← Keep it Positive, Sweetie
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- [00:01]
A
Calling all my sweeties to the forefront, I'm your host, Krista 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 your 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 and how she's empowering others to find the glory in their own stories. Kiss family, let's welcome Monique Rodriguez. Monique, thank you so much for coming today.
- [01:05]
B
Thank you for having me. I'm excited to be here.
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A
Me too. We got to hang out for the first time really together for Fashion Week.
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B
Yes.
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A
You guys, Monique allowed me to come to the Thom Browne show with her.
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B
I didn't allow you. You just showed up and showed out. Your presence was. It was definitely needed to be there.
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A
Thank you. I had a blast. It was like one of the most amazing shows I've ever seen. To honest be that was a great time. But fashion has become a part of your personal brand.
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B
Yes.
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A
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?
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B
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 she wasn't in an environment where she thought it was something that she can pursue. 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 so we can have the best type of material and outfits. Like when we would start school.
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A
Yes.
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B
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.
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A
Thank you.
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B
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.
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A
Right.
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B
But I'm just, like, a girly girl. So I love dressing up. It's just a part of who I am.
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A
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.
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B
So what about you?
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A
Me? Honestly? My mom used to make my dresses as well.
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B
Oh, really?
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A
Yes, When I was a kid. And we had layaway, too.
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B
Yes.
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A
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.
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B
Oh, wow. You were two hours from Memphis.
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A
Two hours. No mall where I'm from.
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B
Because you started as a stylist.
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A
Yes. Yeah. Here in Atlanta. Yeah.
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B
Yeah. That's amazing.
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A
Isn't that crazy?
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B
Yeah.
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A
Yeah. Came from the town with no mom.
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B
It's who you are, too.
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A
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 me. 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 in all different colors, and I wear that like, almost every day.
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B
Oh, I wouldn't have took you as. I thought you were, like, a girly girl. I always see you dressed up, though.
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A
Yeah, that's for pictures.
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B
Okay.
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A
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.
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B
Instagram, Like, I mean, that's me, too. But I say I just clean up well. We clean up well.
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A
We clean up very well. Yes.
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B
It was really fun, and I was hoping that you was coming to Paris, but I know you're such a busy lady.
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A
I know.
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B
Because I was like. I was planning. I was like, we're gonna have so much fun.
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A
Yeah. See, I'd like to be in Paris with you.
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B
You not coming? You like? No.
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A
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 bills. So I had to.
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B
Priorities. Paris will always be there.
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A
Yes, it will. Yes. And we can go again some of the time.
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B
I would love that.
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A
I. So thank you for taking the time.
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B
Of course.
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A
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.
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B
Yeah.
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A
But I want to start from the beginning. You are from the south side of Chicago.
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B
Yes.
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A
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?
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B
So Chicago gets a bad rap. It's really a beautiful city, right?
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A
It is.
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B
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.
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A
Yeah.
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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.
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A
Yes.
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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's 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.
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A
So, yeah, no, I love that.
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B
It's resilience that it taught me.
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A
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 the, 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.
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B
Yeah. Like, I know how to pull out Southside Monique. I try to keep her back there. You know, I'm a professional. So.
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A
Okay, Southside Monique, what has. What was a moment that you can recall where Southside Monique tried to creep out?
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B
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.
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A
I'm right there with you. There has definitely been times, even recently, it's. 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. Yeah, Give somebody your phone, because. No.
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B
Yeah. Or you, like, don't read them. Like, don't. 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.
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A
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]
B
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. 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.
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A
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? 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.
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B
Yes.
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A
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 the. They're calling all the things and you're saying, I know that's not right. This is not what should be happening. 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.
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B
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. 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. It's not gonna be a good outcome.
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A
Yeah.
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B
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, 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.
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A
Wow.
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B
Right. And so I think about the women or the 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. Yep. 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.
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A
Yeah.
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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 needs. Right.
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A
Yes.
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B
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.
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A
Yes.
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B
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.
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A
I can imagine. No.
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B
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 going to be that person. 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 had. 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? No, absolutely not. Like now? 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.
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A
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.
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B
Yeah, I saw that on Instagram.
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A
Yeah. 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 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 gonna tell me the right thing? Or it's like, what's gonna happen? Cause I was having like this pain, like right here. And of course you get on Google and start Googling.
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B
It's like Google is your enemy, right.
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A
You're dying. I was 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 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 gonna take it serious versus like, oh, it just comes with age or oh, yeah, you're fine. You know, like it's very passive.
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B
Yes.
