# Building NEOM: Nicola Elliott on £45M Turnover, 150 Products & Self-Funding vs Investment

An episode of [Ladies Who Launch](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1787057633), 1 Jul 2026, 1 h 19 min.

Audio: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/6762dca9d9cd65ec1eb4ee70/e/6a43ccb5c7346e2ec262815c/media.mp3

In this week's episode of Ladies Who Launch, Nicola Elliott, founder of NEOM, takes us behind the scenes of building a brand in a category that barely existed when she started. From the early days of product creation to scaling to 150 products, 150 employees, and £45M in annual turnover, Nicola gets into the mechanics of strategically building for long-term growth. We unpack the real decisions most founders agonise over: the benefits of taking investment versus staying self-funded, and the personal sacrifices that come as a direct consequence of business ambition. Beyond the numbers, this conversation digs into what makes NEOM genuinely stick, how Nicola has built a deep consumer-to-brand connection at scale, and perhaps more importantly, how she's designed the business around the life she actually wants to live. It's an honest, tactical conversation for founders who want to build something substantial without losing themselves in the process. In this episode, we cover: • The journey of starting & building NEOM • Building in a ‘unique’ category • 150 products, 150 employees, £45M in annual turnover • Strategically building for long term growth, not pace • Benefits of investment vs self funding • Real life sacrifices as a consequence of business • Creating consumer x brand connection • Designing business around your life We Are Ladies Who Launch! CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction 00:43 Before Wellness Was a Thing 03:41 Anxiety Sparking the NEOM Idea 06:15 From Blends to NEOM 08:27 First Products and Candles 11:40 Green Lights to Quitting Your 9-5 14:29 Building the Right Team 17:58 Creating a New Category 23:11 Retailer Placement Challenges 26:32 Sponsor Break: Starling Tools 27:42 Scaling With Steady Growth 33:33 Slow Growth Wins 34:00 Realities of Raising Money 35:50 Founder Lifestyle Questions 36:58 Motherhood While Building a Business 40:01 Sacrifice And Seasons 41:50 Work That Feeds You 43:06 Protecting Brand Identity 47:32 Customer Moments Strategy 49:06 Founder Role Today 52:39 Realistic Wellness Positioning 53:47 Future Growth And Collabs 55:56 Rocket Round 58:15 Curating Your Circle 59:35 Patience Builds Brands 01:00:34 Nicola’s Dream Collab 01:02:00 Finding A Mentor 01:03:14 Founder Money Habits 01:07:21 Financial Myths Debunked 01:09:30 Profitability Over Hype 01:12:23 Design Success Your Way 01:14:55 Nicola’s Ideal Lunch 01:17:49 Wrap Up And Subscribe 🔔 New episodes every Wednesday — subscribe so you never miss a launch. #AD Powered by @StarlingBankApp Access Starling Bank here: https://bit.ly/44sEaMf FOLLOW NICOLA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicolaelliottneom/ NEOM: https://www.instagram.com/neomwellbeing/ FOLLOW US Instagram: www.instagram.com/weareladieswholaunch/ TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@weareladieswholaunch YouTube: www.youtube.com/@Weareladieswholaunch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shows are listed from Apple Podcasts' charts and directory, and Podcast Index where it is used. Every show and episode belongs to its publisher and plays from the publisher's own feed; this site hosts none of them.