My Sister Wanted to Learn — But I Wasn’t There to Teach Her

I've been making and upcycling my own clothes since I was 15. What began as a form of self-expression became a lifestyle, a career, and now it’s what I’m most known for.

Growing up in a big family with four siblings, my sister and I shared everything, especially clothes. We are super close. So, as I transformed clothing, she always saw its potential. However, she is very smart and never wanted to learn how to sew—she knew I'd put her to work. 😈

A New Challenge in Berlin

When I moved to Berlin, everything changed. Suddenly, my sister had no unique clothes aside from what I had left behind. The clothing market in Berlin is quite limited, expensive, and very homogeneous. So, when I visited home for the first time in December 2023, she asked me to teach her.

Burnt Out, Broke, and in Desperate Need of a Reset

After two intense years of building my studio—managing 15 custom orders at once, juggling interns, teaching, and partying most nights—I returned home completely burnt out. My brain had officially stopped working. I spent most of December sleeping and recharging, letting the sun, family, and good food slowly bring me back to life.

That summer in Uruguay, something shifted. My sister and I reconnected in a way we hadn’t before. We spent days painting, experimenting, and reworking all her clothes. I began teaching her the basics of upcycling. She, being the psychologist and organized one, helped me clarify my ideas for the upcoming year.

It was enjoyable, yes, but more importantly, it was healing and deeply inspiring. I just couldn’t teach her everything in one month.

The Realization: An Online Course is the Solution

That’s when it hit me: If I wanted to teach my sister everything, reach more people, and escape from seasonal income dependency (hello, Berlin winter 💸), I needed to turn my knowledge into something digital. Creating an online course became my primary goal for the year.

I had no idea what I was getting into, but I understood it was the best way to scale my impact, share my knowledge, and make upcycling accessible to everyone, everywhere.

The Importance of Collaboration

Back in Berlin, I shifted my studio's focus towards teaching. I needed a break from custom orders, and sharing my knowledge felt like the right move. Around that time, my amazing friend Jeen (founder of Projekt Glitter and an all-around business genius) called me up and said:

“Jose, what you do is perfect for an online course.”

She had just discovered online education and digital marketing and introduced me to Amy Porterfield and Jenna Kutcher. I dove into their podcasts and became obsessed with learning everything I could.

We teamed up because Jeen wanted a side challenge besides Projekt Glitter. She loves my classes and everything related to marketing. We love finding excuses to work together, and I knew I couldn’t embark on this journey alone. It was too big and scary, but deep inside, I felt it was exactly what I needed to do.

How It Came Together: Studying and Making Mistakes

I plunged into self-development and health on one side, while immersing myself in online marketing and content creation on the other. I had to rewire my brain to navigate this new world: learning how to sell, communicate, and structure knowledge.

The most challenging part was actually building the course. Writing the content was a significant hurdle. I had to determine what to teach, how to break it down, write scripts, and face the hardest task of all: being on camera. Panic attack.

I was always behind the camera—directing, styling, and producing, not in front of it. It took me about four shooting days just to talk fluently and feel like myself on camera. Thankfully, we had the incredible Vivianne Schottler, our film student intern at the time, who filmed and helped us through the production process. We figured it out together.

By September, we had filmed all the core content. Since then, I’ve been editing everything on my own—learning about video editing, color grading, audio, and everything you don’t think about until you’re deeply involved. Additionally, I tackled web design, email marketing, automations, and social media.

All of this unfolded while I continued to run my studio, teach weekly classes, host events, and strive to maintain my sanity. Despite the overwhelming tasks, I found joy in these challenges and learning experiences that contribute to my growth each day.

Why I Released The Free Mini Course

I’m not done with the course yet—still editing videos and genuinely enjoying the process. I’ve decided to launch it in September no matter what. No more procrastinating. However, I did finish and publish the first part: a completely FREE mini course with everything you need to start upcycling right now.

This serves as a test run—an exciting teaser for the real course and a heartfelt gift to the world. It doesn’t matter where you are or how much money you have because it’s free knowledge I’m thrilled to share. I want to ensure that nobody can say they don’t know how to start making their dream clothes and feeling amazing in them.

Naturally, my sister was the first one to try it. She invited a friend over, and they enjoyed a whole sewing afternoon together, following my videos. That moment brought me such joy. Honestly, that alone made the entire journey worth it.

Give it a Try! It’s Free

🎁 Click here to access the Free Mini Course

I’m eager to hear your thoughts—tag me if you create something!

The complete course is coming soon, and I cannot wait for you to get it and dive deeper into this incredible world.

With love,

Josefina 🖤