Hey (future) entrepreneurs! Today, I’m sharing something personal—my journey to starting my own business, Studio OAX. This is about getting to know the person behind the brand, the ups and downs of my entrepreneurial path, and why I’m so passionate about helping you start your business.
How it all started
Flashback to October 2022. After six years of working in corporate jobs for creative brands like Scotch & Soda, Rituals Cosmetics, and Fabienne Chapot, I felt the itch for something new. I had completed my first Yoga Teacher Training in 2020, which was a pivotal moment in my life. It gave me the confidence to follow my intuition and embark on a new adventure.
After living in Amsterdam for nine years, I was craving more—more sun, new cultures, different sceneries. Plus, my relationship was on rocky grounds, and I thought, “It’s now or never.”
So, I quit my job and set off on a journey that was supposed to last six months. Six months turned into a year and a half, taking me to Bali, Cape Town, Australia, and Mexico.
It wasn’t all sunshine and beaches. I dealt with massive anxiety, doubting if I made the right decision. But as time passed, I discovered what truly makes me happy: creativity, freedom, nature, and community. I also learned what drains me: pressure, narrow-mindedness, and inflexibility.
With these realizations, I started thinking about creating a life and career that combined my passions and avoided my dislikes. Here’s what I wanted:
- To be creative
- Maximum flexibility
- To work whenever and wherever I wanted
How it all came together
Even with this clarity, it took time to figure out what exactly I wanted to do. Then, a visit from my friend Becca, whom I met in Bali, connected the dots. Becca had built her own branding and web design studio, No Man’s Land, and our conversations reignited a spark in me. I realized this was exactly what I wanted to build for myself as well.
Becca became my mentor, guiding me through the early stages of entrepreneurship. If you’re starting a business, I highly recommend finding a mentor—someone further along in the same field to learn from. I enrolled in design courses and learned how to build a branding and web design business from scratch. Driven by my own passion and inspired by successful women in the field like Becca Luna and Alex from High Moon Studio, I built my website from scratch, launched my Instagram account, and created a portfolio within a month.
Within two months, I signed my first big client. Every day, I love what I do and can’t imagine doing anything else anymore. Turning your passion into your job really is the best feeling in the world.
What’s ahead?
Building and running your own business isn’t always a walk in the park. There are moments of frustration, self-doubt, and the desire for a team to brainstorm with. My advice? Treat these tough moments as fleeting. They pass, and your motivation and self-belief will return.
Here’s what’s next for me:
Grow my client base:
I aim to sign 5-8 more clients by the end of the year. If you are interested in working with me, please reach out!
Expand The Journal:
I want to keep blogging about relevant topics for you. Let me know what interests you!
Create Showit templates:
I plan to build at least two Showit templates for entrepreneurs who want to DIY their websites but need a bit of help with the layout. What kind of templates would you be interested in?
Maintain motivation:
Most importantly: I want to keep believing in myself and pushing forward.
If you’re reading this, you’re likely in the process of starting a business or considering it. I’m so proud of you! Believe in yourself and your journey. The effort and time you put into your project will reflect in its success. Keep going, even if it takes a while at the beginning. And if you need help along the way when it comes to branding and building your website, reach out to me!
Lots of love, Lara
