Lucie Macleod is still just 25, yet to also commit a 3rd of her life to hair treatment, however currently at the helm of a multi-million extra pound company.
After creating homemade, pre-wash oil therapies in her late teenagers, the Welsh business owner is currently assisting fix her consumers’ very own broken hair concerns via her swiftly expanding brand name Hair Syrup.
Macleod was a pupil at the University of Warwick when she published her initial TikTok video clip throughout COVID at her moms and dads’ residence. Demand for her item was instant.
“In the flick of an eye, I went from being a sole trader in my parents’ conservatory with a £3.99 website to walking up to the local post office with an armful of parcels,” she recalls.
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Initially a student side hustle, Macleod saw demand and sales soar with her oil-based hair care range in less than 12 months. After launching in 2020, Hair Syrup is projected to hit revenue of £8.5 million by 2026 and is now stocked by the likes of Boots, Superdrug and Urban Outfitters.
“Hundreds of people were asking me to sell them something so why wouldn’t I?” statesMacleod “At the beginning it was exciting, fun and with minimal risk as I didn’t invest anything. I saw it as a pastime hobby.
“From a young age I’ve wanted to work for myself but only when I was in my late thirties. But it took off unexpectedly and I was knee deep before I knew what to do.”
As Macleod grappled with early-stage business growth pains, Hair Syrup snowballed in late 2022 before the business, which employs 16 staff, secured its first unit and manufacturer. For the latter, Macleod says she put in around 100 calls to find the right partner.
