mind you I’ve never seen cash in
magazines in my life I’ve never worn
makeup or heels for that matter in our
industry there’s where you make money
and the rest of it is fluff I think
change is very good regardless in what
shape or form it comes into it don’t
wait for the job to come to you you
create the job and one of the reasons I
came to the United States was actually
to experience life the man home is my
passion I love I love interior
decorating it’s not what you achieve or
what you gain is what you really inspire
other people’s to do I didn’t want the
old mentality that the whole world is
black and white the world is not black
and white
always know your Worth don’t ever settle
for less I want it really to create a
book that really celebrated and a way to
show it that we are here and we are very
good
she’s a Somali fashion model actress and
entrepreneur a pioneer in the field of
ethnic cosmetics she’s also known for
her charitable work as of 2010 iman
cosmetics is a twenty five million
dollar a year business
she’s Iman Abdul Majeed and here her top
ten rules for success
and then one day lo and behold while I
was crossing on my way to the campus
this photographer by the name Peter
beard stopped me and said have you ever
been photographed before mind you I’ve
never seen fashion magazines in my life
I’ve never worn makeup or heels for that
matter so I had no idea what he was
talking about but I thought oh here we
go another white man with these Africans
have never seen a camera before I’ve
never been photographed I said yes I
have and he said what magazine and I
said my parents and he said I’d like to
take your pictures and as I walked kept
on walking he said the magic word he
said okay and I said well how much he
said well how much they want and I
riding there and there on the streets of
Nairobi on my way to campus I made my
first modeling transaction and I said
$8,000 because that was it tuition and a
couple of months later he brought the
picture slam to America and they called
for me and I had been here since then
and I wanted what I called the spoils of
war because in our industry there’s
where you make money and the rest of it
is fluff what you do in what’s called
editorial in the magazines they pay you
two hundred and fifty dollars a whole
day that’s not money
there’s prestige in it but that’s not
money advertising cosmetic contracts
that’s where the money is that’s where
they may pay you half a million million
dollars for jobs that’s what I wanted I
wanted that spoils of war yeah yeah and
that’s what I fought for it was it out
of and I don’t mean this disrespectful
but was it out of greed or was it out of
wanting to be valued is it about a value
system if you’re going to pay that
amount to another girl why couldn’t you
pay me for the same service I provided
is about that is about that it’s not
about greed because if you know because
of the sense if it is usually people who
are about greed they will prostitute
themselves they’ll do whatever it takes
together and my sense of value was that
I’ll sit it out either they’ve come my
word nowhere failure to me I’m not
scared of it because it just gives me
the opportunity to for change I think
change is very good regardless in what
shape or form it comes into it because
it makes you really observant reorganize
and rethink your life the Project Runway
Canada thing what I wondered is like
obviously very different scenario from
where you started but when you see these
people who are trying to break in you
watch the whole experience you see them
from a perspective that you understand
perhaps all too well absolutely but the
funny part is that it’s a double-edged
sword now because they become like on
this show they could literally become
household names overnight here and to
forget that there is hard work that
comes with it and just feel and believe
in the hype so to speak yeah it will be
their downfall it would be their doctor
that ever happened to you if you’re
walking around yeah oh yeah I’m the
you could say whatever you and then some
young girl comes in and takes your place
yeah then and there’s always a young
girl I mean it’s such an incredibly
competitive industry on that level it is
well but what it makes the people who
have really who have a sense of like
this is a business and how to learn very
early how you become the product don’t
wait for the job to come to you you
create the job those are the only ones
who survive in the business the Cindy
Crawford Linda Evangelista Tyra Banks
Rida Klum was it incredibly shocking to
go to studio 54 in New York to six
stripes rock and roll back wool yeah
what was it like what kind of challenge
wasn’t how did you deal with that
oh it wasn’t a challenge I was 18 I was
ready I was a dream more no of course I
mean you know I was 18 years old and one
of the reasons I came to the United
States was actually to experience life
and but I had no idea what I was getting
into but what saved me I always say is
that I’ve always known when to leave the
party I never stayed the party too long
you know there’s a there’s a time and a
place for it and this in this industry
modeling is
really critic that you are very
professional to show up on time and
everything you do whether it’s sex drugs
and rock and roll it was so in-your-face
so so it is moderation and when to know
when when it’s enough and when it’s
really to be serious about business it’s
been fun coming from modeling where does
the business background coming from I
mean there are other models who have
tried to turn something else but you’ve
developed a full business did that just
come along the way I think most of it it
was a natural progression it wasn’t
something I really thought about it and
really thought it through
but everything else had to be everything
of it has to be authentic
so the cosmetics was a natural given
because I could never find cosmetics for
myself all the years of marble so there
was a natural progression because not
only I was looking for for one but all
women women of skin of color were asking
me the same thing so amman cosmetics
launching it was really a natural the
other stuff was really passion the man
home is my passion I love and love
interior decorating so that was really
truly just passion and the HSN global
chic because HSN came to me and I
created a small collection of
accessories and then it just became more
and more and now it’s like the number
two fashion brand at HSN at this point
your career how do you judge success um
but I what you inspire other people to
do really yeah I think that’s what’s