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A
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 like an at home birth mom where you like wanna push women, like just kind of stay away from the healthcare system, how you feel about that?
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B
I wouldn't push women to stay away from the healthcare system. I still think that is needed, but 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, I just like a doctor to be very thorough and to listen to me as a patient.
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A
Yeah.
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B
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 to 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.
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A
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? Because 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?
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B
So MIELLE was the first thing outside of being a nurse. So once I left my nursing career and I started mielle, 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 until you like, fulfill that burning desire that you have. And I just felt that God was just redirecting me and rerouted 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.
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A
That's so true.
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B
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.
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A
Right.
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B
So that was my aspiration. I thought that was the only route that I can take to be into this beauty world.
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A
Right.
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B
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, yeah, 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.
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A
Yeah.
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B
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 silence 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 are my chances? Like, at this point, I don't care what people think. I don't care about this career anymore. Like, my mind frame was like, what's the worst that can happen? Because the worst has already happened.
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A
Monique. Yes.
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B
Yeah. So 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.
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A
I love that. What made you want to go into hair care? Like, what was the spark for that, besides your beautiful hair?
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B
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. This, like, this is cute, but I need to teach you how to, like, find something stable and, you know, Cause.
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A
That'S a pretty good.
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B
One day you gonna grow up, and I'm not gonna be paying for you 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 passion that I had to pursue beauty. And no fault to her, but she didn't see it. She came from 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 their advice and their wisdom is coming from a place of fear. It is 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 going to run that back.
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A
Yes.
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B
So you can know what's in front of your face.
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A
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 while they go around the wall until it comes down and it becomes. Comes true. And in the book, he said something about a lot of times when you, like, your faith is too small or you don't believe big, it's an insult to God.
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B
Absolutely.
- [26:44]
A
Yeah. So when you said that, it reminded me of that and I was like, it is. It's an insult to God. Like, how dare you not Dr. That big.
- [26:50]
B
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 obedient to the gifts and the talents and the purpose that he has put you on this earth to accomplish.
- [27:16]
A
Yes. Yes. And you're holding everybody else up. Yeah. Like they're weight. Like sometimes it's you that's holding everybody else up.
- [27:22]
B
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. 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]
A
Yes, that's so true. In your book, you had a chapter called finding your person, and you and your husband Melvin were high school sweethearts.
- [28:05]
B
Yes.
- [28:06]
A
That's crazy. I only know one other. Well, I know a few people, but I know Devale 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]
B
So when I was in high school, I always saw something in him. Like, he had great qualities, great characteristics.
- [28:32]
A
Yeah.
- [28:32]
B
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 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, 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]
A
Yes.
- [29:16]
B
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 got to make him work.
- [29:25]
A
That's true.
- [29:26]
B
And I, I. I did that. And, you know, we had some rocky moments, you know, in the very beginning. 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]
A
Yeah, 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]
B
Yeah.
- [29:49]
A
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]
B
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 grounded. 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. Right? 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. There are just very small steps that we have to take to get to the ultimate top. Right, Right. 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 always right there, waiting for us to just come back to him.
- [31:33]
A
Always.
- [31:33]
B
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 is 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.
- [31:52]
A
It does, right?
- [31:53]
B
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 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]
A
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]
B
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]
A
Yes.
- [32:43]
B
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]
A
That's good.
- [32:53]
B
Because life is not the absence of conflict. It's just. It's how you respond to it. And so that's what we focus on, because we know that we're not going to 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]
A
You do that very well too.
- [33:53]
B
Yeah, I try to, on a high level balance. Because you need your girlfriends. 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 female things. So you have to have the balance of 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.
- [34:20]
A
Yes.
- [34:20]
B
I think that's important for you all to like, that's it, Mississippi.
- [34:23]
A
Yes.
- [34:24]
B
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]
A
Yes.
- [34:38]
B
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]
A
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]
B
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 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]
A
Yeah.
- [35:32]
B
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]
A
Yeah.
- [35:40]
B
And I remember my husband jumping in on board because, you know, he has the logistical background, operations, that's what 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 got to 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]
A
That's amazing.
- [36:17]
B
And yeah, we just came together and I knew like, this is something special and if we put a thousand percent into this, we can really make this thing big.
- [36:25]
A
Yeah. And when did you like decide that we're gonna go into the big stores? Like, what was that moment? So that you couldn't handle it from the basement anymore?
- [36:33]
B
Yeah. So we went from our basement to the garage. So we had a three car garage.
- [36:37]
A
I remember the garage. I think I remember like y' all posting that. Yes, yes, yes.
