"Caroline Hirons Was The Biggest Risk I Ever Took": Colette Laxton | Ladies Who Launch

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 startup

Exactly how she split her first £300K investment

Why most of her marketing budget went on: Caroline Hirons

The Cult Beauty call on launch day that changed everything

Launching The INKEY List into Sephora across North America within six months

Nearly going bankrupt, and what it actually takes to get "retail ready"

The burnout that put her in bed for two weeks straight

How a product she never planned to sell became #1 on TikTok Shop

If 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 One

00:55 Introducing Colette Laxton

03:10 Learning the Corporate Ropes at Boots

10:21 Realising The Skincare Gap

18:41 Leveraging PR for Launch

21:44 Early Funding and Brand Blow Up

27:05 Launching in Sephora US

33:10 Figuring Out Stock and Logistics

37:10 Virality and TikTok Shop

39:09 Our 1 Million Unit Order

40:14 Why Micro Influencers Win

46:23 Leadership at 100 Staff

50:47 Founder Burnout Reality

55:32 Rocket Round

01:06:51 Staying in the Game

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

FOLLOW COLETTE

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colette.theinkeylist/

The Inkey List: https://www.instagram.com/theinkeylist/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@colette.laxton

Instagram: www.instagram.com/weareladieswholaunch/

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@weareladieswholaunch

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@Weareladieswholaunch

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