# Founder of Beauty Works: The Molly Mae Partnership & What Really Happened Behind The Business Sale Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/ladies-who-launch-7146914/founder-of-beauty-works-the-molly-mae-partnership-what-really-happened-behind-the-business-sale Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/ladies-who-launch-7146914/founder-of-beauty-works-the-molly-mae-partnership-what-really-happened-behind-the-business-sale.md Podcast: [Ladies Who Launch](https://stenobird.com/podcast/ladies-who-launch-7146914) Published: 2026-06-24T05:30:00+00:00 Episode link: https://weareladieswholaunch.com Audio file: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/6762dca9d9cd65ec1eb4ee70/e/6a3ac61226f9b8cade6d0613/media.mp3 Processing state: not_requested JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/ladies-who-launch-7146914/episodes/founder-of-beauty-works-the-molly-mae-partnership-what-really-happened-behind-the-business-sale Duration seconds: 5211 ## Resource In this week's episode of Ladies Who Launch, Penelope Cheshire takes us back to where it all began: an £8,000 leap of faith funded by selling her partner's Rolex, and a belief that premium hair extensions didn't have to feel exclusive or unapproachable.  What followed was a masterclass in retail grit, from cold-pitching salons and building a team from the ground up, to navigating investment rooms where beauty wasn't taken seriously, and a partnership with Molly-Mae that sent the business into a different stratosphere.  Penelope gets refreshingly honest about what actually happens during and after an exit, why she's channeling everything she learned into her next venture Killer Brush, and the moments that shaped her as a founder along the way. In this episode, we cover: The build of Beauty Works from an £8,000 Rolex watch sale Business growth through hair salons Facing stereotypes against the beauty industry Behind the Molly-Mae partnership The story of the Beauty Works sell Launching her new business, Killa Brush If you’re a founder with an idea mixed with grit and determination, this episode is for you. We Are Ladies Who Launch!  CHAPTERS 00:00 Meet Penelope Cheshire, Founder of Beauty Works 05:35 Beginning of Beauty Works  06:38 Selling My Partners Rolex to Start 11:17 First Big Retail Order 18:42 Rejected by Investors 23:47 Creating a Premium Positioning 29:28 Behind The Molly Mae Partnership 35:49 Leadership & Letting Go 47:38 The Truth Behind Leaving Beauty Works 57:57 Private Equity Reality Check 01:01:37 Starting Killa Brush 01:12:12 Sharing Entrepreneurship Truths 01:15:40 Rocket Round  01:22:57 Final Advice & Wrap 🔔 New episodes every Wednesday — subscribe so you never miss a launch. FOLLOW PENELOPE Penelope’s Instagram: https:… ## Actions - request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/ladies-who-launch-7146914/episodes/founder-of-beauty-works-the-molly-mae-partnership-what-really-happened-behind-the-business-sale/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode. - read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/ladies-who-launch-7146914/founder-of-beauty-works-the-molly-mae-partnership-what-really-happened-behind-the-business-sale.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource. A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed. ## Transcript Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.