Let’s be real for a second — entrepreneurship is glamourised way too much. People love the highlights: the press features, the viral moments, the “I made six figures in six days” stories. But not enough people talk about what it’s like to build when you’re in debt, stressed, and stretching every single pound to make it all work.
In January 2019, I lost my appeal and was hit with a £37,000 debt bill. My other debts at the time, we’re around £18,000. After the trauma I was living through, I wasn’t working, had JUST moved in to a new house (fees galore) and quite frankly did NOT have £55K to clear debt. With no job, 3 kids and less than £1,000 in savings, I had no clue what i was going to do. My monthly outgoings were around £900 a mont, just on bills not debts, and the only option that looked viable for me was bankruptcy. But bankruptcy meant loosing the house I JUST got the keys too, so I made a payment plan and vowed to clear it within 5 years. But depression really kicked in, mom life was stressful, I was going through PTSD too. and i just buried my head in the sand for around 8/9 months. In this time i would avoid calls, or send minimal payments, but December 2019, I told my self, in the new year, i will get my life back. And that genuinely was the plan, i knew how i would get more clients, and I had already ”accepted” that i would need to be working 16 hour days. I relooked at my finances in January 2020, and i owed £54,831.49p. After a whole year, i had cleared just under £300. I was ready to start the journey, i came up with an elaborate plan of how i could earn an extra £1,000 a month just to clear this, and then Covid happened.
I say all this to say, its 4 years later and i now owe £35k. For reasons i wont disclose, this debt got added to. At one point i was completely debt free (outside of my credit cards) and at another it was 0% interest at £21,300. I’ve had £200 months and £10k months.
I say all this to say we are now in a turning point in my journey. After visiting the states last month, i know theres more for me out there, and being debt free again, is a step i need to take, to be able to pursue my dreams.
I’ve already made the commitment to clear this £35,000 worth of debt, but this month, the weight of it felt heavy. Summer was popping on socials — holidays, brunches, carnival — and I was home budgeting, building, batching content, and figuring out how to turn ideas into income.
But here’s what I know for sure: discipline is louder than aesthetics. It’s time i take the right steps to clear this once and for all because in 2 months time i have to ut in this application!
In August, I focused on:
- Digital products that cost £0 to create but could generate passive income
- Repurposing old content instead of always starting from scratch
- Using AI (shoutout to ChatGPT!) to lighten the mental load and stay consistent
- Growing brands like @x[REDACTED]x quietly, while letting the story unfold in real time
I also had to get real about financial shame. Because it creeps in — that feeling of “how can I be a successful entrepreneur and still be in debt?” But the truth is, debt doesn’t disqualify you. It doesn’t make you less professional. It doesn’t cancel out your talent. It just means you’re human. And you’re navigating life while still choosing to build anyway.
What helped me the most this month was reminding myself that my story has power.
So if you’re building while broke, struggling to see the bigger picture, or wondering if it’s even worth it — let this be your sign: keep going. Keep showing up. Keep refining your offers, stacking your wins, and trusting your pace.
August reminded me that quiet seasons aren’t wasted. They’re where your future self is built.
And the bag? The bag is coming. But more importantly — so is peace, purpose, and power. And I am allowed to have all three.
