← The Breakfast Club
The Breakfast Club
INTERVIEW: Monique Rodriguez Talks 'The Glory in Your Story,' ‘Mielle Organics,' Hair Loss Controversy + More
00:28:45
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- [00:00]
Podcast Host
You're listening to an iHeart podcast.
- [00:05]
DJ Envy
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- [00:32]
Monique Rodriguez
Panoramic moonroof, ambient lighting, bows and massaging leather. Appointed seats are optional features.
- [00:35]
Talkspace Advertiser
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Podcast Host
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- [01:52]
Talkspace Advertiser
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- [01:56]
Podcast Host
Listen to Absolute Season 1 Taser Incorporated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [02:06]
Dan Flores
Why is a soap opera western like Yellowstone so wildly successful? The American west with Dan Flores is the latest show from the Meat Eater Podcast Network. So join me starting Tuesday, May 6th where we'll delve into stories of the west and and come to understand how it helps inform the ways in which we experience the Region today.
- [02:28]
Monique Rodriguez
Listen to the American west with Dan.
- [02:30]
Podcast Host
Flores on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts.
- [02:33]
Monique Rodriguez
Or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [02:36]
Carlos Miller
Wake that ass up early in the morning.
- [02:38]
Charlamagne Tha God
The Breakfast Club.
- [02:40]
DJ Envy
Morning, everybody. It's DJ Envy. Just hilarious. Charlemagne, the guy. We are the Breakfast Club. We got a special guest in the building.
- [02:47]
Charlamagne Tha God
Yes, Indeed we have.
- [02:48]
DJ Envy
Ms. Monique Rodriguez.
- [02:50]
Charlamagne Tha God
Welcome.
- [02:51]
Monique Rodriguez
Thank you.
- [02:51]
DJ Envy
How you feeling this morning?
- [02:52]
Monique Rodriguez
I'm great. How are you?
- [02:53]
DJ Envy
Doing well. Doing well.
- [02:54]
Charlamagne Tha God
She's also got a new memoir out now, the Glory in youn Story. Activating a fearless faith to change your life, your career, and the world.
- [03:01]
Monique Rodriguez
Yes. Yes.
- [03:02]
Charlamagne Tha God
Now, you turned a kitchen recipe into a multimillion dollar brand.
- [03:06]
Monique Rodriguez
Yes.
- [03:07]
Charlamagne Tha God
What was the moment you realized you weren't just selling products, you were actually building a movement?
- [03:12]
Monique Rodriguez
Well, you know, I went into this knowing that I was building a movement. You know, I created this brand and out of necessity, you know, I felt that there was a lack of relatability in the hair care space. There was a lack of great products, healthy products for women that look like me. And I wanted to fill this void. But I always operated with a multimillion dollar mindset. I operated with the mindset of, like, I'm going to be on the shelf with these bigger brands one day, eventually. And the day that we launched, which was May 23, our anniversary is actually next week, and we sold out of every oil that we had, and we had a small amount of inventory, about 100 bottles, because I was a small business, didn't know that it was going to take off the way that it did. And the day that we launched, we sold out of every single product. And I knew at that moment, like, I'm onto something because I knew that it was a need for it.
- [04:06]
Charlamagne Tha God
I love the. The. The multimillion dollar mindset. Explain. Explain that to people for those who may not have one.
- [04:13]
Monique Rodriguez
Yeah. You know, I think success is when I talk about, like, activating fearless faith to change your mind. Success is all about mindset. And, you know, I grew up basically in the hood. Right. You know, I didn't come from a lot, but I always dreamed big. And I would look at other successful people and say, oh, they're successful because they're lucky. And I knew that I had to change my mindset and shift from thinking that, no, they're not just lucky, they worked for it. Right. You know, they had to step out and be bold and go after their dreams and pursue their purpose. And I shifted my mindset from thinking that I didn't deserve success to thinking that I do deserve it. And I realized that once that started to shift my level of thinking and I operated from a level of abundance and not lack more things flowed to me.
