Building a circle of success for Black female entrepreneurs
4 Jan 2022 --- The CEO of Mielle Organics Monique Rodriguez’s desire to reach back and help build a foundation for other women in entrepreneurship inspired her role in the company’s first global education and entrepreneurship program. Hailed as the fastest growing Black-owned and women-led global beauty brand, Mielle Organics has recently celebrated its inaugural class’s graduation from the 2021 Newark Business Hub (NBH) Professional Online Global Entrepreneurship Certificate Program.
The program is a three-month virtual certificate course where each participant learns the basics of business development. The course is self-paced, so participants are able to create a foundation for registering their business in their country, develop a business plan and get help with financing, branding and marketing along with other key elements of creating a business. They also build a community within their cohort. A total of 51 scholars from across the United States, the Caribbean, Europe and South Africa attained their certificate of completion in 2021.
“Mielle Organics' social impact investment and partnership with the NBH is a proven collaborative movement that is providing Black women entrepreneurs with access to education and capital globally,” shares Jeff Billingsley, COO and Chief Curriculum Officer of the NBH.
“The collaboration with NBH and Mielle Organics has strengthened global female entrepreneurship and the critical pathways toward generational wealth for decades to come,” adds Kenneth M. Karamichael, Ed.M, of Rutgers University. “The scholar's passion, program engagement level and overall commitment to lifelong learning was phenomenal.”
In the education and entrepreneurship program, Rodriguez’s role is to create the opportunity for the next generation, guide them in establishing their foundation for a successful business and provide them with the tools needed to turn their dreams into reality.
For the first Mielle global education and entrepreneurship program, the company partnered with Rutgers University and the NHB to develop the online program and co-instruct an inaugural cohort of women entrepreneurs. Mielle Organics received thousands of applicants in the summer of 2021. Out of those, the skin and hair care product brand awarded scholarships to 65 women.
Sharing the inspiration behind the company’s involvement in the program, Rodriguez says: “As we continue on this journey of building my brand and Mielle Organics, it is important for Melvin and myself to always give back. Our community has supported us continuously over these past seven years, so this is one of many ways we can show our appreciation for them. There is a need for support and education within our community to create the foundation for their dreams and desires to grow into a tangible and successful business.”
She continues: “We want to be a blessing to entrepreneurs who are where we were seven short years ago. That’s why we feel it’s our duty to give back, educate, inspire and train the next generation to cultivate their ideas and eventually give back to the community as well.”
When asked what the positive impact is that she and Mielle Organics hope to have on their fellow beauty and personal care entrepreneurs, Rodriguez expresses: “To show them that they too can turn their dreams into a reality. Through hard work, determination, perseverance you can accomplish anything you set your mind to. I want to impact them for the better by providing resources and education tools that they can use in every stage of their journey.”
Challenges in launching a beauty brand
At the beginning of her entrepreneurship journey, Rodriguez notes that there were not many programs available to help kickstart her business. As a result, she undertook extensive research ahead of launching the brand. “I want my entrepreneurs in my industry and beyond to have access to programs like ours so that they can make their business ideas a reality and create generational wealth for their families and the community.”
“From my experience, the greatest challenges that I faced when launching Mielle Organics involved funding and getting my brand’s name recognized within the personal care space,” says Rodriguez. “When I started Mielle Organics, getting people to take my product seriously and trust the vision as much as I did was not easy. Once I got my products in the hands of our customers, the quality spoke for itself.”
The next step involved maximizing Mielle Organics’ marketing value through collaborations and larger budgets. “To continue to scale my business, funding was an obstacle that I had to overcome so that Mielle Organics could become the personal care brand that it is today,” Rodriguez adds.
“As a Black woman entrepreneur, I feel that the biggest opportunity is that the rise of
Black women entrepreneurs in the personal care space is at an all-time high,” shares Rodriguez. “We are the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs. This is a new frontier for Black women in business and a new wave of support that entrepreneurs in this category can capitalize from. This is our time and our season for growing our ideas into successful businesses that better the community and create generational wealth.”
With the increase in resources for entrepreneurs over the past few years, Mielle Organics believes now is a time of great opportunity to capitalize and grow in the entrepreneurship space.
Advice for beauty brand founders
“Make sure your product is solving a problem,” Rodriguez shares as her top tip to someone who is thinking of setting up their own beauty brand. “If you can identify the needs of your customers then you can develop a product that fulfills that need.”
Rodriguez continues: “Start small. Really take the time to understand what resonates with your target market and what your consumer loves. It’s almost like dating - the more time you spend with your customer, the more you get to know them and are able to meet their needs at an even greater level.”
Key questions that Rodriguez encourages brands to ask, include: What is the problem that only you can solve through your connection with them? What can you create?
“I always encourage people to approach getting to know your niche and customer base on an intimate level so you can figure out what they want at the core of their products,” says Rodriguez.
With the entrepreneurship program established, those involved hope for a cyclical effect which will benefit their communities for decades to come. As Melvin Rodriguez, COO of Mielle Organics, says: “We look forward to witnessing the legacy of generational wealth and greatness that our 2021 graduates will sow back into the world.”
By Natasha Spencer-Jolliffe, BPC Insights Senior Journalist