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How Founders Turned Personal Struggles Into Businesses That Solve Problems

Real stories of entrepreneurs who turned their own pain points into thriving businesses.


Some of the most powerful businesses are born out of personal struggles. When you’ve experienced a problem firsthand, you don’t just understand it, you feel it. That insight makes it easier to design a product or service that truly resonates because you’re solving a challenge you once faced yourself. Even better, it gives you a natural edge in marketing since you are, in many ways, your own target audience.


Turning personal struggles into businesses is more than a trend; it’s a powerful way to create purpose-driven brands that connect deeply with people. When you’ve lived through the frustration, confusion, or pain your customers feel, you can connect with them on a more authentic level. You know the exact words they use, the obstacles they face, and the transformation they’re seeking. That understanding builds trust, loyalty, and long-term relationships while helping you grow a business that truly matters.


In this article, Snazz the Edit spoke with founders who have turned their personal struggles into businesses that solve real problems and make a real difference. They share their journeys, their marketing strategies, and the lessons they’ve learned along the way. Whether you’re thinking about starting a business to solve a problem or you already run one and want to get more strategic with your growth, their stories will give you the inspiration and practical advice you need to take the next step.


How the Waver Bun Helped Me Break My Hair-Pulling Habit and Build a Brand That Connects



I’ve always been passionate about healthy hair, but styling mine has never been easy. I have fine, damage-prone hair, and like many teens in the early 2000s, I used straighteners daily and added blonde highlights to look like Avril Lavigne. Over time, this led to breakage, split ends, and eventually an unhealthy coping mechanism: constantly touching, inspecting, and pulling at my hair. What started as a small habit became a full-blown hair pulling disorder.


This habit, often called excessive hair touching or hands in hair syndrome became something I did on autopilot. I only realised how serious it was when I found myself picking at my hair for hours, even while driving. I would zone out at traffic lights, head down, completely absorbed in the habit, until someone behind me honked. My hair became oily quickly, my eyes hurt from looking down, my hair looked damaged and uneven, and my confidence plummeted. Desperate for a solution, I tried everything: fidget toys, braids, ponytails and updo’s but nothing worked. My hands always found their way back in. I knew I needed a tool that would physically prevent me from touching my hair, not just rely on willpower.


That’s when I had the idea for the Waver Bun. A hair tool that holds hair up, just like a bun but without scalp tension, protects against damage, smooths the cuticle, and styles hair into soft, heatless waves. I wanted something I could wear at home, while working, during activities, and overnight. After months of prototyping and years of testing it on myself, I launched it to the public under my brand, Cordina Hair.


Wearing the Waver Bun daily didn’t just style my hair, it stopped the compulsive hair touching and pulling entirely. It made it difficult for me to get my hands in my hair due to the way the hair is wrapped.  It also didn’t create scalp tension so I didn’t experience the headaches or tightness I would normally get from ponytails or typical buns, making it less likely for me to remove my hair from the hair tool and adjust.  It gave me my focus, confidence, and hair health back. I later wrote an article about Hands in Hair Syndrome, which became one of the most-viewed blog posts on the Cordina Hair website, proving just how many others quietly struggle with this issue.


Creating the Waver Bun has been life-changing, not only for me, but for thousands of women around the world. It’s now used by customers who wear it while working, at the gym, during travel or overnight. Many customers tell us how the Waver Bun changed their life and how it improved their hair restore its strength, texture, and shine - all without heat or damage.


Our Cordina Hair tools were initially invented to solve my own personal hair struggles, but I quickly realised that if I was facing these issues, other women likely were too. People connect with problems, and even if they’re not actively searching for a solution, the moment they feel seen or understood, they’re more likely to become a customer. 


As the founder of a hair care brand; Cordina Hair, it initially felt ironic and honestly a little embarrassing to open up about my obsessive hair touching and pulling disorder but sharing that part of my story has helped me connect with my audience on a much deeper level. It built trust, created conversation, and showed other women they weren’t alone.



Turning Personal Struggles Into Businesses: The Inspiring Journey Behind Meet My Paws



I could never have predicted I’d become a three-time entrepreneur when I left school at 16 with few qualifications.


My first job was as a sales assistant, before taking a secretarial course. I never enjoyed being a secretary or PA, but with a mortgage to pay, I stayed. Back then you’d answer ads that read, “attractive Girl Friday, size 10.” It’s hilarious now, but at the time I was running around making coffee, typing letters, ordering the boss’s wife’s birthday gifts and his underwear. I used to say I was a “day wife, without the perks.”


Eighteen years later, I moved into a period flat in Marylebone with a big arched window that begged for a flower box. I couldn’t find one for sale, so I made one. And just like that, Balcombe Street Window Box Co. was born. I had a flair for colour, a knack for PR, and within months, I had rock royalty and titled clients. It was my first taste of building something out of instinct, and it worked.


During COVID, I was getting divorced. So was my neighbour. She tried a matchmaking agency, but the matches were dire. I said, “I could do better,” and I did. Page Introductions came next, a bespoke matchmaking service I ran myself, helping people connect gently, thoughtfully, and on their own terms.


But the real lightbulb moment came after becoming a dog mum. I noticed that people always talked to you when you were out walking your dog, it was one of the last spontaneous ways to meet someone naturally. At the same time, I was growing tired of how online spaces had become so toxic, transactional, and pigeonholed. Not everyone fits into one box, single, divorced, young, old. I wanted to create something softer, more human. A platform for dog lovers that offered real connection, without labels, without pressure.


Launched in May 2025, Meet My Paws is now helping people in over 14 countries connect for walks, advice, travel tips, friendship and yes, sometimes romance. It’s completely free, calm, and inclusive. No awkward icebreakers or scheduled meetups. Just dog lovers finding their people on their own terms.


Everything was built by me, from the tone of voice to the logo, from scratch, with no funding or tech team. I launched in under six months, and we’ve already been featured in the Evening Standard, Daily Mail, Jewish News, The Times, and Best Magazine. It’s not just an app. It’s a global club with no hierarchy, no hard sell, and no pressure, just a genuine connection, one paw at a time.



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