Ladies Who Launch

In this week's episode of Ladies Who Launch, Nicola Elliott, founder of NEOM, takes us behind the scenes of building a brand in a category that barely existed when she started. From the early days of product creation to scaling to 150 products, 150 employees, and £45M in annual turnover, Nicola gets into the mechanics of strategically building for long-term growth. We unpack the real decisions most founders agonise over: the benefits of taking investment versus staying self-funded, and the personal sacrifices that come as a direct consequence of business ambition.

Beyond the numbers, this conversation digs into what makes NEOM genuinely stick, how Nicola has built a deep consumer-to-brand connection at scale, and perhaps more importantly, how she's designed the business around the life she actually wants to live. It's an honest, tactical conversation for founders who want to build something substantial without losing themselves in the process.

In this episode, we cover:

The journey of starting & building NEOM
Building in a ‘unique’ category
150 products, 150 employees, £45M in annual turnover
Strategically building for long term growth, not pace
Benefits of investment vs self funding
Real life sacrifices as a consequence of business
Creating consumer x brand connection
Designing business around your life

We Are Ladies Who Launch!

CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction
00:43 Before Wellness Was a Thing
03:41 Anxiety Sparking the NEOM Idea
06:15 From Blends to NEOM
08:27 First Products and Candles
11:40 Green Lights to Quitting Your 9-5
14:29 Building the Right Team
17:58 Creating a New Category
23:11 Retailer Placement Challenges
26:32 Sponsor Break: Starling Tools
27:42 Scaling With Steady Growth
33:33 Slow Growth Wins
34:00 Realities of Raising Money
35:50 Founder Lifestyle Questions
36:58 Motherhood While Building a Business
40:01 Sacrifice And Seasons
41:50 Work That Feeds You
43:06 Protecting Brand Identity
47:32 Customer Moments Strategy
49:06 Founder Role Today
52:39 Realistic Wellness Positioning
53:47 Future Growth And Collabs
55:56 Rocket Round
58:15 Curating Your Circle
59:35 Patience Builds Brands
01:00:34 Nicola’s Dream Collab
01:02:00 Finding A Mentor
01:03:14 Founder Money Habits
01:07:21 Financial Myths Debunked
01:09:30 Profitability Over Hype
01:12:23 Design Success Your Way
01:14:55 Nicola’s Ideal Lunch
01:17:49 Wrap Up And Subscribe

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

#AD Powered by @StarlingBankApp

FOLLOW NICOLA
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicolaelliottneom/
NEOM: https://www.instagram.com/neomwellbeing/

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.

In this week's episode of Ladies Who Launch, Penelope Cheshire takes us back to where it all began: an £8,000 leap of faith funded by selling her partner's Rolex, and a belief that premium hair extensions didn't have to feel exclusive or unapproachable.

What followed was a masterclass in retail grit, from cold-pitching salons and building a team from the ground up, to navigating investment rooms where beauty wasn't taken seriously, and a partnership with Molly-Mae that sent the business into a different stratosphere.

Penelope gets refreshingly honest about what actually happens during and after an exit, why she's channeling everything she learned into her next venture Killer Brush, and the moments that shaped her as a founder along the way.

In this episode, we cover:
The build of Beauty Works from an £8,000 Rolex watch sale
Business growth through hair salons
Facing stereotypes against the beauty industry
Behind the Molly-Mae partnership
The story of the Beauty Works sell
Launching her new business, Killa Brush

If you’re a founder with an idea mixed with grit and determination, this episode is for you.

We Are Ladies Who Launch!

CHAPTERS
00:00 Meet Penelope Cheshire, Founder of Beauty Works
05:35 Beginning of Beauty Works
06:38 Selling My Partners Rolex to Start
11:17 First Big Retail Order
18:42 Rejected by Investors
23:47 Creating a Premium Positioning
29:28 Behind The Molly Mae Partnership
35:49 Leadership & Letting Go
47:38 The Truth Behind Leaving Beauty Works
57:57 Private Equity Reality Check
01:01:37 Starting Killa Brush
01:12:12 Sharing Entrepreneurship Truths
01:15:40 Rocket Round
01:22:57 Final Advice & Wrap

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

FOLLOW PENELOPE
Penelope’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/penelopecheshire/
Killa Brush: https://www.instagram.com/killabrushofficial/
Killa Brush Website: www.killabrush.com

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.

In this week's episode of Ladies Who Launch, Rochelle sits down with Hanushka Toni, to unpack her journey from law to launching Sellier, the luxury handbag brand that caught the attention of Flannels and the moment her Jane Birkin auction went viral.

She also gets candid about building a business alongside family, the realities of entrepreneurship no one talks about, and her bold move into feminine hygiene with JUICE, breaking taboos in real time.

In this episode, we cover:

How Hanushka transitioned from Law to luxury retail
Building luxury handbag retailer, Selier
Behind the Jane Birkin auction
Effectively growing a business through social media
Benefits of the Sellier x Flannels partnership
What people are getting wrong about entrepreneurship
Introducing JUICE and taboos around feminine hygiene

Whether you're a founder, a creator, or someone with a big idea and no idea where to start, this one is for you.

