Posted: 8 years ago
Category: Career Insider

Career Insider: Rachel Lowe MBE, Founder of niche fragrances 'She Who Dares'

Rachel Lowe MBE is the founder of She Who Dares, a new range of niche fragrances. Having been awarded an MBE in 2009 for her services to business, Rachel was inspired to create a brand that would enable other women to feel as special as she felt when she went to Buckingham Palace to receive her honour.

It is a brand designed to acknowledge the special women in your life and is timeless throughout the ages. It's more than just about the products - it's about celebrating remarkable women -summed up perfectly in all their packaging which carries their message from the heart : “Never give up… nothing is impossible.”

Rachel, how did the creation of your brand She Who Dares come about?

She Who Dares is a unique and inspiring fragrance brand which was created to evoke inspiration and motivation in women. After I received my MBE for contributions to business, I wanted every woman to feel as I did on that day.

Has it always been an ambition of yours to work in the beauty industry - what's your background?

My first ever business was Destination Board Games that I still run now, alongside She Who Dares. I came up with the idea for Destination when I worked as a taxi driver, whilst I was at university studying Law. I initially wanted to be a Barrister – simply so I could argue for a living!

I love beauty though and I thought fragrance was the perfect gift to fit in with my concept. This is a gift for kick-ass women. Women who inspire you. Women who are great. Women who don't give up. We wear perfume to help us feel great and powerful so these products sitting on your dressing table will be a reminder that every day you can achieve something amazing.

What is your philosophy and how does your brand reflect this?

My ethos has always been “nothing is impossible” and I wanted to share this with women. My brand celebrates women that overcome adversity and those that do really inspiring things. ‘Nothing is Impossible’ is our mantra. Our fragrances are gifts of recognition to those women.

How did the name of your brand come about?

During my career I have had to overcome adversity both personally and financially. It was a pivotal time in my career which pushed me to get up even though I was down. It proved to me that I could ‘Dare’ to do anything. I wanted my brand to have the same message to other women. It’s for women ‘who dare.’

Can you share some of your business advice / tips for budding beauty entrepreneurs wanting to launch their own beauty brand?

I would say, don’t take no for an answer, believe in yourself and accept that it is ok to fail. So many successful business people have and each experience is a learning curve. I would also say, trust your intuition. If in doubt leave it out, but if it feels right and you’re still not quite sure why, just go for it.It’s also key to find the right balance between intuition and taking guidance from your peers.

You have been awarded an MBE - what does that mean to you?

It was an amazing experience to be on the other side of the gates standing alongside my mum and children. The MBE symbolises everything I have worked towards and all the effort I have put back in to help budding entrepreneurs around the country. Being recognised with an MBE was an honour and I felt very privileged.

Briefly, what does your job involve on a day to day basis?

Oh wow, it’ll have to be - everything! As the founder and creator of the brand, I’m responsible for so much from the creation of the products to the end result on the shop floor. I’ve a small team to help support my vision but ultimately it all rests with me.

Each day is different from talking to the manufacturers, discussing targets with my team, networking within the fragrance and retail industry to meeting customers at the retail store, Jarrold, where She Who Dares is exclusively stocked.

What aspect of running a beauty based business do you love the most?

I’d have to say that my most favourite is when I visit the Jarrold store and happen to see a random customer picking up one of my fragrances and taking it to the till point to buy it. It’s such a great feeling knowing out of all those fragrances they had to choose, they picked mine.

Aside from She Who Dares what are you passionate about?

In a business sense, it would have to be board games – and especially so, the board game Destination, which is another successful creation of mine. It’s the other half of my life alongside the She Who Dares, so takes a lot of time and passion too.

What's next for She Who Dares?

It’s an exciting time for the brand. After four years of research and development, I’m now ready to really push the brand out there. We’ll be looking to secure more retail doors, gain industry awards (we just one the 2015 Women’s Health Future 50 Beauty Awards, which was an amazing coup) and growing our network of inspirational women who are key to the brands success.