How to make it on your own – from the people who did it

Leap of faith — From building a career from scratch as a self-taught photographer, to ditching the city in favour of launching a sustainable surf school – these tales of independence prove that when you get it right, going it alone can be the best thing you ever do.

How to start a record label that matters

Crissi Vassilakis is living the dream. Between DJing around the world and putting on club nights to showcase her favourite artists, she runs her own independent label: a home for talent so forward-thinking they defy genre. This is how she does it.

The art of simplifying your life (by getting rid of stuff)

After giving up six-figure salaries in the corporate world, Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus decided to get back to basics. Now, as the Minimalists, they help others make space for what’s important in life.

Building a career as a self-taught photographer

Lola Paprocka moved to London with no idea what she wanted to do with her life. Now she’s an established photographer heading up the capital’s independent photography festival, helping fresh talent rise to the surface.

The magazine for outsiders, built by nothing but ideas

After being let go from her job, and turned away from every publication, Claire Milbrath started her own title to bring emerging artists into the light, away from the establishment’s doors.

How to start a sustainable business abroad

As a young mum trying to stay afloat in London’s creative industries, Shiraz Ksaiba became an expert hustler. Then she packed up and left to chase her wanderlust dream: building a sustainable surf community.