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Transcript30 lines
- [00:00]
A
Hey, guys, welcome back to Skin Anarchy. This is a very, very special episode because we have someone here today who has built not only an absolutely iconic brand, but she is such a leader, you know, when it comes to business and strategy and understanding what it takes to succeed in the beauty industry, hair care industry. So without further ado, please welcome Monique Rodriguez, who is the founder and CEO of Mild Organics.
- [00:23]
B
Thank you. Thank you for having me.
- [00:25]
A
No, it's such an honor to host you. I am such a fan of everything you've accomplished, obviously, but really the space, you've open up for so many more people to create even more in the textured hair aisle in so many different ways without me ranting, I would love to get started. I know you have such an amazing background. I mean, before MIELLE even began, you know, you had a nursing career. I'd love to if you could walk us down memory lane. Like, how was that, you know, leaving nursing and coming into entrepreneurship?
- [00:51]
B
Yeah, no, great question. As I think about, like my transition from my nursing career to being an entrepreneur, I think that people see the glory, the headlines, but they don't see that it took years of, like, preparation. So before my I.O. became super successful, as you mentioned, I was working as a registered nurse. I was actually a labor and delivery nurse. I was a full time mom and wife raising my family and also having a passion to step out on faith and to do something that I truly love and I was passionate about, which was the beauty industry and being able to navigate that of learning a business through like trial and error and building it from one customer at a time. We were packing orders in our home, we were going to trade shows on the weekends and continuing to invest, like everything that we made from the business back into the business. So we can basically grow the business. So it wasn't like an overnight success moment, as like some people may look at. It was years of consistency, grinding and discipline and believing in a vision that very few people could see or understand at the time. And, you know, people questioned me a lot and wondered why I would leave such a stable career and do something that was so risky, something that was deemed pretty much impossible for someone that, you know, didn't have a wealthy background, didn't have any type of celebrity status. I literally built my L from the ground up by bootstrapping and so being able to just have the courage to just bet on myself and have faith to step out knowing that it was deemed impossible. But with my faith, I believe that with God all things are possible. So it really just Took me believing in myself to just leave that nursing career and transition. And was I scared and afraid? Absolutely. But I also had the courage to believe that I can do it. And sometimes you have to have a little bit of delusion.
- [02:37]
A
Yeah.
- [02:38]
B
And that's okay. But, you know, the delusion eventually pays off in the end.
- [02:42]
A
That's so. I mean, it's so interesting to me because. Yeah, you didn't just build, like, a hair care brand. You built a brand that it was, like, foundationally inclusive. Like, foundationally. That's what I think blows me away about MIELLE and the brand itself and the way it's scaled is that when I first discovered it, I was like, oh, wow, this is meant for, like, legit everybody. Like, it doesn't matter what your hair type is. It's like the conversation shifted. You know what I mean? And that's where I think it's interesting, because right now in marketing, we see so many people that are like, they're taking that one, like, blowhorn and saying, hey, look, I made something for textured hair. And it's like, why are we thinking about it? Like, you know, like. So that's where I really have a lot of questions for you, because how was that? Because you said you believed in yourself, and I love that. But, like, believing in really what you were doing, like, you were creating a category. So how's that?
- [03:27]
B
You know, I looked at the category as, like, for me, as a customer, myself, and I saw a void in the textured hair care space. I saw that there was a lack of relatability, a lack of science, a lack, you know, understanding the proper technique to deal with our hair, because textured hair is pretty unique. And textured hair has no specific culture, race, ethnicity. Like, you can be any ethnicity and have textured, curly hair. And I really want it to be inclusive of all and really think about, like, how do I solve a problem for the overall category that I felt that other competitors in the aisle were not doing? So that's exactly what I did. And I said that, you know, I'm going to overserve better than the competitive landscape, because I felt the void and the lack. As a consumer myself, I would become a product junkie because I was trying all of these different products. And the reason why I would trial different products was because nothing was working. And no one was explaining how to work the products. No one was explaining the ingredients and the science behind the products. And so I wanted to come and approach hair care from a holistic and scientific approach, but also help people Understand, like, proper technique and having the right technique will get you the right results, right?