- [04:58]
DJ Envy
Now, in 2014, you were a registered nurse.
- [05:01]
Monique Rodriguez
Yes.
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DJ Envy
So what made you say, you know what? This is not for me, and what put you in a mind frame to actually create these products? Right, because people could say, you know, they could take a product and sell it, but you actually had to make it, you had to try it. I'm sure it didn't work right away the first time. I'm sure your daughter was sitting back there. I'm sure you burnt her hair a couple times trying it out.
- [05:18]
Monique Rodriguez
I don't think I burnt it, but, you know, she was definitely a guinea pig.
- [05:21]
DJ Envy
So talk about that procedure and how that came about.
- [05:24]
Monique Rodriguez
Yeah, so actually. So I was a labor and delivery nurse, and I was a nurse for eight and a half years. And I became a nurse because my mom encouraged me to be a nurse. She was very traditional, you know, go to school, go to college, do what you need to do, get a real job so you can survive. My mom was basically about survival. She had that mentality, which no fault, because most of our parents generation, they came from that type of generation. And even though when I was younger, like, I've always had this dream and passion to be in the beauty space, my mom would always tell me, like, it's cute, but, you know, that's not a stable career. So I kind of like put my dreams to the wayside and pursue what my mom wanted me to do. So it was never something that, like, I saw myself doing. So when I did graduate college and I started working labor and delivery, I knew I'm like, this is not a career path that I want to do for the rest of my life. And unfortunately, after doing that for eight years, I was pregnant with my. My third child, my son. And unfortunately, it was a high risk pregnancy. Bless you.
- [06:24]
Charlamagne Tha God
Thank you.
- [06:25]
Monique Rodriguez
And he passed away from complications. And when you go through pain and something. Thank you. Something that's so traumatic, it catapulted me to live life on my own terms and not to live my life on someone else's dream, which was my mom, because you only get one shot at life. And my pregnancy was high risk also for my life. And I decided to pursue my dreams, do something that I love, something that was purposeful, something that I can wake up and feel like I have fulfillment, enjoy doing. And I went back to that love as a child, being in the beauty space. And I started Creating. I'm a creative by nature and I would just go in my kitchen and mix together like different ingredients and study and research, like what ingredients work well on our hair. And I started posting it on social media and while people were following me and thinking like, well, what is this girl doing? Like, she's posting all these recipes, it was really a creative outlet for me to express myself and to take my mind off of grief, the grieving process. Yeah. And that's how Mielle became what it is.
- [07:31]
Podcast Guest
Where did Mielle come from? The name.
- [07:34]
Monique Rodriguez
The name. Oh, so that's a great question. I love answering that question. It's actually a combination of my kids names. So I have Mia, Gabrielle back there, Mackenzie, Arielle. My son's name was Milan. It's a combination of all their names and their middle names. L. So they're my elves. Yeah.
- [07:52]
Charlamagne Tha God
Did they charge you?
- [07:54]
Monique Rodriguez
They did because I'm still paying for it today. Like they. They are always asking for something. Right. But you know, they get. Get paid. Well, how did you go?
- [08:03]
Charlamagne Tha God
I feel like I'm skipping steps and I want everybody to go read the book the Glory in youn Story. But when you please go from the kitchen to actually getting your products on the shelves, what were the steps? Like, what did you do?
