That’s what her friend told her.
Fifteen years later, that poor immigrant girl built Showpo — an online fashion brand with over $100 million in annual revenue, becoming one of Australia’s most influential female entrepreneurs.
Jane Lu’s story isn’t just about business.
It’s about resilience, gratitude, and how to turn failure into strength.
The original video is 44 minutes long with over 651,000 views —
but you only need 5 minutes to read the 5 powerful lessons from her journey —
for anyone starting again from zero.
1️⃣ No One Is Ever Ready — Some Just Start Anyway
Jane grew up in a poor immigrant family in Sydney.
Her parents worked long hours in factories, saving every cent, dreaming that their daughter would one day have a “stable, well-paying job.”
And she did.
Jane graduated from university, landed a job at KPMG — one of the world’s biggest accounting firms.
Good salary. Smart colleagues. Proud parents.
But inside, she felt empty.
“Every day I asked myself: is this really the life I want to live until I’m 60?”
She and a friend opened a small clothing store.
For six months, they sourced products from local markets, set up pop-up stalls, took photos, wrote captions, sold everything themselves.
The result: failure.
Then the 2008 financial crisis hit.
Her co-founder quit, leaving behind a painful goodbye:
“Jane, no one buys clothes online. Just stop.”
Jobless and in debt, Jane didn’t dare tell her parents.
Every morning, she put on her suit, took the bus with her mom — pretending she was going to work.
In reality, she went to the library, teaching herself how to build a website, how to market, how to sell.
And from those lonely, uncertain days, Showpo was born — in her parents’ garage.
Lesson:
Don’t wait to be ready before you start.
If you wait until you’re “good enough,” you’ll never begin.
2️⃣ Failure Isn’t the End — It’s the Beginning of Growth
After her first setback, Jane didn’t give up.
A friend introduced her to another entrepreneur who loved fashion too.
Even though she’d lost confidence, Jane agreed to partner up —
“If I don’t have a better idea, I’ll just start with what I have.”
They built a website, took photos with an old camera, uploaded them online, and shared everything on Facebook.
Two months later, they got their first order.
A year later, they were profitable.
That was when Jane realized:
“No one believes in you until you show results.
But if you never take action, those results will never come.”
Her days were brutal — working over 16 hours daily, being the accountant, salesperson, and packer all at once.
But she refused to stop, because she knew — the moment she did, everything could collapse.
Lesson:
Failure doesn’t destroy you.
Fear of failure does.
3️⃣ As Your Business Grows, You Must Grow With It
After more than a decade, Showpo became a global fashion brand with hundreds of employees.
But Jane admits:
“We used to think the more people we had, the stronger the company.
That was one of my biggest mistakes.”
Before the pandemic, Showpo had over 70 employees at its Sydney headquarters.
When COVID-19 hit, Jane had to lay off half of them.
Surprisingly, revenue stayed steady — and profits doubled.
“I learned that an effective business isn’t one with the most people,
but one where everyone creates real value.”
After the crisis, Jane stopped wanting to “build an empire.”
Now she focuses on building a lean, smart, and happy organization.
Lesson:
Growth in size doesn’t mean success.
Learn to do things right before you try to do them big.
4️⃣ Your Personal Brand Is Your Strongest Armor
Jane didn’t come from a media background, but she quickly realized one truth:
“The best brand your business can have is the brand of its founder.”
She began sharing her startup journey online — talking about her failures, her garage beginnings, her rise in fashion.
The more authentic she was, the more people loved her.
Soon, she was invited to become a Shark on a business TV show, to speak at events, and gained thousands of followers.
“I used to chase opportunities.
Now, opportunities find me.”
Jane now spends over 12 hours a week creating content — seeing it as a core part of her business strategy.
Lesson:
In today’s world, personal brand is your most sustainable competitive advantage.
Opportunities don’t go to the most talented —
they go to the most visible.
5️⃣ True Success Is When You Can Give Back
Two years after quitting her job, Jane finally told her parents the truth.
She took them to the most luxurious restaurant in Sydney, gave them their first BMW, and whispered:
“I quit my job.
And now… you can retire.”
That moment, she said, was more meaningful than any revenue milestone.
“My parents left China and lost everything just to give me a chance.
I just wanted them to know — their sacrifice wasn’t wasted.”
Today, Jane Lu not only runs Showpo but also invests, mentors, and inspires thousands of young women around the world.
Lesson:
Wealth isn’t for showing off — it’s for giving back.
True success is when people feel proud simply because you exist.
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