You think others have it all together, especially on Instagram, but they don’t.
By Sara Wasteen
RAL92 is a design studio specializing in branding, visual identity, and interior concepts. What sets them apart is their holistic approach: everything they design stems from the core identity of the organization. From logos and color palettes to interior spaces, every detail is created to feel consistent, intentional, and authentic.
Starting your own business can feel like the ultimate dream: freedom, creativity, doing work that truly reflects who you are. But behind the scenes, there’s often a quieter, more difficult part that doesn’t get talked about enough, self-doubt. Especially in the early stages, it can creep in and shake your confidence. Roosje and Lisanne, the founders of RAL92, know this feeling all too well. Their journey shows that doubt doesn’t mean you’re failing, it means you’re growing.
Roosje originally launched her business solo. But it quickly became clear that she was missing something. “I’d spend forever on emails and planning, it was stressful and exhausting,” she says. What she needed was structure, and a partner who could complement her creative energy. Enter Lisanne, a longtime friend who had just left her career in law. She was searching for something new, something more aligned with who she really was. The two met for a casual lunch. “I didn’t even know what we were going to talk about,” Lisanne laughs. But that meeting turned into the beginning of a serious partnership. “We’d both already thought of each other, separately,” Roosje says. “It felt meant to be.”
From the start, they shared a clear vision: meaningful design rooted in color, atmosphere, and story. But that clarity didn’t mean they didn’t struggle. “I felt a constant need to prove myself,” Lisanne admits. “It often felt like things just weren’t working, and that made me insecure.” She found it difficult to speak up or fully stand behind her ideas. “I had to learn that my perspective matters, that I have knowledge to bring.” Roosje felt it too. “There’s no one above you saying, ‘Yes, this is good enough to present to the client.’ You have to decide that yourself, and that’s scary.” Feedback was also a challenge in the beginning. “You work for hours on something, and then someone questions it. You have to learn not to take that personally. But we’ve realized our work only improves because of it.”
Entrepreneurship, they say, is a constant cycle of trial and error. “Sometimes you just need to ask for help,” they explain. “And you have to accept that growth isn’t linear.” That honesty about the tough parts of running a business is what makes their story so powerful. Roosje and Lisanne don’t pretend they’ve always had it figured out. They reflect, adjust, and keep moving forward.
One area where doubt still lingers is visibility. While they create strong, strategic branding for their clients, they find it harder to showcase their own work. “We don’t want to come across like we’re bragging,” says Lisanne. “But we also know that people need to see what we do in order to understand it.” They’re still searching for that balance, between transparency and authenticity, between showing their value and staying true to their tone. Ask Roosje and Lisanne what the biggest lesson is from their years of building RAL92, and you won’t get a flashy quote or picture-perfect insight. What you get is honesty. “Everyone’s just figuring it out as they go,” Lisanne says. “You think others have it all together, especially on Instagram, but they don’t.”
The idea that you have to know everything before you begin? It’s a myth. There is no “right time” to start. “You just have to do it,” Roosje says. “You learn along the way. It’s okay to doubt. Just don’t let it stop you.” Doubt, they believe, isn’t failure, it’s a sign you care. And with each step, no matter how small, you build trust. In yourself, your work, and your vision. Their story is a reminder that real growth isn’t always dramatic or visible. Sometimes it’s just about showing up, even when you’re not sure. And that’s what makes their journey so deeply relatable, for anyone standing at the edge of something new.
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