← Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Fearless Faith: A Candid Conversation w/ Mielle Organics Founder Monique Rodriguez
01:06:55
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- [00:01]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Calling all my sweeties to the forefront, I'm your host, Chris Renee Hazlett, and this is the Keep It Positive Sweetie Show. Monique Rodriguez has shattered the glass ceiling in the beauty world with her Mielle Organics brand. As the founder and CEO, Monique transformed her personal tragedy into a thriving, purpose driven enterprise. Her journey from registered nurse to a leading global beauty brand is a testament of resilience, faith, and unwavering determination. In her new book, the Glory in youn Activating a Fearless Faith to Change youe Life, your Career, and the World, she shares intimate insights into overcoming adversity and finding purpose through pain. Monique's story is not just about business success. It's about inspiring others to embrace their own narratives and pursue their dreams fearlessly. Join us as we delve into her incredible journey and the lessons she's learned and how she's empowering others to find the glory in their own stories. Kids, family, let's welcome Monique Rodriguez. Monique, thank you so much for coming today.
- [01:05]
Monique Rodriguez
Thank you for having me. I'm excited to be here.
- [01:08]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Me too. We got to hang out for the first time really together for Fashion Week.
- [01:11]
Monique Rodriguez
Yes.
- [01:12]
Chris Renee Hazlett
You guys, Monique allowed me to come to the Thom Browne show with her.
- [01:15]
Monique Rodriguez
I didn't allow you. You just showed up and showed out. Your presence was. It was definitely needed to be there.
- [01:22]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Thank you. I had a blast. It was like one of the most amazing shows I've ever seen. So. So that was a great time. But fashion has become a part of your personal brand.
- [01:31]
Monique Rodriguez
Yes.
- [01:31]
Chris Renee Hazlett
When did you really get into fashion? I know you have Jeremy, who is an incredible stylist, but when did you really decide this is something that's a part of me and I love it.
- [01:40]
Monique Rodriguez
Yeah. So you know what's funny? So my mom, her passion is fashion, really. So I grew up, she was like a seamstress. She would sew garments and she would pick it up, put it back down because, you know, she wasn't in an environment where she thought it was something that she can pursue.
- [01:56]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Right.
- [01:57]
Monique Rodriguez
So I would see her pick it up all the time and just, you know, stop. And she always instilled in us, like, you have to be well dressed. You have to be well mannerable. You have to be poised and well put together. Like, don't walk outside looking crazy. Make sure your hair is combed. Don't have a bonnet on. So she always, like, made sure that we were super well dressed. And even though, like, when I look back, I know she couldn't afford some of the clothes that she was buying us she would put stuff on, laway stuff, so we can have the best type of material and outfits, like when we would start school. So that was just impressionable to me at a young age. So becoming an adult, I've always loved to dress up. Like, I love to dress up and I love to look nice. Thank you. And so do you.
- [02:44]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Thank you.
- [02:45]
Monique Rodriguez
So it's just an extension of just really who I am. So people may look at it as a personal brand, but it's really me. Like, I am such a girly girl. Like, you will probably always see me in, like, a skirt or a dress. I wore jeans one time, and, like, people looked at me like I had three faces, because they're like, I've never seen you with jeans on.
- [03:04]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Right.
- [03:05]
Monique Rodriguez
But I'm just, like, a girly girl. So I love dressing up. It's just a part of who I am.
- [03:08]
Chris Renee Hazlett
And your girls, they dress. They're adorable the way they dress. You do. So you picked that up from your mom, the way that. Cause they are stylish. They look so cute all the time. Yes. I love that.
- [03:18]
Monique Rodriguez
So what about you?
- [03:19]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Me? Honestly, My mom used to make my dresses as well.
- [03:22]
Monique Rodriguez
Oh, really?
- [03:23]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Yes, When I was a kid. And we had layaway, too.
- [03:25]
Monique Rodriguez
Yes.
- [03:26]
Chris Renee Hazlett
But she made my outfits. And I'm from a small town, so I used to, like, get my inspiration from TV and magazines. Like, we're in the grocery store, in the line. I'm picking up Ebony and Vibe and all those magazines and Essence and reading through them like, oh, I need this outfit. So we have to go to Memphis, like, two hours away to, like, get to the nicest mall so that I could, like, get certain things that I wanted.
- [03:47]
Monique Rodriguez
Oh, wow. You were two hours from Memphis.
- [03:49]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Two hours. No mall where I'm from, so.
- [03:50]
Monique Rodriguez
Because you started as a stylist.
- [03:52]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Yes. Yeah. Here in Atlanta. Yeah.
- [03:55]
Monique Rodriguez
Yeah. That's amazing.
- [03:55]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Isn't that crazy?
- [03:56]
Monique Rodriguez
Yeah.
- [03:56]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Yeah. Came from the town with no mom.
- [03:58]
Monique Rodriguez
It's who you are, too.
- [03:59]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Yeah, it is. No. And I feel like even from a young age, it was a part of how I express myself. Now you'll see me in jeans. I'm a tomboy at heart. So you'll see me in jeans, baggy sweatpants. And it all kind of just expresses how I feel. Like today I came in and I was in pink. Maybe your girliness is running off. Cause I came in here looking real cute, like, girlish today. Other days, my. I have an aloe like, sweatsuit that I call my uniform. I have it in all different colors and I wear that, like, almost every day.
- [04:25]
Monique Rodriguez
Oh, I wouldn't have took you as. I thought you were, like, a girly girl. I always see you dressed up, though.
- [04:29]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Yeah, that's for pictures.
- [04:31]
Monique Rodriguez
Okay.
- [04:34]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Yes. You know how, like, that on Instagram, it's like, this is me 99% of the time. Like, no makeup, hair, looking crazy. And then, like, the 1% you're on.
- [04:42]
Monique Rodriguez
Instagram, Like, I mean, that's me too. But I say I just clean up well. We clean up well.
- [04:47]
Chris Renee Hazlett
We clean up very well. Yes.
- [04:50]
Monique Rodriguez
It was really fun, and I was hoping that you was coming to Paris, but I know you're such a busy lady. I know, because I was like. I was planning. I was like, we're having so much fun.
- [04:57]
Chris Renee Hazlett
I need to do Paris with you.
- [04:59]
Monique Rodriguez
You're not coming. You're like, no.
- [05:01]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Yeah. Yes. Duty called. I had to get ready for work, and I had 22 scripts that landed on my desk that I had to learn. So I was like, go have fun in Paris and get back and not know my lines or be ready for what pays the bill. So I had to prioritize.
- [05:16]
Monique Rodriguez
Paris will always be there.
- [05:17]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Yes, it will. Yes. And we can go again some of the time. I would love that. I would love. So thank you for taking the time.
- [05:23]
Monique Rodriguez
Of course.
- [05:23]
Chris Renee Hazlett
I'm so excited to dive into everything about your new book and just talk to you about your journey and everything you have going on.
- [05:29]
Monique Rodriguez
Yeah.
- [05:29]
Chris Renee Hazlett
But I want to start from the beginning. You are from the south side of Chicago.
- [05:33]
Monique Rodriguez
Yes.
- [05:34]
Chris Renee Hazlett
That. From the stories I've heard, that is a rough side of town. Like, I always hear, like, stories about Chicago, and Michelle Obama is from there, and I read her book, and I was like, oh, okay. It's a very interesting place to grow up. What was it like for you? Because I know everybody has different experiences in different places. What was the south side of Chicago like for you?
- [05:53]
Monique Rodriguez
So Chicago gets a bad rap. It's really a beautiful city, right?
- [05:57]
Chris Renee Hazlett
It is.
- [05:58]
Monique Rodriguez
You know, it's where I'm from. It's where I grew up. I feel it's what built the character and the grit inside of me. Right.
- [06:05]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Yeah.
- [06:05]
Monique Rodriguez
I feel that the best entrepreneurs also come from Chicago because Chicago is a different breed. Like, if you can weather the below zero temperatures.
