E222: Lucie Macleod - How Hair Syrup Became the UK's Fastest Growing Beauty Brand

In this episode recorded live at our Live Uncut event, Richard Hill sits down with Lucie , founder of Hair Syrup, to unpack one of the most inspiring eCommerce success stories of the past five years. What started as a personal solution to hair problems in a Warwick University student kitchen has exploded into an 8-figure business that became the most viral hair care brand on TikTok globally.

Lucie walks us through the moment she realized Hair Syrup was going to be massive, her unconventional journey from mixing oils with measuring spoons to managing 7 hours of meetings daily while staying creative, and why her Dragons' Den rejection turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to her business. She explains how she reduced TikTok Shop revenue from 49% to less than 23% through strategic diversification, her unconventional hiring philosophy of not hiring people who've had traditional jobs, and why content creation should come naturally if you're in the right role.

This episode covers the untold story of what really happened on Dragons' Den including footage that never aired, why Steven Bartlett's concerns about platform dependency were valid but the exposure was priceless, going viral for three consecutive weeks after the show and turning down 60 investors who reached out, shifting TikTok from revenue driver to brand awareness touchpoint, the power of Meta ads, email marketing, SMS campaigns, gift with purchase strategies, and in-person events for building a DTC brand, managing the balance between operational meetings and creative work as a founder, and why the Goldman Sachs 10KSB program transformed her business more than any book could.

Lucie's story proves that sometimes the best businesses aren't meticulously planned, they find you. With no formal business training, no business books read, and starting with just a few hundred pounds, she's built a beauty empire that rivals established brands globally. Whether you're in eCommerce, building a DTC brand, managing social media strategy, or fascinated by modern entrepreneurship, this episode is packed with tactical insights on platform diversification, content creation at scale, viral marketing, and building a brand that resonates deeply with customers.

Listen to the full episode now, and don't forget to hit subscribe.

Listen to the full episode now, and don't forget to hit subscribe.

Topics Covered:

00:00 Introduction and angel number synchronicity 

01:14 How Hair Syrup started in a student kitchen 

04:33 The viral TikTok that changed everything 

08:11 Scaling from 10 bottles to 8 figures 

14:36 Dragons' Den: the untold story 

21:55 Going viral for 3 weeks and rejecting 60 investors 

25:50 Unconventional hiring philosophy 

32:15 Content creation strategy: 25 posts per day 

39:57 Diversifying revenue beyond TikTok 

41:37 Meta ads, email marketing and event strategy 

43:50 Why Lucy's never read a business book 

44:23 Goldman Sachs 10KSB program recommendation