From furlough to redundancy, lockdown saw many people leave their jobs and start new chapters in their careers. The change in routine inspired entrepreneurs to take a leap of faith and build businesses from scratch.
Dominique Croft, who was working as a content strategy manager at the time, was one of these millennials to begin a side hustle from the comfort of her home.
She started designing jewellery from her kitchen table in January 2020, when she spotted a "gap in the market" for affordable real gold and silver.
The 27-year-old founded Elk & Bloom and made £40,000 in a single month, then decided to take the plunge and turn it into her full-time job.
Three years later, her jewellery is being sold in Debenhams and Dominique has made her debut at Paris Fashion Week, as well as hitting £550,000 in revenue.
Dominique, from Gerrards Cross, Bucks said: "It was insane, the whole city had a buzz. I have been to Paris before but this time there was a massive buzz around the city.
"It was certainly a pinch-me moment, you are in the thick of it and then I came home and I was like 'Oh my God, what an experience' - it was such a whirlwind."
Dominique made the decision to leave her previous job when the demand for her products grew in the middle of 2021.
"Jewellery has always been a proper passion for me and I have always been creative," she said.
"As much as I loved my corporate job it wasn't for me. I have always been interested in business and I have always been creative and digitally savvy.
"I also wanted the flexibility and I think Covid-19 made a few people want that.
"The decision to quit the job wasn't a spur-of-the-moment one. I had been running my business for a year-and-a-half but it was nowhere near what it is like now."
After single-handedly running the business from her home for two years, Dominique recently hired her first staff member, to help with packing and customer relations.
"I should have celebrated the Debenhams collection more. We shared it on social media and had an internal jump for joy," she explained.
"Being a small business there wasn't a big event. I was here at home with my fiancé and thinking 'oh my God'. To see it on a major retailer it was a huge moment.
"It was a better feeling than I had anticipated."
In February 2023, Dominique flew out to Paris with her fiancé Will, 27, her mum, Darcey Coft, 48, and mother-in-law, Inger Lise, 70, for support.
Dominique said: "On the first day there was a meet and greet with other designers. On the second day is a fitting day, I met all the models, designers, and a wealth of different brands.
"Clothing designers would come up to me and introduce themselves. I partnered up with six different brands.
"It was a range of mainstream wear, menswear, and then there was another brand, plus size.
"We were able to collab with a diverse set of brands which was cool and to see how our jewellery was displayed was amazing."
Dominique has taken a lot of inspiration from mythology and strong women, like Aphrodite and Venus.
"The inspiration for the collection was about embodying strength and making people feel powerful," she said.
"My experience of the show was empowering. I spoke to so many designers, everyone was there to have fun and explore ideas.
"Paris Fashion Week was inclusive, there was a completely diverse set of brands and models.
"People that were there wanted to have fun and explore fashion and that is what came out in the designs."
Do you have a success story to share? Email nia.dalton@reachplc.com.
