6. TIA WILLIAMS

Creator: Shake Your Beauty, Sixteen Candles and The Fly Cut

Tia Williams often found herself as the only brown face in a room full of beauty editors at top magazines. Having worked her way to the top of the beauty editor food-chain at magazines such as Lucky and Essence.com, she has always been the go-to beauty expert that brown women around the country can relate to.

The author of Sixteen Candles and co-founder of The Fly Cut (the Living Social for black women), Williams often finds herself juggling motherhood, career, entrepreneurship and relationships.

Advice on transitioning from employee to business owner: “I worked for the “man” for 12 years. But when you were for yourself you have to stay motivated.”