How Bankruptcy Inspired My Career

While contemplating the most suitable platform for this article, I have pondered whether LinkedIn is the ideal forum. However, in a world that provides us with diverse platforms to share our stories, it appears to me that LinkedIn is one that fosters authenticity. We are here with a business purpose, but we are not only professionals; we are multifaceted individuals. Our personal experiences often shape the trajectory we embark on in our careers. Hence, this article aims to inspire and remind us that even in the depths of our lowest moments, we can summon courage by sharing our stories and refocusing on our collective purpose. It is a call to continue learning, to rise above adversity, to embrace fresh beginnings, to have unwavering faith in our dreams, and ultimately, to live our lives to the fullest. I hope that this resonates with some of you and offers inspiration for your life goals, no matter what part of your journey you are at.

Featured in this picture is the young 20-year-old me sitting in a weathered Volvo with my 18-year-old brother, Justin. It was a scorching day, and the car lacked power steering, air conditioning, and electric windows. We were young, humble, and our lives were about to take a turn as we embarked on our respective careers.

Our mother, Helen, a determined entrepreneur who had migrated to Australia from India before starting a family, had just filed for bankruptcy. I vividly remember the moment she received the call from her lawyer. It was like erasing her accumulated assets in a moment of a monopoly game. The board was wiped clean of everything! Tears streamed down her face at the news. She bought the old Volvo in place of her Mercedes Benz. As a young adult, I couldn't fully grasp the implications of bankruptcy.

Witnessing my mother's struggle to find employment as a middle-aged woman in the business world was eye-opening. Despite her experience and qualifications, she faced rejection after rejection. In the meantime, she humbly accepted a job at a market research call centre and graciously introduced me to my first job there. We worked side by side in an office predominantly occupied by young university students, I conducted research interviews at night and studied during the day.

Readjusting from our once beautiful home where we celebrated many wonderful events and extravagant parties. We now resided in a small modest rental property. With one less bedroom than what we needed for the four of us. I volunteered to sleep in the lounge room. In December one year, our home phone line was disconnected as the bill was in arrears. Mobile phones and the internet weren’t quite the main source of communication in the 90’s so having no home phone was like cutting us off from the world and you can only imagine what that was like as a 20-year-old!

It was that Christmas that a Salvation Army volunteer arrived at our doorstep with a box of food. It was a humbling moment, teaching me the importance of setting aside pride and reaching out for help. Since then, I have made it a tradition to give back every Christmas, knowing in my heart that someone, somewhere, needs assistance regardless of how they may appear.

This experience led me to realise that I wanted to make a difference in people's lives. I made the difficult decision to put my studies on hold and postpone my dreams of attending film school, and the aspiration of walking red carpets as a celebrated Scriptwriter or aspiring Film Director.

Instead, I secured a job at Optus in their call centre, where I helped collect outstanding debt from individuals struggling to pay their bills. The irony was not lost on me. Empathising with small business owners who relied on their phones for their livelihood, I understood the predicament they faced. I advocated for them, negotiating payment plans and preventing service suspensions or debt collections. It brought me immense satisfaction to assist people in need.

While I found fulfilment in my role, it was my younger brother Justin who possessed an innate entrepreneurial spirit. He worked part-time at Central Station Records, which at the time was one of Sydney's most popular music stores, and often shared insights on the secondary t-shirt line they offered. I often picked him up in the Volvo after his shift and he tried his best on the way home to inspire me to venture into the t-shirt business, envisioning its potential in the multi-billion-dollar market, now estimated at over $38 billion globally. However, it is with incredible sadness that our plans never eventuated.

On Tuesday 30 April 1997, I was seated at my desk in the Optus call centre with a headset on. My personal line flashed. I picked up the call. I was to hear that Justin had been tragically killed in the early hours of the morning.

My chest tightened. My throat choked. I pulled the headset off my head and staggered to my manager’s desk in a daze weaving through dozens of my friendly teammates busy on calls and oblivious to the news that sent shockwaves through my body. I collapsed into his arms as he reached to catch me from falling to a heap on the ground. Everything around me seemed to have faded as he arranged for a dear colleague to accompany me in a taxi to my mum’s work (still the market research call centre). I faced the heart-wrenching task of seeing her being comforted by two detectives and having to pick up the conversation on her behalf piecing together fragments of his last known movements. At 49, my mother found herself at her lowest point, not only struggling through financial hardship but in grieving the loss of her only son.

In the face of adversity, my sister Julie and I, aged 16 and 21, respectively, made the decision to find an apartment closer to the city and support our mother through these trying times. We became not just family but also roommates, banding together to overcome bankruptcy and the depths of grief. Despite the pain, we readjusted our lives and persevered.

During that time, I made a vow to myself. As I moved through the following decades, I would work tirelessly to establish a strong position in my career, becoming an independent woman who could strive for the best possible future. By the time I would turn 50, I hoped to look back and see how far we had come, fulfilling my brother's aspiration of buying our mother the Porsche to replace the old, weathered Volvo.

Bankruptcy instilled in me tenacity, resilience, drive, determination, and strength. It taught me that even when we reach the pinnacle, we can fall hard. My mother's incredible journey of inspiring bravery to immigrate to Australia, the land of opportunity, and pave the way as a female leader while raising a family became the foundation for my own path. Although I did not become a business owner as I initially envisioned, I found fulfilment in building a stable career and shaping my lifestyle around the work I have contributed to various businesses.

As I approach my 50th birthday in 18 months, as a single mother myself, I remain devoted to making a difference by leading authentically through emotional intelligence as a woman in business. I wholeheartedly embrace diversity and continually seek positive outcomes that create success in both my professional endeavours and personal life.

It is ironically beautiful that my children, Isabella, and Oliver, will be 20 and 18 respectively when I turn 50 in 2025, resembling the ages Justin and I were in this photo. Life has come full circle, granting me two wonderful children. I have been given the opportunity to take them on a journey that inspires dreams. My greatest hope is that they maintain a humble attitude, embracing a life of resilience, loyalty, understanding, and appreciation and that they relentlessly strive for their aspirations. Above all, I wish for them to carry forward my mother's legacy, knowing that no matter how hard we may fall, we emerge stronger when we persevere and surround ourselves with individuals driven to achieve greatness.

As I reflect on the lessons learned from bankruptcy and beyond, I realise that it has empowered me to pursue success and celebrate resilience. While I may not stroll into a Porsche dealership on my 50th birthday, I might consider the experience of renting a light-shaded pink Porsche to match my polished manicure. Accompanied by my mother, Helen and sister, Julie, we would embrace the freedom of an open sunroof, embarking on a once-in-a-lifetime road trip. Our adventure would culminate in arriving at a glorious ocean-front place to stay where we would raise a toast with French champagne with loved ones, humbled and grateful for the lessons life has served us – from the depths of bankruptcy to the boundless possibilities and beyond.

Yet as a first-generation Australian, it feels almost inherent to embrace this land of opportunity and believe in my mother’s vision that anything is achievable. So, if you see a 75+ year-old lady cruising the local streets in a pink Porsche, be sure to give her a toot!

Jacqui Wright

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