- [04:39]
A
No, that's actually really, really solid, what you just brought up. Because I feel like this is, like, after homework that a lot of, like, brands end up doing is, like, figuring out, like, there's a teaching component to this, you know, like, there's gonna be a shift that happens for consumers, and, like, they need to be able to grasp that, you know, in the way of, like, how do I actually utilize these products? That's huge. And I want to actually kind of go back to what you said because you mentioned bootstrapping the business, and, like, that word gets thrown out a lot, you know, but, like, no one really talks about, like, what that means, you know, especially coming from. You come from a medical career. I know you have careers don't pay a lot, no matter what anybody thinks. And it's hard to, you know, start a business. So can you talk about that, like, the real financial stuff behind truly bootstrapping a growing brand?
- [05:20]
B
Yeah. I mean, bootstrapping means you're carrying the weight all by yourself.
- [05:25]
A
Yeah.
- [05:25]
B
What bootstrapping means, it means that you're making payroll and you're paying other people before you pay yourself. It means that you're taking risk, not knowing how things are going to work out. So during the period, like, we were in 2 to 3 million dollars in debt, and there were definitely hard moments where, like, the pressure felt overwhelming, where I didn't know if the business was going to sink or swim, but I knew that the vision was bigger than my current circumstance and my current problem. And I knew that we had to have better structure, become a better business, get the right people on board, because it's really about your team and building the right infrastructure. And going through that period of being in debt really caused us to mature as a. It really caused us to, like, really tighten up, like, our operations, make better decisions, which is extremely important, and also become stronger leaders. So I do feel that the reason why I am the leader that I am today was because we went through that period of being in debt, because once you have without, you don't want to go back to that place. And now you're going to do everything that you can to learn as much about the business and maintaining profitability. So basically, you can continue growing and scaling. And so now, while no one wants to go through a period of being in debt, it really was a learning lesson for us. Us. A hard lesson, but, you know, we learned a lot from it.
- [06:45]
A
Yeah, no, I mean, I can imagine. And Especially, like, keeping the doors open, keeping things moving forward. Like, I can't imagine how difficult that is to juggle. And I feel like I have not been on this journey, so I can only speak from what I've seen. But I know there are a lot of times founders, they give up at one point, you know, and I would love to get your take on. On that component of the psychological side of this, where it's like, everything's telling you to give up, but you're like, there's no freaking way. You know, like, I built this. There's no way I'm going to give this up.
- [07:12]
B
Yeah. I mean, I think your conviction and belief in your vision has to be so strong and so powerful that it has to actually overpower the fear, the doubt, the anxiety. Because we have to be real. Like, we're humans. We have emotions, like, that will come. But it's like, what are you gonna feed? You have to be, like, realistic. And knowing that. Okay, I think you have to have the understanding of knowing where your business is to say, okay, is it time for me to pivot, or is it time for me to just keep pushing forward? And for me, for example, I knew that I couldn't give up because I knew that on the horizon, because even though we were in debt, the business was growing like crazy.
- [07:50]
A
Yeah.
- [07:50]
B
On the top line, our sales were through the roof. Retailers were still asking for us to partner with them. Other celebrities were asking us to partner with them. Like, we were getting so many inbound inquiries that I knew that we were holding on to something special. We had such great momentum, and I knew that, like, if I give up, what happens to all of the people that are attached to this vision? And I knew that I had to work harder to just find the right resources to help me in the areas that I felt that maybe I wasn't necessarily strong in, to help me grow and help them see and paint the picture of, like, this is the future and the potential of the brand. We just need a little help. So it's also, you have to, like, be realistic and really look at where your business is. Because sometimes you do need to pivot. Like, if you're tapped out and you're draining all of your funds and you can't pay your bills and you can't, you know, do the things that are priority and your business is not making sales and it's not growing, then that's a. A different story. But for us, we had such great momentum. We just needed a little bit of help on the back end. And that's what told me that it wasn't time for me to give up, it was time for me to keep pushing forward. So I think every situation is different and that's why I feel that like with prayer and really just doing a true evaluation and not doing things of what looks good for social media, but really understanding where you are as a business.
