Rhonda Shasteen

Chief Marketing Officer (retired) at Mary Kay Inc.

At Mary Kay for more than 25 years, and worked closely with Mary Kay Ash for 10.

Raised in Dallas, Texas. Married, 2 grown children.

At work, I enjoy helping women develop as leaders; creating solutions to complex problems;  learning new things. At home, I enjoy the cows, horses and garden; fresh country air and time with my husband; learning new things and discovering my authentic self.

With more time, I would: sew (again); exercise (more); run for political office.

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  • Beauty Shopping

    by: Posted

    When Mary Kay chatted recently with women around the world about what they wanted in the area of beauty, one of the things they talked about was how they shopped for their skinc are and cosmetic products.  For most of the women, it was "anything goes", meaning that they purchase their beauty products from all over -- supercenters, department stores, direct sellers, specialty stores and online.  It's usually about what's convenient for her.  So you could say that one thing women want when shopping for beauty products is EASY ACCESS.

    What she also wants is CONTROL over her shopping experience.  She wants it to be fun, social and casual, and sees the opportunity to browse as a part of the experience.  She wants to TRY IT BEFORE SHE BUYS IT.  She wants the opportunity to touch and experience it before she lays down that hard-earned money.  And she is much more likely to try a new product that has been recomended by a friend or family member. 

    She wants PERSONALIZED BEAUTY ADVICE, WITHOUT PRESSURE.  She wants an advisor who is knowledgeable and is a good listener; someone who understands and knows her and her skin, and doesn't try to just sell her the latest thing that might not be right for her.  Ideally, the advisor could help holistically, with everything from makeup application to the latest fashion trends. 

    Women also want someone who will reach out to them on THEIR schedule.

    None of this is surprising or unique to the beauty industry, given that consumers have been in control of the buying process for quite some time now.  Consumers, specifically women consumers, want to call the shots, with as many options as possible.  When she has choices, she feels more in control.  The only rule is that there are no rules.  She gets to choose how, when, where, and how often she buys.

    In beauty, just as in everything else these days, those who are best at giving the women what they want will be the most loved brands.

  • Let's Talk Beauty

    by: Posted

    In our recent conversations with women around the globe, we learned the "10 Things Women Want Now", which I've shared in previous posts.  Mary Kay  also wanted to hear what they were thinking specifically about beauty.  When it comes to what women want in beauty, the list is short and simple. 

    1.  Women Want . . . Natural Beauty

    Women believe that "true" natural beauty is about enhancing what you already have; that the way you "make yourself up" should be complementary to your assets or features, and not overshadow them. For some, natural beauty is associated with youth and staying young (notice that I didn't say "looking young"), and many admit that it does become increasingly more difficult to achieve as you age.  In many ways, this aspect of beauty has little or nothing to do with makeup, and is more about acknowledging what is already naturally beautiful in themselves.  (But don't think that means women don't want to wear makeup.  See #3.)

    2.  Women Want . . . To Be Noticed

    Women want to create an impression.  They want to be noticed.  It is an important source of their strength and confidence.  Right or wrong, like it or not, exterior beauty is one, if not the primary, channel to get noticed.  Being "put together" with a great outfit, good jewelry, shoes and purse get her noticed.  External beauty is perceived as being connected to success.  This is one way of being recognized and valued by family, friends and co-workers and demonstrating to the world that she is achieving self-actualization.  While it may seem counterintuitive, and goes against what many a feminist would argue for, dressing well and being made up is an expression of feminine power; it's a way to show the world that you care.

    3.  Women Want . . . To Wear Makeup

    These women told us that they view makeup as an opportunity, an enhancement.  While the degree of importance varies greatly across cultures and lifestyles, all agreed that makeup was important to them.  For some, it makes them more secure about themselves and they feel more beautiful and alive.  Others thought it showed effort and professionalism.  One Korean woman said, "In Seoul, if you don't wear makeup, people ask if you're sick, and men think you're lazy."  In Eastern Europe, the ritual of makeup is a visible indicator of someone who is aspirational and self-realized, and was described as "a condition of the soul -- it is a necessity, like breathing."

    4.  Women Want . . . Their Beauty Products to Change With Their Needs

    Whether its a simple moisturizer change with the different seasons of the year, or responding to the needs of her aging skin, a woman wants to make sure that she is doing what her skin needs RIGHT NOW, and she realizes that changes over time.  Many women say they commit to a more thoughtful regimen of skin care and higher quality products as they age.  At the same time, they shift to more subtle and nuanced color cosmetics with passing years.  They expect innovation and customization from the brand that they use and are always on the lookout for something new or better.  Some women are driven to rotate among favorite products every now and then because they believe that, after a while, their skin stops responding to the efficacy of specific products. (This is totally a myth, by the way, that drives our entire industry crazy.)

