Ladies Who Launch

Connie Nam founded Astrid & Miyu from her flat in Notting Hill in 2012, with a £500 website and a bold £2,000-a-month bet on PR she funded from her own savings. Since then, the brand has grown to 30+ international stores and a reported £50 million in turnover.In this episode, Connie breaks down how she built an entirely new jewellery category from scratch, why it took 11 years (not a viral moment) before she felt like she'd actually launched, and the naive assumptions that nearly sank her US and Middle East expansions. She also shares her honest take on why taking investment you don't need might be the biggest mistake a founder can make, and the line she now lives by when it comes to protecting company culture: it takes hundreds of people to build it, and only one to ruin it.In this episode we cover:The moment Astrid & Miyu really took off, and why brand awareness changed everythingHow to find people as passionate as you and filter out bad applesHow to stand out in an overcrowded marketThe realities of launching in the US and what it took to get thereTop founder tips for building a business that lastsIf you’re starting out and you feel like your growth is stunted, this one’s for you!We Are Ladies Who Launch! CHAPTERS00:00 Introducing Connie Nam01:51 Starting A Category Scratch03:05 Taking A Risk on PR04:44 Making Your First Hire06:21 Finding Your USP10:16 Competitor Mindset14:18 Steady Growth Middle17:39 The Launch of Astrid & Miyu Piercing 20:00 Expanding Into The US25:32 Creating The Why For Investment27:55 What’s Next For Astrid & Miyu🔔 New episodes every Wednesday — subscribe so you never miss a launch.FOLLOW CONNIEInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/connienam/Astrid & Miyu: https://www.instagram.com/astridandmiyu/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@unboxed_podcastFOLLOW USInstagram: www.instagram.com/weareladieswholaunch/TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@weareladieswholaunchYouTube: www.youtube.com/@Weareladieswholaunch

Colette Laxton co-founded The INKEY List in 2018 to make skincare less confusing and has since sold over 90 million products worldwide.In this episode, she breaks down exactly how she split her first £300K starting budget between stock, marketing and running costs, including why most of her marketing spend went on one person: Caroline Hirons!We all know the success of The INKEY List but the growth came at a cost. Colette opens up about nearly going bankrupt, the burnout that put her in bed for two weeks straight, and the unpredictability of virality including how a product she never planned to sell became the number one body product on TikTok Shop. It's an honest look at what building a brand from nothing actually takes, budget breakdown included.In this episode, we cover:Leaving a decade-long career at Boots to join a scrappy startupExactly how she split her first £300K investmentWhy most of her marketing budget went on: Caroline HironsThe Cult Beauty call on launch day that changed everythingLaunching The INKEY List into Sephora across North America within six monthsNearly going bankrupt, and what it actually takes to get "retail ready"The burnout that put her in bed for two weeks straightHow a product she never planned to sell became #1 on TikTok ShopIf you’re looking to launch in the skincare space, this one’s for you!We Are Ladies Who Launch!00:00 Cult Beauty Calls Day One00:55 Introducing Colette Laxton03:10 Learning the Corporate Ropes at Boots10:21 Realising The Skincare Gap18:41 Leveraging PR for Launch21:44 Early Funding and Brand Blow Up27:05 Launching in Sephora US33:10 Figuring Out Stock and Logistics37:10 Virality and TikTok Shop39:09 Our 1 Million Unit Order40:14 Why Micro Influencers Win46:23 Leadership at 100 Staff50:47 Founder Burnout Reality55:32 Rocket Round01:06:51 Staying in the Game🔔 New episodes every Wednesday — subscribe so you never miss a launch.FOLLOW COLETTEInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/colette.theinkeylist/The Inkey List: https://www.instagram.com/theinkeylist/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@colette.laxtonFOLLOW USInstagram: www.instagram.com/weareladieswholaunch/TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@weareladieswholaunchYouTube: www.youtube.com/@Weareladieswholaunch

Everybody needs a life coach as their bestie, and in this week's episode of Ladies Who Launch, we’re welcoming back Dior Bediako to unpack the raw reality of running a business. We discuss the shocks of entrepreneurship, how to stop taking fails so personally, why being busy ≠ building, and why launching shouldn’t be your goal. Dior shares her tips on success with tangible weekly goals, structure and accountability that actually create momentum, how to know when to admit something isn't working, and her top advice to beat imposter syndrome without ever using your goals against yourself.Get Dior's design your future-self worksheet: https://pepperyourtalk.kit.com/736ece85c7In this episode, we cover:Why launching isn't the goal, and the real shocks of running a businessBusy vs building: why doing more ≠ more resultsHow to build structure that sticks: tangible weekly goals, accountability and results over processThe importance of knowing when to pivotMindset resets: stop comparing, stop using goals against yourself and beat imposter syndromeIf you’ve ever felt like your goals are bringing you down, this one’s for you!We Are Ladies Who Launch! CHAPTERS00:00 Meet Dior Bediako03:07 Using Business As Growth Tool06:33 Why You're Busy Vs Building14:29 Do Less, Get Better Results18:42 When To Quit & Pivot21:35 Find Your Bottom Left25:00 Growth Needs Systems32:17 Focussing On Being A Future Founder36:30 How To Find Your Ideal Customer41:03 Handling Being Copied49:10 How To Make Decisions Under Pressure51:28 When To Quit Your Job 57:01 Stop Feeling Behind01:05:02 Ditch Imposter Syndrome01:07:04 Final Thanks and Wrap🔔 New episodes every Wednesday — subscribe so you never miss a launch.FOLLOW DIORInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/diorbediako/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@diorbediakoFOLLOW USInstagram: www.instagram.com/weareladieswholaunch/TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@weareladieswholaunchYouTube: www.youtube.com/@Weareladieswholaunch

