Happy four year anniversary! How has it already been 4 years of running this brand daily? I'm writing this in my guest bedroom, overflowing with apparel and slowly taking over my other spare bedroom. Maybe it's time for a warehouse and shop space. 2020 has been THE year for me personally and the brand. With Covid-19 happening, my day job sent me home to work remotely for 4 months from March to June. While working less than 4 hours a day, this gave me so much extra time to push the brand and give it the attention it needed. Once the Calgary lockdown was lifted in June, I was asked to return to the office. That night I emailed my resignation letter, knowing I would take this full-time. I thought, "holy shit, I actually did it." I was terrified to quit the stable 9-5 job I worked 7 years for and enjoyed. Still, I knew that this was the best and maybe only opportunity I could ever get to turn a passion into a full-time career. 4 years ago, I would have never thought that I could support my family off of this or even be able to quit my day job to pursue something I love. This year was honestly a blessing in disguise for me.
With no car shows or meets for most of the season, I put all my time and energy into this business venture's digital side and back end. I finally moved the website provider to a new host [200 hours!?]. I created many new products, designs, and collaborations with brands across the United States. I ended up driving my car over 2,000 kms this season which is more than I drove in the past 3 years combined. Concept, graphic design, branding, illustration, identity, marketing, re-marketing, channel strategy, analytics, social media, engagement, response, advertisement, order processing, invoicing, merchandise, email marketing, quality control, budgeting, finance, accounting, taxes, inventory, packaging, shipping, tracking, campaign development, newsletter, activity, engagement, leads, follow-ups, appraisal, customer satisfaction, overall organization, reports, meets and website/ web traffic - the daily duties of running an apparel brand in a nutshell LOL. Working only 1 job again has never felt so good. Next season I want to booth and attend a few shows out of town if borders are open - I need to meet all of my internet friends with whom I've slowly become so close. Crazy to think that I have a bigger following in a few American cities than in my hometown. I had orders from 24 countries and sent out over 8,000 packages this year. Next year I'm going to push the brand even harder. I'm so happy with how this year went, as it's exactly what I wanted and needed to do. Again, a huge thank you to every single one of you for being a part of the journey these past 4 years. Every one of you has made a difference; I would not be where I am without all of you. 2016- forever, see you in 2021.
- Brandon Yuen