Sarah got married at the age of 14 to escape abuse from her older sister’s husband. Her husband would later pass on just two years after she had her daughter Leila. She remarried and left the marriage after nine years, and then remarried three years after to Charles Joseph Walker, a newspaper advertising salesman. It was through the marriage she became madam C.J. Walker. But her new name would not have entered Guinness Book of Record if she didn’t launch her own hair treatment products.

She was a laundress, earning barely more than a dollar, but she had the determination to provide her daughter with formal education that she didn’t have. According to the limited series on Netflix, after she was rejected as a commission sales agent by Annie Malone, a manufacturer of hair care products, Madam C.J. Walker decided to launch her own brand of product line. And she went door-to-door selling her products.  Although she went through series of challenges; her kitchen-turned-factory got burnt, she was rejected by potential investors, plus dealing with Annie Malone, her biggest rival. Without giving up, Madam C.J. Walker eventually built an empire and left behind a legacy for her daughter and adopted daughter. Here are the business lessons from the series, Self-Made: The Life of Madam C.J. Walker

·      Have an idea that you passionately want to turn into a business.

·      Sell your story, not just the product or service

·      Be very passionate about your business enterprise

·      Don’t allow rivals to push you around, fight back; fight hard

·      When it becomes necessary, find investors

·      Build a team who are willing to go all out for you, but be prepared for surprises

·      Use every single network you have to sell your business

·      Have the back of your employees, and protect them

·      Partnership is a good thing, but make such it aligns with your vision

·      Empower people when you can

·      Build a legacy

·      Take care of your health

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