Login
How a pocket square business is helping one law student thrive
Building a business that designs and manufacturers pocket squares for men has become a welcome vocational outlet for one Melbourne-based law student.
Jerome Doraisamy
Flynne Tytherleigh, who studies law at Monash University, has always made dresses for friends and family, and has long held business aspirations.
Since starting her small business – PocketMan – as a side hustle, Ms Tytherleigh has enjoyed having an outlet that helps break up the grind of lectures and readings for her degree.
“I’ve always had sewing as an outlet, but I’ve always struggled to find time for it while in the grind of law school,” she explained.
“Now, I’ve got a really good excuse to actually do my sewing and not feel like I’m wasting time by not doing my law school work, in the same way you would if you were just chilling on the couch!”
And while the PocketMan business is seemingly outside the realm of legal practice, Ms Tytherleigh has found that it still enhances her understanding and appreciation for the law, especially when considering consumer relations and protections.
“I’m one of the Monash Law Student Society tutors this semester, and I tutor in consumer law – I can go back to my class and [talk about] problems I have faced as a small business owner, such as returns policies,” she said.
“It’s been really interesting to see how those two things, which I thought were probably very unrelated, actually sort of intersect.”
For law students who have to face harrowing educational or professional content, such ventures can also be useful, Ms Tytherleigh added.
Having worked in the Maurice Blackburn call centre, liaising with clients who have faced various traumas, injuries and been fired, starting a side business proved invaluable to Ms Tytherleigh in avoiding getting “bogged down” and hopeless about her career and progression through the law degree.
“Having PocketMan and being able to come home and work on it, close the door on the horrific cases I was hearing at work and any drama at university, has allowed me to switch off a little bit and turn my mind to more practical things, which has in turn helped me stay protected,” she said.
In this vein, law students shouldn’t let their studies get in the way of ventures that will bring meaning, Ms Tytherleigh said.
“It’s really important to have a support network who can help you put your priorities in the right place,” she said.
“I know that my parents, sister and boyfriend have been great in ensuring I spend some time doing my own thing, but also keep on top of law school.
“Finding a tribe is so important, because a business doesn’t sleep – it’s something that keeps going through the night.
“It’s kind of like law school.”
Finding a balance – first within yourself and with the people around you – so that you can achieve both your educational and vocational goals is, she concluded, fundamentally important to ensuring success across the board for law students who harbour an entrepreneurial streak.
Jerome Doraisamy
Jerome Doraisamy is the editor of Lawyers Weekly. A former lawyer, he has worked at Momentum Media as a journalist on Lawyers Weekly since February 2018, and has served as editor since March 2022. He is also the host of all five shows under The Lawyers Weekly Podcast Network, and has overseen the brand's audio medium growth from 4,000 downloads per month to over 60,000 downloads per month, making The Lawyers Weekly Show the most popular industry-specific podcast in Australia. Jerome is also the author of The Wellness Doctrines book series, an admitted solicitor in NSW, and a board director of Minds Count.
You can email Jerome at:
