My unexpected journey to becoming a business owner.
Oh hello reader,
Thank you for finding your way to my website, and then stumbling on my blog. I’m sure you may think it was coincidental, or perhaps you were intrigued but didn’t know what to expect. Well I’m here to tell you my friend, that you may not know it now, but you found your way here for a reason.
It’s okay if you don’t know what that reason is now… you will. That’s usually how life works isn’t it? Nothing is a coincidence. You don’t realize until later down the road when you look back and realize that every wrong turn, every barrier, every misfortune was truly a redirection. It was a blessing… something that was protecting you from what wasn’t meant for you.
Alright, bet you weren’t expecting to be reading something so profound. But, this blog is an extension of myself. And it makes me so happy I can be writing again. I’ve always gravitated towards writing. It’s been a therapeutic way for me to express my thoughts. And let me tell you… I always have lots of thoughts. But there aren’t always people there to listen.
Since I was young and being the oldest, I never really had anyone to lean on and talk to. That’s how my writing started. And I suppose writing was my outlet to express all of this ever changing mind that kept racing.
Anywhooo… more about my business. I will preface that as I continue this blog, there will be lots of tangents. If you know me in real life, you know I can keep up 2-5 convos at the same time. So instead of slowing down, keep up.
That’s something I’ve been embracing on this journey. Not to little myself for others, but to embrace myself fully. So that means following the multiple topics that may arise. But I promise you that you’ll stay entertained through it all. And if anything, I’d hope you’re able to learn something about yourself through it all.
Okay okay, so my business. Not once growing up did I ever have the need or urge to own one. I was perfectly fine finding a job that I liked, and growing within the company. And, that’s pretty much what happened for the first 30 years of my life.
Then the pandemic hit. Literally just before my 30th birthday, realizing this lockdown is happening. No one knew what that would mean or how long it would last. I lived on my own and instead of being stuck with family or a partner I may get annoyed by, I was alone. Alone with my thoughts and lots and lots of time to reflect.
Once I got past the working from home routine and midday naps, I leaned in drastically into my creativity. I started painting, doing more DIY’s and then aside from watching TikTok explode, I found fellow creatives online. My algorithm showed me other artsy people sharing their craft. It was refreshing. So then I bought my ipad, an Apple pen and taught myself to draw on Procreate. The creativity didn’t stop there. Friends were celebrating weddings and baby showers and I was able to create custom games and decor for it.
Event planning is a passion of mine that I do for friends. Seeing as my mind works at lightning speed, it really benefits with event planning and to handle multiple tasks at once. So it was quite fitting being able to extend my creativity with decor, game creation and event hosting for those I care about. Many people suggested making this into a business. But that definitely didn’t happen right away.
I may be creative, but I didn’t have a business mindset. So there was A LOT to teach myself. From understanding how to package my items, to how to market it, getting the business license, understanding the cost for shipping, figuring out how to open an Etsy shop, learning copyright rules blah blah blah. It was all very overwhelming.
And, videos I watched kept encouraging to find a “niche”. But, I’m a multi-passionate person. I don’t have a niche. I can do it all… if I want. It never sat well with me to have that mindset. It was very limiting.
So, when I wasn’t working my full time job, I was learning the ropes of how to start this business. Creating a website took me the longest to finally get off the ground. But what a successful feeling once I launched my business.
This was my old brand, Vibrant Disenyo. Yup… you heard that right. I launched it in 2021. I loved it. And brought in my Filipino background in the name. Even then, my business encompassed celebrating the special moments. What was born out of moments of solitude of the pandemic made me realize how important it is to cherish those moments we care about.
My business primarily focused on custom designs. There was a bridal market I focused on as well, but still very custom focused. Even back then, I had the mindset I needed to have everything figured out. I bought all the shipping boxes I may need for my art, and bought enough inventory should I get a surplus or orders.
I can honestly say… none of that was needed. I didn’t get an abundant amount of orders. I didn’t break the internet when I launched a new illustration, and I just had a corner of my room full of shipping boxes I never used.
I worked markets for about 2 years, 8-10 hrs of my time being at markets for people to only take my business card. Cause the reality of doing only custom is that people need to know who you are first, and then figure out if there is a celebration they can hire you for. It was such a great feeling when I did have people reaching out from meeting me at markets, but it really wasn’t sustainable for me to do markets.
And, I’m only sharing this as a reality check of first starting a business as a single person. Everything I created is on the side. The side of my desk as I still work full time, and even having a part time job too. This business isn’t something I’ve fully put all my efforts in, but I still invest in it because all this creativity is a passion of mine. I didn’t start it to make money. And the only reason it has expanded from just a hobby, is the ability to profit from it.
And no, that profit may not explode over night. It could. Anything is possible. But I keep doing this for the sole purpose that it still brings me joy. And what makes me happy is the ability for it to grow with me.
As a multi-passionate individual, I’ve wanted this brand to be an extension of me. So that’s what I did. I’ve grown drastically since 2020. I’m writing this in September 2025. So to reflect the growth I’ve had, I rebranded my business in 2024. Yeah, after 3 years, I changed my business name to what it is now, The Desiree Collective. This brand change was personal. It has my name on it. With everything that I have created, and all the efforts I have put into it, I want people to know my name. Desiree.
Someone not limited by her past, or limited by her resources, but someone who will create and build.
So although when you see posts saying “we” throughout this website, or my social media, it really is just me, Desiree. Building this brand and sharing my passion and a glimpse of who I am. And I’m happy you found your way here.
What I learned when rebranding my business, is that I don’t need to have everything figured out now. I didn’t launch my business website until a year and a half later. And, sometimes life can get in the way and delay some things I want to do. But, being kind to myself was another crucial lesson. We are our own biggest critics right?
But I know you’re reading this now because I have already launched my website. I made time among my already busy life to finally make that happen. And I’m so so so happy. When you have so many ideas to bring to reality, it truly is such a win when something actually comes to fruition! But no one could have done this, but me. There was no amount of procrastination, or excuses that could have made this happen. And let me tell you, so often I could be my biggest setback. The doubts and the ‘what ifs’ are enough to not make you move forward. But, all I really had to do…was start. I know, so often it’s easier said than done. But the goal has to be more important than the excuses that hold you back.
And building The Desiree Collective was that; my personal business that will grow with me as I let myself shine. So after reading your first novel (yes the majority of these blog posts will probably be novels), I hope you find yourself coming back as I share more parts of my journey.
Life isn’t a steady road but ever so winding. So let’s take a few detours together.
