A Conversation with Vicky Hagan, founder of Hattie & Vic
Today’s episode is different. I’m in conversation with Vicky Hagan, founder of Hattie & Vic, a personal styling business that empowers women through beautifully considered clothing.
What makes this conversation special is that Vicky participated in The Base Notes first cohort earlier this year, and you’ll hear how understanding her exceptional strengths has transformed not just her business clarity and confidence, but how she shows up for her clients every single day.
Making Personal Styling Accessible
Vicky’s background is in personal styling, something she did alongside a busy corporate role for many years. Post-pandemic, she watched shopping habits change dramatically and saw an opportunity to make personal styling much more accessible to women.
She opened a personal styling studio where women could come by appointment, see and try on curated clothing from small independent brands, and have genuine conversations about their needs and vulnerabilities.
“The first thing women tell me they need is never really what they need,” Vicky explains. “There’s always so much more to it than that.”
Post-pandemic dress codes became more relaxed, which was liberating in some ways but left women feeling confused. How do you turn up to a board meeting still looking professional and appropriate, but not necessarily in a dark matching suit? Vicky saw this gap and understood how to fill it.
Now, she’s expanding beyond the one-to-one studio experience. She’s launching online personal styling, making her expertise accessible to women who can’t get to her physically. This autumn, she’s launching Hattie & Vic labelled denim – addressing one of the most difficult shopping categories for women from both a price point and fit perspective.
The Transformation That Changed Everything
Before The Base Notes, Vicky was experiencing what so many creative entrepreneurs feel right now – that underlying fear, the noise telling her she should be doing what everyone else is doing, the uncertainty about whether to play it safe or trust her instincts.
“I definitely don’t use the word fearful lightly,” she shares. “It’s a very sad but very true reality for a lot of small business owners out there, particularly creative entrepreneurs.”
But instead of moving into overwhelm, Vicky paused. She describes The Base Notes as giving her a “permission slip” – permission to show up as herself, in her own tone of voice, positioning her work in a way that felt authentic.
“The biggest shift has been in how I’m showing up,” Vicky says. “And that’s delivered real results in my business, both in terms of business growth and financially.”
What Actually Changed
The transformation was about getting clear on what she was already doing brilliantly and building everything around that.
As Vicky became clearer about showing up authentically, her marketing transformed. Her Instagram engagement lifted significantly. Her organic growth accelerated. Clients responded to the clarity in her message because it was genuine and aligned with what the brand was born from.
“Customers are savvy,” she explains. “They have a real choice about who and what they want to buy into. As I’ve found it easier to show up in an authentic way and share my message clearly, my organic reach has grown, my engagement across social media has improved, and my conversion has got better.”
She built her new website herself, setting a hard deadline and meeting it. She’s launching her denim line. She’s creating online styling experiences. She’s collaborating with other female entrepreneurs on projects around female empowerment.
The clarity has transformed her entire business approach.
The Power of Conversation and Vulnerability
What distinguishes Vicky’s approach to styling is her belief in the power of genuine conversation and vulnerability.
“It’s such a privilege when someone trusts you enough to share their vulnerabilities,” she says. “The most important thing is that I get to know my clients – who they are, what’s important to them, what their day-to-day involves.”
She helps women give themselves permission to dress for who they are today, embracing change rather than resisting it. “The more powerful work is helping you feel powerful and invigorated and empowered in the day-to-day mundane, because that’s when you’ll get the best out of yourself.”
This philosophy runs through everything she does, from her one-to-one styling sessions to how she’s structuring her online offerings.
Advice for Other Creative Entrepreneurs
When I asked what she’d say to creative business owners feeling uncertain right now, Vicky’s response was beautifully clear.
“First, I believe you that it does feel scary. Just pause. Close down the noise and the risk of moving into overwhelm.
Second, enter a room with other like-minded business owners and creative entrepreneurs. Suddenly you realise you’re not the only one exposed to this noise and feeling the fear.
Third, listen to your clients and customers. They will always tell you what you’re doing brilliantly and where the gaps are. If you can create the space to really lean into that and listen, that will be your greatest guide.”
She adds something crucial: “You have the answer yourself. You don’t need to be told what that answer is. The Base Notes gives you the path to the answer, laying the paving stones for where you need to take yourself to get to that point of knowing.”
What’s Next for Hattie & Vic
Vicky’s clarity about her direction is inspiring. The labelled denim launches this autumn. The online styling experience will make her expertise accessible to women everywhere. She’s leading collaborations with other female entrepreneurs focused on empowerment.
“I really see the power in what my business does brilliantly, which is make personal styling so accessible,” she says. “The more we can do to help women feel like they can just show up as who they are on that day, in that week, in that phase of life, the better that is for themselves and everyone around them.”
Her vision is growing, and it’s all built on the foundation of understanding her exceptional strengths and having permission to work in her own way.
The Foundation Makes Everything Else Possible
What strikes me most about Vicky’s story is how the clarity she gained became the foundation for everything else. The website launch, the denim line, the online expansion, the collaborations – none of it would feel as aligned or sustainable without that foundational understanding of what makes her exceptional.
This is what happens when you stop trying to follow someone else’s path and start building from your own strengths. The work becomes clearer, the decisions become easier, and the growth becomes sustainable.
Follow Vicky’s work at @hattieandvic on Instagram and hattieandvic.com
The Base Notes Experience second cohort opens today. Vicky will be back inside the programme, along with six other creative entrepreneurs whose transformation stories you can watch on the page. Find everything HERE
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