- [06:16]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Yes.
- [06:17]
Monique Rodriguez
And still come out on top, you know, and wait for the summer and the springtime to come, you gonna be all right. In life, it does get cold, but outside of the, you know, the weather, it's a beautiful city. Right. The skyline. I feel like we have the most beautiful Skyline in the entire country. But, you know, there are some rough parts. I think with any city, any major city, you go to, like, there is gonna be some rough parts. And, you know, I was. I don't know if I was fortunate. I can say fortunate, but I was able to see both sides of Chicago. I talk about this a lot in my book, how I grew up and what I've experienced with my dad. And that was the rough side of Chicago where I was around drug addicts and prostitutes. And at that time, back in the day, it used to be called the low end, and that's where the projects were. And I was able to see different people from different walks of life. I didn't grow up in the projects, but I was around the projects and down there because that's where my dad would purchase his drugs. So I feel like it just. It has taught me to be a well rounded individual and to learn how to manage and be in all different rooms and settings and work with all different walks of life, because, you know, that's how I grew up. I know how to be with the best of them and I know how to be with the lowest of them.
- [07:38]
Chris Renee Hazlett
So, yeah, no, I love that.
- [07:39]
Monique Rodriguez
It's resilience that it taught me.
- [07:42]
Chris Renee Hazlett
I can see that. I can see that because I love the show the Shy. And I guess that shows like a different. It shows you different sides of Chicago as well. Lena does a really good job of showing you the political side and I guess the higher end of it then also the crime and the disparities that go on in that city. But I've always been fascinated with the city and the people that come out of it. So to know that that's where you're from as well, I was like, it makes sense.
- [08:07]
Monique Rodriguez
Yeah. Like, I know how to pull out Southside Monique. I'm trying to keep her back there. You know, I'm a professional. So.
- [08:13]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Okay, Southside Monique, what has. What was a moment that you can recall where Southside Monique tried to creep out?
- [08:20]
Monique Rodriguez
Oh, in my professional life, yeah. You know, it can. It tries, you know, when I face criticism or when I have trolls on social media that feel like they are entitled to say certain things or, you know, people that may also try me, like in the public or during an interview. And I feel that, you know, I can politically correct check someone, but still remain poised and peaceful about it. And so I feel that, like, in business, being a professional, like, you have to be able to not go there or not pull out the south side Monique, you know, she has to stay back there because I'm also a representative of God's kingdom. I'm a representative for my kids, and I have to lead by example. But it's tempting, and I think we're all tempted to pull that person out. But it comes with self discipline, self awareness to be like, you know what? I'mma just pray for you. And do we fall short? Of course. Absolutely. Like, I'm sure you have had instances where you may want to just jap out on somebody on social media, and I have, like, commented back on certain things, and I'll go back and I'm convicted and I'll delete it. But, you know, that I feel like that's the growth in me, you know, same girl.
- [09:41]
Chris Renee Hazlett
I'm right there with you. There has definitely been times, even recently, especially, I guess the last big one was last year. I did a podcast when we talk about interviews and sometimes the backlash or the comments that people make, and somebody from church is like, somebody needs to take your phone.
- [09:57]
Monique Rodriguez
Yeah.
- [09:59]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Give somebody your phone because. No.
- [10:01]
Monique Rodriguez
Yeah. Or you, like, don't read them. Like, don't even, like, give your energy to things like that. And that's how I also maintain, like, professional mode. Like, I have to choose what I give my energy and what I give peace away to. Like, my peace is not worth the negativity and the trolls.
- [10:20]
Chris Renee Hazlett
It's not. It is not. Let's talk about the glory in your story. I'm often, like, inquisitive about, like, what makes somebody decide I want to write a book or it's time to write a book. So what moment were you, like, mo, it's time.
- [10:35]
Monique Rodriguez
Yeah, I feel that. So I've built this company over the past 10 years. It'll be 11 years in May, And I feel that the success that I have garnered, you know, people tell me all the time, oh, you're a unicorn. It's so rare to see a black woman have such a successful exit in this space. And I want to normalize that. I don't want to have the conversation or the narrative of, like, creating more unicorns. I want this to be normal in our community, and I want it to share the roadmap of what it took to build a successful company, what it took to scale to the level that, you know, the public sees today and the trials and the tribulations that, you know, came with building this company. Because I feel that entrepreneurs need to hear this story. Right? Anyone needs to hear this story, because there's so many different, you know, facets that can Relate to people. Right. If you are a career person, this book is definitely for you. If you are someone that's trying to increase your faith, walk with God. Like, this book is for you. If you are going through a loss of a career, a loss of a loved one, a loss of anything that you may be grieving, like, this book is for you. So as many different relatable chapters that I feel relates to anyone. But I wanted this book to be like, I'm your big sister, and we're having a conversation and I'm giving you all the wisdom, the knowledge that I've learned over the past 10 years, because the knowledge is not for me to just keep to myself. It's for me to share it. And people ask me all the time, can you be my mentor? So this is my gift to my community of, like, all those people that ask for mentorship. Like, I'm literally pouring my heart and soul into this book, being very vulnerable and transparent over not just the Instagram real highlights, but, like, the tough moments when I didn't even think Mielle was going to make it. Like, right. People don't see that on Instagram. And I wanted to share because you may feel that you're the only one going through what you're going through in this moment. And I want to give hope to that person that's reading. Like, you're not in this alone. I went through it. And if I can overcome that, you can, too. So my husband would always say, from the very beginning, the story must be told. We have it painted in our office space, and he was manifesting that. And the story has to be told because it's not my story, it's God's story. And that's why the glory goes to him.
- [12:53]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Absolutely. I love that. And thank you for being obedient and giving us this, because I know I get asked all the time as well, like, will you be my mentor? And I'm sure you can attest with our schedules, it's so hard to really commit to that. You have two daughters, and then you have businesses, and you have so much going on. I know it's hard to find time to really commit to mentoring. So this is a great way to pour back into. And I love that. I do. And in your book, you also talked about the passing of your son, Milan, and you worked as a registered nurse.
- [13:22]
Monique Rodriguez
Yes.
- [13:22]
Chris Renee Hazlett
And then it was that. That was a turning point of you to start your entrepreneurship journey. At what point in that were you like, I can't do this anymore. And I also Wanted to ask you, and it's a two part question. When you saw the. Everything that was happening in that hospital room as they're calling all the things and you're saying, I know that's not right. This is not what should be happen. At what point were you like, this is, I can't do this, this anymore. Working in the healthcare system with all the disparities for minorities.
- [13:52]
Monique Rodriguez
Yeah, that's true. So I actually started as a labor and delivery nurse, so I worked in the field, so I understood everything about labor and delivery that you can possibly know, you know, and so when I was in the hospital room and I went through, you know, being rushed to the hospital, being on the hospital bed, and them having to like rip my clothes off, put my baby on the monitor, and when his heartbeat was down, like, I knew if you all don't act quick, like, it's not going to be a good outcome.
- [14:28]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Yeah.
- [14:29]
Monique Rodriguez
And I remember I kept asking, like, where's the doctor? Where's the doctor? And the doctor was at home. And that wasn't a hospital that was equipped to have like an on call doctor. That was 24 hours. And so them having to call the doctor to be rushed to rush to the hospital to deliver my baby, by the time he got there, his heart rate was like, like it was so low. It was probably no saving at that point. And so when he did the C section, you know, and my son came out, he was lifeless. So he didn't get there in time to, you know, cut him out quick enough. And so it was just devastating. And then I remember, like waking up and I asked my mom and my family, I'm like, is he pink? Because I was incoherent, like I was drugged up. But I knew to ask, like, was he pink? And then I saw the look on my mom's face and I knew at that point that, you know, it wasn't, it wasn't right. So it was a very, like, even talking about it, just even though it's healing, it's therapeutic, it's still so hurtful. Because when you think about the health disparities in the medical system for black women, like, I tried to be my own advocate because I knew I was highly educated in the field and my level of education couldn't save my son.
