THE BLOG

The Build

Systems, routines, and structure for women building a business after work

I’m not done. I’m in it.
This is where I’m testing what works, fixing what doesn’t, and figuring it out as I go. I’m building from the middle.

If you’re building something while juggling a job, a family, or a brain that works differently… you’re in the right place.

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Where I Started

Building a Business While Working Full Time: 2025 Guide

by Merissa Si-Lence | Jun 9, 2025

I build this business after my day job. Early mornings. Late nights. The space between meetings. Building after hours isn't about squeezing more into full days. It's about showing up when I'd rather sleep. Some weeks feel like standing still. Scrolled through...

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Explore by Focus Area

Choose the part of the build that matters most to you right now

Minimal desk with a laptop, notebook, and plant in soft light. Represents the essential tools running quietly behind the business.

Systems & Tools

What I’m using to make this work. Tested tools, simple systems, and quiet automation.

Open paper planner with sticky notes and a pen on a cozy workspace. Captures quiet business planning in small moments.

Planning & Productivity

Time, energy, and mental load management.

Desk scene with clear separation between job and business tasks. Sticky notes read Job, Blog, and Build to reflect life between roles.

Work & Business

How I’m navigating a workday while building something of my own.

Notebook with messy handwritten notes and sticky notes that say Pivot and Figure This Out. Captures progress happening in real time.

Behind the Build

My notes, pivots, and decisions as I figure this out in motion.

Content calendar with sticky notes and a phone on a working desk. Shows a simple and sustainable content creation process.

Marketing & Visibility

What I’m doing to show up, stay visible, and still protect my capacity.

Latest from the Blog

My Evening Business Automation Routine: Set It & Forget It

by Merissa Si-Lence | Jul 31, 2025 | Systems & Tools

Set everything up at 8:50 pm last night. Client onboarding email scheduled. Invoice reminders queued. All while my work laptop stayed closed, untouched, exactly where I left it after logging off at 5:30. Started with post-it notes everywhere and manual everything. Now...

Best Project Management Tools for Side Hustlers

by Merissa Si-Lence | Jul 28, 2025 | Systems & Tools

Wrong publish date in Notion. Reminder in Asana. Social posts in Trello. Almost missed a deadline trying to remember which tool held what. Started with Trello because everyone said it was easy. Added Asana for recurring tasks. Then Notion promised to replace...

Project Management System Workflow for Side Hustlers

by Merissa Si-Lence | Jul 26, 2025 | Systems & Tools

Spent Wednesday night scrolling through my ClickUp tasks, then my notebook, then that random Google doc I started last week. Looking for the blog post outline I wrote down somewhere. Wanted to finish the draft I'd started. Found it twenty minutes later in my notebook...