We’re still seeing the effects of the post-pandemic Great Resignation – the cost of living and housing and the arrival of remote working has seen many professionals, of all ages, reevaluate their relationship with work. Many are seeking alternatives to climbing the traditional corporate ladder with side hustles and self-employment.
Here, Roshanne Dorsett, 33, from Bedfordshire, tells why she quit a promising career in law to launch her own business, and how it changed her viewpoint on success.
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I was first introduced to law by my mother. She was a legal secretary and I remember feeling: “Oh, that’s something I could do.”
I studied law with criminology at Keele University and by 2016, I had all the hallmarks of a budding law graduate. I had support from my community – the praise that is given in abundance to black and brown people that stick to the stereotypical “lawyer, doctor, engineer” script – and a deep sense of justice and desire to make change.
After graduating, I was an intern at a human rights charity, visiting clients in prisons like Belmarsh, and Pentonville. Then I landed my first job, as a criminal and public law paralegal, by late 2017. It was the culmination of years of work – a coveted nine-to-five in London. My mum, my sister and especially my super-traditional Jamaican nan were all ecstatic. Getting the job, however, was the beginning of the end for me with my law journey.
When you’ve gone through the grind of getting the degree and the anxiety and pressure to get a graduate job in law, it’s hard to take a step back and ask yourself if it’s all worth it. I pressed on, pushing past the eye-wateringly low pay (£20,000), the gruelling commute and sleep debt, to do the job and do it well. I was living at home with my parents, which meant I at least didn’t have rent to pay.
But a few months in, at 24, I was burned out – and disillusioned by the lack of real justice within our legal system. I confided in one of the partners at the firm, who simply replied: “You don’t know what stress is.” He wasn’t trying to scare me – but merely pointing out that this, for a lawyer, was only the beginning.
After that conversation, and a teary breakdown in my kitchen with my mum, I reflected on what I wanted to do with my life. And a few months after landing the job I had worked so hard for, I quit.
What followed was a tonne of difficult conversations and a lot of odd jobs. Admin jobs, social media jobs, hospitality jobs, even a period at Amazon in their bookmaking factory – jobs that kept the bills paid, but allowed me the headspace to work on what eventually would become The Glowcery.
I’d always been interested in beauty, and could see there was a real gap in the market for nutrient dense brands that feed the skin rather than coating it. The idea for my company was born out of my switch from vegetarianism to veganism, and a desire to build something that could leave a purposeful impact on the world around me.
I used the money I’d saved from my jobs to retrain as a natural skincare formulator with Formula Botanica. It was a two-year course and the foundation that allowed me to create the first three products for my beauty brand. Most skincare is ultra-processed and nutrient-poor, which can leave skin stressed and malnourished. Our formulas are designed to do the opposite.
This business has been a labour of love for my whole family, who allowed me to craft a micro research and development space in my home. It wasn’t easy, and each ingredient list took weeks and months of formulating based on education I had gained on my course.
After months of unhappiness, my mum and sister were fully behind me, allowing me to use their skin, noses and opinions freely in order to create products that could perform.
I launched The Glowcery in 2020 with less than £5,000 that I earned through working overtime for Amazon and a further £5,000 from a social enterprise grant. The first products were our Clean Greens Superfood Serum and two lip scrubs.
We sold online first, and gained some traction post-launch in March 2020, with press features in digital magazines. I work full-time for the brand with business mentor Jo Wong, who often works as a fractional CFO, and we have a freelance designer who helps with packaging.
The day I knew I had made the right decision to leave law came in August that year, when the beauty editor of The Sunday Times Style recommended our Clean Green serum on ITV’s This Morning. We sold out that day.
The same drive that fuelled my law journey has helped me to build the brand. In 2023, I was selected to participate in a grant program launched by the beauty giant Glossier for black beauty entrepreneurs.
After a series of interviews and pitch desks, The Glowcery was awarded £10,000 and a place on a six-week program led by Glossier – it gave me invaluable knowledge and assistance on everything from marketing to pitching to new investors.
Building a brand nest egg is one thing, but for a modern beauty brand cultivating a community is equally important. In July 2024, I joined a few other small businesses at a maker’s market in London called Salad Days Market. They then invited me to join them in a pop-up in Selfridges. It was a massive step forward for the brand and we ended up just breaking even after spending a few thousand pounds on stock and the materials for the display.
The Glowcery is currently stocked at Proud Project, a community-led Pilates studio in Chiswick, London, and via Counter Culture, an online platform that champions independent businesses. We’re also continuing to explore aligned retail partnerships that share our values around wellness and intentional living.
Our products retail between £21 and £48, making them accessible while still reflecting the quality of the ingredients and the intentional formulation process. I’ve personally invested over £10,000 into the business so far and we’ve grown steadily. For me, the focus has always been on building a sustainable brand with strong foundations, rather than chasing fast growth at the expense of integrity.
Five years in, I’m in discussions with other retailers and I have no doubt the hard work to pivot from law has been worth it. I don’t regret studying or working in law, as it taught me a lot – how to think critically, act with integrity, and always put the client first. You’re trained to ask difficult questions, challenge the status quo, and act responsibly, and I bring that same mindset into skincare.
Life looks very different now, but in a good way. Running your own business is demanding, but having autonomy over my schedule has been transformative. I usually start my day early, around 6am, with a walk before work, which gives me space to think and be creative. I live about an hour outside London, I’m single, and I make a conscious effort to prioritise friendships, family, and the occasional solo trip.
I feel far less burned out than I did in law. The work is still intense, but it’s aligned, and that makes all the difference. I’ve learned that rest, boundaries, and nourishment aren’t luxuries, they’re essential.
