A TEEN mum who left school with no qualifications has shared how she turned her life around and now runs a six-figure business.
Paige Brookes dropped out when she was just 13-years-old – two years before her dad tragically died in a motorbike accident.
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Estranged from her mum, she was working at McDonald’s for minimum age at 16 and was living out of a hostel when she unexpectedly fell pregnant and miscarried, reports What’s The Jam.
Two years later, Paige got pregnant again and this time carried to term.
While overjoyed with her bundle of joy – who she named Oscar – the single mum soon fell pregnant with her second child, Everleigh.
The Stafford native knew that she needed to find a way to earn more money and build a secure future for herself and her children.
Read More On Side Hustles
In just five years, the mum-of-three has built a business empire that is set to turn over £400,000 this year.
“I didn’t have a good start in life,” the now-23-year-old told Absolutely Business.
“I was moved around the care system and became lost in the school system.
“I’ve never gained a GCSE or been to college and had my eldest when I was 18 years old.
“I faced many hardships growing up, but I was determined to work hard and earn money.
Paige recalled how she worked two jobs a day in an effort to keep her family afloat.
“It started with an admin job in a funeral home, working 9 to 5, plus a two-hour commute,” she explained.
“Then I’d take a break before rushing to a late-night café to work from 8pm to midnight, all while I was pregnant.”
She shared how her growing family gave her the drive she needed to succeed.
“Despite having no outside support, I was excited to be a mum and determined my children would have a better upbringing than I did,” she said.
“I’ve had times in my life where I’ve been doing a basic shop and I was 13p short at the till.
Side hustles in numbers
Based on new research from Finder, an estimated 22.8 million Brits are using side hustles to top up their income.
Among those aged 18-23, 68 percent have a side hustle in 2024.
Those aged 24-42 aren’t far behind, with 65 per cent having an additional source of income.
Side hustles are less popular among older generations, with 40 percent of those aged 43-54 having one.
Whereas 23 percent of people aged 55-73 and just 7 per cent of those aged 74 and over are earning extra cash this way.
“I’ve felt embarrassed and alone, I couldn’t afford sanitary products when I was living in care.
“It would have been very easy to slip into a difficult and depressing way of life, but my family deserved more than that.”
In 2019, the single mum set up her own online business called Behind The Trend.
“It all started when I had a gift card for Currys and I saw a [hobby craft] machine called ‘Cricut Joy,'” Paige said.
“I started to watch TikTok videos about what I could do with it.
“I made my first order sitting on the floor of my council estate flat when my son was just six-months-old.
“I ordered some keying blanks of baby boxes from Amazon for £8 and it started there.
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“I fell in love with it so quickly and made a Facebook group called Behind The Trend because I always wanted to be the one behind new trends and starting them.”
Paige then created a new design and quickly had hundreds of orders.
“The baby boxes were a 16-compartment, personalised photo storage box for children’s memories.
She sold hundreds of the items at £50 each.
“This was the first time I had real money [in] my bank account and I couldn’t get stock in fast enough,” she recalled.
“I had to upgrade my machine and I knew from the shipping addresses all over the country that I could really make something from this.”
Today, Paige juggles “three babies and three businesses”.
Alongside Behind The Trend, which now also offers accessories and personalised drink tumblers, she has also founded Pinky Promises, an events company, and runs an online consultancy business.
I used to make £10 a day in orders – now that figure is at £5,000 a day.
Paige Brookes
She’s also expanded her family; along with five-year-old Oscar and four-year-old Everleigh, she also has one-year-old Noah, who she shares with her partner, Connor.
“Now I’ve got savings and investments and a solid future for my family,” she said.
“It’s not money I’m addicted to, it’s what I can provide for my children with that money, that’s why I work so hard.”
Paige shares her life and business wins on TikTok in a bid to be as open and honest as possible, and encourage other young women to bet on themselves.
“I’m so open about my upbringing because I used to look at other people’s lives and wonder how they did it, always assuming they had the easy route,” she said.
“I used to make £10 a day in orders – now that figure is at £5,000 a day, but it didn’t happen overnight.
“I’m really transparent about money, why be secretive? It’s not detrimental to my business, there is space for everyone at the table.
“You don’t have to have a perfect start – but you can turn your life around.
“While it can be very exhausting, it’s also the most rewarding feeling in the world to know that I’ve worked hard to get where I am and I’m doing it for my family.”
Read more on the Scottish Sun
In the future, Paige would like to travel the world and buy a property for herself and her family.
For now, she’s grateful to not have to check her bank balance for a food shop and to be able to give back to other women.
