A View from the Top with Neom founder Nicola Elliott

The wellness entrepreneur discusses the challenges of switching careers and building a brand from scratch with Zlata Rodionova

Elliott sold her car for £7,000 to finance her business journey (Neom)

Neom is widely recognised as one of UK’s first and fastest growing wellbeing brands, with retail sales of over £25m in 2019 – but founder and creative director Nicola Elliott is still amazed to see how far her co-creation has come. “I still feel surprised that people know what Neom is, let alone buy our products” she tells me with understandable pride.

Ms Elliott and her partner Olivier Mennell launched Neom in 2005, running it from her flat. “Neom wasn’t a zero-to-hero success, we really built it brick by brick. I think anyone starting their own business have to be prepared for a long journey. It definitely took longer than I thought It would, but we now have a very steady brand with a strong following.”

In fact, when she started shipping orders for her Neom candles – the brand’s first products – Ms Elliott had a strict rule. Less than five candles sold meant she had to take the bus from her flat to the post office; five or more meant she would allow herself to take a cab and put that in the company’s expenses.