I couldn’t pay my rent. That’s the part I don't like talking about. But it’s true.
Five years into running my business, five full, non-stop, head-down-bum-up years, I was still broke. Not Instagram-broke or humble-brag broke. I mean card-declining, making-excuses-with-friends, can’t-afford-the-bills kind of broke.
I was working 10 to 14 hour days, sometimes seven days a week. I had staff (their wages were always covered). I had stock. I had press. I had passion. I had purpose. But I didn't have enough money in my bank account to feel safe.
And that day, walking out of the office, holding back tears so no one would see, wondering how the hell I was going to pay my rent that week, that was my last straw.
I didn’t need another quote about ‘resilience’ or a to-do list of hustle hacks. I needed to change. Not my logo. Not my Instagram bio. Not my website.
Me.
And this is the truth we don't talk about enough.
Burnout is quiet at first. It looks like always being busy. It looks like pushing through. It looks like 'just one more email before bed' or 'I’ll sleep when I'm dead'.
But when the hours don’t equal income, and the effort doesn’t equal impact, something’s not adding up. Not with you. But with the way we’ve been told we have to build a business.
And the moment I realised that, the moment I made the decision to change, everything around me changed too.
I stopped measuring success by how full my calendar looked. I started building strategy around what actually made money in my business. I created boundaries. I protected my time. I stopped pretending that working harder was the answer.
And I decided I didn't want to struggle anymore. Because a lot of like the struggle story. That's something else we don't talk about enough. It's all a story we tell ourselves, and if you're feeling like you've been struggling for too long, it's a story you can change.
I did. I changed everything by deciding to change everything. Not overnight but within a few years. I’d scaled to over $500K, grown one of the largest online stores for sustainable fashion, won 18 industry awards, and most importantly, I was happy. Really, actually, peaceful, happy.
I had space again. I loved my business again. I could take time off without guilt. I could tap my card without holding my breath.
So if you're where I was, I want you to know, you don't have to stay there.
If you’re building an ethical, sustainable, circular or slow fashion business and feel like you’re constantly giving more than you’re getting back, I know what it's like because I've been there.
If you’re working your guts out and the sales just aren’t coming, I’ve been there.
If you’re exhausted and wondering if it’s even worth it, I know that feeling in my bones too.
But here’s what I also know. It can change. You can change. And you don’t have to do it the hard way anymore, and I know because I've lived it.
Everything I’ve learnt, every tried and tested strategy, every mindset shift, every system I used to turn things around, it’s all inside my workshop: F*CK FAST FASHION. It's the 7 secrets of successful slow fashion brands, and it's the proven strategies that work.
It’s not a ChatGPT-generated download. It’s not textbook theory. It’s the exact roadmap I used to turn my passion into a profitable, purposeful business, and how hundreds of other slow fashion founders are doing the same.
If you’re ready to feel clear, confident and capable again, if you’re ready to grow without losing yourself in the process, if you want a business that sustains you as much as it sustains the planet, this is the workshop you need.
Grab it here: F*CK FAST FASHION.
Because it’s time. You deserve it.
Claire x