The cat's finally out of the bag! After months of hiding logos, dodging your questions, and biting my tongue every time you asked what "Roch Builds a Brand" was really about… I can finally tell you. Welcome to Eulah! In this episode I'm telling you the full story: where the name came from, the Korean-inspired formulas the whole brand is built around, and how we've somehow managed to bring it to you for £8–£12 a product. We're launching with 12 products including a gua sha companion that I am OBSESSED with. This is the biggest launch I have ever done and I’m so excited to share it with you. Sign up at eulahskin.com to be the first to hear more, get early access to products, and find out how to meet Rochelle at launch.We Are Ladies Who Launch! CHAPTERS00:00 Introducing Eulah01:43 Eulah Brand Vision and Pricing03:39 Where To Shop Eulah06:14 The Meaning Behind The Brand Name07:37 Join the Eulah Community08:38 12 Products Sneak Peek09:56 Road to Launch Plans10:50 Expert Doctor Partnership🔔 New episodes every Wednesday — subscribe so you never miss a launch.FOLLOW EULAH SKIN Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eulahskin/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@eulahskinWebsite: www.eulahskin.comFOLLOW USInstagram: www.instagram.com/weareladieswholaunch/TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@weareladieswholaunchYouTube: www.youtube.com/@Weareladieswholaunch

This week on Ladies Who Launch, we’re taking a break from regular scheduled programming to revisit some of the most iconic moments of honesty, vulnerability, and advice from previous powerhouse founders, including Emma Grede, Ella Mills, Sabrina Elba, Sam Faiers, Mona Kattan, Amy Liu, Perrie Sian, Conna Walker, Frankie James, Vivien Wong, Aimee Smale, Penelope Cheshire, Ama Hill, Jessica Sepel and Jo Malone.This mastermind compilation is your spark and start to finding your idea and taking the first leap to building the business of your dreams. It includes all of those golden nuggets of advice from our Ladies who’ve Launched; from how to take the first leap, and turn personal problems and passion into purpose-led businesses, to building resilience through startup struggles, influencer growth and unwavering self-belief.In this episode, we cover:Taking the leap & founding from a personal problemTurning your passion into a careerNavigating early startup strugglesThe moment you truly ‘launch’Embracing failure and backing yourself through itIf you’re in need of a reminder of why you started and why you shouldn’t give up, this one’s for you.We Are Ladies Who Launch! Chapters00:00 From Fear to First Leap00:31 Why Founders Start01:05 How Personal Experience Sparks Ideas03:05 Believing in Your Product Vision04:20 Quitting and Going All In06:18 Starting Small Operations06:50 Bootstrapping, Solo Hustle and Managing It All08:34 Launch Breakthrough Moment09:11 Advice for New Founders11:03 Why Not Me 🔔 New episodes every Wednesday — subscribe so you never miss a launch.FOLLOW USInstagram: www.instagram.com/weareladieswholaunch/TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@weareladieswholaunchYouTube: www.youtube.com/@Weareladieswholaunch

Have you ever experienced having to mix 3 different foundations just to find your shade? Well your problems have been sold because DCYPHER Beauty is the World’s first beauty tech brand creating formulations from scratch, one at a time, personalised in minutes. In this week's episode, Rochelle sits down with Ruth De Leo, skincare founder of DCYPHER and mentee of Charlotte Tilbury, to share how AI-powered shade-matching is solving the personalisation problem no beauty giant could crack. We discuss the real expectations vs reality of launching a brand, learning from the best brands in the industry, and the non-negotiables that keep DCYPHER running. Ruth gets honest about founder life, unexpected customer feedback, and the advice she wishes she never listened to.In this episode, we cover:Ruth’s beauty-industry background and discovering the gap in the market that sparked the brand.Charlotte Tilbury mentorship that impacted her career.How AI and personalisation formulas solved the universal shade-match struggle.The expectations vs reality of starting up, and how she switches off.Business non-negotiables, the advice she ignores, and Ruth’s top tip.If you’ve ever wanted to learn how technology can benefit skincare, this one’s for you.We Are Ladies Who Launch! Chapters00:00 Industry Meets Problem01:59 Pain Points & Waste In Makeup And Waste06:33 Scaling Brands And Building Confidence07:44 Charlotte Tilbury Lessons On Trust17:49 DCYPHER Tech Explained26:08 Launching In John Lewis34:55 Data Driven Foundation Formulas36:49 Fast Track Personalised Lip Products41:02 Switching Off As A Founder43:31 Learning To Let Go48:35 John Lewis Launch Moment51:45 Advice Regrets And Lessons57:30 Why Its Important To Obsess Over The Problem🔔 New episodes every Wednesday — subscribe so you never miss a launch.FOLLOW RUTH Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ruthxdcypher/DCYPHER: https://www.instagram.com/dcypherbeauty/FOLLOW USInstagram: www.instagram.com/weareladieswholaunch/TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@weareladieswholaunchYouTube: www.youtube.com/@Weareladieswholaunch