Martha and the Girl Scouts

When Juliette Gordon Low started the Girl Scouts with 18 girls in Savannah, Georgia, I wonder if she had ever been to a Harper Method shop and was encouraged by the female network of shops that Harper created worldwide?  Certainly, it was tragic that Martha had such a gruesome childhood being bound out at age seven to work […]

A Real World Rapunzel Who Rescues Herself

Recently I spoke to a group of cosmetology and barber students at the Manatee Technical College.  Over forty, mostly young people, some with multi-colored hair, ranging from maroon, to aquamarine highlights, were mesmerized by the hair and the accomplishments of Martha Matilda Harper. One student said to me, “I thought I had it tough, but […]

Inspire Young Children with Harper’s Hair and Business Model

Though Martha Matilda Harper lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, her path from servant girl at age seven to the creator of modern retail franchising and a pioneer in social entrepreneurship provides powerful lessons for all of us today, especially our young generations.  As a grandma with three pre-kindergarten grandchildren, I think […]