Maxine Laceby: Redefining Beauty, Confidence and Midlife Power
When Maxine Laceby hit her late forties, she didn’t set out to launch a multi-million-pound beauty brand. She was simply curious.
What would happen if she stripped back, no hair dye, no makeup, no filters, and dared to face the world as her true self?
That one question changed her life.
Starting Over and Starting Up
For 25 years, Maxine’s full-time job was raising her two daughters. She loved it, but like many women who step back from work to focus on family, she found herself asking the quiet question so many of us do: “What now?”
One day she looked in the mirror and realised she’d spent decades caring for everyone else but herself. Her curiosity, and a lifelong love of home cooking, led her to start experimenting with bone broth rich in collagen. She noticed how her skin and hair improved, her energy returned, and she started to glow from the inside out.
Maxine soon realised it was the collagen in the bone broth was the magic ingredient. That kitchen experiment became the seed of something extraordinary.
With her daughter Darcy, Maxine bottled her homemade concoction and began sharing it with friends. The results spoke for themselves. By 2017, Absolute Collagen was born. A direct-to-consumer beauty supplement delivering high-grade marine collagen in sachets. Simple. Honest. No marketing gimmicks, no airbrushed promises.
“I started with a saucepan and a belief that women like me weren’t invisible. We just needed to see ourselves differently.”
Building a Brand That Broke the Rules
In an industry obsessed with youth and perfection, Maxine built a brand around something rarer. Authenticity. She appeared in her own campaigns, unretouched, alongside the “Absoluters”, real women whose stories mirrored her customers.
Absolute Collagen has also worked with Emma Willis as a brand ambassador, helping the company reach new audiences and raise visibility. For Maxine, it’s about balance, using recognisable faces to amplify the message while staying rooted in real women’s experiences.
“A celebrity can help you reach new audiences, but it’s the everyday stories that create real connection,” she says.
It was a risk. Many told her that women over 50 don’t sell skincare. They were wrong.
Within just a few years, Absolute Collagen became one of the UK’s fastest-growing supplement brands, reaching multi-million-pound turnover and a fiercely loyal customer base. And was named 4th in The Times Fastest Growing Business
Her message, that confidence, not concealer, is the real beauty secret, resonated deeply with women tired of being told they needed fixing.
By 2022, the company ranked among the UK’s top female-founded businesses and continues to grow internationally.
ADHD as a Superpower
Maxine has been refreshingly open about her ADHD diagnosis, something she discovered later in life. Instead of seeing it as a barrier, she calls it her superpower.
Her boundless energy, quick thinking and creativity drive her forward. ADHD gave her a different way of processing the world, seeing solutions where others see problems, thinking sideways when everyone else follows the rulebook.
“My ADHD means I’m never still. My mind races with ideas. It can be exhausting, but it’s also my edge. It keeps me curious; it keeps me moving.” This radical self-acceptance. She owns it.
The Knockbacks and the Lessons
Years later, after hitting £10 million in turnover, Maxine found herself in a room full of business leaders at the launch of The Rose Review. During the discussion she asked a question that made the room pause. “How can I get my bank to return my call?”. I just wanted to know if a payment had cleared. If I had borrowed money to start my business they would have been calling me daily, I was at my wits end.
That moment shifted everything. NatWest invited her to join their Accelerator Programme, where she found both new confidence and a network of entrepreneurs just as determined as she was.
The experience gave her insight into how structural bias works and how to challenge it. It also reaffirmed what she already knew: the financial system often overlooks women-led ventures, especially those founded later in life.
“That question wasn’t an attack; it was a challenge to do better. And they did. That’s progress”. Maxine is a huge fan of the NatWest Accelerator programme.
“If I’d listened to everyone who told me no, Absolute Collagen wouldn’t exist. Sometimes you have to be your own green light.”
Family at the Heart
Absolute Collagen is more than a brand; it’s a family affair. Her daughter Darcy has been by her side since day one, sharing the sleepless nights, the tough decisions and the milestones. Her younger daughter Margot also works within the business, bringing her own creativity and energy to the team.
Maxine often says that working with her daughters is one of the greatest joys of her career. “We balance each other perfectly,” she says. “I’m the emotion: Darcy’s the science.”
Together, they’ve built a company culture rooted in empathy, authenticity and fun and a legacy that redefines how family, business and female leadership can coexist. They’re building a business that empowers women of all generations to see themselves differently and to embrace their reflection without apology.
The Power of Purpose
Underneath the glossy success lies something deeper. Purpose.
Maxine often talks about women reaching midlife and feeling invisible. She’s determined to change that narrative. Through Absolute Collagen, she’s built a brand that celebrates age rather than hides it.
Her community of “Absoluters” are hundreds of thousands of loyal customers who aren’t just buying supplements; they’re buying into a philosophy of self-worth and visibility.
“When I stripped everything back, I realised I wasn’t invisible. More importantly I was invisible to myself, I was just waiting for myself to show up.”
Listening, Expanding and the Age Powerfully Campaign
Listening to her customers has always been at the heart of Absolute Collagen’s growth. Many women shared stories of how the product transformed their skin, hair and confidence, and some offered honest feedback about taste and texture. Instead of ignoring it, Maxine took action.
She worked with leading scientists and formulation experts to develop a collagen powder alternative for those who preferred a different format. Every product undergoes rigorous testing to ensure the same high standards of quality, efficacy and sustainability.
Her passion for innovation led to the expansion of haircare and skincare ranges, each developed with the same philosophy; simple, effective, science-backed and accessible.
Most recently, the brand launched its “Age Powerfully” campaign, spotlighting real women of all ages, shapes and backgrounds. The message is clear: beauty doesn’t fade; it evolves.
“Age isn’t something to hide from, it’s something to celebrate. Powerfully.”
Recognition and Responsibility
Winning the Enterprise Vision Awards Business Woman of the Year in 2023 was a defining moment. For Maxine, it wasn’t about the trophy. It was about what it represented, a celebration of women who build extraordinary businesses from ordinary beginnings.
She’s passionate about using her platform to encourage other women to back themselves. “You don’t have to have a business degree or a fancy plan. You just have to start,” she says.
Her story is now studied as a case study in courage and reinvention. From the kitchen table to boardroom tables, she’s inspiring a generation of women to believe that it’s never too late to begin again.
Giving Back and Going Global
As Absolute Collagen continues to expand with products and internationally, Maxine remains committed to ethical production and giving back. The company’s packaging is recyclable, and they’ve partnered with charities supporting women’s wellbeing.
She’s also vocal about menopause awareness, neurodiversity and mental health in business, all topics close to her heart. Her honesty about imposter syndrome and burnout gives others permission to admit the same.
Her next mission? To take Absolute Collagen to new markets while continuing to challenge industry standards around representation, sustainability and inclusivity.
“Confidence doesn’t come from what you look like. It comes from what you’ve survived.”
Why She Inspires Us
Maxine Laceby is living proof that age is not a limitation, it’s leverage. Her courage to start again in midlife, her refusal to conform, and her ability to turn personal discovery into a business empire make her one of the UK’s most relatable success stories.
She’s not selling youth. She’s selling confidence, connection and authenticity.
Her story reminds us that it’s never too late to evolve, and that success isn’t about having it all figured out, it’s about daring to try.