It's Not Where You Start, It's Where You Finish!: The Success Secrets of a Top Member of the Mary Kay Independent Sales Force

What Gillian Ortega writes is who she is. This wonderful young woman spells success with her openess, caring and Go-Give need to help anyone who wants to be more than average, not just in sales but life in general. She shares the importance of making everyone feel special and helps them realize that by following the advice shared in this book that they, too, can be a positive influence in the lives of others - family, friends and business contacts. Her story, and the real life stories of others bring home the importance of self-responsibility, integrity and a positive attitude. Keeping her priorities in order - God, Family and then career made her the success she is. We all can gain from this wonderful book. Words of advice are a dime a dozen, but shared knowledge backed by action are priceles. Thank you, Gillian for making time to write this book.

I'm reading this book and loved it! I am not finished yet! But what I have read is awesome. I read the other reviews and was slightly concerned that one bad review would overshadow the opportunity of others to find this book refreshing and inspirational. I hope you will read this book for yourself and enjoy the inspirational stories and let it inspire you in your own dreams those dreams may not be Mary Kay. They could be dreams of going back to school, starting a business of his own, or whatever your dreams and goals maybe.

Gillian has given every one who reads her book a dream of what life can be when you take charge of your life. Her stories of her life and how she has been impacted by so many are heart warming, inspirational and certainly give us a wonderful map to live and work by in our own lives. She has impacted countless womens lives and it is so very apparent that her life is run by integrity, the Golden Rule and lifting others up. I have had the privilege of being with Gillian on several occasions and this person that writes this book is the person that everyone should want to emulate. She shares who she is and how her life has been changed for the better in every aspect of this book. Isn't it great to know that she is a living example of faith, family and career. That is something everyone should want while making a difference for others. Her success ideas are sound principles and "It's Not Where You Start, It's Where You Finish" is an inspiration for anyone wanting to reach their own level of excellence. Thank you Gillian for being the person you are and encouraging anyone who has a dream in their heart to GO FOR IT!

Gillian presents a straight-forward, no-nonsense, inspiring message that will ignite your passion for developing your own American Dream. I have had the privilege of hearing Gillian speak and she is the real deal. She has shown through her own inspring story and the many stories of others (both inside and outside of the Mary Kay world) that with 10 Principles for Sales Success you can follow in the footsteps of some incredible people and reach your goals and dreams. A key principle in developing leadership qualities is to learn from the best people in the field - she has shown the path to success for many people and now you have the opportunity to discover for yourself that "It's not where you start, it's where you finish." I know after reading her book I am inspired even more to surround myself with positive people that have proven themselves worthy of their success.

18 years ago, I joined the world of Mary Kay. Many were skeptical - mostly, my husband, who then worked 12 hrs shifts, 7 days/week. His misery for his job affected the rest of his life. Thanks to the efforts I put into my Mary Kay business, he now is able to work 3 days/week for 12 hrs/each which counts for his 40 hrs and has started his own business so he is positioning himself for a meaningful life after retiring from the job he formerly hated. What I have learned from the Mary Kay organization helped raise my family to learn the meaning of COMMITMENT. I GAINED THE TIME to spend many years in God's word so I could truly live by the company's values of God 1st, Family 2nd, and Career 3rd. I was able to UTILIZE THE SKILLS learned from working with people to form a 2nd career that assists persons with disabilities and the elderly to remain living independently. Did I have times of struggles? YES Did I sometimes question what I was doing? YES Do I believe that God knows His plan for me? YES Mary Kay is an opportunity and for some it is the life-changing & financial opportunity of a lifetime (like Gillian)! It has been this for myself too. We may not have achieve the millionaire status that Gillian has, but we have been able to afford so much more than we would have ever been able to had I given in and given up. Yes...I am proud to be affiliated with Mary Kay!