Here's What Went Down With You Go Natural After Shark Tank
In 2016, Monique Little decided it was time to make a change. She had become tired of constantly having to wash and style her hair, but needed an alternative solution to simply throwing on a hat, as this damaged her textured tresses. Knowing full-well there was already a market for silk headwraps for wearing to bed that protect the hair (silk and satin can keep hair moisturized and prevent snagging), Little had an idea. She created You Go Natural (YGN), a business that provided satin-lined headwraps, turbans, and headbands for wearing out in public.
Little started the business in her mom's living room, creating her own inventory on a single sewing machine. The CEO later teamed up with her brother, David Dundas, who became the company's COO. Before long, YGN began its transformation into a big business. That lone sewing room in Little's mom home later turned into an 8,000 square foot headquarters in Texas, racking up millions of dollars in sales. But it took some hard work to get there, including a tough pitch to the entrepreneurs on "Shark Tank."
Monique Little and David Dundas got Mark Cuban on-board
Monique Little and David Dundas took You Go Natural on "Shark Tank" during Season 14, episode 18. Airing in 2023, the episode saw the duo get off to a bit of a shaky start when they pitched to Mark Cuban, Barbara Corcoran, Kevin O'Leary, Lori Greiner, and Daymond John. The sharks were particularly intrigued by the brand's swim cap, which Dundas explained they'd sold thousands of after it went viral on social media.
After having a close look at the products, the Sharks were impressed. This was especially the case after Little explained their inventory was made in Texas with a good profit margin. With a goal of getting $400,000 in exchange for 5% of the company in mind, Dundas shared they'd already sold $50 million worth of products, which seriously impressed the investors in the room. However, things faltered after they explained they'd lost $2 million the year before.
After a lot of discussion, Corcoran was first to declare herself out, admitting she didn't think she could add anything to the company. O'Leary was also unwilling to invest, as was John after he worked out it could take him over five years to get his money back. Greiner was next to drop out, despite loving the product. But Cuban didn't let his fellow Sharks stop him. Cuban offered $400,000; however, he wanted 20% of the company. Eventually, Little and Cuban struck a final deal where Cuban would provide $400,000 as a loan and in return, get a 10% stake in the company, plus royalties.
You Go Natural got thousands of orders after Shark Tank
Speaking in a video posted to YGN's YouTube account in March 2024, David Dundas explained how much going on "Shark Tank" meant. "We had already done tens of millions of dollars in sales, but to be able to go on 'Shark Tank' and tell our story was really invaluable for YGN," he shared.
Much like "Shark Tank"'s SHEFIT, YGN got a taste of the "Shark Tank" effect, where products fly off the shelves after getting exposure on the ABC show. In a video shared to Instagram in May 2023, YGN confirmed it had seen thousands of orders come in since its episode aired, and staff were super busy trying to get all the orders fulfilled. Then, in June 2023, YGN shared another Instagram upload, writing, "In May, we were overwhelmed with all of the support we received following our 'Shark Tank' episode, and we've been working around the clock to ship all of your orders as quickly as possible!" That update was shared alongside a video showing the products being made.
During their "Shark Tank" pitch, Dundas revealed YGN had an upcoming deal with Target that would put the product in hundreds of its stores across the U.S. And that clearly came to fruition. The company shared a video on Instagram in August 2023 showing its headbands on the retail giant's shelves, plus another Instagram clip that same month showing the products at a Nordstrom pop-up shop.
You Go Natural is still selling in 2024
At the time of writing, You Go Natural is still in business. The company still sells a range of turbans and headbands on its website, made for the every day wear and during sports activities. Also still available are the swim turbans that initially impressed the Sharks.
However, the business appeared to hit a bit of a stumbling block in the latter months of 2023 following its "Shark Tank" success. In April 2024, the brand shared an update on Facebook after customers noticed delays in getting their orders. The company described hitting "a hiccup" with a few orders the previous December which delayed their shipping process, and explained the influx of messages about the delay meant it took longer to respond to customer queries. However, YGN reassured fans it had been working hard to get things back on track. "[We are] rectifying this situation and restoring our standard of service you've come to expect from us," YGN shared.
Monique Little is still focused on YGN and pushing past its struggles
Monique Little's LinkedIn confirms she's still going strong as CEO of YGN as of April 2024, and it seems the company is determined to keep on going amid shipping delays. Following its message about getting back on track, YGN confirmed in an Instagram post that its swim caps were officially back in stock ready for the summer.
And while her brother, David Dundas, is very much still involved with the business, including hosting the company's "YGB Wrap" podcast episodes, he appears to be splitting his time between two ventures. In addition to being COO of at YGN, his LinkedIn confirms he's also the founder of the company HelloConvo, which offers influencer marketing to e-commerce brands. However, it seems Dundas has always split his time when it comes to his business interests, as he's been working on HelloConvo since 2018, five years before his and Little's "Shark Tank" episode aired.