Ep 71: Behind Rochelle Humes Skincare Brand Launch

0:12Okay, so here we go. Another solar episode. What a week. First of all, it's Easter holidays. There's kids everywhere, but we move. I wanted to bring you up to speed because it's been, I mean it's been quite a full-on couple of weeks since I last checked in with the last episode. I have well obviously I told you about the project that I'm working on and the brand that I'm building which I am so incredibly excited about. Genuinely I couldn't be happier but it's now sort of hit the stage where the wheels are fully in motion. So to bring you up to speed if you haven't listened to that episode, I'm launching a skincare brand.

0:54I am launching it in October, which feels far away, but it also feels very, very, very soon. I have decided on the formulas last year. The product lineup is set. They are part of my skincare routine. They have been for a while. I've just sort of started introducing them to friends and and people that I work with. So I went for a facial yesterday with Neelam, who has been a guest on the podcast, someone that I've been friends with for a very long time, and who has treated me for a very long time. And she used one of the products in the facial, and I have to say, I sent it to the group chat afterwards.

1:34It was such a pinch me moment, which is all very exciting. So everything, that side of it is set, but what I'm now doing is really building the brand. what I decided to do was sort of start this messy Instagram it's called Roche Builds A Brand and I thought I'd bring you along for that sort of side of the process um it's a private account because I just thought I want it to be people that kind of have listened to this or want to be there and kind of want to be engaged with it not just there to have a little look there to kind of say yes I love this too or I hate it when that happens and I've had such a good open dialogue I actually made friends of someone in the DMs that is a gua sha specialist and I'm obsessed with gua shaing and I kind of want to get her involved in this somehow and I've really really found it like already I think we've we've only got about two and a half almost three thousand followers I've said I'll let a hundred people in a week just because I wanted I want it to feel super small, but it's already been a really lovely experience.

2:48And just to be sort of sharing Pantones and showing colours and showing what I think I'm doing. And I'm very open for sort of opinion and feedback. So I started that last week, I think. And I'm really, really enjoying that process, just going on there and posting things, not thinking about it, just sort of going for it and talking to everybody. So if you're on there, I'm really, really appreciating it and I love the comments I'm going to do lots of polls and I kind of want everybody involved if you're on there you will know that I had a slight situation this week whereby I'm waiting for my sort of first set of components which are the actual kind of bottles etc that all the products live in so they will be fully done and you know signed off I've been using the formula in different ones until I've sort of decided where I'm going to be.

3:43So I'm waiting for my first set to arrive really soon. They won't be filled, they won't have branding, but there'll be the actual components that I've decided on. So I'll share those with you soon. But I then have to, shortly after that, I'm going to have to press go on a set of filled samples. And that obviously means the actual formula will be in the right component. so I had a situation where I have been using the lip product for months now months and months it's my favorite thing to use I'm obsessed with it I used it on a photo shoot last week with Fran my makeup artist I really wanted her to sort of tell me her feedback and she's sort of had samples along the way but it's got the right fragrance in now and I'm just so chuffed with it I'm honestly obsessed with it.

4:32So I've said to the team, okay, all set. Let's press go on that. Everything comes with a code. So when the factory send the sample, it won't be in the right sort of component. It won't be in the right container. It will just be in any sort of tube or whatnot, and it will have a code on it. That code is really key because that is what I need to green light a product. And I've been using it so much. The little paper, it's like a little paper sticker that had all the information on. I've worn it off. And obviously by the nature of the product, it's been in my toiletry bag. It's had water on it. I've worn the code away essentially.

5:11So the team have said to me, yep, all good. Just remind me of the code that's on the lip product that you love. Well, RIP to the code because it has faded and rubbed away, which has caused a bit of an internal problem. I had every sample that we have, because we have backups couriered to my office. None of them match the sample that I love and the one that I've been using, none of them. So I don't know where I've had a couple because I've loved it so much that I've, I have all the samples. This is a big lesson. Normally with my little Coco, the team will keep one sample and it's like in a safe and then I get to play with the other one so that we always know where we are so I've now just had to change my strategy for the way that I work because as soon as I get it and since I like it I need to take a picture instantly and send it straight to the chat so that the code is protected because we've been in a dilemma all week I have gone through my camera roll, if not 10 ,000 times, I would say 15 ,000 times to find any picture that where I had it in the background.

