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Being 'Lazy' Paid Off: Her Failed Side Hustle Led to a Business That Brings in Over $100 Million a Year Jane Lu couldn't imagine working her 9-5 for the next 40 years — so she chose a different path.

By Amanda Breen Edited by Jessica Thomas

Key Takeaways

  • Jane Lu left her position as an analyst at Ernst & Young to pursue a side hustle that failed, and then led to something bigger.
  • She reveals why "being lazy is a virtue" for entrepreneurs who want to level up their businesses.
Courtesy of Showpo

In 2010, Jane Lu, now the founder and CEO of Australian online fashion retailer Showpo, was working as an analyst at Ernst & Young, and she couldn't imagine doing it for the next 40 years. So Lu quit the job to pursue her then-side hustle, running pop-up stores that stocked products from emerging designers. But one month in, that business failed.

"I found myself unemployed, in debt and ashamed," Lu tells Entrepreneur. "The worst part was, this all happened during the global financial crisis, so I couldn't get another job. I was essentially left with no other option but to start another business."

Related: 44 Side Hustle Ideas to Make Extra Money in 2023 | Entrepreneur

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