‘Hardest parts’: A young Aussie has revealed why she quit her full-time job to start a business
A young Aussie was earning a really solid income, and has a mortgage but that didn’t stop her from quitting her well-paid job.
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A young Aussie with a mortgage was earning six figures when she decided to quit her lucrative job to start her own business.
Maddie Langshaw, 26, has worked in social media and marketing since she was 20, both in-house and freelance.
Ms Langshaw said she didn’t take the decision to walk away from earning $100,000+ lightly. In fact, the idea of throwing away her financial security made her anxious.
“It was one of the hardest parts. I’ve been financially independent since I left home at 21,” she told news.com.au.
“My fiance and I have bought a home together, and we’re planning (and paying for) our wedding ourselves. So yes, I was nervous, because I’ve always relied on that financial stability to feel secure.”
MORE: Everything you need to know about calling it quits
Ms Langshaw said the decision was tough because she finally “had the salary I’ve been working towards” and she’d secured the kind of role she’d always thought would make her feel content.
On paper, her life looked great and impressive. She was a young homeowner in Sydney, and she’d made a name for herself in a competitive creative agency, but she felt “unhappy” and unsettled.
“I felt disconnected from the work, constantly overwhelmed, and like I was just ticking boxes to get through the week,” she explained.
“Walking away from that stability was scary, but staying felt worse. I knew I had to back myself.”
MORE: How to quit a new job if something better comes up
Ms Langshaw’s decision is part of a growing trend. According to the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics data there has been a surge in career changes, with nearly one in 10 Aussies switching jobs in the past year alone.
Aussies are changing jobs at the highest rate in a decade.
In the background, Ms Langshaw had been working on her slow-fashion brand, Audrey Atelier.
She’d created the kind of brand she’d been looking for as a consumer: a place where you could buy good-quality clothes that were less about chasing trends and more about timeless pieces.
The 26-year-old said that she’d been “quietly building the brand” in the background and poured $15,000 into it.
Once she felt confident in the production and her vision, she knew that she couldn’t keep doing jobs that didn’t fulfil her.
She’d also been spurred on by taking time off to deal with a sudden family illness and said a “phone call with some scary news reminded me how short life is” and she didn’t want to not take risks from fear.
“It wasn’t a reckless decision, I still freelance consult to keep some income coming in, but it was definitely a leap. Just one I knew I needed to take,” she said.
“One morning, I just woke up and knew, it was time. I quit my role and took the leap.”
The business owner is still freelancing to support herself while the brand grows, but she feels like she’s living out her dream, one she shoved to the side because she’d always thought it wasn’t “realistic or possible”, and now she’s living it.
Ms Langshaw explained that while she believes fast fashion and micro-trends dominate the industry right now, she’s also seeing consumers fed up with buying clothes that fall apart.
“I wanted to create something that stood in complete contrast to that. A slower, more conscious approach to fashion, pieces you buy with intention, knowing they’ll last and hopefully be passed down, not just worn because they’re going viral on social media,” she explained.
“It’s not about trend forecasting. It’s about choosing pieces that truly fit into your wardrobe and your lifestyle, that work with what you already own.
“I kept coming back to this idea of living between past and present, and one day, it just clicked. That could be the foundation of the brand.”
The designer started by creating limited drops, only 50 units per release, combining original designs with thrifted and repurposed pieces.
“People are absolutely loving it! We’ve sold out 50 per cent of our Past Collection, and the response has been amazing,” she explained.
“Customers really appreciate the uniqueness of our approach, knowing they’re purchasing something that no one else will have.”
She’s also been thrilled to see people “raving” about the quality of the pieces, and it’s been rewarding to see customers sharing videos and photos of themselves in her clothes.
“I can’t help but feel so proud. It truly makes my day to see them loving the pieces, it’s such a rewarding feeling knowing the dedication and care that’s gone into creating the brand is being appreciated,” she said.
“There’s something so special about seeing my designs come to life on real people!”
Originally published as ‘Hardest parts’: A young Aussie has revealed why she quit her full-time job to start a business
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