Sell the Dream, Back It Up: The INKEY List

In this live episode of Virgin StartUp Changemakers, Natalie Pearce sits down with The INKEY List co-founder Colette Laxton to explore how a clear purpose, deep customer understanding and a willingness to move fast helped build a global skincare brand. From spotting unanswered skincare questions on Reddit to launching in Sephora just months after starting, Colette shares the decisions, risks and near misses behind The INKEY List’s rapid growth. She explores why founders need to sell the dream and then deliver on it, how listening to customers can be more valuable than expensive research and why staying focused on your purpose matters as your team, markets and competition grow. Whether you're building a consumer brand, preparing to pitch a major retailer or navigating rapid startup growth, this episode offers candid founder lessons on customer insight, product quality, scaling and backing yourself even when imposter syndrome tells you otherwise. In this episode: Finding a business opportunity by listening to real customer conversations Keeping your purpose intact as your startup grows Staying relevant without chasing every new trend Why customer conversations can beat expensive market research What a failed beauty brand taught Colette about execution Selling the dream to retailers before you've built everything How The INKEY List landed Sephora and expanded internationally at speed The cash flow pressures behind rapid business growth Why founders remain one of their brand's most powerful sales tools Finding your superpower and pushing through imposter syndrome Changemakers is brought to you by Virgin StartUp, the not-for-profit organisation helping founders start and scale the businesses they're passionate about. Recorded live at Virgin StartUp's Changemakers events, every episode features honest conversations with entrepreneurs, founders and business leaders sharing the lessons, challenges and ideas shaping the future of business. Looking to start or grow your own business? Find out more at virginstartup.org Brought to you in partnership with our friends at Virgin Money - the home of brighter business banking.