FEARLESS FOUNDERS | CHLOE MUNRO - CZE HAIR
Juggling motherhood and entrepreneurship is no small feat, but for Chloe Munro, founder of CZE Hair, the two have become deeply intertwined. With 20 years of experience as a hairdresser, Chloe had always dreamed of creating her own haircare line, one that prioritised clean, effective ingredients. That dream became a reality in 2020, as she was navigating life as a new mother and the challenges of running a business during the pandemic.
Now, after rebranding and expanding CZE Hair, Chloe reflects on the lessons she’s learned, the balance she’s found, and the determination that drives her forward. In this edition of Fearless Founders, she shares her journey, from launching a brand in the midst of chaos to developing products that support women through every stage of life.
Take us back to the beginning, what inspired you to take the leap into starting your own business?
I’ve been a hairdresser for 20 years now, so I have a huge love and passion for creating effortlessly beautiful hair. I had always had a dream to create my own haircare range and my go-to product to use in the salon on clients was always hair oil, so that was the first product of the collection. It was important to me to formulate hair products free from silicones and unnecessary ingredients. I teamed up with a leading skincare chemist and together we combined her skincare knowledge with my haircare experience. The full CZE range is formulated with clean beauty ingredients, commonly found in skincare, which benefit both the scalp and hair.
Launching your brand shortly after becoming a mother must have been challenging. How did you find navigating that period balancing ambition and parenthood?
At the time when I launched my haircare range in 2020, I was juggling life as a new mum and still working in the salon with clients. To be completely honest, it was too much at times. I felt stretched and knew something had to give in order to be the best mother I could be, and wanted to be. It was also right in the middle of Covid, so times were pretty crazy. In 2022 I decided to close my hair salon in order to focus on being a mum and growing my haircare business as it required a lot of time.
How has becoming a mother influenced your perspective on success, and how do you manage the delicate balance between your business’ needs and your family’s?
My children always come first. I feel fortunate enough that I have that flexibility to be with my kids when they need me, especially with them being so young. It really is a case of putting in the hard work when they are in daycare and school and making good use of my time.
As a community of mums, hair health is something that we know a lot of women need support with in their postpartum journey. In what ways did your personal experience with postpartum hair changes shape the creation of products like the Refine Scalp Serum?
It really goes back to when I was working with clients and seeing their postpartum hair loss journey, it was hard to see and I really felt for them. Then with my first child I experienced it for myself. I had always had thick long hair and I found myself losing handfuls. I knew I needed to develop a natural growth serum that was safe to use while breastfeeding, but also safe to use while pregnant. There wasn’t a lot on the market that I could trust were safe and effective, so I developed the Refine Scalp Serum, which is clinically proven to re-activate healthy hair growth and reduce hair loss by 53% within 45 days.*
Running a business requires constant motivation and inspiration. What helps you maintain mental and physical momentum?
For me exercise plays a huge part in keeping me motivated, I think at times as a mother you can feel so trapped and stuck in the same routine. I really found giving myself an hour each day either before the kids wake up or at night once they are in bed is the best time to workout. It helps to clear my mind and keeps me feeling mentally in control of what I need to achieve.
What key lessons have you learned as a founder, and how have qualities developed through motherhood influenced your approach to business?
I’ve really learnt to trust my intuition, and to block out the noise. There will always be other opinions on what you should be doing as a business owner and a mother but I have found when I go with my gut feeling, it always feels right.
What advice would you give to other aspiring business owners and mothers balancing both roles?
Be kind to yourself, it’s not easy, but to also celebrate all the small wins! Try and find a good balance that works for you as a mother, then you get to enjoy both career and motherhood.
Can you share any exciting things with us about what 2025 holds for CZE Hair?
I am developing a very exciting new CZE product, one that will be incredibly useful for lots of mothers. We are also launching into more stores across Australia and I am so excited, so stay tuned!
Our Fearless Quickfire
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Early bird or night owl? - Early bird!
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Wine or Gin? - Wine
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Favourite productivity hack? - Write it down
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Best source of motivation? - Exercise
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Are you a planner or lastminiute.com? - Bit of both
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Must-have item in your entrepreneur / mum survival kit? - Baby wipes & my mini hair oil
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Go-to stress-relief technique? - Exercise
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Favourite podcast or book for inspiration or business insights? - Mel Robbins
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One thing you wish you had more time for? - Me ( better sleep)
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One word that describes the intersection of motherhood and entrepreneurship for you? - Determination
