From Leisure to Luxe: Building a Brand While Working Full-Time
The Reality Behind the Dream
Some days, I wonder how I’m doing it.
From the outside, it might look like I’ve got a plan: full-time career in leisure, building Elzandi on the side while staying focused and disciplined. However, the truth is that building a brand while working full-time is one of the hardest things I have ever done.
The Juggle No One Sees
It’s not just about time.
It’s about energy and emotional capacity.
It is spending my lunch break replying to manufacturer emails.
It is coming home from a big day at work, mentally drained and knowing I still need to write copy, schedule content or fix a supply issue.
It’s switching from manager mode to founder mode and back again, often in the same hour.
Some days, I feel like I’m doing two full-time jobs.
And some days, I feel like I’m failing at both.
Why I Still Choose This
Despite the exhaustion, the late nights and the constant self-doubt, there is a fire in me that refuses to go out.
I did not start Elzandi to be “just another shoe brand.”
I started it because I know how it feels to walk into a room doubting yourself and I wanted to create something that reminds women of their power every time they step into it.
I want to build a brand that goes beyond heels.
A brand that stands for ambition, resilience, and refusing to settle.
I understand that means building it piece by piece even if it is slower, harder, and even if no one is watching... yet.
The Trade-Offs No One Talks About
There are sacrifices.
Sometimes it means missing out on social plans.
Sometimes it means working when I would rather rest.
Sometimes it means feeling like I’m living two lives and not doing either one well enough.
Yet, I remind myself: this is just a season.
A season of planting.
A season of building the foundation for the future I want.
What I’ve Learned So Far
I have learned that you don’t have to wait until you have all the time, money, or perfect conditions to start.
You just have to start.
Even if it’s messy.
Even if it’s slow.
Even if it’s one small step a day.
At the end of the day, small steps, taken relentlessly, build empires.
I know one day I will look back on this season: the late nights; the quiet dashboard, the juggling act; and know it was worth it.
This season is where the story of Elzandi is really being written.
If you are building something on the side too, I hope you know this:
You don’t have to have it all together to begin.
You just have to believe in what you’re building enough to keep going.
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