“I Built My First Business at 16…”
I built my first business at sixteen.
Not to be a “boss babe.”
Not for anything flashy or aspirational.
I did it to afford textbooks… and aerobics classes.
After my parents split, everything changed.
There was no financial support.
No emotional safety net to fall back on.
But I did have two things:
Dance skills…
and a ridiculous amount of grit.
So I did what I had to do.
I started supplying go-go dancers to nightclubs — and yes, I was one of them.
I danced six-hour shifts.
Managed a full team of dancers.
Handled bookings, logistics, and payments.
I ran that business like my life depended on it.
Because honestly?
It did.
That little hustle paid for my education.
It bought my textbooks.
And it supported my training — training that later led me to become a two-time Australian Aerobics Champion.
I didn’t have perfect timing.
I didn’t have ideal conditions.
I didn’t have a safety cushion.
What I had was a reason big enough to move.
And that’s something I’ve carried with me ever since — through every pivot, every risk, every leap into the unknown.
You don’t need everything figured out to begin.
You don’t need permission.
You don’t need the stars to align.
You need a reason that’s stronger than fear.
Built from nothing.
Fuelled by necessity.
That’s how resilience is forged.
And that’s how legends are born.