- [09:07]
A
Yeah, that's. There's so many nuggets of wisdom in what you said. And you know, one of the biggest question becomes when you're in that phase, you've got a lot of people around you, there's a lot of voices around you. How do you convince those people that listen to what we're doing is gonna be so big, you know, and even though that we're at a dip right now, this is like the vision and this is where we're going. How did you make sure that the people around you understood that just like you did and you created that core team for yourself?
- [09:35]
B
Well, I also used other case studies from other brands in the, the hair care space to show obviously what is the white space opportunity and what is the potential brands that have gone before me, what they have been able to do and with the right help and resources. So it was using case studies to also paint a picture of like what that looks like, but also, you know the saying that goes, the numbers don't lie. Yes, we were in debt, but the numbers on the horizon of how our distribution was increasing, our top line sales was growing. Like, to see the trajectory of that, like, it didn't take a rocket scientist to see like, oh, this brand has great potential, they just need a little bit of help. And then also believing in us as founders, it wasn't just selling the overall picture and capabilities of the brand, but also showing how committed Melvin and I were as founders to this brand and to making it successful and not giving up and showing our work ethic and willpower to continue to fight for what we were heavily convicted that we will be, you know, we will make it successful. So it took for like investors and people around us to also believe in us as people and knowing that we also have the humility to like raise our hand and ask questions. We didn't go into any partnership or relationship thinking that we knew everything. And I think that was one of our strongest suits because we had one of our biggest investors, Berkshire investor, that invested in us. And they said one of the reasons why they invested in us was because of our humility and our ability to ask questions. So I think that play your Character you can't teach. It's either any or it's not.
- [11:08]
A
Yeah, no, you can't fake it. You can't fake that part. That's huge. That's really huge. I'm so glad you said that. And honestly, like, that was one of my big questions too, was like, the investment side of it. Because honestly, like, no one talks about, like, how to pick the right fit for you from the investment side. And especially because when I look at Mile Organics and what you've built, it's like the brand has a very, very, like, strong foundation in what it stands for and what it's bringing to this industry. So, like, that's the question, right? Where it's like, how did you find the right people that were going to believe in what you were building from the vision and the mission of this brand without changing it? Because I see that a lot, like, brands are great and then they change. And it's like you guys just lost the whole foundation of why I believed in you as a consumer. But my. That didn't happen to you guys. So how was that?
- [11:51]
B
Yeah, I mean, I would say that, like, when you are in the building stages, like, you have to really build your company. Like, someone is looking at it, someone's going to invest in it, someone's going to acquire your company. You have to build towards that every single day. Now, as I look back, I would tell someone, like, this is not how I started, but I would look back and tell someone else, like, you have to have strong financials, you have to have clean systems, processes, infrastructure. You have to have great leadership. You have to have a good governance board, advisory board, and you have to be able to build a brand that people trust, and that's what matters. And so when I think about, like, looking for the right partners, you have to mentally separate yourself from the business, your identity from the business as well. Because a lot of people say, like, oh, well, you know, you should hold on to it. Or like, is there like an emotional attachment? You can't have an emotional attachment to the brand if you are wanting to take on investors or eventually IPO or acquire, because it's really not. Your brand is the customer's brands, right? You're building it for them. And I just think that you have to take yourself out of the equation because, well, how I think about it is like, my, I'm building something that will outlive myself. That's whether you sell it or not. But I feel like that's how every founder should think they should think about Longevity and sustainability, and knowing that when you get into a partnership like it is a marriage, and you have to stay true to your vision. And for us, you know, we've put it in writing in our contracts with every investor, even with P and G, it was like, okay, yes, we're selling you the company, but the sole DNA of the brand shall not be touched. It should always remain the same. And that was very important for Melvin and I, that they stayed committed to that. And I think that people need to also understand that just because you are scaling, you are growing, does not mean you have to sacrifice authenticity. Because when people invest in you, when. When a company acquires you, you. They're acquiring what you built. So it's like, why change? And why try to fix something that's not broken? And so for us, it was. We were very adamant of making sure that it was outlined in our agreements.
