Sarah Breedlove was the orphaned daughter of former slaves. At seven years old, Sarah worked alongside her older sister in the cotton fields around Vicksburg, Mississippi. She was married at 14, a mother at 18, and by the time she reached the tender age of twenty, Sarah Breedlove was a widow, and a few years after that, she suffered through a scalp condition that claimed most of her hair. Few could argue that the deck wasn't stacked against her. It would have been easy for Sarah to give up, accept her lot, and quietly eke out a miserable existence, enjoying fleeting moments of joy or comfort.

Sarah didn't do that. Sarah got to work.

While searching for remedies for her scalp condition, Sarah began to formulate her own hair care products. After marrying Charles Joseph Walker and moving to Denver, she started her own business, selling Madame Walker's Wonderful Hair Grower. She travelled across the Deep South, selling her products door to door and demonstrating their effectiveness wherever she could gather people to watch. She founded a school for "hair culturists" and trained associates who would use and sell her products across the country.

By 1913 Madame C.J. Walker, as she came to be known, had a factory in Indianapolis, and her products were being sold all over the United States, Central America, and the Caribbean. Through hard work, dedication, and perseverance, Sarah Breedlove became the first female millionaire in American history.

In 1912, she summed up her life:
"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."

Madame C.J. Walker's story is not just a great story of a woman's triumph over adversity. It is a testament to the values that separate successful people from those who are willing to accept mediocrity. For the brave few who take the risk of opening a business, Walker is a shining example of what is possible, and shows us that there is no substitute for the basic ingredients that lead to success, no magic pill or easy shortcut. She found a need, filled that need with a quality product, and then worked ceaselessly to ensure that everyone who wanted it had the opportunity to buy it. She, like Rockefeller, Carnegie, Ford, Jobs, and Brin, understood and embraced this universal truth: there is no substitute for hard work.

But Walker's story isn't suited only for the business world. For a young mother just starting out, Walker's path of sacrifice and toil could be a beacon, and one could do far worse than walking in her footsteps. Her story is relevant to everyone who has an unfulfilled dream, and her success is a roadmap that anyone can follow. It doesn't guarantee success, but we live in a world where success is never a sure thing. One doesn't need to look far to see that there is far more certainty in the consequences of avoiding work, than there is in embracing it.

Here at the Chamber, we're always looking to help aspiring entrepreneurs. Perhaps, somewhere in Grant County, is the next Madame C.J. Walker.