To mark International Women's Day earlier this month (March 8), AsiaOne will be spotlighting inspiring women from different walks of life. You can find them all here. 

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A typical day for a child revolves around attending school, playing with friends and doing homework. 

For Ivy Zerbel Lim, it involved cigarettes, drugs and bad company. 

She had been a rebellious, troubled kid with no interest in school and had even gotten into trouble with the law several times for drug consumption. 

Today, the 30-year-old is a successful female entrepreneur who owns FiftyFreed Beauty Bar, a popular beauty salon chain that has several outlets across Singapore. 

But none of her successes happened overnight. 

"There were so many financial struggles, self-doubt, sleepless nights and the constant fear of failure," Ivy told AsiaOne during an interview. 

Bullying, drugs and bad company 

As a child, Ivy shared that she was bullied by her peers due to her buck tooth and a birth mark on her face. 

Things weren't any better at home. Due to her family's debt issues, Ivy had to witness the bank forfeit the furniture in her family home. 

She began hanging out with the wrong crowd, who taught her how to smoke and fight, and she ran away from home when she was just 12 years old.

When she was only 13, she was caught by the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) for consuming drugs. As a result of this, she had to do frequent urine tests and was constantly in and out of the police station. 

At 14, Ivy was sent to a girl's hostel for six months. She absconded and to support herself while on the run, she started an e-commerce business selling contact lenses. 

She was later caught by the authorities, who placed her back in a girls' home for two months, before she was sent back home. 

All this while, she was still on drugs. She also had multiple episodes of self-harm and considered suicide on several occasions.

Seeing her rebellious behaviour and lack of passion for school, Ivy's mother eventually encouraged her to pick up a skill and gave her $500 for her to learn how to do manicures at a neighbourhood salon. 

"During the course, I discovered a passion for doing nails, and the idea of making a living out of it started to seem like a promising path. I began dreaming of opening my own nail salon one day, where I could do what I love," she said. 

Ivy dropped out of school when she was 17. That same year, the CNB raided her home and she was thrown into prison. 

"While in prison, I was required to do future planning as part of my classes before my release. It was then that I revisited my childhood dream and wrote down my goals to open a nail spa, outlining what I needed to do to make it happen," she recounted. 

"But after my release, I fell back into old habits and forgot about my plans once again." 

Ivy found a new sense of purpose after she got married and had her own child when she was 21. 

However, things went south again after she got divorced. 

To support herself and her daughter, she juggled several jobs — being a manicurist, running a car wrap business, e-commerce, and working in a night club. 

"As a single mom, I knew I had no safety net. Every decision I made had to be for my child's future, not just my own," she shared.

"I was working four jobs, day and night, just to make ends meet. It was exhausting, and I kept asking myself, is this what I want my life to look like forever? I wanted more than just survival—I wanted to build something of my own." 

One day, she decided to take a leap of faith and use all the money she had earned from her e-commerce business to open a nail salon with her friend and soon-to-be business partner.  

"It wasn't until I went through a divorce and became a single mum that I got serious about my future and remembered my dream. That was the turning point where I finally committed to making it a reality," she shared. 

While she had "no concrete business plan", Ivy was determined to try her hand at being an entrepreneur. 

"It was terrifying, but I knew that if I didn’t take the chance then, I might never break free from my old life." 

The ups and downs of entrepreneurship 

Ivy opened her first nail salon in 2018.

It took up a modest 100 sq ft store space in Balestier and she co-founded it online with a small $1,000 takeover fee, which included some nail supplies. 

At the start, she and her partner had to juggle everything between themselves, such as booking appointments, marketing, doing nails, cleaning and managing operations. 

"In the early days, I couldn’t afford to hire help, so I was doing everything myself," said Ivy. 

Over time, the team expanded to have three to four staff and eventually, they moved to bigger store units. 

"As demand grew and appointment slots filled up quickly, I realised that staying in the same space would limit how much we could offer our customers," she shared.

"This led to a move to a 200 sq ft unit, then 500 sq ft, each time expanding both our space and services—starting with nails, then adding lashes, body management, and facials." 

After a few years, they even opened a second outlet.

"Every move required careful planning, but the goal remained the same: to enhance our customers’ experience," Ivy told us.

"Looking back, it was never just about getting a bigger space—it was about evolving into a beauty destination where customers could find everything they needed under one roof." 

However, while things seemed to be going well, Ivy and her friend decided to end their partnership after a few years. 

"At first, it was heartbreaking. You enter a partnership believing you share the same vision, so when it doesn’t work out, it feels like a personal failure," Ivy said. 

Despite the setback, Ivy didn't give up and started her own beauty brand, FiftyFreed Beauty Bar. 

'Fifty' came from the first half of the name of the beauty salon she had owned with her friend, which Ivy prefers not to disclose because of a mutual agreement.

FiftyFreed Beauty Bar symbolised a fresh start, "freedom from the past and a continuation of something greater", explained Ivy. 

And she truly did continue onto something greater. 

"In hindsight, it was a blessing in disguise. It pushed me to step up as a leader, take full control of my business and shape it into what I truly envisioned," she said. 

"While it was painful at the time, I’m grateful for the lesson—it taught me that I was capable of standing on my own and building something even more meaningful." 

A year after her friend stopped working with her, she expanded and took over another 500 sq ft unit in the same mall. 

And two years later, she opened FiftyFreed Beauty Bar's 1,500 sq ft flagship store.  

Today, she has a total of five outlets at Eng Kong Terrace, Cuppage Plaza, Choa Chu Kang, Aljunied and Woods Square, and manages more than 50 beauticians and manicurists. 

FiftyFreed Beauty Bar's menu has also grown and today, it offers nearly 100 services.

"It's surreal to think that we started in such a small space, once looking at bigger salons and thinking, 'one day, I'll get there',' Ivy said.

"Now, having expanded into a 1,500 sqft location, I see how each step forward was a reflection of growth, determination and the trust our customers placed in us. Their support continues to push me to do better and offer more." 

Things started looking up in her personal life, too. 

Apart from having a better relationship with her family, she got married again and had two more children. 

At the young age of 27, Ivy even managed to purchase her first landed property with her husband.

And at 28, she also bought her dream car, a Lamborghini.

For women, by women 

Apart from pumping effort and love into her business, Ivy has done the same for her team, which is mostly made up of women. 

"Our team thrives on mutual encouragement and support, both professionally and personally. I put extra effort into fostering camaraderie by offering emotional support, celebrating birthdays, organising team outings and sharing meals," said Ivy.

"I believe in creating a workplace with special touches and meaningful experiences that strengthen our bond." 

To her, being a woman means resilience, strength and leading with both heart and strategy.

"Women—whether in life or business—are often underestimated, labelled as too emotional or soft. Yet, we make tough decisions daily, juggle multiple roles and tackle challenges with unwavering determination," she said.

"Success isn't about gender but capability, and women are more than equipped to thrive in any industry. We are not just mothers, wives, or labels imposed by society." 

To women out there who are struggling, Ivy reassures you that you're much stronger than you think you are. 

"Every challenge you face is shaping you into someone even greater. I've lost count of the times I wanted to give up—but every single time, I reminded myself: If I quit now, I'll never know how far I could have gone.
 
"So keep going. Keep believing. And most importantly, never be afraid to bet on yourself. Your past doesn’t define you—your determination does."

melissateo@asiaone.com

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