Doris Vandercook of Mackinaw City holds an Avon doll next to her doll collection. The dolls were only available to the company's employees who reached a sales quota each year. Overcoming an early fear of public speaking was the first step Doris Vandercook of Mackinaw City learned to take on her path to a 50-year career in sales. Today, after 40 years as a saleswoman with the same company, Avon cosmetics, Mrs. Vandercook has amassed a collection of 3,000 of the company's signature bottles and a cabinet full of dolls awarded as sales incentives. Far from being a fearful public speaker now, Mrs. Vandercook can often be seen socializing with friends and newcomers to town from the seat of her motorized scooter. She frequently drives around Mackinaw City on her scooter, speaking to whomever she meets.

"I meet a lot of people that way," she said.

More than anything, she said, socializing with potential clients is critical to her success.

"If you do a job, do it right or don't do it at all. You have to put love in it," Mrs. Vandercook said.

After Mrs. Vandercook became a Girl Scout Leader for her two daughters, Nancy and Judy, in 1958, she learned to overcome some of her fears of speaking before groups, and she took a sales job with the Minnesota Woolen Company. The job enabled her to spend time with her children.

For almost 10 years, Mrs. Vandercook sold clothing for the company, honing her public speaking and sales abilities. When the job began to extend to sales in distant locations like Detroit, and often required her to carry around a dozen suitcases filled with products, she left the company and went on to join the cosmetics firm in 1969.

She proved herself to be an excellent sales representative. Exclusive dolls were earned by top salespeople who sold more than $5,000 worth of products each year, and Mrs. Vandercook earned enough to fill a cabinet.

"They said I could sell an ice cube to an Eskimo," she said.

Her hobby of collecting Avon perfume bottles led her to become the president of the Royal Orb Avon Collector's Club. The club often went to conventions together, where she purchased more bottles, and she met many more new friends.

"I'm very, very blessed with friends," she said.

Her collection became so large her husband, Robert, placed a shelf space limit on it when Avon began selling bottles in other countries. Today, her collection has reached more than 3,000 bottles, which she displays in her home.

Mrs. Vandercook enjoys other hobbies, too. She loves cooking, and catered her daughters' weddings that hosted more than 200 guests.