Jamie Shepherd launched Hair Guru London from his rented bedroom in Bloomsbury after struggling with hair loss himself. Today, the seven-figure British business has helped more than 30,000 customers, is stocked by Debenhams, Dorothy Perkins, Wallis, Coast and Oasis, and has been used by Robbie Williams and Mo Gilligan.
A former BBC and ITV producer has transformed a business he started from his rented flat in central London into a seven-figure British brand after securing partnerships with five of the UK’s biggest retailers.
Jamie Shepherd, 38, founded Hair Guru London after struggling with his own hair loss and becoming frustrated with the products available on the market.
Working from a rented bedroom in Bloomsbury, London, Jamie developed an alternative to traditional keratin hair fibres using natural cotton, packing every order himself while continuing his career in television.
Today, Hair Guru London has helped more than 30,000 customers, received more than 1,000 customer reviews averaging 4.8 stars, become a trending product on TikTok Shop, and is now stocked by Debenhams, Dorothy Perkins, Wallis, Coast and Oasis.
The products have also been used by singer Robbie Williams and comedian Mo Gilligan.
Jamie said:
“When I started Hair Guru London, everything happened from my room. My stock was stacked around my bed, my living space became my warehouse, and every order was packed by hand.”
“I never imagined that one day the business would be available through five of Britain’s biggest retailers or that people like Robbie Williams and Mo Gilligan would end up using our products.”
From television to entrepreneurship
Before launching Hair Guru London full time, Jamie spent more than a decade working in television, producing programmes including ITV News, Good Morning Britain, Loose Women and the BBC’s Morning Live.
However, a serious scooter accident forced him to step away from the industry and rethink his future.
With his television career suddenly on hold, Jamie made the decision to commit fully to the business he had been building in his spare time.
Jamie said:
“The scooter accident completely changed the direction of my life. I badly injured my hand and had to cancel all of my television work because I was in a cast. My mum came down to London to help me while I recovered, and with everything suddenly on hold I decided to put all of my focus into Hair Guru London.
Then everything changed. A videos was shared by an influencer with 34 million followers and the business exploded almost overnight. We went from packing orders in my bedroom to trying to keep up with thousands of orders, and I realised I couldn’t go back to television. Looking back now, what felt like the worst moment of my career ended up giving me the opportunity to build the business I’d always dreamed of.”
Building a business from personal experience
Hair Guru London was born from Jamie’s own experience with hair loss.
After years of trying products that failed to give him the natural results he wanted, he began researching alternatives before developing cotton hair fibres designed to provide a more natural-looking finish than traditional keratin fibres.
Transformation videos shared on social media quickly found an audience, attracting millions of views and helping grow the company from a bedroom start-up into an international British brand.
Today, Hair Guru London serves customers across the UK, Europe and the United States while Jamie leads the business remotely from Bali.
Jamie added:
“Hair loss affects millions of people, but so many people still suffer in silence because they’re embarrassed to talk about it.”
“If Hair Guru London can help someone regain their confidence before they leave the house in the morning, that’s what this business has always been about.”
The company is continuing its expansion with several new product launches planned over the coming year.