- [15:54]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Wow.
- [15:55]
Monique Rodriguez
Right. And so I think about the women or black people, the black community in general that go to the hospital and don't have any knowledge of their care or being an advocate for themselves, like how doctors and nurses dismiss their symptoms. Dismiss you know their care for whatever reason because of the disparities. And something has to give, something has to stop. And I also wanted to be an advocate for that and bring awareness to, you know, our health system. Right. And to hopefully educate more black and brown young adults to go into the medical field and be our advocates. Because my doctor at the time was white. He did not look like me. And, you know, it's always would have, should have, could have. I wish I would have done this, but I had to learn. Like, I can't blame myself, but all I can do is be an advocate for, you know, more black and brown people to step up, to go into the medical field so they can be a voice and an advocate and have the empathy and caring and compassion that our community. Right?
- [17:02]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Yes.
- [17:03]
Monique Rodriguez
Because, like, even now, my dad, when he goes into the hospital, I have to, like, always step in and advocate for him or ask questions. And by the questions I ask, they're always like, are you a nurse? Or why does it matter? Do you not expect an educated black person to ask these type of questions? So we have to be our own advocate. And so I hope that people gather that from reading, you know, my traumatic story of having my son. And when I had my son and I had to go back into a career field that, number one, I didn't want to be in in the first place. And then, number two, I was dealing with the loss of my son and having to now take care of patients. My head wasn't there.
- [17:44]
Chris Renee Hazlett
I can imagine. No.
- [17:46]
Monique Rodriguez
I remember my boss pulling me in, and she's like, you're not the same nurse that you were before. And I'm like, well, you think, like, I just lost my son, so I'm not gonna be that person.
- [17:55]
Chris Renee Hazlett
No.
- [17:55]
Monique Rodriguez
So I had to go through this healing journey. And I. And I knew that I did not want to go back into a field where I felt I was doing everything right. I knew everything that I should have known, and something still happened to me. I wanted to just cut ties with the medical route. And people ask me all the time, would you want to go back? Absolutely not, right?
- [18:13]
Chris Renee Hazlett
No.
- [18:13]
Monique Rodriguez
Absolutely not.
- [18:14]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Now?
- [18:15]
Monique Rodriguez
No, absolutely not. And, you know, but it paid its contribution to my journey and who I am today, but it's not who I am. And I just had to cut ties with it to avoid being depressed.
- [18:27]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Yes. That's powerful. I know as a black woman, just finding the right primary care doctor. I have a black woman. That's my primary care doctor. And then I went and got my first mammogram. The other day, yeah, I saw that on Instagram and I was so nervous. I was so nervous because I don't know, in my mind I think sometimes I feel like a lot of. Because you know, like some people, the doctors will say, oh, we see cancer. And then you'll go get a second opinion, like there's nothing there. So I'm always like worried about are they going to tell me the right thing? Or it's like, what's going to happen? Because I was having like this pain like right here. And of course you get on Google and start Googling.
- [19:05]
Monique Rodriguez
It's like Google is your enemy, right? You're dying.
- [19:08]
Chris Renee Hazlett
It's like, oh gosh. And so you're automatically like going in, kind of preparing for the worst, but hoping for the best, but understanding that having I want to look across that room and see someone that looks like me or reflects me. And that's so important. Which is why I love my primary care doctor because she is a black woman and she, she gives it. I'm talking about I can call her anytime, I can pull up on her and say whatever I'm feeling, she's going to look into it and connect me with the right. Another black doctor that's going to take it serious versus like, oh, it just comes with age or oh yeah, you're fine. You know, like it's very passive.
- [19:45]
Monique Rodriguez
Yes.
- [19:45]
Chris Renee Hazlett
And I don't like that. So I totally understand why you were like, no, I have to get out of this so that I'm not depressed. I get it from that. Did that make you more of an advocate for midwives and doulas? Are you more of like an at home birth mom? Were you want to push women like just kind of stay away from the healthcare system, how you feel about that?
- [20:04]
Monique Rodriguez
I wouldn't push women to stay away from the healthcare system. I still think that it's needed, but I think that as women we should just educate ourselves on speaking up. Educating ourselves on basically what you just said. Like having a black doctor or if your doctor's not black, maybe a minority doctor, but having someone that is, that hears your concerns, that listens to your concerns and does not just blow you off. If you have a doctor that comes in the room and they just want to like do a quick assessment, write you a quick prescription. I stay away from doctors as quick with the pen and write a prescription without trying to understand and walk through like the assessment skills that they teach you in school of what is wrong and then once they identify what is wrong, what is causing that Are there natural things that you can do to reverse whatever it is? Like, don't be so quick to just put me on medication. So I just like a doctor to be very thorough and to listen to me as a patient. And I just encourage, you know, our community to just find those type of doctors because at the end of the day, we still do need, you know, doctors. If you are a C section candidate, you can't have a home birth. You need to go into the hospital. So in some ways you can't avoid it. But just make sure you have the right team around you that listens to you. And if they're not listening to you, just make sure that you're advocating you speak up for yourself.
- [21:29]
Chris Renee Hazlett
I love that. That's so good. So this caused a pivot for you to go into entrepreneurship. What was like the first thing that you tried? Cause I know you've done a few things. What was one of the first things that you tried to do on your own outside of being a nurse?
- [21:44]
Monique Rodriguez
So Mielle was the first thing outside of being a nurse. So once I left my nursing career and I started my Yale, but during my nursing career is when I did try to like branch off and start getting into like different business ventures such as multi level marketing. So I did like Avon, Mary Kay, and I talk about all of the direct sale business ventures that I tried to like go off into because I've always wanted to be an entrepreneur. So I've always had that bug and that desire and it always pulls on you and keeps nagging.
- [22:14]
Chris Renee Hazlett
It does.
- [22:14]
Monique Rodriguez
Until you like, fulfill that burning desire that you have. And I just felt that, you know, God was just redirecting me and rerouting me because I did not go the path of entrepreneurship because I didn't see it growing up. You can't be what you don't see.
- [22:28]
Chris Renee Hazlett
That's so true.
- [22:29]
Monique Rodriguez
So I didn't see black women that were like running and operating beauty businesses or any business for that matter. I saw women that were on magazine covers or on the relaxer kit. So that was my aspiration. I thought that was the only route that I can take to be into this beauty world. And I felt that God put this vision in me, he put this passion, this purpose, but I kept running from it because of fear, because of doubt and not believing in myself and not thinking that I can achieve it because I don't have a business degree, didn't have any business experience. So, you know, the enemy gets into your head and says, like, oh, you can't do this. How dare you? You have the audacity to dream this, and you have the audacity to think that you can do it. Well, I'm going to remind you that you can't do that. Because if you don't have the education or you don't have X, Y, and Z, like, that enemy can be like something strong very much. And I had to learn how to silen the noise, silence, the distractions. And when you go through such a tragic loss, like what I went through, for me, it was like, what. What are. What are my chances? Like, at this point, I don't care what people think. I don't care, you know, about this career anymore. Like, my mind frame was like, what's the worst that can happen? Because the worst has already happened.
- [23:45]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Monique. Yes.
- [23:46]
Monique Rodriguez
Yeah. So it just. It just gave me another level of grit and tenacity that I didn't know that I had. And I decided to just follow God's calling and be obedient to what he had been calling me to do for years and decided to not feed into the fears, but to feed the faith and just to trust. And that's how Mielle was started.
- [24:08]
Chris Renee Hazlett
I love that. What made you want to go into hair care? Like, what was the spark for that, besides your beautiful hair?