- [08:13]
Monique Rodriguez
Like, yeah. So, you know, my way of going into retail was not a traditional way. I started in 2014. We entered into retail in 2016, which, number one, is very rare for a brand, a small black owned business, to start and not have any type of momentum or leverage and to go into retail. So it was very risky. And my goal was to go into retail Year five. I wasn't even expecting to go into retail the. The year that we did. But we had built up so much momentum and we had built up this great community and it got the attention of the retailers. So our first retail partner was Sally Beauty, and they heard about us on social media. And of course, retailers, they want to be a part of brands that can add value to them. So you can't just go into a retailer saying, oh, I want to put my products on your shelf and expecting them to, you know, do the marketing for you. You have to have something that you can bring value or add to their shelf. And we were a brand that was a disruptive brand and it caught their attention. And then they called us to have a meeting with them and it was so divine because when we got the call to have a meeting with Sally's, their headquarters is in Denton, Texas. We were actually there in Dallas for my daughter's gymnastics competition. So we were not there for any business meeting. And I actually almost turned down a meeting because we were there with our kids and we're like, well, we don't have a babysitter to go into this corporate meeting. And they wanted us so bad. They were like, bring your kids to this meeting. So they were like 5 and 9 at the time. And they did. And I told them, like, you guys better not say anything. Go in there, sit with your hands folded, like, don't move because this is a really big deal. And I went in there with no presentation, just talked about my love and passion for this space. And, and they tested us in 95 stores and they said, we're going to test you out because you're a new brand and we'll see how the brand goes. We launched in February and every store that we were selling in sold out in less than two hours.
- [10:18]
Charlamagne Tha God
It was just because of social media.
- [10:19]
Monique Rodriguez
It was just because of social media. Instagram at that. Wow. Yeah.
- [10:23]
Charlamagne Tha God
When, when you were in your early stages, that early grind, what was harder, Getting capital or getting people to believe a black woman could dominate the beauty space?
- [10:31]
Monique Rodriguez
Yeah, actually both. You know, those were some of the challenges. I say this all the time. My challenges were, I'm a black woman and black women don't have access to capital. And we actually bootstrapped our company from 2014 until 2020. So we had no big name investors, you know, no one that was. I didn't have a rich uncle, no one was handing us money. We built this from the ground up and we took everything that we made and invested that back into the business. And when you are a small black owned brand, you know, we have to like earn our trust with the community and, you know, being someone that had no celebrity status and, you know, I was a regular everyday person, a nurse working. So it was hard to convince people to believe that what I was putting out there was actually a real legit product that did well, you know, on our hair. But I just kept focus on the people that did support me, the people that wanted to know more, that wanted to be educated on their hair routine. And, you know, it grows from there. Like your community and your, your evangelists are the best marketing tool that you can use. And that's how the company grew. Like, we didn't have any money to invest in marketing. We really focus on like serving people and being purposeful and our mission and, and serving people with like, great products. And I think that people also felt my passion and knew like, okay, she's a nurse. Like, she's not going to do anything to, to damage or to, to harm us. And like, we can see the results on her hair. So, like, we can trust. But it took building a relationship. I think that when you are building a brand, it's all about you're in a relationship with your customers. You have to date them, you have to get to know them, you have to know their needs and, and understand who they are as you know, the consumers that you're serving. And then you overserve, right, with your brand. And that's how Mielle, you know, soared and disrupted the industry.
- [12:28]
Podcast Guest
And did you. Why did you decide to sell it to pg? You know, Procter and Gamble?
- [12:35]
Monique Rodriguez
Yeah, that's a great question. So when we decided to sell, it was all about scale and global infrastructure. When you are growing a brand in order to scale, it's all about access to capital and having the great infrastructure and people to help execute your vision. And so the thing is, like, we didn't need to sell. We wanted to sell because we wanted to invest in innovation. We wanted to have global reach, and we wanted to be able to create more accessibility for the consumers that we serve. You know, when you look at the texture, hair care aisle is very. It's a small, small space. And our community, like, we complain that we don't have access to great products. And my whole goal from the very beginning of building my Yale was to build a global empire. And I know that as founders, we did our best to take the brand as far as we could with our resources. And this is a normal trajectory of business. The goal of building a brand is to either IPO or exit. And I've accomplished that goal. And the great thing about it is I've been able to negotiate and my contract to where I'm still on board. I'm still making the decisions. I'm still running the company. I still set the vision for it. So it's a very unique structure that, you know, not everyone sees. And I know the community tends to be scared of brands that are acquired, but it's really a great win for us, especially as a black brand, a black girl from the south side of Chicago. Right. To even have the opportunity to have a conversation, a seat at the table with the conglomerate like a P and G is a huge win of it in itself because we don't get opportunities like that often. We don't see it all the time. And, you know, I wanted to show the possibilities of what's possible. Like, we can take the heat Us as founders. I can take the heat of breaking glass ceilings because I know that I'm also paving the way for my daughter's generation so she can build a brand and create something great and have a successful exit. Because we build thriving communities. And when we build brands, scale them exit. We build generational wealth, not just for us, but for the community we serve.
