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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
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