An Australian man who experienced homelessness at 17 went on to rebuild his business and, by 21, was running a company valued at A$1.5 [US$1.03] million. Drawing on the hardships he faced along the way, Harry Sanders later shared several lessons he believed had contributed to his success — including the unusual advice to avoid wearing a suit.
According to a 2019 report by Australia’s Seven News, Harry Sanders became homeless at 17 because of family problems. The Melbourne teenager spent about a year moving between the streets, homeless shelters, and friends’ couches.
By age 21, however, he had overcome those difficulties and become CEO of StudioHawk, the SEO agency he first launched as a teenager. At the time of the report, the company was valued at A$1.5 million and had opened an office in London.
Lessons from homelessness
Harry Sanders described his period of homelessness as frightening and difficult, but he also said the experience taught him lessons that later helped him deal with setbacks.
“The first night of being homeless was the worst,” he said. He did not know where to go or what to do and spent his first few nights sleeping under a bridge. Asking others for help was particularly difficult.
Harry Sanders also recalled discovering that life on the streets could be dangerous. He said homeless communities sometimes had their own informal territories, something he did not understand at first and which led to trouble.
Finding food was another daily concern. Harry Sanders said he sought out organizations that provided meals for homeless people and sometimes approached food businesses at the end of the day. When shops had unsold food left over, he said, many were willing to give it to him.
Although he endured many difficult moments, Harry Sanders later said homelessness forced him to become adaptable and mature quickly. After surviving such a difficult period, he felt more confident confronting problems later in life.
He also believed the experience strengthened his determination to succeed. At the time, he felt he had few alternatives and therefore pushed himself hard to find a way forward.
Rebuilding a business
Harry Sanders had developed an interest in search engine optimization, or SEO, while still in his teens. He first launched StudioHawk as a teenager, but the venture faltered after he ran out of money.
Even after becoming homeless, however, he retained the SEO skills he had developed.
While moving between shelters, Harry Sanders used payphones to contact former colleagues and clients to find work. After several months, he began attracting clients who were interested in his SEO services.
Referrals gradually brought in more business and provided him with a steady income. After about a year without a permanent home, he moved into shared housing.
Harry Sanders relaunched StudioHawk in 2017. By 2019, the agency was valued at A$1.5 million and had expanded internationally with an office in London.
StudioHawk specializes in SEO, helping businesses improve their visibility in online search results and attract more customers through their websites.
Five lessons for entrepreneurs
Harry Sanders also shared five habits and principles that he believed had helped him succeed:
- Wear what makes you comfortable. Harry Sanders said he didn’t wear suits simply because business convention suggested he should. If he had a meeting or expected to spend a long day at the office, he preferred clothing that made him feel comfortable rather than dressing to meet someone else’s expectations.
- Get enough sleep. Harry Sanders rejected the idea that entrepreneurs need to sacrifice sleep and work through the night in order to succeed. He said he generally slept more than eight hours a night because being well rested helped him perform better at work. He said that trying to run a business while exhausted leaves the mind in a fog. Rather than checking emails at 3 a.m., he advised entrepreneurs to rest properly so they could work the following day effectively.
- Read material that inspires you. Harry Sanders recommended reading books and magazines that are both inspiring and relevant to your business. Exposure to new ideas, he said, can provide valuable perspectives.
- Invest in yourself. He advised understanding where your money is going, identifying unnecessary expenses, and using the money you save to strengthen yourself and your business.
- Build a business around a purpose rather than money alone. Harry Sanders cautioned that starting a company solely to pursue profit was unlikely to provide a strong foundation for lasting success.
Having experienced both homelessness and entrepreneurial success at a young age, Harry Sanders later became interested in encouraging other young people who wanted to start their own businesses.
His story suggests that difficult circumstances do not necessarily determine a person’s future. For Harry Sanders, the adaptability and determination he developed during one of the hardest periods of his life became qualities he later drew upon as he rebuilt his business and pursued a different path.
Translated by Joseph Wu
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