WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START PRO BLO, AND HOW DID YOU TURN
THAT INSPIRATION INTO A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS VENTURE?
I was inspired by my broken hair brush. Back in 2014 there really was no big dream to
start a business or build a brand. I simply loved a blow dry and would try to recreate my
salon blow at home. My round brush broke so I would use the barrels in my bangs, and
well, the rest is history! I became obsessed with turning my idea into a tangible product,
and then consumed by constantly putting the product in front of people around the globe,
as I was convinced that they would just ‘get it’ - and they really did!!
WHAT CHALLENGES DID YOU FACE WHILE BUILDING PRO BLO, AND
HOW DID YOU OVERCOME THEM?
So many! But look, I am not mad about it. I stand by every decision I made, even the really
ugly ones because I really did make every decision with the best intention and the best
knowledge I had at the time.
In the beginning i said yes to everything, honestly, out of fear, if i said no the opportunity
wouldn’t come around again. I launched Pro Blo into Selfridges just three months after
launching the brand. This has a huge impact on your cash flow, but I was so fixated on
getting the product out there, the reality of running a business, things like the cashflow
didn’t cross my mind.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing, and I say to anyone, do it on your own timeline and when it
is right for you and your business.
I also took on an industrial unit rental without bringing in a surveyor which came back to
bite me three years later with a very expensive court case. The list goes on, but the reality
is, I really was (and still am!) learning as I go!
AS THE FOUNDER OF PRO BLO, WHAT PRINCIPLES OR VALUES HAVE
BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN YOUR JOURNEY TO SUCCESS?
Resilience, hard work and knowing that no matter what I will make it. Behind the scenes
are not always as glamorous as the instagram grid.My dad once told you, ‘you pay your
rent every day!’ and he was so right.
I have always been calm in a crisis and if someone else can do it, then I want to give it a
go, even back to teenage me. I sold crisps in school, undercut the tuk shop and made my
money, and when I was banned from taking in my school bag I switched it to cutting
fringes in the playground.
The mindset of a 14 year old me, was told no so she found another way around the
problem, and really when you break it down that's what running a business can feel like
99.9% of the time!
I am also a huge believer that we can all go out there and make our wildest dreams come
true. I wanted to make a great life for myself, I wanted freedom, so that little dreamer in
me always keeps me pushing!
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