Monique Rose is a restaurateur and serial entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience growing and developing several multi-million-dollar businesses. She’s the co-owner of Milk & Honey Café, which has had resounding success to the tune of over $15 million in revenue since 2016. Monique’s vast experience in the restaurant industry saw her in every position possible, from bartending at the age of 18, all the way up to owning a restaurant.
In January 2020, with the launch of Mink & Honey, she took her years of business acumen and experience, and built a beauty, health, and wellness brand. Her goal is in helping entrepreneurs, specifically women. With her new line, she’s created an affiliate program that will pay a generous 50% commission, and afford the opportunity for others to create their own business.
Monique Rose attributes her personality, quick wit, and ability to relate to others in helping her work across every demographic, including male dominated industries. Her vision is to inspire her followers to push forward and not to give up on their dreams.
Can you tell us a little about yourself, and your new brand Mink & Honey?
I am a successful serial entrepreneur in the restaurant industry, and am now pursuing my newest venture, Mink & Honey. Mink & Honey is a beauty, health & wellness brand that focuses on beautifying women and men from the inside, out. Aside from running my six restaurant locations, and launching my new beauty brand, I also coach aspiring entrepreneurs.
How did you create Mink & Honey? What went into the process?
I created Mink & Honey from a need. I wanted professional-grade skin care products that didn’t irritate my sensitive skin. I recognized that women were into makeup and the desire to enhance their natural beauty, however they missed the foundation of beauty: great skin.
Mink & Honey is centered around skin care through a full skin care line. It’s also accentuated by additional beauty products such as mink lashes, luxury hair, and health & wellness products such as weight loss and detoxes.
What is the main focus of Mink & Honey?
Mink & Honey is focused on beautifying and empowering women. Whether they simply want better skin, or fuller and/or longer hair. We also have products if women want to lose weight; Mink & Honey has a product for every need.
As an entrepreneur, what would you tell others? What did you learn as you came up in business?
I’m a firm believer in hard work intersecting with success 100% of the time. Just four short years ago, I was only earning $500 per week. Since then, I’ve built a multi-million dollar empire. Mink & Honey is a testimony to all women and aspiring entrepreneurs that there’s something extraordinary on the other side of fear and adversity.
I hope my story resonates with someone to remain hopeful, even in times of struggle. I was a teenage mother from Milwaukee, Wisconsin with only a high school diploma. Still, I was able to build an amazing life. If I can overcome it, so can they.
What challenges did you face during your brand creation? What are the challenges you go through on an everyday basis?
My biggest challenge during brand creation was sourcing product and manufacturing. I wanted everything to be the best quality possible down to the packaging. My biggest challenge on an everyday basis is juggling all aspects of running multiple businesses and building a team. It’s difficult to give the proper care and attention to my companies and build a new brand at the same time.
How do you manage your business finances?
I have been very careful throughout this journey to not over leverage our businesses. I think the biggest mistake entrepreneurs make is to spend too much money too fast and too incur too much debt. My businesses are all debt free and were started with only the cash we had on hand and our sweat equity. As I make money, I spend money and we focus only on providing a great product every single time. The product causes our consumer to tell the story for us and that is the best marketing there is.
Tell us your future vision for Mink & Honey. Where do you see the next level being?
My future vision for Mink & Honey is to develop the business into a lifestyle brand. I want to create a company that not only provides great products but also provides a way for people to earn money and a better life for their families.
I want to take the company global and have affiliates on every continent. My dream for the next level is to become a household name and be a hybrid of the very best. Think Mary Kay x Total Life Changes on steroids. I think launching this company that is 100% African-American AND Woman owned is exactly what is needed right now in today’s climate in society.
What message would you give to somebody looking to build a living from their creative endeavours?
I would say that first, understand exactly who your audience is and exactly what problem you solve for them. Once you understand that, you need to stick to exactly what your product or service plan is. Don’t deviate and don’t try to do everything. Pick something and do that something better than everybody else. And work harder than everybody else, including yourself from yesterday.