The Apprentice winner Karishma Vijay has turned a devastating loss into a remarkable triumph, achieving nearly £300,000 in sales just one week after a typhoon destroyed £25,000 worth of stock. The 28-year-old entrepreneur, who won Lord Sugar's £250,000 investment in the series 20 finale, has already exceeded expectations with her cosmetics company Kishkin.
From Disaster to Success
Karishma's journey to success was far from smooth. She lost her entire shipment of oils when a typhoon sank the vessel carrying them from Hong Kong. Despite having insurance, her Chinese brokers disappeared, leaving her with nothing. 'I found out that it hadn’t even left Hong Kong. There’d been a typhoon, and the ship had gone down, and my stock’s at the bottom of the ocean now,' she explained.
A Make-or-Break Decision
With no other options, Karishma turned to The Apprentice as a last resort. 'I had nothing left to lose,' she said. 'I’d lost all this money, I’d lost all this product, and I’d lost hope in humanity slightly.' Her determination to prove herself made her a formidable contestant, winning twice as project manager and becoming a fan favorite.
Secret Weapon: Ignorance of the Show
Interestingly, Karishma had never watched The Apprentice before applying, which she believes gave her an edge. While other candidates calculated risks to avoid being fired, she simply gave her best. 'I was never one to shy away,' she said, noting that this approach won her praise from Baroness Brady.
Family First
Despite her success, Karishma remains focused on helping her family. She dreams of buying them a stable home, having slept on a mattress on the floor for three years. 'I will keep grinding and keep working until I have it all,' she vowed.
