What Self Made, Movie Inspired by The Life of Madam C.J. Walker’ll Teach Business Owners

The movie is a fictionalized retelling of the inspiring life of Madam C.J. Walker, a black hair care pioneers and mogul who went from being a washerwoman to building a beauty empire and becoming the first self-made female millionaire in America.

Self-Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C. J. Walker is an American drama streaming television limited series, based on the biography On Her Own Ground by A’Lelia Bundles, that premiered on March 20, 2020, on Netflix

The movie is a fictionalized retelling of the inspiring life of Madam C.J. Walker, a black hair care pioneers and mogul who went from being a washerwoman to building a beauty empire and becoming the first self-made female millionaire in America.

YOU CAN ALSO READ: How AfDB, FG’s $618million Investment in Digital Enterprise’ll Drive Economic Growth

It touches on familiar struggles faced by women, such as image insecurity, work-life balance, funding challenges, harassment, rivalry, and societal expectations. The film offers valuable business lessons, which we have compiled to inspire entrepreneurs:

1. Learn to sell, even in unconventional ways, and remember that people don’t buy products, they buy a better life.

Whether you’re an introverted or extroverted entrepreneur, it’s important to learn sales tactics, even if they may not always be conventional. It’s important to grab the customer’s attention and show them how your product can enhance their life. Be prepared to pitch your product anywhere and everywhere.

Remember, customers aren’t just buying a product, they’re buying an improved lifestyle.

2. Share your story passionately, as it can connect with your target audience.

Although the story of why you started your business or career may sound common, if it’s fueled by your passion, it will resonate with your audience and target market. It’s important to draw them in and show them why they need and will love your product or service. Crafting a compelling story is crucial, so continue to refine and perfect it.

3. Have a clear and ambitious vision, and constantly strive to achieve bigger milestones.

Merely having a vision isn’t sufficient. You must continuously refine and improve it, and consider the practical steps needed to achieve it. The most important aspect is to ignite your passion for it every day.

YOU CAN ALSO READ: Ezekwesili Seeks Effective Policies, Governance for Economic Growth

Madam CJ Walker always kept her vision at the forefront of her mind. At each milestone, she aimed for an even greater achievement, regardless of her current circumstances. She even had vivid visions of her future factory layout before securing any investors. It was as if she had a mental vision board that guided her towards her next major step, and in her dreams, she saw herself already there.

4. Continuously improve your product until it meets the customers’ needs.

Invest time in product innovation, because ultimately, if your product doesn’t perform well, you’ll only attract one-time customers.

While sales and marketing can attract customers initially, it’s the quality of your product that will sustain the relationship. Therefore, it’s crucial to invest in improving your product.

5. Focus on the customer rather than the competition.

Instead of copying the competition, prioritize acquiring and retaining customers. By fixating on competitors, you will always be chasing their vision and settling for second place.

6. Estimate the market size to motivate yourself to work harder or pivot if necessary.

“If I can get just one jar purchased by each of the three million black women in America, I’ll be a millionaire.” Having a clear estimate of your potential market can serve as motivation to work harder or pivot your approach if necessary.

YOU CAN ALSO READ: JCI Nigeria Announces Young Entrepreneur Awards, Calls for Entries

7. Always make your own money and avoid gambling your future.

This is as true for men as it is for women, whatever you do make plans for how to grow your income.

8. Accept that your first attempts at something may not be perfect, but learn from them and use those learnings to improve.

We’d like to share this advice with you without charge: as a small business operating on a limited budget, your initial attempts at many things will likely fall short. Whether it’s your home salon, your first photo shoot, or an event you’re organizing, take that first step and use the experience to enhance future endeavors, rather than allowing it to deter you from starting or to discourage you.

9. Pay attention to legal issues and get reliable legal/business advice as your business grows.

As you grow bigger, pay attention to legal details, get a reliable business/legal advisor to always advise you on things you don’t fully understand.

10. Women support women

We love that after running around looking for the investor to do the deal, her investor was a female club. At shecluded, our only customer is ‘her” and we put all our money in “her”. Shecluded support women.