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Math at Work Monday: Tina the Executive Director with Mary Kay Cosmetics

You have more than likely heard of Mary Kay Cosmetics.  Tina Frantz, is an Executive Senior Sales Director with Mary Kay Cosmetics.  When she  started with Mary Kay, I am sure she had no idea how much math was going to be involved.  Read on to see how math plays a really big part!  

Can you explain what you do for a living? 

I sell Mary Kay products to people all over the United States.  Other aspects of my job include mentoring other women in the business, teaching them skills to build a successful Mary Kay business including time management skills, business management, money management, emotional management, and other skills specific to the field of buying and selling these products. I also teachcustomers and consultants how to apply cosmetics to themselves and how to take great care of their skin. I oversee the efforts of 900+ women in Mary Kay.  Then, I directly teach and coach over 200+ women and men.

When do you use basic math in your job?

I use math every day in my field. Specifically, when I am calculating sales and tax.  Simple addition and subtraction is key. Calculating sales tax using percentages is a daily application. On a larger scale, we use math to set goals and break down goals, using averages and numbers all the time. For example, we know that the AVERAGE skin care party will retail around $275.00. We also know that we profit 50 percent of everything we sell. So, if we want to make an average of $400 in profit per week, we should hold about three parties per week. We also know that the average hold rate is 50 percentage. So, to hold three parties, we need to book six parties.

Also, calculating my paycheck is really fun too. I use percentages a lot for that as well. We make 50 percent off everything we sell, but we also make a percentage on what our team sells. That percentage changes depending on the number of people on our team. So, math is very useful and helpful for those purposes as well.

I also track all of my totals to determine what I need to do differently or where my focus needs to be for the next week or month. We are always tracking how many faces we do as a whole group, how much product we sell, and how many people are starting new businesses with us. This helps us to see what we may need to improve on or what we are doing well.

Do you use any technology (like calculators or computers) to help with this math?

I use calculators to determine the percentages and when calculating sales tax. I also use a calculator for calculating my check when the numbers aren’t easy, especially when building a team and adding the sales of the team. However, finding 50 percent is easy because it’s just half of whatever the total number is.

A series of studies over a long period of time determined the averages that I use. I am always tracking numbers daily and weekly to see if theses averages stay true. I track my numbers using a spreadsheet on a computer or tablet.

How do you think math helps you do your job better?

Using math and numbers in my career helps me focus on what makes money. It also helps me to focus on the reality of the effort I am putting into the business, instead of the feelings I may be having about it. Math puts things in black and white. So, if I are feeling frustrated about my results, I can look at my activity and then see that it’s no surprise why the results are the way that they are.  Also, I can see how I can increase without being frustrated. It helps me see where our efforts need to be each month. It also helps goals seem more attainable. Mary Kay always said, “You can’t eat an elephant whole, but you can eat it piece by piece.” By breaking down numbers, I can see how truly attainable a “bigger” goal is.

How comfortable with math do you feel? 

I feel very comfortable with the math at work. I have not always felt that way. I have had great training and education specifically on how to use this math at work so my comfort level is very high.

What kind of math did you take in high school?

I got through calculus in high school and college. I was not comfortable with it and still don’t feel comfortable with all forms of math. I always felt that I was good at it until my junior year when taking pre-calc. After that, I lost a lot of interest.

Did you have to learn new skills in order to do the math you use in your job?

It was something that I picked up with the skills I obtained in school. However, there were a few times when I needed help. But now, I feel like a PRO! 🙂

There is a lot to this job, right?  I find it inspiring!  Tina uses a great deal of math to get her products in the hands of customers. If you would like to know more about Tina’s job, let me know and I will connect you with her.

Photo Credit: pumpkincat210 via Compfight cc

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In Math at Work Monday

Math at Work Monday: Chappy the fitness coach

Raise your hand if you’re trying to get in shape for swimsuit season or a wedding? (I’m raising my hand!) May is prime time for folks to either get more serious about fitness or fall off the wagon. But fitness coaches like Chappy Callanta can help us stay focused to the very end — and then keep toned and slender. His gym in the Phillippines, 360 Fitness Club, not only offers expertise but equipment and classes, too. And — you guessed it — Chappy uses math. Here’s how.

Can you explain what you do for a living?

