"Turning Down Victoria Beckham Was One Of My Biggest Fails": Millie Kendall OBE | Ladies Who Launch
Ladies Who LaunchShow Notes
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.
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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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