I started really considering how to keep the brand moving forward with how much revenue I had to bring in monthly. I weighed out my options and started talking to potential investors. I had been turning down investor meetings since the brand started. I didn’t need it. But it got to the point where for it to move forward, I would need more money.
So I started taking meetings in New York and L.A. Every investor that I met with talked about changing the brand. They would say thing like, “We have to go more urban with it. We need more bang for the buck. We need the shirts to match the current Jordan that’s coming out. We make all of our money in these urban stores in the South. There’s really no money in streetwear stores and skate boutiques anymore because they are so few and far between.” For me to get an investor, I would have to change the brand. I felt a little defeated. I was hoping someone would see value in what was built already instead of trying to change it.
Then, I called all of my big box stores like Zumiez to see how I could get bigger buys. They were like, “We’ll have bigger buys for you if you follow more trends. If you follow my brand, you know that I’ve never been a trend follower. I would always do what I think is cool. They were like, “If you have stuff with cats and pot leaves, we could have way bigger buys.” I was like, “What the fuck?! Have you ever seen my brand? I’m not doing pot leaves, cats, aliens, or whatever is popular right now.”
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