We hosted our final lunchtime How to Breakout in 2026 session — the last Ask Me Anything before applications closed, all around what it actually takes to get on Breakout Beauty UK. Thank you to all the founders that joined and came with questions.
Paul Finch was joined by Oje Ohonyon, co-founder of Beard Surgeon and a 2025 cohort founder, to answer the questions applicants are too nervous to ask. Am I too early? What if I don’t fit the criteria? What’s the interview actually like? One built the programme. The other went through it. More straight talk than sales pitch.
Here’s what was covered:
- Why a polished application is the fastest way to weaken your chances — and the “warts and all” honesty Paul is actually reading for.
- The one-minute, no-production video that tells the panel more than the whole written form. Paul still remembers OJ’s from last year.
- The traction sweet spot Boots are buying into — and why the “wild card” who fits none of the criteria still earns a place every single year.
- The four-minute interview format, what the panel is really assessing, and why “if in doubt, apply” isn’t just encouragement.
And OJ’s line on putting yourself forward that stuck with the room?
“You could literally be an application away from transforming your business.”
Watch the full recording below.
