Million-dollar ideas are few and far between. In fact, it's seldom so simple, coming up with the big idea or scoring the big break or simply deciding you've got what it takes. More often, it's a study in perseverance, creativity, self-confidence and, every now and then, putting a little frustration to good use.
Here, 10 women who started small and made it big, creating media empires, international beauty conglomerates or companies that Harvard Business School now uses as efficiency case studies.
- Anita Roddick -- The Body Shop: Roddick began with a tiny store in Brighton, England. Today, there are almost 2,000 Body Shops with 80 million customers speaking 25 different languages worldwide.
- Debbi Fields -- Mrs. Fields Cookies: In 1977, Mrs. Fields' Chocolate Chippery in Palo Alto, Calif., was about to go its first day without a sale when she started handing her product out for free on the sidewalk, and the rest is history.
- Oprah Winfrey -- Harpo Productions: Number one on our list for obvious reasons. Successful actress, activist, broadcaster, producer, media mogul and all-around star, Oprah takes the entrepreneurial Gold.