How I’m Building a Dream Life With Zero Budget and a Canva Subscription

Lenny Rhodes
May 1
3 min read

(And why it’s not just a side hustle)

I didn’t start this brand just to make money.

I started it because I was tired of seeing aesthetic products that felt soulless, and self-improvement tools that felt corporate. I wanted more. And I knew I wasn’t the only one.

I wanted a space that felt thoughtful, curated, and a little bit delulu — in the best way. A space for people like me, who romanticize their morning coffee but also forget to fold the laundry. Who want their homes to feel like Pinterest boards, but live in rentals with beige carpet. Who are trying quietly / daily to become her.

This isn’t just a collection of posters and tees. This is the beginning of something that matters.

What I’m Actually Building (and Why)

I’m building a digital lifestyle brand that’s rooted in vibe but also intent. A brand that helps people:

Romanticise their reality through thoughtful art and products
Feel more put-together in their space, even on their messiest days
Live like the main character, even if they’re working a retail job or stuck in a rut

I create:

Digital prints that elevate any space with minimal effort
Graphic tees that feel cool and niche and deliberate
Planners and trackers that blend aesthetic energy with low-pressure function

It’s a toolkit for your hotter, softer, more intentional life delivered one product at a time.

Where I’m Starting (The Unfiltered Truth)

Let’s be clear, I’m not doing this from a beach house with generational wealth. I’m doing it:

From a small, un-aesthetic room
With a Canva Pro subscription
Around my 40-hour weeks in customer service
With a dog curled up at my feet and 74 tabs open at all times

No team. No funding. Just time, taste, and too much ambition.

What the Work Looks Like Right Now

Here’s the unglamorous reality of building a brand from scratch:

I’m creating 150 Etsy listings — split across digital art, t-shirts, and lifestyle products
I batch-create designs in Canva and Fresco, then resize, mock up, and upload everything manually
I post 10 Pinterest pins a day, every day, to drive traffic and build momentum
I track clicks, tweak SEO, update listings, and make new ones — all in between shifts

This isn’t “just throwing things online.” It’s a strategy. Every product I create exists for a reason. Every piece is part of the same world: minimal, warm, cheeky, curated.

How I’m Keeping Myself Going (And Grounded)

This pace is intense. But I’ve made it sustainable by:

Batching tasks — I don’t design and upload in the same sitting
Reusing templates — mockups, SEO, even colour palettes
Limiting perfectionism — done > perfect
Romanticising everything — candles, playlists, oat lattes, Pinterest boards for products that don’t exist yet

Some days I’m thriving. Some days I just get one thing done. But every day is one step closer.

Why I’m Not Waiting for “Ready”

If I waited until I had a better apartment, a better job, or a better launch strategy, I’d never start.

But this brand can’t wait.

Because there are people (maybe you?) who are tired of living in chaos, craving calm but still want their space and lifestyle to feel cool, personal, and a little luxurious.

People who deserve planners that don’t scream “toxic productivity,” and prints that don’t look like a Canva template from 2018.

I’m building for them. I’m building for me. I’m building a brand that makes life feel just that little bit hotter.

This Isn’t the Dream Yet—But It’s the Start of It

I don’t have the warehouse or the revenue or the viral product (yet). But I have the vision.

And if you’re here, reading this during your own “start”, just know this:

You don’t have to be there yet.

You just have to start. Show up. Keep building. Even when it’s quiet. Even when it’s slow.

Because the dream isn’t handed to you.

It’s built — in Canva. In Pinterest pins. In the back end of an Etsy shop that no one knows exists yet.

This is how I’m building mine.

What about you?