Being an entrpreneur in the mannequin industry is an unlikely career choice for someone with a journalism degree from the University of Southern California.

Plus I had no prior experience in fashion or retailing before starting the business. And I am based in Oakland, Ca versus a fashion capital like Los Angeles or New York.

And I am pretty certain I am the only Black person  the U.S. (and perhaps the world) who owns a mannequin company. 

When I started Mannequin Madness in 2001, I was in my 40’s - an age that is considered ancient in the technology industry that I was working it at the time.

And it was also before "senior entrepreneur" and "girlboss" became part of the culture. In other words, I had few role models.

Where I live in the SF Bay Area and term entrepreneur was applied only to young, white males from an Ivy League school running a tech company with venture capital funding.

I became an entrepreneur by accident. My startup of a business happened because of three random events in 2000

1 The book the "The Artist Way" had made me realize the  value of engaging in creative activities on a regular basis.

2 Reading the book "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" motivated me to seek multiple revenue streams instead of relying on my day job (this was before the "gig" economy became a thing) 

3 While looking for Tina Turner concert tickets on Craigslist , I saw a post about mannequins for sale. To understand More about Tina Turner's influence on me to become an entrepreneur in the mannequin industry  read here.

It is a good thing that the Craigslist seller was leaving town so soon after I met him. If I had more time to think about the situation, I would have talked myself out of buying the mannequins.

But I remembered a passage in the "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" book that said, "some people don't recognize a good opportunity when they see it. Some people see a good opportunity but lack the courage to act."

I was normally the latter person, but for some reason, I was courageous when it came to buying the mannequins.. Plus I thought it was just going to be a side hustle, not my primary source of income. 

Except for my then-husband, everyone thought I was crazy for buying the mannequins.

My parents, who had paid out of their own pocket every cent of my expensive college education were especially alarmed.

That is why I named the company Mannequin Madness.

At the time at that time, the internet was still in its infancy. Social media did not exist. Except for Ebay, ecommerce wasn't mainstream. Sounds like the dinosaur age, doesn't it? 

I won't bore you with the details of what happened next, but let's just say I am tenacious AF. When I discovered that retail chains would throw their unwanted mannequins in the trash when they closed or remodeled their stores, even if they were still in good condition, it lit a fire under me.