"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 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.