If first impressions matter as much as conventional wisdom suggests, Melanie Abernathy knows how to show up in style.
The Mount Holly (North Carolina) woman has been driving around Gaston County for years in pearl-tinted pink Cadillacs. On Tuesday, she and her husband, Jeff, pulled the pink covers off her fourth such machine at McKenney Chevrolet Cadillac Buick GMC in Lowell.
She then enthusiastically climbed inside the 2018 Cadillac XT5 SUV, stood so she popped out its sunroof, and posed for photos with members of her Mary Kay family.
“It’s just a great perk of doing a good job,” said Abernathy, a senior sales director for Mary Kay who oversees a team of 105 salespeople.
The company cars are rewards for reaching sales goals. Over her 27 years working for Mary Kay, Abernathy has driven 11 different signature pink cars, including BMWs and Pontiacs – all leased by the cosmetics giant.
“I have not had a car payment in 16 years,” Abernathy said.
The Cadillacs, she said, are the “trophy on wheels” of Mary Kay cars. In order to qualify, her team has to sell $34,000 in skincare products for six consecutive months. Every two years, the company reassess.
The other team members don’t get luxury vehicles,