Jasmine Flamenco has always been a risk-taker. “We’ve kind of always done business together,” she laughed, recalling the days she and her husband, Peck, ran a wedding photography business, or the year they spent living in a van. But life has shifted. Peck joined the Air Force in 2020, and now, together they are navigating a new path – living off-grid, while Jasmine runs a graphic design business remotely, and is trying to figure out what comes next.
“I’m always thinking of angles,” she admitted. “How can I use my skills but not work with clients?” The answer came when she started documenting their rural life online. “I just wanted to show the reality of it—hacking at weeds, dealing with rats eating my plants. Not the perfect homesteading fantasy.”
Meanwhile, Peck is chasing his own entrepreneurial vision after transferring into the active reserves – helping men reconnect with their strength through an innovative boot camp program. “He’s always had big ideas,” Jasmine smiled. “Now, he’s actually building one.”
Their journey hasn’t been without struggles. When Peck first left for training in Wagga, Jasmine was alone with a new puppy, a house that desperately needed work, and a rapidly growing design business. “I cried every day,” she admitted. “The puppy was wild, the house was falling apart, and I was juggling demanding clients.” Eventually, burnout led her to step back from graphic design, questioning what was next.
Peck’s military career had its own ups and downs. While he had always dreamed of being a Defence Force photographer, he started in ground crew logistics, loading planes. Peck thrived in the structured environment, relishing the camaraderie, discipline, and sense of purpose the ADF provided. “He always comes back from a week at work on base saying, ‘I love it. I miss it.’”
Moving to Darwin for their first posting was unexpected, but it turned out to be a blessing. “We never would have chosen Darwin, but it changed us,” Jasmine said. “The defence community was incredible—everyone became family because we were all so far from home.” She pushed herself out of her comfort zone, making friends, trying new jobs, and building confidence. “I even worked in hospitality for the first time and loved it.”
But Sydney was different. “It felt isolating,” Jasmine admitted. After a personal tragedy, Peck requested a transfer to the reserves so they could be closer to her family. They moved to regional New South Wales, where they embraced a slower, more intentional lifestyle.
Jasmine wasn’t sure what her next step would be – until she joined the Enterprise Accelerator. “I think it focused me a bit more because I didn’t really know the direction I wanted to go. I think it pushed me to say what I actually wanted to do and commit to that.”
Now, as Peck balances reserve duties with entrepreneurship, Jasmine leans into content creation and brainstorming ways to make it a sustainable career. “It’s always churning in my mind – how do I fund this? How do I make it work?”
“I just know I want to create something real, something that fits our life,” she said.
Living on family land in an off-grid home has its challenges – hauling garbage to the nearest town, relying on solar power, and making do with what they have available. But it also means connecting with nature and supporting one another. “I go help my mum in her garden once a week,” she said.
“I want to show the real side of rural life – messy gardens, failed projects, and cute animals,” she said. With each challenge, they’ve adapted, proving that small business isn’t just about making money, it’s about crafting the life they truly want.
Check out Jasmine’s Instagram: www.instagram.com/jasmineflamenco
Jasmine is an alumna of The King’s Trust Australia 2025 Enterprise Accelerator.
