** We still believe in what we’re doing. But if we could go back and ask ourselves a few hard questions first… we would.

Building Azulike has been one of the most rewarding and humbling experiences of my life. But I’d be lying if I said it’s been easy.

When people ask if they should start a business like this,  importing handmade goods, working with artisans, and selling online my answer is always: It depends.

So instead of giving advice, I wanted to offer questions. These are the ones I wish we had asked ourselves before diving in — and the ones I still ask, whenever I feel stuck or uncertain.

1. Why are you doing this?

If it’s just to make money, this probably isn’t going to be the fastest route. But if you care deeply about the craft, the culture, and the people behind it — that passion will carry you through the hard parts.

2. Can you be okay with slow growth?

Handmade work takes time. So does building trust, telling stories and finding your people. Unless you have thousands of dollars to throw into marketing and advertising, this is a long game — and that’s part of its beauty.

3. Are you willing to keep learning (constantly)?

Customs forms, currency conversions, e-commerce platforms, ethical sourcing.. it’s a steep and ever-changing learning curve. It never fails, as soon as I "master" one new thing, the rules change on me. Curiosity will serve you more than any formal experience.

4. Do you value relationships over shortcuts?

Your best “suppliers” are real people with families, histories, and traditions. This work requires respect, patience, and long-term thinking.

5. Are you prepared to wear every hat at first?

We’ve been the buyers, shippers, copywriters, web designers, customer service, social media… you name it. You don’t need to do it all perfectly. But you do need to be willing to show up and figure things out.

6. What’s your story — and are you ready to tell it?

While we live in a world where most people mass purchase at one point or another, there are people out there looking for more. People who are looking to buy intentionally meaningfully. You have to be willing to share the why behind what you’re doing, not just the what.

7. Can you keep going when no one’s clapping yet?

This is something I struggle with most. There will be days with no sales, no likes, no feedback. If your belief in what you’re building is strong enough, that silence won’t stop you. It’ll shape you.. after a few tears and emotional breakdowns.

If You Answered “Yes” to Most of These…

You might be ready, even if you don’t feel like it. We didn’t know everything when we started. We still don’t. But these are the questions I return to when I need to reconnect with why we do what we do.

In our next post, we’re going to shift toward something exciting: how we’re turning this blog series into something more — a deeper resource for anyone dreaming of building a purpose-driven, artisan-based brand.

If you’ve read this far — thank you. Truly. Your presence here means the world.