What Madam C.J. Walker Can Teach Us About Entrepreneurial Grit
There are days when I wonder if I’m really cut out for this. The doubt creeps in, and I start thinking maybe I’m too late, too tired, too unsure to keep building the business I believe in. If you’ve ever felt that way—like you’re not “equipped” or “qualified” to pursue your dreams—I want you to hear this story.
How Entrepreneur Madam C.J. Walker Turned Struggle Into a Thriving Haircare Business and Became a Self-Made Millionaire
Sarah Breedlove, better known as Madam C.J. Walker, didn’t grow up with wealth or connections. She wasn’t handed anything. Born in 1867, just two years after slavery ended, she was the first in her family to be born free. Orphaned at age 7, she married at 14 to escape abuse and was widowed by 20 with a baby girl to raise on her own.
She worked as a laundress, scrubbing floors and washing clothes for other people, barely making enough to eat. She wasn’t living a dream—she was surviving. And yet, this determined Black woman in business kept imagining something more.
When she began to lose her hair due to a scalp condition—a struggle many Black women faced—she didn’t hide in shame. She got to work. Mixing formulas in her kitchen, asking questions, and testing products. That personal challenge became the spark for what would eventually grow into a thriving haircare business.
A Lasting Legacy for Women Entrepreneurs
Madam C.J. Walker built her line of products specifically for Black women, trained other women entrepreneurs, and opened beauty schools across the country. She empowered thousands of women to earn their own income at a time when opportunities were scarce. Madam C.J. Walker continues to be an inspiration for women entrepreneurs
“Don’t sit down and wait for the opportunities to come. Get up and make them.” — Madam C.J. Walker.
She became one of the first self-made female millionaires in America. Madam C.J. Walker didn’t wait until she felt ready. She started with what she had. And when I think about quitting, I think about her. Madam C.J. Walker continues to be an inspiration for women entrepreneurs today.
She became one of the first self-made female millionaires in America. Madam C.J. Walker didn’t wait until she felt ready. She started with what she had. And when I think about quitting, I think about her. Madam C.J. Walker continues to be an inspiration for women entrepreneurs today.
Her legacy didn’t fade with time—it evolved. Today, her name lives on through modern lines like Madam by Madam C.J. Walker, available at Walmart, and the earlier Madam C.J. Walker Beauty Culture, which launched in partnership with Sundial Brands and Sephora. These products continue to serve and empower Black women, just as she did over a century ago. Her story isn’t just history—it’s still growing.
So if you feel like you don’t have the right background, enough money, or a perfect plan—remember: She didn’t either.
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