The Power of Prioritizing Others
Though he never worked with her directly, Nathan Moore was deeply impacted by Mary Kay Ash and the values she imparted into her namesake business. As a teenager, his friend’s father worked directly for Mary Kay Ash and spoke highly of her—as a person, leader and co-worker.
Nathan remembered that positive impression when he was presented with the opportunity to leave one of his first legal positions and join Mary Kay. He joined the company in 1995 as a young staff attorney, but gradually shifted to working with the independent sales force—a move that would permanently define his career. His perspectives on work, leadership and impact expanded dramatically as he became deeply immersed in the field—what he found to be “the best part of the business.”
Called to Serve Others
“When I started my career at Mary Kay in my twenties, it was about me and what I could achieve,” Nathan shared. “The longer I worked here and engaged with the sales force, the more I began to experience a true joy for the work being done. I learned a valuable lesson from Mary Kay Ash: the importance of prioritizing others. Unlike conventional business teachings, Mary Kay’s emphasis on others’ success stood out to me. It wasn’t something typically taught in business school. By shifting the focus from oneself to others on the team, I witnessed greater success.”
From his early roles in the legal division of Mary Kay, Nathan grew in responsibility to eventually serve in a series of expanding leadership roles, including Chief Legal Officer and Region President of North America. Since 2017, he’s led sales and marketing for all Mary Kay’s markets across the world as President, Global Sales and Marketing. His three decades of leadership at Mary Kay have equipped him to serve the direct selling industry in leadership as well, inspiring his work with both the Direct Selling Educational Foundation and the Direct Selling Association itself.
Enriching Lives, Empowering People
He’s experienced both the industry’s evolution and that of Mary Kay, but in all that’s changed he believes the mission and values that have grounded Mary Kay’s success over six decades have remained the same.
“At Mary Kay, much has changed, but our mission has remained constant,” he said. “I think that is also true of our industry. We go by: ‘Stay true to who you are but challenge how you do who you are.’ A key to Mary Kay’s 60 years of success has been in embracing technology while never wavering from who we are at our core. We’ve stayed laser-focused on our mission—Enriching Women’s Lives. I absolutely love how our industry impacts lives. I tell my team frequently that we all should be grateful to have such meaningful work. The decisions we make can greatly influence the lives of our Independent Beauty Consultants and their families! I’ve seen and heard personal stories of life-changing, family-tree altering experiences.”
Paying It Forward
Whether he’s inspiring the leaders on his team, those in the broader industry or his own children, Nathan leans on the wisdom that guided Mary Kay Ash’s personal leadership style. He’s seen how empowering others has as much impact on the leader as it does on the people he serves.
“As my team and responsibilities grew, I remained committed to ensuring their success, however they defined it,” he explained. “This principle is something I’ve passed on to my sons embarking on their careers. I believe that prioritizing and empowering others is crucial for individual and collective team success.”
As a new generation of direct selling leaders steps up to guide the industry in a new chapter, Nathan encourages them to hold fast to Mary Kay’s focus on others’ success over your own. And his experience has taught him that this happens best when leaders are actively in tune and connected to the people they serve.
“At an industry event very early in my career, I heard the great Rich DeVos from Amway say that there is no substitute for being in the field,” he shared. “And I couldn’t agree more. Actively seek every opportunity to engage with the sales force and offer your assistance wherever possible. Regardless of your position within an organization, find a way to immerse yourself in front-line interactions with the sales force, work or even volunteer to help with sales force events. You will gain invaluable insights; develop meaningful relationships; and learn what the business is all about.”
Congratulations to Nathan on his well-deserved Bravo Excellence Award. We’re honored to celebrate his success, his legacy and the impact his leadership has had on our industry.
From the June 2024 issue of Direct Selling News magazine.
