Fashion Forward: Meet Lucy Norris, Female Entrepreneur & Second Hand Styling Owner
I don’t know about anyone else but I’m a huge Dragon’s Den fan. When I first discovered Lucy Norris and how she had been on the show (albeit not getting an “I’m in” from the Dragons), what stuck out to me was how even in difficult moments, Lucy’s passion shone through and she took the lessons she learned from the show to catapult her sustainable fashion business to where it is today.
Based just down the road from me in Knutsford, Lucy’s Second Hand Styling Studio is here to show us that we don’t need to have a million dollars to look a million dollars. With an emphasis on quality, not quantity and a real eye for style, Lucy is helping women find clothes that suit their bodies and their budgets. I recently went along and came away with some gorgeous dresses, all of which I wore on our recent trip to France.
What makes Lucy and Second Hand Styling stand out from the crowd is her emphasis on community and connection. Offering her clients the highest level of service, Lucy will continue to work with you to find pieces that make you feel your best, even after you’ve been into the studio.
And if all that wasn’t enough for me to fall in love with Lucy and her business, Lucy has also lived abroad and worked in retail so we share a lot of common interests! She also inspires me to keep getting in front of the camera with her background in entertainment meaning her reels and videos are top-notch!
It’s time to meet Lucy from Second Hand Styling….
Hi Lucy, it’s so great to welcome you to the Moments to Motivate series. In the Your AJency community, there are people who are just at the idea stage, perhaps have just launched or are established business owners. Tell us a little about your journey. What prompted you to take the plunge to start Second-Hand Styling (SHSUK)?
You don't need a million to look like a million. I am living proof after spending my whole life winging my way through the fashion world on a budget.
As a child, I grew up in secondhand gear, not out of want, but out of necessity. My Mum was a single parent, who worked every hour of the day, but Saturday mornings included a trip to Oxfam to see what treasures she could source for us both to help us look and feel good. I watched her intently as she felt fabrics, looked closely at switching, and mixed the old with the not-so-old to make it look modern. She was my style icon. However, when a friend would ask me where I got my pale blue satin slip dress for the school disco, "A charity shop" was not what I replied. Instead of "a small boutique," I learned to hide the truth and pretend that my pre-loved was premium from the get-go.
I later moved to NYC to pursue my dreams of TV presenting with nothing more than a suitcase of secondhand clothes. I had the absolute time of my life. Loved, lived, and partied hard. Always looking like I could afford the high life.
I returned to the UK 15 years later with a book full of memories and experiences, but credit card debt up to my eyeballs; never once did I splurge on clothes; instead, it's just the cost of living in the US… dreams are built on credit!)
After a downward spiral of battling with anxiety and no longer feeling happy, I decided to move back to the UK. I returned with nothing more than the suitcase I left with.
For years, I served as a useful source to those seeking inspiration, help, or advice regarding fashion. I've worked as a Journalist, TV Presenter, Fashion Analyst, and Content Creator. I finally decided to own that role and be intentional about it. I started writing about my passions, thoughts, and curious wonderings about the secondhand world of fashion and how it can benefit many different types of people.
I founded Secondhand Styling to prove how fashion and style should be accessible to all, no matter the cost. A whirlwind of events has propelled us from blog writing to pop-ups, to an episode on Dragon's Den, and now a full-time studio and online shop. Who knows where the next chapter will take us?
What do you think might be next for you and your brand?
Our mission is to create a kind, empowering, and accessible, consumer- and consciously-friendly fashion brand, celebrating existing clothes and helping people to upstyle their choices regarding fashion and how it impacts the world.
Such an important mission, now more than ever! It’s certainly seems that it’s been an adventure to get to this point then! I set up Your AJency whilst living abroad and definitely found that living abroad gave me a unique global perspective so I can see how living in NYC for 15 years would influence you even now!
We talk about how important it is in marketing to share your why. Could you tell us yours?
My why is my existence. It's what fuels me. It's what kept me going through every battle, letdown, disappointment, and upset in my life. It makes me jump for joy, smile the hardest, and love the deepest. My why is centered around creating a service that allows every customer to feel "good enough" to shop, swap and style clothes that make them feel premium and like a million dollars.
I've always been vocal about my story, my life occurrences, and the transitions between chapters. It's through being transparent about my pitfalls that I'm able to connect with my community and then offer them a service that they believe in. They are part of the growth - I'm creating a platform for them. My why is just as important as their why. Our reasons and motivations change; if it no longer makes you feel good, something needs to change. That's why pivots and restyles in life and fashion are good for the soul.
How did you find the audience for your business and establish the community you’ve created with SHSUK?
I found my audience through doing lives and videos; that's when people really got to know the real me, the reason I created secondhand styling, and what my mission was. This was the beginning of them trusting me and taking this very seriously. I respect my community wholeheartedly. Without them, there is no SHSUK. Entrepreneurs should dive into video. But also think less about the trending styles and more about the balance of content that highlights who you are as a founder and video that authentically represents your company.