    The final question we posed in the area of beauty products was this one:  "If you could create the IDEAL beauty product, what would it be?"  Here's what they said:

    The IDEAL beauty product must be EFFECTIVE; it works and delivers on the promised benefit.

    The IDEAL beauty product must be FOR ME; it's personalized for MY skin type, MY skin tone, at this stage of MY life, in THIS season and matches MY beauty regimen.

    The IDEAL beauty product must be RELEVANT AND CONTEMPORARY; it has to be up-to-the-minute, beautiful to look at, technologically-advanced, derived from the latest ingredients and from a brand that "gets me".

    The IDEAL beauty product must be A GOOD VALUE; it has to be affordable, not so inexpensive that it fails to be credible or impress, but not so expensive that I can't afford it.

    They also had a lot to say about how they wanted to shop for and purchase their IDEAL beauty products.  But for that, you'll have to wait until the next post!

     

  • Mary Kay Learns "What Women Want" - The Final Chapter

    by: Posted

    We've reached the final piece of the puzzle in "10 Things Women Want Now", and it is the ONE THING that everyone (and I do mean EVERYONE!) needs to pay attention to right now.  That thing is TRUST.  Whether you're an individual, a small business, a multi-billion-dollar global corporation, a service provider, a charity, a government organization, you name it, if you're not focusing on BUILDING TRUST with the women who interact with you, you will not be successful in these times. 

    Women value the intimacy and trust they have with their closest friends, their husbands and boyfriends and their family members.  They are somewhat skeptical, however, when it comes to trusting the companies and people they do business with.  Their trust must be earned.  The best way to gain that trust is by being open and honest with her in everything you do.  If you're not, you can bet she can "smell" it a mile away.  That 'women's intuition' kicks in and once your intentions appear questionable, it can be really difficult to regain her attention, let alone earn her trust.  And with so many choices today of where to take her business, you can bet she will take it somewhere that does provide her with the level of confidence and trust that she's seeking.

    I think this is one of those areas that's not "new" as far as women seeking out people and companies they trust, it's just a matter of the degree of importance.  There have been so many instances of things in society over the past 10 years that have really shaken women's trust in institutions and the people behind them.  That's what has brought us to this place we are today, where women just will not do business with people and companies that they don't trust.

    Mary Kay Ash knew in 1963 when she began our company that the success of our business would be built around the relationships of the people.  That is evident in her decision to use The Golden Rule as the founding principle of our business, and she was passionate in instilling that belief within each of us.  "Treat everyone you meet as if they are wearing a sign around their neck that says 'Make me feel important'" is the approach she taught. She also was very aware of the fact that a woman who has a bad experience with a company will tell many other people about it.  Likewise, a woman who has a good relationship with a brand and trusts the people that represent the brand will also tell many others about it.  (And of importance to note is that "the people" are one of the most important parts of developing and keeping that trust.)

    This reminded me of a conversation I had with my husband just last night on this topic.  He was telling me about his day, and that he had gone to lunch with one of his horse-trainer buddies at the sub shop (the brand shall remain nameless, although several of my friends will know of whom I speak because I did share my experience with them).  I reminded him that I have not stepped foot into one of their shops for almost one year now, and I used to visit at least once a week, because of the last experience I had with one of "their people".  I no longer trust the brand because of the actions of one of the employees who was serving me, so I have taken my business elsewhere.  (I might have given them a second chance, except that after my experience I wrote a personal letter to the Chief Marketing Officer of the company, as I thought he'd want to know -- I certainly would have wanted to know if a Mary Kay customer had an experience like I had.  Well, let's just say that the company business philosophy must be radically different from the Mary Kay philosophy that I'm accustomed to, because he never even responded to my letter.  That action, or inaction, definitely said to me that they did not value my business, so I chose to not give it to them.  I have changed doctors, switched grocery stores, and found new hairstylists all for similar reasons.

    There are also many companies that I LOVE doing business with, primarily because of the people involved.  They are genuine and seem to really care about my satisfaction and want to keep my business.  I TRUST THEM, BECAUSE THEY HAVE EARNED IT. 

