Empowering Women Through Innovation and Purpose: Hilary Leam on Leading No.7, Launching Paused.com, and Changing the Health & Wellness Landscape

In the ever-evolving health and wellness industry, Hilary Leam has established herself as a dynamic leader, from transforming iconic brands like No.7 to launching innovative ventures like Paused.com and Starpowa.

Her journey is marked by a strong commitment to empowering women through purpose-driven innovation, whether by breaking taboos around menopause or mentoring female entrepreneurs. In this interview, Hilary reflects on her experiences leading major brands, transitioning to entrepreneurship, and shaping the future of women's health and wellness.

Nicolle: Reflecting on your extensive career in the Health & Wellness industry, what key lessons did you learn from your time leading the No7 brand during its 2005 transformation?

Hilary: Leading the No.7 brand was a brilliant and pivotal time in my career. I felt a deep responsibility, as No.7 was so precious to many women in the UK, including my mum. I saw myself not only as an agent for change but also as a guardian of the brand’s legacy. The biggest lesson I learned was the importance of listening to customers. They had strong opinions and clear instincts about what was right for their brand. When we considered changing the colour, our customers loudly opposed it.

We also closely observed how they used the products, paying attention to every detail. A major focus was bringing in expertise, and we were fortunate to recruit Lisa Eldridge as Creative Director. Her deep understanding of textures and shades brought incredible innovation. We also worked tirelessly on product quality. When the BBC Horizon program featured our Protect & Perfect product, backed by research from Dr. Chris Griffiths at the University of Manchester, it became a phenomenon.

The biggest lesson? Passion and commitment from the team. Everyone, from No.7 consultants to product development, packaging, manufacturing, and marketing teams, played a role in the successful relaunch of the brand in over 1,400 stores in just three days. It was a massive effort, and I've never worked so hard – or enjoyed it more!

Nicolle: How did your experiences at Boots the Chemists and Holland & Barrett prepare you for your current roles as founder of Paused.com and CEO of Starpowa?

Hilary: I am immensely grateful for the retail education that I received in my nearly 20 years at Boots. I worked hard because I enjoyed it – I was lucky that I had some incredible mentors, one in particular, Helen Miller, who pushed me to realise my potential and helped me to understand myself differently. There were frustrations of course – but it did help me to understand how important doing the right thing was, leading with integrity, and the importance of teamwork. I remain forever grateful to Boots.

Holland & Barrett offered something different – as a business, it was much more entrepreneurial, driven by instinct, data and passion.  Constantly evolving, it was going through huge amounts of change. But a constant was the integrity and expertise of the team – both in the support office and especially the store colleagues on the front line. Some of the letters I received from customers sharing how our products had changed their well-being floored me. I felt that both the business and I had a real purpose. The experience of both has helped shape me – whilst they have different approaches, both instilled in me that doing the right thing for customers is always the right thing. And knowing that, even in a small way, I can contribute to customers leading healthier and happier lives has been my reward.

Nicolle: What inspired you to transition from a corporate career to entrepreneurship, and how have you found the shift from executive roles to founding your own business?

Hilary: The shift from a corporate career has been interesting for sure.  There’s no safety net, no downtime, no team to support you in the tough times and it can be a bit overwhelming at times. It’s all on you and you live and die by what you deliver.  For me, it felt like the right time, to see if I could build on my experience in corporate and do it for myself. It can be challenging but also very liberating – purpose is at the heart of everything I do and that is a real privilege. 

Nicolle: Can you share more about the mission and vision behind Paused.com, and how your personal experience with menopause influenced the creation of this brand?

Hilary: Paused is a personal and professional journey for me. As a menopausal, mid-life woman, I wanted to do something positive and proactive to support people like me. So first of all, the mission is to support women transitioning through midlife with natural remedies where they most need them – listening to their needs and creating simple, effective solutions that will hopefully improve the quality of their lives.

I also want Paused to open up conversations about menopause – whilst it’s improving, I am amazed that there is still such a taboo around talking about living through menopause. When I’m with a group of women my age and they hear about Paused, they share so much of their experience, ask so many questions, and want to know more about what is normal, what can help– whatever it may be, it’s sometimes embarrassing to talk about for some women and so we need to have more resources available wherever they may need them.