6:24Anyway, the camera rolls come through. I was taking a picture, you won't believe this, of us in a meeting. I was taking a picture of a shortbread to say, oh, how cute is this little shortbread with a cup of tea? And in the background, what was there? The lip product with a code on. It was pixelated. We zoomed in. We've worked it out. And now the problem is solved. And I know that this might seem so silly, but it has caused a world of kind of internal drama because we were so set. But we're back. We're good. We're on track. Lipgate is now finished. So if you've been invested in this story on the private Instagram, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

7:07So that is now a problem that we no longer have and moving forward everything is getting photographed as soon as it gets passed over to me because I'm like a child and I can't be trusted. We have had a really exciting couple of updates when it comes to retailer feedback and almost appetite for the brand. That's been something I've been really nervous about. As you know I want to be able to retail this anywhere between eight and 12 pounds. That's my goal. It's always been my goal, but I have being me decided on formulas that obviously aren't the cheapest. Hello, this is Rochelle Humes and neither is the packaging or the components that they're in and the tools that I want them to have and how we're going to use that.

7:54So I'm basically trying to do quite a difficult task because I want to produce something of a really high quality but be able to retail it at a low price. But in order to do that, I've told you before, I need a really sort of high volume of stores secured because that will mean that I can press go on that large MOQ, which will bring down the price per unit. It's kind of a bit of a chicken and egg scenario because I can't really do that without the backing of retailers. I've kind of exposed myself a little bit you know in real time which is a bit brave to be honest because this might not work out but the goal is as I said to be able to retail it between eight and twelve pounds and in that space I just feel like there are so many brands that we love but a lot of people get priced out of that market and I just want to be able to do this in a way that I'm dreaming of being able to do.

8:52The good news is two retailers that I'm kind of really desperate to say yes. And also they have the kind of scope and the ability to be able to give me a high volume of stores. They are excited to come in and have a meeting with us. So next week I have a couple of really important meetings. And if these happen, I mean, these are just early stage meetings where they know what I'm doing. they're interested they like the idea whether they can give me a store count or not and also you've got to remember these retailers a lot of them it's like a one-in-one-out policy they might be full to the brim with beauty at the minute they might not have any shelf space it can't it's never just oh we like it we're going to make it happen there's a lot more that goes into it so I've got hope and pray that the stars are aligned and they like what they see also they might be like yeah great stick to the baby aisle or they might be impressed and do their best to make it work so fingers crossed because to be transparent if I don't get that I'm still doing it I will still go down the DTC route but it will have to be at a higher price point than I want it to be and I know that you will want it to be because you've been very very vocal in the DMs about where you'd like it to sit and I'm with you we just need the support to be able to make it happen so let's cross all our fingers and yeah I'm just I'm I'm really hopeful I'm really excited I can't wait to start talking names I've had a lot of suggestions from you guys already um but we'll get into that really really soon if you want to see more um follow the Instagram page if I haven't let you in yet I'm sorry it's not intentional it's more that it's just really small and we've we've said let's do 100 and it's like the first 100 that I then see in my eyeline so you will be let in I'm just trying to keep it like a a real sort of small community because then that way I can see everything I can see every message I can reply to the DMs and I can be really sort of actively involved with you all and really have those discussions so if I haven't let you in yet I'm not being mean it's nothing to do with you it's just I haven't seen it yet as I've said before I really want you involved in this and I'm loving it so far I'm loving the process and I want to be able to give you these early samples that I'm about to receive so I want to like have you be part of the focus group with me as I said the formulas and stuff are are set but I want you to try and experience it before anyone else because I thought we're in this together now and I actually said at the live show in which we need to get onto by the way because this is it's sort of becoming very, very exciting.

11:39At the live show, I want to try and meet some of the followers on Rush Builds a Brand and give you some samples, get your feedback, show you a little deck, see what you think and yeah, have that conversation with you. So I'll get into that and I'll probably do that via DMs and find out if some of you are coming to the live and try and meet up with you before. I should talk about the live for a second because I'm so excited. Obviously last week, we announced the panel on the Friday night, which I honestly, I'm like so flattered when, and so kind of, I think overwhelmed by how grateful that I feel when people give up their time, even to sit in the studio and come and be on the podcast.

12:28That's one thing. But you know, sometimes it will also work for people because they're promoting stuff. And sometimes of course, everybody's here genuinely, but you know, now there is a bit of a trade-off, I suppose, because you get to talk about something that you're promoting, et cetera. But when lots of previous guests have been in touch to say they want to come and sit down at the live and take part and share their advice to you guys in the audience, nobody is being paid to be there. Everyone I've asked or they've asked me to come and be really generous with their time and sort of have that in the room interaction.

