When I launched my F*CK FAST FASHION workshop, I ummed and ahhed about the name. On one hand, it’s how I really feel. On the other, it’s a word that some people find unnecessary.
And as Mark Twain says, ‘The right word may be effective, but no word was ever as effective as a rightly timed pause.’
But when is that right time to pause in the hopes the world will wake up? And should I wait for that right time while the world burns and we’re using fossil fuels to fill our wardrobes with polyester? I don’t want to wait and I don’t want to pause. But I also want to get it right. But that also rarely happens the first time.
And I feel the pressure all the time. To show up. To get it right. To make it work. I felt it when I first launched the live F*CK FAST FASHION workshop and in the week leading up to it, I didn’t sleep, I was stressed, I was so frazzled by the idea that no one would show up.
They did, of course they did, and I had rave reviews. The only negative feedback I had was that some brands on the other side of the world couldn’t make the live session with the time difference.
So I listened and listened and I hustled to record my 2.5 hour workshop and make it available to buy, any time, any where. And I felt the pressure all over again when I shared how excited I was while I was recording, when it would land, how great it was, all the hype stuff because I love what I do and when I put things out into the world, man, I don’t do these things in halves.
And I launched it with big hopes and no one bought it. Zero. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. That pre-recorded workshop has still not sold. And it crushes me. The pressure whispers, ‘You should have done it differently. Maybe this isn’t working anymore. Maybe it’s the name.’
But the name isn't the problem. My doubt is the problem. Because my F*CK FAST FASHION workshop is epic, I’m amazing, the feedback is insanely good, and it actually helps sustainable fashion brands make more sales and build strong brands.
And that’s the thing about pressure. You only feel it if you really care. It only taps you on the shoulder when you’re balls-to-the-wall deep in it all, giving your everything. If there was no pressure, there would be no push and sometimes we all need a little push.
And because I am so in this, committed to my purpose, deeply passionate about helping purpose-driven founders, and desperately trying to change the world, I’m trying everything in my power to make it work. But sometimes, that means failing too.
The flop wasn't a failure. Not selling the pre-recorded workshop isn't me failing. It's me trying things. That's succeeding. Not selling the pre-recorded workshop was just feedback. It was bloody feedback, girl, get it together. What if the thing that didn’t work taught me what actually will work?
That’s why I’m going back to live workshops. Not just because they work better, but because I work better when I’m live, with real people, in real time, solving real problems.
And the energy and the vibe and impact is a big hot pot of amazingness. It lights my fire. And if you want a piece of that, join my new live training this Tuesday.
It’s called Make More Sales, Sustainably and it’s built for sustainable fashion brands who feel the pressure too. It’s for brands who are ready to turn that pressure into profit. You’ll learn three real ways to unlock cash this week, the number one mistake I see slow fashion brands make, how to grow without burning out and so much more.
It’s not free, because it’s worth paying for. And if you’re building something that matters and feeling the weight of it all, you'll love my live training.
Let’s turn pressure into progress. Because pressure really does make diamonds, in the right environment.
Claire x
