I lost everything when my husband was jailed – strangers had to buy me nappies but now I make £80k a MONTH
WHEN Katie Street’s, 41, ex-husband was jailed for being a part of a £125 million drugs trafficking ring, her world collapsed.
At just 26 years old, she was left homeless, in debt and needed money from strangers on the street to buy nappies for her 13-month-old daughter.
Katie was also arrested by police, as they suspected she was involved in her ex-husband’s dodgy dealings – which she wasn’t.
Fast forward 15 years, she is now the owner of a wildly successful marketing agency and raking in a whopping £80,000 a month.
The mum-of-one vowed to turn her life around for the sake of her daughter, Lola, when she hit rock bottom.
This realisation came when she was crying outside of a shop as she couldn’t afford nappies, and a stranger gave her money.
Katie spent the following years working tirelessly to provide for her daughter and, in 2019, took the plunge to set up her own marketing agency.
Now, Street Agency is set to turn over £1 million.
“I’ve managed to survive what I went through – and I now know I can do anything,” she says for Fabulous’ exclusive series, Bossing It.
“I’m a risk taker and I know life is never going to get that bad again.
“I do believe this and other traumas I’ve experienced have given me incredible resilience and made me the strong woman I am today.”
Katie has now nearly paid off the mortgage on her three-bedroom house near the UK’s affluent Sandbanks, and her Marketing In The Madness podcast has hit the top five in the UK Marketing and Business charts.
She shared her story from a tumultuous childhood and losing everything as a single mum, to how she set up a wildly successful marketing agency…
EARLY DAYS
Katie lived through a tumultuous childhood and remembers watching her mum suffer through mental health issues that meant she had to leave home aged 12.
She moved in with her nan and then into a hostel at 16, thanks to help from a homelessness charity.
When Katie’s nan suddenly died of a stroke a year later, she felt alone.
Aged 17, she got her first job in advertising sales for Exchange & Mart where she ended up winning multiple awards and huge bonuses.
It made her realise if she worked hard, she’d get rewarded.
Katie met her then boyfriend David*, a property developer, in 2006 when she was 23 years old.
My whole life was thrown into a frenzy. It was really scary. I was a total anxious mess and I was having panic attacks
Katie Street
At the time, she decided to go back to college to study marketing, but didn’t complete the course as she fell pregnant with Lola in 2007.
Katie gave birth to Lola at 25 and married David* in a “big, lovely, lavish wedding” the following year.
But everything changed in June 2009.
BLINDSIDED
At 6am, Katie heard a bang on their front door before 16 armed police swarmed into the property to raid their family home and arrest David*.
Katie was also arrested and questioned by police for 14 hours, where she alleges they tried to convict her of “knowingly accepting criminal money”.
However, she was later released without charge after a six-month bail period.
In July 2010, David* was jailed for 12 years after pleading guilty to conspiring to supply class A drugs.
I was made to essentially feel like a criminal, it was horrible
Katie Street
“I was made to essentially feel like a criminal, it was horrible,” Katie recalls.
“I fought to keep the house but my whole life was thrown into a frenzy. It was really scary.
“I was a total anxious mess. I was having panic attacks in those first few weeks. It was horrible.”
Katie’s assets – including her house – were frozen due to the Proceeds Of Crime Act, which meant she wasn’t able to withdraw money from her bank account.
The family home was eventually seized to pay off the debt to society – and she lost her job due to the bad press.
ROCK BOTTOM
At one point she was so broke, she was crying outside a shop as she couldn’t afford nappies, and a stranger had to give her the money.
Katie got another job, but knew she wanted more from life.
She took the plunge to set up her own business, Street Agency, in 2019 after spending years doing freelance marketing.
Her marketing agency helps tech companies attract and win new business with hugely well known household names brands, like Mulberry, Specsavers, Marks & Spencer and more.
“I started doing freelance marketing and sales which placed me in the agency world,” she recalls. “I realised I was desperate to do my own thing.
“I was always in demand as there was no business out there doing what I do to these businesses to help them attract and win new clients in the way that I do it in house.
“So I thought, I’m just going to go for it. I didn’t actually mean to build a massive business. I just went out to do my own thing and I thought it would give me more freedom!”
Katie’s first goal was to make £100,000 in the first year – but she doubled it. In year two, she tripled it.
Now, some months, Katie’s business turns over £80,000 – and she’s on track to turn over £1 million this year.
Katie's Top 5 Business Tips
Katie shared her top five tips for women wanting to start their own business...
- Be financially prepared
Secure your first contract and ensure you have a financial buffer of three to six months. This will cover your initial costs and allow you to make necessary sacrifices without undue stress. - Commit to hard work
Prepare for the demands of entrepreneurship, which I promise you means more work, not less. It requires long hours, commitment, and consistent effort, but the reward will be a different kind of freedom. - Leverage your network and be consistent
Utilise your connections by letting your network know what you are doing. Engage with them, share your journey, and use these connections to propel your business forward. Then maintain visibility by showing up every day, especially on social media. Consistency is key in building a loyal following and establishing your brand. If you don’t show up, nobody can find you! - Stay curious
Always be inquisitive and willing to learn. Surround yourself with knowledgeable people who can contribute to your growth. Continuously adapting and learning is essential to thrive in a changing business environment. - Just F****g Do It (JFDI)
Be brave and just get started. The biggest thing we face as women is limiting beliefs which can prevent us from taking risks. Don’t fall into that trap – be bold and take the steps that men often do without hesitation.
In 2023, Katie launched Marketing In The Madness Podcast to interview significant people in the world of business and marketing.
The series focuses on how women can get ahead in business – both as employees and entrepreneurs.
HELPING OTHER WOMEN
“Marketing and definitely tech is still really male dominated so we’re trying to shift the balance and get more women in the workplace,” Katie explains.
“We’re hosting events and we’re creating this content to empower women to grow in their career to give them the confidence to ask for a payrise, stop limiting beliefs and get them out of their comfort zone to create a fairer workspace.”
Katie is now financially independent of a partner – a goal that keeps her motivated. She’s splashed out on luxury holidays, a nice car and a designer watch.
“I believe the hardest times are when we learn the most,” she reflects. “Through my life experiences, I’ve grown, learned, and emerged stronger.
“We have a team of around 10 people now. I treated myself to a lovely Tesla and a Rolex when we started doing really well in the second year.
“But what’s incredible is that I’ve spent my life worrying about money, and now I don’t need to anymore.
“I’m also very close to paying off the mortgage on my home and hope to be mortgage-free very soon.
“If I can do it, and overcome these adversaries, I want other women to know they can too – and that I can help them.”
*names have been changed