per year every year since 2008