I Built a £4M Fashion Brand, Here's What Nearly Destroyed It | Rokeya Khanum

At 17, she was homeless, living in hostels, with a premature baby and no blueprint. Today her fashion brand has appeared in Vogue and Harper's Bazaar and turned over £4 million. This is the real story of how she built it and what almost broke her. What we cover:00:00 Introduction 02:32 From homelessness at 17 to starting a fashion brand after redundancy and a side hustle beginning as a new mum 05:32 Building in private and why she stepped back from founder content to protect her privacy and choose marketing that fits her 11:23 Rokeya’s founder journey from side hustle to full-time (and how responsibility early in life and community expectations shaped her approach) 19:02 Why there is no fixed path in business or life and how unconventional journeys can still lead to success 23:31 Balancing relationships and ambition as a modern woman (and how to build success alongside personal life) 25:02 Revenue milestones and why profit matters more than turnover when it comes to real business sustainability 29:29 Rebuilding from scratch by restructuring, hiring experts, and removing ego to scale 33:26 The importance of a close support circle and the role of trusted friends throughout the journey 38:42 Becoming your own biggest support system through self-belief, resilience, and confidence 40:11 The reality of success versus expectation including gratitude, rest, and learning to step out of day-to-day operations 44:16 Hiring lessons for growth including slow hiring, fast decisions, referrals, and maintaining high standards 50:28 Motherhood while running a business and managing time as a single parent entrepreneur 57:04 Feeling behind in life? Why personal timelines matter more than comparison Get My Personal Budgeter here - https://www.thebreakresources.com/resources/p/the-budget-planner If you’re an ambitious woman who wants to get clarity on where your money goes and build wealth for the future, sign up for early access to my online wealthy weekend retreat. Spots are limited, so if this sounds like you, sign up now! https://mailchi.mp/thebreakplatform/wealthy-weekend-retreat Follow the Break Social on Instagram for updates:  https://www.instagram.com/thebreaksocial/ For Business and Sponsorship Opportunities: [email protected] Follow Rokeya on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rxkeya/ Follow Khanums on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/khanums/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices