I have to be honest with you. This past week has been one of the most frustrating moments in my journey as a brand owner. After waiting months—and I mean months—of back-and-forth with my manufacturer, our long-awaited clothing samples finally arrived. You know, the ones I poured countless hours into perfecting? The ones that were supposed to embody everything TENKU stands for?
Yeah. They were a disaster.
I opened the package with excitement, only to be met with absolute horror. Tears. Rips. Stains. Uneven seams that looked like they were sewn in the dark. Threading so poor that a single wash would probably make the whole thing unravel. It was like getting a brand-new car and realizing the engine was missing.
I was stunned. But more than that, I was angry.
The Lies, The Delays, The Let-downs
The worst part? This wasn’t some unfortunate accident. This manufacturer lied to me. Again and again. They made me wait, pushed deadlines, and made excuse after excuse about why things were taking so long. And after all that time? This is what I got?
A lot of brand owners at this point would do one of two things:
- Quit. Because, honestly, this is the kind of thing that makes you question everything.
- Proceed anyway. They’d take the samples, tweak a few things, and push them into production. Why? Because they’ve already sunk so much time and money into it. Might as well move forward, right?
But here’s the thing: I refuse to settle.
The Sunk Cost Fallacy & Why It’s a Trap
That second option? That’s what we call the sunk cost fallacy—the idea that because you’ve already invested so much into something, you have to see it through, even when you know it’s a bad decision.
And we do this all the time in life.
- Staying in a toxic relationship because you’ve already been together for years.
- Keeping a job you hate because you’ve spent time climbing the corporate ladder.
- Holding onto a failing business idea just because you’ve already spent money on it.
But let’s be real: throwing good energy after bad never works. If something isn’t serving you, cut your losses and move on. That’s exactly what I did.
TENKU Deserves Better. YOU Deserve Better.
I told the manufacturer, "No. I’m not moving forward with this." And just like that, we’re switching manufacturers. Entirely.
Because I’m not here to sell you fast fashion garbage. TENKU isn’t about cheap, mass-produced, disposable clothing. It’s about sustainability, craftsmanship, and care. It’s about creating something that lasts—something worth wearing.
So, yeah, this sucks. It’s a setback. But it’s also a redirection—a necessary one. And I want you to know that every piece we eventually release will be worth the wait.
If you've ever been in a situation where you had to walk away from something you invested so much in—whether it was a relationship, a job, or even a personal project—I see you. I get it. And if you needed a sign to finally let go of that thing that’s been dragging you down, this is it.
Onward and upward.