Let’s Unravel The 1st Self-made Millionaire In American History — Madame C.J. Walker
Understanding how The Guinness Book of World Records acknowledged Madame C.J. Walker as the first-ever self-made millionaire in America.
Madame C.J. Walker
Entrepreneur, Millionaire & Philanthropist
December 23, 1867 — May 25, 1919
Birthplace: Delta, Louisiana
“I am a woman who came from the cotton fields of the South. From there, I was promoted to the washtub. From there, I was promoted to the cook kitchen. And from there, I promoted myself into the business of manufacturing hair goods and preparations… I have built my own factory on my own ground.”
Born in 1867, named Sarah Breedlove, Madam C.J. Walker, birthed her identity and created a brand surrounding that name that made her famous and wealthy. Madam C.J. Walker was the name she gave herself, which essentially was her married name from her third marriage, Mrs. Charles Joseph Walker.
Madam Walker’s older siblings were born as enslaved people. Her parents were two sharecroppers who worked the same plantation from which they were freed. Despite being the first in her family born free, after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, Madam C.J. Walker started life working in the fields and doing laundry. She was an orphan by age seven and is quoted saying, “I had little or no opportunity when I started out in life, having been left an orphan and being without mother or father since I was seven years of age.”
Around the age of 20, Madam C.J. Walker moved to St. Louis to be near her brothers, who were barbers. She suffered horribly from dandruff, balding and other scalp problems caused by skin disorders and harsh products. Other factors such as diet, illness, and lack of adequate access to amenities such as indoor plumbing, heating, and electricity, played a factor too. To launch her business, Madam Walker used the knowledge about hair care she received from her brothers with the sales experience she learned by selling hair care products for another black businesswoman. She manufactured her own products and founded the Madam C.J. Walker Manufacturing Company.
Quickly, her business grew, and she moved to Denver, Colorado, at the age of 37 to continue growing and selling her product lines. Her old boss noticed Madam Walker’s success selling her hair care products. Consequently, her old boss accused her of stealing her petroleum jelly and sulfur formula. Madam C.J. always proclaimed this was untrue.
Regardless, her business skills were unmatched. She made her business a family affair. Her daughter ran one state, and her husband handled marketing and advertising as her business partner. Before long, she began recruiting a salesforce of women to sell her products door-to-door and teach her hair care methods in their respective communities. She even had a process for her customers to order via mail.
Eventually, she established a beauty school, Lelia College, where she trained women in the “Walker Method” of hair care and awarded certifications and licenses to her sales agents. She paid her salesforce well, giving high commissions. She rewarded top sellers and advocated for women to be financially independent and business savvy. Women held most of her company’s managers and leadership positions.
Walker’s business opened many offices, manufacturing facilities, research labs, schools, and salons in various states along the east coast, north, and south, including the growing cultural center for black culture, Harlem, New York, between 1910 and 1913. Her ability to manage her large operation, create training programs, and employee morale was impressive. She even instituted a formal uniform for her sales teams to create a brand image. She packaged her products in newspapers and magazines to match her advertisements and branding.
In 1917, Madam Walker was inspired by the model of the National Association of Colored Women. So, she organized her sales agents into regional and local teams or clubs and held her first convention that summer. Then she established the National Beauty Culturists and Benevolent Association of Madam C. J. Walker Agents, later known as the Madam C. J. Walker Beauty Culturists Union of America.
Madam Walker made good money but also gave back. She contributed large donations to organizations and caused she believed in, including the arts. Madam Walker also encouraged her sales agents to give to charities in their communities and reward those most generous. Madam Walker liked nice things and worked hard to get them, including the large, lavish estate she owned in New York. She hosted social gatherings and events that were the place to be for African Americans of her time.
The Guinness Book of World Records recorded that she was the first self-made millionaire in American history. She made her fortune from hard work and using her communication, people skills, and the power of persuasion to build and sell her beauty, cosmetics, and hair care products. Her business continued to flourish and prosper even after her death, popular in the United States, Jamaica, Haiti, Cuba, Panama, Costa Rica, and beyond.
Madam C.J. Walker only attended school for a couple of months while young. Despite that, the beginning of her life story was very far from how her life was in the end. Madam C.J. Walker died wealthy and successful. She was one of the 1900s most successful entrepreneurs, trendsetters, self-made women, activists, and philanthropists. She used wealth and position to advance the black community, empower women and stop racism and lynchings.
If you’ve been inspired by this article, I encourage you to purchase the book Real Queens Like Me: Stories of Great Black Women Who Changed the World. It’s available on Amazon.
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