#12: Victoria Cakakios: From Fashion Racks to Loan Stacks

Before she ever stepped into broking, Victoria Cakakios was chasing a very different dream, one built on runways, glossy shoots, and the idea of working in high fashion.

She did the internships.
She worked backstage at the Melbourne Fashion Show.

She did everything you’re “meant” to do to break into the industry.
And then she saw it up close.

The stress.
The competitiveness.
The cattiness.

The “who are you?” energy that hits you the moment you walk in the room.
Very quickly, the glamour faded — and the reality kicked in.

Victoria realised she didn’t want to spend her life in an environment that drained her. She didn’t want to fight for a seat at a table she didn’t even enjoy sitting at.

So she made the call most people are too scared to make: she walked away.

She shifted toward the business side, started exploring what actually lit her up, and opened the door to a completely different career path — one rooted in people, clarity, and real impact rather than the illusion of it.

This episode digs into:
• What fashion really looks like behind the curtain.
• The moment Victoria realised “this isn’t my world.”
• How internships can fast-track career clarity (good or bad).
• Moving from design dreams to business instincts.
• Why stepping away from the wrong path is sometimes the bravest move.

It’s an honest, human conversation about pressure, pivots, and figuring yourself out — and how sometimes the most important career decision you make is the one where you choose you.