In this week's episode of Ladies Who Launch, Penelope Cheshire takes us back to where it all began: an £8,000 leap of faith funded by selling her partner's Rolex, and a belief that premium hair extensions didn't have to feel exclusive or unapproachable.

What followed was a masterclass in retail grit, from cold-pitching salons and building a team from the ground up, to navigating investment rooms where beauty wasn't taken seriously, and a partnership with Molly-Mae that sent the business into a different stratosphere.

Penelope gets refreshingly honest about what actually happens during and after an exit, why she's channeling everything she learned into her next venture Killer Brush, and the moments that shaped her as a founder along the way.

In this episode, we cover:

• The build of Beauty Works from an £8,000 Rolex watch sale
• Business growth through hair salons
• Facing stereotypes against the beauty industry
• Behind the Molly-Mae partnership
• The story of the Beauty Works sell
• Launching her new business, Killa Brush

If you’re a founder with an idea mixed with grit and determination, this episode is for you.

We Are Ladies Who Launch!

CHAPTERS

00:00 Meet Penelope Cheshire, Founder of Beauty Works

05:35 Beginning of Beauty Works

06:38 Selling My Partners Rolex to Start

11:17 First Big Retail Order

18:42 Rejected by Investors

23:47 Creating a Premium Positioning

29:28 Behind The Molly Mae Partnership

35:49 Leadership & Letting Go

47:38 The Truth Behind Leaving Beauty Works

57:57 Private Equity Reality Check

01:01:37 Starting Killa Brush

01:12:12 Sharing Entrepreneurship Truths

01:15:40 Rocket Round

01:22:57 Final Advice & Wrap

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FOLLOW PENELOPE

Penelope’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/penelopecheshire/

Killa Brush: https://www.instagram.com/killabrushofficial/

Killa Brush Website: www.killabrush.com

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