I develop strength and conditioning as well as general fitness programs for my gym. It involves a lot of research, a lot of experimentation and of course a lot of exercise. I also train teams and personal clients. I help them lose weight, get stronger, achieve a specific goal like running a marathon or even manage special conditions. I also write for Yahoo Philippines as their resident fitness blogger, and I maintain my own blog. My passion is fitness and wellness, and my mission is to spread the good word of being healthy to as many people as I can.

When do you use basic math in your job?

All the time actually. I use math when we compute for ideal weights of clients, find the right training load, or determine the number of calories one needs to consume to achieve a weight loss goal. I use math whenever I design programs for my clients. One specific situation when I use simple math would be when dealing with a weight loss client. One pound of fat is 3,500 calories. If you want to lose weight at a rate of 1 pound of week (which is doable and not too hard), you will have to create a deficit of 3,500 calories per week. I present this to a client and break down how she will be able to do it. We divide it by 7 because there’s 7 days in a week. Then we divide it by 2 because you want to lose weight through exercise and diet. That leaves you with 250 calories that you have to lose via exercise, and 250 calories through your diet. We’re just subtracting 250 calories per day from her regular diet and adding 250 calories worth of exercise per day. We compute for this using the MET system (metabolic equivalent of tasks) which takes into account the weight of a person and multiply it to the corresponding MET value of a specific activity.

Calories Burned ÷ hour = Weight in KG • MET value

For example, I weigh 80kg. The MET value for jumping rope is 10Mets. So if I skip rope for 1 hour I will lose 800 calories. That means if I want to lose 250 calories, the equation is:

Time = 250 cal ÷ (800 cal ÷ 60) = 18.75 minutes

Do you use any technology (like calculators or computers) to help with this math?

I usually don’t since I’m so used to it already. I write it down though on paper while I’m computing it so my clients see how the math works.

How do you think math helps you do your job better?

It helps me to explain how the body works and how easy it is to lose or gain weight by using basic math and applying it to food and exercise. I believe that every trainer should practice mental math, so it’s easier to compute for the right training volume and intensity, as well as using the right load for each exercise.

How comfortable with math do you feel?

I’m relatively comfortable with basic math. There really isn’t much calculus involved in my line of work. Most of it is basic arithmetic and operations. Geometry is also important when analyzing sports and the optimal angles of the joints for a specific activity.  Research shows how the ankles, knees, and hips should be angled for example when diving off the high dive. It’s useful information and it’s pretty cool also.

What kind of math did you take in high school?

I took Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry and Calculus. I enjoyed it until we got to calculus. My grades showed that I was good at it but I enjoyed Geometry the most.

Did you have to learn new skills in order to do the math you use in your job?

It was something that I already knew but I felt that I needed to practice it more. I practiced the equations and mental math with my clients so that today, I’m confident that I can do basic operations off the top of my head.

Do you have questions for Chappy? Feel free to ask in the comments section, and I’ll let him know. Also, take a look at his blog, which features great, inspirational tips. 

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In Math at Work Monday

Math at Work Monday: Greg the weightlifting coach

I’m of the age when I should be lifting weights — to help manage my increasingly decreasing metabolism and ward off bone density loss. And actually, I like strength training. But not as much as Greg Everett, founder of Catalyst Athletics and Olympic-style weightlifting coach. The author of  Olympic Weightlifting for Sports, Greg is considered an expert on this sport, which requires quite a bit of calculations. Take a look.

Can you explain what you do for a living? 

As a coach for my competitive weightlifting team, most of my time is spent creating training programs for my weightlifters and coaching them during their daily training. I also write and edit books, as well as program our website.

When do you use basic math in your job?  

I use math every day. Most commonly, I use it to calculate training weights based on percentages of a lifter’s maximum lift, or to calculate a percentage based on the weight used. I also have to convert pounds to kilograms often; the sport of weightlifting uses kilograms officially, but sometimes individuals only know weights in pounds. During program design, I also use math to calculate other figures like volume (in this case, the number of repetitions performed in a given time period) to allow me to track and plan a lifter’s training. And of course, I have to be able to add the weights on the barbell quickly to know what a lifter is lifting. In weightlifting, weight plates are color coded to make this easier.

Do you use any technology to help with this math?

I do use a calculator frequently during program design for calculating percentages because I need it to be accurate. Calculations of volume are done with functions in the Excel spreadsheets I use to write programs. I normally do pound/kilo conversions in my head as much as possible just for the sake of practice.

How do you think math helps you do your job better?