really success is it’s not what you
achieve but what you gain is what you
really inspire other people’s to do did
you always see it that way in the
beginning of your career would you have
answered that question the same way no
it would have all been about me what’s
in it for me it would have been that
yeah what made that change then for you
I think age you you accumulate some kind
of a wisdom you see how you affect other
people’s lives in small ways that become
big ways your self-esteem is a big issue
as little as it is
and as everybody thinks that especially
pretty people or pretty girls have it
and kids you think they are born with
exuberance and innocence but their
self-esteem can be taken away so easily
that simple thing that I do in my in my
career as a model and then especially as
a CEO of Iman Cosmetics it’s been really
huge for me mm-hmm it galvanized the
whole generation of young girls to think
of themselves differently so to me that
is you know that is an inspiration to me
to see people young girls changing right
in front of my eyes as they grow up and
saying yeah yeah I am too beautiful yeah
I started him on cosmetics in 1994 so I
when I was creating Iman cosmetics to me
I wanted to have a new language if I
didn’t want the old mentality that the
whole world is black and white the world
is not black and white there’s a lot of
different shades in the screen and so I
wanted to create a new product new
language for people to address what
beauty is and in 1994 when I created
Iman Cosmetics it was the first company
there was truly multicultural and you
know I’m truly global in terms of all
the skin tones that we were covering we
started first in America and Canada who
are now we are we’re also in Europe in
London in front and in England in France
I remember as young as seven eight my
mom telling me always know your worth
don’t ever settle for less so that is
what I came to this country with so I
was the first mother who said I’m not
going to do any job unless I pay and get
paid the same my mom because to me it
was just I’m providing a service so what
has that got anything to do with I wrote
I am a man which was a book that really
addressed my working life as a model in
2004 years and years of course owning a
cosmetic company publishers have asked
me to write a beautiful so I thought
really the one who I want to write this
this book is for like the generation of
my daughter
the nine years old who is a multi-racial
so the book is called the beauty of
color when you look at the book there is
the pictures of these beautiful girls
but on the side is the name their name
and their country of origin
and I wanted to celebrate that so I
wanted really to create a book that
really celebrated and a way to show it
that we are here and we are bear here
thank you so much for watching I made
this video because love God and tattoos
asked me to so if there’s a famous
entrepreneur that you want me to profile
next leave it in the comments below and
I’ll see what I can do I’d also love to
know which of Iman’s top 10 rules meant
the most to you you’re going to now go
out and make a difference in your life
leave in comments I’ll join the
discussion thank you so much for
watching
continue to believe and I’ll see you
soon
magazines in my life I’ve never worn
makeup or heels for that matter in our
industry there’s where you make money
and the rest of it is fluff I think
change is very good regardless in what
shape or form it comes into it don’t
wait for the job to come to you you
create the job and one of the reasons I
came to the United States was actually
to experience life the man home is my
passion I love I love interior
decorating it’s not what you achieve or
what you gain is what you really inspire
other people’s to do I didn’t want the
old mentality that the whole world is
black and white the world is not black
and white
always know your Worth don’t ever settle
for less I want it really to create a
book that really celebrated and a way to
show it that we are here and we are very
good
she’s a Somali fashion model actress and
entrepreneur a pioneer in the field of
ethnic cosmetics she’s also known for
her charitable work as of 2010 iman
cosmetics is a twenty five million
dollar a year business
she’s Iman Abdul Majeed and here her top
ten rules for success
and then one day lo and behold while I
was crossing on my way to the campus
this photographer by the name Peter
beard stopped me and said have you ever
been photographed before mind you I’ve
never seen fashion magazines in my life
I’ve never worn makeup or heels for that
matter so I had no idea what he was
talking about but I thought oh here we
go another white man with these Africans
have never seen a camera before I’ve
never been photographed I said yes I
have and he said what magazine and I
said my parents and he said I’d like to
take your pictures and as I walked kept
on walking he said the magic word he
said okay and I said well how much he
said well how much they want and I
riding there and there on the streets of
Nairobi on my way to campus I made my
first modeling transaction and I said
$8,000 because that was it tuition and a
couple of months later he brought the
picture slam to America and they called
for me and I had been here since then
and I wanted what I called the spoils of
war because in our industry there’s
where you make money and the rest of it
is fluff what you do in what’s called
editorial in the magazines they pay you
two hundred and fifty dollars a whole
day that’s not money
there’s prestige in it but that’s not
money advertising cosmetic contracts
that’s where the money is that’s where
they may pay you half a million million
dollars for jobs that’s what I wanted I
wanted that spoils of war yeah yeah and
that’s what I fought for it was it out
of and I don’t mean this disrespectful
but was it out of greed or was it out of
wanting to be valued is it about a value
system if you’re going to pay that
amount to another girl why couldn’t you
pay me for the same service I provided
is about that is about that it’s not
about greed because if you know because
of the sense if it is usually people who
are about greed they will prostitute
themselves they’ll do whatever it takes
together and my sense of value was that
I’ll sit it out either they’ve come my
word nowhere failure to me I’m not
scared of it because it just gives me
the opportunity to for change I think
change is very good regardless in what
shape or form it comes into it because
it makes you really observant reorganize
