‘Had a good cry’: 27-year-old left in tears after failed market day

A young business owner has revealed just how hard it is to build a brand after she was left in tears following a visit to a local market.

When it comes to business, there are always highs and lows, and a young Aussie was left devastated after spending a whole day at a Sydney market and making zero sales.

Caoimhe Stewart started her active wear brand BEAU in 2024 because she wanted to make people feel “beautiful and confident” in their everyday lives.

The 27-year-old recently set up a stall at Sydney’s popular Glebe Markets, spending $450 preparing for the day only to leave with zero sales and damaged stock.

“I was so excited,” she told news.com.au.

“I arrived early, between 7 and 8am, to set up before the market opened at 10am. Unfortunately, it rained heavily on and off all day.”

Caoimhe Stewart was so excited for the markets. Picture: Instagram/caoimhe_stewart

The 27-year-old arrived early and was ready to make a splash. Picture: Instagram/caoimhe_stewart

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Ms Stewart said that, even though the market was still busy enough, she didn’t make a “single sale”, which was heartbreaking.

“My gift bags got soaked, my flyers were ruined and, at one point, a lady accidentally knocked over one of my clothing rails into the wet ground, ruining over 40 pieces of clothing,” she explained.

“It was heartbreaking. Not only had I invested so much into the day, but losing that much stock also set the business back financially.

“I went home completely exhausted, mentally, physically, and emotionally and of course, had a good cry.”

The young business owner admitted that the experience was so “crushing” that she needed a few weeks to regroup from the disappointment before she felt comfortable sharing it online.

She ended up going home in tears. Picture: Instagram/caoimhe_stewart

Eventually, she opened up about her experience on TikTok, and the response was exactly what she needed.

Lots of people commented and told her to “hang in there” and “keep going” even when it was

hard.

People also shared that they loved the brand’s look, and the overwhelming response turned her market failure into a marketing success.

“The support I’ve received through social media with the comments, messages and people sharing on their own stories has been amazing,” she said.

“It helped spread the word about BEAU and now I’m starting to see more people placing orders and getting excited about the brand.

“I always say, people need to feel the clothing themselves to really understand the quality.”

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She said the support she got online was a massive win. Picture: Instagram/caoimhe_stewart

She started the brand all by herself. Picture: Instagram/caoimhe_stewart

The 27-year-old is now back to feeling “excited” about the brand. She’s always loved fashion and having her own brand has always been one of her dreams.

“I saved up my own money and started the brand without any external investment, learning and doing everything myself along the way,” she said.

“It’s something I’ve loved building every step of the way. Since the business is still growing, I wear all the hats: modelling my own clothes, running the website and social media pages, handling the financial side, and creating the clothing itself.”

Even though growing a business is hard, and even though sometimes she ends up in tears, there’s also been such big wins along the way.

“Seeing other people wearing and loving BEAU is what keeps me going. I’m doing something I truly love, and when I see that it’s having a positive impact on others too, it makes everything worth it,” she said.

Ms Stewart said that, ultimately, some days are better than others, but even the “smallest wins” push her to keep trying.

“I really believe in being honest about the journey, including the tough parts, because I think people can relate to that and want to come along for the ride with me.”

Originally published as ‘Had a good cry’: 27-year-old left in tears after failed market day