- [36:42]
B
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 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.
- [37:31]
A
And I'm like, well, the odds were in Texas.
- [37:34]
B
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 is serious work.
- [38:07]
A
Yeah, yeah.
- [38:08]
B
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]
A
Come on.
- [38:24]
B
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]
A
Yeah.
- [38:36]
B
So it wasn't that we were searching for retailers. The retailers came to us.
- [38:39]
A
Us, which is a blessing, a huge blessing, because most of the time, people are pitching their product to the retailers. That's amazing.
- [38:47]
B
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, it was 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]
A
Wow, that is incredible. So you're on this journey of just the rise of Mielle Organics. What was that journey like? Cause I know as you're going up, you're gonna cause 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]
B
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 mielle 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 they. 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]
A
Wow.
- [40:19]
B
And we went through this process of having to turn our business around, and we needed funding.
- [40:25]
A
Yes, Right.
- [40:26]
B
Because at that point, we had overspent, which is a common mistake a lot of entrepreneurs make.
- [40:32]
A
Make.
- [40:33]
B
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]
A
See, that's what people don't hear.
- [40:53]
B
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, like, 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 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, 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]
A
Yeah.
- [42:48]
B
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]
A
Right.
- [43:00]
B
You'll be left with after ex. 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]
A
Yes.
- [43:23]
B
Yeah, that was key. Right. Because in order to be a champion tomorrow, you have to be teachable today. That's amen. 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]
A
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]
B
So that's a good question, because you really don't know. You don't know when it's the right time.
- [44:08]
A
Yeah, that's. I guess that's when that fearless faith comes in.
- [44:11]
B
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]
A
Oh, good.
- [44:24]
B
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. 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]
A
That's true.
- [45:20]
B
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 missed your value. Right? Yes. 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. So we had to have faith that we were going to get the value or close to the value that we want, were hoping for, and have faith that it was just going to come back once we put our bid out to the market. 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 going to have to just roll with it.
- [46:27]
A
So, okay, so you're saying once you put it out there, there's no saying, oh, we don't want to sell it now, like real estate, like how you can take your house off the market.
- [46:34]
B
Yeah.
- [46:34]
A
Can you just.
- [46:34]
B
You can. 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 strategics or investors to bid on it. That's a lot of like heavy lifting. It's a lot of work. And so, 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, 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]
A
Yeah.
- [47:07]
B
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 stick? So it's like a, it's literally a faith walk. You really just have to have faith. Scary. It's scary. Yeah. Because we knew that we were just gonna put ourselves out there. So thankfully once we did put ourselves out there, we had some really great valuations.
- [47:33]
A
Yeah.
- [47:34]
B
And we said we're just gonna 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, 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]
A
And then you ended up with. Is it Procter and Gamble? Procter Procter Gamble, which is a very world renowned company in the beauty space. 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. Yeah, you know, it's business. But there was so much backlash from that, like, oh, she sold out or oh, she like 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, how did that feel when you're reading and hearing all these things that people are saying?
- [48:41]
B
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]
A
Right, right.
- [48:54]
B
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 gonna 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.
- [49:24]
A
Yes.
- [49:24]
B
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.
- [49:52]
A
Wow.
- [49:52]
B
So this was confirmation from my pastor. Mind you, I forgot that I wrote that down. Oh, okay.
- [49:58]
A
That's crazy.
- [49:59]
B
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 chill that I received because I'm like, God has confirmed his word. I am going in the right direction.
- [50:33]
A
Yes.
- [50:33]
B
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 prayer. And I pointed, I said, look what I wrote down. And he was just like, wow.
- [50:53]
A
Wow.
- [50:53]
B
It's like, wow.
- [50:54]
A
Yeah.
- [50:54]
B
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.
- [51:07]
A
Yes.
- [51:08]
B
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 him. 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 talked about. So I can sleep well at night. Right. Because I know that I operate with integrity.
- [51:28]
A
Absolutely.
- [51:29]
B
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. 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. Or they don't have the courage or belief system to even think that they can accomplish what I have accomplished. And they can if they take the same energy from criticizing people and turning 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 of. 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 want to block my blessing by doing that.
- [52:22]
A
No.
- [52:22]
B
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]
A
Yes.
- [52:50]
B
So I focus on the people that support me, not the ones that don't.
- [52:53]
A
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]
B
Yes.
- [53:07]
A
They just.
- [53:07]
B
That's exactly like Pastor Jamal Bryant said. When the lights turn on, all the cockroaches come out, right? Yes.
