A WOMAN, who was left homeless with just £160 to her name is now a “millionaire”, travelling the world with her exciting job.
Former model Juliana Ardenius lost everything when a failed investment cleaned her out but rebuilt from the ashes to live a life of style and luxury.
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Juliana, 29, won a Miss Teen Universe award when she was 19 and toured the globe modelling before settling in London in 2017.
However, things turned sour when she lost all her money after investing in a friend’s business venture which then collapsed.
The Swedish-born businesswoman told Leicestershire Live: “I came here with nothing, I eventually saved up some money through jobs but I was trusting the wrong people.
“I invested all of my money in one of my acquaintance’s projects and I lost everything – he emotionally blackmailed me.
“At the time, I couldn’t afford my rent because of this, I was on the streets for a few weeks.”
Things seemed to take a turn for the better when she began dating a man, who eventually let her move in with him.
But she claims the relationship soon turned ugly and he began to abuse her.
Eventually, Juliana escaped by moving in with a friend who kindly let her stay with him rent-free for three months.
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She explained: “I came to London being really naive – I was like a fish in a shark tank – I was young, pretty, naive and vulnerable, and men took advantage of that.”
With just £160 to her name, she set about contacting estate agents to find somewhere to live and it was while furnishing her first flat that she came up with the idea that would turn her life around.
She recalled: “I heard back from one estate agent, and I furnished a three-bedroom apartment in two weeks – I had no money, no workmen, no storage and bought everything from IKEA and Gumtree.
“It was a random idea that I had but I found myself drilling together all of the furniture, and from there it grew to a really successful business.”
The “random idea” has certainly paid off as she is now a “millionaire” interior designer, who has reportedly taken on clients from big-name footballers to chief executives of major companies.
She said: “I haven’t spent one penny on sales or marketing or anything, it’s been word by mouth.
“I’m such a hard worker, I go above and beyond, and I think my experiences have made me very personable, and I’ve definitely been very lucky.
“One of [my current projects] is a £3 million luxury commercial store in France with a champagne bar and cinema.
“I think if the old me knew what I was doing now, I’d never, ever, ever believe it.
“Most days I think to myself ‘Is this actually happening?’
“I’m still getting used to it and I’m still a humble small-town girl for sure.”
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