7. Madam C. J. Walker Didn’t Start Her Business Until Later In Life
While today’s startups are often thought of as being run by young entrepreneurs, Madam C. J. Walker didn’t get her start until she was 38, already a mother and on her third marriage. In all ways, she defied the expectations of what an entrepreneur should be. She first started her business after leaving her position as a saleswoman at Anne Malone’s company, which also sold hair care products to Black women.
The combination of decades of problems with her own scalp and hair, a falling out with Anne Malone, and the marketing experience of her third husband, Charles Joseph Walker, created a perfect storm for an immensely successful business. In the first year of her business, Walker went on an incredibly extensive driving tour through the US South and Southeast, visiting predominantly Black areas to provide demonstrations and samples of her hair care products.
Walker claimed that the inspiration for her first product, the Wonderful Hair Grower, came to her in a dream. Anne Malone seemed to disagree, as she immediately began trademarking her products, including her Wonderful Hair Grower, under the name Poro to prevent infringement and illegal competition. It is believed that Walker and Malone never reconciled after their falling out and the massive success of Walker’s competing business venture.