Middle Ground

Prologue

Once upon a time there was a young girl, around ten years old. This girl had just found out about the legendary Eliza Lucas Pinckney. For the ones who do not know, she was the owner of the first woman owned business.

After learning about this woman she got really interested in the women in business history. She looked up, read and asked around as much she possibly could.

It didn't take long for the girl to figure out that she also wants to be apart of the new generation of women in business.

What she didn't know, was that being a woman, who's the owner of her own business is easier than back in the eighteenth century, but not by much. The business world is still mostly ruled by the white men.

She never gave up, no matter how many times her parents, relatives and even sometimes teachers said she shouldn't dream do big and have a plan B.

The young girl still stuck to her own plan. She decided what her business would orient around, which was perfume and hygiene products like shampoo and conditioner, skin care. She started learning economics and already started coming up with scents for the perfumes.

Then, when she finished high school she went on to business class. Full scholarship. Beat that, Mrs Smith.

While still studying she started her little business that soon grew with more workers.

And by twenty-two she already had a line of perfume. She wasn't big yet, but it was her baby steps.

Once, after the launch of her perfume, she got an invitation to an interview, where she would be sitting right next to another, larger business person.

But, when she got there and she thought the interview was going great, the business man said some nasty stuff and even went as far as to say, "My advice, stop what you're doing. Get out of business while you still can."

Why am I telling you this as if I was telling a fairytale? Well because the little girl was me, Lelia Kamiko.

And there's no little girl anymore.