Ep 1. Episode 1

Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker is a Netflix original miniseries based on the life of Sarah Breedlove, commonly known as Madam C.J. Walker, America's first self-made female millionaire. The series chronicles the journey of the African American hair care pioneer as she overcame numerous obstacles to create her hair care empire while navigating the complex societal issues of her time.

Episode 1 takes viewers back to the early 1900s, where we are introduced to Sarah Breedlove, a washerwoman struggling to make ends meet in St. Louis, Missouri. Sarah is a single mother who dreams of providing a better life for her and her daughter, Lelia. However, her poverty-stricken life and lack of education limit her opportunities to break the cycle of poverty.

Despite her struggles, Sarah has an entrepreneurial spirit and a passion for hair care. She works as a commission saleswoman for Annie Turnbo Malone, a successful African American hair care entrepreneur. However, Sarah's dreams of creating her own hair care business are met with ridicule and skepticism from her husband, C.J. Walker, and the larger African American community.

Determined to succeed, Sarah sets out to create her own hair care products, using her kitchen as her laboratory. She experiments with various ingredients until she creates a formula that she believes will help African American women achieve healthy hair. However, Sarah's lack of resources and funding hinders her ability to mass-produce her products and introduce them to the market.

In a turning point in the episode, Sarah meets Addie Munroe, a successful African American hair care saleswoman who becomes her arch-nemesis. Addie offers Sarah a partnership, with the condition that Sarah provides the funds while Addie provides the formula for a hair straightening product that Sarah can sell to her customers. Sarah is hesitant to agree, as the product contains harsh chemicals that can cause baldness and scalp damage. However, Sarah's desire for success and financial independence ultimately persuades her to take the deal.

The episode ends with Sarah showcasing her hair care products at a local fair, where she draws a small but enthusiastic crowd. However, her joy is short-lived as Addie appears, aggressively selling her harmful hair straightening product and siphoning away Sarah's potential customers.

Overall, Episode 1 lays the foundation for Sarah Breedlove's journey towards success. It showcases the adversity she faced as an African American woman in the early 1900s and how she used her passion, determination, and resilience to overcome those obstacles. The episode sets the tone for the remainder of the season, as viewers will witness Sarah's evolution into one of America's most successful female entrepreneurs, a significant achievement during an era where a woman's place was typically confined to the home.