- [24:15]
Monique Rodriguez
Thank you. So I've always loved hair, and I've always been obsessed with making sure that my hair was always maintained and always presentable. Like, I told you, I wanted to be the little girl on the just for me kick. That was my aspiration. Like, I used to ask my mom to drive me to model calls. Every time they did a model call for a hair company. I'm like, I'm signing up. I want to be there. And she would take me. And she got to the point she's like, girl, they not picking you. And this is not something stable. Just like, this is cute. But you, I need to teach you how to, like, find something stable. And, you know, because one day you're gonna grow up and I'm not gonna be paying for you for. For the rest of your life. You're gonna have to find your own job. So she encouraged me to be a nurse, right? She didn't nourish the. The. The passion that I had to, like, pursue beauty. And no fault to her, but she didn't see it. You know, she came from a. A environment. She was raised of survival, so she was taught to only survive. So when you are coming from a survival mentality, you're not encouraged to dream big. And so she instilled that in me. And so even though I had, I was always a dreamer. But that's the thing. Like, sometimes people around you that have good intentions and they mean well, but sometimes they're advice. And their wisdom, it's coming from a place of fear because they didn't see it for themselves, so why would they see it for you? Right, Right. So she didn't see that in my future. And so I just put my dreams to the wayside of being in this space. And once I went through the loss of my son, it just circled me back and it was like a full circle moment. God was just redirecting me back to that childhood. Monique and I feel like Miel has healed a lot of that childhood dream that I had, you know, growing up. I mean, not healed, but fulfilled a lot of the childhood dream that I had growing up. Right. It just made a full circle. 360. Like, God's like, I'm gonna run that back.
- [26:17]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Yes.
- [26:18]
Monique Rodriguez
So you can know what's in front of your face.
- [26:20]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Yes. You tapped on something about how dare you dream this big. I was reading a book called the Prayer Circle, where you, like, basically kind of build your own Jericho Wall. How they go around the wall until it comes down and it becomes. Comes true. And in the book, he. A lot of times when you, like, your faith is too small or you don't believe big, it's an insult to God.
- [26:44]
Monique Rodriguez
Absolutely.
- [26:44]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Yeah. So that when you said that it reminded me of that, I was like, it is. It's an insult to God. Like, how dare you not dream that big.
- [26:50]
Monique Rodriguez
Yeah. You know, and I, and I, and I always say too, what's another insult to God is that when you don't fulfill your dream, God has attached so many people to your dream. And when you don't fulfill your dream, you're disappointing the people who he's assigned to your gift and your calling. And you're not being obedient to him and you're insulting him because you're not being and obedient to the gifts and the talents and the purpose that he has put you on this earth to accomplish.
- [27:16]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Yes. Yes. And you're holding everybody else up.
- [27:18]
Monique Rodriguez
Yeah.
- [27:20]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Sometimes it's you that's holding everybody else up.
- [27:22]
Monique Rodriguez
Yes. I think about, like, we have over 300 employees, and some of the employees that we employ probably would have never been able to have the position that they had at Mielle because of credentials. We always believe in giving people an opportunity, a chance. We put people in. And sometimes we put people in positions that were probably too high for them. But, you know, we wanted to provide opportunity. So we've been able to give opportunity to so many people and experience to so many people and exposure that they may not have had if I didn't follow my dream.
- [27:56]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Yes, that's so true. In your book, you had a chapter called Finding youg Person, and you and your husband Melvin were high school sweethearts.
- [28:05]
Monique Rodriguez
Yes.
- [28:06]
Chris Renee Hazlett
That's crazy. I only know one other. Well, I know a few people, but I know Deval and Kadeem were, like, they met in high school and are still together to this day, but you don't hear of that happening a lot. At what point did you know, like, in high school? Did you know then, or y' all were just like, boyfriend and girlfriend? Did you see it then? Like, this is the person I'm gonna be with the rest of my life.
- [28:26]
Monique Rodriguez
So when I was in high school, I always saw something in him. Like, he had great qualities, great characteristics.
- [28:32]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Yeah.
- [28:32]
Monique Rodriguez
And I saw myself, like, having kids with him and, like, having a life with him even at a young age. You know, I just didn't know, like, how it would all, like, come together. But he just had. He was just different from other guys in the neighborhood where we grew up. And I know that I was also different for him. And so I always joke with him, like, you got lucky because you got a rare one. Okay. You don't find them, like, they don't make them like me anymore. But I was always confident in that. And, you know, I talk about this in the book my mom instilled in me. Like. Like, you know, if a man wants you, he's gonna have to court you. Like, you don't just give it away for free. Like, what you have is precious.
- [29:15]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Yes.
- [29:16]
Monique Rodriguez
You know, your soul, your energy, everything that you possess as a woman, it is precious. And every man is. Is not deserving of that. So you gotta make him work.
- [29:25]
Chris Renee Hazlett
That's true.
- [29:26]
Monique Rodriguez
And I, I, I did that. And, you know, we had some rocky moments, you know, in the very beginning. But. But all in all, like, he knew that if he wanted to be with me, he was gonna have to put in the work.
- [29:37]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Yes, I know. That's right. I love that you are really big on your faith, and so is he. How has faith played a role into where you guys are and your business partners? Y' all do everything together from what I see.
- [29:48]
Monique Rodriguez
Yeah.
- [29:49]
Chris Renee Hazlett
How has that played a role, even when you said it was rocky at certain points? Like, how did that faith play a role through your relationship?
- [29:54]
Monique Rodriguez
Yeah. Faith is holding on to things that we hope for that we can't see. And faith is everything. It's like our anchor. Faith is what keeps us ground. Because when you enter into unchartered territory, it can be very intimidating. Like, you don't know what's going to happen. You're walking into the unknown. And you have to trust and have faith in God that if he gave me this vision, that he's going to equip me with everything I need to be successful in my calling. And it's not for me to figure out how all the pieces are going to come together just yet. It's for me to take a little step. Watch God do His work, Right? Because that's how he works. Like, you take that step, he'll open up some doors, he'll reveal to you his power, and then you're like, oh, okay, God, let me take another step.
- [30:44]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Right?
- [30:45]
Monique Rodriguez
And then he'll open up some more doors, he'll reveal his power. And that is literally a faith walk. Like, you're just climbing some stairs. And we don't climb stairs to go from the bottom of the staircase to the top of the staircase. They're just very small stairs. Steps that we have to take to get to the ultimate top.
- [31:01]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Right, right.
- [31:02]
Monique Rodriguez
And that's how I look at my faith journey. And it's a lifelong journey, right? Because you will have moments that you will doubt yourself. You will have moments where you're like. You're questioning your faith. And that's normal. Like, we're human. He blessed us with emotions for a reason. Right? But when we do have moments of when we feel down and despair, like, that's when we have to lean on him even more for his strength. Like, he doesn't want us to run away from Him. And even if you have ran away from God, like, He's still always right there waiting for us to just come back to Him.
- [31:33]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Always.
- [31:33]
Monique Rodriguez
You have to trust that. And the only way that you can trust that and have a true relationship with God is by knowing his word. Right? If we want to have a relationship together as friends, we have to get to know each other. God is no different. God's saying, like, I want you to have a relationship with me. But in order for us to have this relationship, you have to know My word. Because my word speaks to my character. It does, right? And my promises. And once we know his character and his promises, we can stand on that. And his word does not lie. And I'm a living, willing testimony that that what God says in his word will come to pass. Right. And we can hold God accountable to his word. And that has been what has manifested in my life.
- [32:10]
Chris Renee Hazlett
I love that now you guys work together. I know for me, like, I like my space, so I like to, like, be able to go. But y' all, I feel like you guys, was there any moments as you're building this huge brand that it is today where y' all were, like, bumping heads, or was it always just like. No, we're on the same page. It's smooth.
- [32:28]
Monique Rodriguez
Oh, absolutely not. No. Like, we bump heads. Yeah. And we bump heads quite a bit. But, you know, it's at the end of the day, like, we see the big picture. I think it's normal to have conflict.
- [32:42]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Yes.
