The Realest Truth About Building Ortega

Lately, building Ortega has been hard.

That’s the truth. And I know — it’s not supposed to be easy. If it were, everyone would have a successful brand. But recently, I’ve found myself battling doubt. The kind that whispers, “How am I going to make this work?” or worse, “Is this even the right path?”

That’s the mental war no one talks about enough. The life of an entrepreneur is filled with uncertainty. You're betting it all on a vision, something that doesn’t exist yet — something only you can see. Some days, it feels like you’re on top of the world. Other days, it feels like your entire world is falling apart.

But here’s what I’m learning: it’s about trust.

Trust in the vision. Trust in your ability to figure it out. Trust that even when things don’t go your way, you’ll find another way.

When I started Ortega, I made a promise to myself: I will never quit. Not because I want success for selfish reasons, but because I believe in this vision. I believe this brand can impact the world. That doesn’t mean you can’t pivot — it means you don’t quit. There’s a difference between changing strategy and giving up.

The difference between successful people and those who never get there? They don’t stop. They adjust. They evolve. But they never quit.

I trust that this mission is bigger than me. I trust I’m meant to be here. I trust that the hard moments are here to stretch me — to shake me out of my comfort zone. Because comfort doesn’t create growth. Discomfort does. And if you’re too comfortable for too long, you stop moving forward.

I’ve been getting comfortable. And I don’t want that. I want the challenge. I want the growth.

So to anyone out there chasing something bigger than themselves — don’t quit. You owe it to the version of you that believed in this dream. And you owe it to the future version of you that’s counting on it to come true.

Stay growing.