Ladies Who Launch

Laney Crowell launched Saie in November 2019, just months before the world shut down. Since then, she has built it into a beauty brand with more than $100 million in annual sales, growing over 50% year on year while staying profitable. Now, Saie has launched in Sephora UK, and Laney joins Rochelle on Ladies Who Launch to share the full journey.

Laney shares how a foundation that made her break out became the idea for a skincare-first makeup brand, why she raised $1 million and what it cost her, how Sephora first said no and then came back wanting every door, and why being the first beauty brand to sponsor the New York Knicks was a lightning-bolt marketing idea. She also talks about building the business from her bedroom during lockdown, why she believes the slower you go, the faster you get there, and the money advice every founder should hear before they raise.

In this episode:
Launching Saie in the UK and why it took six years to get here
The foundation breakout that sparked the idea for Saie
How her community has shaped the brand, from the name to the very first products
Laney’s path from Estée Lauder to founder
Raising $1 million, launching with three products, and the $100K of mistakes
Hand-delivering 200 mailers from a rented van with a decal
Being rejected by Sephora, then signing a deal to launch in every door
Going viral with the Glowy Super Gel
Becoming the first beauty brand to sponsor the New York Knicks
Celebrating $100M in sales
Founder advice: invest in operations, rethink the org chart as you scale, and know your worth when you negotiate

If you're building a brand, thinking about raising investment, or curious how a founder turned a bold idea into a $100M business, this one is for you.

We Are Ladies Who Launch!

CHAPTERS
00:00 Saie’s Rocketship Growth
00:30 AD Starling Sponsor
05:07 The Breakout “aha” Moment
08:08 Estée Lauder Digital Roots
09:41 Important of Having A Start Up Tribe
14:33 Fundraising Advice
21:52 AD Starling Sponsor
23:33 Building TikTok Hype Early
24:03 Sephora Full Circle Deal
26:32 Scaling With A Small Team
27:41 The Power Of Slow & Steady Growth
29:35 Parenting Boundaries
33:51 Knicks Sponsorship
36:50 Celebrating 100 Million Sales
38:02 Founder Finance Advice
41:00 Future Proofing Family Time
41:47 Final Thanks And Wrap

🔔 New episodes every Wednesday — subscribe so you never miss a launch.

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FOLLOW LANEY
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laney/
Saie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saiebeauty/
Saie TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@saiebeauty?lang=en-GB

FOLLOW US
Instagram: www.instagram.com/weareladieswholaunch/
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@weareladieswholaunch
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@Weareladieswholaunch
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For our 100th episode, we're doing something we've never done before: our first ever round table. Rochelle is joined by Patricia Bright, Sam Faiers and Isobel Lorna for an honest conversation about why we celebrate women on the way up, then criticise them once they actually succeed.

Together they talk about ambition, money, backlash and the pressure on successful women to stay relatable, from Isobel's viral Agende launch to Patricia's decision to stop sharing her numbers, Sam's journey building Revive, and the double standards that still come with female success.

In this episode:
The Agende launch: nearly £500K on day one, and the price backlash that followed
Patricia on sharing her numbers, getting backlash and shutting down, and why she's opening up again
Why people love an underdog until the underdog wins
Sam on being mistaken for just the face of ReVive, and why she hid herself from her own brand
Learning to be proud of your success without feeling unrelatable
Handling trolls and haters, and using criticism as data
Being taken seriously as a woman in business
The double standard for women and men in business
What happens to friendships when your success grows
Why women play down their ambition, and how to stop
"A successful woman should never apologise for..."

Whether you're building a business, growing an audience, or just have people around you who struggle with your wins, this one is for you.

We Are Ladies Who Launch!

CHAPTERS
00:00 Welcome To The 100th Episode Roundtable
03:38 Ioabel’s Launch Price Backlash
09:40 Patricia Defending Women Winning
12:14 Sam Reality TV Stigma
21:10 Should You Hide Success?
30:50 Turning Hate Into Growth
36:51 Being Taken Seriously As A Women In Business
47:30 Facing Pressure To Be Perfect
53:04 Who Funds Your Success?
55:32 Feminine Energy vs Respect
56:24 Money, Hate and Sexism
01:02:08 Finding Your Real Tribe
01:06:13 Stop Playing Small
01:12:10 Never Apologise For Your Success

🔔 New episodes every Wednesday — subscribe so you never miss a launch.

FOLLOW PATRICIA, SAM & ISOBEL
Patricia Bright: https://www.instagram.com/patriciabright/
Sam Faiers: https://www.instagram.com/samanthafaiers/
Isobel Lorna: https://www.instagram.com/isobellorna_/

FOLLOW US
Instagram: www.instagram.com/weareladieswholaunch/
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@weareladieswholaunch
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@Weareladieswholaunch

#LadiesWhoLaunch #LadiesWhoLaunchPodcast #PatriciaBright #SamFaiers #IsobelLorna #RochelleHumes #FemaleFounders #WomenInBusiness #SuccessfulWomen #TallPoppySyndrome #Agende #ReViveCollagen #Episode100 #RoundTable
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Millie Kendall OBE has spent more than 30 years shaping the British beauty industry. She launched Shu Uemura and Aveda in the UK, co-founded the iconic makeup brand Ruby & Millie with Ruby Hammer, and now leads the British Beauty Council as its founding CEO. In this episode of Ladies Who Launch, she shares the wisdom, mistakes and reinventions behind a career that has spanned the early days of modern beauty brands.