- [32:43]
Monique Rodriguez
And I teach my kids that. And sometimes we may bump heads in front of our kids because I want them to see the back and forth bickering, but I also want them to see, how do you solve conflict?
- [32:53]
Chris Renee Hazlett
That's good.
- [32:53]
Monique Rodriguez
Because life is not the absence of conflict.
- [32:56]
Chris Renee Hazlett
It's just.
- [32:56]
Monique Rodriguez
It's how you respond to it. And so that's what we focus on, because we know that we're not gonna always agree, and we know that conflict can be healthy, and it's how you work through it. So because we are aligned with the big picture, we're aligned with our vision, our goals, we're aligned with our legacy that we want to leave for our family. And we realize that no matter what we argue over or bicker about, like, it's not even important. Right, Right. It's. When you look at the big picture, is it worth messing up what we've built, what we've created, the legacy that we're leaving? And nine times out of ten, it's really not. It's so minor, it's so minute. But we do understand that we have to have our own individual lives outside of being a wife and a husband. And that's important for us. So, like, you know, I am a mom, a CEO, a wife, but I have to have my girlfriend time.
- [33:52]
Chris Renee Hazlett
You do that very well too.
- [33:53]
Monique Rodriguez
Yeah. I travel on a high level balance. Because you need your girlfriend. Right. You need your support group that you can share things that you can't necessarily share with your husband. Like, my husband can't relate on, like, female things.
- [34:07]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Right.
- [34:07]
Monique Rodriguez
So you have to have the balance of, like, your friends, your inner circle, and he has to have that for himself. He can go on golf trips, I can go on my girl trips. Because when we come back, you want to miss each other.
- [34:19]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Yes.
- [34:20]
Monique Rodriguez
I think that's important. For you all to like. Yes. And even when we worked in the. In the warehouse. In the office. His office. We intentionally made his office way on the opposite side of the warehouse and mine was over here. And that was because I don't. We work together. But I don't have to see you all day.
- [34:38]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Yes.
- [34:39]
Monique Rodriguez
Like, I still want to miss you. And sometimes we would be in the office and not see each other until we go home. And then we still talk about our day. Like, you know, we work in two separate entities, but we're actually together. So you have to give each other time to like, have their space and miss each other. Because I think that's important because you are a person outside of, you know, who you are to your spouse.
- [34:59]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Absolutely. Yeah. In building Mielle Organics, what was the moment where you. You both realized, we got something and it. This is a hit?
- [35:09]
Monique Rodriguez
Yeah. It was a day that we launched. I realized that this is something special because when I did all of the other direct sale business, nothing ever took off. Like I could, I couldn't sell something to save my life. And then when Mielle took off and then I had all these orders coming in, I was like, oh, this is different.
- [35:32]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Yeah.
- [35:32]
Monique Rodriguez
You know, this is like, this is like God ordained because I had no clue that it would sell the way that it sold.
- [35:39]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Yeah.
- [35:40]
Monique Rodriguez
And I remember my husband jumping in on board because, you know, he has the logistical background, operations. That's what he, he focuses on. And I'm the visionary, the creator. So I created this product, I created this brand. And then once we started selling, I'm like, oh, now we gotta ship it out to people like the customer. So I have no idea how that works logistically. So he jumped on board with his logistical engineering background and set up a whole process and system. So we were like very organized. We had a two man shop in our basement at the time and we were just shipping out orders and we were a team.
- [36:16]
Chris Renee Hazlett
That's amazing.
- [36:17]
Monique Rodriguez
And yeah, we just came together and I knew, like, this is something special and if we put 1000% into this, we can really make this thing big.
- [36:25]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Yeah. And when did you like decide that we're gonna go into the big stores? Like, what was that moment that you couldn't handle it from the basement anymore?
- [36:33]
Monique Rodriguez
Yeah. So we went from our basement to the garage. So we had a three car garage.
- [36:37]
Chris Renee Hazlett
I remember the garage. I think I remember like y' all posting that. Yes, yes, yes.
- [36:42]
Monique Rodriguez
So we had a, we had a time clock in the garage. We had a pumping system where my husband Would like, he put this contraption together, and we would pump out the Babassu deep conditioner, and I would package it and label it. We had a whole operation. And when we had the call to go into retail, it wasn't because we chose to go into retail. We were just focused on building and. And the company. And we got the call from Sally Beauty, that was our first retail partner. And when we got the call. So Sally's headquarters is in Denton, Texas, and we happened to be there in Dallas for my daughter's gymnastics competition. And they called us like, hey, we want to meet with you guys. We're interested in bringing you into our stores. And I'm like, well, the odds were in Texas. What are the odds that, number one, we're in Texas. And number two, like, I wasn't even thinking about retail. I had put Sally's on my vision board to go into retail year five, because, you know, textbook how they say, oh, once you hit five years, you have a viable business. So I was following what the book said, and that was my vision. So God said exceedingly, abundantly. And when we got the call, we told them no, because we had our kids with us. And we're like, well, we don't have a babysitter. We're not from Texas. They're like, bring your kids to the meeting. And that was another, like, God moment where I'm like, oh, yeah, this serious work. Yeah, yeah. And we launched into retail. We had the meeting with them. We launched the following planogram reset, which is. Which was February of 2020. I'm 2020, 2016. And then when we launched, we sold out in every store that we launched in.
- [38:23]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Come on.
- [38:24]
Monique Rodriguez
So it was like the retail came after us. And once that retailer had the success that they garnered, other retailers started knocking because they're like, oh, well, we want to have a piece of that pie too.
- [38:36]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Yeah.
- [38:36]
Monique Rodriguez
So it wasn't that we were searching for retailers or retailers came to. To us, which is a blessing, a.
- [38:42]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Huge blessing, because most of the time, people are pitching their product to the retailer. Yeah, that's amazing.
- [38:47]
Monique Rodriguez
We barely had to pitch, like, it was so effortlessly, like, us going. We didn't even have a formal presentation when we met with Sally's, like, hey, this is the brand. Our kids were sitting at the round table, and it was so informal, but that's how bad they wanted us into their stores.
- [39:04]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Wow, that is incredible.
- [39:06]
Monique Rodriguez
Yeah.
- [39:07]
Chris Renee Hazlett
So you're on this journey of just the rise of Mielle organic. What was that journey like? Cause I know as you're going up, you're gonna. Because people always think that, like, once you hit make it, quote, unquote, that, like, oh, it's just smooth sailing. It's easy. What were some of the bumps that you guys hit along the way as you continue to rise?
- [39:24]
Monique Rodriguez
Oh, yeah. It gets more challenging the bigger you are. You know, they always say, more money, more problems. Right. And that has some truth to it, because there are more eyeballs on you. The more challenges are gonna come, the more roadblocks. And we experienced a lot of different roadblocks and obstacles. And I talk about a lot of our challenges in the book. At one point, we were not profitable. And at one point, I did not know if Miel would make it. Right. We were on the brinks of, like, you know, the bank's gonna come after us if we don't pay them their money back. So it was a very challenging time that people on the outside didn't know because. Because the brand was doing extremely well. Like, the sales were through the roof. So on the outside, people are like, oh, this brand is amazing. But underneath, when you look at our financials, it was horrible.
- [40:18]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Wow.
- [40:18]
Monique Rodriguez
And we went through this process of having to turn our business around and we needed funding. Right. Because at that point, we had overspent, which is a common mistake a lot of entrepreneurs make. But we felt that we had such great conviction that what we were building was still so great that we still had to show up with a smile on our face. We still had to serve our community. We still had to serve our employees. At one point, we were not paying ourselves so people can come to work.
- [40:52]
Chris Renee Hazlett
That's what people don't hear.
