Brown Ambition

Mandi pops in with a quick life and book update, shares details about the upcoming Brown Ambition Career Reboot Challenge, and then re‑airs one of the most powerful conversations in the BA archive: her interview with Mielle Organics CEO and founder, Monique Rodriguez.

If you’ve ever wondered what it really looks like to turn grief into purpose, build a global brand from your kitchen, and navigate the backlash that comes with selling your company as a Black woman, this episode is for you.

You’ll hear:

• How Monique went from nursing to experimenting with hair oils in her kitchen after the devastating loss of her infant son, Milan—and how that grief became the seed for Mielle Organics.
• The story behind Mielle’s sale to Procter & Gamble, why Monique chose to stay on as CEO, and what has and hasn’t changed since the deal.
• The criticism Black women founders face when they sell to big conglomerates, and how Monique handles assumptions about “selling out,” formula changes, and being “just the face” of the brand.
• How she uses faith, submission, and feminine energy in ways that actually support her as a CEO, wife, and mom—and why she wanted to tell a more nuanced story than social media soundbites allow.
• The legacy work she and her husband are doing now, including angel investing in other Black‑owned brands.

Mandi also shares why this conversation hits differently now as she writes her own book about ambition, grief, and career reboots—and why Monique’s story is such a powerful example of turning “why me?” into “what now?.”

🎉Brown Ambition Career Reboot Challenge Kicks off June 22-26!

Feeling stuck in your job, underpaid, bhttps://instagram.com/brownambitionpodcasturned out, or just unsure what’s next for your career? Mandi is hosting the Brown Ambition Career Reboot Challenge—a 5‑day, guided experience to help you:

• Get honest about where you are in your career right now
• Gather your receipts so you can clearly see your value
• Explore what a true “reboot” could look like (raise, role change, new field, or better boundaries)
• Build a simple 90‑day experiment to start making moves, not just dreaming about them

The challenge includes daily prompts and trainings, a reusable workbook, and two live coaching calls with Mandi on Day 1 and Day 5, plus replays.

👉 Learn more and grab your spot here: https://www.mandimoney.com/career-reboot-2026

If you enjoyed this episode
• Share it with a friend who’s building something from a hard season
• Tag @brownambitionpodcast and @mandimoney with your takeaways
• Leave a rating or review—it helps other Brown Ambition fam find the show!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

🔥 In this episode of Brown Ambition, Mandi sits down with Jessica Cruel, the powerhouse Editor-in-Chief of Allure and SELF magazines, to talk about her journey to the top of the beauty media world and how she’s building wealth through real estate investing as a single woman.

👑 We dive into:

✔️ How Jessica climbed the ranks in the magazine industry

✔️ Her journey to financial independence & the FIRE movement

✔️ The ups and downs of being a single woman in real estate

✔️ Smart investing tips for first-time buyers

✔️ The power of mentorship, executive coaching, and community

💰 Jessica shares the exact team she built to succeed in real estate:

✔️ A real estate agent who understands investment properties

✔️ A reliable general contractor & trusted repair professionals

✔️ A financial team to maximize tax benefits & long-term wealth

🔑 Key Takeaways:

1️⃣ Don’t wait for the “perfect time” to start investing—learn as you go!

2️⃣ Build a strong team to support your real estate journey.

3️⃣ Wealth-building is possible at any stage of your career.
📌 Follow Jessica Cruel:

📸 Instagram: @JCruel

🌟 Allure: allure.com

🌟 SELF: self.com

💡 Subscribe for more career, wealth, and entrepreneurship insights and don't forget to leave us a review! It's a huge help to get the show seen by more listeners.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey BA Fam! Today I’m answering a question from a listener who calls herself “Tired Nanny” — a 27‑year‑old who recently moved to the U.S., has a bachelor’s in education, and is wondering if an MBA is the key to pivoting into business. She’s saved enough to cover grad school tuition and a year of living expenses and is tempted to quit nannying altogether so she can focus on school full‑time.

In this throwback Brown Ambition Q&A, I break down:
• Why your current job (yes, even nannying) can be a powerful bridge and not a dead end when you’re pivoting careers
• How to decide if an MBA is actually worth the time and 50K+ price tag for the kind of business or career you want
• Alternatives to grad school: continuing education, mentorship, networking, and learning directly from working entrepreneurs
• How to reframe “this is all that’s left for me” into “this is how I’m planting seeds for my future self” as a young immigrant woman building a new life in the Stats
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, we’re heading back into the Brown Ambition vault for a powerful conversation with celebrity hairstylist and image maker Lacy Redway.
Lacy may not always be in front of the camera, but you’ve definitely seen her work. From red carpets to fashion campaigns and TV and film, she’s shaping the way Black women show up on screen and in the culture.
In this episode, we get into:
• Growing up as a Jamaican immigrant, being the “foreign kid,” and learning to do her own hair after a bad relaxer left it broken and damaged
• Braiding classmates’ hair for $5–$10 in middle and high school and realizing, in hindsight, that she was already a young entrepreneur
• How she transitioned from doing hair in school to assisting in salons, working on photo shoots, and building a real portfolio in the pre‑Instagram era
• The behind‑the‑scenes reality of being one of the few Black stylists backstage at fashion week—and why Black models would literally wait in line for Lacy to do their hair
• What it actually looks like to take yourself seriously as a business: investing back into your craft, getting representation, and positioning yourself for bigger brand and editorial work
• How rates really work in fashion and celebrity styling, why there’s no union protecting hair and makeup artists in her lane, and how that impacts pay and job security
• The power and pressure of being an “image maker” for Black women, and why getting the hair right can make or break a character or campaign
We also talk about the evolution of Black hair care, the shift from relaxers to curls and coils, and how much access to education and products has changed since the 90s.
If you’re a creative, service provider, or anyone trying to turn a skill into a sustainable business, this conversation will give you both inspiration and a real look at the money and power dynamics behind the glam.

Tune in to hear how Lacy built her career, claimed her value, and continues to advocate for herself and other artists in an industry that doesn’t always see their worth.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this Flashback Friday Brown Ambition Q&A, Mandi and Tiffany tackle two big money dilemmas listeners are facing right now: whether to borrow from a 401(k) to pay off debt, and how to make the most of a 200K inheritance without blowing your shot at building generational wealth.

In the first question, they break down when a 401(k) loan can make sense, the major risks if you leave your job, how balance transfer cards and personal loans compare, and why lenders are often “betting against” your behavior with these products.
Then they dig into Erica’s inheritance and walk through the tradeoffs between paying off a low‑rate mortgage versus using that cash for an investment property or other investments. They talk through landlord realities, using home equity to scale a real estate portfolio, and why parking a windfall in cash for a few months while you build a plan with a financial pro can be the smartest move.
Send your money, career, and business questions via DM to @brownambitionpodcast on Instagram or email us at brownambitionpodcast@gmail.com.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.