An Australian student who took a risk by secretly dropping out of university to start a business from her one-bedroom apartment during the lockdown has well and truly proven that she had what it takes.
Chloe Zhu from Sydney, Australia, was studying for her bachelor’s degree at the age of 19 when she realised a post-grad career wasn't for her.
“I couldn’t help but feel extremely lost with the direction I was going down in my career with my uni degree,” she confided to 7Life.
“After changing my degree twice and still feeling like I wasn’t in the right place, I knew that university wasn’t quite right for me so I dropped out.
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“I didn’t tell my family about dropping out of university for about eight months."
Her parents had their reservations, with Chloe explaining: “They definitely weren’t happy at first and were trying to convince me out of the decision, even suggesting I take a break on my business to finish my studies first.
“But I knew that I would be able to make them proud and stay true to myself in my own way, and they eventually came around.”
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Having always dreamed of launching a beauty brand, she seized her chance during COVID-19 lockdown in December 2021.
The idea came from needing a manicure when nail salons across Australia were shut amid the global pandemic.
“I came across press-on nails at the chemist and thought they were a brilliant idea. But while they were great in concept, they did not work for me at all," she explained, adding how many of them were too big for her fingers.
She went home and began furiously researching the market, the product and the celebrity trend for press-on nails she could tap into - and came up with her own press-on nail brand Glowie.
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Over the next few months, she used the isolation to secretly build her brand using $25,000 from the money she made from a tutoring business she'd started alongside her degree.
After a TikTok video went viral a month before launching, her brand made sales from day one.
At the age of 21, her brand is now a runaway success, racking up more than six figures in annual revenue and making up to AUD$10,000 in sales a day
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“You’re constantly learning and figuring it out as you go; there’s no one telling you what to do or when to show up - it’s all up to you. It’s scary and beautiful at the same time,” she confessed.
But Chloe’s journey wasn't plain sailing: “I felt very lonely starting my business, and often couldn’t go out with friends because I was so busy with the business.
“I’ve also struggled with burnout. Earlier this year, there came a point where it felt like I didn’t want to wake up in the morning because I was so exhausted from working months on end without any break."
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Sometimes she has to pinch herself: “My life looks completely different and I’m still in shock at how you can change your career path in such a short amount of time.
“Now I’m in a job that uses so many different skills that are analytical, creative, and technical all at once - from building the website, optimising our SEO, and of course, designing our product launches - and I couldn’t ask for a more fulfilling job."
And as for Chloe's advice for those starting a business?
“Your first business may not be your life’s work, mine wasn’t, but you’ll learn so much about the world of business and yourself along the way when you just dive into it.
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“You figure it out as you go.”
Amelia Jones