There is no shortage of hair products, but there are few designed for textured hair. Founded by Monique Little, You Go Natural built a following around satin-lined head wraps, turbans, and headbands for women with curly and kinky hair. They struck a deal with Mark Cuban but it never closed. Despite strong early growth and $25 million in lifetime sales, the company appears to have gone out of business.
Who Is Monique Little?
Monique Little is a New Jersey native 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 featured on Forbes’ “Next 1000” list in 2021.
The Birth of You Go Natural
Shortly after college, Monique became a mother, and the experience shaped the business she would go on to build. Juggling a newborn while managing her own natural hair, she noticed a gap: busy women with curly hair had few practical options that didn’t require tutorials or fuss.
She enlisted her mother’s help to sew a solution, pre-tied, satin-lined head wraps that protected hair from friction and retained moisture, while being simple enough to put on in seconds.
The business launched in September 2016 and ended the year with $100,000 in sales – an impressive start for an operation run out of her mother’s living room. As demand grew, YGN opened an 8,000 square foot production facility in Dallas, building out a full cut-and-sew operation that employed local workers.
Shark Tank Episode
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 in orders also meant hiring more staff.
To fund expansion, Monique raised $2 million in seed funding, led by Brand Foundry Venture Partners, Lightspeed Venture Partners, and Capital Factory.
Monique appeared on Shark Tank with her brother David Dundas, the COO. The brand had $15 million in lifetime sales which surprised the Sharks. The company agreed a deal with Mark Cuban, $400,000 structured as a loan, repaid through royalties of $3 per headband and $5 per other product sold, plus 10% equity.
You Go Natural After Shark Tank
The episode aired in May 2023 and You Go Natural received a mixed reaction from fans online. Some viewers labeled it ‘unflattering’ and ‘cartoonish’. Also, the deal with Mark Cuban didn’t close after the show.
In the period between the episode and late 2024, YGN made meaningful progress. The brand expanded into Target, Urban Outfitters, and Nordstrom, was named to Oprah’s Favorite Things list in 2023, grew its customer base from 70,000 to over 250,000, and reported $25 million in lifetime sales and a 160% profit increase in 2023.
In late 2024, the company launched a Wefunder crowdfunding campaign targeting up to $1.24 million for inventory and retail expansion into CVS and Bloomingdale’s.
The business ran into serious difficulties from late 2024 onwards. A large volume of customer complaints emerged on Trustpilot and with the Better Business Bureau, reporting orders going unfulfilled for months, refunds not being issued, and customer service contact details becoming unresponsive.
In July 2025, founder Monique Little emailed customers to say she was no longer associated with You Go Natural. The YGN website subsequently went offline.
Little has since launched a new venture, Phoenix Collective Brands (pcbhair.com), which sells similar hair accessories and has taken over YGN’s Instagram account. Customers with outstanding unfulfilled YGN orders are advised to dispute charges through their bank or credit card provider.
