It’s been a year since Jeanette Aw caused a ripple in local showbiz by announcing that she was becoming a free agent to pursue “personal growth”. She’s currently pursuing a patisserie course at Le Cordon Bleu in Bangkok and will open a pop-up cafe next year.

Following a very successful career starring in martial arts films and singing Cantopop songs, the Hong Kong hertthrob added to his remarkable resumes by becoming a chef.

One of the original supermodels of the 90s, Christy has since stepped off the runway to become a social entrepreneur. She founded non-profit organisation ‘Every Mother Counts’, and advocates for better maternal care after almost dying during childbirth.

The tennis pro is hoping to score a grand slam off the courts with her own interior decorating firm called V*Starr, which takes on projects like set design and high-end residential makeovers.

After failing to qualify for the US figure skating team in 1968, Vera decided to follow her other dream and became a journalist. She only embarked on a career as a fashion designer at age 40.

While this wellness mama remains a stalwart of the silver screen, she’s also made a splash in the wellness market with her lifestyle brand, Goop, and has several cookbooks under her belt that focus on healthy eating.

Looks like Karlie is vying to be the next Oprah as she switches careers from model to talk show host. Oh, did we mention that she’s also a cookie entrepreneur and coding expert?

This former model had political ambitions and even became Nominated Member of Parliament before setting her sights to infinity and beyond as a strategic adviser to Space for Humanity.

Handsome George is a multi-hyphenate through and through. Not content with being an actor, director and producer, he’s also a tequila baron who recently sold his business for US$1 billion!

In her 2009 Tulane University commencement address, Degeneres told the new grads of her former life: “I shucked oysters. I was a hostess. I was a bartender. I was a waitress. I painted houses. I sold vacuum cleaners.” Well, now she’s the multi-millionaire comedian with the highest-rate talkshow on daytime TV!

The Sin City actress may have made a name for herself on the big screen but these days she’s busy running her billion-dollar start-up, The Honest Company. Jessica was inspired to start the company when she was looking for household products and baby items that were free from harmful ingredients. She discovered a gap in the market, which allowed her to start developing these products for like-minded parents.

The youngest woman to ever be elected to the US congress got her start waiting tables and bartending in Brooklyn. She ran an extremely successful grassroots campaign to win her Democratic primary in New York’s 14th congressional district by beating her 14-year incumbent. The Brooklyn-native said she was prompted to run because she believed that the US could be better as a country.

This story was first published in October 2018. It was updated on 28 June 2019.