Laura Barvainyte

Who is Laura?

In an era that often celebrates loud success, Laura’s story is a quieter, more powerful testament to resilience.

Born and raised in Lithuania, her childhood was upended in 2009 when the economic crisis forced her family to leave everything behind and start over in Ireland. They arrived with no English, few belongings, and a mother determined to give her children a future.

The years that followed were marked by both growth and grief. Laura gained a younger sister and brother, but also suffered an immeasurable loss—the drowning of her father in 2011, just before her youngest sibling was born. The tragedy that shaped her, instilling a deep understanding of life’s fragility and the value of every fleeting moment.

Rather than succumb to hardship, Laura found strength in discipline. Fitness became her refuge, personal development her mission. She reads voraciously, chases challenges, and places mental health at the core of her life—not just for herself, but for those around her.

Her story is not one of victimhood, but of quiet triumph. In the face of upheaval, Laura chose growth. In loss, she found purpose. And in a world that often demands toughness, she embodies something far more rare: grace forged in adversity.

What Was Your First Step?

Before I started my beauty business, it is important to mention that my very first step into entrepreneurship began in 2019, when I launched a fashion business with just €5,000 I had saved while working full time as a Pharmacy Manager. I had no business plan, no marketing strategy, and absolutely no idea where to begin, but I had a dream. I turned to Google, spent every free minute learning everything from scratch, and gave it a go!

Then COVID hit, and managing the chaos in pharmacies while trying to run a new business made things even harder. That venture was not financially successful, but it was a turning point. I saw it as my practice round, a necessary step in preparing me for the journey ahead. Since then, I saved every penny I could because deep down, I knew I was not done. The idea for Lerelle Beauty had been brewing in my mind for years. Throughout my decade long career in pharmacy and beauty, I could never find a lash or brow growth serum I truly believed in. They were either extremely expensive or so cheap it was hard to trust their effectiveness. I wanted to bring a high quality, effective and accessible solution to the Irish market.

2024

I found myself at a crossroads. I had enough money saved for a mortgage deposit but deep down, I knew I wanted something more, so I made the decision to take a risk. I invested everything into bringing my beauty brand to life. It was not an easy decision. I knew that in order to fully commit, I had to leave my pharmacy job.

After an open and supportive conversation with my fiancé, we agreed that now was the right time. I would give myself one year to give this everything I have got. I had already tried and loved a lash and brow serum I ordered from abroad, and I knew it worked. The challenge was finding the manufacturer behind it. It took nearly three months to track them down, connect with the right person, and pitch my vision. After two Zoom meetings where I shared my goals and story, they agreed to work with me.

My first stock order cost €5,500 and arrived two months later.

Then came the next big step — branding, messaging and visibility.

I knew I needed support in marketing and connecting with the right people.

I use my own network and connections to get into pharmacies and beauty salons. I visit them, I call, I email, and I do whatever it takes to introduce my brand and products. As of now, Lerelle Beauty is stocked in 13 locations and growing. It is not easy, but seeing the impact and the progress makes it all worth it.

Community

I have joined incredible business communities like Women In Business Dublin City and Image Business Club. I have taken every opportunity to engage with my Local Enterprise Offices in Fingal and Dublin City, who have been a huge source of training and support. I also applied for a Digital Start Grant to help strengthen my brand’s online presence. I am still at the beginning of this journey, but I have huge goals.

Every step I have taken, from that first €5,000 investment in fashion to choosing entrepreneurship over homeownership, has brought me closer to my vision. And while the path is far from smooth, I would not have it any other way.

What were/are your biggest obstacles?

There were and are many.

Some days I felt completely lost, overwhelmed and unsure if I was doing anything right. One of the biggest early challenges was simply figuring everything out on my own. I had no background in business, no roadmap to follow and no one to guide me through the process. I had to teach myself everything from sourcing products and dealing with manufacturers to understanding branding, packaging, marketing and sales.
Getting into pharmacies and beauty salons has been one of the most difficult and ongoing challenges. Even with my years of experience in the industry and strong connections, I am still a new brand that most people have never heard of. Building trust
takes time. I visit shops in person, make calls, send emails, follow up again and again and often face rejection. But I continue to show up. I am still trying to figure out the best way to get into bigger pharmacy chains and reach more people. It is a slow and
sometimes frustrating process, but I believe in what I offer and I am not giving up.

Cash flow has also been a major challenge. Since I am funding everything myself, every decision matters. I have made a few mistakes along the way, including working with a marketing agency that was not the right fit. That cost me time, energy and money I
could not afford to waste, but I learned important lessons about being selective, asking the right questions and trusting my instincts.
Another challenge has been the emotional side of entrepreneurship. The loneliness, the doubt and the constant pressure to make the right moves. My fiancé is incredibly
supportive, but his business background is in a completely different sector, so most of the time we have been learning and figuring things out together. That is why I started reaching out to business groups, networks and my Local Enterprise Office. I knew I needed people around me who could understand this journey.
Eventually, I connected with Emma, my business advisor, and that changed everything.
We meet every week to set goals, create strategy and make progress. Having the right support system in place has been one of the biggest factors in helping me move forward through the hard days.

What keeps me going is my purpose and my belief that Lerelle can make a difference in people's lives. I face challenges every day, but I face them knowing that I am building something real and meaningful.