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Some entrepreneurs start with a business plan; others follow their gut. Charlotte began her secondary occupation with a stack of postcards and an old screen-printing table in her grandfather’s studio. Today, her brand Dujojo has grown into a creative micro-business where she can fully express her personal style, family heritage, and entrepreneurial spirit.
Entrepreneurship runs in her blood
“I think I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit,” says Charlotte. As a child, she sold bracelets; during her studies, she printed on jute bags that she sold on Instagram. At the time, it didn’t feel like running a business—more like a hobby that just happened to bring in some money. But the seed had been planted.
With grandparents who were both self-employed, entrepreneurship was literally in her blood—even if it skipped a generation. “Looking back, it really does come from somewhere,” she says. “This drive to make, create, and share has always been there.”
From drawing experiments to real commissions
Charlotte studied visual design at LUCA School of Arts, where she truly discovered drawing. “I started out thinking I couldn’t draw,” she laughs. But through her perspective and life-drawing classes, her confidence grew. With her first paycheck, she bought an iPad—and that became the starting point for her illustration style.
Her first illustration commission for a book came through her job at a startup. That collaboration ultimately fell through, but it did set something in motion: she needed a company number to be able to invoice. “And once I’d taken that step, I thought: okay, now let’s just go for it.”
Dujojo: a tribute in name and story
The name Dujojo is more than just a creative whim. “Jojo was my grandfather,” Charlotte explains. “He was an artist—he made stained glass, ceramics, sculptures… And I started screen printing in his studio.” The name is a subtle tribute to someone who helped ignite her creative spark, even though he never saw it turn into a business.
Growing her secondary occupation, with room for dreams
Charlotte currently works 4/5 as a salaried employee, but recently asked to switch to a 3/5 schedule starting this summer. Not to work less—but to have more time for Dujojo. “My passion really lies in entrepreneurship,” she says. “I just finished a week-long Mastermind session with other entrepreneurs, and I felt so at home there.”
Her goal is clear: to keep growing, preferably at her own pace. Without losing her creativity, but with more structure and more room to make an impact—especially for other entrepreneurs. “I also hope to take on more projects for self-employed people in the future. That challenges me and is very rewarding.”
From Excel stress to accounting peace of mind with Dexxter
Charlotte’s accounting journey began—as it does for many—with Excel files, templates from friends, and a father-in-law who occasionally checked in. “I wanted to figure it all out on my own, but I constantly felt like I was doing something wrong.”
It wasn’t until she switched to Dexxter that everything fell into place. “I was able to catch up on half a year’s worth of bookkeeping in just two months,” she says with relief. What appeals to her most? “I don’t need any prior knowledge. Everything is clear and structured. And if I make a mistake, I simply receive a warning with an explanation.”
Dexxter not only gives her insight into her figures, but also the confidence that everything is going well. “That took a huge weight off my shoulders. Now I can focus on what I love to do.”
“Use your secondary occupation as your playground”
Charlotte’s advice for anyone hesitating to start a self-employed secondary occupation? “Think of it as a playground,” she says. “Especially if you still have a steady salary, there’s little that can seriously go wrong. Experiment, discover what you enjoy, and keep learning. You don’t have to rent an office or make big investments right away. Start small, and grow at your own pace.”
She does the same herself. Every euro she earns through her online store or custom orders, she reinvests in new products. “It’s so cool to see it all come together. That I can buy materials, make things, and sell them. And above all: keep creating.”
Do you dream of running a business alongside your job, but dread the paperwork?
Charlotte proves it’s possible. And with Dexxter, you’ll never have to struggle with your accounting in Excel. Try it yourself—it’s simple, clear, and stress-free.
