I Launched A Business From My Living Room — Now It Brings In $9 Million A Year

From a young age, I’ve always found ways to make money, seeing it as a stepping stone to something bigger. Now, I’m fortunate to do what I truly enjoy—and it also happens to generate income. My name is Jenny; I’m 28 years old, and my handbag brand, Freya, has brought in $9 million in a single year. Freya specializes in classic, timeless, and fun handbags designed to support women in their everyday endeavors. We began as a work bag brand but now offer a full collection of everyday bags, shoulder bags, and mini bags.

Freya started from a personal need. One stressful night before interview prep, I struggled to find a functional yet stylish bag that could carry my essentials. I needed compartments for clothes, a laptop, shoes, and a portfolio, along with straps that worked over a winter coat. That experience inspired me to create a solution. After funding graduate school, I used the remaining savings to launch Freya. Initially, I worked with a sample maker in Brooklyn, but my first sample resembled a kindergarten art project. Determined, I sought help in China, prioritizing transparency about sourcing, fair wages, and ethical manufacturing. Today, we still work with the same factory that aligns with my values.

Our first bag, the L Tote, underwent many iterations, evolving from a rough prototype to a polished design after a year. I chose vegan leather over animal leather, wanting to ensure ethical sourcing. We invested $30,000 in producing our first batch, covering materials, hardware, factory labor, and shipping. Before launching, Freya began as a blog. Sharing our process, from design changes to challenges, helped us connect with our audience. Despite collecting 2,000 emails before launch, the first attempt was unsuccessful, with no sales. Gradually, through storytelling and building trust, sales started trickling in, allowing us to break even after six months.

In the beginning, resources were tight. I lived frugally, splitting rent and avoiding unnecessary expenses. Customer acquisition was slow, relying on ads that led people to follow our journey on Instagram and newsletters. As demand grew, I reinvested profits into inventory and production. Shopify’s revenue-sharing feature provided financial flexibility, allowing us to expand gradually. By the second year, we refined pricing and increased transparency, sharing the costs of making a Freya bag with customers. A pivotal moment came during a Black Friday sale in November 2023, which brought in significant profit for the first time.

Freya’s growth was fueled by our niche appeal and focus on one specific customer base. Over time, we’ve expanded our audience but stayed true to our core values of transparency and intentionality. I didn’t start Freya to be acquired, but as a creative outlet, that became my job. Now, five years later, I finally feel confident calling myself a designer. Reflecting on the journey, I would tell my younger self to trust her intuition—everything she needed was already within her.

Looking ahead, I want to deepen community connections. Seeing customers show up at events with their Freya bags and hearing their stories inspires me. Partnering with initiatives that empower young women to chase their dreams aligns with Freya’s mission. Freya embodies the idea that you can create something meaningful, pursue your passions, and turn your vision into reality.