- [53:14]
A
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 share 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]
B
Yeah, yeah. Well, those conversations with God were. I know that you're not going to let what you have built, no man can take that down. Right. So I have bigger 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 true. And I feel that because mielle is such a great brand and when people can't find anything negative about the brand or about myself, they make things up.
- [54:46]
A
Yep.
- [54:47]
B
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 me, 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 gonna do it one time and I'm gonna address it because of the people that do support, that do use the products just to reassure them. That's good. 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 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 create this false narrative, because this is just too good. Right. And if you just take the time to educate yourself, and I try to educate the community, and I feel that the people that. To be educated, they hear you. 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.
- [56:40]
A
Yes.
- [56:41]
B
But me over here, I'mma keep moving. I'm going to keep elevating. So you just got to, like, do what you can, but focus on what's important and not the naysayers.
- [56:51]
A
I will. And I will say that you handle it with such great cause. I can 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]
B
Yeah. I mean, it's hurt. I'm not gonna lie and say that it's hurt because it's something I built. Right.
- [57:06]
A
That's exactly.
- [57:06]
B
Yeah. But it's 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.
- [57:24]
A
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 taking mental notes and I'm going to go back and rewatch this because I'm building a brand and I have some other brands I want to 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?
- [57:53]
B
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 eventually start something, whatever brand you want to venture off into, it's going to go well because people are attracted to your authenticity.
- [58:15]
A
Thank you.
- [58:15]
B
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]
A
Yes.
- [58:32]
B
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'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 ha, 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. I'm going to do my due diligence and do all the proper testing to make sure that it is a great product. Product before I put my name on it. Right. And so you, you have to, like, be able to. To build that trust with people. But the only way you can do that is by being your authentic self and dating and building relationships with your clients.
- [59:39]
A
I love that. I love that. Leaving a legacy behind. You spoke about you want your building a legacy. What is the thing that you want to leave behind when it's all said and done?
- [59:49]
B
The what I want to leave behind. 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. You're. 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. 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 create more Monique Rodriguez. 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, we did an acquisition. Kudos to you. Like, tell us how much it was and let's get the tea. And we create more people to do this and celebrate this as a community. Because we celebrate it when Kim Kardashian does it.
- [61:29]
A
Come on.
- [61:29]
B
But when somebody that looks like us does it, it's not normal.
- [61:32]
A
It's a sellout.
- [61:32]
B
Yeah, it's a sellout. But it's normal for somebody that looks like them. We gotta stop thinking like that.
- [61:37]
A
That's real. That is so good. I love it. So before we get outta here, what is next for Monique Rodriguez?
- [61:44]
B
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 want to 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 want to 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 nourish 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 this book. This is my gift to my community. And I have some other key initiatives that I'm doing with MIELLE that is coming down the pipeline. But, yeah, just continuing to be great and live with intention and positivity. Keep it positive, sweetie.
- [62:35]
A
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]
B
Yes, I'm down.
- [62:51]
A
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]
B
Oh, so. And, you know, I talk about this in the book of not having yes people around. One of my 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]
A
Yes.
- [63:28]
B
Right. And the way that you differentiate is when you have someone that's holding you accountable, they're doing it for. From a place of love. If it's coming from a place of ill motives or hate, it's 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]
A
Yes.
- [63:52]
B
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 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 a 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, I Love that 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]
A
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 on the borderline of being a doormat, I would also say set healthy boundaries. 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 set healthy boundaries.
- [65:25]
B
So was she saying that she was a doormat or. She's having people that are doormats around her.
- [65:29]
A
She's trying to differentiate, like. Yeah. Being a supportive lady or a doormat.
- [65:33]
B
Oh, okay. I think I asked the question wrong, though.
- [65:35]
A
That was a good perspective. Yeah, no. Cause what you said is, like a great perspective on it. Yeah. Okay. So, yeah, that's what I would say. That's good. Yeah, that's really good, Monique. Thank you.
- [65:45]
B
Thank you.
- [65:45]
A
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]
B
Yes.
- [65:52]
A
Thank you. I hope you are so inspiring.
- [65:54]
B
Thank you so much. And so are you. I tell you this all the time, so that's nothing new.
- [65:59]
A
Thank you so much. I can't wait to hang out with you outside of this. And thanks for making time.
- [66:03]
B
Thank you. Thank you for having me.
- [66:05]
A
You're welcome.
- [66:05]
B
I appreciate it.
- [66:06]
A
All right, this is good.
- [66:13]
B
Guys.
- [66:13]
A
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 God first. Thank you guys so much for tuning in to 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.