How a Leicester entrepreneur lost her million-pound business - and turned the breakdown into a breakthrough
From the outside, Estelle Keeber’s life looked picture-perfect but behind the scenes, cracks were forming. Now, the Leicester-based entrepreneur is using her painful experiences to help others avoid the same business mistakes.
When Estelle Keeber launched her business from her kitchen table in Leicester back in 2017, she had no idea just how quickly things would take off.
Within 18 months, she’d co-founded one of the fastest-growing female networks in the world. Her work was being featured in national media, she was invited to speak on global stages, and the business generated over a million pounds in revenue.
But while the headlines told one story, real life was telling another.
“Everyone saw the success, but no one saw the sleepless nights, the broken trust, the legal gaps, and the toll it took on my mental health,” Estelle says. “I was building something incredible, but I didn’t have the right foundations in place.”
Eventually, those foundations gave way. Relationships broke down. The business collapsed. And Estelle was left not only grieving the loss of the company she’d built, but also questioning everything. Her confidence, her decisions, and her future.
“I Lost Everything - But It Was the Start of Something Bigger”
What followed wasn’t an overnight comeback, but a long, messy, and powerful period of growth.
Estelle rebuilt from rock bottom, personally and professionally. She launched a new business, supported thousands of small business owners with Instagram marketing, and slowly began sharing the behind-the-scenes reality of her journey.
Now, she’s turning those lessons into a book.
10 Mistakes That Cost Me My Million Pound Business (And How You Can Avoid Them)
Due for release later this year, Estelle’s new book is a raw and honest look at the things no one talks about in entrepreneurship. Each chapter focuses on one of the biggest mistakes she made, from poor boundaries and dodgy contracts to ignoring her intuition and failing to ask for help.
At the end of each chapter, an expert provides practical advice on how to avoid the same pitfalls.
“This book has been five years in the making,” she explains. “It’s been therapy for me, but it’s also a resource I wish I’d had when I started.”
The book also features contributions from 10 expert voices across finance, law, mental health, HR, branding and more and is already attracting attention from small business communities across the UK.
Helping Others Avoid the Same Fate
Through her membership group, Instagram training, school talks, and now her upcoming book, Estelle has one mission: to make sure other people don’t have to hit rock bottom to learn the biggest business lessons.
“I want people to feel less alone. To know that failure isn’t the end, it can actually be the beginning of something much stronger.”
She now delivers talks across Leicester and the UK, sharing her story with small business owners, young people, and aspiring entrepreneurs.
And while she might have lost her first business, Estelle says what she’s building now feels even more powerful.
“This time, I’m doing it on my terms. With the right support, the right mindset, and the right lessons learned.”
Want to be the first to read the book?
Join the waiting list for “10 Mistakes That Cost Me My Million Pound Business” here
Follow Estelle on Instagram: @estellekeeberofficial