Proctor launched the first adverting agency owned and managed by an African-American woman in 1970. She gained a strong reputation for integrity by refusing to accept assignments for objectionable products and advertising that demeaned women or African-Americans. Over the years, she built her agency into the second largest advertising firm run by an African-American by securing business from Jewel Foods, Sears, Roebuck and Company, and Alberto-Culver.