A day ago, I got food poisoning so bad I thought I was done for.

I couldn’t move, couldn’t think and I started writing down my passwords just in case I didn’t make it. Why ? Because I was working so hard on my brand, I could not even take a break to cook my own food anymore, and that’s when it hit me:

This isn’t how the dream is supposed to feel.

I’ve spent years chasing the brand I believe in — Saiiddesigns — through exhaustion, noise, pressure, and that toxic idea that “you have to suffer to succeed.”

Then, FUNNY enough, a random post popped up on my LinkedIn feed (Thanks LinkedIn 😂).

The Hustle Fantasy That Won’t Die

The post was wild a self-proclaimed millionaire bragging how he made $2 million by:

1. Living with cockroaches
2. Ghosting his wife for years
3. Showering next to the toilets
4. Cutting off all friends
5. Working through anger and hunger
6. Saving 80% of every dollar until he could fly private during WW3 (yes, seriously)

And the comments?

• 🔥 “Respect!”
• 💯 “The grind is real!”
• 🚀 “This is what it takes!”

Are we serious right now?

We’re clapping for burnout. We’re romanticizing trauma as if it’s a blueprint for success. We’re out here swallowing poison with a smile, hoping it turns into profit.

I am pretty sure there are dozens of people like these out there who eventually want to sell you something, and what’s funny is that you fall for it EVERY SINGLE TIME.

I’m Tired of This Narrative

No one tells you the cost, the panic attacks, the isolation, the way your body starts shutting down while your brain screams, “Just one more post. One more task.”

I’m done pretending that’s the only way. Because it’s not.

You don’t need to eat dirt, live with cockroaches, or erase your emotions to build a brand. You don’t need to cry yourself to sleep to prove you’re “serious.”

The Wake-Up Call

When I was sick, lying on the floor, I wrote something that’s still pinned to my wall:

“I’m tired of being tired.” It was more than burnout. It was a brutal truth I couldn’t unsee.

Success without peace isn’t success.

What Actually Builds a Brand (From Someone Still In It)

No, I haven’t made millions. But I’ve built Saiiddesigns from scratch, while working 9 to 5, posting blogs, designing content, helping clients, and never giving up.

And it’s growing:

• 4K on YouTube
• 2K on IG
• 4K+ on LinkedIn
• 350+ blogs, videos, and counting

Without flexing. Without shortcuts. Without selling my soul.

Just real, honest work. And the fire to keep going, on my own terms.

Here’s What I Know Now

1. You don’t need to suffer to be successful.
2. You don’t need to disappear to grow online.
3. You don’t need to trade your health for likes.

What you really need is:

1. A vision you believe in
2. A system that supports your flow
3. Enough rest to keep the fire burning

Finally

I started Saiiddesigns because I believe in designing your future, not destroying yourself to have one 😅

So if you’re tired of being tired, if you’re done with the hustle lies, if you’re ready to grow something that lasts…

Then Follow along. Let’s create something that doesn’t break you. Let’s build your brand, and keep your humanity intact ❤️

For more Branding, Marketing, Motion and Storytelling, you already in the right place

Written by: Saiid of @saiiddesigns