- [14:43]
Charlamagne Tha God
Preach, Monique. But let me tell you something. One of the hardest things to do in life is to explain business to.
- [14:48]
Monique Rodriguez
People who ain't got, who don't understand business. That's right. That's the hardest thing. And I don't expect them to understand.
- [14:53]
DJ Envy
How did that affect your business? Right, because people see it differently. Where did you lose a lot of people? Were people hating on it? Did it mess business up? How did that affect y' all?
- [15:02]
Monique Rodriguez
No, when we sold, it didn't mess business up. And that's the thing. Like when we made the announcement, you know, I really took the time to try to educate the community on the why, like, why businesses scale up, why, you know, we become acquired, and it's to create generational wealth and so we can have more access to help our community. So I put this whole message out to explain. And while we did have a huge amount of support from the community, I mean, you know, like, the. The bigger you are, the more eyeballs are you. You're also going to have people that don't like it, that don't understand it. And I feel that if, you know, there's so much access to information out here, right? So if you really want to know how business works, you can research it. Right. And you can take the time to listen when someone's trying to educate you. And I say this all the time. Ignorance is a choice.
- [15:54]
Charlamagne Tha God
That's right.
- [15:54]
Monique Rodriguez
You can choose to be ignorant when you have information in front of you. And if you just choose to not pay attention to it, then that is your choice, and you have a right to your choice. But I'm going to choose to focus and educate those and that want to be educated, that want to understand the why, and also those that want to start a business have an idea, and what is the trajectory of that? I want to show that by example, because it's not normal in our community. We have to normalize this, because when I did my deal, it was, oh, you're a unicorn. Yeah, that's almost great, but it's not great because we don't want to be unicorns. We want this to be a normal conversation for us. And so it didn't hurt the brand. But you know, I think it also comes with the territory. And I say this all the time. Two things. If you don't want to be copied, if you don't want to be great. I mean, if you don't want to be copied or criticized, then don't be great.
- [16:44]
Charlamagne Tha God
That's right.
- [16:44]
Podcast Guest
It was. Did you. I'm sure you saw the TikTok trends of people saying that they lost their hair after you did sell to P and G silently, you know, did they have something to do with the formula? They said, this is not the same Mayo. This is not the same formula. And people, you know, it was. It was a lot of people.
- [17:04]
DJ Envy
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- [18:00]
Monique Rodriguez
Panoramic moonroof, ambient lighting, bows and massaging leather. Appointed seats are optional features.
- [18:04]
Carlos Miller
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- [18:55]
Talkspace Advertiser
Find out more@statefarm.com this podcast is sponsored by Talkspace. May is Mental Health Awareness Month and Talkspace, the leading virtual therapy provider, is telling everyone let's face it in therapy, by talking or texting with a supportive licensed therapist at Talkspace, you can face whatever is holding you back, whether it's mental health symptoms, relationship drama, past trauma, bad habits, or another challenge that you need support to work through, it's easy to sign up. Just go to talkspace.com and you'll be paired with a provider, typically within 48 hours. And because you'll meet your therapist online, you don't have to take time off work or arrange childcare. You'll meet on your schedule. Plus, Talkspace is in network with most major insurers and most insured members have a $0 copay. Make your mental health a priority and start today. If you're not covered by Insurance, get $80 off your first month with Talkspace when you go to talkspace.com and enter promo code SPACE80. That's S P A C E 80 to match with a licensed therapist today, go to talkspace.com and Enter promo code SPACE80.