- [40:53]
Monique Rodriguez
They don't hear that. Right. Like, we were not making any money. Right. We had to sacrifice a lot to, like, maintain face because we didn't want our employees to know what was going on. Because would they have the same level of enthusiasm to show up and work if they knew that the company was suffering on the back end? So those are the moments people don't see. And then once we were able to garner funding, we got a lot of no's. And I talk about one big no that stuck out to me as a part of this journey. The investors wanted 40% of our company, and it was a bad deal. And we had to walk away from that knowing that even though they were giving us the money that we needed, we were not willing to sacrifice and give that much of our company away because we knew how valuable our company was. And as we were building and I think that's a huge key component for entrepreneurs, is that we can't be so quick to take on money from investors because that is a whole nother animal. It is a relationship, it is a marriage with whoever you're partnering with, and you want to make the right choice. And I tell people, like, don't dilute your shares early on because what you're building can be so valuable. So you can have the largest exit ever for a black female or male entrepreneur. The reason why we had the largest exit was because I didn't dilute my shares early on. We sacrificed a lot to not take on that money that they wanted. 40%. Right. So we had to just be patient and wait it out until we met the right investors that were willing to invest in us. And patience is the key. Right. Because that patience is pruning you, is building character, it's building resilience, is building, like, that tenacious spirit that we need as entrepreneurs. It's building a whole. A new level of wisdom and knowledge that you need to carry on into your next venture or project. Right?
- [42:48]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Yeah.
- [42:48]
Monique Rodriguez
And so those are some lessons that I wanted to share because it's so easy for someone to say, hey, we're going to give you $2 million. What comes with that $2 million.
- [42:59]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Right.
- [43:00]
Monique Rodriguez
You'll be left with after ex.
- [43:02]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Exactly.
- [43:02]
Monique Rodriguez
Exactly. So I just also caution people to be very careful with picking investors, Being students of life and always learning and asking questions, you know, I was very big on raising my hand and finding the people that had the successful exits. How can I learn from you?
- [43:22]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Yes.
- [43:23]
Monique Rodriguez
Yeah, that was key. Right. Because in order to be a champion tomorrow, you have to be teachable today. That's a nugget. I have always been very teachable and coachable, and that was one of the reasons why Berkshire, which was our private equity partner, who is a great partner, by the way, that's why they invested in us, because they said, you and Melvin are very coachable.
- [43:42]
Chris Renee Hazlett
I love that. I love that. So we get to the point where it's time for the biggest exit. And your approach with, hey, we want to buy your company. As an entrepreneur, when do you know it is time to sell or to say, hey, no, we don't want to sell, we want to keep. What made you guys say, this is time?
- [44:02]
Monique Rodriguez
So that's a good question, because you really don't know. You don't know when it's the right time.
- [44:07]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Yeah, that's. I guess that's when that fearless faith comes in.
- [44:11]
Monique Rodriguez
Exactly. You really have to have Faith. Because we did question like, is it time? Is it not time? And I will tell you, looking back, in hindsight, I am so glad we did it when we did it.
- [44:24]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Oh, good.
- [44:24]
Monique Rodriguez
Right. And there's no right way to time it. And we were having this conversation with our investor, Berkshire, and we recently just had dinner with them a few weeks ago, and we were talking about the same thing. Like, we couldn't have timed it perfectly, but there's no way to predict how to time it. So our motto was, slow and steady wins the race, but strike while the iron is hot. You know, we had taken the company to new heights. We had taken it to a new level of profitability. And when we looked at our financials, we looked at where we were as a company, we looked at our distribution, our customer base. It was like all the stars were aligning. And the interest. We had so many inbound interests from strategic companies. And the thing is, you don't know if they're going to be interested in you tomorrow.
- [45:19]
Chris Renee Hazlett
That's true.
- [45:20]
Monique Rodriguez
Because they may have something else that comes in hot and they may go to the next one and then you've missed your opportunity or you missed your value. Right?
- [45:28]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Yes.
- [45:29]
Monique Rodriguez
So because we were getting so many inbound interest and the stars were aligning, we said, as a team, we're going to just test the market. We're going to see what it comes back at. We're going to just see what we're valued at. And we had to know that once we put our stuff out there in the market for a potential sale, it's harder to put yourself out and then take it back, back.
- [45:51]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Oh.
- [45:52]
Monique Rodriguez
So we had to have faith that we were going to get the value or close to the value that we were hoping for and have faith that it was just going to come back once we put our. Our bid out to the market. Yeah, and it came back. And I remember our investor told us, she said, if it doesn't come back to what you guys want, there's no turning back. So we have to be okay with whatever people bid. That is something that we have to be okay with as a team and we're gonna have to just roll with it.
- [46:26]
Chris Renee Hazlett
So, okay, so you're saying once you put it out there, there's no saying, oh, we don't wanna sell it now, like real estate, like how you can take your house off the market. Can you just.
- [46:34]
Monique Rodriguez
You can't. It's just not a good look. Oh, it's just not a good look. Because the time and effort to Prepare to package the brand to put it out in the market for, for strategics or investors to bid on it. That's a lot of like heavy lifting. It's a lot of work. And so you're working with investor, investment bankers, you're working with our investing team. So all the time and energy that people are going to put in.
- [47:00]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Yeah.
- [47:00]
Monique Rodriguez
Like if you put it out there and say, oh no, it's not time yet. It's just not like it just doesn't look good.
- [47:06]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Yeah.
- [47:07]
Monique Rodriguez
And then to my point earlier, if you go back out there later, you may not get the same type of value because they may say, well, you came out here before, are you going to pull it back? Are you not going to be serious with your sale? So it's like a, it's literally a faith walk. You really just have to have faith. It's scary. Yeah. Because we knew that we were just going to put ourselves out there. So thankfully once we did put ourselves out there, we had some really great valuations and we said we're just going to go for it because we don't know what the outlook of the world and the economy looks like, you know, in the future. And we see what it was going on now. Listen, that's why I said it couldn't have been better timing. So we just said that we were going to stick with what the values came back with and we were just going to enter into the process and start dating strategic partners and find who is the right partner for mielle.
- [47:59]
Chris Renee Hazlett
And then you ended up with there's a proctoring gamble hunting Gamble, which is a very world renowned company in the beauty space or they do so many different things. But so we've all your faithful buyers and customers here that you sold to Procter and Gamble, which is what is business, you know, it's business. But there was so much backlash from that like oh she sold out or oh she like get sold out to the white man or whatever they people say when you're at home and you're hearing these things and reading these things, but knowing that this is the business decision that I made and I'm standing on it. How did that feel when you're reading and hearing all these things that people are saying?
- [48:41]
Monique Rodriguez
Well, number one, it was the business decision that God put in me because what people don't know is the prayers and the journaling that me and God sat down and had this conversation.
- [48:53]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Right, right.
- [48:54]
Monique Rodriguez
So before I sold to P and G, before we entered into the process, we entered into process of August of 22. I journaled, had a conversation with God, and I kid you not, I have the journaling to prove it. In May, I wrote down my Yale will be acquired by P and G. Wow. Had no idea that P and G would enter into the process. Didn't know that we were even going to have a conversation with them. But that was a vision that came from God, and I wrote it down. He says, write the vision and make it plain. And so when we entered into process, P and G ended up becoming one of the ones that was in the running. And when we were in the thick of negotiations, we went to church. We called our pastor. It was like 10 o' clock at night. And we said, we need prayer because we were in negotiations on zoom late at night. And we asked him, can we have a breather? Can we take a break? We went to our church, had our pastor pray, and our pastor said, it's something about P and G that's jumping out in my spirit. So this was confirmation from my pastor. Mind you, I forgot that I wrote that down. Oh, okay.
- [49:58]
Chris Renee Hazlett
That's crazy.
