Tess Nguyen who is a trained physiotherapist was searching Gumtree, Australia’s marketplace, for a physiotherapy clinic to buy. Instead, a sleepwear ad called Midnight Mischief captured her eye, “I’d never heard of personalised pyjamas, and I was pretty up-to-date with trends, so I sent an inquiry,” she told 7life.
She consulted her friends who have accounting and business experience and told Tess it was worth nothing and advised her not to buy it. However, she liked the pyjamas’ style and name, plus she was able to bargain the business down to $15,000. So, a month later she bought the business.
Tess kept the purchase secret from her family. The business was going slow during the first two years, and running the business while working as a full time physiotherapist, took its toll.
When 2020 hit, the business was ready for the huge demand prompted by COVID and people staying at home. The big moment was when TV presenter Jules Sebastian posted a photo of herself wearing Midnight Mischief pyjamas.
The brand grew 165% in the year to July 2021. And Tess has gone from pyjama girl to Pyjama Queen – selling a set every 10 minutes. The designs retail for about $99.95 – and her sleepwear empire is now turning over $2.3 million.
“I’m so glad I did it and I’d tell anyone else to do the same,” Tess told 7Life, “Just go for it. You can figure it out as you go along. It’s worked for me.”