- [19:58]
Debbie Brown
Giving yourself that agency to not just be one thing, right? I don't have to be the perception that is crafted or the version of me that everyone is kind of projecting onto me like I am having my human experience and it is faceted.
- [20:12]
Monique Rodriguez
It's so faceted and it's fascinating.
- [20:15]
Debbie Brown
May is Mental Health Awareness Month and Deeply well is essential sanctuary for your healing. I'm Debbie Brown, healer, well being, expert teacher and fellow seeker and each week we explore what it means to become whole through soul expanding conversations and practices. Why focus on Tiny Joys? Well, because they remind us of what it means to be human. They anchor us in the present moment and they create ripples of gratitude that nourish our spirit. Tiny Joys are acts of of self love. To hear this and more ways to prioritize your peace. Listen to Deeply well from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you.
- [20:55]
Monique Rodriguez
Get your podcasts at T Connecting changes everything.
- [21:02]
Podcast Guest
Saying that they had lost their hair behind it. What would you say to that?
- [21:05]
Monique Rodriguez
Yeah, and you know, hair loss is, you know, traumatic in and of itself. And I can empathize with anyone that has suffered with hair loss. I myself have suffered with postpartum shedding hair loss. Right? And I think I want people to realize, like, this is the reason why I created the brand, right? I created this brand to serve women with healthier products for their hair. When I made the decision to partner with P and G, it was very intentional. A lot of thought went into the decision making process. This was not a fly by night decision. You know, it was a lot of due diligence done on both ends, my end and their ends. And we have to realize, like, when you think of png, a lot of the products that are in our household are by P and G. They are a brand that's been around for hundreds of years that creates longevity, sustainability across generations with their brands. So I would never say sell to a company that I knew that I thought would harm my creation. Like, mielle is my baby. Mielle was birthed out of heartbreak. Like, this is something that's near and dear to my heart. I would never sell to a company that I thought was going to ruin, you know, my brand. So. And that, and the thing is, like, people have to realize that I'm also a nurse, right? Like, I lead with empathy, I lead with compassion. I lead with caring about the community that I serve. We would never put anything in our products that are going to damage or disrupt any woman's hair. And the people that are saying the formulas change. The formulas have not changed. You know, if, if people would actually take the time to see our products that were in 20. 20. 2020, right. And you look at now, since after the partnership, the formulas are still the same. So the, the thing is like misinformation. It spreads like wildfire. And people don't take the time to like, do their homework and do their own due diligence before coming to their own assumptions. But I can confidently say that our products did not cause people's hair to fall out.
- [23:11]
Charlamagne Tha God
And also people just be hating. You mean to tell me that after you get acquired by Procter and Gamble for an undisclosed amount, they know you got that cake all of a sudden it's just all of these TikTok videos online, people saying, yeah, the product make my hair fall out all of a sudden.
- [23:22]
Monique Rodriguez
Yeah, it came out of nowhere.
- [23:23]
Charlamagne Tha God
Come on, man.
- [23:24]
Monique Rodriguez
And it's the product.
- [23:26]
Charlamagne Tha God
Come on.
- [23:27]
Monique Rodriguez
And it's like, I use the products. My daughter, she used, look at her hair. Her is beautiful. Like we, my family uses the products. Like, this is like, I Don't take this lightly. And this partnership has always been led with honesty and transparency. And I'm gonna be honest with you guys. What people also don't realize is that when you are a smaller brand, a lot of the things that you do can go under the radar because you don't have a lot of eyeballs on you. Right? I've seen brands that are smaller that have products out and they don't even have the ingredients listed on their products. Right. When you are a bigger brand, you can't do that. So the level of, of compliance and processes and the, the, the level of strictness that we had to be in compliant with to even talk to P and G, the safety regulations were like through the roof. So people have to understand, like this is a large company, they operate with the highest level of safety, right? And they've even helped us operate even more safer. So people can trust, like these products are good to use. Nothing has changed. We operate with the same level of integrity. Everything's the same other than we just have access to more.