and rethink your life the Project Runway
Canada thing what I wondered is like
obviously very different scenario from
where you started but when you see these
people who are trying to break in you
watch the whole experience you see them
from a perspective that you understand
perhaps all too well absolutely but the
funny part is that it’s a double-edged
sword now because they become like on
this show they could literally become
household names overnight here and to
forget that there is hard work that
comes with it and just feel and believe
in the hype so to speak yeah it will be
their downfall it would be their doctor
that ever happened to you if you’re
walking around yeah oh yeah I’m the
you could say whatever you and then some
young girl comes in and takes your place
yeah then and there’s always a young
girl I mean it’s such an incredibly
competitive industry on that level it is
well but what it makes the people who
have really who have a sense of like
this is a business and how to learn very
early how you become the product don’t
wait for the job to come to you you
create the job those are the only ones
who survive in the business the Cindy
Crawford Linda Evangelista Tyra Banks
Rida Klum was it incredibly shocking to
go to studio 54 in New York to six
stripes rock and roll back wool yeah
what was it like what kind of challenge
wasn’t how did you deal with that
oh it wasn’t a challenge I was 18 I was
ready I was a dream more no of course I
mean you know I was 18 years old and one
of the reasons I came to the United
States was actually to experience life
and but I had no idea what I was getting
into but what saved me I always say is
that I’ve always known when to leave the
party I never stayed the party too long
you know there’s a there’s a time and a
place for it and this in this industry
modeling is
really critic that you are very
professional to show up on time and
everything you do whether it’s sex drugs
and rock and roll it was so in-your-face
so so it is moderation and when to know
when when it’s enough and when it’s
really to be serious about business it’s
been fun coming from modeling where does
the business background coming from I
mean there are other models who have
tried to turn something else but you’ve
developed a full business did that just
come along the way I think most of it it
was a natural progression it wasn’t
something I really thought about it and
really thought it through
but everything else had to be everything
of it has to be authentic
so the cosmetics was a natural given
because I could never find cosmetics for
myself all the years of marble so there
was a natural progression because not
only I was looking for for one but all
women women of skin of color were asking
me the same thing so amman cosmetics
launching it was really a natural the
other stuff was really passion the man
home is my passion I love and love
interior decorating so that was really
truly just passion and the HSN global
chic because HSN came to me and I
created a small collection of
accessories and then it just became more
and more and now it’s like the number
two fashion brand at HSN at this point
your career how do you judge success um
but I what you inspire other people to
do really yeah I think that’s what’s
really success is it’s not what you
achieve but what you gain is what you
really inspire other people’s to do did
you always see it that way in the
beginning of your career would you have
answered that question the same way no
it would have all been about me what’s
in it for me it would have been that
yeah what made that change then for you
I think age you you accumulate some kind
of a wisdom you see how you affect other
people’s lives in small ways that become
big ways your self-esteem is a big issue
as little as it is
and as everybody thinks that especially
pretty people or pretty girls have it
and kids you think they are born with
exuberance and innocence but their
self-esteem can be taken away so easily
that simple thing that I do in my in my
career as a model and then especially as
a CEO of Iman Cosmetics it’s been really
huge for me mm-hmm it galvanized the
whole generation of young girls to think
of themselves differently so to me that
is you know that is an inspiration to me
to see people young girls changing right
in front of my eyes as they grow up and
saying yeah yeah I am too beautiful yeah
I started him on cosmetics in 1994 so I
when I was creating Iman cosmetics to me
I wanted to have a new language if I
didn’t want the old mentality that the
whole world is black and white the world
is not black and white there’s a lot of
different shades in the screen and so I
wanted to create a new product new
language for people to address what
beauty is and in 1994 when I created
Iman Cosmetics it was the first company
there was truly multicultural and you
know I’m truly global in terms of all
the skin tones that we were covering we
started first in America and Canada who
are now we are we’re also in Europe in
London in front and in England in France
I remember as young as seven eight my
mom telling me always know your worth
don’t ever settle for less so that is
what I came to this country with so I
was the first mother who said I’m not
going to do any job unless I pay and get
paid the same my mom because to me it
was just I’m providing a service so what
has that got anything to do with I wrote
I am a man which was a book that really
addressed my working life as a model in
2004 years and years of course owning a
cosmetic company publishers have asked
me to write a beautiful so I thought
really the one who I want to write this
this book is for like the generation of
my daughter
the nine years old who is a multi-racial
so the book is called the beauty of
color when you look at the book there is
the pictures of these beautiful girls
but on the side is the name their name
and their country of origin
and I wanted to celebrate that so I
wanted really to create a book that
really celebrated and a way to show it
that we are here and we are bear here
thank you so much for watching I made
this video because love God and tattoos
asked me to so if there’s a famous
entrepreneur that you want me to profile
next leave it in the comments below and
I’ll see what I can do I’d also love to
know which of Iman’s top 10 rules meant
the most to you you’re going to now go
out and make a difference in your life
leave in comments I’ll join the
discussion thank you so much for
watching
continue to believe and I’ll see you
soon
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