Mielle Organics: Monique Rodriguez
Monique Rodriguez, founder of Mielle Organics, explains how she transitioned from a nursing career to building a multimillion-dollar natural hair care brand after a personal tragedy. She details the bootstrapping process, including her initial $10,000 investment, the strategic pivot from a salon concept to product-focused DTC sales, and securing a $250,000 loan to enter Sally Beauty. Rodriguez also discusses the critical lesson of managing unit economics and profitability when scaling into retail, leading to a Series A raise and eventual acquisition by Procter & Gamble.