ADVERTORIAL You might know Maggie Zhou as a sharp cultural commentator, style influencer and content creator. But before social media stardom, Zhou built her profile by working in media, cutting her teeth as an editor and writer for various fashion and lifestyle publications. Then, late last year, something ignited in the Melbourne native: a curiosity to go it alone.
Zhou says it's something that's lingered in the back of her mind for years. So much so that the lure of "what if" evolved into "if not now, then when?" "I'm quite a risk-averse person, but I knew that if I didn't make the leap to freelancing, I would spend a lot of time wondering what I might be missing out on," she explains. However, as anyone with an entrepreneurial dream knows, the safeguard of employment can be difficult to let go of — particularly in an uncertain economy.
This was a very real concern for Zhou, but one that she addressed analytically. "The decision had been in the works for years through monitoring my income from content creation. I eventually got to a place where I was comfortable enough to do it on my own.
" So, six months on, how is Zhou managing freelance life? She's finding her feet, one step at a time. Despite having a profile through her editorial work and social media, Zhou says transitioning into full-time entrepreneurialism was a slow burn. What's more, making her freelance debut in December — a time when many brands are winding down for the year — took Zhou outside of her comf.