- [24:32]
Charlamagne Tha God
And you know what else? I would like to see all the brands that Procter and Gamble has just, just my stuff makes your hair fall out. Allegedly. The black woman owned product just makes, right, the black woman around for years.
- [24:44]
DJ Envy
I would also also say that every hair product's not for everybody. Like what you use in your hair, that might work for you or your daughter might not work for me or my daughter.
- [24:51]
Monique Rodriguez
You know what I mean?
- [24:52]
DJ Envy
That doesn't mean that it's all black. It's all in people's hairs are different like yours. There's nothing that could work for yours.
- [24:59]
Charlamagne Tha God
All I'm saying is Procter and Gamble have been around forever and nobody's made those complaints. But now all of a sudden, come on, man, of course. Do you think the black community puts too much pressure on black owned businesses to be perfect and they'll give grace to other billion dollar brands that don't ever even show up for us?
- [25:16]
Monique Rodriguez
Oh, absolutely. Like, I mean we, we can see it all the time. Like we see millionaires, billionaires that build companies exit all the time and we celebrate it.
- [25:29]
Charlamagne Tha God
That's the point of business.
- [25:30]
Monique Rodriguez
Like you said, that's the point of business. But when a black person does it, like we tear them down. And the thing is like, we gotta choose our heart. We got to pick our battles. We complain as a community that we have a lack, says lack of access to capital, mentorship, expertise. But then when we're trying to create these avenues of creating wealth, so we can create access to capital, expertise and mentorship. There has to be more of us to do it. Then we tear it down. So either you don't want the access, or then when we do get the access, you can't tear us down for forgetting that access. And that's why I said we gotta choose our heart as a community, because we can't have it both ways. Because what happens is we stifle our community when we tear black brands down for doing what other cultures do all the time. We stifle us because now it causes fear in investors. It causes strategics to say, oh, now you're more risky. So now I'm going to devalue you. So me, if I was a different culture, my value could have been more if that risk wasn't there. So all we're doing is we're setting ourselves back. Because the next Monique Rodriguez that comes forward that tries to do this, they're gonna ask the question, like, because they asked me, how is your community gonna feel about this? Right? And now we have to come up with the whole strategic plan on how to relay this message in an educational way. When I asked them back, do you have to do this with any other cultures? Their response was no. Right?
- [27:03]
Charlamagne Tha God
I need you to expound on that, Monique, because I think what you're speaking to is whenever something like this happens, right? Like, you know, you do get acquired by P and G, the backlash from social media can be so bad that it makes these companies be like, whoa, should we have done that situation? And they'll think about doing that, you know, to the next person, right?
- [27:20]
Monique Rodriguez
And that's why it's important that when black brands scale and are exited, we have to show up even more as a community to support those brands. Because now they're looking at these brands as a case study. They're looking at Miel now as a case study of, like, what happens when you're acquired and does the community still ride for you? Does the community still support you? And again, if. If we don't support and they start to see sales drop off, then it. It stifles opportunity for a next entrepreneur that wants to scale. And that's the part we have to realize. And again, to your point, we can't expect people that, you know, don't understand, not in business to understand business. But again, like, we are creating platforms like this to help spread the word and to educate, right? We're taking the time to educate you. So you should say, in your mind, I'm going to support this black founded Brand like let's not just say we support black owned, let's also support black founded brands, right? Because we're all a community. We're all in this together in order for us to create these thriving communities and we got to support us, right? Things that are made by us, created by us, not just owned by us. Because you should have the freedom and the opportunity to do whatever it is that you want to do with your brand. If you want to stay small and local, you have a purpose to serve, you should be able to do that. If you want to stay online and serve just online consumers, you should be able to do that. If you want to scale and exit and be acquired or ipo, you should have the freedom and flexibility to do whatever it is that you want to do with your brand without being criticized.
