Across Australia, young people are rewriting their definitions of success. They’re walking away from predictable careers in favour of building lean, purpose-led businesses, often from their phones, with no playbook to follow, just a willingness to figure it out as they go.
Take 25-year-old Chloe Weinthal, for example, she’s built a thriving social media agency with zero ad spend, powered purely by community, connection, word of mouth, and organic strategy. No degree, just lived experience.
What started as a passion for content creation has grown into Capture & Curate Creative, a small boutique agency that helps brands show up online with purpose and personality. In less than 12 months, Chloe turned a passion into a six-figure business, powered solely by organic marketing through platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
But the interesting part about Chloe’s story is that it isn’t just about personal success; it’s part of a growing shift among young Australians who are choosing to leave behind traditional career paths in favour of building something of their own. And in Chloe’s case, working with other entrepreneurs has been the foundation of her growth, every one of her clients has chosen to walk this same path.
Her client list includes a wide range of founders leaving their own footprint on the world:
– Lisa Nicolaisen, a Pilates instructor in her mid-20s, is building a wellness platform centred around mental and physical health
– Bryce Maher, a breathwork coach using his platform to raise awareness around men’s mental health, trauma, and corporate burnout, now running sold-out events and speaking across the country
– Elysia, the founder of Meke Baby, winner of Telstra’s Most Innovative Product, and a mother designing real solutions for breastfeeding and new parent challenges
Even the women who now work alongside Chloe in her agency 26 & 23, have stepped away from structured roles to pursue more freedom in their careers.
“It feels like a whole new way of working is taking shape, and it’s exciting” Chloe says. “We’re not just choosing flexibility, we’re choosing to build businesses that actually reflect who we are and what we love.”
Her small agency of just three with help from her little sister Charli, Capture & Curate, now supports brands across Australia in building organic online communities through content-first strategies, storytelling, and consistent visibility.
As the demand for more authentic, human-led marketing grows, Chloe’s story is a testament to the idea that connection, and not capital, can still drive meaningful, sustainable business growth.
