The Stack World

Do I build my company ethically or go for the highest profit model? 🤔 A perennial question in business. As London hit 0 degrees, I joined the warm The Stack World community this morning at 180 Studios to hear Sharmadean Reid MBE interview Sarah Brown, organic skincare pioneer and founder and CEO of Pai Skincare. The title was: 'How to Build a Sustainable Multi-Million Revenue Beauty Business' But there is a tension between the words ‘sustainable’ and ‘multi-million revenue’. 😅 A key decision founders must ask themselves is: Do I build my company ethically or go for the highest profit model? Sarah’s answer: —> “We had to be uncompromising on quality.”  Outsourcing our manufacturing would not have made us the brand we are today. This costs us a lot more and the pressure to cut those costs are high but it makes us who we are. —> “Get your customers to care and they will advocate for you.”  Starting a brand is expensive and it’s hard to get out there - you have to drive advocacy and that starts with customers who love your products. —> “Talk to customers as much as you can.” And when you do this, be in the the right mindset and make all the time count. New product idea, new marketing ideas can all be triggered by conversations with customers. —> “What you lack in scaling quickly, you gain in leaning.” Sustainable brands are not a quick way to scale but you will learn so much in the process. Ultimately Sarah said the goal for any mission-driven founder is to “believe there is no conflict - that you can be successful and stick to your principles.” Sarah and Pai Skincare is great testament to growth while staying true to your values. Thank you for the insights. 🙏

A quick shout out about the importance of doing things that inspire you & shape your thinking outside of your immediate working sphere! Earlier this year, I joined The Stack World. A community which is outside of the adtech industry I’m part of. The Stack World offers a number of things but for me it is about hearing from all the incredible women and how they became founders of successful businesses or became board members. How they pitch for VC funding helps me with tips on negotiating in my day to day; how they deal under pressure & find working solutions fuels my creativity; how they have built businesses by focusing on solving one problem & building vision boards has helped me to stay focused. It’s inspiring to hear people’s experiences of navigating through and this morning’s panel didn’t disappoint! Hosted by the super Sharmadean Reid MBE & a very impression co-founder & CEO of “MyoMaster” Lottie Whyte - a journey from a B&Q drill turned into a masssage gun and a 5M sports recovery brand in just 3 years! Super grateful to the community for always hosting motivating talks and for allowing me to meet great individuals! I highly encourage people to find their community!

Earlier this month, I joined a group of The Stack World members in Newcastle for Beauty with Bite, a celebration of Fenwick's newly relaunched Newcastle Beauty Hall—the largest outside of London. It was the perfect 36 hours mixing beauty & business: talks, treatments and trends. Thanks to Fenwick, Sharmadean Reid MBE and Alice Finch for an inspiring trip 🫶

Thank you The Stack World for an insightful event on building a beauty brand at Fenwick, Newcastle. It was a very well curated 36 hours with some really cool women. Yesterday evening we enjoyed refreshments and treatments for the Fenwick relaunch and this morning an interview with Kimberley Cattin hosted by Sharmadean Reid MBE as well as a panel talk by Fenwick's senior beauty buyers Vesa Kalho and Rebecca Hilliard who both discussed emerging beauty trends and what buyers are looking for this season. It was followed by a tour of the venue which was packed with insider tips, and branding insights. #TheStackWorld #Beauty #BeautyBites #Fenwick #Newcastle #Research

Today I had the pleasure of attending The Stack World Beauty Bite Event in Fenwick Newcastle. I was buzzing to get some insight and expertise from a local founder Kimberley Cattin of West Barn Co that served as a major inspiration for my final major project in my final year of BA (Hons) Fashion Communication at Northumbria University. Kimberley gave so much valuable guidance throughout her journey in business but here are a few of my favourite points she made: 👉🏻 Don’t resist change in business as it’s inevitable and holding onto things as they are limits growth. 👉🏻 When it comes to social media, stop chasing followers and start prioritising reach. 👉🏻 Each new product has to solve a problem or fill a gap in the market as it’s easy to become carried away with NPD. So excited to see what the West Barn Co team has in store🙌🏼 #beauty #northeast #beautybite #fenwick

How often do you get to attend the launch of a new beauty hall, get to hear first hand from beauty founders, experts and buyers AND meet a ton of like-minded women entrepreneurs doing amazing things? 🤔 Not often. But that’s exactly what happened at Beauty With Bite at Fenwick with The Stack World last week. Here’s what we did in less than 24 hours: 💄Met up with other members of The Stack World from all over the country: 💄Went to the launch night of the new Fenwick beauty hall in Newcastle 💄Heard from entrepreneur Kimberley Cattin from West Barn Co about her journey from MUA to multiple beauty business owner (all based in the North East) and building a next-gen beauty brand 💄Listened to talks from the Fenwick’s lead beauty buyers Vesa Kalho and Rebecca Hill, including trend prediction, a personal walkthrough of the concept behind the new hall and what really makes a brand stand out to the buyers Thanks so much to The Stack World team and Fenwicks for making it happen - it was an incredible few days that were absolutely invaluable for anyone who’s in the beauty industry, looking to start a brand or looking for their existing brand to be stocked by retailers. More events like this please (especially outside of London where it makes sense) 🙏 #beauty #beautybrand #beautylaunch #beautyfounder #fenwicks #newcastle #beautytrends #beautyevent #beautyindustry

✨ Stack Crew! This October, Fenwick invites you to experience Beauty with Bite – a celebration of beauty that’s worth its salt! ✨Join us on the 10th and 11th of October for an unforgettable trip to Newcastle as we celebrate the grand relaunch of the iconic Fenwick Beauty Hall with a cultural tour of the city's most captivating sights, Beauty Hall party, followed by a series of exclusive industry-led events that celebrate beauty with substance. 🎉 Expect interactive beauty experiences, exclusive brand masterclasses, incredible giveaways, and more! 💄 Link in comments to RSVP and explore the lineup 👉

✨ Stack Crew! This October, Fenwick invites you to experience Beauty with Bite – a celebration of beauty that’s worth its salt! ✨Join us on the 10th and 11th of October for an unforgettable trip to Newcastle as we celebrate the grand relaunch of the iconic Fenwick Beauty Hall with a cultural tour of the city's most captivating sights, Beauty Hall party, followed by a series of exclusive industry-led events that celebrate beauty with substance. 🎉 Expect interactive beauty experiences, exclusive brand masterclasses, incredible giveaways, and more! 💄 Link in comments to RSVP and explore the lineup 👉

This October, Fenwick x The Stack World invite you to experience Beauty with Bite – a week-long celebration of beauty that's worth its salt. As the centrepiece of this exciting campaign, Fenwick will unveil their newly transformed Newcastle Beauty Hall, the UK's largest beauty hall outside of London, as well as our exciting partnership. Join us for an unforgettable two-day trip to Newcastle as we celebrate the grand relaunch of the iconic Fenwick Beauty Hall. This exclusive event offers you a unique opportunity to experience the best of Newcastle's culture and beauty scene.

As the seasons change and we transition back into the work routine, it's time to rethink our wardrobes. How do you curate a capsule collection that makes you feel both confident and powerful in the workplace? Join us at Theory’s Regent Street store in London for an exclusive The Stack World event in partnership with New York funded contemporary fashion brand Theory. Hear from Sharmadean Reid MBE as she delves into her career journey through the lens of fashion, sharing insights on how to build a versatile work wardrobe with key pieces from the Theory collection.