From Her Mum's Cleaning Job to a Self-Cleaning Mop: Francesca Rahimi on Building FancysOfficial and Starting Anyway

Francesca Rahimi grew up watching her mum work as a cleaner, and she saw how physically demanding the job could be and how much the right tools matter. That early view of everyday effort became the seed of FancysOfficial, a brand built around a simple idea: cleaning should be easier, and a business can start from something deeply personal.

Her first product, a self-cleaning mop, targets the repetitive routine of cleaning and squeezing out a mop. But Francesca did not begin with a perfect plan. She learned about products, ecommerce, marketing and customers as she went, testing ideas, making mistakes and adjusting along the way. Looking back, she believes waiting for the right moment would only have delayed everything.

Today, Francesca is a marketing strategist, founder and speaker, and the author of Start Anyway, a book on why you do not need everything figured out before you begin. She is also taking FancysOfficial into jewellery with meaning, inspired by connection, memories and the distance from her own family. In this Q&A, she shares how her mother's story shaped the brand, what taking the first step really looked like, and why she believes a product can be copied but the story behind it cannot.

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Q: What inspired you to start FancysOfficial, and how did your mother’s experience shape the brand?

FancysOfficial started from something very personal to me. My mum worked as a cleaner for many years, so I grew up seeing how physically demanding cleaning can be and how important the right tools are.

The idea for FancysOfficial came from wanting to solve a simple problem I had seen firsthand. Cleaning takes time and effort, and I wanted to create something that could make part of that process easier and more practical.

That became the inspiration behind our self-cleaning mop. But for me, FancysOfficial has always been about more than the product. It started with my mum’s story and the idea that a business can come from something very personal.

One thing I’ve learned is that a product can be copied, but the story behind why you created it cannot.

Q: What problem is FancysOfficial solving, and what did taking the first step look like when you didn’t have a perfect plan?

FancysOfficial is focused on making cleaning easier and less time-consuming, particularly around the repetitive process of cleaning and squeezing out a mop.

Starting the business itself was a different kind of challenge. I didn’t have everything figured out when I started. I was learning about products, ecommerce, marketing, customers and running a business as I went.

Taking the first step meant being willing to start before I felt completely ready. I tested things, made mistakes, listened to customers and adjusted along the way.

Looking back, I think I would have delayed starting if I had waited until I had the perfect plan. A lot of the clarity I have today only came because I started and learned through doing.

Q: What’s next for you and FancysOfficial, now that Start Anyway is out?

I’m continuing to build FancysOfficial while also growing my work as a marketing strategist, founder and speaker, helping brands and businesses grow through marketing, storytelling and community.

I’ve also recently published my first book, Start Anyway, which is closely connected to my own journey. The main idea is simple: you don’t need to have everything figured out before you start.

I’m also expanding FancysOfficial into jewellery with meaning. Because I now live far from my family, the idea of creating pieces that represent connection, memories and the people or places that mean something to us feels very personal to me.

I want the whole brand to have a story behind it. Whether it’s a product inspired by my mum’s experience as a cleaner or a piece of jewellery inspired by connection and distance, I want people to understand the meaning behind what they are buying.

For me, FancysOfficial is becoming less about simply selling products and more about building a brand around stories, emotions and meaning.

Personally, I want to keep growing my brand, continuing to speak and share my story, and helping inspire other people to take the first step towards something they want to build. I also hope Start Anyway can inspire people who are waiting for the “right time” to realise that they don’t need to have everything figured out before they begin.

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