Millie tells Rochelle why she helped launch brands that sold for hundreds of millions without ever owning a stake, why she turned down Victoria Beckham, how Boots backed Ruby & Millie with £7 million to launch the brand, and what it really felt like to walk away from a business with her name on it.

In this episode, we cover:
Why Millie says it's "invention, not reinvention"
Launching Shu Uemura in London and turning a loss into a profit in three months
The lesson of not taking equity in the brands she helped build
Building Ruby & Millie, from Harvey Nichols and Selfridges to Boots
The Victoria Beckham lipstick she turned down
Why she and Ruby chose to walk away from Ruby & Millie
Founding the British Beauty Council and raising the reputation of the beauty industry
Millie's advice on pivoting careers, and her money habits

If you're building a brand, thinking about your next career move, or want an honest look at how the beauty industry grew, this one is for you.

We Are Ladies Who Launch!

CHAPTERS
00:00 Millie Kendall Intro
00:36 AD Starling Business
01:08 Reinvention Versus Invention
05:43 Growing Up In Salons
06:32 Shu Uemura Origin Story
10:34 Launching A PR Agency in Beauty
17:13 Meeting Ruby Millie
20:18 £7M Boots Deal And Launch
24:58 Inclusivity And Range Battles
34:30 Control Value Lessons
37:23 Leaving At Peak Growth
43:40 Building British Beauty Council
48:56 Industry Impact In Numbers
52:19 Pivot Advice For Change
57:41 Rocket Round: Money Habits
01:01:30 Financial Mistakes & Lessons
01:03:04 Launch Advice

🔔 New episodes every Wednesday — subscribe so you never miss a launch.

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Access Starling Bank here: https://bit.ly/44sEaMf

FOLLOW MILLIE
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/milliekendall/

FOLLOW US
Instagram: www.instagram.com/weareladieswholaunch/
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@weareladieswholaunch
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@Weareladieswholaunch

#LadiesWhoLaunch #MillieKendall #RubyAndMillie #BritishBeautyCouncil #BeautyIndustry #FemaleFounders #BeautyBusiness #RochelleHumes
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This week on Ladies Who Launch, we're doing something a little different. Instead of sitting down with an incredible woman, we're taking you behind the scenes of the biggest moment of Rochelle's business journey so far: the launch of her skincare brand, Eulah.

Watch along as the Eulah launch campaign with Boots comes to life, from the campaign shoot to the launch event, and see what it really takes to build a brand from idea to shelf. The behind-the-scenes moments, the pressure, the people who made it happen, and the launch night that brought it all together.
If you've ever wondered what goes on behind a brand launch, this is your front-row seat.

Shop Eulah now: https://eulahskin.com/?utm_source=ladies_who_launch&utm_medium=partnership&utm_campaign=eulah_launch

We Are Ladies Who Launch!

CHAPTERS
00:00 Countdown To Launch
00:21 Nine Days Out
02:13 Podcast And Press Run
04:13 Launch Week Nerves
05:29 Launch Event Setup
07:30 Challenges Of Brand Building
09:27 Event Wrap And Website Rush
10:32 Eulah Launch Goes Live
12:14 Success And Reflections

🔔 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/@eulahskin
Website: www.eulahskin.com

FOLLOW US
Instagram: www.instagram.com/weareladieswholaunch/
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@weareladieswholaunch
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@Weareladieswholaunch
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Rochelle sits down with Karlee Zhang, founder of Hello Klean, who opens up about her journey from self-funding an idea that nobody had believed in, to having half a million loyal worldwide customers and expanding into luxury retail spaces.

Karlee unpacks the discovery that turned a plumbing issue into a beauty revelation, and the reality of bootstrapping until you find the right investors. From a sealed social strategy to navigating rapid growth, Karlee shares an insight into her honest founder lessons and top tips.

In this episode we cover:
The moment a plumbing problem became a beauty product
The importance of educating consumers, and how Hello Klean earned trust with a free trial
How to navigate retail launches and streamlining the consumer experience
Building a social strategy that cuts through the noise
Navigating rapid growth and defining your success

If you’re an aspiring innovator with no clue where to start, this one’s for you!

We Are Ladies Who Launch!

CHAPTERS
00:00 Introducing Hello Klean
04:24 Identifying The Water Origin Problem
07:40 Turning Plumbing Into A Wellness Brand
10:07 Educating Before Selling
13:35 Building Co-Founder Roles Efficiently
15:05 Funding R&D And Our Subscription Model
16:57 Customers Don’t Understand Category
20:04 Social Was Our First Hire
23:13 Building A Brand Narrative
24:45 Balancing Brand and Conversion
26:52 Creating Creator Partnerships That Feel Real
28:00 My Dragons’ Den Experience
34:39 Post Dragons’ Den Growth Surge - 600%!
36:19 Finding The Right Investor Fit
39:54 Expanding Shower Care Category
41:33 Redefining Success Metrics
44:30 Karlee’s Leaving Advice

🔔 New episodes every Wednesday — subscribe so you never miss a launch.

FOLLOW HELLO KLEAN
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/helloklean/
Karlee: https://www.instagram.com/karleee/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@helloklean

FOLLOW US
Instagram: www.instagram.com/weareladieswholaunch/
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@weareladieswholaunch
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@Weareladieswholaunch
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.