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Sam Faiers appeared on our TV screens for 11 years. One of the UK’s best-known reality TV stars, Sam has appeared on hit shows like The Only Way is Essex, Celebrity Big Brother and The Mummy Diaries. But Sam’s success spans more than our screens; she’s also a two-time bestselling author and accomplished businesswoman, including co-founding Revive Collagen, Europe’s fastest-growing collagen supplement company. Here’s Sam’s story…

1. Where It All Began

“I had a lovely upbringing which, of course, wasn’t perfect; however, I always had a supportive and loving family, which is so important. I’m very grateful for my grounded upbringing!” Sam says. Born and raised in Essex, Sam enjoyed school but more for the social side. “I wasn’t an academic or a straight-A student, but I did enjoy food tech (mainly because I liked my teacher!). I did love playing sports, though, and I was on all the sports teams, including netball and gymnastics. I didn’t end up attending university – it was never the route I intended to go down. I was more eager to get into the workplace and earn a living.”

After leaving school, Sam landed a temporary job in a recruitment agency to gain experience working in an office. “At this stage, I was still unsure what I wanted to do but was keen to get my foot in the door. I then went on to take a full-time position at Lloyds TSB bank. I knew this wouldn’t be my long-term career, but I really enjoyed it and was committed to my role. So much so that I won the ‘Fastest Cashier’ award in the East London branch and achieved a few promotions in the short time I was there”.

At 18, Sam entered a modelling competition that she went on to win. The following modelling opportunities led her to land the role in the reality TV show The Only Way Is Essex.

2. From TV to Collagen

“TOWIE was an unexpected overnight success which kept going from strength to strength. I did TOWIE for roughly 4 years with a year break – in my year off, I ended up taking on a lot of solo ventures”, Sam recalled.

A new opportunity arose when Sam met her Partner and fell pregnant with her first child. “We went on to film our own TV show, The Mummy Diaries, on ITVBe, which aired for almost 7 years. It was a great experience, but naturally, after 11 years of filming reality TV, I felt it was the perfect time to take a break, not only for myself but for my family. I also wanted to focus on my new passion project – Revive Collagen!”.

Sam was inspired to create Revive Collagen through her own struggles, “I had suffered hormonal acne in my late twenties, and after the birth of Rosie, it became a lot worse! Medication wasn’t an option for me, so I spent a lot of money trying different lotions, creams and professional treatments, none of which helped. I then started researching natural ways to help clear my skin which was when I stumbled upon ingestible collagen. After taking collagen for a few weeks, I noticed it was working and had helped to clear my acne and reduce my breakouts. I also noticed my hair and nails were looking healthier, which was a real bonus!

On discovering the benefits of Collagen for my acne, I realised there was a huge gap in the market for a collagen supplement brand that offered great-tasting products that were also convenient for people to take daily. From there, my business partner and I decided to create something different from anything else available on the market – a stand-out luxury collagen brand that combined premium grade and high potency collagen with world-class skincare ingredients and added vitamins in one ready-to-drink shot. From there, Revive Collagen was born”.

3. Launching Revive Collagen

Upon experiencing the benefits of collagen first-hand, Sam launched Revive Collagen, but it wasn’t without risk, “There’s no doubt that deciding to launch the brand amid the pandemic was a huge risk, especially when everything was so uncertain – it was so up in the air whether the business would take off or not. My business partner John and I also self-funded the business with no additional investment, so we had a lot at stake. Thankfully we believed in the product and knew we had something that was going to be a game changer in the industry, and it’s been going from strength to strength ever since. I’m so glad we went with our gut instinct”.

But if Sam could relive any moment in the business’ timeline so far, she’d go back to the beginning, “After we initially launched the brand with our Revive Collagen Original product, I was overwhelmed with our amazing response, with so much positive feedback and great reviews flying in from our customers. From there, I knew the risk was worth taking and that we had a unique product on the market. Also, when we signed Amanda Holden as our first official brand ambassador to coincide with the launch of Enhanced Plus. It was amazing to hear that Amanda was a big fan of the product, so the partnership was a natural fit – it was also hugely exciting, as I’ve always loved Amanda. Seeing the brand go from strength to strength each day is hugely rewarding”.

4. The Future

Revive Collagen is Europe’s fastest-growing collagen supplement company, but what’s next? “The future of Revive Collagen is an exciting one! We aim to grow the brand exponentially, expand into new international territories and continue to bring out amazing, innovative products that positively impact the lives of our wonderful customers. We strive and work hard toward a future where Revive Collagen is the world’s number one ingestible collagen brand. Ingestible beauty is on the rise, and I think this trend will continue to soar, with people increasingly looking to what they can do from ‘within’ to boost their beauty and skin concerns. Watch this space!” Sam said.

Personally, Sam hopes for “a thriving global business and, of course, a happy, healthy family”.

5. Business Advice

“It hasn’t been easy as I’ve had numerous failed businesses. My main advice would be not to give up, and if your first business idea doesn’t work out, don’t be disheartened. Always write goals, make sure you are realistic and do your research. Be smart with your finances too. Always favour the idea you’re most passionate about because that will be the one that you enjoy and will get the most out of.”

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