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-time
• The story behind her product brand OZAIZ and why it took years to bring to life
• How grief, motherhood, and purpose shaped her new business direction
• What she’s learned about manufacturing, design, and funding a product-based business
• The 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.com
• Amy Anaiz Photography: https://www.amyanaiz.com
• Amy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amyanaizphoto
• OZAIZ on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/ozaizhome
• Side Hustle Pro Podcast: https://www.sidehustlepro.co/podcast
• Kunbi (Amy’s lawyer):https://www.instagram.com/legallyset/

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