“I had to take 2 steps back to take 10 forward” – Nipsey Hussle

That line perfectly captures where I’ve been lately.

I started the year with big ambitions for WABM. I felt momentum, clarity, and fearlessness – like I was on top of the world. But over the last couple of weeks, I’ve come to a painful realization: I’m not ready to go full-time with the brand.

Behind the scenes, it’s been heartbreaking to accept. It largely explains why I’ve been quieter than usual. I realized recently I needed to take a step back so that I could move with more intention. That decision comes with real sacrifice and, if I’m being honest, waves of sadness.

Through it all, I trust this moment will lead me to something bigger when the time is right. That time just isn’t now.

I’ve overcome several obstacles since starting this brand. And I’m starting to better understand that challenges and how you respond to them are part of the game. They don’t disappear. If anything, they evolve as you scale.

In January, I had my eye on the prize. I dove head first into developing 2 items, a tee shirt and blouson, updates to silhouettes I’ve released before. To my surprise, the process has been anything but easy. I’ve run into what feels like a mountain of unexpected errors and mishaps. I’m on my third round of sample revisions for both garments.

Last week, I finally decided to slow down when I received my blouson sample and noticed the wool shell had been sewn as the lining, and the lining fabric had been sewn as the shell. The garment was completely inside out — a complete 180 from what I envisioned.

Mistakes like this can happen. But it signaled something deeper. It exposed gaps in my process, oversight, and infrastructure. And it forced me to confront the truth: I’m not ready to go full-time with the brand.

Going full-time was always a leap of faith. I had saved money for this moment and based my decision on the brand’s momentum. It’s slowly starting to peak and become profitable. However, what I underestimated was the relationship between speed to market and cash flow. Without income from a day job, the reality becomes clear. You need significant capital to run a brand.

Though every part of me wants to protest, I’ve come to terms with slowing down. I love the community I’ve built and the products I’ve designed, but true to the ethos of a beginner’s mind, I also need to accept that things don’t always happen on my watch. And that’s the beauty of seeing the path as nonlinear: there is no start or end.

So on that note, I’m going to do a couple of things. First, I’m going to look for a day job so that I can continue building my future. Second, I’m going to audit my design process and see where I could improve. I’m not someone who is naturally comfortable asking for help, but this is the perfect opportunity to humble myself and lean in.

Though this is a post I wish I didn’t have to share, I trust that I’ll come back even stronger. The products will be better, my intention to scale the brand will be supported by proper infrastructure, and my story will continue to resonate. In the meantime, WABM will remain active with launches (coming soon). It’s just not going to happen at the fast pace I had in my mind.

I’m writing all this because I want to continue being vulnerable and admit my shortcomings. Failing sucks, no one likes to. But when you fail fast and fail forward, I believe your next success is right around the corner.

That’s what I've been telling myself lately.

With love,
Matt Pham