Authenticity, Adversity, and Algorithms: How Olivia McVeigh Built a Social Media Empire

About this episode

Olivia McVeigh shares her journey of overcoming adversity to build a successful social media empire and offers insights on entrepreneurship and personal branding.

In this inspiring episode, we sit down with 27-year-old entrepreneur and social media sensation Olivia McVeigh. Diagnosed with alopecia at a young age, Olivia transformed personal adversity into a thriving portfolio of purpose-driven businesses. Tune in to discover how she founded Ireland's first wig workshop, built a highly successful bridal makeup enterprise, and became a leading voice in influencer marketing. Olivia shares actionable insights on how founders can leverage platforms like TikTok to build authentic personal brands, showcase behind-the-scenes content, and connect with niche audiences. We also dive deep into the meteoric rise of the Girls Group Chat podcast, exploring community building, Patreon monetisation, and the power of unapologetic authenticity in modern media. Whether you want to scale a specialised business or master social media storytelling, this episode is packed with essential entrepreneurial lessons. Brought to you in association with EY. The views and opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are their own and do not reflect the views or positions of EY or its other member Firms. EY proudly sponsors the Trading Up podcast but does not endorse or…

People in this episode

Guest: Olivia McVeigh

Topics covered

• entrepreneurship
• social media
• personal branding
• influencer marketing
• community building
• business growth

Keywords

• alopecia
• wig workshop
• bridal makeup
• TikTok
• Patreon
• authenticity
• influencer

Sponsors

EY

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Queen’s Business School

Books & works: Girls Group Chat podcast

Places: Ireland

More episodes of Trading Up

• Unpacked: Northern Ireland’s Population Peak and The Impact of Decline · June 10, 2026 · 43 min
• Bravery and Kindness and The Modern Business of Law · June 3, 2026 · 51 min
• Unpacked: Beyond the Bank - Private Equity and the Resilience of Northern Ireland’s Economy · May 27, 2026 · 46 min
• From Communist heritage to Capitalist Tsar to becoming Putin’s Enemy Number One: The Bill Browder Story · May 20, 2026 · 44 min
• Bootstrapping Oatco to £1M, Surviving Dragon's Den, & Making Forbes 30 Under 30 with Laura Murphy · May 13, 2026 · 43 min
• The Democratic Regression: The Rise of Autocracy and Its Threat to Free Markets · May 6, 2026 · 41 min