The power of video and storytelling is second to none when it comes to running a business - showing up and sharing your authentic self has been game-changing for us and our clients! Having said that, it is hard to launch and run a business on your own, impossible in my opinion! Who and where have you sought the necessary support? What has been most useful?
In the past, I’ve been guilty of trying to do it all by myself. I've launched several brands/independent TV shows and companies. However, the ones that succeeded were the ones that had a strong crew behind them. Last year I had no choice but to ask for help. I have a strong social media manager, Leah Megson Gray, a brilliant PR firm, Philosophy PR, and a newly recruited marketing assistant.
In 2022 my Mum passed away, and I was also four months pregnant. I had to step back, but the business didn't have time to pause. My team was able to continue on and make it seem like I was present throughout when I really had time to breathe. I also have an incredible business partner, father to my child, and life partner who I couldn't do this without.
We’re so sorry to hear about your Mum. That must have been especially hard being pregnant too. I’m so glad you have such a fab support network around you!
You’re now at a point where you’re running a successful business but success looks different for everyone; what is it for you?
Success for me is freedom. Freedom in my day, freedom in my creativity, my decision-making, and my ventures. Being able to decide upon the direction of my life and business means that I'm being rewarded for the past choices, risks, and leaps of faith I have taken. I want to enjoy my work but also have the opportunity to step away when needed. My Mum hated her job and worked every hour god sent because she had to. She was told she had three months to live when she was diagnosed with Pancreatic cancer. She stopped working, ate, played hard, and enjoyed the moment. She lived for another 9 months and said those were the best months of her life, the ones that she knew she was dying because she had a moment to pause, love, reflect, and be. Success is having the freedom to enjoy the moment. And I've already found it, as SHSUK has allowed me to love and be with my family. Something my Mum only had the chance to find out at the end.
What a hugely powerful message. A perfect reminder to make the most of each day and like you say, create something that can give you the freedom to live your life how you would like to.
Tell us more about your background. How has it helped you in your business?
My background is in TV. I was a live TV host, journalist, and fashion correspondent for 15 years. I know how to talk and sell something. But I was always writing the story for other people's segments, products, and commercials. This skill has helped me carve out a little niche in lifestyle videos, where I show our secondhand treasures in action and talk about how you can wear them. I open our audience's minds to possibilities and other ways which they may not have considered.
And how has becoming a parent changed things for you? How do you balance being a successful business owner and being present for your family?
Originally I was trying to do it all. And I quickly realized that's not possible. Of course, patience is key - with your baby, but also with yourself. I decided to only open the studio one day a week, and the rest would be appointments only so my baby could continue as a priority. I don't work weekends, that's for my family only, and I limit distractions when I get home. Of course, I get anxious, stressed, impatient, and all that yucky stuff that comes with trying to be a mum and a business owner and, of course, guilty. I feel bad that my focus should only be my baby, and this is not the right time to run a business. But then I look at myself, my baby, my family, and I feel a surge of happiness. I know everyone, including myself, is good and feels loved. If that's the case, then I'm doing something right.
That sounds like a very good way to reflect on what you’re creating and whether it’s working for you! What’s been your highlight for Second Hand Styling so far?
My personal highlight so far is meeting a customer who another customer has referred. That means I'm doing a good job. I want people to experience a premium service when shopping pre-loved, and if they are sharing the SHSUL word, that means the community is growing, and we are making an impact.
Yes! Client or customer referrals are always the best sign that you’re doing something right! What’s the best advice anyone has given you regarding being an entrepreneur/ business owner?
There’s nothing to fear but fear itself.
So true! What would you say has been the single biggest thing you have done that resulted in growth? If you could only do one thing, what would it be?
I would say there have been two life-changing decisions that I have made that have altered my career and growth as a person dramatically; deciding to move to New York and deciding to move back 15 years later. Both decisions were huge risks and meant me changing my lifestyle and growing as a person to cope with both. There is something to be said when you make these decisions in your early twenties and then again in your late thirties. To have decided that New York wasn't a right fit anymore and understand that I needed to restart my life again at 36 was huge. But it's never too late to change direction and follow your dreams.
And is there anything that you would have done differently?
In all honesty, there is nothing I would change. Every decision and action I have made in the past has led me to where I am. The good, the bad, and the ugly, I have learned from it all, and that is the beauty of life.
If you could have a gigantic billboard anywhere with anything on it—metaphorically speaking, getting a message out to millions or billions—what would it say and why?
It would be the advice from earlier. "Nothing to fear, but fear itself." The mind creates your own reality, and anything is possible once we accept that we create our own reality.
Thanks so much to Lucy for sharing her amazing journey with us. As I said, she is doing incredible things over on Instagram and is a great person to follow for the latest fashion trends as well as for inspiring your own video content!
Visit the Second Hand Styling Website