I began my career in retail at 16 after leaving school to attend college. I progressed quickly into management at a young age, taking on significant responsibility early on, a role that, while valuable, also came with considerable pressure. I chose not to pursue university, as I knew a traditional academic route wasn’t the right fit for me. Instead, I committed to working full-time in retail. I loved the people I worked with, but over time I realised the role itself didn’t fulfil me. I found myself questioning why I was working so hard to build someone else’s vision rather than my own. I moved between stores, consistently working my way up. Around this time, although the beauty industry wasn’t as prominent as it is today, I began noticing people offering treatments such as lashes and brows. I felt drawn to it immediately and knew I wanted to explore something new. In my early twenties, I completed my first brow course and began working part-time from my parents’ conservatory. From the very beginning, I loved it. Despite this, I wasn’t quite ready to take the leap. I was later offered a head office role, which meant relocating for better pay, accommodation, and a company car, an opportunity that made sense at the time. When Covid hit, I returned home and was furloughed. During this period, I started offering brow treatments again. Even after returning to work, I continued building my brow business in the evenings and at weekends. I worked relentlessly, and in 2021, I made the decision to leave retail and commit to brows full-time. The only thing I missed was the incredible people I had met along the way. Since then, I’ve built a loyal client base and expanded into teaching brows to like-minded individuals. Taking that leap was genuinely the best decision I’ve ever made. I now work on my own terms, with the freedom to design my career around my life. I no longer ask for time off, I earn more, and I finally have the work-life balance I always wanted, including something I never had in retail: Christmas off. While I don’t have children yet, I’ve built a life and career that allows for that future. And above all, I’m incredibly proud of how far I’ve come.