When Natalie Imbruglia’s school teacher mum heard that she wanted to drop out of school in year eleven to pursue a career in singing, she realized that her daughter was no longer a starry eyed little girl, but that she was serious about performance.

Though her parents may not have initially supported the idea, Natalie took care of herself, arranging meetings with agents herself and taking the train to Sydney to do so, and standing her ground on the direction her career would take.

She offers advice on getting yourself started at any age, “Know what you want to do and not be afraid to say no that that.”