- [49:59]
Monique Rodriguez
So I forgot I wrote it down. Confirmation from my pastor. We come back, get back on a zoom, we make the decision. We're gonna go with P and G. Yeah, right. We do all the documents, we close. I go back into my closet because that's where I journal. And I'm flicking through my journal pages because I'm getting ready to write down this process of what happened, right? I'm flicking through my journal pages, and my thumb lands on the journal entry that I made in May saying that MIELLE will be acquired by P and G. When I tell you the chief that I received, because I'm like, God has confirmed his word. I am going in the right direction. He's ordering my steps. I had to run. I get chills talking about this. I had to run and find Melvin. I don't know where he was at. I was like, melvin, look at. Look at what I wrote down. And mind you, this wasn't the first time that I wrote something down that I prayed over and God answered my prayers. And I pointed, I said, look what I wrote down. And he was just like, wow, wow, wow. It's like, wow, right? So when you talk about the critics, I'm saying all that to say is when people criticize me for the decisions that I'm making, it's really not my decisions. These are decisions that I prayed on that God has revealed to me. So when you are criticizing me, you are ultimately criticizing the one who put me on this earth to accomplish the purpose and calling that he has placed on my life. And no one knows the conversations that me and have.
- [51:17]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Nobody.
- [51:18]
Monique Rodriguez
And that's why you can't share your dreams and your visions with everyone else. Because it's not for everyone else to know what you and God talk about. Talked about.
- [51:24]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Yes.
- [51:25]
Monique Rodriguez
So I can sleep well at night. Right. Because I know that I operate with integrity.
- [51:28]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Absolutely.
- [51:29]
Monique Rodriguez
I know I operate with the utmost respect and confidence and servantry for my community and my people. And I know that I've done what I'm supposed to do. Right. So the criticism does not bother me. I've been through worse.
- [51:42]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Yeah.
- [51:42]
Monique Rodriguez
And I pray for them because I know that it's internal projection of their own insecurities and their lack of courage to walk in my shoes and to do what I'm doing.
- [51:51]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Yeah.
- [51:51]
Monique Rodriguez
Or they don't have the courage or belief system to even think that they can accomplish what I have. And they can if they take the same energy from criticizing people and turn into something positive. Right. That's really what it is. Because I never went on something on social media to criticize them. I may have thought it. Right. I think we all think something. Right. But I'm not gonna actually verbalize it and say it because I don't have the time or energy and I don't wanna block my blessing by doing that. So I just, you know, I take it with a grain of salt. I embrace it because they push me to go harder and to keep showing up. And I feel that, you know, it's also a testament that, you know, God is reminding everyone that sees anyone that's facing adversity to stay steadfast in the moment of adversity. Because the grace and the poise that you carry and possess while you're facing adversity is inspiring someone else that's watching you.
- [52:50]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Yes.
- [52:50]
Monique Rodriguez
So I focus on the people that support me, not the ones that don't.
- [52:53]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Right. I love that. That is so good. It's crazy because when you are building and grinding, everybody's cheering you on. But as soon as you become the one, that's when all the haters and they say, I'm literally coming out the woodworks like little cockroaches.
- [53:06]
Monique Rodriguez
Yes. That's exactly like Pastor Jamal Bryant said. When the lights turn on, all the cockroaches come out, Right? Yes.
- [53:14]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Literally. Literally. There was a big viral moment where people were coming out saying that they were losing their hair from using one of your products. And I'm gonna say, I got A head full of hair. And I've been using your products for years same and ain't lost none of it, you know, like, besides the hair that falls out on a day to day basis just naturally, you know. And I was just like, I cannot believe that like somebody's going to these lengths, you know, to try to take down another black woman. And it was just so disheartening. And I can only imagine. And I would like for you to like in those moments in your closet, because I see you in your prayer closet praying with other women. What were those conversations like with God when you saw somebody really trying to attack your brand? This is like your baby, you know?
- [53:56]
Monique Rodriguez
Yeah, yeah. Well, those conversations with God was. I know that you're not gonna let one what you have built, no man can take that down.
- [54:06]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Come on.
- [54:06]
Monique Rodriguez
Right? So I have that truth because this is just one person, one troll that decided to be negative and she can't stop the favor of God, right? She can't stop what God has blessed and ordained. No man can take that away. And the sad thing about it is that truth, it conflicts with like lies to the point where lies can be perceived as truth. And I feel that because Mielle is such a great brand and when, when people can't find anything negative about the brand or about myself, they make things up. And I know that it comes with the territory, the bigger you are. And the crazy thing is mostly all the big brands have been attacked in that same way. So I really knew that my time was coming. You, like, wait for it, seriously. And it's sad, but it happens with every big brand. So it was confirmation that, wow, I actually have done something really great, that people want to take the time out of their day to try to tear me down and nitpick about every single thing. And the people that already have it made up in their mind that they want to misunderstand you, there's nothing you can do or say to try to prove them wrong. So I'm the type of person, I am not afraid I will address it head on. But I'm only going to do it one time. And I'm going to address it because of the people that do support, that do use the products just to reassure them. Like, the formulas haven't changed. The products are still the same. You can still use the products. They're safe and effective to use. They're still the same products that we had before the acquisition. Nothing has changed. Look at the labels. And that's what was so like baffling about it. Is because, like, people, if you actually read the labels, you will see that the formula is still the same in 2020 versus today. So it's the fact that people didn't even take the time to educate themselves. They just want to run with the false narrative. Because it's like, I knew it couldn't be that good. It's too good to be true. So let me try to, like, create this false narrative, because this is just too good. Right. And if you just take the time to, like, educate yourself, and I try to educate the community, and I feel that the people that want to be educated.
- [56:25]
Chris Renee Hazlett
They hear you.
- [56:26]
Monique Rodriguez
They will hear me, absolutely. Because ignorance is a choice. We live in an era of so much access to information. And if you choose to still be ignorant when you have the information being presented in front of you, then you're choosing to be ignorant. And that is quite all right. You can stay right where you're at. Yes.
- [56:42]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Over here.
- [56:42]
Monique Rodriguez
I'm gonna keep moving. I'm gonna keep elevating.
- [56:44]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Yes.
- [56:44]
Monique Rodriguez
So you just. You just gotta, like, do what you can, but focus on what's important and not the naysayers.
- [56:51]
Chris Renee Hazlett
I will. And I will say that you handle it with such grace. Cause I can't imagine, like, being in the position you are and working as hard as you have to get to where you are and then be hit with something like that. And I was like, my girl is handling this thing.
- [57:02]
Monique Rodriguez
Yeah. I mean, it's her. I'm not gonna lie and say that it's hurt because it's something I built. Right.
- [57:06]
Chris Renee Hazlett
That's exactly.
- [57:06]
Monique Rodriguez
Yeah. Like, at the end of the day, my confidence is in God, so I have to stand on his word. I have to lean on my faith again. That's where my faith comes in. He keeps me grounded. And I do know that this social media world, people will find a topic, they'll jump on it, be real loud about it, and then they'll move on to something else.
- [57:23]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Yeah. And they're definitely on to something else now. Yeah. That is so true. When it comes to empowering others, there are so many people who want to be entrepreneurs. What is some advice that you would give? And I think you've given a lot of nuggets today, just even to me. I'm you telling. Taking mental notes. And I'm gonna go back and rewatch this because I'm building a brand and I have some other brands I wanna do, and you've given me so many things to think about. Yes, thank you. But if there's just any, like, Tip that you could give anybody who really wants to get into it or a piece of advice. What would you give them?
- [57:53]
Monique Rodriguez
Yeah. So I would say authenticity is key. Like, no one can beat you at being you. And I think that you do a really great job of just being yourself. And I do know that's why what you're doing, your brand, when you do start something, whatever brand you want to venture off into, it's going to go well because people are attracted to your authenticity. And people don't want to do business with who they feel is fake or it's a facade or a perception. They really want to connect with you as a person. Right. They want to do business with who they feel like. They know who they like and who they trust. It is a relationship. It's not a transaction.
- [58:31]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Yes.