Understanding some fundamental math concepts allows me to design better training programs and develop my weightlifters more successfully. Without math, there would be too much guesswork, and training athletes to high levels of performance requires accuracy.

How comfortable with math do you feel?  

I didn’t particularly enjoy math as a student, although I never struggled with it. I’m comfortable with the math I use frequently in my work and am fairly comfortable with basic algebra, geometry and the like. I feel like I have the math tools to be able to solve problems in life well, but certainly any more complex math I learned as a student has been forgotten simply because I don’t use it often enough.

What kind of math did you take in high school?  

Just the standard algebra and geometry; I didn’t take any advanced math courses in high school and was an English major in college. I felt that I was good at math to the degree that I was interested. That is, I never struggled with the concepts or the execution, but I also didn’t push myself beyond what I needed to learn. In retrospect, I wish I had put more time and effort into math and the sciences in school to build a better foundation.

Did you have to learn new skills in order to do the math you use in your job? 

I didn’t need to learn anything new for my job; what I learned in school was adequate. As I mentioned previously, I wish now that I had more exposure to more advanced math and science as a young student. At that time, I wasn’t interested enough to pursue it beyond basic requirements, but at that age you can’t predict well what you’ll end up doing in life. My advice to students would be to put as much time and effort into your schooling as possible because that time will be your greatest opportunity to learn. You can certainly regret not knowing enough, but you’ll never regret knowing more than you need.

Even jocks use math! Do you use math in your exercise program? Share your experiences in the comments sections — along with any questions you have for Greg. I’ll ask him to swing by and respond!

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In Math at Work Monday

Math at Work Monday: Janine the professional organizer

Either A&E Television is super smart or I’m easily manipulated.  On January 1, the cable channel ran a marathon of Hoarders, the documentary-style television program that shows extreme hoarders getting help to deal with their illness and their (often disgustingly) cluttered and dirty homes.

I watched several episodes.

Let’s get one thing straight: I am not a hoarder.  But like most folks, I do have a clutter problem.  Hoarders makes me feel better about my own issues, while learning a bit about how to let go of material things.  And besides, professional organizing has always been a fascinating career.  The process of helping someone get organized — their spaces, their collections, their time! — is akin to waving a magic wand.

Getting organized is one of the most common New Years resolutions, so I’ve invited professional organizer Janine Adams, who owns Peace of Mind Organizing in St. Louis, Missouri.  Not surprisingly, she uses math in her work.  Here’s how.

What do you do for a living? 

I help people create order in their homes and their lives. I specialize in working with folks who are overwhelmed by clutter and for whom getting organized is a lifelong challenge. Though no two clients are alike, I typically help in the area of decluttering, then creating systems to help people function smoothly in their homes. My special skill is in gently guiding people who have a special relationship with their things so that they can let go of stuff and feel okay about it.

When do you use basic math in your job?

When someone has too much stuff to fit into their space, we sometimes have to figure out what percentage of their things they might need to part with in order to be able to store everything. So the client might agree that he or she needs to part with three of a particular type of item for every one kept, for example. When creating storage systems, I typically try to subdivide spaces using bins, so I use simple math to figure out how many bins will fit on a shelf, for example. When working with clients on creating habits and routines and time management, we break down the day into small increments and try to figure how long things will take and what can actually get done in a given amount of time.

Some organizers do a lot more space planning than I do (I’m spatially challenged, so I don’t do space planning). I imagine they use more complicated math!

professional organizer

On the financial side of my business, I use math all the time, calculating my fees (I typically charge by the hour) as well as in calculating what I owe my subcontractors. I pay sales tax on any items I buy wholesale, but sometimes I round up or down to a whole number when I’m charging the client. Then, for bookkeeping purposes, I have to calculate the base price and the sales tax on it so that they equal the whole number.

Do you use any technology to help with this math?

I use the calculator on my iPod to check my math when I’m calculating what I’m owed (or owe subcontractors). I want to make sure I get it right. I also use a calculator when I’m figuring out sales tax. I use Quickbooks to help me with my bookkeeping and appreciate its math functionality.

How do you think math helps you do your job better?

If I didn’t know how to do basic math, I wouldn’t be able to run a business. I think it’s that simple. I feel like I’m constantly calculating fees, expenses, time available. Math is essential!

How comfortable with math do you feel?

This is very basic math. I’m comfortable with it!

What kind of math did you take in high school?

