Sarah Breedlove, known as Madam C. J. Walker, was an entrepreneur, philanthropist, and a political and social activist. She was one of the first African American women to become a millionaire, invented the world’s first hair-straightening formula. Inspirational Madam C. J. Walker’s most famous quotes will change your views on life and success while encouraging you to take action.
If you’re searching for best entrepreneur quotes that perfectly capture what you’d like to say or just want to feel inspired yourself, browse through an amazing collection of empowering Oprah Winfrey quotes, famous business quotes, and motivational Andrew Carnegie quotes.
Most Inspirational Quotes by Madam C. J. Walker
Don’t sit down and wait for the opportunities to come. Get up and make them.
Perseverance is my motto!
I had to make my own living and my own opportunity. But I made it!
I want the great masses of my people to take a greater pride in their personal appearance and to give their hair proper attention.
People are ugly not in their face but in their thoughts. So never get impressed by someone’s appearance, rather dig deep down into their thoughts to reveal the real person inside out.
I want you to understand that your first duty is to humanity.
Love’s language is imprecise, fits more like mittens than gloves.
One can slide between poor and rich.
It’s pretty hard for the Lord to guide you if you haven’t made up your mind which way to go.
I have made it possible for many colored women to abandon the wash-tub for more pleasant and profitable occupation.
When we began to make $10 a day, my ex-husband thought that was enough, thought I ought to be satisfied. But I was convinced that my hair preparation would fill a long-felt want. And when we found it impossible to agree, due to his narrowness of vision, I embarked on business for myself.
My object in life is not simply to make money for myself or to spend it on myself in dressing or running around in an automobile, but I love to use a part of what I make in trying to help others.
I want the great masses of my people to take a greater pride in their appearance and to give their hair proper attention.
I have built my own factory on my own ground, 38 by 208 feet. I employ in that factory seven people, including a bookkeeper, a stenographer, a cook and a housegirl.
I have always held myself out as a hair culturist. I grow hair.
In a dream, a big black man appeared to me and told me what to mix up for my hair. I made up my mind I would begin to sell it.
I endeavour to provide employment to hundreds of women of my race.
Everybody told me I was making a mistake by going into this business, but I know how to grow hair as well as I know how to grow cotton.
Don’t think that because you have to go down in the wash-tub that you are any less a lady!
Keep in mind that you have something that the person standing before you really needs, imagine yourself a missionary and convert him.
There is no royal flower-strewn path to success. And if there is, I have not found it, for whatever success I have attained has been the result of much hard work and many sleepless nights.
Having a good article for the market is one thing, putting it properly before the public is another.
My object in life is not simply to make money for myself.
I love to use a part of what I make to help others.
I am not ashamed of my humble beginning.
If I have accomplished anything in life, it is because I have been willing to work hard.
Famous Madam C. J. Walker Quotes
My advice to everyone expecting to go into business is to hit often and hit hard; in other words, strike with all your might.
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 am not ashamed of my past.
I am not ashamed of my past; I am not ashamed of my humble beginnings.
I got my start by giving myself a start.
I had little or no opportunity when I started out in life.
When we began to make $10 a day, my ex-husband thought that was enough, thought I ought to be satisfied. But I was convinced that my hair preparation would fill a long-felt want. And when we found it impossible to agree, due to his narrowness of vision, I embarked on business for myself.
Surely you are not going to shut the door in my face. I feel that I am in a business that is a credit to the womanhood of our race.
Now I realize that in the so-called higher walks of life, many were prone to look down upon ‘hairdressers’ as they called us; they didn’t have a very high opinion of our calling, so I had to go down and dignify this work, so much so that many of the best women of our race are now engaged in this line of business, and many of them are now in my employ.
There is no royal flower-strewn path to success. And if there is, I have not found it.
It’ pretty hard for the Lord to guide you if you haven’t made up your mind which way to go.
Worth more than it costs.
This is the greatest country under the sun. But we must not let our love of country, our patriotic loyalty, cause us to abate one whit in our protest against wrong and injustice.
I have built my own factory on my own ground!
There would be no hair growing business today had I not started it.
I want others to look at us and see that we care not just about ourselves but about others.
The girls and women of our race must not be afraid to take hold of business endeavors and, by patient industry, close economy, determined effort and close application to business, wring success out of a number of business opportunities that lie at their very doors.
America doesn’t respect anything but money. What our people need is a few millionaires.
Open Your Own Shop; Secure Prosperity and Freedom.
I am not satisfied in making money for myself.
You might say that I was the first and caused others to awaken to the sense of their duty in helping deserving causes for the benefit of the race.
Girls and women of our race must not be afraid to take hold of business endeavour and, by patient industry, close economy, determined effort, and close application to business, wring success out of a number of business opportunities that lie at their doors.
God answered my prayer, for one night I had a dream, and in that dream a big black man appeared to me and told me what to mix up for my hair. Some of the remedy was grown in Africa, but I sent for it, mixed it, put it on my scalp, and in a few weeks my hair was coming in faster than it had ever fallen out. I tried it on my friends; it helped them. I made up my mind I would begin to sell it.
If I have accomplished anything in life it is because I have been willing to work hard.
I am not satisfied in making money for myself. I endeavor to provide employment for hundreds of the women of my race.
I want to live to help my race.