- [14:00]
A
That's brilliant. And, you know, I feel like there's so much that we learned from that, because I think a lot of times, like, it can be so tempting. I'm sure as an entrepreneur, when you're building and you're like, I just one day want this brand to be acquired. Like, that's my goal. And then along the way, it's like you start changing things. You start creating products that don't. Don't feel like they're yours. You know what I mean? That kind of thing. I see it happen a lot, and it just makes me wonder, like, how much strength it must take to say, this is my vision, this is my ethos, and I'm not shifting from this. But, you know, I actually wanted to ask you because my EL's virality is like a case study, you know, like, you can learn. Everybody can learn from this. Marketers, business folk, entrepreneurs, everybody. And I wonder, like, when the brand really, really went Viral, like, on TikTok, everybody was talking about you guys. You know, at one point, I remember opening TikTok, and I. I kept seeing my every creator, everybody, and rightfully so. Did that feel contain something like that? Like that kind of movement? But how did you really leverage that and say, here's where we're going to take this and use it to grow ourselves in the right way?
- [14:58]
B
I think first is understanding that having a viral moment, it can be very powerful, but it's also very temporary. It has the ability to, like, introduce your brand to millions of people overnight, that overnight success that everyone's looking for. But it can also create expectations and narratives, sometimes false narratives that you don't necessarily control. So that's why you really can't build a true business off of just going viral. You really build your brand off of people trusting you, the quality of your ingredients, the performance of your ingredients, and delivering upon your promise. And that, like, sets the foundation. So when you go viral, like, it may open the brand to more eyeballs and people may try you. But what happens after that viral moment? Do you have the consistency? Do you have the sustainability and the foundation to keep people coming back? Because if you go viral and you can't ship their orders, then they have a bad experience or they're not going to purchase anymore. If you go viral and you don't have the proper infrastructure to keep up with the orders, then they're not going to come back because the quality of your product is bad. So, like, viral is cool, is great, but, you know, we just have to make sure that as a company, as a business, that you are foundationally solid so you can keep that virality coming from all those new eyeballs that was exposed to your brand.
- [16:15]
A
Right? No, that makes a lot of sense. I mean, I just can't imagine, like, how that feels for, you know, a team to see that, like, oh, my God, we are absolutely blowing up. Literally, like, every time I open social media, I was like, mile is killing it. That's really, really cool, though, that you had that real rise and everybody got to know because honestly, as somebody who did not understand all the options that can exist in the textured hair category, like, you guys were genuinely the first brand for me as a consumer that, like, kind of introduced that, you know, like where it was eye opening almost like, I didn't know, like, you could have this kind of difference. Maybe all it was before was like a hair mask or here's a hair oil or three or four products. You know what I mean? So that's. That's crazy what the brand has been able to do in the space. But that's actually where my next question is for you, is that you've created a movement and, you know, with that, like, I would love to get your take on where do you think the industry is headed when it comes to textured hair? The innovation that you're seeing, you know, just the progress, I guess, overall.
