Fashion and beauty are the key ways many entrepreneurs get their foot in the door regarding business. Still, a different impact arises when business owners can turn their e-commerce company into a community. Camille McCallum, the founder of Black Woman On A Mission curated a brand that developed into a movement of support and a digital safe space for Black women of all ages.
Instead of solely focusing on profitability, she emphasizes the importance of using business as a vehicle for positive change within the community. Her approach challenges the traditional business model by integrating social responsibility into the core mission of her company, showcasing that success can be measured not just by financial gains but also by the tangible benefits brought to the community.
As a founder, she is creating a new narrative of what it means to be a business leader in a digital era. By prioritizing community, her leadership is rooted in the belief that the success of her business is linked to the consumer’s well-being, including her new partnership with Dudley Beauty Corp. “Dudley has always been committed to empowering Black women to achieve their fullest potential,” says Ursula Dudley, CEO of Dudley Beauty Corp. “We’re excited to partner with Camille and Black Woman on a Mission, as together, we’ll continue to make groundbreaking strides in the beauty industry.”
This philosophy is not only reshaping the expectations of what businesses can achieve but also inspiring a movement where community-centered business practices are becoming the norm rather than the exception. Check out our conversation as we dive into the beginning stages of her business, her exclusive partnership with Dudley Beauty Corp and more.
Read ‘Standing On Business: K Daniels’
Girls United: How did entrepreneurship come into your life? Did you always want to be in business for yourself?
Camille McCallum: I knew I wanted to be in business for myself from a young age. My parents were kind of entrepreneurial. They were into real estate, so I remember when I was young, I had lost a spelling bee in school, and I was hurt about it, because I liked to be a winner in school [laughs]. I came home, and my dad was like, ‘Well, I’m gonna teach you a word that other kids don’t know,’ it was an entrepreneur. From there, he just started explaining what an entrepreneur was and the freedom I could have in my life if I was one. From a young age, it was just instilled in me to chart my path.
GU: How did you figure out where to start with your business?
CM: It started when I was young, just doing projects. Leading up to the precursor to me starting my business, Black Woman On A Mission, I had tried and failed at a couple of different things, like trying to have a jewelry business or opening a brick-and-mortar selfie store at one point in my hometown. Then, I decided to go all in on this project of Black Women On A Mission, which was both an entrepreneurial venture and kind of a wayfinding venture for me. I felt like Black Woman On A Mission encompassed who I was and what I was about.
GU: How did you develop a standout name like Black Woman On A Mission?
CM: I had a dream [laughs]. I saw the exact way that the brand looks now, including the big logo on the back of our shirts, in a dream.
GU: When did you see your brand go beyond merch and turn into a safe space for your customers?
CM: When you have a brand like Black Woman On A Mission, as people go out and they wear this brand, they start having conversations with other people about what their mission is, what it means to be resilient, which is something that’s on a lot of our merch. Those conversations started coming back to me, so as I was taking in all of these stories of different black women, I started saying to myself, we’ve got to do more. The merch is wonderful, and we will always have the merch, but women are so eager for community and so in need of community in a real way. I feel like the women of Black Woman On A Mission, a lot of us are on the same page, and we’re fighting for the same things. Being able to bring those women together and give them access to each other, I think it’s really powerful.
GU: What tactics are you seeing from Gen Z business owners that continue to inspire in the digital era?
CM: I think Gen Z has radical authenticity, which is something that I love about them. When I first started using social media, it was all very curated and perfect, with the perfect aesthetic feed. Now people are looking more so to build lives and businesses that they truly enjoy and not that just look like they’re enjoying them.
GU: You’ve gotten notable co-signs from people like Gabrielle Union and Jackie Aina. What do those moments do for you as a businesswoman, seeing people highlight your brand?
CM: It’s amazing to just feel seen in the work that you do. When you are grinding day in and day out and providing value, it means the world to have people use their time, talent, and influence to shine a light on you. You could quantify what that does for you regarding sales or social media engagement, but what that does for your confidence, social proof for your brand, and brand equity cannot even be quantified.
GU: Speaking of growing your brand, you’ve recently partnered with Dudley Beauty Corp as their first Dudley Diva. How will this partnership continue to grow your initiative of Black Woman On A Mission?
CM: I am so excited about this partnership because Dudley is a brand that I’ve been using in salons since I was a little girl, and I have been using their products forever. So I’m just super excited because they’re such a great company, Black-owned, Family owned, and they have a brilliant CEO, and so I’m just so excited to work with her, get to know her, and to learn from her because she’s done an amazing thing in continuing this business for so long, which is not easy to do.
GU: Here at GU, we’re all about Standing On Business For Black Business Month. How do you want to see the next generation of business owners continue to elevate their brands?
CM: You cannot take no for an answer. What other people consider delusion that has to be your baseline. You have to start from delusional and then work from there. Your vision has to be huge, and take it from there; I would say there are so many Black women who are willing to give to you, so please be open to making those connections. I don’t ever want a Black woman to struggle the way that I did, so if I can shortcut her start I’m willing to offer that information. I’m just hoping that in this next generation, people are willing to put themselves out there, and they’re willing to just go for it like literally start at delusion.
About the Author: Kenyatta Victoria is the lead writer for Essence GU, working on all things pop culture, politics, entertainment and business. Throughout her time at GU, she’s garnered devoted readers and specializes in the Zillennial point of view.