Monique Rodriguez went from being a registered nurse to building Mielle Organics, an organic multicultural haircare brand that was acquired by Procter & Gamble in a 9-figure, non-controlling deal — making her the first Black woman to secure this type of investment. And she did it with no business background, no MBA, and years of bootstrapping.
If you're trying to figure out how to start something when you don't have a business degree, if you're bootstrapping and wondering when or if funding will come, or if you're afraid of what people will say when you make moves they don't understand, this conversation is for you. Monique shares about the grief that catalyzed her pivot to entrepreneurship, the unglamorous reality of building without resources, how she finally secured investment after constant rejection, and why the P&G acquisition wasn't selling out, it was selling up.
What You'll Learn:
- How Monique went from registered nurse to founder with no business background
- Why grief and loss became the catalyst for starting Mielle Organics
- How to bootstrap a business and the unglamorous reality of it all
- How she raised investment after getting rejected by dozens of investors
- What the 9-figure P&G acquisition actually means for Black founders
- How to deal with criticism from your community when you "sell up"
- How she uses social listening to develop products her customers actually need
- Why setting boundaries with social media is essential for mental health
EPISODE CHAPTERS
[00:35] - From registered nurse to 9-figure founder with no business background
[04:30] - Why she chose nursing over her real passion
[08:15] - How grief became the catalyst for starting her business
[12:45] - How do you know when to quit your job and go full-time?
[16:20] - How to bootstrap a product business
[19:30] - What bootstrapping actually looks like
[23:15] - How do you raise investment for your business?
[27:40] - What happens when investors keep saying no
[31:20] - How the 9-figure P&G acquisition happened (how to
[35:50] - How do you deal with criticism from your community?
[39:15] - What's the difference between selling out and selling up?
[43:30] - How to use social listening for product development
[47:20] - How do you protect your mental health as a founder?
[50:45] - Why she limits social media and avoids doom scrolling
[53:30] - What's next: longevity science and health equity
WHERE TO FIND ALEXIS & TOO COLLECTIVE
Instagram:
@alexisbarber: https://www.instagram.com/alexisbarber/?hl=en
@toocollective: https://www.instagram.com/toocollective/?hl=en
Substack:
Too Smart For This Newsletter: https://toocollective.substack.com/
TikTok:
@alexisbarber_: https://www.tiktok.com/@alexisbarber_
YouTube:
Subscribe here: http://www.youtube.com/@alexis_barber
Shop the Episode: https://shopmy.us/shop?Curator_id=250549
Book Office Hours: Work with Alexis Here:
https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=22112790&appointmentType=79833937
Get the Journal: Too Smart For This: A Guided Journal Here:
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/761193/too-smart-for-this-by-alexis-barber/
Questions, thoughts, or want to collaborate? Email Alexis at alexis@alexisbarber.com
This show is supported by Other Kind Media — otherkindmedia.com