  • Mary Kay Learns "What Women Want" - Part 9

    by: Posted

    I bet you're wondering where I've been for the last several days, since I haven't posted anything new since last Thursday.  Well, I've been out of the office, and as Murphy would have it, couldn't get the wireless device on my laptop to work.  Thank goodness for the super folks back at corporate who quickly ordered me another wireless card and had it overnighted. I got it last night, so we're back in business!

    When we set out to learn from women around the world what they wanted out of life today, one of the topics that we knew we wanted to explore with them was the role of technology in their lives.  In every single case, no matter which country we were in, the women brought up the topic long before we planned to start talking about it.  Very early in the conversations, the women were eager to talk about how they used the Internet and technology to manage the social aspects of their lives, as an enhancement to their face-to-face relationships with family and friends.  This is one of the areas where the commonality across the world is that all the women are using technology-enhanced social networks, but there are some differences across cultures, age groups and life stages as to why and how they are using them.

    For example, in Latin America, social media are crucial for stay-at-home moms to stay connected to the outside world without leaving their children.  For the Korean women we talked with, they primarily use their mobile phones for texting to coordinate a mobile lifestyle.  You see, the vast majority of young women in Korea live at home with their parents until they marry, and their goal is to stay out every day until bedtime.  Mobile technology allows them to stay connected to their social circle without ever having to be "home".  Chinese women are also prolific texters, and the Internet is very important to them as well.  One woman put it this way, "The Internet is like rice.  I can't live without it."

    Eastern European women from Russia and Ukraine are frequent users of social networks on the Internet.  The married women and the single women, however, use them for very different reasons.  The married women use the social networks to gossip with their friends, away from prying eyes and ears.  The single women primarily use social networks to find the perfect man.  For young women in the United States, they use different tools for different things.  For them, the Internet is for seeking information, connecting with others outside of the "close social circle", blogging and shopping.  Their mobile phones are primarily for texting, surfing the Internet when away from home, and as an alarm clock.  (I'm certain that one day very soon, these devices will no longer be called cell "phones", as actually talking on them is becoming much less frequent.)  Don't think that it's just the youngest among us who are driving these social networks.  I'm told that the fastest growing group of users on Facebook are the 55+ year-olds.  It seems that connecting on Facebook with adult children and grandchildren who may live miles away has become the most convenient and rich experience they can find.  Where else could they see in real-time everything that is going on in their families lives, complete with the photos to support it.

    Next month, I'll have the opportunity to attend a conference focused solely on women's use of social technology, the BlogHer conference.  I'm looking forward to meeting some of the most respected and experienced women in the world in the area of blogging and social media.  I'm certain that I will learn a great deal that we can apply to enhance the social experience for Mary Kay brand lovers everywhere.  I'll let you know what I learn.

    The key takeaway from this is clear. Social networking, as far as women are concerned, is BIG all around the world.  Anyone who today wants to connect with women had better be doing so in that realm.  It's one of the basic ways in which women are communicating today, and communicating well is a crucial part of a woman demonstrating her success and self-realization.  It's so important that women will even sacrifice time with their children to "chat" with a girlfriend.

    The fast rise of technology-based social networks is no surprise, as the majority of users are female, and we've been "doing" social networks since the dawn of time (they just weren't supported by these incredible technology tools that we have today).  In fact, when you think about it, the Mary Kay business model, created by Mary Kay Ash in 1963, is based on social networking.  The only difference today is how large that network can be, and the many choices that technology allows us about how we develop, grow and share our circle of friendships.

    What role is technology-enabled social media playing in your life today?

  • Mary Kay Learns "What Women Want" - Part 8

    by: Posted

    We've learned so much already about what women around the world told Mary Kay when we asked them what they wanted.  Today we're going to take a look at one of my favorite things - Pampering.

    Yes, today's woman wants a reason and a way to pamper herself, or better yet, be pampered by others.  She sees the importance of treating herself and gives herself the permission to do it, but often feels like she needs to earn it before she can indulge. Pampering is seen as a vital part of the "complete" woman's healthy attitude.

    The indulgences she desires are not necessarily extravagant, and can be as simple as time to herself, or going "unplugged" for a while.  Manicures and pedicures, facials, and special purchases are popular ways to pamper.  Sometimes, getting together with other women to do these things, lunching with a friend or travel are the method of choice. For others, the pampering can take a more active form, like going to the fitness club, swimming, a yoga class or some time in the sauna.  (These last choices sound much more like "work" than "pampering", so it's important to note that the women who cite these as their choice indicate that it's more about the connection with other women than the fitness aspect.)

