MOTHER+ MEETS…Lizzie Carter, founder of Only Curls
Welcome to Mother+ Meets… our interview series spotlighting women who are building brilliant things while also building a family. These are the stories behind the headlines, from late nights and bold pivots, to the quieter, less visible moments that shape everything.
This week, we meet Lizzie Carter, founder of Only Curls, the curly hair care brand she launched from her kitchen table with just £500 during maternity leave, after spotting a gap in the market for products that genuinely worked for curly hair.
Since then, Lizzie and her husband and co-founder have grown Only Curls into a multi-million-pound business, all while raising three young children together, with a new baby joining the family just a few months ago.
We spoke to Lizzie about the advantages of starting small, why the mental load is the real drain on founder energy, and why she'll always trust her gut over outside advice.
Tell us a little about what you do and what led you here.
I'm the founder of Only Curls, which I started during maternity leave after spotting a gap in the market for products that genuinely worked for curly hair. These days I spend most of my time on new product development and brand marketing, while my husband and co-founder looks after everything tech and operations. Alongside that, we're raising three young children, so life is pretty full! We've always built the business around the life we want as a family, rather than the other way around.
What does a typical day look like for you, if there is such a thing?
Since having our third baby a few months ago, there really isn't a typical day anymore. It's school runs, meetings and work squeezed around feeds, working while pushing a pram, picking the kids up, dinner, homework and then usually opening the laptop again once everyone's in bed.
At this stage of life, there isn't much time that's just for me. I play netball once a week, arrange play dates with my friends so I see them, I enjoy swimming when I can, but I'm also realistic that this is just a season. There'll be more time for myself later.
You launched Only Curls with £500 during maternity leave, then quietly built it into a multi-million-pound brand. Looking back, do you think starting small gave you advantages that founders chasing rapid growth often miss?
Absolutely. Starting small meant we never felt like we were gambling everything. We'd invested £500, so if it hadn't worked out, I'd simply have gone back to work. At the time, after paying London nursery fees, I wasn't bringing home much anyway, so I was incredibly motivated to create something that gave me more flexibility around my children.
We've always grown the business at a pace that fits our family, rather than trying to hit someone else's milestones. At times that's meant leaving opportunities for later, but it's also meant we've been present for our children. I don't think there's a right or wrong approach, it just depends what success looks like for you.
How has motherhood shaped how you work or how you define success?
Motherhood has completely changed both.
As working mums, you become incredibly efficient. It's amazing what can be achieved between school drop-offs and pick-ups! We have lots of parents on our team, and there's a real understanding that everyone is juggling a lot.
Success used to mean progressing in my career. Now it means building a business that supports our family without missing all the moments that matter. Of course I want Only Curls to keep growing, but that wasn't the original goal. As the business grew, so did our ambitions. In the beginning, I simply wanted to create a career that worked around our family rather than the other way round. We've achieved that, and that feels like the biggest success of all.
What do you wish people understood about building something from scratch?
Don't wait until everything feels ready, because it never will.
We launched with one product and learnt as we went. Looking back, almost everything has evolved. If we'd waited until everything was perfect, Only Curls probably wouldn't exist.
Where do you find your energy, and what drains it?
I think I'm running on coffee and adrenaline!
I'm someone who likes being busy, and having lots on actually keeps me motivated. But I'm definitely not one of those founders getting up at 5am to meditate and go to the gym. In fact, I'm the opposite, I set my alarm for as late as I possibly can! Getting enough sleep is what keeps me going.
What drains me is the mental load. It's not just running a business, it's remembering school trips, PE kits, music lessons, suncream, hats, bake sales, spelling tests, non-uniform days, birthday presents... the list goes on. Keeping all those plates spinning can be exhausting. By the time the school holidays come around, I'm more than ready for them.
What's one decision that changed everything?
Without question, both my husband and I deciding to leave our jobs and commit to Only Curls full-time.
It felt like a huge leap at the time, but having both of us fully focused on the business completely changed what we were able to achieve.
Only Curls has always been as much about education as products. As consumers increasingly look for expertise over advertising, how do you see brands building trust over the next few years?
People are becoming much better at spotting brands that are just talking at them.
We've always tried to answer every DM, reply to comments and genuinely help people with their curls. Those conversations have built so much trust because they're genuine. I think community will only become more important, and we'd love to do more in-person events so we can connect with our customers beyond social media.
What does balance mean to you right now?
I spent years thinking next week would be quieter, but it never is. I've finally accepted that this season of life is a bit chaotic, and I've also accepted that the house isn't going to be tidy for a while either. I think we put too much pressure on ourselves to "find balance", when actually some stages of life are just busy. I've learnt to enjoy the chaos because I know this time won't last forever.
And finally, what's one thing you'd tell other women who are trying to do both: raise a family and a business?
Trust your gut. We went through a phase of taking lots of external advice. Some advice was really valuable, but some of it created unnecessary pressure on both our business and our family.
Having our third baby this year reminded us why we started in the first place. We wanted to build a business that worked around our family, not the other way round.
There will always be someone growing faster, raising more money or hitting bigger numbers. But if you're building a business that gives you the life you actually want, that's success too.
QUICK FIRE ROUND
Current bedside book? Back-to-back Kristin Hannah.
Go-to podcast or playlist when you need a boost? Any 2010s bangers. They instantly transport me back to my carefree twenties.
Favourite place to eat with kids, and without? Pizza Express with the kids, if they're happy, I'm happy! Without them, we're lucky to have some brilliant pubs around South West London.
A mantra, quote or reminder you come back to? Go for a walk. You'll feel better.