Maxine’s October Roundup: Good Housekeeping Live, Charity Events, Awards and much more!

The clocks may have gone back but October was a month with plenty to look forward to. With the seasonal change in full swing, grab a hot drink and unwind as I talk you through all of my monthly happenings. 

Starting the month off with a bang Darcy, some of team AC and I headed down to London to attend Good Housekeeping Live. There, we were joined by our resident trichologist Eva Proudman and hair stylist Michael Douglas who headlined a sold-out panel talk. Held at the Carlton Terrace House, we had a great time discussing the brand, meeting new customers and raising brand awareness. Being approached by Good Housekeeping UK to be the official beauty partner for this event was an amazing honour and I was overwhelmed with the success and turn out.

Our charity committee and I visited Birmingham Children's Hospital and dropped off 400 bags filled with essentials. We dropped these off to 16 of the wards at the hospital as part of the Packs for Parents Scheme, ensuring parents are kitted with the basics needed for an overnight stay with their child. This was an initiative that was months in the making and I am so thrilled we were finally able to deliver them in person.

The lovely Julie Bates and I held our annual Brilliant Breakfast to raise money for the Prince’s Trust. As a long-standing patron of the Prince’s Trust, I hold this charity very dear to my heart and this event was a fab way to raise money for such a great cause. There were incredible speeches, fun raffle draws and of course a brilliant breakfast offered. 

We held our first ever Mother and Daughter day in our Birmingham office. Julia and Gemma from our brand team were accompanied by two very special guests… their adorable daughters! This was a really special way to truly celebrate a beautiful bond and show that being a working woman does not mean compromising on motherhood. I also feel  lucky to be able to work alongside my daughters and build this brand together, with both of them by my side. 

It seems like every season is awards season for Absolute Collagen and October was no different. I started the month attending The Sunday Times 100 ceremony with Darcy, where we collected our plaque for ranking 4th on the UK’s fastest growing private companies list. What a phenomenal achievement! 

Speaking of Darcy, she ranked in the top 3 for the Under 30’s Fast Growth Star Award and she also featured on Hurun’s list of Most Influential Under 30’s in the UK. Her passion, dedication and hard work towards Absolute Collagen never ceases to amaze me and she makes me more proud by the day. 

The awards for the month conclude with the Pure Beauty Awards. Margot and I jetted off to London to attend the awards ceremony, and it was a pleasure to be in the company of industry leaders as well as bump into some familiar faces. 

PWC talk

Last month I was proud to announce that Absolute Collagen was a carbon neutral company. Following up from that Darcy, and our Head of Sustainability Liane were invited by leading UK consultancy firm PWC to feature on The CSO Series. 

Here, they discussed how we achieved our Carbon Neutral status, our ESG goals and what we want to accomplish going forward. Watch the full interview here.

So that wraps up my October round-up. As the cold kicks in and the days get shorter, let me know what you're looking forward too in the final few months of 2022!