you are beautiful just as you are
Hello Dame London is all about YOU looking and feeling happy and comfortable in your own skin, but like most things in life, it comes with a story.
I’m Zoe, the founder of Hello Dame London. I’m a woman in my mid fifties, who, like you, still wants to look and feel good about myself. I’m sure we’re quite similar, we’ve been through the ups and downs of life and we know what we like, what we don’t like and having reached midlife, we now know that beauty isn't about chasing an unrealistic ideal. It's about accepting who we are and letting our inner light shine forth.
My Story
My story encapsulates what Hello Dame is all about. It started in February 2020, at the beginning of the pandemic. I, like so many others, lost my job due to COVID-19. I was working as a Marketing Consultant for a Digital Health company – so the irony of losing my job to a virus wasn’t lost on me! I did apply for other jobs, but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to work for someone again. However, I had to do something – especially as a single mum to two teenage girls. I couldn’t afford not to – both on a mental and financial level.
It was a combination of being midlife, wanting to do something that made me happy and good old social media that spurred me on. TikTok came to the rescue, as bizarre as it sounds. I noticed so many young people in their 20’s running micro businesses and making a living – while truly enjoying the process. That inspired me.
Something must have been ticking over in my mind…
As we came out of lockdown, I started to go out more and one evening, I decided to make a real effort, so I bought some false eyelashes to wear. I adjusted them to my liking and felt, well, really rather beautiful! I got lots of compliments, so I thought that perhaps there was something in lashes and I bought 50 samples to give away through TikTok, to validate my views and see if others shared my lash enthusiasm too.
I was thrilled with the response and all the positive comments I received so I launched Hello Dame London. I had to scale up quickly, it was September and I wanted to formally launch my business before Christmas (just eight weeks away). With help from Sophie and Adam (you know who you are!), I launched a completely new, exciting brand.
If someone had told me in August 2020, that I would use TikTok to launch a successful business and that I would get to the FINALS of the Pure Beauty awards with a product that I designed, I would have said,
You’re crazy!
Not a chance in hell!
Who me??? Don’t think so.
But I know nothing about e-commerce…
But I am not a product designer…
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY…...
I can’t because I don’t know how.
However, despite all of the above, I did it and here we are now!
I leave this beautiful quote by Marianne Williamson for you to reflect on because it’s so true:
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be? Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightening about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.”
A big virtual hug to you, and I hope you love your lashes as much as I do!
Zoe x
