There is no shortage of hair products on the market, but there aren’t many for those with textured hair. Founded by Monique Little, You Go Natural (YGN) is a company that caters to this niche market and also sells headbands, turbans, and head wraps. They appeared on season 14 of Shark Tank and scored a deal with Mark Cuban. As of 2023, You Go Natural is worth an estimated $5 million.
Monique Little’s Background
Monique Little is a New Jersey native currently based in Dallas, Texas. Little attended Rutgers University and got a bachelor’s degree in business and managerial economics. After college, she jumped into entrepreneurship and due to her success, she was featured by Forbes in their “Next 1000 list.”
The Birth of You Go Natural
Not long after college, Monique also became a mother. During this time, she soon realized that busy women with curly and kinky hair don’t have much time for haircare. In addition, traditional head wraps can be a hassle to wear.
Monique wanted to make things easier and enlisted the help of her mother to sew easy-to-wear head wraps. They were satin-lined and pre-tied, making them suitable for women looking to save time without sacrificing comfort.
The business launched in 2016 and ended the year with $100,000 in sales. You Go Natural achieved tremendous success early despite operating from her mother’s living room. The company opened up a production facility with 8,000 square feet, enough room to fulfill customer orders and scale operations.
Getting on Shark Tank
In 2020, YGN made an impressive $2.2 million and wasn’t showing signs of slowing down. The founder revealed the pandemic limited people’s hair solutions and they opted for a simple choice. The rise orders also meant hiring more staff.
The following year, they expanded their facility and needed more capital. Monique raised a $2 million funding led by Brand Foundry Venture Partners, Lightspeed Venture Partners, and Capital Factory.
In early 2022, she applied to appear on Shark Tank and got through the show’s lengthy screening process. Monique appeared on Shark Tank with her partner David Dundas, the COO. Dundas also runs an influencer marketing agency called HelloConvo and has a lot of experience with e-commerce brands
After Shark Tank
Although the episode has just aired, You Go Natural has received a positive reaction so far from fans online. With the publicity from Shark Tank, the next 48 hours will be manic for the company. A little less than four million people watched the episode live on ABC and millions more will see clips through syndication.
To check out their products, visit YouGoNatural.com. Apart from head wraps, they sell swim turbans, headbands, t-shirt buns, and more. There are also items for men, like open turbans and premium durags.
Unlike some businesses that have appeared on the show, their website is very slick and they understand how to market to their target audience. Currently, You Go Natural is valued at $5 million and annual revenue is around $7 million according to Zoominfo.com.