    Probably the most significant tidbit in all of this (which will not come as a surprise to any woman reading this) is that the biggest constraint to a woman's ability to pamper herself is not money, but TIME.

    Oh, but that we should have some more of that precious commodity!

    I know that I should take more time to pamper myself on occasion, but I always manage to find some reason to convince myself that I'm too busy.  Yes, I'll take one hour every two weeks to get a manicure, but in my head, that's all about nail maintenance and how bad they look if I don't do it.  I am very guilty of sitting in that chair and being everything but relaxed.  In fact, my nail tech, Lee, often tries to get me to relax as she's massaging my hands and arms, because I just won't give in to it.  But I want to be pampered, so why it is so hard for me to relax and enjoy it?  I think it's because I don't turn my brain off and get in the moment.  It's that TIME thing.  I'm thinking about all the other things that I NEED to do, or SHOULD be doing.  When I travel alone, and I have the time, I sometimes treat myself to a massage.  I LOVE THOSE, so why won't I take the time to do them when I'm home?  When I get a gift certificate for a pampering session, or a friend calls and says let's go get a pedicure, I'll do it.  So why don't I do it more on my own, for me?  Perhaps it's the "nudge", in the form of the gift or the invitation.  Yes, I think that's what makes the difference.  In my mind, when I'm deciding do I go get pampered or do I do all the other things that I think I need to do, that little "nudge" puts one more reason on the side of the pampering.  Without that nudge, it's easier to swing to the other side.  I don't think I'm that unique, and I bet there are many other women, just like me, who, given a little "nudge" would make the choice to pamper themselves more often.

    So here's what we're gonna do. I want you to join me in helping women take a step closer to becoming the complete women they want to be, by being the "nudge" they need to pamper themselves.  Call a friend and ask her to join you for a manicure.  Treat your mom to a pedicure.  Give your best customers the gift of pampering.  Pamper a woman who is of service to others. Ask a neighbor woman to take a walk with you.  Invite a girlfriend over for coffee.  When you do, you may indeed be giving the most precious gift of all, the gift of time. 

    Let me know what you do, I'd love to hear about it, and I know our readers would, too.

  • Mary Kay Learns "What Women Want" - Part 7

    by: Posted

    Well, we've finally arrived at the piece of this on-going discussion that I've been looking forward to, and at the same time dreading. Not because it's bad in any way, in fact I think it's really good that women are comfortable talking about this subject.  For our male readers, let me just say, don't shoot me, I'm only the messenger.

    When Mary Kay asked women around the world what they wanted in their lives today, they told us.  In fact, there were ten consistencies that surfaced, regardless of what culture or region of the world the women were from.  One of those ten things was MEN. . . sometimes!

    The "sometimes" here is the critical factor. It seems that women today have a yin/yang relationship with the men in their lives.  For single women, they definitely still have romantic notions, but many feel that husbands can become obstacles to some of the other desires they have in their lives, like their career.  In Europe, women cited that being loved by a man and being married is seen as an important social marker, and that having a significant male relationship in their life can be a motivator to stay attractive and fit.  For these same women, however, that man was not at the center.  They also expressed that as far as their careers, they had to work really hard to overcome some obstacles to prove themselves and their worth, while the men at work weren't seen as having to work as hard at it. In Latin America, women shared that same sentiment, feeling that in the workplace men oftentimes hindered their access to money, opportunity and success.

    The "complete" woman likes men, but doesn't need them in the same way as before.  Along with all the good that the men bring to their lives, at home they are someone to manage, and at work they are competitors on a playing field that is still seen as uneven.  Women across the globe wish that the guys would be quicker to grasp and support the shift in women's roles.

    As for me, I can relate to "sometimes".  I dearly love my husband.  He's my best friend, and next week we will celebrate 30 years of marriage.  Sometimes I feel he's the greatest, most understanding husband in the universe. Sometimes I think he's not.  Sometimes he helps me make an important decision.  Sometimes he makes me even more confused.  Sometimes he totally supports what I want to do.  Sometimes he doesn't (I still don't have any chickens at the farm). Sometimes I want to spend all my time with him.  Sometimes I wish he'd take an extended vacation. . .alone.

    With all that said, here's another thing I know, without a doubt.  I know that I know that I know.  With him, I am so much more complete, and without him there would be a very large void in my life.

    As far as the men in the office, I can honestly say that. . .

    (You didn't think I was really going to go THERE, did you?)

    All of this has now made me so curious.  I wonder what we would learn if we were to ask men around the world what they want?  Would they say "women, sometimes"?