11. ENTERPRISE – The Enterprise of Annie Malone
No matter the circumstances, Annie had found a way to succeed. She was confident she could be of service and value to others, and in doing so, she could prosper and flourish in her own right. Selling to the citizens of tiny Lovejoy was one thing. An even bigger opportunity awaited Annie on the opposite side of the Mississippi River, in St. Louis, then the fourth biggest city in the United States, and home of the second most African-American residents in the country. And so in 1902, Annie moved her business across the river. The next opportunity Annie saw coming was the World’s Fair that was scheduled to take place in St. Louis in 1904, an event that would host nearly 20 million visitors from around the world. Annie saw this opportunity and expanded her business again, opening a bigger shop in downtown St Louis.
In 1906 Annie gave her products the name Poro from the West African word poro, meaning “physical and spiritual fulfillment.” She added more hair products and added more employees to her office staff and sales teams. Poro agents were now selling their products across the country.
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