So many successful businesses are born through necessity, and for ‘By Sarah London’ that necessity couldn’t be more admirable; Sarah Murrell’s expertise in skincare is matched only by her unwavering devotion to sister & Co-Founder Lauren.
Having been by Lauren’s side throughout her courageous recovery from leukaemia, and being a stem cell donor too, Sarah created a set of skincare products that were gentle to Lauren’s sensitive skin. That expertly-formulated, award-winning range is now showing global promise, with the siblings going from strength to strength together.
This week’s ‘It Runs In The Family’ is a moving ode to Sarah & Lauren’s bravery, resilience and strength, as we discuss their focus on compassion, being transparent about their ingredients, and their global aspirations.
This episode covers:
● The bond formed through Lauren’s courageous battle with leukaemia, and her sister’s selflessness throughout
● How Sarah’s skincare expertise fed into creating a skincare range appropriate for sensitive skin
● Combining the sisters’ creative spark and business vision
● Cutting through a confusing space with clear messaging and transparent honesty
● How Sarah & Lauren overcame self-doubt, and help other female founders to do the same
Episode Highlights
“We were always very close growing up as sisters, and we would play shops in the spare bedroom at home. It’s kind of funny now that we’re running a business together. But I think when Lauren was in hospital, and it was really my intention to find a way to help her skin, I never could have imagined that it would transform into a business that we’d go on to run together. ” – 4:15 – Sarah Murrell
“Because of the nature of the leukaemia I had, I had to be kept in protective isolation for weeks and weeks, I couldn’t leave my hospital room, I couldn’t leave the hospital, I couldn’t open the window. It was very, very extreme treatment and I was very quickly isolated from my friends and family. It was a real mental challenge every day.” – 6:15 – Lauren Murrell
“It really was a turning point when Lauren was in hospital, and I started to see not only how fragile the human body is, but how delicate her skin had become. It was transforming in front of my eyes, and I just knew at that moment that I had to do something to help. I had all this knowledge under my belt having been so immersed in the industry.” – 11:10 – Sarah Murrell
“It’s very organic, and we’ve bootstrapped from day one. We’re really proud of how far we’ve come with just the two of us. The learning curve has been extraordinary, thrilling, challenging and nerve wracking, but that’s half of the fun of learning all of the different roles that you need to really get under the skin of the business.” – 16:55 – Lauren Murrell
“There are always challenging moments in a business, particularly when you’re running your business as a two. I’ve really seen Lauren’s strength and resilience. I knew she had that resilience because she demonstrated that in hospital, but she shows that every day too. It’s really the drive Lauren has that inspires me and motivates me.” – 19:10 – Sarah Murrell
“Because we know each other so well, and we trust each other so much, there doesn’t really need to be a divide in how we then speak to each other or how we spend our time. We just continue as we are.” – 24:15 – Sarah Murrell
“It’s such a confusing space, and even with the knowledge that I had when I first set about formulating for Lauren, even then it was incredibly confusing. There’s a lot of conflicting messaging, but what we’re doing at ‘By Sarah London’ is bringing radical transparency through our packaging. We also have a very curated selection so that you’re not over layering your skin with lots of different types of formulas.” – 27:35 – Sarah Murrell
“I never could have imagined that these formulations would now be enjoyed by thousands of women. There’s always that little nagging voice in the back of your head saying ‘Really?’. It’s been a lot of confidence building in knowing that if you have faith, real passion, and enthusiasm for what you do, it will resonate, particularly if it’s come from a very authentic place.” – 33:55 – Sarah Murrell
“It’s all about compassion & empathy, and being kind with one another. A lot happens in a day, and it’s not just 9-5. You might finish some days at 11 o’clock at night, then you’re working through weekends. We are both very lucky that where we are in our lives, we have the time and desire to give our everything to this business. Perhaps being in that exact same life stage makes this very possible.” – 41:55 – Sarah Murrell
Really enjoyed this episode. Great insight into the challenges and benefits of siblings working together. A recommended listen.
Thanks Andy, great to hear that you enjoyed it!