- [17:10]
B
Yeah. So when I think about just the textured hair care space overall, I do feel that it is still moving towards inclusivity. You know, we speak inclusivity all the time, but, you know, I think that there's still a lot of opportunity and learning to grow and that that space, I would like to see the textured hair care aisle expand more. Because when I think about like the majority versus minority, textured hair will continue to be the majority. I also see like, the innovation focusing on overall, like, wellness and using products that perform well, that focus on like overall wellness and scalp care as well. Because our scalp is our foundation. And internally, how we take care of our bodies from an overall wellness perspective of also will dictate how our hair performs and how our hair reacts to products. Because your hair can react to products or just anything based off of like seasons, your hormones, the foods that you eat, diet, exercise, all of that plays into our hair care routine. So eventually, like, I see that as we think about innovation, it will really come from a true holistic approach as we continue to like, innovate. But I do think that scalp care will continue to grow and evolve because so many people have different scalp issues just from lack of education. So I do also hope to see as well. And what we're also doing as a brand is really buckling down on educating our consumers because again, we're not here to just sell products, but we want you to use the products and be happy with them and get great results. So in order for you to do that, we have to really help educate you on how to take care and nourish your hair from an inside out and wellness approach. You know, I feel that our customers will be happy and that's what we strive to do, is to make our customers empowered, excited and happy about their hair care.
- [18:54]
A
I love that. Yeah, I mean, honestly, what's really, really cool? And I wanted to ask you this. What I see when, when I look at my L is like, you know, we can say, okay, it's a black owned brand. It's the fastest growing black owned brand in hair care. That's cool. But it's actually like so much more than that. And I would love for you to speak on this because I feel like personally as a consumer and past the stage of like only identifying brands based on that, you know, like, I think it's amazing. I support all cultures and like, you know, like, if it's a person of color, like, I'm more likely myself to support that brand. But at the same time, the quality is not. That's what speaks to me. And you built that. And I would love for you to offer like some words of wisdom here for any founders who are like, building that space. You're coming from like a minority group, but you want to grow a brand that's way beyond that.
- [19:36]
B
Some advice That I would give, you know, an entrepreneur that's looking to build a brand from a culturally relevant and educational standpoint. I would say, like, number one, you're, you're never going to feel completely ready. So if you're waiting until you have all the answers right, like, you're going to be waiting forever. So I tell people to just, like, start where you are. Like, just take the first step. You know you're going to learn as you grow and just be very consistent in your efforts. The first thing or the first version that you do will not be the final version. I feel that every successful business continues to evolve. I think the biggest difference between people who dream and the people who build is that the builders take action. So you have to just do it like Nike, like, it's just not a saying. But you really have to just do it and take the first step because you're going to learn as you grow and know that how you start is not necessarily how you finish. If you see like our packaging and bottles before, when we first started in 2014 compared to now, you know, it'll blow your mind. Some people won't even start with like makeshift made at home bottles. But I always encourage people to just start where you are. Build community, focus on overserving. And I think that, you know, anyone will be fine.
- [20:45]
A
Yeah, that's actually really, really great advice. I know, like, a lot of times, like, I've had ideas and I'm like, oh, I can't do this. I don't have nearly enough cash to like get this going and all that. So that really, really great advice. But no, this is, I mean, this is amazing. I just, I think what you've done is just phenomenal and I think there's so much to learn from it. I mean, I guess, like, my final closing question is really like, if you were to do it again, is there anything that stands out to you where you're like, well, I would have done this differently or I would have done it the same way.
- [21:11]
B
You know, I feel like I would have done it the same exact way. Because the outcome that I received, even though I didn't see it or understand it during the process, the outcome that we were able to achieve was because, because of the way that we did it. So I wouldn't change anything. I feel that all of the mistakes and bad decisions that we made were all a part of the learning lessons and taught me to be a business owner and a better leader and a stronger leader today. So if I didn't go through that, I don't think that I would be the leader and entrepreneur that I am today, so I would actually change nothing.
- [21:41]
A
I love that. Well, thank you so much. This has been so wonderful to learn from you, and I'm. I'm just in awe of what everything you've built. And, you know, for anyone listening out there, I hope you gain some inspiration from this, because it's awesome. Thank you so much.
- [21:52]
B
Thank you so much.