Dating start-up founder puts purpose over profit: the exit strategy that worked

Wollongong Singles founder Gretel Van Lane hit pause with business at its peak. Here’s why stepping away from success was her boldest and smartest move yet

Wollongong Singles founder Gretel Van-Lane. Pic supplied.

When Gretel Van Lane returned from a break earlier this year, she did something that surprised many: she suspended operations of her successful side business, Wollongong Singles.

It was a bold move, especially considering its early success. Every event turned a profit, feedback was strong, and attendance kept rising. “Each time we ran an event, I would send out a feedback form. We made little tweaks, refined it, improved it - it was really successful,” Van Lane says.

This wasn’t failure. Quite the opposite.

“Most businesses are designed to solve a pain point,” she says, “and I was experiencing that pain point myself.”