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Known as a beauty industry expert as well as her appearance on The Apprentice, Pamela Laird is the creator of the revolutionary beauty brand Moxi Loves.
Moxi Loves is the hottest name in the industry and is bringing innovative, clever, clean beauty products to the masses. At the forefront of emerging trends, the brand is designed to make travel beauty simple, fun and affordable.
The brand was developed through Pamela’s experiences growing up. Her mother owned her own beauty salon and from a young age Pamela was completely involved in all things cosmetic. It wasn’t long before she herself became completely focused with the products.
For Pamela, there really was never any other option other than beauty, and a few years ago Pamela recognised the opportunity to create something that could really make a difference. She decided to make changes to current products on the market, and focused on making good skincare and beauty hacks available to all, and Moxi Loves was born!
“I wanted convenient products, but without having to compromise on the quality. Moxi Loves is all about the minimal, considered ingredients. We develop smart, quick, practical bits of kit designed to simplify your beauty routine”
Tell us a bit about yourself, background and your current role
I pretty much grew up surrounded by beauty- my mum has owned a beauty salon since before I was born and I loved to go there after school! I think I was destined to go a similar route as she was such an inspiration to me and still is! When I left school at 18 I opened a nail bar within House Of Fraser in Dublin, Ireland and ran that for 4 years, I would say 2 years in I knew I did not want to continue in the service industry and needed a bigger challenge creatively. It had to be beauty and I knew I had such a passion for products which led to me creating Moxi Loves!
You starred in series 15 of the BBC’s The Apprentice. How did you get involved in this?
It was really simple for me, I needed an investor and found it tricky to find investors in Ireland interested in scaling a beauty brand. My friend watched the show and sent me a message saying I should apply to I took the plunge!
What is it really like to be on The Apprentice? How involved is Alan Sugar? And do you really have to get up THAT early?
It was such a whirlwind and complete adrenaline rush! I loved my time on The Apprentice and I was so happy I did it. Lord Sugar is only really involved in the Boardroom, he gets fed the information about how our task went from Karren and Claude. The boardroom is his moment and he is really thorough! Yes we really do get up so early, that wasn’t hard for me I am an early bird, but I did get up even earlier to get a headstart on my hair haha!
Did you ever sit down and plan your career?
To be honest no, and I think the way 2020 has gone just shows you can’t plan for everything! I do have goals and plans in my mind and they are always at the forefront for me but I know from my 3 years in business you have to be able to pivot and be nimble to make it in the beauty industry.
Have you faced any challenges along the way? How did you deal with them?
We had a huge set back when the EU banned single use plastics in cotton buds as our first product was a liquid filled cotton bud. Knowing our best-seller overnight would have to be discontinued was crushing. I brought forward new products we had planned and made the tough decision to step away from our original product, which almost felt like starting again! I was able to apply a new USP to our products- sustainability. Barefaced was the first new product we launched which is an alternative to facewipes. Barefaced biodegrades in 6 months vs a wet wipe which can take 100 years! Our newest launch- the Dry shampoo Sheet is an eco-friendly version of dry shampoo. Each sheet is coated with rice powder to absorb excess oil! Aerosol free and biodgerable.
What has been your biggest achievement to date?
Having my product stocked on shelves and online in Boots is a huge career high and I still pinch myself that I achieved that. Also personally being one of 80,000 applicants on the Apprentice and then making it to the final 3, I am proud of myself that I achieved that!
Who has been your biggest inspiration?
My mum has always been the biggest inspiration for me because she had her own beauty business. She has owned her own beauty salon since before I was born so I absolutely looked up to her. She always encouraged me to explore what I was interested in and supported me endlessly.
How do you feel about mentoring? Have you mentored anyone or are you someone’s mentee?
I am a big fan of mentoring, I try and meet with a mentor once a month, and if I am working on something I may even do this weekly. I think as an entrepreneur too often you just end up working on things alone and I think its so important to have a sounding board and someone you can bounce ideas off and get some expert advice. I am not a mentor to anyone I think I have a lot to learn!
If you could change one thing for women in the workplace, what would it be?
I think it’s really important to level the playing field when it comes to maternity leave. I have noticed some companies implementing the same time for paternity leave and I think this is a huge start and a step in the right direction.
If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self what would it be?
I think younger me lacked patience I was very quick to rush into things, so I would say slow down!
What is your next challenge and what are you hoping to achieve in the future?
2020 has presented new challenges for us all and our beauty routines have changed. I think that’s where I always thrive, if there’s a new problem I get really inspired to develop new products! I have so many things I’ve already achieved and so many want to tick off the list but the lockdown and level of uncertainty has taught me to take it a day at a time and plan for the unknown. My big dreams of becoming a global brand are still very much there and I know I will achieve this.
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