- Mind you, I've never seen fashion 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 IMAN Home is my passion.
I love, I love interior decorating.
It's not what you achieve or what you gain,
it's what you really inspire other peoples to do.
I didn't want the old mentality
that the whole world is black and white,
because the world is not black and white.
Always know your worth.
Don't ever settle for less.
I wanted, really, to create a book
that really celebrated, and a way to show it,
that we are here, and we are very beautiful.
(upbeat music)
- 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 $25 million a year business.
She's Iman Abdulmajid,
and here are her top ten rules for success.
(rocket blasting)
(upbeat music)
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, God, here we go, another white man
"who thinks Africans have never seen a camera before,
or never before photographed."
I said, "Yes, I have."
And he said, "What magazine?"
And I said, "My parents". (claps hands)
And he said, "I'd like to take your pictures."
And, as I walked, kept on walking,
he said the magic word.
He said, "I'll pay you."
And I said, "Well, how much?"
He said, "Well, how much do you want?"
And, I arrived 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 the tuition. (laughs)
And, a couple of months later,
he brought the pictures to America,
and they called for me,
and, I have 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 $250 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".
(laughs) - [Interviewer] Yeah?
- Yeah. And, that's what I fought for.
- 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?
- As of our value system.
If you are going to pay that amount to another girl,
why couldn't you pay me for the same service I provided?
It's about that. It's about that.
It's not about greed.
Because usually people who are about greed,
they will prostitute themselves,
they will do whatever it takes to get there.
And, my sense of value was that I'll sit it out.
Either they'll come my way or no way.
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 observe
and reorganize and rethink your life.
- The Project Runway Canada thing, what I wanted 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.
And, to forget that there is hard work that comes with it,
and just feel and believe in the hype, so to speak,
it will be their downfall.
That would be their downfall. - Did that ever happen to you?
Or, you're walking around going,
"I'm Iman." - I believed-- oh yeah.
Oh yeah. I'm the shit. (laughs)
(audience laughs)
- [Interviewer] You can say whatever you want.
- And then, and then, some young girl comes in and
takes your place. (laughs)
(audience laughs)
There's always a young girl. (laughs)
- I mean, it's such an incredibly competitive industry
on that level. - It is. It is.
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.
There's Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista,
Tyra Banks, Heidi Klum. - [Interviewer] Right.
- Was it incredibly shell-shocking
to go to Studio 54, to New York, to sex, drugs,
rock and roll, that world? - Yeah.
Yeah. - What was it like?
What kind of challenge was it,
and how did you deal with that?
- Oh, it wasn't a challenge. I was 18. I was ready.
(laughs) - (laughs)
- I was, "Bring 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.
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 time and a place for it.
And, in this industry,
modeling, it is really, really critic
that you are very professional, to show up on time.
And, everything you do,
whether it's sex, drugs, or rock and roll,
it will show on your face.
So, it is moderation,
and when to know when it's enough
and when it's really to be serious about business.
It's been fun. (laughs) - (laughs)
- [Interviewer] Coming from modeling,
where does the business background come 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 of it has to be authentic.
So, the cosmetics was a natural given
because I could never find cosmetics for myself
all the years I've modeled.
So, that was a natural progression,
because not only I was looking for one,
but all women, women of skin of color,
were asking me the same thing.
So, IMAN Cosmetics, launching it was really a natural.
The other stuff was really passion.
The IMAN Home is my passion.
I love, I 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 in your career, how do you judge success?
- By what you inspire other people to do.
- Really? - Yeah.
I think that's what really success is.
It's not what you achieve or what you gain,
it's what you really inspire other peoples 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. (laughs)
- (laughs)
- What's in it for me?
It would have been that, yeah.
- What made that change then for you?
- I think age.
You accumulate some kind of a wisdom.
You see how you affect other people's lives
in small ways that become big ways.
- Yeah.
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 career as a model,
and then especially as CEO of IMAN Cosmetics,
it's been really huge for me.
It galvanized a 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 IMAN Cosmetics in 1994.
So, I, when I was creating IMAN Cosmetics,
to me, I wanted to have a new language.
I didn't want the old mentality
that the whole world is black and white,
because the world is not black and white.
There's a lot of different shades in between.
And so, I wanted to create a new product,
a new language, for people to address what beauty is.
And, in 1994, when I created IMAN Cosmetics,
it was the first company
that was truly multicultural
and, you know, truly global
in terms of all the skin tones that we were covering.
We started first in America and Canada.
Now, we're also in Europe,
in London, I mean, 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 model who said, "I'm not going to do
any job unless I get paid the same amount."
Because to me, it was just, I'm providing a service.
So what has that got anything to do with?
I wrote, "I am Iman",
which was a book that really addressed my working life
as a model, in 2000.
And, for years and years, of course,
owning a cosmetic company,
publishers have asked me to write a beauty book.
So, I thought, really, who I want to write this book is for
like, the generation of my daughter who is 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 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 very beautiful.
(upbeat music)
- Thank you so much for watching.
I made this video because
Love, God & 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 ten rules
meant the most to you.
You're going to now go out and make a difference in your life.
Leave in the comments, I'll join in the discussion.
Thank you so much for watching.
Continue to believe, and I'll see you soon.
(rocket blasting)