We were lucky to catch up with Monique Sneed recently and have shared our conversation below.

Monique, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s jump right into the heart of things. Outsiders often think businesses or industries have much larger profit margins than they actually do – the reason is that outsiders are often unaware of the biggest challenges to profitability in various industries – what’s the biggest challenge to profitability in your industry?

The business of an entrepreneur, and particularly those within the restaurant and hospitality sector, is a landscape that is rife with challenges that make sustainable profitability super challenging. One of the biggest hurdles is managing operating costs while maintaining the quality and consistency of the customer experience.

To go back a bit, during the pandemic, we saw a significant increase in the price of certain key ingredients due to supply chain disruptions that some may not have fully recovered from. This wasn’t just a minor inconvenience—it directly impacted already low margins. It presented a space where many had to decide whether to absorb these costs, which would cut into our profits, or pass them onto our customers, which could potentially drive them away.

Labor costs and employee retention are another set of ongoing challenges that impact profitability. The restaurant industry has one of the highest turnover rates. Training new staff is time-consuming and a significant expense that can affect bottom line while still posing risk due to the high turnover.

Despite these challenges, we remain committed to our mission of delivering high-quality, authentic food and memorable customer experiences. It’s a balancing act, but I would encourage all restauranteurs to stay connected with the passion for what we do and allow it to keep us committed to finding innovative solutions that may require multiple iterations, creative and consistent branding that honor the vision of the company and to keep pushing forward, outworking yesterday.

Monique, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Monique is a passion driven, self made 7-figure entrepreneur and dynamic public speaker with more than 20 years of experience in building and branding businesses. Her expertise includes a multitude of industries with successful ventures that make up her empire to include the restaurant, real estate, retail, e-commerce, wellness & beauty, and hospitality management industries.

In 2015, Monique co-founded the popular Milk & Honey and was officially under the spell of Serial Entrepreneurship. Later that year, Monique Rose Management was launched; which now serves as the parent company of her thriving portfolio including businesses and her long time business companion; the Restaurant industry where she opened The Real Milk & Honey Eatery and Bar in Spring of 2022, which she sold in the spring of 2023.

As a successful entrepreneur, wife and mother Monique is motivated by and committed to, sharing her journey to inspire others through consulting and public speaking. Her ventures, which include multiple restaurants, retail, real estate ventures and a non-profit organization designed to positively impact women and advocate for parental rights, stem from a passion of helping others overcome adversity and disparity gaps. Through authenticity and a spiritual foundation Monique extends her resources and message of following your passion, discipline and good ole fashioned hard work to striving entrepreneurs.

Monique’s recent milestones include openings of Milk & Cookies, The Bodega, and The Collab; a space for content creators, in the historic College Park area of Atlanta, the recently opened La’ Caj Cajun and Latin Fusion Restaurant, in Maryland, the recent rebrand one of Maryland’s top spots for crab cakes; CrackPot located in Towson, MD, through her consulting agency and the upcoming launch of the first woman owned purchasing group.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I have always been a “do it yourself” person. My portfolio outgrew this approach before I did and I had to unlearn the concept. It is incredibly important to build a team that you trust and develop the skill of delegation.

Building a team that you trust is absolutely essential, especially in the industries that I run businesses in, where so much hinges on collaboration, consistency, and reliability. Trust within a team fosters a positive working environment, enhances communication, and ultimately leads to growth and opportunity for everyone.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

My approach to social media is simply a decision to be myself- in spirituality, family, and my moto to outwork everybody, including MYSELF! Spirituality keeps me grounded and provides a sense of purpose beyond the day-to-day ups and downs. I often share inspirational quotes or reflections that have helped me stay focused and positive, especially during challenging times, and it provides a buffer to not have to go to personal, in a way, its my armour.

Family is another cornerstone of my life and my business. They are my everything!

Lastly, outworking everybody is a philosophy I live by and something I strive to convey through my social media presence. I share behind-the-scenes looks at our hard work, whether it’s late nights, early mornings, all dolled up or me in my chef coat, my online family, gets real doses of just how hard I work.

By being transparent and authentic, we invite our audience to be part of our journey, celebrating our highs and understanding our lows. This openness has helped build a community that believes in what we do and supports us wholeheartedly, and is what inspired me to create The Winners Circle.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.moniquerose.com
• Instagram: https:// https://www.instagram.com/themoniquerose/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monique-rose-sneed-5b713a81/

Image Credits

Joseph Edwards Photography
Chris Bryant- Streetz Media