- [58:32]
Monique Rodriguez
Even though we look at it as a sale is a product is purchased. A sale comes in. We get money in exchange for that. That. That's the transaction. But I really focus on, like, how do I build relationships with my customers? How do I date my customers? Because I want my customers to feel connected and engaged. Because especially in the beauty space with hair care, it's such an emotional connection. And what we put on our hair, I feel like it's absorbing our spirit and our energy. And I always want to put out good vibes and good energy as I'm building and meeting people from all across the country to let them know, like, you can trust me with the products that are being produced with your hair. You can trust that if something is wrong, that I'm going to be an advocate to try to fix it and make it better to perform. Because I'm using the products, too. My kids are using the products. So I'm not going to put anything out there that is not healthy or that's causing issues. You know, I'm going to do my due diligence and do all the proper testing to make sure that it is a great product before I put my name on it. Right. And so you. You have to, like, be able to build that trust with people. But the only way you can is by being your authentic self and dating and building relationships with your clients.
- [59:40]
Chris Renee Hazlett
I love that. I love that. Leaving a legacy behind. You spoke about you're building a legacy. What is the thing that you want to leave behind when it's all said and done?
- [59:50]
Monique Rodriguez
What I want to leave? Well, first of all, I feel like your legacy is something that you can build while you're still living, breathing on this earth, because it's about impact and I want to impact others by way of helping them be inspired, building their faith, teaching them a spirit of resilience. I want my kids to look at me and say, wow, like my mom, she built this successful company. And, you know, not only did she build, but she gave back to the community that served her, the community that purchased products. She always made sure that she gave back to the people that supported her. And I also want people to just be encouraged to continue dreaming big, because it's never too late. Your dreams don't have an expiration date. There's no limits that you can put on God. So I want people to just increase their faith in God, bring them closer to God, because I think that's why we're all here on Earth, to be vessels, to bring people to his kingdom and to know that we serve a limitless God. He does not put any limits on us. Right? And when you operate from that position of abundance and not lack, you can accomplish anything in this world that you want to accomplish. And that's the legacy that I want to leave behind. I want to. To create more Monique Rodriguez's. I want to normalize this conversation so we're not sitting down and saying, so why did your community criticize you for being acquired? No, this will be a normal conversation. Like, girl, girl, I just did an acquisition. Kudos to you. Like, tell us how much it was and let's get the tea and let's celebrate. You create more people to do this and celebrate this as a community, because we celebrated. When Kim Kardashian does it, come on. But when somebody that looks like us does it, it's not normal.
- [61:32]
Chris Renee Hazlett
It's a sellout.
- [61:32]
Monique Rodriguez
Yeah, it's a sellout, but it's normal for somebody that looks. We gotta stop thinking like that.
- [61:37]
Chris Renee Hazlett
That's real. That is so good. I love it. So before we get out of here, what is next for Monique Rodriguez?
- [61:44]
Monique Rodriguez
Oh, so what is next? I'm always like, I have, like, a million ideas and my brain is racing. It goes from one idea to the next idea. But I really wanna focus on, like, you know, building up the next generation because they are our future. So my daughter, she's getting into content creation. I wanna help build her career, her platform, and help her be an influencer to the kingdom as well. I love that. And just help my kids really pursue and their gifts and their dreams because they're becoming young ladies and adults and they, I did what I did so they can have the freedom and flexibility to pursue whatever dreams and passions they want to do. And continuing to impact my community with things like, you know, this book. This is my gift to my community. And, you know, I have some other key initiatives that I'm doing with MIELLE that, you know is coming down the pipeline. But, yeah, just continuing to be great and live with intention and positivity. Keep it positive, sweetie.
- [62:35]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Period. And you're doing it. I am so inspired. I really am. Before we get out, we're gonna do something that we call positive outcomes. This is where our listeners write in and ask us a question, and then we give them advice. You down?
- [62:50]
Monique Rodriguez
Yes, I'm down.
- [62:51]
Chris Renee Hazlett
All right, so this comes from Kerrigan Buck, and she says, what advice would you give to a woman that's struggling with differentiating between a positive and supportive lady versus a doormat?
- [63:03]
Monique Rodriguez
Oh, so. And, you know, I talk about this in the book of not having yes. People around m. Mentors would tell me, she would always say, yes, people will get you killed. So you don't want to have doormats that you can just walk all over, and they're just saying yes to everything that you're presenting to them. You want to have people around you that are loving, supportive, but hold you accountable.
- [63:27]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Yes.
- [63:28]
Monique Rodriguez
Right. And the way that you differentiate is when you have someone that's holding you accountable, they're doing it from a place of love. If it's coming from a place place of ill motives or hate is probably not a positive, you know, accountability partner. Right. It's probably someone that's envious of you, your life. So I always look at it as, like, how are they giving me this information?
- [63:52]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Yes.
- [63:52]
Monique Rodriguez
Is it coming from a place of love? Is it God aligned? Is it God ordained? And if you're unsure, also go to mentors that I feel are spiritual mentors. Right. I have a lot of spiritual mentors in my life. I have a lot of believers in my life. I that. That will give me sound advice from a biblical perspective. And I'll tell one of my closest friends. I tell her all the time, like, tell me if I'm wrong and tell me from a biblical perspective. Don't even tell me from your own wisdom. Pray. We gonna pray first. I want you to get a download from God, and I want you to give me advice from that. So you have to be real with yourself too, and ask how you're asking for advice from the people that are around you. And if you're asking in the way way where they become a doormat and they're just telling you what you want to hear versus what you really need to hear. And that's the truth.
- [64:41]
Chris Renee Hazlett
I love that.
- [64:42]
Monique Rodriguez
The truth will set you free, and you will be much more. You will just garner much more wisdom, and you'll be on a better trajectory if people sit you down and tell you the truth with love.
- [64:53]
Chris Renee Hazlett
No, for sure. I love that. And, Kerrigan, I would add to that a lot of times when you're trying to make sure you're not being too supportive or being in on the borderline of being a doormat, I would also say set healthy boundaries. You know, a lot of times we lack boundaries. Where we do become, if you're on the opposite side of that, where you're the one that's being taken advantage of and being the doormat, because you're always, yes, yes, yes. Whatever you need, I got you. And then it comes to the point where, wait, are they taking advantage of me? That's when I feel like you also have to have set healthy boundaries.
- [65:25]
Monique Rodriguez
So was she saying that she was a doormat or. If she's having people that are doormats.
- [65:28]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Around her, she's trying to differentiate, like being a supportive lady or a doormat.
- [65:33]
Monique Rodriguez
Oh, okay. I think I asked the question wrong, though. That was a good perspective.
- [65:37]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Yeah. No, because what you said is like a great perspective on it. Yeah. Yeah.
- [65:41]
Monique Rodriguez
Okay.
- [65:41]
Chris Renee Hazlett
So, yeah, that's what I would say. That's good. Yeah, that's really good, Monique.
- [65:44]
Monique Rodriguez
Thank you. Thank you.
- [65:45]
Chris Renee Hazlett
I am seriously, I'm so inspired. I cannot wait to introduce this book to everyone so we can all read it together.
- [65:51]
Monique Rodriguez
Yes. Thank you.
- [65:52]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Yes. You are so inspiring.
- [65:54]
Monique Rodriguez
Thank you so much. And so are you. I tell you this all the time, so that's nothing new.
- [65:59]
Chris Renee Hazlett
Thank you so much. I can't wait to hang out with you outside of this. And thanks for making time.
- [66:03]
Monique Rodriguez
Thank you. Thank you for having me.
- [66:05]
Chris Renee Hazlett
You're welcome.
- [66:05]
Monique Rodriguez
I appreciate it.
- [66:06]
Chris Renee Hazlett
All right, this is good, guys. That was a great conversation. I hope you all received the message on leading fearlessly with faith. My takeaway from this was that any decision Monique makes, she does not make it without talking to anyone. God first. Thank you guys so much for tuning into another episode of the Keep It Positive Sweetie Show. Don't forget to subscribe, leave a review and share this episode with someone who could use a little positivity today. And as always, stay blessed, stay encouraged, and remember to keep it positive, sweetie. I'll see you guys next time.