Q. Tell us about your business

Look Fabulous Forever is my Mum’s brainchild, which she launched when she was just 65 years old!
As a former management training consultant, mother and grandmother, she was always busy and active, and eventually reached a stage in her life where she felt a little directionless. That’s when she took her two great loves – makeup and business – and created a beauty brand which specialises in products for women over the age of 50, whose ageing skin needs were all too often ignored. The business launched in 2013 on a total budget of just £40k, which included the creation of the product range, branding and website. In its infancy Look Fabulous Forever started as ‘parties’, but quickly grew into an e-commerce business thanks to some amazing PR.
In December 2015, Mum was interviewed on BBC Breakfast as part of a focus on entrepreneurs, which saw the business grow overnight from orders of £25k a month to £25k a day. It was thrilling and terrifying in equal measure and played a huge part in the successful business we have today.
Tricia is now 73 and continues to be heavily involved in the business. She creates lots of content for our blog and social channels, and is such an inspiration, not only to me and my sister who are both involved in the business, but to our loyal customers.

Q. What’s the best part about running your own business?

I joined the business in 2014 to help manage early rapid growth. It continues to evolve to this day and I feel privileged to have been part of such an amazing journey. When things are going well, there is such a sense of pride knowing that our team has made it all happen. It creates such a positive energy and it’s something I thrive on. Of course, it’s not always plain sailing, but we support one another to overcome the challenges that come our way.

Q. What do you find most challenging?

As with most businesses there have been lots of challenges, but the biggest one for me has to be recruitment. You might have a great product, but if you don’t have great people your business will never reach its full potential. It’s so important to have the right people in the right position, and such a huge responsibility trying to find them.
In the early days, I found it really challenging recruiting for roles I knew nothing about. It’s definitely got easier as my skills and knowledge have evolved, but it’s still a challenge. I used to go with my gut feeling but it’s now very much driven by a proven track record and putting in place well-defined success measures from the outset.

Q. How do you keep motivated when the going gets tough?

Being a family business, my mum and sister are always around to pick me up and dust me off when I’m having a bad day. If I still need a little pick-me-up, I simply read our Trust Pilot reviews which is like having a full on hit of positivity. It always makes me realise how much people love our products and everything our business stands for.

Q. How has Jo supported you?

Jo has been our sounding board for so many different topics over the years, from contracts to websites and staff. She’s always there when we need her and has provided us with such great advice. The breadth of her experience is invaluable and has allowed us to tap into her knowledge as our business needs have changed.

Q. What’s your biggest learning?

I’m naturally impatient, but what I’ve come to realise is that successful businesses don’t happen overnight, unless of course you have an endless supply of cash. The best businesses – ones that can weather the storms – grow steadily and organically. They can take years to become truly successful.

Q. What do you know now that you wish you had known when you were setting up your business?

That most entrepreneurs are winging it to some extent. I think to begin with I had major imposter syndrome – I’d never run a business before and assumed everyone else had MBAs and knew exactly what they were doing. Now, having met a lot of entrepreneurs, I know that every business is different and no-one has all the answers no matter how experienced they are.

Q. Which business person would you most like to have dinner with?

I’d love to sit down to dinner with Anya Hindmarch. I’m just about to start reading her book and already know I’m going to love it. She’s clearly ambitious and smart, and doesn’t come across as an annoying know-it-all! She’s overcome lots of challenges, including her fear of public speaking, and seems to be so down to earth.

To find out more about Look Fabulous Forever click here