During an unforgettable episode of Dragons’ Den on BBC One, longstanding dragon Deborah Meaden declared a pitch the “best deal I’ve ever seen in the den” although entrepreneur Millie Flemington-Clare walked away without financial backing. At just 25 years old, Bristol’s own Millie founded Human Beauty, a brand dedicated to creating inclusive beauty products for all to use.
Her motivation stems from her personal experiences, as she grew up with a rare condition that spurred her ambition to establish the company and its offerings. She asserted: “I’m a really creative and determined business person. The determination definitely comes from growing up with a rare condition and I’m just always wanting to prove to people what I’m capable of.”
Millie, an avid fan of the show since she was eight, described appearing on Dragons’ Den as a “dream” and succeeded in impressing the dragons with her presentation, despite none choosing to invest money into her venture. Nonetheless, Steven Bartlett began a unique offer of mentorship, stating: “It’s a really really inspiring story… as a business case it is not a financial investment for me. So I am going to say that I am out.
“But, I’m willing to invest my time, which means that I am inviting you to come to my offices in central London, hang out with me and my team. We can teach you the dark arts of social media and marketing that you are seeking and hopefully, that will give you what you are looking for. So that’s an offer from me, it’s not a financial one so I am out, I’m offering to invest my time.”, reports Wales Online.
Deborah praised Steven’s proposal as a “fantastic offer”, while Touker Suleyman offered his assistance in sourcing, with Steven taking care of the marketing aspect. Peter Jones concluded the deal by acknowledging Millie’s unique potential, promising to aid her in distributing and selling her products online.
An emotional Millie expressed her gratitude towards Steven, Peter, and Touker for their offers, leading Deborah to comment: “You might have done the best deal I’ve ever seen in the den! You’ve given away none of your business and you’ve got loads of help!” After exiting the den, Millie reflected: “To have Touker, Steven and Peter’s help is game-changing for me. They’re going to be able to help me with the exact things I need to be able to get Human Beauty out to more people and make a real change.”