SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (WXYZ) — A Southfield business owner is breaking barriers and sharing how she was able to persevere during this pandemic. By overcoming obstacles, Rashida Williams caught the attention of Mastercard and was cast alongside other powerful women including actress and singer Jennifer Hudson.
Williams is the founder of The Glam Doctor, a small but successful business in Southfield even in the midst of COVID-19.
“I prayed and I was like, 'God, am I supposed to be doing makeup because this don’t ...' and God said yeah, do makeup, and here I am,” Williams said.
Williams is a woman who’s inspiring people all over the country, but the CEO and founder of The Glam doctor didn’t always want to get into makeup, but a friend asked her to do makeup at a wedding in 2001.
“I did that wedding for free," she said. "I didn’t charge a dime. I didn’t want any money because what I understood, I wanted to sew into that thing. I wanted to give because I wanted to get a return, I wanted to reap what I sold."
Williams’ business was booming, but when COVID hit, it was hit hard. Her business depends mostly on weddings and events. She says this was a time to think outside the box to keep her business afloat.
“Being innovative, thinking out of the box, breaking the box. Virtual classes were the way for me, being able to connect,” Williams said.
A casting agency took notice and reached out to Williams and wanted to interview her for a commercial in Mastercard's strivers campaign. A commercial that shows the obstacles Black women are overcoming and persevering. The commercial also featured Jennifer Hudson.
“It makes people pay even more attention, to small black businesses, women-owned businesses and I’m proud a representation," Williams said. "A very small representation of all the women and my sisters out there who are doing it big in their businesses."
Williams says being part of such an inspirational and motivating commercial that really speaks to what women are doing in the world was an amazing feeling and has this message for other women: “I want to tell women it’s not too late to start. I want to tell women don’t have self-sabotaging thoughts about it...just do it."
She says business is going great and says she‘s grateful for everything that has happened.
