Hilary Lowe

Hilary's route into entrepreneurship wasn't carefully planned. In fact, she would be the first to admit that she simply followed her instincts, her creativity and a determination to do things her own way.

From a young age, Hilary knew that a traditional career path wasn't for her. After being expelled from school, she quickly discovered that working for other people and following someone else's rules wasn't where she thrived. Instead, she found freedom in being her own boss, building a career around her strengths, passions and unique perspective on the world.

What started as buying and selling interior products to make a living gradually evolved into something much bigger.

Over time, Hilary developed an eye for design, colour and style that set her apart. One opportunity led to another, and before long she was designing homes for high-profile clients, developing a successful reputation as an interior stylist and seeing her work featured in the Sunday Times Style magazine.

Today, through Damson & Slate, Hilary works as an Interior Stylist and Interior Design Consultant, helping clients transform spaces through creativity, personality and thoughtful design.

Looking back, Hilary can see where her entrepreneurial spirit came from. Many members of her family ran their own businesses, and their independence undoubtedly influenced her journey. She also believes her love of interiors was shaped by childhood memories of her grandmother's beautiful home, along with a lifelong fascination with art, magazines, fabrics and the colours that surround us every day.

For Hilary, inspiration can be found everywhere.

She believes creativity isn't something reserved for artists or designers. It's about seeing possibilities where others see limitations and having the confidence to trust your instincts.

Like any entrepreneur, Hilary has faced her fair share of challenges. Running your own business means solving problems constantly, from managing cash flow and chasing late payments to handling projects that don't go exactly to plan.

As a stylist, she has experienced products arriving late, deliveries not arriving at all and carefully planned room designs that simply didn't work in reality. Yet rather than seeing these moments as failures, she views them as lessons. Some have been frustrating, some have been surprisingly funny, but every challenge has helped her grow stronger, more adaptable and more resilient.

These experiences have taught her that success is not about getting everything right the first time. It's about learning, adjusting and continuing to move forward.

The thing Hilary values most about entrepreneurship is freedom.

The freedom to make decisions, follow her creativity, choose her own path and build a life around what matters to her. While she laughs that being your own boss often means working far more hours than a typical nine-to-five job, she wouldn't have it any other way.

For Hilary, entrepreneurship has created opportunities she could never have imagined when she first started out. Her journey demonstrates that success does not always come from following a carefully mapped-out plan. Sometimes it comes from backing yourself, embracing opportunities and having the courage to create your own path.

Hilary's Message to Young People:

Don't worry if you don't have everything figured out. Some of the best opportunities come from following your interests and saying yes to new experiences. Trust your creativity, learn from mistakes and never be afraid to do things differently. Sometimes the path that's right for you is the one you create yourself.

Areas of expertise

• Entrepreneurship and self-employment
• Interior styling and design
• Creative industries
• Building a personal brand
• Finding opportunities through creativity
• Resilience and problem-solving
• Working independently and being your own boss
• Turning passion into a career
• Developing confidence and trusting your instincts