I want Paused to challenge the traditional narrative around women in midlife. Too often, we have been told that women our age are irrelevant, as economically irrelevant, as ‘past it’. I want Paused to be a voice, to be part of a movement for change, to open up conversations and menopause and midlife so that women can continue to live fulfilling, powerful, confident lives.

Nicolle: As someone who has both corporate and entrepreneurial experience, how do you approach innovation and product development differently in your roles at Starpowa and Paused.com?

Hilary: In many ways, it hasn’t changed. At its heart, I continue to focus on what customers are looking for, what support they need, and what global trends and insights help inform potential, effective solutions. As a small business, Starpowa and Paused don’t have extensive teams of product developers though, and so as with No.7, working with carefully selected industry experts to bring the vision to life is critical. Working with partners who share your purpose, beliefs and vision is key – both Starpowa and Paused are committed to highly efficacious product solutions, produced in a sustainable, minimising our carbon footprint.

Nicolle: You’ve mentioned the importance of ageing positively. How do you see this philosophy shaping the future of the health and wellness industry, especially about menopause and women's health?

Hilary: I hope there is a change of narrative around the way that women are perceived and targeted within the health and wellness industry. To me, ageing is a privilege and not a curse. We’re constantly told to fight it, to prevent it, to hide it  – to almost disappear from life – I still catch myself doing it, it’s almost inbuilt. I hope we continue to see more role models of women in the industry who are ageing naturally, positively and in their way. 

Value in life is not predicated on how many lines you have on your face, whether your breasts and underarms sag, it's so irrelevant to the genuine contribution we make to society and life. I’m a big believer in being the change you want to see and so want to be a voice for change, for living unapologetically and boldly as I move through my 50s and beyond. In my own small way,  I hope to be a champion of this.

Nicolle: With a focus on mentoring female-led businesses, what common challenges do you see women entrepreneurs facing today, and how do you support them in overcoming these obstacles?

Hilary: All entrepreneurs face challenges but it’s clear that a significant difference in female-led businesses securing funding from investors. It’s frustrating to see the statistics– only 2% of investment goes to female-led businesses, a figure that has remained static, despite the statistics showing that generally women-owned businesses deliver higher returns than male-founded startups.

For me there are some simple things that you can do – buy from women-owned businesses, if you are looking to invest, prioritise women-owned businesses for investment. Support women with your network – one of the most valuable assets I have after a 30-year career in corporate is my network, open it up to female-led businesses with positive introductions and offer support. Mentor where you can add value – it can be challenging to find time sometimes but I can guarantee you will get as much out of it as the mentee. Support female-focused networks - I’m a Forever Founder of WealthiHer, a network focused on supporting female-powered businesses and founders. Remember small things matter – sharing their stories and brands on Linkedin, Facebook, and Instagram. Ultimately - be conscious of how you can support and do whatever you can. 

Nicolle: Looking ahead, what are your goals for Paused.com, and how do you envision your impact on the broader health and wellness landscape over the next few years?

Hilary: We want to be the ultimate challenger brand - we are small and imperfectly formed, driven by passion and striving to grow our own knowledge and expertise. Our longer term aim is to build an online community and education hub for women to share their experience and advice.

Hilary Leam's dedication to championing women’s health, ageing positively, and fostering female entrepreneurship is nothing short of inspiring. Through Paused.com and Starpowa, she is making a tangible impact on how women experience midlife and beyond, while also mentoring the next generation of female business leaders. As she continues to challenge norms and advocate for change, Hilary’s vision for the future is clear: a world where women lead empowered, fulfilling lives at every stage, supported by a health and wellness industry that truly listens and innovates.

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Nicolle Knapova is a little bit of everything. She is a freelance translator, content creator and a social media executive for The C Word Mag. She loves indie music and is always browsing through Spotify to find the next amazing artist to obsess over. Her love for storytelling means she’s always writing something and she’s not afraid of any genre. Her biggest dream is to be a published author. If she’s not writing her fan fiction, she’s writing her poetry and sharing it on her Instagram @elisecaverly.