469: Turning Grief Into Growth: How Amy Anaiz Built a Sustainable Home Brand

This week in the guest chair we have Amy Anaiz, a celebrated photographer turned product founder and the creator of OZAIZ, a sustainable home goods and fragrance brand. After building a successful wedding and portrait photography business for over a decade, Amy made a powerful pivot—launching a line of sculptural, multi-use glassware inspired by beauty, intention, and function. In this episode, Amy opens up about her transition from side hustler to full-time creative, and how becoming a mother—while navigating unimaginable grief—reshaped her purpose and path. She shares the behind-the-scenes of building OZAIZ, from manufacturing and funding the business herself, to designing for sustainability and meaning. *Trigger Warning: This episode includes discussions of infant loss and stillbirth.   In this episode she shares:How she prepared financially to leave her 9-to-5 and pursue photography full-timeThe story behind her product brand OZAIZ and why it took years to bring to lifeHow grief, motherhood, and purpose shaped her new business directionWhat she’s learned about manufacturing, design, and funding a product-based businessThe intentional design and sustainability philosophy behind OZAIZ Highlights Include 00:00 – Intro 01:30 – Amy’s pivot from PR to photography 07:00 – Building her photography side hustle 10:00 – Leaving her full-time job and creating a financial cushion 13:00 – Losing her daughter and navigating grief while becoming a mom 21:00 – Why she launched OZAIZ and what sets the brand apart 28:00 – How she self-funded her entire business 36:00 – The complexities of manufacturing glassware and candles 44:00 – Designing for sustainability and versatility 50:00 – Balancing personal storytelling with branding 58:00 – What's next for OZAIZ and how Amy honors her daughter's legacy Watch episode 469 on YouTube and listen on all podcast apps Links Mentioned in This Episode:OZAIZ Website: https://www.ozaiz.comAmy Anaiz Photography: https://www.amyanaiz.comAmy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amyanaizphotoOZAIZ on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/ozaizhome Side Hustle Pro Podcast: https://www.sidehustlepro.co/podcastKunbi (Amy’s lawyer):https://www.instagram.com/legallyset/  Click here to subscribe via RSS feed (non-iTunes feed): http://sidehustlepro.libsyn.com/rss Announcements Join my new coaching program, SHIFT Even the expert needs support. That’s exactly why I created SHIFT—a six-month, one-on-one podcast coaching experience for the podcaster who’s done playing the DIY game. In SHIFT, we’ll clarify your message, attract your ideal audience, build a monetization path that aligns with your values, and create a content engine that works with your real life. Apply now at sidehustlepro.co/shift. Join our Facebook Community here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.