The Real Talk: Building CRAFTURE After Working 8:30-6, Football Practice, and Two Large Dogs

Let me be honest about what building CRAFTURE actually looks like.

I work 8:30 AM to 6 PM at my day job as a pawnbroker. Then I come home to football practice, kids' activities, two large dogs that need walking, dinner with the family, and THEN—if I'm lucky—I get a couple hours to work on CRAFTURE.

This isn't a "quit your job and follow your dreams" story. This is a "build your business in the cracks of your life" story.

And honestly? Most days, I'm just trying not to collapse.

The Reality Nobody Talks About

You see entrepreneurs on social media talking about their "grind" and their "hustle." They're working on their business full-time, posting content at 2 PM on a Tuesday, talking about their morning routines and their productivity hacks.

That's not my life.

My mornings are chaos. Get the kids ready for school. Walk the dogs. Get to work by 8:30. Work a full shift dealing with customers, inventory, and everything that comes with running a pawnshop.

Then I come home. Football practice with my son. Help with homework. Feed the dogs (again). Make dinner. Spend time with my wife and kids because they actually matter more than any business.

By the time everyone's settled, it's 8 or 9 PM. That's when CRAFTURE starts.

How I Actually Build CRAFTURE

Late Nights and Weekends

Most of my work on CRAFTURE happens between 9 PM and midnight. That's when I'm writing blog posts, testing laser settings, building the AI quiz engine, responding to messages, and planning the next steps.

Weekends are when I batch production. Saturday mornings (after family breakfast), I'll run the laser for a few hours. Knock out wood keychains for Green Life. Test new materials. Finish custom orders.

Sunday is family day. I don't touch CRAFTURE. That's non-negotiable.

Stealing Time Where I Can

Lunch breaks at work? I'm sketching designs, planning blog content, or researching laser settings.

Waiting at football practice? I'm on my phone scheduling social media posts or answering customer questions.

The dogs are outside? I'm editing product photos or updating the website.

You don't need 8-hour work days to build something. You need focused 30-minute blocks and the discipline to use them.

Saying No to Almost Everything

I don't have time for "networking events" or "coffee meetings" or "let's hop on a quick call."

If it's not directly moving CRAFTURE forward or spending time with my family, I'm saying no.

This means I miss opportunities. I'm okay with that. I'd rather build slowly and sustainably than burn out in six months.

My Wife Is the Real MVP

Let's be real: I couldn't do this without her.

She handles bedtime when I'm in the garage running the laser. She reminds me to eat when I'm deep in code. She calls me out when I'm working too much and missing family time.

Building a business while working full-time isn't a solo mission. It's a family decision. If your partner isn't on board, it's not going to work.

What This Actually Looks Like

Monday-Friday: Work 8:30-6, family time until 8:30, CRAFTURE until midnight (if I'm not exhausted)

Saturday: Family breakfast, laser production 10 AM-2 PM, family activities, maybe more work at night

Sunday: Family day. Zero work. Rest and recharge.

Football season: Everything gets squeezed tighter because practice and games take priority. My son's childhood > my business.

The dogs: They don't care about my business goals. They need walks, food, and attention. That's part of the deal.

Why I'm Not Quitting My Day Job (Yet)

The pawnbroker job pays the bills. It funds CRAFTURE. It gives me health insurance and stability.

Could I go all-in on CRAFTURE? Maybe. But that would put pressure on my family, and I'm not willing to risk that.

I'll quit when CRAFTURE consistently makes more than my day job for six months straight. Not before.

Until then, I'm building in the margins.

The Hardest Part

It's not the late nights. It's not the exhaustion. It's not juggling a million things at once.

The hardest part is feeling like I'm not doing anything well enough.

I'm not the best employee because I'm thinking about CRAFTURE during work. I'm not the best dad because I'm tired from working late. I'm not building CRAFTURE fast enough because I only have a few hours a day.

Some days, I feel like I'm failing at everything.

But then I look at what I've actually built: a functioning e-commerce site, a growing blog, laser-engraved products people actually want, an AI education platform in development, collaborations with local businesses.

I built all of that in the cracks of my life. Between football practice and dog walks and a full-time job.

That's not failing. That's progress.

What Keeps Me Going

I want my kids to see that you can build something while being present for your family. You don't have to choose between being a good parent and being an entrepreneur.

I want to prove that you don't need to quit your job and "go all in" to build something meaningful. You can build in the margins.

And honestly? I love this. The late nights, the problem-solving, the learning, the creating. Even when I'm exhausted, I'm doing something that matters to me.

If You're Building Something on the Side

You're not alone. Most of us aren't full-time entrepreneurs with unlimited time and resources. Most of us are building in the cracks.

Here's what I'd tell you:

Protect your family time. Your business will wait. Your kid's childhood won't.

Use small blocks of time. You don't need 8 hours. You need focused 30-minute sessions.

Say no to everything that doesn't matter. Protect your energy like it's your most valuable asset (because it is).

Don't compare your behind-the-scenes to someone else's highlight reel. They're not juggling what you're juggling.

Celebrate small wins. You shipped a product? That's huge. You wrote a blog post? That counts. You didn't give up? That's progress.

What About You?

Are you building something while working full-time? How do you manage it? What's your biggest struggle?

Drop your story in the comments. I want to hear how other people are making this work.

And if you're reading this at 11 PM after a long day, working on your side project while everyone else is asleep—I see you. Keep going.

Next week: The tools and systems that keep me from losing my mind while juggling everything.