How bullying victim Deelia came back from the brink to open her own business and inspire others by Lawrence Machado, Rouse Hill Times

Deelia Meriel, 20 at her salon in the Norwest. Pictures: Peter Kelly

DEELIA Meriel, who even thought of ending her life after years of intense bullying at school, has amazingly not only turned her life around but is now running a successful business and appears in movies.

Still only 20, Ms Meriel worked very hard from 16 to 18 years to build up enough capital to purchase her business, Meei Salon in Norwest Business Park, Baulkham Hills, taking up the owner’s offer two years ago to put off buying her own home to invest in the saloon.

The Beaumont Hills youth’s courage in tackling her demons head on and avoiding the worst options in her young life is now a powerful message for others in her shoes, with Deelia encouraging fellow bullying victims never give up.

Deelia Meriel with a client at her salon.

“I feel so humble and blessed now as I feel that all my hard work when I was younger has paid off,” said Ms Meriel, who is younger than her five staff.

“I like to tell other kids in my position (who are being bullied or have been bullied) that bullying does not have to end badly.

“Parents can be unaware of bullying. I can breathe now and things are going 100 per cent better than I expected.

“I was up and running the business on the first day I took over and have been pretty busy since then.

“I would definitely would want to expand towards the city and Parramatta.”

Ms Meriel has a swag of achievements under her belt, including acting in the horror/thriller Red Christmas last year, modelling, being a student at NIDA, being a hip hop dancer and completing her diploma at the Australian Academy of Beauty.

For someone who thought the world was against her during a torturous two-year period, Merial now has more than 17,500 followers on Instagram.

Deelia Meriel, right with some of her staff, Amanda Little and Michela Louis.

She also has a personal trainer five days a week and helps out at her local Our Lady of the Angels Church as a youth leader.

She credits her own determination and her faith in herself to survive and said being bullied does not mean the end of your world.

“When I was younger I went to many schools and had a very hard time with bullying,” Ms Meriel said.

“I was bullied a lot during my childhood and I didn’t want to live anymore.

“I felt the whole world was against me when I was 14-16 years and also ran away once to Queensland because I was so upset.

“I was very depressed and went to hospital. But then I turned my life around to prove to everyone I can do it.

“I put my head down and proved everyone wrong, working my butt off, doing 12 hour shifts.

“I didn’t have a social life and had no friends.”

Ms Meriel had been working with Meei Salon for a couple of years by now and said she had saved enough to put down a deposit for a house.

It’s all smiles for Deelia Meriel who said she likes to make people feel amazing.
That’s when the owners of the salon suggested to her to put the house on hold and invest in the business.

“I was very determined and since I had worked for them, I decided to go for it, with my parents putting up the balance money to purchase the business,” Ms Meriel said.

“I also take pride in my health and this is what we encourage in our business, the benefits of eating healthy.

“I love to make people feel amazing and I have fantastic staff.

“I am paying back my parents (for their financial help) and I am looking to buy my first home.

“My other goals include having my own family one day and expanding my acting roles and being in a TV series.”