- [28:52]
DJ Envy
I was going to ask, you know, besides Procter and Gamble, what are other companies trying to acquire you and why did you choose Procter and Gamble?
- [28:57]
Monique Rodriguez
So we were a hot commodity. So we had lots of strategic companies that were like chomping at the bits trying to acquire us. What made us choose Proctor and Gamble was because, you know, one of the biggest thing was that there were people that look like us, that were in high C suite level executive positions and decision makers. So people that had an input or say in what we were valued at, had an input to say like, yes, this brand should be acquired with people that look like us. And we also need those type of advocates on the other side of the table that can stand up for us and say yes, this is a great investment. That was one thing. And then the, the their mission of being focused on good and their employees, the longevity of the people that has been in that company for many years, right. Also shows that, you know, this is a company that has great value and they respected us as founders. They did not want to take away from the DNA of the brand. They don't want to disrupt the authenticity. And they even put in our contract, we want to keep the Miele magic. You guys are going to stay on board. You guys are going to see this vision through because we didn't have to stay on board. That's another thing. Like I want people to understand, like we could have sold the brand and left but because we are passionate about what we do, we wanted to touch continue on our legacy in this vision and they allowed us to do so. So they did not, you know, say that we, that you guys have to sacrifice who you are in order to growth. Growth does not mean you have to lose your authenticity. And that's what stood out, you know, with them amongst the many others, you know, that we had talked to, you know.
- [30:38]
Charlamagne Tha God
Yeah. You know, I think there's a lot of people feel like, well, a lot of founders get pushed out when the big money shows up, so they just want to make sure that y' all still calling, you know, the shots and it's not just a black face on, like, a white, white boardroom.
- [30:51]
Monique Rodriguez
Yeah, no. Like, I'm on Zoom calls pretty much every day, still talking about myel and product innovation and development and marketing and different events and activations and how we can show up for the community. So, you know, I mean, I, of course, I am the face of the brand. I created the brand, but I'm more than just a face. I'm also the strategic vision behind it as well, too. So I have. I make the final decisions on everything that touches the consumers, and I do it because I made it that way. So we put, like, those safeguards in place to protect our brand, to protect our legacy.
- [31:24]
Charlamagne Tha God
And you built it with your husband. I'm sorry.
- [31:25]
Monique Rodriguez
Yeah.
- [31:26]
Podcast Guest
I was saying. And it frees up a lot more of your time, so you can do things like write your book and then, I'm sure, delve into other business endeavors and things like that. Because what P and G also is, is, like, good partners for you. Like, they. They take on the bulk of. You had to do all of this by yourself.
- [31:42]
Monique Rodriguez
Yeah.
- [31:42]
Podcast Guest
At one point, you know, I'm sure you had a team, but that's the part that they take on as well. Like, they make it. I don't want to say easier, but a little bit more easier to run the whole ship.
- [31:50]
Monique Rodriguez
Yeah, like, they free up a lot of my mental capacity so I can, like, have the mental capacity to make the. The hard decisions, the decisions that matter. And you mentioned something about manufacturing. Like, we still manufacture our own products, so manufacturing was not even. PNG doesn't manufacture our products. That's what I'm saying. Like, everything is still the same. Like, we still manufacture in Chicago, Right. Where I'm from. So. Yeah.
- [32:15]
Charlamagne Tha God
And you built it with your husband, right?
- [32:17]
Monique Rodriguez
Yes. So my husband, we've been together since I was 16. Known each other since we were 12 and 13. And so we've literally, like, grown up together. And when I had this dream, he supported it from the very beginning. Like, he operates from a very logistical, finance, operations mindset, and I'm the visionary, the creator. And, like, when you just merge those two different sides of the brain, you know, skill sets, like, we've been able to build this, you know, amazing company and be this dynamic duo because, you know, we both add different value to the company and different skill sets.
- [32:51]
Charlamagne Tha God
A lot of people say, don't mix business in marriage. What you say to that?
- [32:54]
Podcast Guest
I see the wedding rings says it all.
