After five years working as a chemical engineer in the water treatment industry, Olivia Davies decided she wanted to be doing something a bit more creative. With a passion for sustainability and a love for entrepreneurialism, the 29-year-old quit her job and embarked on her own business journey.
“It took a while for me to land on secondhand clothing, but I knew I wanted it to be something to do with recycling, and I knew I wanted it to be sustainable and creative. And so, it just grew from there. It’s been way more fun!” Olivia said.
Armed with a rough business plan and her entrepreneurial spirit, Olivia went about setting up Thrifty Gal – buying, upcycling and selling pre-loved clothes otherwise destined for landfill.
A friend put Olivia in touch with a consultant from IntoJobs (part of the IntoWork Group) who helped set her up with the Self-Employment Assistance program – to make sure her idea was viable and to help shape a solid business plan.
“I think more than anything, IntoJobs helped by boosting my confidence,” Olivia said. “I’d developed a business plan, but I was just sitting on it, wondering if I’d done any of this right. At that point, I was still only looking at op shops. IntoJobs really helped with the plan and answered all my questions and really helped me to have a more holistic understanding of how a business needs to be operated.”
Olivia decided the range of clothes from op-shops was limited and expanded her reach to rescuing clothes from Southeast Asia, Europe and eventually Pakistan, India and Africa.
With mentoring support from IntoJobs and a network of like-minded business people to work alongside and learn from, Olivia was able to turn her idea into what has become a successful business.
IntoJobs Business Navigator, Claudia Chavez, knew that Olivia had the drive and passion to succeed and that she just needed a little guidance to get Thrifty Gal off the ground.
“Once we helped put a proper plan in place, Olivia had the vision and the ambition to turn what she loves and what she believes in into a viable retail venture. It’s a very clever idea and part of an important movement to prevent so many from clothes going to waste. She’s now in a position where she can take what she’s learned and help other businesses achieve their goals,” Claudia said.
Olivia says the pre-loved clothes market offers consumers more choice, more unique options and an opportunity to contribute to a more sustainable world. She believes that re-using is the future – not just for the planet but for how we approach fashion and the way we live.
“I took a leap and just had a go. I thought in the worst-case scenario, I’ll still have learned so many new skills and have an interesting and fun experience. And it worked out, which is really, really cool!”
