In the United States alone, Black female business owners make up 17% of the total population of women who are either in the process of starting or running their own businesses, according to research at the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor.
Marie Hamilton-Abston, co-star of OWN’s reality series “Belle Collective” and the co-founder of HamiltonDavis Inc., credits her success to being self-motivated. The serial entrepreneur will make history this year, becoming the first Black woman in the state of Mississippi to own an opioid treatment clinic.
Abston recently spoke with rolling out about “Belle Collective,” what it really means to be self-driven, and shares how she fuels motivation for success in business and in life.
You describe yourself as a self-driven entrepreneur. What does it mean to be self-driven and why is it an important trait for an entrepreneur?
Being self-driven requires believing in yourself and in your vision – making it a reality. As an entrepreneur having a purpose, consistency, operating with urgency, challenging yourself, and mental toughness are some of the vital traits in the life of an entrepreneur to become successful.
As a leader, you’re responsible for motivating employees within your organization. As a business owner, how do you fuel motivate yourself?
I challenge myself by setting nearly insane, impossible goals which fuels me to make the impossible possible by never giving up no matter how difficult the task is or how many times I fail. I will not stop until my mission is accomplished.
How has the unique experience of being a co-star on OWN’s “Belle Collective” challenged you as an entrepreneur?
Filming long hours requires me to step away from my health care empire but I thank God for blessing HamiltonDavis with an administrative and medical staff whose primary goal is to always provide quality programs and services ethically and with integrity even in my absence .
Tell us about your personal story and why representation as a Black entrepreneur matters.
My [story] on-screen is a recently divorced single mother of four children, a grandmother of three, and an entrepreneur currently in college pursuing a doctorate in health administration all while battling health issues, navigating a family tragedy, and a strained relationship with my mother, who has a substance use disorder. I show real-life challenges in my personal life while balancing and striving to build a health care empire.
My personal story and representation as a Black entrepreneur matters because my life story is very relatable and a testament that I overcame everything that was meant to destroy me. That gives other women faith that they can overcome any obstacle in their lives — knowing that they are not alone.
Follow Marie Hamilton-Abston on IG @marie_monroe_certified