13:08I'm honest, I'm blown away of how kind everybody is. And I have been for the start of starting this podcast, but the panel on the Friday night is shaping up really nicely. We have got Amma Hill, who we know Amma. We love Amma. She's incredible. We've got Kelly Hoppen, who I adore. Like she is so wise, so smart. Um, and she's just, she's a real powerhouse, Kelly. She really, really is. And we've got Perry Sian, who I was so blown away with when she was a guest on the show. What's lovely is that she's really at the start of something with reason and the success that she's had so, so rapidly is bloody incredible.

13:55And I think obviously the common thread with Friday Night is that we're talking about fear and the idea of kind of like using fear as your fuel and I think they are the perfect panelists for that obviously Emma's been really open about her journey from the start of Plantmade to the moment that she exited the business and her journey has been I suppose there's been fear throughout her journey but she's kind of just used that as a driver built an incredible brand along the way exited in a way that she didn't really want but she's not letting fear get in the way of starting again and starting afresh.

14:32Then we've got Perry who has had a really kind of a bumpy ride and quite a sort of different start. She's been really open and really vulnerable about the way that she struggled with, you know, finances and got herself into a lot of bother and a lot of debt in order to kind of live a life that I suppose that she couldn't sustain at the time. To becoming this influencer going sort of pedal to the metal, full steam ahead, and now starting a company that is just killing it. She made a million pounds in the first 20 minutes on launch day. Like, these women are brilliant. And I just think they're a great women for you to hear from.

15:16That isn't everything done yet. I'm going to sort of continue to tell you the surprises as we get there. I didn't tell you anything last time. So I could have done that, but I feel I'm so excited. There's two nights to talk about. And I just thought, OK, let's tell them who the panel are, because they're all confirmed and they're just excited as I am. And as I know that you are, I won't tell you everything yet because I'll just keep going as we go. I get very excited. That's why I'm only allowed a couple of these solo episodes. If you were in the room last time, you know how the atmosphere and the energy was just unmatched.

15:51Like I was so kind of excited to see who listens to the podcast. I know that sounds ridiculous. but I know that you do. And I get to talk to a couple of you, but to actually see and chat to you in the flesh and understand who you all are. And what one thing that I really took away from that night is that everybody is like-minded and everybody is there to better themselves, whether that's bettering their business or bettering themselves or bettering the way they currently work. I think it was just such an inspiring evening. And I know everyone that was there really felt it. So I can't wait to do it again.

16:27I love that we've got two very clear concepts. As I said, on the Friday, we're talking about your fear and using it as the fuel to push you forward. And on Saturday, we're really talking about startups and it's going to be a real kind of tangible night. It's going to be, you know, similar to Friday in the terms of we'll still sort of talk you through how you prepare yourself for it. But I also want it to be, I want to be crystal clear that this is like, okay, finance experts, you know, I want to look at a business plan and how that should look for you. I want to really sort of give you something to take away, to add value to something that you're considering starting up.

17:09So yeah, I can't wait for it. I'm also hoping that we have no rain this time. I mean, it added to the drama a little bit, but hoping that we're in May, that we've got light evenings and I might try and organise somewhere to do like a coffee for everybody before. And I should say that we have given some pointers on our Instagram. If you've bought a ticket and you're coming alone, we saw it last time. Lots of you were kind of in the comments chatting to each other. You've perhaps bought a ticket, but you wanted to make a friend and I've seen it since. And I know that you have made friends since the last one and I love it so much.

17:45So if you are coming on your own, traveling on your own and feel a little bit apprehensive of the night ahead, check out our Instagram because we leave some really good pointers of what to do and how to maybe connect with someone that's also going to be at the event. And yeah, I can't wait to see you there. I really, really can't. So I think that is just about it for this week's update hopefully next time we talk I'll be able to tease some more hopefully I will be talking to you off of the back of successful positive retail conversations the initial ones have gone well which is why it's made it to a meeting by the way normally you get an email back saying this is lovely but you know um maybe we'll check in with you and you know and see how you've got on after launch you get kind of those emails so the initial conversations are there but I'm not sure if they're aware what I what I need to pull off in order to make this happen so hopefully next time I talk to you we've got some good or like promising news we'll take promising um and that's it we will catch up soon and hopefully next time we chat the team will let me spill some more beans about the live because I know that's what you care about and yeah if it was up to me guys just so you know I would have told you it all by now but they tell me all um so yeah that's that I'll see you soon