Seen a little pink car in town lately? Mary Kay independent sales director Ann-Louise Stonestreet has recently been seen in Nyngan, Bourke and Cobar in her pink company car and has been announced as the current winner of the Orana Regional Business Excellence Award for Best Home-based Business.

This regional award recognises excellence in a home-based business in the Orana region that displays outstanding entrepreneurship and management skills.

The award encompasses entries from nine shires between Mudgee and Bourke.

Mrs Stonestreet says she is thrilled that her business has been recognised and considers it an honor she shares with other Mary Kay beauty consultants and her clients.

“I believe it is imperative in a rural area to emphasise that geographical distance does not mean social or business isolation,” Mrs Stonestreet said.

“Western NSW is a fabulous place to live, work and raise a family because of its forward thinking and friendly people.”

Mrs Stonestreet’s Mary Kay career began as the result of the severe drought which acutely affected the family’s 4000-acre farming property 20km south west of Narromine. When making her decision to go back into the workforce it was important for her to protect the priviledge of raising her children and continue to be available as the ‘farm slave’ - preserving her family’s farming way of life.

“Like many women, having a young family, working on the farm and being out of the workforce for many years, the jobs available were limited,” she said.

“Having flexibility, independence and control over my work schedule is crucial for our situation.

“My Mary Kay business fulfils all our priorities for our family and time constraints whilst providing the financial security no other job could offer.

“My business also presents me with the vehicle to make a positive difference to other rural women. I found the free education and ongoing training extraordinary and the pink car is an incredible added bonus.

“I love that it is a people-based and teaching-oriented business, introducing premium beauty and skincare products to women in the comfort of their own homes, teaching them how to use these products for both appearance and attitude-related benefits. It’s about boosting self-esteem, building self-worth and restoring confidence as well as looking and feeling gorgeous. It is so true - ‘If mumma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy!’ And I get to make a lot of women happy.