# "Turning Down Victoria Beckham Was One Of My Biggest Fails": Millie Kendall OBE | Ladies Who Launch

An episode of [Ladies Who Launch](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1787057633), 14 Oct 2026, 1 h 05 min.

Audio: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/6762dca9d9cd65ec1eb4ee70/e/6ace8b8439170cb0083c39a4/media.mp3

Millie Kendall OBE has spent more than 30 years shaping the British beauty industry. She launched Shu Uemura and Aveda in the UK, co-founded the iconic makeup brand Ruby & Millie with Ruby Hammer, and now leads the British Beauty Council as its founding CEO. In this episode of Ladies Who Launch, she shares the wisdom, mistakes and reinventions behind a career that has spanned the early days of modern beauty brands. Millie tells Rochelle why she helped launch brands that sold for hundreds of millions without ever owning a stake, why she turned down Victoria Beckham, how Boots backed Ruby & Millie with £7 million to launch the brand, and what it really felt like to walk away from a business with her name on it. In this episode, we cover: • Why Millie says it's "invention, not reinvention" • Launching Shu Uemura in London and turning a loss into a profit in three months • The lesson of not taking equity in the brands she helped build • Building Ruby & Millie, from Harvey Nichols and Selfridges to Boots • The Victoria Beckham lipstick she turned down • Why she and Ruby chose to walk away from Ruby & Millie • Founding the British Beauty Council and raising the reputation of the beauty industry • Millie's advice on pivoting careers, and her money habits If you're building a brand, thinking about your next career move, or want an honest look at how the beauty industry grew, this one is for you. We Are Ladies Who Launch! CHAPTERS 00:00 Millie Kendall Intro 00:36 AD Starling Business 01:08 Reinvention Versus Invention 05:43 Growing Up In Salons 06:32 Shu Uemura Origin Story 10:34 Launching A PR Agency in Beauty 17:13 Meeting Ruby Millie 20:18 £7M Boots Deal And Launch 24:58 Inclusivity And Range Battles 34:30 Control Value Lessons 37:23 Leaving At Peak Growth 43:40 Building British Beauty Council 48:56 Industry Impact In Numbers 52:19 Pivot Advice For Change 57:41 Rocket Round: Money Habits 01:01:30 Financial Mistakes & Lessons 01:03:04 Launch Advice 🔔 New episodes every Wednesday — subscribe so you never miss a launch. #AD Powered by @starlingbank Access Starling Bank here: https://bit.ly/44sEaMf FOLLOW MILLIE Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/milliekendall/ FOLLOW US Instagram: www.instagram.com/weareladieswholaunch/ TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@weareladieswholaunch YouTube: www.youtube.com/@Weareladieswholaunch #LadiesWhoLaunch #MillieKendall #RubyAndMillie #BritishBeautyCouncil #BeautyIndustry #FemaleFounders #BeautyBusiness #RochelleHumes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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