About Rae Elizabeth Palmer and the Origins of WELOVE

Rae Elizabeth Palmer is an award-winning hairdresser, educator, and changemaker who has dedicated her career to elevating and empowering the professional hair industry. With decades of experience behind the chair and within education, Rae has built her reputation on creativity, integrity, and a deep belief that hair professionals deserve to be seen, heard, and respected for the skilled artists and business owners they truly are.

After years of witnessing the challenges many stylists face, Rae became determined to make real change. She founded WELOVE and The Purple Hearts Club to create a movement that allows hairdressers to lead their own industry, gain stronger representation, and be recognised for their craft. Her mission is to give Hair Pros a voice, abolish stigma, and push for government recognition so the industry can receive the support, structure, and laws it needs to grow safely and sustainably.

At the heart of Rae’s vision is a belief in community over competition. The Purple Hearts Club is about bringing Hair Pros together to share skills, celebrate each other’s success, and learn not only the creative side of hairdressing, but also the business side that helps them thrive. Through education, mentorship, and collaboration, Rae continues to build a trusted space where professionals can grow in confidence, connection, and commercial success.

In 2024, Rae met Ruth Jeffery, an experienced marketer and strong advocate for women in business. Ruth has worked with some of the world’s most recognisable brands, including Harrods, GAP, UKTV, and Hachette Livre. In 2022, she founded her own consultancy helping women define and launch their personal brands as solo entrepreneurs. Introduced through a mutual hair industry contact, Rae and Ruth quickly discovered a shared vision for empowering creative professionals to succeed on their own terms. Their friendship and business partnership flourished, and Ruth now works full-time alongside Rae as an integral part of the WELOVE and Purple Hearts leadership team, combining her strategic expertise with Rae’s creative and educational vision to drive the movement forward.

Together, Rae and Ruth are building more than a brand, they’re building a community, a platform, and a legacy that celebrates the heart, craft, and business of being a modern Hair Pro.