In 2017, Kate Prince excitedly shared with a dozen friends at a dinner party that she had begun taking collagen supplements for her health. Their reactions were skeptical; most thought she was being unreasonable. Prince chuckled as she recalled, “Everyone thought I was mad.”

When Prince expressed her desire to start a health supplements business, her friends’ responses reflected their surprise and doubt. “They were like, ‘I’ve never heard of this; I don’t think it’s going to fly.”

Dismissing their concerns, she launched Ancient + Brave in 2018, coincidentally just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Prince noted that the public’s perception of preventative health changed during the health crisis, leading to a greater willingness to invest in wellness products. “We’re all more willing to invest a little more in ourselves,” said the 51-year-old founder.

Her business saw remarkable success, with Ancient + Brave more than doubling its sales to £10.2 million last year, alongside pre-tax profits of £2.6 million. The brand’s flagship items include products that incorporate True Collagen and drink mixes with flavors like cacao and matcha. Advocates of collagen supplements assert numerous benefits, such as improved sleep, skin health, and cognitive function. Celebrity endorsements have come from personalities like Davina McCall, Ellie Goulding, and Dame Kelly Holmes.

Before her venture into holistic health, Prince was immersed in the legal field, inspired by a young fascination with shows like LA Law. Raised in a strict yet supportive environment—her mother was a teacher, and her father worked to secure resources for the deaf community—Prince developed a strong sense of ambition. “I had a strong sense of self and moral compass,” she stated.

The untimely death of her father during her first year at the University of East Anglia profoundly impacted her life. “That changed my whole life,” Prince recalled, admitting she went off track for a while. After taking time off to support her mother and working jobs in hospitality, she found clarity and returned to complete her studies.

Upon graduating, she joined a City law firm and became an employment lawyer by 2001, but found it uninspiring. “You get paid well, but you are selling your soul and it’s very hierarchical. I felt like I was in some old boys’ network,” she reflected.

After a stint at Harbottle & Lewis in entertainment law, she shifted her focus to a role at Endemol, the acclaimed TV production company known for shows like Big Brother. During her time there, she was responsible for drafting contracts for contestants on the groundbreaking reality show. “We were doing things that had never been done before,” Prince recounted, illustrating the thrill and challenges of creating agreements on the fly.

After four years in the fast-paced environment, Prince and her husband Simon opted for a quieter life in Sussex, allowing her to continue working in entertainment as a consultant while starting a family with two sons, now aged 16 and 14. In 2014, they launched a tea blending company named Prince & Sons.

Finding joy in brand creation but challenges in collaboration, she decided to pursue her own direction. Following a nutrition course that piqued her interest in gut health, she identified a gap for a high-end collagen product and envisioned unique, sustainable packaging that felt appealing. “I could bring quality ingredients,” she noted.

Although she initially sought sourcing from South America due to quality concerns, the rising popularity of collagen has allowed her to find more local options, with most ingredients now sourced from the EU and blended in the UK.

Much of Ancient + Brave’s growth has occurred since the pandemic, especially with an uptick in demand noted in late 2022 and a surge in early 2023. The small team that once packed orders late into the night has now expanded to 58 employees, with a £7 million investment from Piper, a private equity firm, in 2023 facilitating this growth. Interestingly, Prince found that recruiting in Sussex, near Brighton and Hove, has not been a challenge. “People are looking for something a little bit different,” she said, citing the allure of leaving fast-paced London life behind.

Nonetheless, Brexit has created significant complications for her business, with extensive bureaucratic hurdles and a major decline in EU sales, dropping from 20 percent to less than 5 percent after the split. However, she is now re-establishing exports and expanding her reach on platforms like Amazon in Germany, France, Spain, and Italy.

To mitigate the stress involved in entrepreneurship, Prince took up drumming in 2018, mentioning that it offers a unique distraction from daily pressures. “It’s the best meditation because you cannot think of anything else,” she explained.

Reflections

Hero: My hero is Nikki Cheetham, who was an executive producer at Endemol when I worked there. She was a total force in a male-dominated industry, achieving impressive results.

Best decision: My best decision was to accept my inner impostor syndrome and embrace risk, pushing beyond my comfort zone.

Worst decision: Initially believing I needed a co-founder was my worst decision; I realized that while a strong team is essential, my vision needed to lead.

Funniest moment: During negotiations with investors, I had to draft a cheat sheet with acronyms, as I was unfamiliar with the jargon being used.

Business tip: Focus on progress over perfection; sometimes you need to leap into action rather than getting stuck in analysis paralysis.