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Inspiration June 28, 2018
Putting the Boss in Boss Lady.
Philanthropist. Beauty Mogul. Role Model. Wife. Mother. What can this powerhouse of a woman NOT do? Monique Rodriguez is the CEO and founder of Mielle Organics, a hair care brand that uses all natural, healthy ingredients to help women of all backgrounds take better care of their tresses.
Like many of us, Monique Rodriguez started out following the path set by her parents. Both of her parents were the standard nine to five blue-collar workers advocating higher education and a stable job as the only path to success. The owner of the now multimillion dollar hair care brand always had a passion for hair and beauty but did not see how she could do it professionally. While she grew up with a business mindset, successful women entrepreneurs were not something she grew up seeing. So after graduating from college, Monique followed a more conventional passion of hers, becoming a nurse.
After a year of working in a hospital, she chose to work at an agency. Yet despite how much she loved helping others as a nurse, she felt drawn to a higher calling, something more fulfilling that she could create a legacy out of. Rodriquez explained that: “The whole reason behind me starting this business was to create something to pass down to my kids, and set the example that as a woman, you can be an entrepreneur, you can be a wife and a mother; basically you can do it all”
That brilliant, entrepreneurial idea didn’t come right away. Monique worked as a nurse for eight years before starting her widely recognized company.
Throughout this time she failed at six different business startups. She considered going back to school but dropped out three times after realizing it wouldn’t help her make that much more money. A lot of people would have given up after so many failed attempts but not Monique Rodriguez!
Instead, she decided to take a huge risk, which we all secretly wish we could take; she quit her day job. This gave her the freedom and time she needed to work on her business full time. Already dabbling with hair care products in her kitchen, she used her background in health to launch the all natural Mielle Organics from her garage.
Since its inception in 2014, Mielle Organics skyrocketed to a reported 15 million in annual sales. The ground-breaking brand has more than 50,000 points of distribution and is available in major retail outlets such as Sally Beauty, Target, Walgreens, CVS, Walmart, J.C. Penny and more!
It doesn’t matter if you’re traveling either because Mielle Organics is also global, with orders in over 87 countries! Due to its immense popularity, the growing brand branched out to include hair health vitamins, body wash, face masks and apparel.
Monique and her brand have been featured in magazines, such as Cosmopolitan and Essence. She was a guest on The Wendy Williams show and The Real.
After only four years, the Mielle brand has become a viral sensation and received various awards and accolades for its commitment to quality hair care.
Monique prides herself on the importance of family. In fact, she named the company after her two daughters: “They are a constant reminder of why I do what I do, and they keep me motivated to keep pushing towards my goals and striving for greatness. The company is named after them because both of their names — Arielle and Gabrielle — end in “elle,” so it’s like my elle.”
Her husband, who helped her start the business out of their garage is also the COO of Mielle Organics. Talk about a supportive spouse!
Monique Rodriguez is truly passionate about what she does and believes whole-heartedly in inspiring women in business and entrepreneurship. The beauty maven saw a consumer market, believed in herself and took a leap of faith. She is the embodiment of what it means to have it all.
Her advice to future female leaders is this: “Entrepreneurship is definitely not for the lazy person because it takes a lot of work. You definitely have to be self-motivated and a very determined individual. Something I’ve always been is very determined. I am not a person that gives up. You can tell me no, but I’ll try to find another way to get it. You have to have a positive mindset and know that there will be stumbles and roadblocks, but you can’t give up. You have to have that tunnel vision to see the end goal and just know that one day you will get there.”
Thank you, Monique Rodriguez, for being tenacious in your endeavors and showing women that anything is possible with enough faith and hard work.
