I was homeless before making £100k in just 48 hours – I started a business with £300 in my back pocket
A \WOMAN who faced homelessness turned her fortunes around by making £100k in 48 hours after starting a business with just £300 in her pocket.
Dani Wallace, 40, from Bolton, Manchester, found success after facing years of domestic abuse and homelessness.
In 2008 she had been left a single mum of two by an abusive partner.
She struggled to keep up her mortgage and was eventually left homeless with two kids under three.
But with endless hard work and determination, Dani managed to turn her life from rags to riches.
She now works as chief of operations for her movement I Am The Queen Bee.
Last month, her hopes and dreams became a reality after a 2025 event launch sold out at capacity of 600 tickets in 48 hours.
Dani banked over £100K and the huge influx of cash pushed her over the £1million earning marker since 2019.
Speaking to the Mirror, Dani said: “I started the business with £300 in my back pocket to set up a Wix website. I wasn’t able to invest in the business, I had to invest as I went.
“There was a lot of trial and error, but I grew the business to six figures in 12 months.
“I could never have imagined this new level of success. I have so many incredible people to thank for supporting my mission.”
The mum is also in a much healthier place and is happily married to Mark Wallace.
The pair have a daughter, Ivy, 8, as well as Dani’s children from her previous relationships, Eli 16, and Daisy, 14.
Devoted Mark quit his job as a driver to work within the business on the brand design.
Dani’s company aims to inspire other people to make the same changes she did – and become the best version of themselves.
Dani’s most recent work is The Big Festoon, a madcap stadium event for business owners to unite, learn, network, and celebrate themselves.
The event was held at Bolton’s Wanderers Stadium for 400 business owners over two days on March 21 and 22.
Dani opened day 2 of the event in fancy dress as an inflatable dragon belting out Proud Mary – it’s no ordinary business event.
She said: “The Big Festoon is like no other event in the business calendar. It’s fun, energetic, and thought provoking all at the same time.
“The atmosphere is indescribable – anything goes. It is intentionally inclusive.”
Dani, who has never forgotten her past, said: “My business is called ‘I am the Queen Bee’ and that’s how I want the people who come to my events to feel – special and one of a kind.
“The Big Festoon is about us all coming together to link arms, like bees do when they festoon.”
HOW YOU CAN GET HELP:
Women's Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
- Always keep your phone nearby.
- Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
- If you are in danger, call 999.
- Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
- Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
- If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
- Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – messageinfo@supportline.org.uk.
Women’s Aid provides a live chat service – available weekdays from 8am-6pm and weekends 10am-6pm.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.
But Dani has never forgotten the dark times she has overcome.
The mum and her kids survived by sofa surfing at family and friends until she found a place she could afford.
Dani added: “The nursery fees were crippling me but I refused to quit work, I want to thrive, I knew I could be successful but I remember feeling so unlovable and very vulnerable.
“I’d work all day and gig as a singer at night. It felt impossible at times, but I found the motivation to rebuild for myself and my family.”
Over the past couple of years, Dani has raised over £25K for domestic abuse charities, including Women’s Aid.
And she is now excited to have her own Foundation, which she founded with her sister, and the pair have ambitious plans.
She added: “It was always my intention, from the second I heard the Bee Movie quote to create a foundation that would help survivors of domestic abuse, to give them wings and build businesses.”
“Taking back control of your life after you have escaped a toxic relationship is incredibly difficult.
“Learning to trust yourself, your talents and believing in your worth as an independent, whole person is a constant struggle, especially if you are trying to do that on your own.”