From £7 to £250k: Apprentice Finalist's Journey Before Lord Sugar's Verdict
In a remarkable turn of events, Karishma Vijay, a finalist on The Apprentice, has disclosed that her beauty business Kishkin has already achieved sales of £250,000, despite starting with just £7 in her personal bank account. This revelation comes mere hours before the highly anticipated final episode airs, where she will face off against fellow contestant Pascha Myhill for a chance to secure Lord Sugar's £250,000 investment and become his business partner.
Breaking Barriers and Building a Beauty Empire
The 28-year-old entrepreneur from Ashford, Surrey, has captured the nation's attention with her inspiring story of resilience and determination. Karishma, who proudly identifies as the first businesswoman in her family lineage, explained that when she began filming for the BBC series, her business account held barely £2,000. Today, her life has been transformed, with Kishkin processing hundreds of orders daily and generating six-figure revenues.
In an exclusive interview ahead of the final, Karishma shared the challenges she overcame, stating, "It was really hard getting it started, and in the beginning it's just you against the odds. You've got to give it your best and take risks—you could lose money that could have been used for a house, a property, a future. For me, it was a huge risk."
Overcoming Traditional Expectations
Karishma detailed her background from a traditional Punjabi family, where expectations for women were centered on marriage and motherhood rather than entrepreneurship. She recounted, "I come from a very traditional background. Your fate is pretty much sealed when you're born as a woman or a girl. It's like, 'one day she'll get married and have children,' and you are raised to be a great wife, not raised to be a businesswoman in any way."
She learned business by observing male family members, but after experiencing financial instability, she became driven to create stability through her own ventures. Karishma emphasized, "Stability is super important, but I understand ideas have an energy and a shelf life. If you really believe in an idea and you don't give it the energy it needs, it's going to fizzle out."
Rapid Success and Future Ambitions
Since appearing on The Apprentice, Karishma has gained over 350,000 social media followers and seen her business skyrocket. She reflected on her journey, saying, "It's amazing how my life turned around. We don't speak about this scarcity mindset of rent being due anymore. I've made myself and my name very proud. I am the first businesswoman of my bloodline, and I hope to set an example for the rest."
Looking ahead, Karishma has ambitious plans to expand Kishkin into a global beauty empire, aiming for placement in Duty Free shops at airports worldwide. She confidently declared, "For me, as a business, we've done a quarter of a million now, so Lord Sugar, you're making money with me, or you're making money without me, but I'm still making money."
The Final Showdown
As the final approaches, Karishma expressed disbelief at her success, noting, "I feel like I can't believe it still. I'm just running around trying to keep up with the sales and orders and social media side of it. But underneath all of it, there's just a girl who didn't watch the show and ended up in the final." Her performance throughout the series has earned rare compliments from Lord Sugar's aide, Baroness Karren Brady, further solidifying her contender status.
The Apprentice final airs tonight at 9pm on BBC One and iPlayer, where Karishma and Pascha will compete in one last task to impress Lord Sugar and secure the life-changing investment.