I was in an accelerated math program, but stopped at second year algebra, in 10th grade, because I didn’t enjoy it very much, to be honest. But I felt pretty good at it. I also took accounting classes, which have helped me in my two businesses (writing and organizing) and with home finances. What’s interesting to me is that I’m much better at basic math (the kind I use in every day life) than my husband is and he majored in applied mathematics in college.

Do you have questions for Janine?  Ask them in the comments section.  And be sure to come back on Wednesday and Friday.  I’ll show you exactly how you can use math to help yourself get organized.

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In Holidays

Math at Work Monday: Elana the personal shopper

On the whole, I don’t like shopping.  But I do like shopping for Christmas gifts. Still, at around this time of year, I’m about ready to hand over my list to someone else — say a personal shopper?  And if she can help me find that perfect outfit for Saturday night’s holiday party?  Even better.

Meet Elana Pruitt, a personal shopper in the L.A. area of California.  Elana isn’t just a shopper.  She helps her clients figure out what they need and how to find it. She also writes about fashion at her blog, Good Girl Gone Shopping. Here’s how she uses math in her job.

Can you explain what you do for a living?  

I am a personal shopper and wardrobe consultant. My day-to-day schedule is never the same because the services I carry out are based on the every individual’s needs. I am committed to helping men and women find quality fashion not just for affordable cost, but at their specific budget. My job entails a variety of duties for my clients: re-organizing closets, styling new outfits using the clothes they already own to prove the versatility of their wardrobe, shopping with (or without) the client at particular stores or online, styling new purchases with their existing wardrobe after a shopping trip, and conducting online research.

Although my services are affordable, I realize that hiring a personal shopper and wardrobe consultant is a luxury. So the other half of my job entails writing about fashion. On my blog, Good Girl Gone Shopping, I provide helpful information about shopping and fashion, with references to our culture, entertainment, and the celebrity phenomenon.

When do you use basic math in your job?  

I’ve never been asked this question before – it’s a good one! In thinking about how I incorporate math into my job, I realize that I use it frequently. From counting items in a client’s closet to calculating my gas mileage for a shopping trip to scheduling appointments throughout the month. Everything I do involves the basics of math: addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and percentages. Most of the time, I don’t consciously think about the fact that math is a natural, necessary, and unavoidable component of my business. The main time when I am aware that I am using math is when there is a transaction of sorts. I charge hourly rates and a commission percentage of purchases, which needs to be clearly defined to the client. In addition, I sell advertising space on my Good Girl Gone Shopping blog. This also needs to be clearly structured for the client to understand (ads can be sold on a 6-month basis or yearly). Those two specific situations are when I am so happy I paid attention in math class throughout college!

Do you use any technology to help with this math?  

I am usually old school – I use a good ol’ pencil and paper most of the time. Then to double check my work, I use the calculator either on my computer or from my phone.

How do you think math helps you do your job better?

For my job, it’s not that it makes it better – it’s just a part of it. Math is that essential to my work as a personal shopper, wardrobe consultant, and fashion blogger.

How comfortable with math do you feel?  

Basic math is second nature to me. Algebraic formulas take more effort. But fortunately, I’m doing something right, because I am able to successfully see my job through, from the consultation with the client to follow-up communication after my service with him or her is complete.  Overall, I feel comfortable with math…basic math.

What kind of math did you take in high school?  

I took Pre-Algebra, Algebra, and Geometry. I do recall struggling with Geometry. I have always respected those who excel in the study of math, because it requires such analytical thinking. I hate to say I wasn’t good at it, but let’s just say I would never choose to enter that field!

Did you have to learn new skills in order to do the math you use in your job? 

The skills I use now are pretty much standard. Students everywhere need to erase this thought from their brain, “I don’t know why I’m taking this class, I won’t need it in the real world when I grow up!” The journey throughout adulthood can be amazing if you are knowledgeable and skilled in a multitude of areas. Never say never!

Have you ever wondered how personal shopping works? Now’s your chance to ask Elana.  Post your question in the comments section!

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In Math at Work Monday

Math at Work Monday: Nikki the hair stylist

If you’re even the least bit vain, like I am, you know that finding a talented hair stylist is worth its weight in gold.  Like many other careers, that talent is part science and part art, as Nikki Verdecchia of NV Salon Collective in Baltimore can attest.  Nikki is an award-winning stylist who opened her own salon a few years ago.  Now, along with figuring the ratios for a custom color, she also does a lot of business math.  

