When we first decided to start Azulike, we had to figure most things out the hard way. So we’re choosing to share our experience - even if it’s not trendy to do.

We were super excited at first and ready to learn but what we didn’t expect was just how hard it would be to find the information we needed.

How to source ethically. How to ship fragile goods. How to get a shipping container.
How to price handmade items fairly. How to even find the right artisans. What the hell are HS tariff codes?!

The truth is, much of the import and artisan retail world is guarded, for us it felt so difficult to navigate without help. And that made our first year feel more isolating than it needed to be.

The Gatekeeping Is Real

We asked questions, lots of them. Sometimes people gave us vague answers. Sometimes they didn’t answer at all. Sometimes it felt like no one wanted “competition,” even though we weren’t trying to replicate anyone’s brand or undercut anyone’s work.

I get it to an extent. People work hard to build relationships and there are no shortcuts but it felt like a wall was up. Like unless you were already “in,” you weren’t welcome. To me, one hand washes the other. 

So We’re Doing It Differently

We decided early on: we’re not going to hoard knowledge.

We’re not going to pretend this has been perfect or easy. We want to share what we’ve learned from mistakes to milestones because we believe there’s room for more people to do this kind of work ethically and beautifully.

That doesn’t mean giving away trade secrets, it means giving people a chance. Sharing insights. Recommending a book, a town, a shipping tip. Offering encouragement instead of silence.

What We Wish We Knew Earlier

• You can’t rush relationships with artisans but you can start conversations respectfully. 

• You don’t need to have a warehouse or huge budget to begin.

• There’s no “perfect” way to ship but there are reliable methods (and lessons learned the hard way).

• Asking questions is brave, not annoying and often leads to smoother execution along the way.

Why Transparency Matters

Real craft deserves more visibility. The world doesn’t need more gatekeeping. When more people build thoughtful, fair businesses, everyone wins: the artisans, the customers and the planet.

We’re still learning, I am not an expert. But we are committed to pulling back the curtain where we can. To sharing tools, not just results.

If you’re thinking of starting something like this — or are already in it and feeling stuck — we hope you know you’re not alone.

Next up: we’ll share the questions we would ask ourselves if we were starting over today — and what we’d tell anyone curious about building a small business like ours.