Lisa Nitschke was a police officer. Today she earns many times more than her previous salary through drop shipping. Collage Business Insider
Being a police officer was her childhood dream. But just a few years after Lisa Nitschke reached her destination, she handed in her resignation.
A step that the 25-year-old from Gen Z took primarily because of the strenuous shifts, colleagues and psychological stress.
The woman from Lower Saxony now works independently as a dropshipper. Thanks to several online shops, the young woman earns a five-figure sum every month. How? Lisa Nitschke revealed this in an interview with Business Insider.
Policewoman – Lisa Nitschke mentioned this career dream in her classmates’ friends book as a child. The woman from Lower Saxony did everything to achieve this goal. The young woman from Gen Z had no idea that one day she would be the one to shatter this career dream.
Because: Instead of ensuring law and order in a uniform, the 25-year-old has become self-employed. She found a new dream job in dropshipping with several online shops. She earns many times the starting salary of a civil servant, now lives in Dubai and has freed herself from many burdensome obligations. And so could Lisa Nitschke could hardly be happier.
My lifestyle in Dubai allows me to have a much better work-life balance
The path to happiness began for the young woman, who grew up near Hanover, with a one-year, unpaid internship after graduating from high school. In twelve months she really got a taste of the job for the first time. She then decided “with full conviction” to complete the three-year course of study and thus pursue a career as a police officer.
25-year-old Gen Z experiences boredom during her internship
Looking back, that was a mistake, says Lisa Nitschke. “I experienced a lot during my time with the police,” she says. The course was very varied with a focus on sports, social sciences and psychology – apart from the operational service in the second year. The young woman had to do this at a small guard station in the village. Instead of talking about a boring time, the 25-year-old describes it with the word “unspectacular”.
Lisa Nitschke completed her studies. And that even though she had her first doubts during this time. But: “Being a police officer was my absolute dream for many years,” says the woman from Lower Saxony, explaining why she didn’t want to listen to her gut feeling at the time.
Instead of working as a police officer, Lisa Nitschke now travels the world. As a dropshipper, she is not tied to any location.
But the job was becoming more and more difficult for the young woman. She endured strenuous night shifts, had tragic missions and had to witness stressful scenes. “I can still see clearly in my mind how a firefighter left the burning house during a fire with a lifeless child in his arms,” says Lisa Nitschke. Her voice breaks for a moment.
The rescue workers tried to resuscitate the child in the rescue helicopter for what felt like an eternity. Without success. Such situations and suffering “made me question whether this was the path I wanted to take for the rest of my life,” says the 25-year-old from Gen Z.
The missions were so stressful for Lisa Nitschke
Such missions are a massive mental strain. But these were not the only reason for Lisa Nitschke to leave the police. “My dissatisfaction was also due to the rigid connection to one employer and place,” explains the Lower Saxony woman. She has always been interested in starting over.
And she finally fulfilled this appeal in December 2021. “I applied to be released at the time,” reports Lisa Nitschke. She was working in the criminal investigation department at the time. “I actually wanted to go into military service after graduating, but office work was a better fit for my part-time ambitions.”
What is dropshipping?
Dropshipping is a business model in online retail, i.e. e-commerce. The principle: Retailers can offer products in their online shop without having to have them in stock in a warehouse. Instead, they focus on the brand and marketing – storage and shipping are usually carried out by the manufacturers or wholesalers. So minimal fixed costs.
The online shop provider Shopify is particularly popular. For example, customers can connect to the Chinese marketplace Aliexpress, search for suitable products there and forward the orders from their German online shop directly to the Aliexpress suppliers.
The idea is by no means new. Therefore, the profit margins are now low. Nevertheless, dropshipping is often touted on social media and by real or alleged coaches as a way to get rich quick.
While she was still a police officer, the young woman first tried her hand at network marketing and then dropshipping. Hence the position in the criminal investigation service, hence the position in the internal service. “It was a pragmatic decision. Ultimately, this time enabled me to leave the police and concentrate fully on my independence.”
Lisa Nitschke didn’t just resign from the police at the time. She also gave up her apartment and decided to put all her eggs in one basket and emigrate to Dubai. Back then, Gen Zler only earned a fraction of her civil servant salary from her side business.
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And she didn’t care. “I am convinced that every experience has its value. Even if it means that you have to have the courage to leave a comfortable and secure position in order to pursue new opportunities,” says the 25-year-old, who initially decided against the money and in favor of self-determined work.
Her first online shop for bracelets and accessories for an Apple Watch was just beginning at the time. However, the woman from Lower Saxony had complete confidence in the product and her concept – with success. “I make a five-figure profit a month,” says Lisa Nitschke, adding that she doesn’t mean the bottom third on average. This sum is just the profit. The monthly turnover, from which product costs, shipping costs, returns, etc. are deducted, is significantly higher. She earns many times what she got as a police officer.
25-year-old Gen Z earns five figures a month
But: “I don’t work to spend everything. I put a large amount aside,” emphasizes the young woman, who now lives in Dubai. She spends a maximum of 2,000 euros per month. “The most important thing is to make do with the money I used to have and save and invest the rest,” she says.
The performance of their four online shops is now relatively constant. But: “I’ve also had a really bad month in which everything felt like it was going wrong in a shop,” says the 25-year-old. She is happy that the other shops have other mainstays, including a shop for matcha tea. “Otherwise I would have actually ended up with less money that month than I did with the police.”
18,000 euros repayment to the state of Lower Saxony
The police no longer play a role in Lisa Nitschke’s life. The paths between the authorities and the young woman did not part in the nicest way. “When I signed my contract to study with the police, I was not aware that I would have to serve the state of Lower Saxony for five years after my studies,” explains the 25-year-old. After the termination, she had to pay back a large part of her salary. “It was almost 18,000 euros. But I could definitely get over the amount. Because: The freedom I have now is priceless.”
Lisa Nitschke notices every day how good it is for her to work independently. “You have no pressure from outside, which is great,” says the 25-year-old. She likes to start the day on her own, without a set schedule. “I read, do sports or just enjoy the sun. The opposite was the case with the police. There you work against your own body and your own needs,” says the young woman from Gen Z.
Can Lisa Nitschke imagine returning?
The woman from Lower Saxony says that she is now rarely sick. She often only works a few hours a day. “In the last few days in Dubai, I worked maybe ten minutes a day checking advertisements,” she says. But even on days when she hardly works, her earnings remain stable. “My lifestyle in Dubai gives me a much better work-life balance than I used to have in the police force.”
When asked, Lisa Nitschke emphasizes that she doesn’t live in Dubai because of the tax advantage. “Even if there were more taxes here than in Germany, I would always choose Dubai again.” The 25-year-old from Gen Z is currently traveling through Europe with her boyfriend, who also comes from Germany and is a dropshipper. After the trip, the couple would like to rent their own apartment in Dubai. Lisa Nitschke cannot imagine returning to Germany.