What inspires entrepreneurs? By and large, it is the stories of other entrepreneurs. There’s the story of a high school dropout named Richard Branson, who founded more than 400 companies. And Larry Page, co-founder of Google, which became the fastest-growing business of all time. Plus icons such as Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey who have become international household names and whose stories have been written, recorded and retold thousands of times.
These stories are motivating to aspiring entrepreneurs in search of some part of themselves in them, some similarity that can serve as an indication that they, too, can make it. While some entrepreneurial readers look for success stories like that of 26-year-old Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook whose net worth is $6.9 billion, others are looking to define and emulate a different type of success.
“Miss Jessie’s: Creating a Successful Business from Scratch — Naturally,” by Miko Branch, is an insightful look at how one entrepreneur chose to make her own version of success instead of trying to walk someone else’s path. She achieves this by following her own vision and building on what she does best: styling hair.
In doing so, Branch and her sister help “transform an industry as well as a culture.” Today, Branch is CEO of Miss Jessie’s, a multimillion dollar business that includes salons as well as an international e-commerce business of hair products. In 2010, Ebony ranked Branch and her sister among its top 100 “Influencers and Innovators.”
In writing her book, Branch deliberately sets out to create a blueprint for entrepreneurs to “make waves in any industry.” She begins with the takeaway that “you don’t need money to transform an industry. You don’t even need privileges or contacts.”
What you do need is an idea, “entrepreneurial fire” in your belly and a solid foundation of family and influences to learn from and observe. Branch’s book is a testimonial for success against the odds, buoyed by a strong work ethic and common sense.
For the author and her late sister and business partner, Titi, much of this was taught to them by their grandmother, Miss Jessie. Promoting a strong sense of independence, Miss Jessie insisted her granddaughters become “do-it-yourself” women. Miss Jessie’s skill in the kitchen also influenced them when it came to making homemade hair conditioners and products that became bestsellers.
This is not a grandma’s milk and cookies memoir, however. Branch shares her experiences as a latchkey kid whose family at times barely skirted poverty as well as her struggles with her autocratic father. Her parents did not believe in taking welfare and would not let their children have the free breakfast and lunch at school. Her father did not want his children developing a welfare mentality, she writes.
Later, Branch’s experiences as a single mother made her even more determined to succeed with her own business. In order to understand the DNA of a company, you must own your own background, she writes.
“Miss Jessie’s is not just a business,” she writes. “It is deeply personal and everything is inextricably linked to who we are as individuals.”
A business like hers is more than a moneymaking enterprise, Branch concludes. It is the “authentic reflection of everything we stand for.”
Branch encourages entrepreneurs to examine the influences from their early years in order to turn unique experiences into a revenue stream. “You will find that it’s possible to create something from nothing — no excuses,” she writes.
The book is highlighted with notes and checklists Branch made that kept her dream on track. A sample is “Miss Jessie’s Eight Key Ingredients”:
• Follow your gut. You know when it’s wrong or right for you.
• Know your partners, including those you work with.
• Foster mutual respect.
• Be fair. Treat others the way you would want to be treated.
• Have clarity from beginning to end.
• Trim the fat whenever necessary.
• Greed is not good.
• Constantly reevaluate.
Along with the positive motivational messages, Branch bluntly acknowledges the many classic entrepreneurial mistakes she made. For example, flush with their first success, they became overly ambitious and expanded too soon. They also failed to set aside enough funds to pay taxes.
“Miss Jessie’s” is an invaluable read for anyone considering the entrepreneurial path. In an approachable way softened with grandmotherly wisdom, Branch provides real knowledge on how to start, grow and evolve any type of business.