Quick Question
The CEO shares her story.
Starting from the beginning of your journey, what led you to create Mielle?
Mielle is also a brand that was birthed out of pain.
In 2013, I suffered a tragic loss of my son when I was eight months pregnant.
That pain catapulted me into my purpose.
It was a creative outlet for me at the very beginning to express myself.
Thats when I felt that I was onto something.
I saw that what I was doing was helping others, and it was very fulfilling.
At what point did you have the courage to leave nursing for pursue Mielle full-time?
Growing up, I didnt see entrepreneurs let alone Black women that were starting and operating a business.
That was very foreign to me.
I was raised in an environment where my mom always encouraged the nursing route.
Obviously, you have to be smart and plan.
How did you educate yourself?
What were some of the podcasts that added value on your journey?
If you listen to other entrepreneurs and the interviews that theyve done, you might learn a lot.
It takes a lot of self-awareness, but also a lot of self-education.
What did it feel like to relinquish some of that control?
Meanwhile, youre able to focus on the things youre really good at that drive the business.
I had to learn that early on.
How has Mielle’s ability to scale changed since P&G acquired the company?
When I think about partnership, I think of just that.
If you look at any successful entrepreneurs, they havent done it alone.
How has your day-to-day changed?
Has your office culture shifted at all?
For us, nothing changes now we just have access to more resources.
Whats next for the brand?
More importantly, our customers are asking for it.
One of my sayings is, You cannot lead if you dont know how to serve.
I think when people get into entrepreneurship, they dont want to have a boss.
I tell people, youre still going to have a boss.
It may not be one boss, but thousands and millions of bosses because yourcustomersare your boss.
How do you serve, and over-serve, your consumer?
Be obsessed with your consumer, always serve, and know that your purpose is bigger than yourself.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
This article was originally published onMay 5, 2023
