Movin' Up: Glatt Earns a Pink Cadillac

One vehicle stands apart from most on the streets of Buffalo Grove. Resident Susan Glatt is the proud driver of a 2012 pink Cadillac, a trophy on wheels awarded to top-performing Mary Kay representatives.

Glatt received her new car this month in recognition of her success as a sales director who serves her own client base and mentors more than 100 Mary Kay consultants across the country.

While representatives who meet the cosmetic company's production targets are eligible for three levels of company cars, only the Cadillac comes in Mary Kay’s signature shade of pink.

“I love it. It’s awesome. It’s like driving in your living room on the street. It’s luxurious,” Glatt said.

A Mary Kay representative for 28 years, Glatt said she has driven a company car for the past 26. This is her third Cadillac.

Glatt, who last month was driving a Mary Kay-issued Toyota Camry, said returning to pink Cadillac status was her goal.

“Definitely,” she said. “It’s like a $43,000 car. Especially in today’s economy, when businesses are hurting, our company is still doing well. It’s like that proof there’s still hope.”

Glatt initially worked part time for the company while juggling the schedules of her three children.

“I got involved through a woman at my church. I was volunteering and she was a consultant for Mary Kay. I started asking some questions and before I knew it, I had become a consultant,” she said.

She stuck with it, and one of her sons passed his driver’s test behind the wheel of a pink Cadillac. Today, Glatt is an empty-nester who works full-time as a sales director, leading a team of 120 Mary Kay consultants across the U.S.

The pink car, she said, “not only represents me, but it represents my whole group. That’s the best part, actually.”

“I just feel like if you do something you like, it doesn’t feel like work.”

Though she met her goal, there is reason for Glatt to remain motivated. Mary Kay cars are provided on two-year leases, so she will need to continue to hit the company’s goals if she wants to continue to drive a pink vehicle.

Glatt said she intends to maintain her status and aims to build her group’s sales to $1 million per year.

Perks aside, she said, it’s the personal relationships that make her job so enjoyable.

“I fell in love with the business because you’re helping women look and feel good about themselves,” she said. “When you see how nice they look after that first appointment, it’s very rewarding.”