Dolly Metzger had to look no further than her daughter to reach a career goal.

The 41-year-old single mom from Post Falls was given keys Thursday to a pearlized pink Cadillac CTS, an iconic symbol of success and the most coveted incentive awarded by the Mary Kay beauty products firm.

"I wanted to show my daughter that if you set a goal, you can achieve what you want to if you work hard at it," Metzger said prior to receiving the car at George Gee Cadillac in Coeur d'Alene. "That was my driving force."

Metzger said when her 14-year-old daughter, Ruthie, left for school earlier this year, the last thing she told Metzger was to keep striving to reach the pink Cadillac pinnacle.

"Her last words to me were, 'This is it, mom,'" Metzger said.

The Mary Kay independent sales director said she was proud to report to Ruthie when she returned that the mission had been accomplished.

"This is a huge deal to me," Metzger said. "It's also the symbol of hard work for my entire unit."

While the pink Cadillac is synonymous with Mary Kay, earning the coveted car is difficult.

Since 1969, Mary Kay has offered a Career Car Program as a sales incentive. In addition to the pink Cadillac, a black BMW 320i, black Chevy Equinox crossover, black Toyota Camry and white Chevy Cruze are offered.

There are more than 3 million Mary Kay consultants worldwide. Currently there are 6,032 Mary Kay career cars on the road nationwide with 1,318 of those being the coveted pink Cadillac. Metzger said she's aware of only one other Mary Kay pink Cadillac in North Idaho.

For the director to earn a pink Cadillac, the sales unit must have an average of $16,000 in sales per month for six months.

Mary Kay will lease the car for Metzger for two years and pay for 85 percent of the insurance for two drivers. At the end of the two years, Metzger will receive another new pink Cadillac as long as she stays active with the company and sales don't plummet.

Metzger, who has been selling Mary Kay products for nearly 11 years, will be able to use the vehicle for both personal and business use.

"This is my car to do everything in," she said.

The pink Cadillac is Metzger's fifth Mary Kay vehicle.

Selling Mary Kay products was far from Metzger's mind earlier in her life. She said she didn't wear makeup much as a teen and was "super shy."

"I had a lot of reasons to not be involved with it," she said.

Metzger has a degree as a chef and moved to North Idaho to pursue a job with the former Tidyman's grocery store, which folded soon thereafter.

"I moved up here (from California) for a different life for my daughter and a better upbringing," she said.

After her job with Tidyman's ended, she turned to Mary Kay for a part-time job at first. However, as she realized the advantages of a flexible schedule for a single mom, it became Metzger's full-time focus.

"It was a whole new learning curve for me," she said. "But working from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. is not what I wanted for my daughter."

As Metzger began to build her business, the pink Cadillac became a goal.

"The first thing that people ask you when they find out that you work for Mary Kay is if you drive a pink Cadillac," she said.

Metzger said the recession actually helped the sales of her unit. She said sales went up at least 40 percent, which is typical during a sluggish economy.

Cosmetics, she said, can be a "quick fix to make you feel better when times are bad."

"People want to make sure their best face is forward (during a recession)," she said.

Skin care, not just makeup, is a key to the company's success, Metzger said.

"Not everybody wears makeup, but everybody washes their face," she said.

Metzger believes Ruthie will dabble in Mary Kay, especially to earn some money during college. She hopes the pink Cadillac shows her daughter that hard work and perseverance pay.

"It gives her the idea that anything is possible," Metzger said.