Meet Nikki!

For Honfest, Nikki gives a young girl a traditional Baltimore beehive.

What kinds of things do you do each day at work?  I am a hair stylist and salon owner.  My job as a hair stylist on a daily basis is to make people look and feel their best.  As a salon owner I have to make sure that the business is running smoothly and that there is more money coming into the bank than there is going out.

When do you use basic math in your job?  As a salon owner I use simple addition and subtraction to make sure the salon’s income supports the checks I write each month.  I also need math for payroll.  For this I use percentages since our stylists are paid a commission, or a percentage of the money they bring into the salon.

As a hair stylist, I use fractions to mix custom color formulas for our clients.  In order to make each formula special, we mix color tones together in 2 ounce formulations to create unique looks.  For instance, I may use 1 oz of dark golden blonde, 1/2 oz of dark neutral blonde, and 1/2 oz of light golden blonde to create a warm, buttery blonde for a client.

Nikki is also a makeup artist and works closely with Baltimore’s most notable burlesque duo, Trixie Little and the Evil Hate Monkey

Do you use any technology to help with this math?  As a business owner, all of those tasks are done using computers and calculators so that I have records of everything I do.  Since I am often dealing with large numbers, it makes my job easier to use technology.  As a stylist I am a creative person first and foremost, and the computations I do to mix color are done with mental math.

How do you think math helps you do your job better?  I would never get the paychecks right or be able to create beautiful color without math!  It keeps me consistent.

How comfortable with math do you feel?  I have always been comfortable using math to create hair color.  When I opened my business and had to start using math more often I was very uncomfortable and sure that I wouldn’t be able to do it well.  I have surprised myself that I am much better at it than I ever thought I was.  Technology definitely makes it so much easier!

What kind of math did you take in high school?  I took algebra, geometry and calculus in high school.  My grades in those classes were dramatically lower than language-based classes that I took.   I never liked math before, but every time I balance my check book to the penny at the end of the month I get this secret thrill that I have managed to overcome a fear I had and learn how to perform a new task that I never thought I could do well.

Did you have to learn new skills in order to do this math? Most of the math I do every day is so simple that I’m sure I learned it in grade school.

Questions for Nikki?  Please post them below, and I’ll make sure she sees them.

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In Math at Work Monday

Math at Work Monday: Robert the personal trainer

What does it mean to be an exercise physiologist?

I do exercise testing and personal training at a large, new, state-of-the-art fitness center. The two main tests I conduct are a resting metabolic-rate test, which tells you how many calories your body typically burns at rest (then you can, hopefully, figure out how many you should consume!); and cardiovascular tests, which reveal how cardiovascularly fit you are. Using those results, you can work at the right heart-rate zone to burn fat. I also do strength and flexibility assessments.

And clearly, this requires some mathematical calculations.

I do a little math everyday. Sometimes I’m converting meters to feet or miles. I work a lot with percentages, particularly heart rate percents. Often, I put some raw data into a computer program to get those percentages. Other times it is on the fly with a calculator, always with a calculator. I work with percentages of heart rates for training goals or with disease management cases. I also work in terms of percentages of fat, to weight, and to muscle. Once in a while a computer program doesn’t work and I have to do some algebraic equations by hand, old school. I don’t remember the formulas so I have to look them up.

How do you think math helps you do your job better?

Exercise science is a science, and it should be precise. I measure fitness levels (body composition, strength, flexibility and cardiovascular), prescribe exercise, and try to help clients achieve a certain percent increase in one thing, or a certain percent drop in another, and then measure again. If I get these things wrong, clients are less likely to see results, and in my job, I need to produce results.

How comfortable with math do you feel?

The math I do now I feel comfortable with. I know the basics well. When you throw out numbers to people, when you know numbers, people tend to listen more. When I’m presenting to my department head I always double-check my math.

What kind of math did you take in high school?

I was awful in Algebra. I had to work three times harder than everyone else just to get by. After the basics, math made little sense until I got to study stats in grad school. I found some more purpose in it.

Did you have to learn new skills in order to do this math?

Most of the math that I use at work or shopping at Costco I learned in school.

Want to know more about the math involved in fitness and nutrition? Check out my book Math for Grownups, which will be out on July 18!  And if you know of anyone who uses math in surprising ways in their work, please let me know.

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