How Chloe Walsh Turned £530 Into a Multi-Million Dollar Brand

The Real Clomana Journey

Some founder journeys start with strategy. Others start with funding.

Chloe Walsh’s story started with neither.

Her journey began with a £530 loan from her Nana, a makeup kit, and a determination shaped by personal struggle, resilience, and an instinct to build something of her own. What followed was a multi-year climb through legal challenges, algorithm changes, financial pressure, and the kind of growth that forces a founder to evolve quickly.

This is the Clomana story. Not the highlight reel, but the reality.

Founded With £530 From My Nana

Chloe began Clomana with £530 and a simple idea: buy lashes for her makeup clients.

She was a young makeup artist navigating eczema, tough school years, and a lack of direction. Makeup became her escape, then her passion, and eventually her business.

 There was no plan, no investor deck, no audience waiting for her.

Just the willingness to create, experiment, and build from scratch.

Growing up in a small town with no online presence or platform behind her, she learned early what it meant to build something with her own hands.

Clomana Saved My Family Home

Chloe’s business became the anchor her family needed when their landlord died and the house they had lived in for 28 years was suddenly at risk. Her mother could not secure a mortgage on her own. The business Chloe had built from a £530 loan gave her the ability to step in and save the home they thought they would lose. It was a defining moment. A reminder that business can change lives far beyond profit and revenue. But the period that followed was one of the toughest she had ever faced. A legal issue in 2023 forced a complete rebrand. TikTok Shop shifted dramatically, commission fees rose, VAT remained high, overheads increased, and the pressure to discount and offer free shipping made margins impossible to sustain.

2024 became a survival year.

Then the Algorithm Changed

Views dropped overnight. Sales slowed. TikTok pushed brands toward paid ads, and the organic reach Clomana had depended on began to disappear. Rather than accept defeat, Chloe made a pivotal decision. Clomana would no longer rely on TikTok Shop.

From 2024 into 2025, she shifted her entire focus to strengthening her website, rebuilding her retail strategy, and creating systems that did not depend on any single platform. It took discipline, consistency, and starting again in many areas. But it worked. Today, Clomana stands strong, independent, and sustainable.

Lessons for Founders 

1. Know your margins.
   Buying for one pound and selling for three pounds is not profit. Consider fees, VAT and overheads. Revenue means nothing if your costs match it.

2. Choose the people around you wisely.
   Your circle, your support system and especially your partner will influence your growth.

3. Expect difficult seasons.
   Progress is often born from uncomfortable moments.

4. Never neglect your community.
   Your community will grow with you and support you more consistently than many friends or family.

5. Be honest about excuses versus sacrifices.
   If you constantly feel you do not have time, take an honest look at where your time is going.