We Are Ladies Who Launch!

CHAPTERS
00:00 Introducing Hanushka
03:24 Building Sellier
09:10 Creating Virality on Social
14:12 Behind The Jane Birkin Auction
20:50 Viral Marketing Playbook
25:21 Behind The Flannels Partnership Expansion
28:00 Navigating Motherhood & Ambition
31:25 Introducing JUICE
33:09 Handling Business Criticism
37:58 Redefining Success
40:18 Embrace The Cringe
41:22 Rocket Round Advice

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

FOLLOW HANUSHKA
Hanushka’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hanushkaa/
Sellier: https://www.instagram.com/sellierknightsbridge/
JUICE: https://www.instagram.com/wearejuicers/

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.

This week's episode of Ladies Who Launch is with Sophia & Cinzia, the powerhouse duo behind one of the UK's most-listened-to podcasts, The Girls Bathroom. From building a loyal online community from scratch to launching a sold-out live tour, this episode is a masterclass in building an audience through genuine connection and having fun while doing it.

We get into the founding of their new venture rooms, what it really takes to build a team of women who are aligned with your vision, and because no Ladies Who Launch episode is complete without it, a Greek lunch moment that you absolutely need to hear.

In this episode, we cover:

How Sophia & Cinzia built their online following
Launching The Girls Bathroom
Building up to the live tour
The realities behind launching rooms
Why Sophia & Cinzia decided to build a team of women
A Greek lunch moment

Whether you're a founder, a creator, or someone with a big idea and no idea where to start, this one is for you.

We Are Ladies Who Launch!

CHAPTERS
00:00 Introducing Sophia & Cinzia
01:12 Where It All Began
07:17 Launching Their YouTube Channel
13:19 How They Got Management
20:14 Naming The Girls Bathroom
22:22 Growth Through Lockdown
24:07 Behind Recording The Girls Bathroom
25:41 Behind The Live Tour
30:03 Building The Vision For rooms
34:53 Building An All Female Team
37:14 Navigating Rooms Critique
40:45 Backing Themselves On The Jelly Vase
44:55 Co-Founders and Friendship
47:34 Future Plans for rooms
49:32 Rocket Round
58:29 A Greek Lunch Moment

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

FOLLOW SOPHIA & CINZIA
The Girls Bathroom: https://www.instagram.com/thegirlsbathroom/
Sophia: https://www.instagram.com/sophiatuxford/
Cinzia: https://www.instagram.com/cinziabayliszullo/

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.

From a viral TikTok moment to one of the UK's most beloved supermarket staples, this week on Ladies Who Launch, Rochelle sits down with Vivien Wong, co-founder of Little Moons, to unpack the real story behind building an iconic brand from the ground up. Vivien gets refreshingly honest about starting before you're ready (the 80% rule), protecting product quality under explosive demand, and navigating the noise to find the advice that actually moves the needle.

Together, we dig into the sibling dynamic that powers the business, the nostalgia-first brand identity that made mochi ice cream a cultural moment, and what it really looks like to bring in investment and external leadership without losing what made you special in the first place. This one is equal parts strategy and soul and a masterclass in building a brand people genuinely love.

In this episode, we cover:

Building a career and brand foundation from scratch
Knowing which advice to take and which to ignore
Creating the Little Moons brand identity
Managing explosive growth with effect
Bringing in investment without losing the soul of your brand

If you're a founder who's overwhelmed by the pressures of starting, this episode is designed to inspire you to start before you’re ready.

We Are Ladies Who Launch!

CHAPTERS
00:00:00 Introduction and Little Moons as a Family Favorite
00:03:08 The Inspiration Behind Starting Little Moons
00:07:06 The Challenges of Creating Mochi: Craftsmanship and Manufacturing
00:12:33 How Vivien's Finance Career Helped Launch the Business
00:14:40 Launching Little Moons
00:16:07 Building the Brand; From White Label to Little Moons
00:19:31 Founding the Business as Siblings
00:23:02 Breaking Into First Major Retail Partnerships
00:28:38 The Viral TikTok Moment and Managing Sudden Demand
00:34:13 Amplifying Virality and Managing Retail Logistics
00:37:07 Business Scaling Challenges
00:41:07 Bringing in Private Equity and a New CEO after 12 Years
00:44:29 The Myth of Overnight Success vs. A Slow and Steady Journey
00:47:27 The Complexities of International Expansion to 38 Countries
00:52:56 Rocket Round: Non-Negotiables, Launch Moments, Daily Habits
00:58:37 Advice for New Founders
01:07:38 Celebrating Success and Vivien's Gratitude

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

#LadiesWhoLaunch #NeverFullyDressed #FashionFounder #BuildingABrand #CultBrand #FemaleFounder #BusinessPodcast #BrandBuilding #SlowGrowth #StartupStory

FOLLOW VIVIEN & LITTLE MOONS
Vivien’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thevivienwong/
Little Moons Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/littlemoonsmochi/
Little Moons TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@littlemoonsmochi

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.