- [32:57]
Charlamagne Tha God
Crazy. Crazy.
- [32:58]
Monique Rodriguez
Yours is too, you know. Thank you, girl.
- [33:01]
Podcast Guest
Thank you.
- [33:02]
Monique Rodriguez
Um, you said about mixing business.
- [33:04]
Charlamagne Tha God
Yeah. People say, don't mix business with marriage. What do you think?
- [33:06]
Monique Rodriguez
I mean, I don't. I think you have to know, like, what works for you in your marriage. Like, I've met some married couples that are like, well, we can't work together, and they're happier not doing so, and that's totally fine. I don't think there's no wrong or right answer for us. It works well for us because, you know, the things that he does for the company, I honestly don't even want to do. And, of course, he knew nothing about hair care and products, so he couldn't really operate in my space. And I think if you want to make it work, you have to, like, take your egos out of it, you know, you can't be in competition with your spouse. And my husband, he was always big on, like, pushing me to the forefront. He's like, listen, this your time to shine women. You guys have been held back for so long. Like, I'm okay with putting you out there and letting you be at the forefront, and I'll just help and support you on the back end. And. And I just think that it takes a real man to say, you know what? I'm okay with being behind the scenes and you being out there, and I' ma just support your vision and him not feeling like, well, I'm the man. I'm the protector. Like, you can't be out there. Like, he was very comfortable saying, I'm just going to support you. And he's done just that. And, you know, my mentor told me, she's like, there would be no mielle if it wasn't for Melvin and you or you. You, like, you guys had to build this together. And, you know, I think it works for us. And you just have to know, like, what works for you and have respect for each other, respect each other's roles and lanes and, you know, just be aligned with your vision.
- [34:36]
Charlamagne Tha God
Salute to Melvin. He's also a black man, too.
- [34:38]
Monique Rodriguez
He's also a black man. Yes.
- [34:40]
Charlamagne Tha God
Put that on.
- [34:40]
Podcast Guest
Rodriguez come from?
- [34:42]
Monique Rodriguez
So his mom is Puerto Rican. Oh, yeah.
- [34:44]
Podcast Guest
I was gonna say, how you black? And he black, but. All right, cool.
- [34:46]
Monique Rodriguez
Yeah, right. Yes. Yes. That's a great question.
- [34:51]
DJ Envy
Pick up the book right now. The glory in your story.
- [34:54]
Charlamagne Tha God
Yes. Man, you are an inspiration, Monique. You and your husband, Melvin. I really respect what it is that y' all are doing and and have done and I wish and pray for much more success.
- [35:06]
Monique Rodriguez
I appreciate that. Absolutely. Thank you so much.
- [35:08]
DJ Envy
It's Monique Rodriguez. It's the Breakfast Club. Good morning.
- [35:11]
Carlos Miller
Wake that ass up early in the morning.
- [35:13]
Charlamagne Tha God
The Breakfast.
- [35:19]
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- [36:19]
Podcast Host
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Talkspace Advertiser
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- [36:39]
Podcast Host
Listen to Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [36:49]
Dan Flores
Why is a soap opera western like Yellowstone so wildly successful? The American west with Dan Flores is the latest show from the Meat Eater Podcast Network. So join me starting Tuesday, May 6, where we'll delve into stories of the west and come to understand how it helps inform the ways in which we experience the region. Today.
- [37:12]
Podcast Host
Listen to the American west with Dan Flores on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts.
- [37:17]
Monique Rodriguez
Or wherever you get your podcasts. In 2020, a group of young women found themselves in an AI fueled nightmare. Someone was posting photos. It was just me. Naked. Well, not me, but me with someone else's body parts. This is Levittown, a new podcast from iHeart podcasts Bloomberg and Kaleidoscope about the rise of deep fake pornography and the battle to stop it. Listen to Levittown on Bloomberg's Big Take podcast. Find it on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [37:49]
Podcast Host
You're listening to an iHeart podcast.